Insulin biosynthesis: evidence for a precursor

Human islet cell tumor tissue and isolated islets of Langerhans from rats incorporated radioactive amino acids in vitro into insulin and a larger acid-alcohol soluble protein which could be separated from insulin by gel filtration. The amino acids were incorporated into the larger protein earlier than into insulin; only after incubation of islets for approximately 30 minutes did radioactivity begin to appear in insulin. The transfer of about 70 percent of the radioactivity of the larger protein to insulin was demonstrated in the absence of new peptide bond synthesis (cycloheximide), or during incubation with unlabeled amino acid (chase). The results indicate that the larger protein is a precursor in the biosynthesis of insulin. The name "proinsulin" is suggested for this protein.     

Dispersal of rabbit lung into individual viable cells: a new model for the study of lung metabolism

This new enzymatic method disperses rabbit lung into morphologically intact, viable individual cells. The scattered cells constitute more than 50 percent of the original tissue. At least 90 percent of the cells exclude trypan blue from the nucleus. The dispersed lung cells consumed 6.2 microliters of oxygen per hour per milligram, dry weight. They incorporated [1-(14)C]palmitate into lecithin.     

Synthesis of lipid during photosynthesis by phytoplankton of the southern ocean

Assimilation of carbon-14 labeled bicarbonate into photosynthetic products was measured at four stations in the Southern Ocean. Phytoplankton populations incorporated as much as 80 percent of the fixed carbon into lipid under conditions of low temperatures (-0.2 degrees to -1.8 degrees C) and low light intensities. At higher temperatures (+0.3 degrees to +0.8 degrees C) and higher light intensities, incorporation into lipid accounted for less than 20 percent of the fixed carbon, synthesis of polysaccharide and protein being more prominent.     

不同变种及种源紫苏种子油脂肪酸组成及含量比较

采用化学萃取和GC-MS法,对5个变种11个种源地的17个种质的紫苏种子样品开展了种子油含量及其脂肪酸组成和相对含量的比较和分析。GC-MS结果表明,紫苏油中共发现14种脂肪酸,按相对含量高低划分为6种高含量脂肪酸(＞0.8%)和8种低含量脂肪酸(≤0.2%);其中14-甲基-十六烷酸(C17∶0)、十八碳二烯酸(C18∶2n3)、二十三碳酸(C23∶0)3种低含量脂肪酸为首次在紫苏油脂中被报道;高含量脂肪酸中α-亚麻酸的相对含量最高,达51.92%~62.98%;α-亚麻酸、亚油酸与油酸之间存在一定代谢转化相关性。脂肪酸含量外标法计算结果表明,5个变种中白苏变种的含油率和α-亚麻酸含量较高,作为紫苏油生产原料具有一定优势。      

Specialized fatty acid synthesis in African trypanosomes: myristate for GPI anchors

African trypanosomes, the cause of sleeping sickness, need massive amounts of myristate to remodel glycosyl phosphatidylinositol (GPI) anchors on their surface glycoproteins. However, it has been believed that the parasite is unable to synthesize any fatty acids, and myristate is not abundant in the hosts' bloodstreams. Thus, it has been unclear how trypanosomes meet their myristate requirement. Here we found that they could indeed synthesize fatty acids. The synthetic pathway was unique in that the major product, myristate, was preferentially incorporated into GPIs and not into other lipids. The antibiotic thiolactomycin inhibited myristate synthesis and killed the parasite, making this pathway a potential chemotherapeutic target.     

Cell growth with trans fatty acids is affected by adenosine 3',5'-monophosphate and membrane fluidity

Two positional isomers (9 and 11) of trans octadecenoates did not support growth on glucose of an Escherichia coli mutant that requires unsaturated fatty acids. However, the trans fatty acids provided sufficient fluidity to produce much higher cell yields when the concentration of adenosine 3',5'-monophosphate was raised. The effectiveness of the trans acids rose from 0 to 1 cell per femtomole to 15 to 20 cells per femtomole as the concentration of adenosine 3',5'-monophosphate was increased. The corresponding cis positional isomers supported high yields (35 to 40 cells per femtomole) independent of supplementation. The enhanced growth with adenosine 3',5'-monophosphate supplementation is not due to an increased uptake and incorporation of the trans isomers relative to the cis isomers, since the 9-trans isomer was incorporated more rapidly than the 9-cis isomer into the membrane phospholipids under all growth conditions and represented 21 +/- 2 mole percent of the acids. The finding that cells growing with trans fatty acid isomers have a higher requirement for adenosine 3',5'-monophosphate may indicate that some fatty acids can alter the metabolic regulation normally exerted by the cyclic nucleotide.     

Pemoline levels in brain: enhancement by dimethyl sulfoxide

Pemoline-C(14) dissolved in dimethyl sulfoxide and injected intraperitoneally into rats was found in larger amounts in the brain than was a similar dose given in 0.3 percent tragacanth suspension. This appeared to be related to a partial breakdown of the blood-brain barrier in vivo by the dimethyl sulfoxide.     

气相色谱法分析炸鸡油中脂肪酸及反式脂肪酸

应用毛细管气相色谱法对源自肯德基的生熟炸鸡油进行了脂肪酸及反式脂肪酸定性、定量分析,结果表明:肯德基炸鸡油选用棕榈油,脂肪酸组分主要有棕榈酸、硬脂酸、油酸、亚油酸,且含有反式亚油酸、亚麻酸约1%,熟油则比生油含更多的反式脂肪酸,表明煎炸过程中会产生少量反式脂肪酸。     

Major urinary protein complex of normal mice: origin

Mouse serum contains protein having the same charge density and molecular size as the major urinary protein complex of mice. Mouse liver (but not eight other tissues examined) incorporated amino acids labeled with carbon-14 into the complex in vitro. The degree of incorporation was greater in livers from males than from females, and was internmediate in livers from females treated with testosterone.     

The fate of amoco cadiz oil

The Amoco Cadiz oil spill (223,000 metric tons) of March 1978 is the largest and best studied tanker spill in history. Of the total oil lost, 30,000 tons (13.5 percent) rapidly became incorporated into the water column, 18,000 tons (8 percent) were deposited in subtidal sediments, 62,000 tons (28 percent) washed into the intertidal zone, and 67,000 tons (30 percent) evaporated. While still at sea, approximately 10,000 tons of oil were degraded microbiologically. After 3 years, the most obvious effects of the spill have passed, although hydrocarbon concentrations remain elevated in those estuaries and marshes that were initially most heavily oiled.     

An unusual form of lipid linkage to the CD45 peptide

Some protein kinases and phosphatases are myristoylated on their amino terminus, which perhaps contributes to subcellular localization or regulation. Glycoprotein CD45, a hematopoietic tyrosine phosphatase, was examined for fatty acid content. The CD45 protein incorporated [3H]myristate, but little [3H]palmitate. The label was not metabolized and reincorporated into amino acids or saccharides, as revealed by peptide maps of CD45 labeled with [3H]myristate, 14C-labeled amino acids, [35S]methionine, or 125I, and glycosidase treatments, respectively. The myristate label was resistant to mild alkaline methanolysis and was found in fatty acid and sphingosine, indicating an unusual form of lipid attachment to CD45.     

Feline attractant, cis,trans-nepetalactone: metabolism in the domestic cat

cis,trans-Nepetalactone, the biologically active component of catnip, was force-fed to the domestic cat. When the (14)C-labeled compound was fed, 86 to 94 percent of the radioactivity was recovered in the urine, 1 to 2 percent was found in the feces, and 1 to 12 percent was collected as carbon dioxide. The major (50 to 75 percent) metabolite was alpha-nepetalinic acid, which was excreted in the urine together with small amounts of dihydronepetalactone, unchanged cis,-trans-nepetalactone, and several unidentified compounds. No marked physiological or histological eflects were observed when 20 to 80 milligrams of cis, trans-nepetalactone was administered orally. This is the first report on the metabolism of a mammalian attractant.     

Petroleum pollutants in surface and groundwater as indicated by the carbon-14 activity of dissolved organic carbon

The (14)C activity of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) can be used to distinguish between the fossil organic carbon due to petrochemical effluents and modern organic carbon due to domestic wastes and natural decaying organic matter. Rivers polluted by petrochemical effluents show varying amounts of depression of the DOC (14)C activity, reflecting concentrations of (14)C-deficient fossil carbon of as much as about 40 percent of the total DOC.     

两种天牛的营养成分分析

分析了星天牛(Anoplophora chinensis(Forster))和粗鞘双条杉天牛(Semanotus sinoauster Gressit)幼虫的主要营养成分,结果表明:它们的蛋白质为鲜质量的16％～18％,氨基酸分别约为鲜质量的16％和13％,含有7种人体必需氨基酸,其必需氨基酸占氨基酸总质量分数的43％,必需氨基酸与非必需氨基酸的比值为75％-76％,它们的第一限制性氨基酸为含硫氨基酸(蛋氨酸 胱氨酸)。粗脂肪约为鲜质量的13％,其中不饱和脂肪酸所占比例高,约为总脂肪的77％,但它们的必需脂肪酸质量分数差异大,星天牛为30．5％,粗鞘双条杉天牛为2．9％。2种天牛幼虫样品均含有K、Ca、Mg、Fe、Zn、Cu、Mn等多种矿物质和微量元素,胆固醇的质量分数低,平均为0．03％。     

Thyrotropin-releasing hormone: biosynthesis by rat hypothalamic fragments in vitro

Biosynthesis of thyrotropin-releasing hormone (L-pyroglutamyl-L-histidyl-L-proline amide) in vitro was studied. Rat hypothalamic fragments were incubated in Krebs-Ringer bicarbonate buffer that contained either (14)C-labeled proline, histidine, or glutamic acid (the three probable precursor amino acids,) and for control purposes each of 16 other naturally occurring amino acids. A number of labeled peptides were synthesized. With the use of synthetic thyrotropin-releasing hormone, detected by the Pauly reagent or with (125)1-labeled thyrotropin-releasing hormone as a marker, thin-layer chromatograms, paper electrophoresis, and carboxymethyl cellulose ion exchange chromatography revealed that only proline, histidine, and glutamic acid were consistently incorporated into peptides associated with the thyrotropin-releasing hormone region. This synthesizing activity was found in stalk median eminence, ventral hypothalamus. and dorsal hypothalamus but not in neural lobe or cerebral cortex. Because the biosynthetic peptide has identical properties with L-pyroglutamyl-L-histidyl-L-proline amide, it is probable that rat thyrotropin-releasing hormone is similar or identical to both bovine and porcine thyrotropin-releasing hormone and that the native material is present in the pyroglutamyl form in tissues.     

Ⅰ_214杨树苗源叶和库叶~(14)C-同化物的代谢及影响其运输、分配的因素

源叶LPI_12和库叶LPI_2在引入~(14)CO_25min后,首先合成糖,约为总同化物的80％。随着时间的延长,糖的含量开始下降。但LPI_(12)下降速率慢,LPI_2下降速率快。2h后,LPI_12和LPI_2糖含量分别下降到70％和43％。除蛋白质外,LPI_(12)其它活跃代谢成分氨基酸、有机酸均呈下降趋势,结构成分纤维素因合成甚微,所以曲线变化很小。LPI_2中所有成分几乎均呈上升趋势,尤其是结构成分和氨基酸含量上升显著。淀粉和半纤维素变化规律是先上升后下降。由此推测,库叶内同化物向外运输的限制可能是糖迅速被利用并转变成其它物质。源叶由于合成代谢弱,所以向外运输比较多。说明同化物的代谢与同化物的运输密切相关。研究中还发现,同一直行列上的叶片,其同化物的运输具有相对独立性。~(14)C-同化物的运输与分配受控于运输通道,“库强”及其它因素。运输通道及“库强”是控制~(14)C-同化物运输的两个重要因素。而“源一库”间的距离,相对来说是较次要的。     

缺磷诱导植物分泌低分子量有机酸的研究进展

总结了近年来对缺磷诱导植物分泌的低分子量有机酸(包括来源、组成和种类、分泌机理)、有机酸的作用机理及其研究方法等方面的研究,并对以后的研究方向进行了展望。     

Saturation in milk and meat fats

Meat and milk products from ruminants (cows, goats, sheep, and beef animals) contribute 35 to 40 percent of the fat in the average American diet. Such fat is highly saturated, containing less than about 4 percent polyunsaturated fatty acids. The unsaturated plant lipids (fats) ordinarily consumed by the ruminant are hydrogenated (saturated) in the rumen. Transport and incorporation of this hydrogenated fat into meat and milk follows. Rumen hydrogenation does not take place until the fat is broken down to free fatty acids, thus establishing the fact that lipolysis is an essential feature of the process. Circumvention of this lipolysis may lead to more-unsaturated meat and milk fat.     

人类MCP和CD59双基因导入小鼠的整合及传代研究

将人类MCP(膜辅因子蛋白)和CD59(终末阶段同源限制因子)两种基因采用混合注射的方法,导入521枚昆明小鼠的受精卵原核中,得到原代转CD59基因小鼠14只,CD59的整合率为18.4%;转MCP基因小鼠12只,MCP的整合率为15.7%;转CD59 MCP双基因小鼠7只,双基因整合率为9.2%;转基因效率5%。通过5只存活的G0代转双基因小鼠和非转基因小鼠的繁殖,得到F1代转MCP小鼠14只,转CD59小鼠16只,转双基因小鼠10只;F1代双基因占33.3%。     

饲料中添加抗菌脂肽对瓦氏黄颡鱼肌肉营养的影响

在基础配合饲料中添加0.5%、1%、2%、4%抗菌脂肽,饲养瓦氏黄颡鱼8周,对其肌肉一般营养成分、氨基酸营养、脂肪酸营养进行分析比较。结果表明抗菌脂肽对瓦氏黄颡鱼肌肉蛋白质、灰分含量无显著影响(P0.05)。瓦氏黄颡鱼是氨基酸组成均衡性较好(EAAI75、EAA/NEAA79%)的优质水产品,富含Glu、Asp、Arg等有助于术后病人康复的氨基酸。Lys含量较为富余,适当摄入可平衡谷物中Lys短缺,第一限制性氨基酸为Met+Cys。4%范围内添加抗菌脂肽对瓦氏黄颡鱼氨基酸组成无显著性影响(P0.05),EAAI随着AMI添加量增加逐渐降低,但仍高于75%。瓦氏黄颡鱼肌肉脂肪酸主要组成种类不少于11种,其中饱和脂肪酸3种、单不饱和脂肪酸4种、多不饱和脂肪酸4种,不饱和脂肪酸相对含量均较高,富含多不饱和脂肪酸(二十碳四烯酸、EPA、DHA)。在4%添加范围内,抗菌脂肽对瓦氏黄颡鱼肌肉脂肪酸组成无明显影响。