Fast, efficient and selective deprotection of the tert-butoxycarbonyl (Boc) group using HCl/dioxane (4 m).

Fast, efficient and selective deprotection of the tert-butoxycarbonyl (Boc) group of various amino acids and peptides was achieved by using hydrogen chloride (4 m) in anhydrous dioxane solution for 30 min at room temperature. In the cases studied in our laboratory, this protocol provided superior selectivity to deprotect Nalpha-Boc groups in the presence of tert-butyl esters and tert-butyl ethers, including thio-tert-butyl ethers, but not phenolic tert-butyl ethers.     

A recessive mutation leading to vertebral ankylosis in zebrafish is associated with amino acid alterations in the homologue of the human membrane-associated guanylate kinase DLG3.

We describe the characterization of the zebrafish homologue of the human gene DLG3. The zebrafish dlg3 gene encodes a membrane-associated guanylate kinase containing a single PDZ domain. This gene was cloned using a gene-trap construct inserted in the gene's first intron. The insertion co-segregates with a viable mutation called humpback (hmp), which leads to formation of ankylotic vertebrae in adult fishes. Insertion and mutation have both been mapped to chromosome 12, in a segment which is syntenic with region p12 to q12 of human chromosome 17. The hmp mutant phenotype, however, appears to be due to two point mutations in the guanylate kinase domain rather than to the transgene insertion itself. The results of this study are discussed in the light of the possible function of the guanylate kinase domain.     

A Putative Calcium-Permeable Cyclic Nucleotide-Gated Channel, CNGC18, Regulates Polarized Pollen Tube Growth

A tip-focused Ca^2＋ gradient is tightly coupled to polarized pollen tube growth, and tip-localized influxes of extracellular Ca^2＋ are required for this process. However the molecular identity and regulation of the potential Ca^2＋ channels remains elusive. The present study has implicated CNGC18 （cyclic nucleotide-gated channel 18） in polarized pollen tube growth, because its overexpression induced wider and shorter pollen tubes. Moreover, CNGC18 overexpression induced depolarization of pollen tube growth was suppressed by lower extracellular calcium （[Ca^2＋]ex）. CNGC18-yellow fluorescence protein （YFP） was preferentially localized to the apparent post-Golgi vesicles and the plasma membrane （PM） in the apex of pollen tubes. The PM localization was affected by tip-localized ROP1 signaling. Expression of wild type ROP1 or an active form of ROP1 enhanced CNGC18-YFP localization to the apical region of the PM, whereas expression of RopGAP1 （a ROP1 deactivator） blocked the PM localization. These results support a role for PM-Iocalized CNGC18 in the regulation of polarized pollen tube growth through its potential function in the modulation of calcium influxes.     

Sex Differences in the Steepness of Dominance Hierarchies in Captive Bonobo Groups

Bonobos have a reputation as a female-dominated and egalitarian species. We examined the 2 aspects of dominance in 6 captive bonobo groups. Females do not consistently evoke submission from all males in all contexts. Though females occupy the highest-ranking positions in the dominance hierarchy, there are in each group males that obtain rather high ranks and are able to dominate ≥1 female. Thus female dominance is not complete and hierarchies can be better described as nonexclusive female dominance. We studied egalitarianism by measuring linearity and steepness of dominance hierarchies. The hierarchies of all groups are highly linear. Hierarchies among males are steeper than among females. On average, male bonobos are more despotic than females, but females too can have despotic relations, both with other females and with males. Hence one can call bonobos in captivity semidespotic rather than egalitarian.     

Soil Properties,Nutrient Dynamics,and Soil Enzyme Activities Associated with Garlic Stalk Decomposition under Various Conditions

The garlic stalk is a byproduct of garlic production and normally abandoned or burned, both of which cause environmental pollution. It is therefore appropriate to determine the conditions of efficient decomposition, and equally appropriate to determine the impact of this decomposition on soil properties. In this study, the soil properties, enzyme activities and nutrient dynamics associated with the decomposition of garlic stalk at different temperatures, concentrations and durations were investigated. Stalk decomposition significantly increased the values of soil pH and electrical conductivity. In addition, total nitrogen and organic carbon concentration were significantly increased by decomposing stalks at 40°C, with a 5∶100 ratio and for 10 or 60 days. The highest activities of sucrase, urease and alkaline phosphatase in soil were detected when stalk decomposition was performed at the lowest temperature (10°C), highest concentration (5∶100), and shortest duration (10 or 20 days). The evidence presented here suggests that garlic stalk decomposition improves the quality of soil by altering the value of soil pH and electrical conductivity and by changing nutrient dynamics and soil enzyme activity, compared to the soil decomposition without garlic stalks.