Detection of chromogranin A in the adrenal gland extracts of different animal species by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay using Thomsen-Friedenreich antigen-specific Amaranthus caudatus lectin

The reactivity of different lectins with crude chromogranin A (CgA) obtained from different animals, namely, cow, horse, dog, pig, and dolphin, was examined to identify lectin(s) that would be useful as coating reagent(s) in a sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Of the different lectins studied, the Amaranthus caudatus lectin (ACA), which is specific for the Thomsen-Friedenreich (T)-antigen (Galβ1-3GalNAc), was found to react with the CgA from different animals by western blotting. Purified rabbit anti-bovine CgA antibody was also found to cross-react with the crude CgA preparations. On the basis of these findings, a sandwich ELISA was developed with ACA as the coating reagent and anti-bovine CgA antibody as the probing antibody. Using this method, concentration-dependent curves ranging from 0.003 μg/mL to 25 μg/mL and from 0.02 μg/mL to 25 μg/mL were obtained for bovine CgA and canine CgA, respectively. Similarly, concentration-dependent curves were obtained for the equine, swine, and dolphin crude CgA extracts. Thus, ACA is concluded to be a valuable reagent for CgA detection in crude extracts from different animal species, and for CgA isolation/purification.     

Nitrocapsanthin and nitrofucoxanthin, respective products of capsanthin and fucoxanthin reaction with peroxynitrite

The in vitro reactivity of capsanthin (1) and fucoxanthin (2) with peroxynitrite was investigated, and the reaction products produced by scavenging with peroxynitrite were analyzed. (14'Z)-Nitrocapsanthin (3) and 12-nitrocapsanthin (4) were isolated from the products of the reaction of capsanthin with peroxynitrite. Similarly, (14Z)-15-nitrofucoxanthin (5), (11Z)-11-nitrofucoxanthin (6), and (14Z,9'Z)-15-nitrofucoxanthin (7) were obtained from the reaction of peroxynitrite reaction with fucoxanthin. Capsanthin and fucoxanthin inhibited the nitration of tyrosine by peroxynitrite. Furthermore, nitrocapsanthins (3 and 4) and nitrofucoxanthins (5 and 6) exhibited an inhibitory effect on Epstein-Barr virus early antigen activation in Raji cells and an antiproliferative effect on human pancreatic carcinoma. Moreover, nitrocapsanthins (3 and 4) inhibited carcinogensis of mouse skin tumors initiated by 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene (DMBN).     

Shoot control of nodulation is modified by the root in the supernodulating soybean mutant En6500 and its wild-type parent cultivar Enrei

Abstract

Based on grafting studies, both supernodulating (Carroll et al. 1985a, b) and hypernodulating (Gremaud and Harper 1989) soybean ([itGlycine max} L. Merr.) phenotypes were reported to be under the control of shoot factors (Delves et al. 1986, 1987; Cho and Harper 1991). Recently Akao and Kouchi (1992) have isolated a new supernodulating mutant (En6500) from ethyl methane sulfonate (EMS)-treated Enrei, a cultivar which is widely grown in the central districts of Japan. This mutant has been shown to produce several fold as many nodules as its wild-type parent cultivar when grown at a low concentration (0.5 mol m^-3) of nitrate. Moreover, it exhibited a continuous increase in the nodule number with the increasing nitrate concentration, even at 15 mol m^-3 (Francisco et al. 1992), in contrast to the similar mutant nts382 in which the nodulation decreased even at the relatively low nitrate level of 5.5 mol m^-3 (Carroll et al. 1985a). In this study we conducted grafting experiments to determine which plant part controls the supernodulation of En6500.     

On the absorption of water and salt by the rice Plant root system,Especially mutual relationship between young and old roots

GILE et al (2) grew rice or corn with one half of the roots in a solution lacking in one element and the other half in a complete solution, and found out that these plants could absorb approximately three-fourths as much ion as the normal plants. Therefore, when a portion of the root is supplied with an ion, ion absorption by the roots may be greater than normal plants. For example, in their experiments, nitrogen absorbed per gram of roots, by the partial-nitrogen p!ants amounted to 1.45 times as much as the normal plants.     

Fate of nitrogen derived from 15N-labeled plant residues and composts in rice-planted paddy soil

Pot experiments that lasted for 3 y were conducted to investigate the dynamics of nitrogen derived from plant residues (rice root, hull, straw, corn root, and rapeseed pod-wall), and composts (rice straw compost, cattle manure compost, and cattle manure sawdust compost), which were labeled with ¹⁵N. The rates of nitrogen uptake by rice (=N efficiency), denitrification, and immobilization derived from the organic materials incorporated before the first year of cultivation were investigated throughout 3 y of cultivation. At the end of the first year of cultivation, relatively high rates of N efficiency were obtained for rapeseed pod-wall (24.6%), rice straw (19.1%), and rice hull (18.6%), while corn root and cattle manure sawdust compost displayed a noticeably high denitrification rate. Corn root, cattle manure sawdust compost, rice hull, and rapeseed pod-wall exhibited remarkably high N mineralization rates ranging from 60 to 75% of the organic materials N applied. Cumulative rates of N efficiencies from the organic materials applied before the first year of cultivation fitted well to a first-order kinetic model and their asymptotes were compared among the organic materials. The asymptotic rates of N efficiency tended to depend on the rates at the end of the first year of cultivation.     

Polyelectrolyte titration of whisky

Polyelectrolyte titration using a fluorescent indicator was applied to determine the electrolytic charges in 10 whiskies at various pH levels. Tannic acid was also titrated to compare the relation between pH and charge because the polyelectrolytes in whisky were postulated to be polyphenols, mainly tannic acid, which are gradually extracted from a wood cask over the years. Below pH 7, the pH-charge curves for whisky were analogous to those for tannic acid, indicating that carboxyl groups in tannic acid were fairly stable on maturation of the whisky. The charge of the tannic acid increased with increasing pH, whereas that of whisky had a tendency to level off. The degree of leveling off was higher for whiskies with longer maturation. These phenomena are believed to be due to the oxidation of pyrogallol and catechol moieties in tannic acid, which occurs during storage of the whisky. There was a clear tendency for the whiskies with higher prices to have higher charges, that is, a higher tannic acid content.     

Metabolism in rats of 3-phenoxybenzyl alcohol and 3-phenoxybenzoic acid glucoside conjugates formed in plants

Upon single oral administration to rats, the mono-, di- and tri-glucose conjugates of [¹⁴C]-3-phenoxybenzyl alcohol ( I ) or the mono-glucose conjugate of [¹⁴C]-3-phenoxybenzoic acid ( II ) were rapidly hydrolysed and extensively eliminated in the urine mostly as the sulphate conjugate of 3-(4-hydroxyphenoxy)benzoic acid ( X ). The faecal elimination was a minor route, whereas the biliary excretion was about 42% of the dose and the glucuronide conjugates of I , II and X were common major metabolites. The biliary glucuronides were cleaved in the small intestine to the respective aglycones, which were reabsorbed, metabolised further, and excreted in the urine as the sulphate conjugate of X . Although small amounts of the mono-, di-and tri-glucosides were found in the 0.5-h blood and liver samples following oral administration of the tri-glucoside of I , they were not detected in the urine, bile or faeces. Similarly the sulphate conjugate was one of the major urinary metabolites of germ-free rats, dosed with the ¹⁴C-glucosides via the oral or the intraperitoneal route, although they were excreted unchanged in certain amounts in the urine and faeces. The glucose conjugates were cleaved in vitro by gut microflora and in various rat tissues, including blood, liver, small intestine and small intestinal mucosa. The tissue enzymes showed a different substrate specificity in hydrolysis of the glucosides. However, they were not cleaved in gastric juice, bile, pancreatic juice or urine.     

Effects of exposure of bulbs to smoke and ethylene on flowering of Narcissus tazetta cultivar ‘Grand Soleil d'Or’

Bulbs of ‘Soleil d'Or’, exposed to smoke generated from smouldering wood and fresh leaves for several hours on each of 4 consecutive days during storage, produced flowers earlier and at a higher rate, even when using bulbs which were too small to flower using normal methods. The smoked bulbs showed an earlier start of floral initiation and faster development. A temperature of 25°C was optimal for storage. Application of ethylene also gave similar promotive effects when repeated 4 times at 10 μl 1^?1 for 1–5 h per day. Longer exposure to ethylene or smoke was less effective or had no promotive effect.