Partial Characterization of Small Plasmids fromCorynebacterium renale

A naphthalene-degrading strain of corynebacteria, Corynebacterium renale, harbors multiple small plasmids designated pCR1, pCR2, pCR3, and pCR4 with sizes of 1.4, 3.2, 4.4, and 5.7 kb, respectively. Plasmid pCR1 of 1.4 kb is the smallest plasmid reported in this group of bacteria and is present in high copy number. Attempts to clone whole pCR1 in Escherichia coli were unsuccessful but two of its fragments (750 and 650 bp) could be separately cloned in it. The 4.4-kb plasmid, pCR3, bears considerable restriction pattern similarity to a 4.4-kb plasmid belonging to the pBL1 group of cryptic plasmid of corynebacteria but has no sequence homology, suggesting that pCR3 represents a new member of the 4.4-kb group of corynebacterial plasmids.     

NADPH production from NADP+ with a glucose dehydrogenase system involving whole cells and immobilized cells of Gluconobacter suboxydans

Summary A convenient and efficient method of NADPH production from NADP⁺ has been established using a glucose dehydrogenase system involving whole cells and immobilized cells of Gluconobacter suboxydans IFO 3172. Using airdried cells of the bacterium, the optimum conditions for NADPH production were examined, including the cell and glucose concentrations, NADP⁺ concentration, pH, buffer and reaction temperature. Under suitable conditions, the conversion ratio and the amount of NADPH accumulated reached about 100% and 73 mg/ml of the reaction mixture, respectively, after 1-h reaction. Intact cells of the bacterium also showed high NADPH production even in the reaction mixture without a surfactant. The addition of Triton X-100 to the reaction mixture and freeze-thawing treatment of intact cells enhanced the production. The NADPH production method was further improved by using cells of the bacterium immobilized by entrapment in a -carrageenan gel lattice. The immobilized cells had almost the same enzymatic properties as the air-dried cells. The conditions for the continuous production of NADPH with an immobilized cell column were also investigated. NADPH was produced in a good yield (about 95%) with this continuous process.     

A study of diabetes in relation to blood groups and cholesterol levels

Summary Four hundred and sixteen patients suffering from diabetes were studied for AB0 Rhesus blood groups, to find out whether there is any association between blood group and diabetes. Though the relative incidence was found to be higher in blood group 0 and B, the difference was not statistically significant. This study confirms the earlier findings of high cholesterol levels in diabetes, particularly in patients with blood groups A and AB, and the overall mean cholesterol level as 253 mg/100 ml. This study also shows that diabetes with a cholesterol level of more than 300 mg/100 ml is a coronary risk factor.

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Zusammenfassung 416 Patienten mit Diabetes wurden nach AB0 und Rh untersucht, um Assoziationen zwischen Blutgruppe und Diabetes zu finden. Es fand sich ein leichtes, nicht signifikantes Überwiegen von 0 und B. Ein besonders hoher Serum-Cholesteral-Spiegel fand sich beim Diabetes insbesondere bei Patienten der Gruppen A und AB. Die Studie zeigt auch, daß ein Cholesteral-Spiegel von mehr als 300 mg% ein Risikofaktor für Coronarerkrankungen ist.

     

Relationship between calcium and agar on vitrification and shoot-tip necrosis of quince (Cydonia oblonga Mill.) shoots in vitro

Shoot-tip cultures of Quince C (Cydonia oblonga Mill.) initiated on Murashige & Skoog (MS) medium containing 5 M BA and 0.6% Phytagar showed both shoot-tip necrosis and severe vitrification. Culturing explants on medium containing 1.2% Phytagar and Ca levels of 3 mM (MS medium), 18 mM and 30 mM showed a decrease in growth with increasing medium Ca levels, being especially severe at 30 mM. The Ca content of the explants increased linearly with increasing medium Ca. Culturing explants on medium containing 3 mM, 9 mM, and 18 mM Ca at 0.6, 0.9, and 1.2% agar resulted in reduction in growth, shoot-tip necrosis, and vitrification when either factor was increased. The reduction in shoot-tip necrosis could be accounted for primarily by an increase in medium Ca levels but may also be affected by a change in explant growth. Increasing Ca concentration in the medium resulted in a linear increase in explant K, Ca, Mg, and B levels and a decrease in Mn and Na. Although increasing medium Ca or agar levels reduced vitrification, it is unclear whether they were the direct cause of the reduction in vitrification or whether this response was an effect of the reduction in culture fresh weight.Approved by publication by the Director, West Virginia Agriculture anf Forestry Experimental Station as Scientific Article No. 2199     

On the relationship of thermodynamic parameters with the buried surface area in protein-ligand complex formation

Prediction of thermodynamic parameters of protein-protein and antigen-antibody complex formation from high resolution structural parameters has recently received much attention, since an understanding of the contributions of different fundamental processes like hydrophobic interactions, hydrogen bonding, salt bridge formation, solvent reorganization etc. to the overall thermodynamic parameters and their relations with the structural parameters would lead to rational drug design. Using the results of the dissolution of hydrocarbons and other model compounds the changes in heat capacity (C_p), enthalpy (H) and entropy (S) have been empirically correlated with the polar and apolar surface areas buried during the process of protein folding/unfolding and protein-ligand complex formation. In this regard, the polar and apolar surfaces removed from the solvent in a protein-ligand complex have been calculated from the experimentally observed values of changes in heat capacity (C_p) and enthalpy (H) for protein-ligand complexes for which accurate thermodynamic and high resolution structural data are available, and the results have been compared with the x-ray crystallographic observations. Analyses of the available results show poor correlation between the thermodynamic and structural parameters. Probable reasons for this discrepancy are mostly related with the reorganization of water accompanying the reaction which is indeed proven by the analyses of the energetics of the binding of the wheat germ agglutinin to oligosaccharides.     

Some structural features of the d-glucan from the seed of Mirabilis jalapa

The cotyledon of the seed of Mirabilis jalapa was found to contain a d-glucan. Methylation, periodate oxidation, and graded and enzymic hydrolysis studies were conducted to elucidate its structure. For every 38 d-glucosyl residues therein, 34 are (1→4)- and 3 are (1→3)-linked; the d-glucosyl unit at the branch point is linked through O-1, O-2, and O-4. In some places in the chain, there are at least three (1→3)-linked d-glucosyl residues in a sequence. Both α- and β-d-glucosidic linkages are present in the polysaccharide, the former preponderating. The d-glucan gave with iodine a faint blue color that had λ_max 420 nm.     

Correction to: Transient Sub-cellular Localization and In Vivo Protein-Protein Interaction Study of Multiple Abiotic Stress Responsive AteIF4A-III and AtALY4 Proteins in Arabidopsis thaliana

Plant Molecular Biology Reporter - The affiliation 2 in the published article was Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), CSIR-NEIST Campus, Jorhat, Assam 785,006, India.     

Scope of Archaea in Fish Feed: a New Chapter in Aquafeed Probiotics?

Probiotics and Antimicrobial Proteins - The outbreak of diseases leading to substantial loss is a major bottleneck in aquaculture. Over the last decades, the concept of using feed probiotics was...     

Antixenosis,tolerance and genetic analysis of some rice landraces for resistance to Nilaparvata lugens (Stål.)

Twenty-six rice landraces from West Bengal, India were evaluated for antixenosis and tolerance against brown planthopper (BPH) biotype 4 at the Bidhan Chandra Krishi Viswavidyalaya (BCKV), West Bengal. High levels of resistance were observed in six landraces, namely Badshabhog, Gamra, Haldichuri, Janglijata, Kalabhat and Khara. These phenotypically resistant rice landraces including Ptb33 exhibited lowest feeding rate, fecundity, nymphal and adult preference, survival, plant dry weight loss per mg of BPH dry weight produced (PDWL), and higher functional plant loss index (FPLI), more days to wilt and unhatched eggs compared with the susceptible check Swarna. All the landraces were classified into four major clusters at 10 unit distance by the scale of similarity during genetic diversity analysis through 21 gene-linked SSR markers of BPH resistance. Some phenotypically resistant landraces were gathered under the major cluster I indicating their analogous genetic history, while some were grouped with susceptible landraces exhibiting their genetic variation. The resistant landraces can be used as potential donors in the breeding programme for the development of rice varieties with resistance to BPH.     

S-Nitroso-N-acetylpenicillamine impregnated endotracheal tubes for prevention of ventilator-associated pneumonia

The chances of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) increases 6–20 folds when an endotracheal tube (ETT) is placed in a patient. VAP is one of the most common hospital-acquired infections and comprises 86% of the nosocomial pneumonia cases. This study introduces the idea of nitric oxide-releasing ETTs (NORel-ETTs) fabricated by the incorporation of the nitric oxide (NO) donor S-nitroso-N-acetylpenicillamine (SNAP) into commercially available ETTs via solvent swelling. The impregnation of SNAP provides NO release over a 7-day period without altering the mechanical properties of the ETT. The NORel-ETTs successfully reduced the bacterial infection from a commonly found pathogen in VAP, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, by 92.72 ± 0.97% when compared with the control ETTs. Overall, this study presents the incorporation of the active release of a bactericidal agent in ETTs as an efficient strategy to prevent the risk of VAP.