The use of the Soviet detergents dezintegron-O and dezintegron-B for the solubilization of influenza virus glycoproteins]

Native detergents, desintegron-O-and desintegron-B, solubilize hemagglutinins of the influenza virus as intensively, as foreign drugs (mulgophen, zwittergent and sodium sarcozyl) do. This permits recommending desintegrons for quantitative determination of hemagglutinin of the influenza virus in virus-containing materials by means of the reaction of single radial immunodiffusion. Desintegron-O and desintegron-B permit extracting enzymatically active neuraminidase from influenza A viruses with 44.6-83.4% yield.     

ENDOGENOUS CHANGES OF PHOTOCHEMICAL ACTIVITIES OF SPINACH LEAVES

The activities of green cell-free extracts of spinach leavesin performing photochemical transphosphorylation, photosyntheticphosphorylation, the HILL reaction and the light-induced formationof the endogenous reducing substance (ascorbic acid) were followedin parallel during the growth process of the plant. There wasa certain parallelism between the development of the activitiesof photochemical transphosphorylation, of photo-synthetic phosphorylationand of the HILL reaction, activities being low in the earlierstage of growth, reaching a maximum just before efflorescence,and showing thereafter a more or less sharp decline. The activityin the light-induced formation of endogenous reducing substancewas undetectable for the first 35 day-period of growth, reacheda maximum about one week earlier than the other three activities,and again disappeared after 60 days of growth. (Received September 9, 1960; )     

Further studies on the role of cell-wall-degrading enzymes in cell-wall loosening in oat coleoptiles

A fungal endo-ß-l,3-glucanase was compared with afungal exo-ß-1,3-glucanase with respect to their effectson elongation and cell-wall extensibility in oat coleoptilesegments. The exo-enzyme enhanced elongation and extensibilityof the cell wall. Its effect was not additive to the effectof indole-3-acetic acid when given together with the latter,at least during 3 hr of incubation. Endo-glucanase showed nosignificant effect on elongation and no interaction with theexo-enzyme. Auxin and exo-glucanase increased extensibilityof the cell wall. The exo-glucanase was separated by isoelectricfocusing. The two fractions which were separated and showedglucanase activity induced elongation and cell wall loosening. (Received March 16, 1970; )     

Mutagenic and carcinogenic action of antimicrobial surface-active substances

The study on the mutagenic activity of commercial synthetic cationic, anionic, amphoteric and nonionogenic surface active substances with antimicrobial properties demonstrated that they had no mutagenic effect on the microbial test systems, i.e. the histidine-deficient strains of Salmonella typhimurium on direct contact and under conditions of metabolic activation in vitro and in vivo. The cationoactive preparation B Kh-14 with the benzyl radical adjoining the nitrogen atom and linear hydrophobic C13H27 with the amide group having a pronounced antimicrobial effect on gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria and fungi showed no carcinogenic activity in the experiments with its long-term action on the urinary bladder mucosa and skin of rats, guinea-pigs and dogs.     

Evolutionary history of tall fescue morphotypes inferred from molecular phylogenetics of the <Emphasis Type="Italic">Lolium</Emphasis>-<Emphasis Type="Italic">Festuca</Emphasis>species complex

Background  

The agriculturally important pasture grass tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb. syn. Lolium arundinaceum (Schreb.) Darbysh.) is an outbreeding allohexaploid, that may be more accurately described as a species complex consisting of three major (Continental, Mediterranean and rhizomatous) morphotypes. Observation of hybrid infertility in some crossing combinations between morphotypes suggests the possibility of independent origins from different diploid progenitors. This study aims to clarify the evolutionary relationships between each tall fescue morphotype through phylogenetic analysis using two low-copy nuclear genes (encoding plastid acetyl-CoA carboxylase [Acc1] and centroradialis [CEN]), the nuclear ribosomal DNA internal transcribed spacer (rDNA ITS) and the chloroplast DNA (cpDNA) genome-located matK gene. Other taxa within the closely related Lolium-Festuca species complex were also included in the study, to increase understanding of evolutionary processes in a taxonomic group characterised by multiple inter-specific hybridisation events.     

Comparison of homoeolocus organisation in paired BAC clones from white clover (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Trifolium repens</Emphasis> L.) and microcolinearity with model legume species

Background  

White clover (Trifolium repens L.) is an outbreeding allotetraploid species and an important forage legume in temperate grassland agriculture. Comparison of sub-genome architecture and study of nucleotide sequence diversity within allopolyploids provides insight into evolutionary divergence mechanisms, and is also necessary for the development of whole-genome sequencing strategies. This study aimed to evaluate the degree of divergence between the O and P' sub-genomes of white clover through sequencing of BAC clones containing paired homoeoloci. The microsyntenic relationships between the genomes of white clover and the model legumes Lotus japonicus and Medicago truncatula as well as Arabidopsis thaliana were also characterised.     

Anxiety-inducing and -inhibiting agents: differential effect of pentagastrins on the white rat behavior

Parenteral administration of des-BOC-Pentagastrin induced the anxiety and fear manifestations, depressing also explorative behaviour in open field experiments in rats. Intranasal administration evoked similar effects, whereas pentagastrin reduced the anxiety level, increasing explorative behaviour. Pentagastrin and des-BOC-Pentagastrin displayed antagonism at the receptor level.