The structure determination of a novel C17 metabolite from streptomyces X-537 using Eu (DPM)3

Zusammenfassung Die Struktur destrans-6-[2-(1-hydroxybutyl)-4-tolyl]-hex-5-enamids (I), eines neuen mikrobiellen Metaboliten, wurde durch Protonenresonanz-Spektroskopie unter Verwendung des Verschiebungsreagenz Eu (DPM)₃ bestimmt.     

James F. W. Johnston's influence on agricultural chemistry in the Netherlands

This paper describes the introduction of Liebig's ideas on agricultural chemistry into the Netherlands. The aversion to Liebig held by the Utrecht professor G. J. Mulder hindered the direct influence that might have been borne by Liebig's own writings; the introduction was made principally by means of Dutch translations of the text-books of the Scottish agricultural chemist J. F. W. Johnston, who generally followed Liebig's ideas.     

Serotonin and 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid concentrations in individual hypothalamic nuclei and other brain areas of rat

Summary Serotonin and 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA) were measured in individual nuclei of rat hypothalamus and other brain areas using HPLC with electrochemical detection. 5-HIAA levels were first demonstrated in hypothalamic and some discrete brain areas. The 5-HIAA/5-HT ratio was highest in the n. caudatus putamen, high in the n. ventromedialis and lowest in the n. suprachiasmaticus.     

Chemotaxis is not a special case of haptotaxis

Summary Serum peptides containing classical anaphylatoxin (CAT) produce marked chemotactic orientation of human neutrophil granulocytes without modifying cell attachment to the substratum. Furthermore gradients of adhesion produced with gammaglobulins fail to induce morphological orientation of neutrophils. The results suggest that chemotaxis is not a special case of haptotaxis.The excellent technical assistance of Miss M. Schuster, Mrs A. Damschen and Mr M. Arnold is gratefully acknowledged. This work was supported by the Swiss National Science Foundation and the Sandoz-Stiftung zur Förderung der Medizinisch-Biologischen Forschung.     

The structure of amoorastatone and the cytotoxic limonoid 12-hydroxyamoorastatin

Summary 2 new limonoid-type terpenes have been isolated from an aqueous extract of seeds produced by the Eastern Himalayan (India) plantAphanamixis grandifolia Bl. By interpreting principally mass spectral and nuclear magnetic resonance data, the structures of 12-hydroxyamoorastatin (2b) and amoorastatone (3) were elucidated. Unequivocal evidence for the 12-hydroxyamoorastatin structural assignment was obtained by chemical conversion to sendanin (4). Amoorastatin derivative2b was found to significantly inhibit growth of the murine P388 lymphocytic leukemia cell lines but amoorastatone in the same system was inactive. In a comparative biological study, sendanin (4) and anthothecol (7) were also found significantly to inhibit growth of the P388 cell line, while rohitukin (8) and limonin (9) were found to be inactive.Part 63 of the series Antineoplastic Agents. For the previous contribution refer to G.R. Pettit, T.S. Krupa and R.M. Reynolds, Int. J. Peptide Protein Res., in preparation. The present investigation was supported in part by Public Health Research Grant No. CA-16049-05 from the National Cancer Institute, the Fannie E. Rippel Foundation, Mrs Mary Dell Pritzlaff, the Spencer T. and Ann W. Olin Foundation, Mr John F. Schmidt, and the Phoenix Coca-Cola Bottling Company.     

Ecological long-term effects of cultigens becoming feral and of naturalization of non-native species

Transgenic cultigens may become feral as we know of some non-transgenic cultigens. The article explains two basic ways how cultigens become feral: through hybridization with a closely related wild plant and through revert to the wild-type. A long list of examples of cultigens becoming feral in Central Europe is presented. The process of becoming feral is compared to the naturalization of non-native species (Exotic Species Model). Ecological long-term effects of both cultigens becoming feral and non-native species being naturalized are discussed with special regard to the predictability of such events. The ecological aspects discussed in the article are as significant for transgenic cultigens as for non-transgenic cultigens.     

Triphasic vascular effects of thiol compounds and their oxidized forms on dog coronary arteries

The vascular effects of 2-mercaptoethanol, cysteamine, L-cysteine, glutathione (GSH), cystamine and oxidized GSH (GSSG) on the isometric tension of isolated dog coronary arterial strips were examined, and these effects were compared with the triphasic response induced by dithiothreitol (DTT); a rapid and weak contraction (phase A), an intervening slow relaxation (phase B) and a slowly-developing strong contraction (phase C) which we previously reported. The responses of the arteries induced by 2-mercaptoethanol, cysteamine and L-cysteine consisted of phases A, B and C. The order of contractile potency (ED₅₀ of phase C) was DTTL-cysteine>2-mercaptoethanolcysteamine, while the order of relaxant potency (ED₅₀ of phase B) was DTT>cysteamine2-mercaptoethanol. GSSG and cystamine mainly produced relaxation, which corresponded to phase B. The phase C contraction was specific to the reduced forms of thiols, except for GSH, which produced only relaxation. The participation of endothelial cells was not essential for the contracting or relaxing effects of the thiol compounds. The phase C contraction was depressed by W-7, a calmodulin antagonist, while phase A was not. Therefore calmodulin-dependent protein kinases may participate in phase C, not in phase A.