Antibody responses to early antigens of varicella-zoster virus (VZV) during varicella and zoster

The antibody responses to membrane and early antigens and thymidine kinase of varicella-zoster virus (VZV) were studied in sera during both varicella and zoster by a test with fluorescent antibody to membrane antigen (FAMA), staining the biochemically transformed cells by the immunofluorescent technique and neutralization of virus-specific thymidine kinase activity, respectively. Similar increases in FAMA antibody titers were demonstrated in sera from patients with varicella and zoster. IgM was detected in both groups, but appeared earlier during varicella than during zoster. Furthermore, the antibody titers to early antigens and virus-specific thymidine kinase were higher in patients with zoster than in those with varicella. These data suggest that different types of antibody responses occur during varicella and zoster.     

New common nomenclature for glycoprotein genes of varicella-zoster virus and their glycosylated products.

The accumulation of recent data concerning the reactivity of monoclonal antibodies with particular varicella-zoster virus (VZV) glycoproteins and the mapping of several of their respective genes on the VZV genome has led to a unified nomenclature for the glycoprotein genes of VZV and their mature glycosylated products. Homologs to herpes simplex virus glycoprotein genes are noted.     

Prevalence of Human Herpesvirus 6 Variants A and B in Patients with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Peripheral blood mononuclear cells collected from 13 patients with chronic fatigue syndrome and 13 healthy controls were analyzed for the presence of human herpesvirus 6 (HHV-6) DNA by variant-specific polymerase chain reaction and dot blot hybridization. HHV-6 DNA was detected in 7 of 13 (53%) patients, and of those 7 patients, 4 were positive for HHV-6 variant A DNA and 3 were for variant B. No HHV-6 DNA was detected in the controls. Serum antibody titers to the late antigen and antibody prevalence to the early antigen of HHV-6 were significantly higher in the patient group. These results suggest active replication of HHV-6 in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome.     

Modulation of the Activity of Purified Tonoplast H+-ATPase from Mung Bean (Vigna radiata L.) Hypocotyls by Various Lipids

H⁺-ATPase was solubilized from the tonoplast of mung bean (Vignaradiata L.) hypocotyls and purified by fast protein liquid chromatographyon a Mono Q ion-exchange column. The purified ATPase hardlycontained any phospholipid, but it did contain 10 to 15 moleculesof sterol and 25 to 30 molecules of glycolipid per ATPase molecule,and it had little activity without exogenously added phospholipids.Each individual polar head group, acylglyceride and fatty acidthat constituted a phospholipid was incapable by itself of activatingthe ATPase. Sterols and cerebroside had little activating effect.Maximal activation of ATPase was noted with asolectin or variousmolecular species of phosphatidylcholine (PC) at 0.005% to 0.01%(w/v). The activation by the various molecular species of PCwas dependent on the length and degree of unsaturation of fattyacyl chains. PC with two saturated and long fatty acyl chainsof more than 18 carbon atoms failed entirely to activate theATPase. PC, PS and PG with 1-palmitoyl (16:0)-2-oleoyl(18:1)fatty acyl chains all activated ATPase to nearly the same extentas asolectin, but the activation by PE and PA with the samefatty acyl composition was 52% and 15% of that by asolectin,respectively. The molecular species of PC with phase-transitiontemperatures below 50C activated ATPase, as determined at 38C.The dependence on temperature of the activation by the molecularspecies of PC indicated that the activation of the ATPase beganclose to the temperature of the phase transition of the PC added.These data indicate that phospholipids in the liquid-crystallinephase are essential for the catalytic activity of the ATPase. (Received June 4, 1992; Accepted January 18, 1993)     

Denitrification in soil amended with thermophile-fermented compost suppresses nitrate accumulation in plants

NO ₃ ^? is a major nitrogen source for plant nutrition, and plant cells store NO ₃ ^? in their vacuoles. Here, we report that a unique compost made from marine animal resources by thermophiles represses NO ₃ ^? accumulation in plants. A decrease in the leaf NO ₃ ^? content occurred in parallel with a decrease in the soil NO ₃ ^? level, and the degree of the soil NO ₃ ^? decrease was proportional to the compost concentration in the soil. The compost-induced reduction of the soil NO ₃ ^? level was blocked by incubation with chloramphenicol, indicating that the soil NO ₃ ^? was reduced by chloramphenicol-sensitive microbes. The compost-induced denitrification activity was assessed by the acetylene block method. To eliminate denitrification by the soil bacterial habitants, soil was sterilized with γ irradiation and then compost was amended. After the 24-h incubation, the N₂O level in the compost soil with presence of acetylene was approximately fourfold higher than that in the compost soil with absence of acetylene. These results indicate that the low NO ₃ ^? levels that are often found in the leaves of organic vegetables can be explained by compost-mediated denitrification in the soil.     

Aroma Components of Baelfruit (Aegle marmelos CORREA)

The attractive and characteristically sweet aroma components of baelfruit—a tropical fruit— were investigated. The aroma concentrates possessing the sweet floral and somewhat terpene-like aroma were obtained from both the pulp and peel of fresh baelfruits by means of lyophilization and ether extraction, being analyzed mainly by GC-MS, A total of 39 components were identified. Among these components, terpene alcohols and β-βonone were considered to contribute to the aroma of baelfruit. At optimum ripeness, the fruit with excellent flavor contained a large quantity of an isomeric compound of 3,7-dimethyl-1,5,7-octatrien-3-ol. This compound couldn’t be found in unripe fruit, and seems to be ?mportant in making the baelfruit flavor attractive.     

Flavor Constituents of Pouchong Tea and a Comparison of the Aroma Pattern with Jasmine Tea

The aroma constituents of the highest quality pouchong tea were characterized by GC–MS. Forty-eight components, including five newly identified compounds were characterized. GC peak area percentages of the main components in pouchong tea were compared with those of jasmine tea to differentiate compounds contributing to the aroma characteristics of pouchong tea with superior floral elegant flavor. Nerolidol, jasmine lactone, methyl jasmonate, indole, benzyl cyanide and linalool oxides were found in much higher concentration in pouchong tea than in jasmine tea. These compounds seemed to contribute to the aroma characteristics of the highest quality pouchong tea.     

Studies on the Flavor of Green Tea

With an assumption that the laver-like odor of green tea is due to dimethyl sulfide, an attempt to isolate dimethyl sulfide from commercial green tea was made, and the identification of dimethyl sulfide was successful by making the co-ordinated compound with mercuric chloride, 2 (CH₃) ₂S·3HgCl₂. In addition, the presence of methylmethionine sulfonium salt in tea extract as a precursor of dimethyl sulfide was examined.     

Studies on the Flavor of Green Tea

By continuing flavor analysis of green tea from a previous paper, further twenty seven compounds were newly identified. These compounds are limonene, α-cubebene, α-copaene, caryophyllene, α-humulene, α- and γ-muurolene, β-sesquiphellandrene, δ-cadinene, calamenene, cubenol, α-cadinol, α-terpineol, n-heptanol, n-nonanol, furfurylalcohol, n-nonanal, N-ethylformylpyrrole, pyrrylmethylketone, 6-methyl-trans-3,5-heptadien-2-one, 2′,2″-dihydro-α-ionone, 6,10,14-trimethyl-2-pentadecanone, cis-3-hexenylcaproate, cis-3-hexenylbenzoate, α-terpinylacetate, coumarin and diphenylamine.

Relative quantities of known compounds in intermediate- and high-boiling fraction were determined.     

Flavor Components of Roasted Almond

Roasted almond volatiles were separated into basic, carbonyl and non-carbonyl fractions. Each fraction was analyzed by combination gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Twenty-five compounds, in addition to eighteen known components, were identified. Many of the components identified were considered to contribute to the overall flavor. 2,5-Dimethyl-4- hydroxy-3(2H)-furanone, which was identified from methanol extract of roasted almond, seemed to make the largest contribution to the sweet aroma of roasted almond.