On the problem of linear incorporation of amino acids into cell protein

Summary Incorporation of amino acids into mammalian cell protein shows immediate linear kinetics when measured at intervals as small as 5 sec. Free amino acids equilibrate instantaneously across the cell membrane, acting as the precursor supply. Glycine, which does not initially show linear kinetics, may have a significant endogenous precursor supply, but this is not the acid-soluble pool.Acknowledgments. I thank the University of Aberdeen Medical Faculty Endowment Fund for support, and Mrs J. Robertson for technical assistance.     

Inhibition of cell division in mammalian cell cultures by hypertonic medium

Résumé L'arrêt de la métaphase se produit dans les cellules de HeLa S-3 au contact d'un milieu de tonicité accrue (>165 mM). L'accumulation optimale intervient à 277 mM lorsque du NaCl a été utilisé pour augmenter l'influence du milieu. Les effets de l'usage d'autres sels et d'autres types de cellules sont décrits. La dilution du milieu à 165 mM donne lieu à un arrêt synchrone du processus de la mitose dans les cellules et assure la conservation d'un bon synchronisme au cours de la division cellulaire suivante.     

Ionic liquids and eutectic mixtures as solvent and template in synthesis of zeolite analogues

The challenges associated with synthesizing porous materials mean that new classes of zeolites (zeotypes)-such as aluminosilicate zeolites and zeolite analogues-together with new methods of preparing known zeotypes, continue to be of great importance. Normally these materials are prepared hydrothermally with water as the solvent in a sealed autoclave under autogenous pressure. The reaction mixture usually includes an organic template or 'structure-directing agent' that guides the synthesis pathway towards particular structures. Here we report the preparation of aluminophosphate zeolite analogues by using ionic liquids and eutectic mixtures. An imidazolium-based ionic liquid acts as both solvent and template, leading to four zeotype frameworks under different experimental conditions. The structural characteristics of the materials can be traced back to the solvent chemistry used. Because of the vanishingly low vapour pressure of ionic liquids, synthesis takes place at ambient pressure, eliminating safety concerns associated with high hydrothermal pressures. The ionic liquid can also be recycled for further use. A choline chloride/urea eutectic mixture is also used in the preparation of a new zeotype framework.