Sesquiterpenoids minor constituents ofPinus parviflora. On the relationship between (−)-δ-cadinol, (+)-δ-cadinol,sesquigoyol, torreyol,and brown alga cadinol

Zusammenfassung 1-Dokosanol, Sesquigoyol,-Sitosterin und 3,5-Dimethoxystilben wurden ausP. formosana isoliert. Es konnte gezeigt werden, dass Sesquigoyol der optische Antipode von (–)--Cadinol ist.

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Sesquiterpenoids II. For the previous paper in this series, seeW. G. Dauben, B. Weinstein, P. Lim, andA. B. Anderson, Tetrahedron15, 217 (1961).

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On leave of absence from the Department of Chemistry, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China.

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The National Council of Science, Republic of China, is thanked for the award of a fellowship for advanced study to one of us (K.-T.W.).     

TRH analogue with C-terminal thioamide group. Synthesis,receptor binding,TSH-releasing activity and α-MSH-releasing activity

Summary A new TRH analogue containing a C-terminal thioamide group was synthesized. This peptide was shown to have receptor-binding affinity, and TSH- as well as -MSH-releasing activities very similar to native TRH.Acknowledgments. This work was supported by the Swedish Natural Science Research Council (K-KU 3020-112) and the Polish Academy of Sciences (Research Grant No. MR I 12.1.6.1).     

The use of benzylpenicillinacylase fromEscherichia coli in the resolution of some racemicβ-,γ-,δ- andɛ-amino-acids

Summary The enzymatic hydrolysis of N-phenylacetyl derivatives of racemic amino-acids having the chiral centre removed from the usual -position is examined. The reaction is found to have different degrees of stereoselectivity. In the case of -amino-acids and of -aminovaleric acid, both enantiomers can be obtained in good yields and high optical purity. S-directed stereochemical preference was found for all the substrates examined.     

α- andβ-Guttiferins

Zusammenfassung Die Isolierung, Charakterisierung und antibiotischen Eigenschaften von-Guttiferin (I), C₃₃H₃₈O₈ (Smp. 113–115°), aus den Samenhülsen und vom nahe verwandten-Guttiferin (II), C₂₉H₃₆O₆ oder C_33–34H_38–40O₈ (Smp. 86–91°) (möglicherweise identisch mit-Gambogasäure), aus Gummigutt, dem harzigen Sekret vonGarcinia morella, wurden beschrieben und ihre Verwandtschaft zu Morellin und Moreollin, den beiden bekannten Pigmenten der Samenhülsen, dargelegt. Für I wurde eine Partialstruktur vorgeschlagen. Die Bildung derselben komplexen bromhaltigen Säure vom Smp. 199 bis 200° unter der Einwirkung von Natriumhypobromit auf I und II spricht ferner für deren nahe strukturelle Verwandtschaft.     

The early years of the Lycée and the Lycée des Arts. A chapter in the lives of A. L. Lavoisier and A. F. de Fourcroy

The first professors at the newly-established London University (later University College London) were appointed in 1827, but a chair in geology was not created there until 1841. In the intervening years, teaching in geology and palaeontology was included in other natural science courses. Early in 1831, John Phillips, keeper of the Yorkshire Museum at York, was prompted to give a formal course of geological lectures and subsequently he was informally offered the professorship, which he declined.     

The in vivo expression of the globin genes of theβ cistron in γ-,δ-, andδβ-thalassemia heterozygotes

There is considerable evidence suggesting that the switch from to and chain production after birth is due, in part, to silencing of the genes by stage-specific factors which bind to their promoters and to the competition from the adult ( and ) genes for a common enhancer element located in the locus control region. As a consequence one can expect that the increased Hb F production in adults with hereditary persistence of fetal hemoglobin or -thalassemia is directed mainly by -globin genes in cis to the deletion(s) responsible for these conditions. Here we review data on heterozygotes with -, -, or -thalassemia, who also had an^AT mutation, in cis or in trans, which was used as a marker of gene expression. The results show that a deletion affecting adult genes favors the expression of genes in cis, while the deletion of a single gene does not affect the expression of the gene in cis but leads to a faster switch postnatally.     

Melatonin, hormone of darkness and more – occurrence, control mechanisms, actions and bioactive metabolites

In its role as a pineal hormone, melatonin is a pleiotropic, nocturnally peaking and systemically acting chronobiotic. These effects are largely explained by actions via G protein-coupled membrane receptors found in the suprachiasmatic nucleus, but also in numerous other sites. Nuclear (ROR/RZR), cytoplasmic (quinone reductase-2, calmodulin, calreticulin) and mitochondrial binding sites and radical-scavenging properties contribute to the actions of melatonin. Regulation of pineal melatonin biosynthesis is largely explained by control mechanisms acting on arylalkylamine N-acetyltransferase, at the levels of gene expression and/or enzyme stability influenced by phosphorylation and interaction with 14-3-3 proteins. Melatonin is not only a hormone but is also synthesized in numerous extrapineal sites, in which it sometimes attains much higher quantities than in the pineal and the circulation. It is also present in many taxonomically distant groups of organisms, including bacteria, fungi, and plants. Moreover, melatonin is a source of bioactive metabolites, such as 5-methoxytryptamine, N(1)-acetyl-N(2)-formyl-5-methoxykynuramine and N(1)-acetyl-5-methoxykynuramine.