Phylogenetic analysis of newly described Neosartorya species.

Isolates representing newly described Neosartorya species, and isolates with abnormal morphologies from Aspergillus section Fumigati were examined by phylogenetic analysis of sequences of part of their beta-tubulin gene. Phylogenetic analyses supported the earlier suggestions that heterothallism is a derived character, and that sexuality was lost several times during the evolution of Aspergillus section Fumigati. The heterothallic N.

Solution Characterization of Vanadium(V) and -(IV) N-(Phosphonomethyl)iminodiacetate Complexes: Direct Observation of One Enantiomer Converting to the Other in an Equilibrium Mixture(1).

The vanadium(V) and -(IV) complexes formed with N-(phosphonomethyl)iminodiacetate (pida(4)(-)) complexes in water and in aqueous mixed-solvent systems were characterized by employing potentiometry, multinuclear NMR, EPR, and visible spectroscopy. The vanadium(V) complexes in water had a 1:1 metal to ligand stoichiometry. The diprotonated vanadium(V)-pida complex with a charge of -1 existed below pH 2.

Vasopressin pressor receptor-mediated activation of HPA axis by acute ethanol stress in rats.

The plasma arginine vasopressin (AVP), ACTH, and corticosterone levels and the hypothalamic corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) content were measured after oral administration of 1 ml of 75% ethanol to rats, a model known to induce acute gastric erosions and stress. Elevated plasma AVP, ACTH, and corticosterone levels were detected 1 h after ethanol administration. Treatment with the vasopressin pressor (V(1)) receptor antagonist [d(CH(2))(5)Tyr(Me)-AVP] before ethanol administration significantly reduced the ACTH and corticosterone level increases.

Oxidative stress in distant organs and the effects of allopurinol during experimental acute pancreatitis.

Background: The present study was aimed at an assessment of the role of oxygen-derived free radicals in the development of local and systemic manifestations of L-arginine (Arg)-induced acute pancreatitis and at an evaluation of the protective effect of the xanthine oxidase inhibitor allopurinol.

Methods: Acute pancreatitis was induced in male Wistar rats by injecting 2 x 250 mg/100 g body weight of Arg intraperitoneally at an interval of 1 h, as a 20% solution in 0.15 M NaCl.

Degradation of ochratoxin A by Aspergillus species.

Mycotoxin contamination of agricultural products is a serious health hazard throughout the world. Besides attempts to eliminate mycotoxins from contaminated substrates by physical and chemical methods, the ability of microbes to degrade mycotoxins is now being widely examined. In this study, several Aspergillus species were examined for their ability to degrade ochratoxin A.

Molecular analysis of variability within the toxigenic Aspergillus ochraceus species.

Genetic variability of Aspergillus ochraceus was examined at the DNA level. Based on the HaeIII-Bg/II generated mitochondrial DNA restriction profiles, most isolates could be classified into two distinct groups. These two groups could also be distinguished by the random amplified polymorphic DNA technique, and with telomeric PCR amplifications.

Genetic and molecular analysis in the 70CD region of the third chromosome of Drosophila melanogaster.

A collection of lethal and semi-lethal P-element insertions in the 70CD region of chromosome 3 of Drosophila melanogaster was used to investigate genes and gene arrangements by a combination of genetic, cytological, functional and molecular methods. The 12 lethal insertions studied fall into seven complementation groups of six genes. Lethal phases, expression patterns and other phenotypic aspects of these genes were determined.

High-performance liquid chromatographic separation of the enantiomers of unusual alpha-amino acid analogues.

The direct and indirect stereochemical resolution of the enantiomers of ring- and alpha-methyl-substituted phenylalanines and phenylalanine amides was attempted by high-performance liquid chromatographic methods. The direct separation was carried out on two chiral stationary phases, the crown-ether-based Crownpak CR(+), and the teicoplanin-based Chirobiotic T, while the indirect resolution was performed by applying pre-column derivatization with 2,3,4,6-tetra-O-acetyl-beta-D-glucopyranosyl isothiocyanate (GITC) and Nalpha-(2,4-dinitro-5-fluorophenyl)-L-alanine amide (Marfey's reagent, FDAA). The Chirobiotic T column was efficient in the separation of ring- and alpha-methyl-substituted phenylalanine analogues, but was ineffective for the amides of these analogues.

Influence of water potential on growth, enzyme secretion and in vitro enzyme activities of Trichoderma harzianum at different temperatures.

The influence of water potential on linear mycelial growth, secretion, and the in vitro activities of enzymes beta-glucosidase, cellobiohydrolase, beta-xylosidase, exochitinase, and chymotrypsin of Trichoderma harzianum strain T66 was studied at different temperatures. Nearly linear correlation was found between water potential and colony growth rate at both 25 degrees C and 10 degrees C, with higher growth rates at the higher temperature and higher water potentials. The amounts of enzyme secretion depended on the water potential and not on the quality of salt (NaCl or KCl) used as osmoticum.

Analysis of genetic variability within the genus Petromyces.

Phenotypic and genotypic features of three teleomorphic species, Petromyces alliaceus, P. albertensis and P. muricartus and some related anamorphic Aspergillus species were compared.

High-performance liquid chromatographic methods for monitoring of isomers of 17-hydroxy-16-hydroxymethyl-3-methoxyestra-1,3,5(10)-triene.

Claisen condensation and consecutive reduction of 3-methoxyestra-1,3,5(10)-trien-17-one theoretically leads to four diastereomers of 17-hydroxy-16-hydroxymethyl-3-methoxyestra-1,3,5(10)-triene and their further transformations give different compounds with different biological activities. High-performance liquid chromatographic methods were developed for separation of the four isomers of 17-hydroxy-16-hydroxymethyl-3-methoxyestra-1,3,5(10)-triene: reversed-phase separation on a Nucleosil ODS C18 column with water-methanol as mobile phase; and normal-phase separation on an APEX Silica column with hexane-dichloromethane-2-propanol as mobile phase. The effects of eluent composition and flow-rate on the separation were investigated.

High-performance liquid chromatographic separation of novel atropic alpha,alpha-disubstituted-beta-amino acids, either on different beta-cyclodextrin-bonded phases or as their 1-fluoro-2,4-dinitrophenyl-5-L-alanine amide derivatives.

The high-performance liquid chromatographic enantioresolution of free and N- and/or C-protected derivatives of (R,S)-2',1':1,2;1",2":3,4-dinaphthcyclohepta-1,3-diene-6-aminometh yl-6- carboxylic acid (beta 2-Bin) by direct and indirect methods is reported. The direct separation was carried out on native and different derivatized beta-cyclodextrin-bonded phases. The indirect resolution was achieved by applying pre-column derivatization with 1-fluoro-2,4-dinitrophenyl-5-L-alanine amide.

Liquid chromatographic study of the enzymatic degradation of endomorphins, with identification by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry.

The recently discovered native endomorphins play an important role in opioid analgesia, but their metabolic fate in the organism remains relatively little known. This paper describes the application of high-performance liquid chromatography combined with electrospray ionization mass spectrometry to identify the degradation products resulting from the incubation of endomorphins with proteolytic enzymes. The native endomorphin-1, H-Tyr-Pro-Trp-Phe-NH2 (1), and endomorphin-2, H-Tyr-Pro-Phe-Phe-NH2 (2), and an analog of endomorphin-2, H-Tyr-Pro-Phe-Phe-OH (3), were synthetized, and the levels of their resistance against carboxypeptidase A, carboxypeptidase Y, aminopeptidase M and proteinase A were determined.

The mitochondrial genome of Mucor piriformis.

DNA was purified from the isolated mitochondria of a Mucor piriformis wild-type strain (NRRL 26211). A circular restriction map of the mitochondrial DNA was established on the basis of single and double digests with several restriction endonucleases. The average mitochondrial DNA size calculated from these data was 33.

Vasopressin receptor antagonist OPC-31260 prevents cerebral oedema after subarachnoid haemorrhage.

The effects of the non-peptide vasopressin V2 receptor antagonist, 5-dimethylamino-1-[4-(2-methylbenzoylamino)benzoyl]-2,3,4,5-tetrah ydro-1 H-benzazepine hydrochloride (OPC-31260) on the cerebral oedema induced by subarachnoid haemorrhage were studied in rats. Subarachnoid haemorrhage induced significant water retention after water loading, increased the brain content of water and Na+ and increased plasma vasopressin levels. The water retention and brain water and Na+ accumulation were prevented by OPC-31260 administration, but the plasma vasopressin levels were further enhanced by OPC-31260.

Sublethal effects of phenol on the phospholipid fatty acid composition of carp erythrocyte plasma membrane.

The effect of different concentrations (5, 10, and 20 ppm) of phenol on the carp erythrocyte plasma membrane was examined following exposures of 48 and 96 h. The results indicated that the high concentrations of phenol pollutant led to an increase in phosphatidylcholine (PC) and eliminated phosphatidylinositol (PI), phosphatidylserine (PS), and phosphatidic acid (PA). The data also revealed that arachidonic acid (20:4 n-6) was present in the greatest amounts; its quantity in both low and high doses increased throughout the experimental period.

Effect of temperature on retention of enantiomers of beta-methyl amino acids on a teicoplanin chiral stationary phase.

The isocratic retention of enantiomers of beta-methyl amino acids (beta-methyltyrosine, beta-methylphenylalanine, beta-methyl-tryptophan and beta-methyl-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinoline-3-carboxylic acid) was studied on a teicoplanin-containing chiral stationary phase at different temperatures and at different mobile phase compositions, using the reversed-phase mode. With variation of both mobile phase composition and temperature, almost baseline separations could be achieved for all four enantiomers of sterically hindered amino acids. The retention factors and selectivity factors for the enantiomers of all investigated compounds decreased with increasing temperature.

Pharmacological actions of essential (zinc, copper) and toxic metal ions (lead, mercury) on neurons and neuronal synapses of the snail, Helix pomatia L.

Actions of zinc, copper, lead and mercury ions on identified neurons and neuronal synapses of the snail, Helix pomatia L. were examined by use of electrophysiological methods. The studied metal ions depolarized the membrane and decreased the resistance but the neuronal excitability changed differentially.

Comparative electrophysiological aspects of aluminum actions on central neurons and neuronal synapses of invertebrate and vertebrate animals.

Aluminum compounds (Al) increased the membrane potential (Em) and decreased the input resistance (Rin) of identified snail neurons. The neuronal excitability increased after Al withdrawal in the washing period. Cumulative Al applications caused dose-dependent modulation of Em and Rin in most of the studied neurons.

Double-stranded RNA mycoviruses in species of Aspergillus sections Circumdati and Fumigati.

Isolates (178) belonging to Aspergillus sections Fumigati, Candidi, Clavati, and Circumdati were tested for the presence of double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) genomes. Altogether, 5.6% of the Aspergillus strains examined were infected with dsRNAs.

Detection of double-stranded RNA molecules and virus-like particles in different Mucor species.

The presence of double-stranded RNA elements was examined in 123 strains representing 18 Mucor species. These genetic elements were found to be present in 6 strains: 1 M. aligarensis, 1 M.

Endogenous vasopressin increases acute endotoxin shock-provoked gastrointestinal mucosal injury in the rat.

Administration of a low dose of endotoxin (from Escherichia coli, 3 mg kg(-1), i.v.), which does not affect vascular permeability or blood pressure over 1 h, leads to the release of endogenous vasopressin and damage to the mucosal microvasculature.