Blood pressure lability in the sympathectomized rat

Intra-aortic blood pressure (BP) was measured in conscious rats after early chronic destruction of the peripheral sympathetic nervous system (SNS) with guanethidine. In sympathectomized rats, the mean level of BP was not different from that of control rats but its variability was markedly increased. These results indicate that functional integrity of the SNS is of primary importance for the short-term control of BP but is not essential for its long-term maintenance.     

Production of gallic acid from tara tannin by bacterial strains

Summary Bacterial strains identified as Klebsiella pneumonia and Corynebacterium sp. degraded in few hours a great part of pure tara (Caesalpinia spinosa) tannin or crude water extract of tara pods powder. Large amounts of gallic acid were recovered during some experiments reaching 55 % of the theoretical yield in the best case. The feasibility of gallic acid production by a biotechnological process is discussed.     

Detection of the gangliosideN-glycolyl-neuraminyl-lactosyl-ceramide by biotinylatedEscherichia coli K99 lectin

K99 lectin fromEscherichia coli was purified and biotinylated via its carboxyl groups using biocytin hydrazide and a water soluble carbodiimide. Biotinylation of two out of the nine carboxyl groups was sufficient to permit detection of the lectin by avidin and did not cause any loss of the haemagglutinating activity. It was demonstrated that the biotinylated K99 lectin retained other important properties of native K99 and that it will probably become a very sensitive detecting reagent. Indeed, it was able to bind to HeLa cells, as do intact bacteria carrying K99 fimbriae, and also to recognizeN-glycolyl-neuraminyl-lactosyl-ceramide in an overlay binding assay. Abbreviations: NeuAc,N-acetylneuraminic acid; NeuGc,N-glycolylneuraminic acid; PBS, phosphate buffered saline (0.9% NaCl containing 150mm sodium phosphate, pH 7.2); LPS, lipopolysaccharide; BCHZ, biocytin hydrazide; EDC, 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl)carbodiimide; BSA, bovine serum albumin; SDS-PAGE, sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis; DMEM, Dulbecco's modified Eagle medium. For the gangliosides, trivial names and structures are given according to the recommendations in [43]. NeuAc2-3Gal1-4Glc1-1Cer (NeuAc-GM₃); NeuGc2-3Gal1-4Glc1-1Cer (NeuGc-GM₃); GalNAc1-4(NeuAc2-3)Gal1-4Glc1-1Cer (GM₂); NeuAc2-8NeuAc2-3Gal1-4Glc1-1Cer (GD3); Gal1-3GalNAc1-4(NeuAc2-3)Gal1-4Glc1-1Cer (GM₁); NeuAc2-3Gal1-3GalNAc1-4(NeuAc2-3)Gal1-4Glc1-1Cer (GD_1a); Gal1-3GalNAc1-4(NeuAc2-8NeuAc2-3)Gal1-4Gle1-1Cer (GD_1b); NeuAc2-3Gal1-3GalNAc1-4(NeuAc2-8NeuAc2-3) Gal1.-4Glc1-1Cer (GT_1b). NeuGc2-3Gal1-4GleNAc1-4Gal1-4Glc1-1Cer (NeuGc-SPG).     

Peptide-N 4-(N-acetylglucosaminyl)asparagine amidase (PNGase) activity could explain the occurrence of extracellular xylomannosides in a plant cell suspension

We have previously isolated mannoside and xylomannoside oligosaccharides with one or two terminal reducingN-acetylglucosamine residues from the extracellular medium of white campion (Silene alba) suspension culture. We have now demonstrated the presence of peptide-N ⁴-(N-acetylglucosaminyl)asparagine amidase (PNGase) activity in cell extracts as well in the culture medium that could explain the production of those compounds. An additional xylomannoside, (GlcNAc)Man₃(Xyl)GlcNAc(Fuc)GlcNAc, was characterized, and¹H- and¹³C-NMR assignments for the oligosaccharide Man₃(Xyl)GlcNAc(Fuc)GlcNAc were obtained using homonuclear and heteronuclear spectroscopy (COSY).Abbreviations Endo endo--N-acetylglucosaminidase - Fuc fucose - GlcNAc N-acetylglucosamine - Man mannose - NMR nuclear magnetic resonance - PNGase peptide-N ⁴-(N-acetylglucosaminyl)asparagine amidase - Xyl xylose