博格达山南缘芦草沟组的浊积扇

根据岩性、沉积构造、古生物化石和地球化学标志，系统分析了博格达山南缘广泛发育的二叠系芦草沟组的沉积环境。研究表明：博格达山南缘芦草沟组深湖相沉积十分发育，并在此背景上沉积了近岸浊积扇和远岸浊积扇。其中，深湖相暗色泥、页岩和油页岩构成了良好的烃源岩。同时，认为吐哈盆地前侏罗系具有良好的勘探前景。     

Plasmid-related anaerobic autotrophy of the novel archaebacterium Sulfolobus ambivalens

Three different species of the genus Sulfolobus, S. acidocaldarius, S. solfataricus (= Caldariella) and S. brierleyi, have been distinguished by the conditions required for optimal growth, by the component patterns of their DNA-dependent RNA polymerases and by DNA sequence data. Many isolates of these species are able to grow chemolithoautotrophically using CO2 as the sole carbon source and the oxidation of S(0) with O2 yielding sulphuric acid, as the energy source, though a few others grow only heterotrophically. We show here that a strain of a novel Sulfolobus species, S. ambivalens, is alternatively able to live by an anaerobic mode of chemolithoautotrophy, also using CO2 as the sole carbon source, but using reduction of S(0) with H2, yielding H2S as the energy source. This mode of growth is correlated with the amplification of a plasmid, pSL10.     

Indoxyl derivatives of drug metabolites

Indoxyl derivatives were detected as minor products among the urinary metabolites of two trial drugs, a benzodiazepine (GP 55 129) and a benzophenone (CGP 11 952). Their structures were elucidated by NMR and mass spectroscopy. Presumably, metabolites containing potential aldehyde functions react spontaneously with endogenous indoxyl. Such derivatives have not hitherto been encountered in drug metabolism.     

Technology and the family farm

It is one thing for innovation in agricultural practice to be implemented thoughtlessly; quite another for it to be opposed on principle. The introduction of bovine growth hormone is a case in point.     

Detection in vivo of protein-DNA interactions within the lac operon of Escherichia coli

Studies of the sequence-specific binding of proteins to DNA have so far relied on in vitro experiments using cloned restriction fragments containing the relevant DNA sequences. We have applied the genomic sequencing technique of Church and Gilbert to show that the interactions observed in vitro occur in vivo. We use this approach to study the binding of regulatory proteins to the lac operon in vivo and detect changes in the reactivity (inhibition or enhancement) of guanines to methylation by dimethyl sulphate caused by the proximity of proteins to the N-7 atom of these guanines. We can detect the simultaneous binding of the catobolite gene activator protein (CAP) and the Lac repressor to their specific recognition sequences, and following induction of the lac operon we observe effects that are related to RNA polymerase binding or RNA elongation. We have successfully used oligonucleotide probes as short as 17 bases to display genomic sequence.