Preparation and properties of hexitol-lysyl conjugates

Summary The facile preparation of hexitol-lysyl derivatives is reported. Some of the properties of these compounds, particularly those relevant to protein structural studies, are described.Supported by grants from Medical Research Council of New Zealand, New Zealand Neurological Foundation and National Heart Foundation of New Zealand.     

Preparation and properties of a soluble trypsin-dextran conjugate

Zusammenfassung Durch kovalente Bindung an Polyaldehyd-dextran wird Trypsin immobilisiert. Die polymerische Matrix stabilisiert das Enzym und bewirkt eine pH-Erhöhung der maximalen Aktivität, beeinflusst aber den Michaelis-Menten Parameter für die Hydrolyse des Substrates BAPNA nicht.

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The author gratefully acknowledges the valuable discussions with Dr.A. R. Thomson, A.E.R.E., Harwell.     

Evidence of soluble proteins binding adriamycin by affinity chromatography

Summary The presence in various tissues of soluble proteins binding adriamycin is evidenced by affinity chromatography.     

Evidence of soluble proteins binding adriamycin by affinity chromatography.

The presence of various tissues of soluble proteins binding adriamycin is evidenced by affinity chromatography.     

Hydroxyapatite: Preparation and properties

Zusammenfassung Es wurden sowohl ältere als auch neuere Verfahren zur Fällung von Kalziumhydroxyapatit aus wässriger Lösung vergleichend überprüft und die erhaltenen Präparate mittels chemischer und physikalischer Methoden charakterisiert, wobei sich ergab, dass das vom National Bureau of Standards entwickelte Verfahren die am besten definierten Kristalle liefert.

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Acknowledgment. The authors are indebted to the late Dr.R. V. Coates for the X-ray diffraction analyses and to Mr.R. D. Woods, Department of Plant Pathology, Rothamsted Experimental Station for the electron micrographs.     

The renaissance of myoglobin: Dynamics,structure and oxygen binding control

Myoglobin as a prototype of a globular protein has been widely employed in advanced studies on the dynamics, folding and evolution of proteins. The advent of fast and super-fast lasers, the expression of site-directed mutants, and the application of advanced analytical and spectroscopic techniques have provided new insights into the structure-function relationships in proteins.     

Desacetyl-rifamycins: Preparation and antibacterial properties

Riassunto Vengono descritte la sintesi, le proprietà chimico-fisiche e l'attività antibatterica in vitro di alcune desacetil-rifamicine. Vengono discusse le variazioni osservate nello spettro antibatterico in confronto con gli analoghi acetilati al C-25.

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Rifamycins LV [Rifamycins LIV:S. Füresz, R. Scotti, R. Pallanza andE. Mapelli, Arzneimittel-Forsch.17, 726 (1967)].     

Chemical properties of alcohols and their protein binding sites

Alcohols affect a wide array of biological processes including protein folding, neurotransmission and immune responses. It is becoming clear that many of these effects are mediated by direct binding to proteins such as neurotransmitter receptors and signaling molecules. This review summarizes the unique chemical properties of alcohols which contribute to their biological effects. It is concluded that alcohols act mainly as hydrogen bond donors whose binding to the polypeptide chain is stabilized by hydrophobic interactions. The electronegativity of the O atom may also play a role in stabilizing contacts with the protein. Properties of alcohol binding sites have been derived from X-ray crystal structures of alcohol-protein complexes and from mutagenesis studies of ion channels and enzymes that bind alcohols. Common amino acid sequences and structural features are shared among the protein segments that are involved in alcohol binding. The alcohol binding site is thought to consist of a hydrogen bond acceptor in a turn or loop region that is often situated at the N-terminal end of an alpha-helix. The methylene chain of the alcohol molecule appears to be accommodated by a hydrophobic groove formed by two or more structural elements, frequently a turn and an alpha-helix. Binding at these sites may alter the local protein structure or displace bound solvent molecules and perturb the function of key proteins.     

Comparative studies on the covalent binding of the carcinogen benzo(a)pyrene to DNA in various model systems

Summary The covalent binding of tritiated benzo(a) pyrene (BP) to DNA has been determined in rat liver in vivo, in rat liver perfused in situ, after incubation of BP with liver single cells, with liver homogenate, with liver microsomes and DNA, with fibroblasts from a rat granuloma pouch, and with 2 cell lines. Liver single cells were found to be a valuable compromise between the most sensitive system (microsomal incubation of BP with DNA) and the biologically most relevant system (in vivo).Presented in part at the 10th Annual Meeting of the Union of Swiss Societies of Experimental Biology, Experientia34, 925 (1978), abstract.Acknowledgment. We thank Dr G. Kistler, Institute of Anatomy, University of Zurich, for generously supplying the SIRC and VERO cell lines, and Mr P. Manser for the preparation of the granuloma pouch fibroblasts.     

Comparative studies on the covalent binding of the carcinogen benzo(a)pyrene to DNA in various model systems.

The covalent binding of tritiated benzo(a)pyrene (BP) to DNA has been determined in rat liver in vivo, in rat liver perfused in situ, after incubation of BP with liver single cells, with liver homogenate, with liver microsomes and DNA, with fibroblasts from a rat granuloma pouch, and with 2 cell lines. Liver single cells were found to be a valuable compromise between the most sensitive system (microsomal incubation of BP and DNA) and the biologically most relevant system (in vivo).     

Serum proteins and their conjugates in mice

Résumé L'électrophorèse sur papier permet un fractionnement des protéines et des lipides du sang chez les souris. La distribution des diverses fractions est intermédiaire entre celle du rat et celle de l'homme. Il existe des différences entre diverses souches de souris, ainsi qu'entre souris obèses et non obèses. Les méthodes employées ici, quoique faisant ressortir les anomalises accompagnant l'obésité, ne permettent pas de différencier entre les divers types d'obésités.