Triplet-Based Codon Organization Optimizes the Impact of Synonymous Mutation on Nucleic Acid Molecular Dynamics.

Since the elucidation of the genetic code almost 50 years ago, many nonrandom aspects of its codon organization remain only partly resolved. Here, we investigate the recent hypothesis of 'dual-use' codons which proposes that in addition to allowing adjustment of codon optimization to tRNA abundance, the degeneracy in the triplet-based genetic code also multiplexes information regarding DNA's helical shape and protein-binding dynamics while avoiding interference with other protein-level characteristics determined by amino acid properties. How such structural optimization of the code within eukaryotic chromatin could have arisen from an RNA world is a mystery, but would imply some preadaptation in an RNA context.

Slow desorption of PCBs and chlorobenzenes from soils and sediments: relations with sorbent and sorbate characteristics.

The kinetics of slow desorption were studied for four soils and four sediments with widely varying characteristics [organic carbon (OC) content 0.5-50%, organic matter (OM) aromatic content (7-37%)] for three chlorobenzenes and five polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). Slowly and very slowly desorbing fractions ranged from 1 to 50% (slow) and 3 to 40% (very slow) of the total amount sorbed, and were observed for all compounds and all soils and sediments.

Fatty acid-binding protein in bovine longissimus dorsi muscle.

Experiments were conducted to purify and obtain amino acid sequence data for fatty acid-binding protein from bovine longissimus dorsi muscle. 1. Separation of sarcoplasmic proteins by fractionation on Sephadex and DEAE cellulose columns indicated that a low abundance fatty acid-binding protein exists in bovine l.

Ruminal biohydrogenation of fatty acids from high-oleate sunflower seeds.

The objective of these experiments was to examine methods of modifying the fatty acid composition of bovine tissues. In the first experiment, four steers were fitted with duodenal fistulas and were assigned to four diets in a Latin square design. The steers were fed a control diet or the same diet containing 10% high-oleate partially crushed sunflower seeds, serum-coated sunflower seeds, and heat-treated, serum-coated sunflower seeds for 5 d.

Relationship between fatty acid-binding protein activity and marbling scores in bovine longissimus muscle.

Studies were conducted in an attempt to establish a relationship between fatty acid-binding protein (FABP) activity and marbling score in bovine longissimus muscle. Longissimus muscle was obtained from four 20-mo-old Charolais-Hereford crossbred heifers, three 16-mo-old Angus steers, and four 18-mo-old Angus steers. Immediately after slaughter, longissimus muscles were removed for the extraction of FABP.