Lipid composition ofMicrosporum gypseum

Summary The lipid composition ofMicrosporum gypseum has been studied. The lipids amounted to 10.1% and phospholipids to 1.1% of the mycelial dry weight. Phosphatidyl choline, phosphatidyl serine and phosphatidyl ethanolamine were the major components, while lysophosphatidyl choline, and phosphatidyl inositol were present in smaller quantities. Neutral lipids consisted of monoglycerides, diglycerides, triglycerides, free and esterified cholesterol.Acknowledgments: Thanks are due to Prof. P. Talwar, Department of Microbiology of this Institute for the supply ofM. gypseum. Technical assistance of Mr Adarsh Kumar is acknowledged.     

Phospholipid composition ofDipylidium caninum

Summary The phospholipid composition ofDipylidium caninum has been studied. Chloroform-methanol-soluble fraction amounted to 2.4% and phospholipids to 0.5% of the wet weight of the parasite. Phosphatidyl choline and phosphatidyl ethanolamine represented the bulk of the phospholipids, whereas phosphatidyl serine, phosphatidyl inositol, lysolecithin and lysophosphatidyl ethanolamine were present in minor amounts. Sulfatides were also identified in this parasite.     

Alterations in the phospholipid composition ofNocardia polychromogenes during growth

Summary The major phospholipid classes ofNocardia polychromogenes were quantitated at different stages of the growth cycle. Significant differences were observed both in the total lipid phosphorus per g (dry weight) of cells, and in the relative percentages of individual phospholipids. The total amount of lipid-phosphorus increased throughout the growth cycle. Cardiolipin and phosphoinositides contents increased with significant decrease in phosphatidyl ethanolamine and unknown phospholipids.Acknowledgments. This investigation was supported in part by a grant from the Indian Council of Medical Research. Technical assistance of Mr Adarsh Kumar is acknowledged.     

Changes in phospholipid composition ofNocardia polychromogenes during temperature adaptation

Summary The effect of growth temperature on the phospholipid composition of Nocardia polychromogenes has been examined. When the growth temperature was decreased from 37°C to 27°C, there was a large decrease in phosphatidyl ethanolamine with an increase in cardiolipin and phosphoinositides. These changes are discussed in context with the control of membrane fluidity.Acknowledgment. This investigation was financed in part by a grant from the Indian Council of Medical Research. Technical assistance of Mr Adarsh Kumar is acknowledged.     

The mannophosphoinositides ofNocardia asteroides

Summary The phospholipid ofN. asteroides has been investigated. It was found to contain phosphatidyl ethanolamine, cardiolipin, phosphatidyl inositol and a family of mannophosphoinositides. Dimannophosphoinositides with 3 and 4 moles of fatty acid per phosphate residue represented the major glycophospholipids besides small amounts of other more glycosylated mannophosphoinositides.     

Phospholipid composition of Dipylidium caninum

The phospholipid composition of Dipylidium caninum has been studied. Chloroform-methanol-soluble fraction amounted to 2.4% and phospholipids to 0.5% of the wet weight of the parasite. Phosphatidyl choline and phosphatidyl ethanolamine represented the bulk of the phospholipids, whereas phosphatidyl serine, phosphatidyl inositol, lysolecithin and lysophosphatidyl ethanolamine were present in minor amounts. Sulfatides were also identified in this parasite.     

Attraction ofScolytus scolytus (F.) to the components of Multilure,the aggregation pheromone ofS. multistriatus (Marsham) (Coleoptera: Scolytidae)

Summary The attraction ofS. scolytus to the components of Multilure is described. 4-Methyl-3-heptanol is an attractant which is synergised bya-cubebene. Multistriatin appears to be an inhibitor. A combination of 4-methyl-3-heptanol and cubeb oil is more effective as a bait forS. scolytus than Multilure.We thank Mr A. K. Hughes and Mr J. Boswell for their cooperation in allowing us to conduct experiments on Parham Estate; Mr D. Mobbs and Mr C. Thorne for the statistical analyses; Dr J. W. Peacock for samples of mixed isomers of multistriatin and distilled cubeb oil; Mrs J. Allsop and Mr N. J. Fielding for technical assistance. We are grateful to Mr D. Bevan, Dr J. H. Borden, Dr J. F. Grove and Prof. A. W. Johnson for their interest and encouragement.     

Structure of two biologically active sesquiterpenoid amino-quinones from the marine spongeDysidea avara

Summary The structures of 2 minor constituents of the marine spongeDysidea avara, which induce developmental aberrations in sea-urchin eggs, are described. The structures were confirmed also by a simple synthesis from avarol (1).Acknowledgments. The authors wish to thank Mr A. Crispino for his skillfull laboratory technical assistance. Thanks are also due to Mr C. Di Pinto (NMR) and Mr A. Milone (MS).     

Naphthoquinone derivatives from the fungusHendersonula toruloidea

Summary 2 yellow naphthoquinone derivatives were isolated from several pathogenic strains ofHendersonula toruloidea Nattrass. They were identified as 2,7-dimethoxy-6-ethyl-5-hydroxy-1,4-naphthoquinone and 2,7-dimethoxy-5-hydroxy-6-(1-acetoxyethyl)-1,4-naphthoquinone by means of physico-chemical methods.Thanks are due to Mr A.J.M. van Beijnen, Laboratory for Organic Chemistry, State University of Utrecht, for optical rotation measurements.The authors are indebted to Mr C. Versluys, Analytical Laboratory, State University of Utrecht, for measuring the mass spectra.We thank Mr J. W. Marsman, Institute for Organic Chemistry TNO, Utrecht, for the PMR-spectra.     

Karyotypes of several frogs from Korea,Taiwan and the Philippines

Summary Rana amurensis coreana, R. plancyi chosenica, R. latouchii, R. narina andOoeidozyga laevis have 2n=26 chromosomes,R. kuhlii has 2n=22, andKaloula picta has 2n=28. Males ofR. narina have a conspicuous heteromorphic pair, No. 8, which might play a rôle in sex-determination.Supported in part by a grant from the Japan-American Scholarship Foundation.I wish to thank Dr H.K. Kim, Dr Y.-S. Liang, Dr V. Samson-Carino, Mr C.-S. Wang, Mr P.S. Lin and Mr B. Durusan for their aid in every aspect during the collecting trips.     

Free amino acids in some tissues of marine crustacea

Summary Free amino acids contained in extracts of crustaceans were separated and determined quantitatively by ion exchange chromatography. In the hepatoprancreas of the brachyuran crustaceanCarcinus maenas, glycine, arginine, proline and alanine constituted 78.7% of the total amino acid pool. InEriphia spinifrons andMaja verrucosa, glycine, alanine, lysine and leucine comprised 54.9–66.9% of the total content. In the muscle tissue of the macruran crustaceaPalaemon, glycine, arginine, proline and alanine were the most common free amino acids and comprised 70–95% of the total content. The high concentrations of some amino acids in tissues of crustaceans may play a role in intracellular osmotic regulation and also in the maintenance of ionic hydrogen concentration.Acknowledgments. The author wishes to thank Mr R. Mari for his skillful help in the amino acid analyses and Miss G. Princivalli for typing the mansucript.     

Role of phospholipid transfer protein in rabbit lung development

A 36-kDa phospholipid transfer protein (PLT-P_R), which preferentially transfers phosphatidyl choline (PC) compared to phosphatidyl inositol (PI), was purified 827-fold from rabbit lung homogenate. Incorporation of cholesterol in unilamellar vesicles reduced the PC transfer activity of PLTP_R. Dipalmitoyl phosphatidyl choline uptake by alveolar type II cells was increased in the presence of the protein, and further enhanced in the presence of surfactant liposomes. However, a decrease in uptake was noted with cholesterol in host membranes. Incorporation of PI into host membranes had a low stimulatory effect on the process. All these effects were more pronounced in adult type II cells compared to premature, term and 3-day-old pups. Received 12 September 2001; accepted 11 October 2001     

Preparation of specific antiserum againstRana esculenta pre-α lens crystallin

Summary Specific antiserum againstRana esculenta lens pre- crystallin was prepared in a rabbit by injecting antigen-antibody precipitate of this crystallin obtained from immunoelectrophoresis ofesculenta total soluble lens proteins against homologous antiserum.Acknowledgments. We thank Mr.A. Wachter for the excellent technical help, Mr.Th. Hulskes and Mr.A. M. v. Egeraat for the illustrations and finally Dr.W. E. Hawkins for valuable discussion.     

Interspecific protoplast fusion and complementation inaspergilli

Summary Protoplast fusion and nutritional complementation between auxotrophic mutants ofAspergillus nidulans andAspergillus fumigatus has been achieved. It is concluded that the nutritional complementation may be due to interspecific aneuploidy.The authors thank Mr.L. Manczinger and Mr.Gy. Oravecz for producing and characterizing the required mutants; Dr.D. Goldstein for providing the strainA. nidulans R. 21; Dr.D. Kerridge for the wild-type strainA. fumigatus 5085; and Mr.L. Nagy, MissÉva Sziráki and MissMária Pölös for skilful technical assistance.     

Effect of dipyridamole on human platelet phospholipids

Summary The effect of dipyridamole on platelet phospholipids has been studied. After the platelet incubation with dipyridamole, a 38% reduction in the concentration of the sphingomyelin and a 21% increase in phosphatidyl choline were produced.     

Effect of methyl ester of aristolic acid fromAristolochia indica Linn. on fertility of female mice

Summary Methyl ester of aristolic acid, a pure compound isolated from the roots ofAristolochia indica (Linn.), was found to exert 100% abortifacient activity at a single oral dose of 60 mg/kg b. wt when administered on 6th or 7th day of pregnancy; 20 and 25% abortifacient effect were observed at the same dose on day 10 and 12, respectively.The authors wish to thank Dr S.C. Pakrashi and his associate Mr P.P. Ghosh Dastidar for the compound. Thanks are also due to the Director General of Indian Council of Medical Research for granting a fellowship to one of them (C.S.).     

In vitro inactivation of corpora allata of the bugOncopeltus fasciatus by precocene II

Summary Corpora allata fromOncopeltus fasciatus incubated in vitro in medium containing 10^–5.35 M (1 g/ml) of precocene II lose their ability to secrete juvenile hormone when reimplanted into last instar larvae.Acknowledgments. We thank Mr K. Dorn, Mrs L. Dolezal, Mrs V. Nötzli-Graf, Mr K.H. Trautmann and Mr A. Schuler for technical help, Dr W. Vogel and Dr A. Dübendorfer for valuable discussions.     

3,5-Dibromo-2′-chloro-4′-isothiocyanatosalicylanilide,a potent anthelminitic

Summary The compound, 3,5-dibromo-2-chloro-4-isothiocyanatosalicylanilide, has been tested against various nematode and cestode parasites in experimental and domestric animals. It shoved 100% activity againstAncylostoma ceylanicum, A. tubaeformis, Syphacia obvelata, Ascaridia galli, Toxocara spp.,Toxascaris sp.,Gnathostoma spinigerum, Hymenolepis nana, Raillietina spp. andTaenia spp. in doses 25–70 mg/kg given in single or multiple administrations.Acknowledgments. We express sincere thanks to Dr Nitya Nand, F.N.A., CDRI, Lucknow, for his keen interest in the work, to Dr B. N. Dhawan, F.N.A. for providing informations about general pharmacology of the compound, and to Dr R. K. Chatterjee and Dr P. K. Murthy for carrying out antifilarial sreening. Technical assistance of Mr S. C. Bhar and Mr S. Ram is acknowledged.     

Effect of dipyridamole on human platelet phospholipids.

The effect of dipyridamole on platelet phospholipids has been studied. After the platelet incubation with dipyridamole, a 38% reduction in the concentration of the sphingomyelin and a 21% increase in phosphatidyl choline were produced.     

Prostaglandin-like substances inPropionibacterium acnes. VI. Characterization of the lipid fraction by gas chromatography in conjunction with mass spectrometry

Summary The lipid fraction ofP. acnes was submitted to stepwise purification followed by bioassay in order to localize the prostaglandin-like material. GC-MS analysis revealed the occurrence of substances having a part but not a total molecule in common with the prostaglandin family, suggesting that prostaglandin-like substances represent a new group of prostaglandin compounds.The competent technical assistance of Mr N. Engström and Mr G.A. de Vogel is gratefully acknowledged.