The chemical-transformation products of 1,6-dibromo-1,6-dideoxygalactitol and 1,2:5,6-dianhydrogalactitol in aqueous solution

After hydrolysis of 1,6-dibromo-1,6-dideoxygalactitol (1) and 1,2:5,6-dianhydrogalactitol (2), 11 compounds were isolated, three of them as tritylated derivatives. Their structures were established on the basis of chemical evidence and, for four compounds, by X-ray diffraction. The main product of the hydrolysis of 1 was 3,6-anhydro-1-bromo-1-deoxy-dl-galactitol; the end-products of the hydrolysis of 2 were 1,5-anhydro-dl-galactitol, 2,5-anhydro-dl-altritol, and galactitol.     

Somatic cell fusion of Trichoderma reesei resulting in new genetic combinations

Summary A selection method has been developed for the isolation of recombinant strains of Trichoderma reesei QM 9414. The method is based on somatic hybridization via anastomosis or protoplast fusion, and on the difference in growth rate of the resulting heterokaryons and synkaryons. The more intensive growth of the synkaryons as due to allelic complementation of adenine-requiring auxotrophic strains mutated in the adenylosuccinate synthetase gene. The synkaryons appeared is energetically growing spots in the heterokaryotic background. Stable diploids could not be isolated, which points to the transient nature of the diploid state in this species.     

Sexual reproduction and developmental adaptations in Xanthoria parietina

Thalli of Xanthoria parietina have been grown in cultures in the natural environment. In early phases of development the fungus associates with foreign algae and only later forms a symbiosis with Pseudotrebouxia . The lichen is shown to have a very effective mechanism for distribution by sexual spores followed by relichenization.     

Alga consumption of four dominant planktonic crustaceans in Lake Balaton (Hungary)

Between 1981–83 the gut contents ofDaphnia galeata, D. cucullata, Eudiaptomus gracilis, andCyclops vicinus were examined with light and scanning electron microscope to obtain information on the feeding of these species in Lake Balaton. The twoDaphnia species feed mainly on abioseston, and it is assumed that their primary nutrient source was organic matter adsorbed onto the surfaces of the abioseston granules plus bacteria and detritus.E. gracilis feeds on algae, showing a preference for green algae and diatoms.C. vicinus is also a prodigious consumer of algae in Lake Balaton, utilizing the whole size spectrum of phytoplankton. Concerning the trophic relationships between phytoplankton and zooplankton in Lake Balaton, that between diatoms and bothE. gracilis andC. vicinus is the most conspicouos. Convincing evidence for an extensive utilization of blue-green algae was not found. Though there is no firm evidence yet, it is likely that theDaphnia are dependent on organic matter adsorbed on the abioseston.     

Immunogold localization of photosynthetic fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase in pea leaf tissue

An enriched IgG serum fraction obtained from rabbits immunized against pea chloroplast fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase (FBPase) was used, coupled to colloidal gold (15 nanometer particles) goat anti-rabbit IgG, to analyze by electron microscopy the location of photosynthetic FBPase in pea (Pisum sativum L.) leaf ultrathin sections. In accordance with earlier biochemical studies on distribution of FBPase activity, the enzyme was visualized both in the stromal space and bound to the chloroplast membranes. Some gold particles also appear in the cytoplasm, which can be related to the presence in the cytosol of a high molecular weight precursor of this nuclear coded enzyme.     

Photoreactions of bacteriorhodopsin at acid pH.

It has been known that bacteriorhodopsin, the retinal protein in purple membrane which functions as a light-driven proton pump, undergoes reversible spectroscopic changes at acid pH. The absorption spectra of various bacteriorhodopsin species were estimated from measured spectra of the mixtures that form at low pH, in the presence of sulfate and chloride. The dependency of these on pH and the concentration of Cl- fit a model in which progressive protonation of purple membrane produces "blue membrane", which will bind, with increasing affinity as the pH is lowered, chloride ions to produce "acid purple membrane." Transient spectroscopy with a multichannel analyzer identified the intermediates of the photocycles of these altered pigments, and described their kinetics. Blue membrane produced red-shifted KL-like and L-like products, but no other photointermediates, consistent with earlier suggestions. Unlike others, however, we found that acid purple membrane exhibited a very different photocycle: its first detected intermediate was not like KL in that it was much more red-shifted, and the only other intermediate detectable resembled the O species of the bacteriorhodopsin photocycle. An M-like intermediate, with a deprotonated Schiff base, was not found in either of these photocycles. There are remarkable similarities between the photoreactions of the acid forms of bacteriorhodopsin and the chloride transport system halorhodopsin, where the Schiff base deprotonation seems to be prevented by lack of suitable aspartate residues, rather than by low pH.     

Assignment of autosomal dominant spinocerebellar ataxia (SCA1) centromeric to the HLA region on the short arm of chromosome 6, using multilocus linkage analysis.

A 7-generation kindred with the HLA-linked form of spinocerebellar ataxia (SCA1) was studied to determine whether the SCA1 gene maps centromeric or telomeric to the HLA loci. The DNA markers flanking the HLA-(A-B) region were used for polymorphism studies and multilocus linkage analysis. These two markers are the cDNA for the beta-subunit of HLA-DP, which is centromeric to HLA-(A-B), and the cDNA for coagulation factor XIIIa (F13A), which is telomeric to HLA-(A-B). Haplotypes were constructed using multiple polymorphisms for these two DNA markers, and pairwise linkage analysis revealed a maximum lod score of 2.18 for SCA1 versus HLA-DP at a recombination fraction of .05 and a maximum lod score of 0 for SCA1 versus F13A at a recombination fraction of .50. A possible crossover between HLA-(A-B) and HLA-DP was identified, but lack of samples from key individuals hampered the analysis. To clarify the phase and improve the analysis, the two chromosomes 6 for the crossover individual were separated in somatic cell hybrids. The results strongly favored the probability that the crossover occurred between HLA-(A-B-DR) and HLA-DP with SCA1 segregating with HLA-DP, consistent with a location centromeric to HLA-(A-B). Multilocus linkage analysis was used to evaluate further the location of SCA1 relative to F13A, HLA-(A-B), and HLA-DP; the results indicated that the SCA1 gene locus is centromeric to HLA-DP with odds of 46:1 favoring this most likely location over the second most likely location, i.e., telomeric to HLA-(A-B) between the HLA complex and F13A.     

Stirred fluidised-bed reactor developed for low-density biocatalyst supports

Summary A new type of multistage fluidised-bed reactor was constructed to avoid the fluidisation irregularities by slow stirring of the bed. Aminoacylase immobilized on a polyacrylamide type bead polymer was used as biocatalyst for resolution of racemic amino acids. The efficiency was considerably higher than that of a traditional packed-bed reactor.