bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Comparative studies of bile salts. Bile salts of sturgeons (Acipenseridae) and of the paddlefish Polyodon spathula: a new partial synthesis of 5β-cyprinol
Authors: Haslewood G. A. D. , Tammar A. R.
Published: August 2015

1. Bile salts of the sturgeons Acipenser guldenstaedti Brandt, Acipenser stellatus Pall and Huso huso L. and of the paddlefish Polyodon spathula Walbaum are shown to be closely similar, consisting mainly of taurocholate with minor amounts of tauroallocholate and the monosulphates of bile alcohols. The bile alcohols, comprising less than 10% of the bile salts, are mixtures with high proportions of substances resembling C27 tetrols and of C27 pentols, including 5β-cyprinol and (probably) 5α-cyprinol. 2. 5β-Cyprinol (3α,7α,12α,26,27-pentahydroxy-5β-cholestane) was made from cholic acid via 3α,7α,12α-triacetoxy-5β-cholan-24-ol in an overall yield of about 0·8%. 3. The chemical nature of chondrostean bile salts agrees with the systematic position of the fishes and suggests further correspondence between evolution at the morphological and molecular levels.
Distribution of isotopic label after the oral administration of free and bound 14C-labelled glucosamine in rats
Authors: Robinson G B
Published: August 2015

The metabolic fate of [1−14C]glucosamine, of N-acetyl[1−14C]glucosamine and of glycoproteins labelled with [1−14C]glucosamine was studied in rats for a period of 24hr. after these materials were given orally or injected. When [1−14C]glucosamine was injected 26·3% of the label was excreted in the urine, 19·7% was expired as carbon dioxide and 12·7% was incorporated into plasma proteins. When the same compound was given orally, 49·2% of the label was expired as carbon dioxide, with little appearing in the urine or in the plasma. When N-acetyl[1−14C]glucosamine was injected, 51·3% of the label was excreted in the urine with 12·3% appearing in carbon dioxide, but there was little incorporation into plasma protein. When this compound was given orally, 46·5% of the label was expired as carbon dioxide, 7·4% was recovered in the urine and 1·7% was incorporated into plasma protein. After the injection of 14C-labelled glycoprotein 21·0% of the label was expired as carbon dioxide, whereas when it was given orally 49·8% of the label was recovered in carbon dioxide. The differences observed between the metabolic fate of the amino sugars when they were given orally and their fate when injected could not be accounted for by the action of the intestinal microflora or by the rate of administration of the material. It is concluded that amino sugars undergo metabolic alteration or degradation during absorption.
Sub-unit structure and specificity of methionyl-transfer-ribonucleic acid synthetase from Escherichia coli
Authors: Bruton C. J. , Hartley B S
Published: August 2015

1. The purification of methionyl-transfer-RNA synthetase from Escherichia coli by a modified technique gives a 16% yield of a protein that appears homogeneous by the criteria of disc gel electrophoresis, ultracentrifugation and end-group analysis. 2. The molecular weight is 96000 and the protein consists of two sub-units of 48000, which appear to be identical. The amino acid composition and thiol content are reported. 3. Kinetic data are reported for analogues of methionine and for pure t-RNAF and t-RNAM, which are respectively the methionine transfer RNA that can exist in the formylmethionyl form and the one that can exist only in the methionyl form. The enzyme binds and acylates both species of transfer RNA identically.
Studies of copper ion-induced mitochondrial swelling in vitro
Authors: Verity M. Anthony , Gambell J. K.
Published: August 2015

1. A study of the mode and mechanism of Cu2+-induced mitochondrial swelling was carried out. 2. Mitochondrial swelling curves (E520 turbidity changes) were obtained as a function of [Cu2+], pH, temperature and mitochondrial protein concentration. ED50 was approx. 70mμmoles of Cu2+. Calculation of the activation energy from the Arrhenius equation gave a value of 22900cal./mole per degree with Q10 4·02. 3. No lipid peroxides were formed during swelling. 4. Changes in oxygen consumption (Clark-type electrode) were dependent on the substrate used, but revealed no increased uptake in presence of Cu2+. 5. Cu2+-induced swelling was inhibited by EDTA, 8-hydroxyquinoline, cyanide, citrate, bovine serum albumin, ATP, glutamate, GSH, dithiothreitol and sucrose. Azide, Amytal, antimycin A and oligomycin had no significant effect. Potentiation of swelling was seen with ascorbate, 2,4-dinitrophenol and succinate. 6. The occurrence of different types of mitochondrial swelling and the suggestion that Cu2+-induced swelling is mediated through a stoicheiometric interaction with a thiol-containing membrane receptor are discussed.
Factors affecting the premature induction of tyrosine aminotransferase in foetal rat liver
Authors: Holt P. G. , Oliver I. T.
Published: August 2015

1. Premature delivery of foetal rats by uterine section results in the rapid appearance of tyrosine aminotransferase activity in foetal liver, after an initial lag period of 3–6hr. 2. The premature induction of activity is completely repressible by actinomycin D given soon after delivery and partially repressible by puromycin and amino acid analogues. 3. Glucagon injections into foetal rats in utero lead to production of tyrosine aminotransferase in the foetal liver, but adrenalin and nor-adrenalin are without effect. 4. Injections of glucose, galactose, fructose and mannose into prematurely delivered rats repress the development of tyrosine aminotransferase activity about 50% when they are given 2hr. after delivery, but glucose has no significant effect when injected at delivery. 5. The results are discussed in relation to current hypotheses on the role of hormones in enzyme induction in foetal development.
Interaction of polypeptide hormones with lipid momolayers
Authors: Snart R. S. , Sanyal N. N.
Published: August 2015

1. The interaction between lipid monolayers spread on the surface of water and oxytocin, [8-arginine]-vasotocin and [1-asparagine-5-valine]-angiotensin II in the subphase was investigated in a Langmuir surface trough by studying the changes in pressure produced on injection of various quantities of the polypeptide solution under the film. 2. The effect of 2m- and 4m-urea on the character of the adsorption is reported. 3. Structures for the adsorbed films formed in this way are suggested. 4. If the lipid monolayer is taken as a suitable model of cell membranes, then it may be supposed that the effect of such structures forming in cell membranes would be to provide effective ‘pores’ to facilitate the movement of water and other small molecules across the membrane.
Composition of the protoplast membrane from Saccharomyces cerevisiae
Authors: Longley R. P. , Rose A. H. , Knights B. A.
Published: August 2015

1. Protoplasts of Saccharomyces cerevisiae N.C.Y.C. 366 were prepared by incubating washed exponential-phase cells in buffered mannitol (0·8m) containing 10mm-magnesium chloride and snail gut juice (about 8mg. of protein/ml. of reaction mixture). Protoplast membranes were obtained by bursting protoplasts in ice-cold phosphate buffer (pH7·0) containing 10mm-magnesium chloride. 2. Protoplast membranes accounted for 13–20% of the dry weight of the yeast cell. They contained on a weight basis about 39% of lipid, 49% of protein, 6% of sterol (assayed spectrophotometrically) and traces of RNA and carbohydrate (glucan+mannan). 3. The principal fatty acids in membrane lipids were C16:0, C16:1 and C18:1 acids. Whole cells contained a slightly greater proportion of C16:0 and a somewhat smaller proportion of C18:1 acids. Membrane and whole-cell lipids included monoglycerides, diglycerides, triglycerides, sterols, sterol esters, phosphatidylcholine, lysophosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylethanolamine and phosphatidylinositol+phosphatidylserine. Phosphorus analyses on phospholipid fractions from membranes and whole cells showed that membranes contained proportionately more phosphatidylethanolamine and phosphatidylinositol+phosphatidylserine than whole cells, which in turn were richer in phosphatidylcholine. Phospholipid fractions from membranes and whole cells had similar fatty acid compositions. 4. Membranes and whole cells contained two major and three minor sterol components. Gas–liquid chromatography, mass spectrometry and u.v. and i.r. spectra indicated that the major components were probably Δ5,7,22,24(28)-ergostatetraen-3β-ol and zymosterol. The minor sterol components in whole cells were probably episterol (or fecosterol), ergosterol and a C29 di-unsaturated sterol. 5. Defatted whole cells contained slightly more glutamate and ornithine and slightly less leucine and isoleucine than membranes. Otherwise, no major differences were detected in the amino acid compositions of defatted whole cells and membranes.
The determination of tocopherols and isoprenoid quinones in the grain and seedlings of wheat (Triticum vulgare)
Authors: Hall G. S. , Laidman D L
Published: August 2015

1. A comparison is made of several procedures for the extraction of tocopherols and isoprenoid quinones from plant tissues. 2. Gradient-elution column chromatography on acid-washed alumina efficiently separates the isoprenoid quinones and tocopherols into groups that can then be assayed spectrophotometrically or, with the tocopherols, separated into their individual components and determined by gas–liquid chromatography. 3. This improved analytical procedure was used to study the distribution of the tocopherols and of ubiquinone in the ungerminated wheat grain.
The functional status of lipoprotein lipase in rat liver
Authors: Mayes P A , Felts J M
Published: August 2015

1. Acetone-dried powders of liver and heart tissues from rats given a high-carbohydrate diet or a fat meal were assayed for lipoprotein lipase activity. Heart tissue showed typical lipoprotein lipase activity, whereas none was detected in liver by the usual assay procedures. 2. When mixed acetone-dried powders were prepared from heart plus liver, there was a marked suppression of the expected activity, indicating that an inhibitor was present in the liver. This inhibition was partially overcome in the presence of relatively large amounts of heparin. 3. Lipoprotein lipase was also detected in liver alone when large quantities of heparin were added to the assay system. 4. No increase in lipoprotein lipase activity in either liver or heart was detected when rats were given a fat meal. 5. It is concluded that the liver of the rat contains lipoprotein lipase that is normally present in an inactive state. The results imply that a heparinase is the agent responsible for the inactivation. 6. The significance of the non-functional status of lipoprotein lipase in the liver is discussed. The results support the view that direct hydrolysis of plasma triglycerides by the liver is not a significant physiological process.
Thymidine kinase in rat liver during development
Authors: Klemperer H. G. , Haynes G. R.
Published: August 2015

1. The activity of thymidine kinase in rat liver supernatant decreased with development to a value in the adult that was 1% of that in the 17-day foetus. 2. The foetal enzyme was more stable than the adult to gel filtration on Sephadex G-25 at 0°. 3. The greater stability of the foetal enzyme to incubation at 45° was attributable to the presence of higher concentrations of nucleotides in foetal liver supernatant. 4. The Km values for foetal and adult enzymes were approx. 2·5μm- and 2·1μm-thymidine respectively. 5. The foetal enzyme was more sensitive to inhibition by thymidine triphosphate. 6. The decline in enzyme activity during the neonatal period was correlated with a shift in the enzyme properties from the foetal to the adult type, and may reflect the decrease in the proportion of haemopoietic tissue in the liver.
Formation of an unusual hybrid in the development of human adenosine 5′-triphosphate–creatine phosphotransferase
Authors: Kumudavalli I. , Watts D. C.
Published: August 2015

1. Starch-gel analysis of extracts from adult human muscle, heart and brain reveals a hybrid creatine kinase with an abnormally high electrophoretic mobility. 2. Hybridization in vitro confirms that the postulated hybrid is formed from a combination of brain- and muscle-type enzyme sub-units. 3. The relative electrophoretic mobility of the hybrid is not affected by changing the starch concentration in the gel or by the buffer system used, or by electrophoresis in thin layers of Sephadex. 4. It is concluded that hybrid formation results in a net increase on the dimeric enzyme of from 4 to 6 negative charges. 5. During development a sharp increase in the rate of production of muscle-type enzyme sub-units occurs in heart at 10–13 weeks' gestation and in muscle at 18–20 weeks' gestation. The latter change is accompanied by a relative decrease in the concentration of brain-type sub-units.
The xylanase system of Coniophora cerebella
Authors: King N. J. , Fuller D. B.
Published: August 2015

1. The culture filtrate of the fungus Coniophora cerebella grown on poplar 4-O-methylglucuronoxylan as carbon source and enzyme inducer contained an enzyme system that degraded the polysaccharide to xylose, acidic and neutral oligosaccharides and an enzyme-resistant polymer. Free uronic acid was not produced. 2. Cold ethanol fractionation of the culture filtrate yielded two active fractions, one of which had only xylanase (EC 3.2.1.8) and the other both xylanase and xylosidase (EC 3.2.1.37) activities. Further fractionation on DEAE-cellulose resolved the xylanase and xylosidase activities. 3. The xylanase degraded poplar 4-O-methylglucuronoxylan in an essentially random manner, producing oligosaccharides, but some xylose residues in the vicinity of uronic acid side groups were protected from hydrolysis, preventing a truly random attack. The xylosidase attacked the polysaccharide very slowly, releasing xylose, but the oligosaccharides produced by the action of the xylanase were much more susceptible to hydrolysis by the xylosidase. 4. The products of xylanase action were separated into neutral and acidic fractions. The neutral oligosaccharides were separated by chromatography on charcoal–Celite, and the major products were characterized as xylobiose, xylotriose, xylotetraose and xylopentaose. Some of the acidic sugars were branched, having the uronic acid residue attached to a xylose residue other than the terminal non-reducing one. 5. Gel filtration of various xylanase fractions gave values for the molecular weight of the enzyme from 34000 to 38000.
The binding of cupric ions to 1-carboxymethylhistidine-119-ribonuclease
Authors: Saundry R. H. , Stein W D
Published: August 2015

Binding of Cu2+ by 1-carboxymethylhistidine-119-ribonuclease was investigated by using diligand metal ion buffers. A single Cu2+-binding site was found over the Cu2+ concentration range studied. The binding constants for this site were 8·33×105 (±2%)m−1 and 1·57×104 (±6%)m−1 at pH7·0 and 6·1 respectively. An estimate of the pH-independent Cu2+-binding constant suggests that the most avid Cu2+-binding site has disappeared after carboxymethylation. This is consistent with an earlier report that binding of Cu2+ at the most avid site is associated with the loss of enzymic activity.
The effect of starvation and starvation followed by feeding on enzyme activity and the metabolism of [U−14C]glucose in liver from growing chicks
Authors: Goodridge Alan G.
Published: August 2015

1. The conversion of [U−14C]glucose into carbon dioxide, cholesterol and fatty acids in liver slices and the activities of ‘malic’ enzyme, citrate-cleavage enzyme, NADP-linked isocitrate dehydrogenase and hexose monophosphate-shunt dehydrogenases in the soluble fraction of homogenates of liver were measured in chicks that were starved or starved then fed. 2. In newly hatched chicks the incorporation of [U−14C]glucose and the activity of ‘malic’ enzyme did not increase unless the birds were fed. The response to feeding of [U−14C]glucose incorporation into fatty acids increased as the starved chicks grew older. 3. Citrate-cleavage enzyme activity increased slowly even when the newly hatched chicks were unfed. On feeding, citrate-cleavage enzyme activity increased at a much faster rate. 4. In normally fed 20-day-old chicks starvation decreased the incorporation of [U−14C]glucose into all three end products and depressed the activities of ‘malic’ enzyme and citrate-cleavage enzyme. Re-feeding increased all of these processes to normal or higher-than-normal levels. 5. In both newly hatched and 20-day-old chicks starvation increased the activity of isocitrate dehydrogenase and feeding or re-feeding decreased it. 6. Very little change in hexose monophosphate-shunt dehydrogenase activity was observed during the dietary manipulations. 7. The results indicate that increased substrate delivery to the liver is the principal stimulus to the increased rate of glucose metabolism observed in newly hatched chicks. The results also suggest that changes in the activities of ‘malic’ enzyme and citrate-cleavage enzyme are secondary to an increased flow of metabolites through the glucose-to-fatty acid pathway and that the dehydrogenases of the hexose monophosphate shunt play a minor role in NADPH production for fatty acid synthesis.
The inhibition of deoxyribonucleic acid nucleotidyltransferase by stilboestrol derivatives
Authors: Fahmy A R , Griffiths K
Published: August 2015

The inhibition by diethylstilboestrol of DNA nucleotidyltransferase isolated from calf thymus was studied. The inhibition exercised by diethylstilboestrol appears to obey competitive kinetics with respect to DNA primer. The activities of both replicative and terminal enzymes were affected to the same extent. There was no evidence of binding between DNA and diethylstilboestrol. A comparative study of the inhibitory effects of some stilboestrol derivatives is presented. The alkyl substitution in the αα′-positions seem to alter the inhibitory effect of these compounds: dimethylstilboestrol was more inhibitory than stilbene, and diethylstilboestrol was more inhibitory than dimethylstilboestrol. Hexoestrol, in which the αα′-ethylenic linkage is saturated, was the most effective inhibitor.
Structural aspects of eye lens polyribosomes
Authors: Benedetti E. L. , Zweers A. , Bloemendal H.
Published: August 2015

Epithelial cells and the outer cortex from lenses of 1-day-old calves contain polyribosomes occurring in clusters of five to ten monomers. The structure of these clusters is not affected by trypsin treatment up to 10μg./ml. of ribosomal suspension. When the whole lens is used as starting material the polyribosomal preparations are strongly contaminated with non-ribosomal material, which gives rise to ribosomal aggregates having the appearance of giant polyribosomes. These structures are sensitive to trypsin treatment but resist ribonuclease treatment. The electrophoretic pattern of the contaminating material resembles that of water-soluble lens protein.
Purification and properties of molecular-weight variants of human placental alkaline phosphatase
Authors: Ghosh Nimai K. , Fishman William H.
Published: August 2015

1. Alkaline phosphatase of human placenta was purified by a procedure involving homogenization with tris buffer, pH8·6, extraction with butanol, ammonium sulphate fractionation, exposure to heat, ethanol fractionation, gel filtration, triethylaminoethylcellulose anion-exchange chromatography, continuous curtain electrophoresis on paper and equilibrium dialysis. Methods for both laboratory-scale and large-scale preparation were devised. 2. Two major molecular-weight variants designated A and B were separated by molecular sieving with Sephadex G-200 and variant A was purified 4000-fold. 3. Variant B, which comes off the Sephadex G-200 column before variant A, is the electrophoretically slower-moving species on starch gel and is quite heterogeneous. 4. Purified variant A was fairly homogeneous on the basis of electrophoretic studies on starch gel and Sephadex gel, ultracentrifugation and immunodiffusion. 5. The respective molecular weights for variants A and B were 70000 and over 200000 on the basis of sucrose-density-gradient ultracentrifugation. Variant A exhibited a sedimentation coefficient of 4·2s. 6. Crystalline variant B could be converted into fast-moving variant A and vice versa. 7. Kinetic studies indicated no difference between the two variants. These include linear rates of hydrolysis, pH optimum, Michaelis constants and uncompetitive stereospecific l-phenylalanine inhibition. 8. The amino acid compositions of variants A and B and of placental albumin were determined.
The metabolism of aromatic acids by microorganisms A reassessment of the role of o-benzoquinone as a product of protocatechuate metabolism by fungi
Authors: Bilton R. F. , Cain R B
Published: August 2015

1. The addition of aniline to cultures of several yeasts, Fusarium oxysporum and Neurospora crassa growing with protocatechuate as sole carbon source resulted in the precipitation of dianilino-o-benzoquinone (anil). This product was also formed, however, if the medium was uninoculated. 2. The physical presence of yeast cells (living or dead) increased the anil yields in Debaryomyces subglobosus cultures. 3. No anil was formed if p-hydroxybenzoate was the growth substrate. 4. o-Benzoquinone was a strong inhibitor of protocatechuate 3,4-oxygenase and catechol 1,2-oxygenase in these fungi. 5. It was concluded that o-benzoquinone formation from protocatechuate is independent of living yeast.
The location of the active-site histidine residue in the primary sequence of papain
Authors: Husain S. S. , Lowe G.
Published: August 2015

Papain that had been irreversibly inhibited with 1,3-dibromo[2−14C]acetone was reduced with sodium borohydride and carboxymethylated with iodoacetic acid. After digestion with trypsin and α-chymotrypsin the radioactive peptides were purified chromatographically. Their amino acid composition indicated that cysteine-25 and histidine-106 were cross-linked. Since cysteine-25 is known to be the active-site cysteine residue, histidine-106 must be the active-site histidine residue.
Biosynthesis of ethylene. Dual nature of cofactor required for the enzymic production of ethylene from methional
Authors: Mapson L. W. , Mead A.
Published: August 2015

The heat-stable cofactor in cauliflower florets, which has been shown to be necessary for the enzymic production of ethylene from methional, consists of two components. The first is of a phenolic nature and appears to be an ester of p-coumaric acid. The second component is acidic in character, but has not as yet been identified.
The effects of inhibitor mixtures and the specific effects of different anions on the oxidase activity of caeruloplasmin
Authors: Curzon G. , Speyer Barbara E.
Published: August 2015

1. The interpretation of the effects of mixtures of inhibitors on enzymes is considered. 2. The effects of inhibitor mixtures on caeruloplasmin were determined. 3. Fluoride, chloride and cyanate inhibit at one type of site (α), whereas bromide and iodide inhibit at another type (β) present in the same enzyme intermediate. 4. Effects of inhibitor mixtures containing azide or cyanide are consistent with previous indications (Speyer & Curzon, 1968) that these ligands form inhibited complexes with different enzyme intermediates. 5. Isobols of halides or of cyanate with azide indicate that azide inhibits caeruloplasmin by bridging two α sites, these being reduced copper atoms. 6. Iodide and cyanate give hyperbolic plots of 1/v against [I]. 7. It is suggested that in the cyanate-inhibited complex the inhibitor binds to a reduced copper atom (α site) but that binding of cyanate at another copper atom is sterically prevented. It is suggested that the less bulky α-site inhibitors, fluoride and chloride, cause complete inhibition by binding to both of these copper atoms, which can also be bridged by a single azide group. 8. Each halide shows a pattern of effects on caeruloplasmin that is qualitatively distinct from that of other halides.
Effect of cations on structure-linked sedimentability of lysosomal hydrolases
Authors: Verity M. Anthony , Caper R. , Brown W. Jann
Published: August 2015

1. A partially purified lysosomal preparation was obtained from mouse liver sucrose homogenates by differential and discontinuous gradient centrifugation. 2. Triton X-100 or repeated freezing and thawing of the lysosomal suspension (subfraction B) allowed comparison of free and activated values for acid phosphohydrolase, β-glucuronidase and N-acetylglucosaminidase in the presence and absence of ascorbate. 3. The distribution of hydrolase activities between supernatant and pellet after high-speed centrifugation was measured and the percentages of total enzyme found in the supernatant were: acid phosphohydrolase, 40·7; β-glucuronidase, 51; N-acetylglucosaminidase, 39·4. 4. Differential rates of elution of the three hydrolases from the membrane fraction occurred with increasing Na+ and K+ concentrations, whereas complex biphasic elution curves were obtained as a function of bivalent cation concentration with Ca2+ and Mg2+. 5. Sucrose-density-gradient centrifugation of frozen-and-thawed subfraction B demonstrated highly significant changes in the protein gradient profile in the presence of a low concentration of bivalent cation, indicating membrane aggregation and enzyme–membrane association. 6. The data provide further evidence for the nature of lysosomal enzyme binding and indicate the presence of different enzyme–membrane bonds conferring structure-linked latency upon individual lysosomal enzymes.
Biosynthesis of thiamine. Incorporation experiments with 14C-labelled substrates and with [15N]glycine in Saccharomyces cerevisiae
Authors: Linnett P. E. , Walker J.
Published: August 2015

1. Yeast was grown in a minimal synthetic medium together with a range of 14C-labelled substrates under standardized conditions. After isolation, the purified thiamine was cleaved by sulphite and the pyrimidine and thiazole moieties were purified and assayed for radioactivity. 2. In order of decreasing incorporation, [14C]formate, [3−14C]serine, [2−14C]glycine and [2−14C]acetate supplied label for the pyrimidine, and [2−14C]glycine, [3−14C]serine, [1−14C]glycine, [14C]formate and [2−14C]acetate for the thiazole. Incorporation of label into the fragments from several other 14C-labelled substrates, including [Me−14C]- and [3,4−14C2]-methionine, was insignificant. 3. [3−14C]Serine was shown not to contribute label to C-2 of the thiazole ring. 4. Significant incorporation of nitrogen from [15N]glycine into the thiazole moiety, but not into the pyrimidine moiety, was established. 5. It appears that C-2 and N-3 of the thiazole ring are formed from C-2 and the nitrogen atom of glycine, but the entire methionine molecule does not appear to be implicated.
Nuclease activity in cell-free amino acid-incorporating systems from chicken liver
Authors: Siler Jack G. , Fried Melvin
Published: August 2015

1. Comparative studies of the polyuridylic acid-directed phenylalanine-incorporating activity of cell-free systems derived from rat and chicken livers demonstrated markedly lower activity in the chicken liver system. 2. The chicken liver cell sap contained the factor(s) responsible for this lower activity. Ribosomes from chicken and rat performed equally well in the presence of rat liver cell sap. Chicken liver cell sap, when mixed with rat liver cell sap, caused an inhibition of incorporation of phenylalanine into acid-insoluble material. 3. Though ribosomal preparations and cell sap from both rat and chicken liver degraded polyuridylic acid to some extent, the chicken liver cell sap contained the largest amount of activity. 4. Rat liver cell sap inhibited the nuclease activities of ribosomal preparations, but no such nuclease inhibition could be demonstrated with chicken liver cell sap.
Polyribonucleotide synthesis by subfractions of microsomes from rat liver
Authors: Wilkie N. M. , Smellie R. M. S.
Published: August 2015

1. The microsome fraction of rat liver has been fractionated and the ability of the fractions to incorporate ribonucleotides into polyribonucleotides has been studied. Activity was found in the rough-surfaced vesicle (light) fraction and in the free-ribosome fraction and this latter activity has been examined. 2. The free-ribosome fraction contains ribosome monomers, dimers and trimers together with some higher oligomers and ferritin. In addition to catalysing the incorporation of ribonucleotides into acid-insoluble material it contains diesterase activity. It catalyses the incorporation of UMP from UTP, but not UDP, AMP from ATP and CMP from CTP into polyribonucleotide material, and for UTP the product appears to be a homopolymer not more than eight units long attached to the ends of primer polyribonucleotide strands. 3. The activity could not be removed from the free-ribosome fraction by washing or by isolation in the presence of ethylenediaminetetra-acetic acid. 4. Partially hydrolysed polyuridylic acid but not polyadenylic acid could serve as a primer for the incorporation of UMP, but some activity was always associated with an endogenous primer. 5. Analysis of RNA extracted from the free-ribosome fraction after incubation with [3H]UTP showed the presence of 28s, 18s, 5s and transfer RNA types, but no radioactivity was associated with any of these RNA fractions.
Intramitochondrial substrate concentration as a factor controlling metabolism. The role of interanion competition
Authors: Harris E J , Manger J R
Published: August 2015

1. The concentration-dependence of the intramitochondrial accumulation of l-malate and succinate was measured and expressed in the form of adsorption isotherms. The accumulation, however, may arise because of an internal positive potential. 2. The competition for accumulation offered by some other anions, including phosphate, was measured and is expressed conventionally by additional terms in the adsorption equation. 3. The interactions between anions were also studied when one was acting as oxidized substrate. 4. In some examples there is a parallel between the effects of an added anion on both accumulation and oxidation; in other cases chemical participation of the added substance in metabolism is presumed to remove the correlation. 5. It is suggested that by combining kinetic data on penetration with stoicheiometric data on accumulation and specific reaction rates it may be possible to account for the rates of respiration obtained with intact mitochondria. 6. It is possible to show that there is a certain phosphate/substrate ratio for maximum phosphorylation rate with some substrates. This is to be expected when phosphate and substrate compete for accumulation.
Studies on medium-chain fatty acyl-coenzyme A synthetase. Enzyme fraction I: mechanism of reaction and allosteric properties
Authors: Bar-Tana J. , Rose G.
Published: August 2015

1. The mechanism of butyrate activation catalysed by an enzyme fraction derived from ox liver particles (fraction I; Bar-Tana, Rose & Shapiro, 1968) was studied by an analysis of the initial-velocity pattern of the overall reaction and found to conform to the Bi Uni Uni Bi Ping Pong model (Cleland, 1963a,b,c) in agreement with the reaction scheme proposed by Berg (1956). 2. A homotropic co-operative effect was exerted by CoA on fraction I, whereas ATP and AMP functioned as heterotropic co-operative ligands with respect to butyryl-AMP-dependent CoA disappearance. On the other hand, PPi and butyryl-CoA showed antagonistic heterotropic effects when tested under similar conditions. With respect to the overall reaction CoA and ATP could be shown to function as co-operative homotropic modifiers. 3. Two interchangeable conformational states of the enzyme are therefore presumed to exist, state R, having a higher affinity for CoA and ATP and thus preferentially catalysing butyryl-AMP-dependent CoA disappearance (partial reaction b), and state T, favoured by the presence of PPi, catalysing the formation of ATP from butyryl-AMP and PPi (partial reaction a) with greater efficiency. 4. These findings serve to explain the opposite effects of ATP on the partial reactions, as well as the inhibition by CoA and ATP of ATP formation (reaction a) and by PPi of the butyryl-AMP-dependent CoA disappearance (reaction b) (Bar-Tana et al. 1968). 5. The possible analogy of these observations to amino acid-activating and other similar systems is discussed.
Reaction of tyrosine oxidation products with proteins of the lens
Authors: Pirie Antoinette
Published: August 2015

Oxidation of tyrosine in the presence of bovine lens proteins leads to the formation of brown or black melanoproteins. Both tyrosinase and the oxidizing system of ferrous sulphate–ascorbic acid–EDTA are effective. The fluorescence of the lens proteins is both altered and enhanced by the tyrosine-oxidizing systems. Their fluorescence spectra resemble those of urea-insoluble proteins of human cataractous lens and of 1,2-naphthaquinone–proteins of naphthalene cataract. The lens proteins lose their thiol groups and, in acid hydrolysates of treated β-and γ-crystallins, a substance has been detected chromatographically that behaves similarly to a compound formed when 3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (dopa) is oxidized by tyrosinase in the presence of cysteine. Analysis and behaviour of this substance from hydrolysates of lens proteins suggest that it is a compound of cysteine and dopa.
The dissociation of histone from deoxyribonucleohistone by γ-irradiation
Authors: Lloyd P. H. , Peacocke A. R.
Published: August 2015

1. Experiments were carried out to determine the extent of dissociation of histone from deoxyribonucleohistone as a result of irradiation with γ-rays from 60Co. 2. The bulk of the nucleohistone was removed from the irradiated solutions either by sedimentation or by precipitation with dilute sodium chloride solution. The supernatants were then analysed for DNA and histone. 3. The ratios of histone to DNA in these supernatants were less than for the original nucleohistone. This indicated that histone was dissociated by the irradiation, and then aggregated either with itself or with other nucleohistone molecules, and so was removed with the bulk of the nucleohistone during sedimentation or precipitation.
Enzyme studies on the esterification of vitamin D in rat tissues
Authors: Fraser D. R. , Kodicek E.
Published: August 2015

1. The mechanism of vitamin D esterification in the rat was studied with liver, small-intestinal mucosa, pancreatic juice and blood plasma as enzyme sources and [1−3H]cholecalciferol, [U−14C]ergocalciferol and [4−14C]cholesterol as substrates. 2. No esterification of vitamin D could be detected with liver preparations nor with homogenates or acetone-dried powder extracts of intestinal mucosa. 3. Pancreatic juice esterified [1−3H]cholecalciferol with oleic acid, and specificity studies indicated that a cholesterol-esterifying enzyme was using vitamin D as substrate. 4. Plasma cholesterol-esterifying enzyme also esterified vitamin D. 5. The specificity of the esterification reaction is discussed in relation to (a) the molecular structure of the substrates and (b) their availability, in a micellar solution, to the enzyme. 6. It is concluded that cholesterol-esterifying enzymes esterify vitamin D in vivo during absorption from the small intestine and while it is transported in blood.
Chain extension of ribonucleic acid by enzymes from rat liver cytoplasm
Authors: Wilkie N. M. , Smellie R. M. S.
Published: August 2015

1. The 105000g supernatant fraction of rat liver catalyses the incorporation of ribonucleotides from ribonucleoside triphosphates into polyribonucleotide material. The reaction requires Mg2+ ions and is enhanced by the addition of an ATP-generating system and RNA, ATP, UTP and CTP but not GTP are utilized in this reaction. In the case of UTP, the product is predominantly a homopolymer containing 2–3 uridine residues, and there is evidence that these may be added to the 3′-hydroxyl ends of RNA or oligoribonucleotide primers. 2. The microsome fraction of rat liver incorporates ribonucleotides from ATP, GTP, CTP and UTP into polyribonucleotide material. This reaction requires Mg2+ ions and is enhanced slightly by the addition of an ATP-generating system, and by RNA but not DNA. Supplementation of the reaction mixture with the three complementary ribonucleoside 5′-triphosphates greatly increases the utilization of a single labelled ribonucleoside 5′-triphosphate. The optimum pH is in the range 7·0–8·5, and the reaction is strongly inhibited by inorganic pyrophosphate and to a much smaller degree by inorganic orthophosphate. It is not inhibited by actinomycin D or by deoxyribonuclease. In experiments with [32P]UTP in the absence of ATP, GTP and CTP, 80–90% of 32P was recovered in UMP-2′ or −3′ after alkaline hydrolysis of the reaction product. When the reaction mixture was supplemented with ATP, GTP and CTP, however, about 40% of the 32P was recovered in nucleotides other than UMP-2′ or −3′. Although the reactions seem to lead predominantly to the synthesis of homopolymers, the possibility of some formation of some heteropolymer is not completely excluded.
The specific substance from Pneumococcus type 34 (41). The phosphodiester linkages
Authors: Chittenden G. J. F. , Roberts W. K. , Buchanan J. G. , Baddiley J
Published: August 2015

1. The phosphate groups in the type-specific substance S.34 from Pneumococcus type 34 (U.S. type 41) were shown to join the hydroxyl group at position 1 or 5 of ribitol and the hydroxyl group at position 3 of a d-galactofuranosyl residue in the next repeating unit. 2. A partial structure of the type-specific substance was derived. 3. New syntheses of d-galactose 2-phosphate and d-galactose 3-phosphate are described.
Diversity and nature of ribosomal pools in hepatoma 7800 and host liver
Authors: Kwan Sau-Wah , Webb Thomas E. , Morris Harold P.
Published: August 2015

1. The ribosomal components in the postmitochondrial supernatant of a rat hepatoma (hepatoma 7800) and the corresponding host liver were examined for diversity and functional competence. 2. The ‘free’ and ‘membrane-bound’ polyribosomes of both tissues were equally active in vivo and had equilibrated with newly synthesized ribosomes 4hr. after administration of [6−14C]orotic acid. 3. The inactive monomer–dimer pool in hepatoma 7800 was unattached to membranes and a larger fraction of the polyribosomes was free in hepatoma than in liver. 4. By using sensitivity to puromycin as a criterion, evidence was obtained that most of the polyribosomes in hepatoma 7800 were active in vivo. 5. Actinomycin, azaguanine and carbon tetrachloride caused marked conversion of polyribosomes into inactive monomers and dimers in the host liver and moderate conversion in the hepatoma. 6. Significant accumulation of ferritin and shifts in the mean polyribosome size to the lighter species occurred in the host liver of rats bearing large hepatomas.
Enzymes catalysing conjugations of glutathione with αβ-unsaturated carbonyl compounds
Authors: Boyland E. , Chasseaud L. F.
Published: August 2015

1. Heat-inactivation experiments, ammonium sulphate-fractionation studies, enzyme-inhibition studies with S-(αβ-diethoxycarbonylethyl)glutathione, and evidence from the distribution of activities in rat liver, in rat kidney and in the livers of other animals, indicate that reactions of glutathione with (i) trans-benzylideneacetone, (ii) cyclohex-2-en-1-one, (iii) trans-cinnamaldehyde, (iv) diethyl maleate, (v) diethyl fumarate and (vi) 2,3-dimethyl-4-(2-methylenebutyryl)phenoxyacetic acid are catalysed by different enzymes. 2. Evidence is presented that the enzymes catalysing the reactions of glutathione with substrates (i)–(iv) are different from glutathione S-alkyltransferase, S-aryltransferase and S-epoxidetransferase. 3. The name ‘glutathione S-alkenetransferases’ is proposed for enzymes catalysing reactions of glutathione with αβ-unsaturated compounds. 4. The Arrenhius plot for the enzyme-catalysed reaction of diethyl maleate with glutathione is discontinuous, with lower energy of activation at 38°.
The effect of anti-insulin serum and alloxan-diabetes on the distribution and multiple forms of hexokinase in lactating rat mammary gland
Authors: Walters Eileen , McLean Patricia
Published: August 2015

1. The distribution and multiple forms of hexokinase activity in lactating rat mammary gland were investigated in alloxan-diabetic rats and in rats treated with anti-insulin serum. It was found that 46% of the total hexokinase of mammary-gland tissue from control rats was in the particulate fraction, but this percentage was decreased in the alloxan-diabetic rats to 11% of the total hexokinase. The hexokinase activity of the soluble fraction was not significantly altered but there was a decrease in the type II/type I quotient. 2. The early changes that occurred on insulin deprivation were studied 1hr. after administration of anti-insulin serum to lactating rats, at which time the hexokinase bound to the particulate fraction had decreased to 11% of the control value and that in the soluble fraction had increased by approx. 50%. The hexokinase type II/type I quotient in the soluble fraction was significantly decreased. These results suggested that there was a release of particulate-bound hexokinase in rats treated with anti-insulin serum.
Sporulation in Bacillus subtilis. The role of exoprotease
Authors: Mandelstam J. , Waites W. M.
Published: August 2015

1. Intracellular turnover of protein was measured in wild-type Bacillus subtilis, which produces exoprotease at stage I in the sporulation process. Protein is degraded at a rate of 8–10%/hr. 2. As a result of this turnover, the proteins of the mother cell are extensively degraded and resynthesized by about 6hr., so that the later stages of spore formation occur in a cytoplasm containing mainly ‘new’ protein. 3. The same protease appears to be responsible both for the intracellular turnover of protein and for extracellular proteolytic activity. In mutants that have lost the exoenzyme the intracellular protein is stable for many hours. In addition, these mutants fail to produce antibiotic and are asporogenous. When the exoprotease is regained as a result of back-mutation all the lost capacities of the cell are restored together. 4. Protease activity also accounts for the change in antigenic pattern of extracts of cells sampled during sporulation. Immunoelectrophoresis shows that, in the wild-type, the antigens characteristic of the vegetative cell have largely disappeared after a few hours; in the proteaseless mutants the vegetative-cell pattern is conserved. Apart from changing the protein pattern of the cell the protease could also have the function of removing protein inhibitors of sporulation. Other possible interpretations of the results are discussed.
Changes in the ribonucleic acid metabolism of aging mouse tissues with particular reference to the prostate gland
Authors: Mainwaring W. I. P.
Published: August 2015

1. The synthesis of RNA in purified nuclei of tissues from aged mice is substantially diminished. 2. As judged by the recovery of RNA in 105000g supernatants of tissue homogenates, the synthesis of ribosomal RNA may be particularly affected. 3. The decrease in RNA synthesis may be due to changes in the composition of the nuclear-associated protein with age, which result in changes in the priming ability of tissue chromatin. 4. Aging is accompanied by marked changes in the sedimentation profiles of ribonucleoprotein particles. These can be attributed to an age-associated depletion in messenger RNA or to an increased susceptibility to enzymic disaggregation.
An application of diagonal electrophoresis to the selective purification of serine phosphate peptides. Serine phosphate peptides from ovalbumin
Authors: Milstein Celia P.
Published: August 2015

A diagonal-electrophoresis method for the selective purification of serine phosphate peptides was applied to tryptic, chymotryptic and peptic digests of oxidized ovalbumin. This method is based on the release of the phosphate group bound to serine by treatment with alkaline phosphatase on paper. The identified serine phosphate peptides were purified by paper electrophoresis at pH6·5 and 2·0, dephosphorylation with bacterial alkaline phosphatase, and paper electrophoresis at pH2·0 again, in that order. The presence of two groups of serine phosphate peptides was apparent from the amino acid composition. One group contained no lysine, cysteic acid, proline, leucine or isoleucine (sequence 1) and the other had all those amino acids (sequence 2). Further degradation with subtilisin of those peptides and ‘dansyl’–Edman sequence analysis established their partial sequences. The proposed sequences are as follows (with ‘SerP’ representing serine phosphate): sequence 1, -Ala-Gly-Arg-Glu-Val-Val-Gly-SerP-Ala-Glu-Ala-Gly-Asp-Val-Ala-Ala-Ser-(Val,Glx2,Ser,Phe)-Arg-; sequence 2, -Asp-Lys-Leu-Pro-Gly-Phe-Gly-Asp-SerP-Ile-Glx-Ala-Glx-CySO3H-Gly-(Thr,Ser,Val)-(Asp,His,Val)-. The partial sequence of one of the phosphopeptides, Asp-(Glu,Ile,SerP), reported by Flavin (1954) was used to establish the proposed sequence 2.
Variations in the phosphate content of histone F1 in normal and irradiated tissues
Authors: Stevely W S , Stocken L A
Published: August 2015

1. The capacity of the histone–DNA complex to act as a template for RNA synthesis is increased by phosphorylation of histone F1. 2. In regenerating liver, DNA synthesis is preceded by phosphorylation of histone F1. 3. Exposure to ionizing radiation in vivo decreases and delays the phosphorylation of histone F1 in regenerating liver, and decreases it in the hyperplastic kidney. 4. Histone F1 is phosphorylated to a greater extent in dividing than in resting tissues.
The mechanisms of reductive carboxylation reactions. Carbon dioxide or bicarbonate as substrate of nicotinamide-adenine dinucleotide phosphate-linked isocitrate dehydrogenase and ‘malic’ enzyme
Authors: Dalziel K. , Londesborough J. C.
Published: August 2015

1. A simple kinetic method was devised to show whether dissolved CO2 or HCO3– ion is the substrate in enzyme-catalysed carboxylation reactions. 2. The time-course of the reductive carboxylation of 2-oxoglutarate by NADPH, catalysed by isocitrate dehydrogenase, was studied by a sensitive fluorimetric method at pH7·3 and pH6·4, with large concentrations of substrate and coenzyme and small carbon dioxide concentrations. 3. Reaction was initiated by the addition of carbon dioxide in one of three forms: (i) as the dissolved gas in equilibrium with bicarbonate; (ii) as unbuffered bicarbonate solution; (iii) as the gas or as an unbuffered solution of the gas in water. Different progress curves were obtained in the three cases. 4. The results show that dissolved CO2 is the primary substrate of the enzyme, and that HCO3– ion is at best a very poor substrate. The progress curves are in quantitative agreement with this conclusion and with the known rates of the reversible hydration of CO2 under the conditions of the experiments. The effects of carbonic anhydrase confirm the conclusions. 5. Similar experiments on the reductive carboxylation of pyruvate catalysed by the ‘malic’ enzyme show that dissolved CO2 is the primary substrate of this enzyme also. 6. The results are discussed in relation to the mechanisms of these enzymes, and the effects of pH on the reactions. 7. The advantages of the method and its possible applications to other enzymes involved in carbon dioxide metabolism are discussed.
A factor converting monoribosomes into polyribosomes during protein synthesis in vitro
Authors: Cohen Brian B.
Published: August 2015

An extract was prepared from rabbit reticulocyte ribosomes after treatment with potassium chloride as described previously (Miller, Hamada, Yang, Cohen & Schweet, 1967). The participation of the extract in cell-free protein synthesis was studied. Purified polyribosomes were isolated and converted into monoribosomes by incubation in the cell-free protein-synthesis system. The monoribosomes were isolated and found to be unable to synthesize protein in the cell-free system. The addition of the ribosomal extract to the system stimulated protein synthesis. This was accompanied by the conversion of some of the monoribosomes into polyribosomes. The active component or components of the extract were shown to be protein.