Long-chain betulaprenol-type polyprenols from the leaves of Ginkgo biloba.

A long-chain betulaprenol-type polyprenol mixture was isolated from the leaves of Ginkgo biloba mainly as acetate. The structure was determined by mass spectroscopy, 1H-n.m.r. spectroscopy and 13C-n.m.r. spectroscopy. The mixture contained polyprenols-14-22, predominantly polyprenols-17, -18 and -19, and consisted of the dimethylallyl terminal unit (omega-terminal), two trans-isoprene residues, a sequence of 11-19 cis-isoprene residues and a terminal hydroxylated isoprene unit (alpha-terminal) aligned in that order. The concentration of these polyprenols in leaves increased from 0.04 to 2.0% of dry wt. with maturing of the leaves, though the content of total lipids was constant. The distribution of chain length in these polyprenols showed little variation throughout the whole life of the leaves.     

Surface-Bound Nuclease of Staphylococcus aureus: Localization of the Enzyme

The cellular localization of staphylococcus nuclease, previously known as an exoenzyme, was investigated, and the following results were obtained. (i) When Staphylococcus aureus cells were converted to protoplasts by cell wall lytic enzyme L-11 (a bacteriolytic enzyme purified from Flavobacterium sp. which specifically hydrolyzes amide and peptide linkages of murein layers), over 80% of the cell-bound nuclease was released into the surrounding sucrose medium. (ii) The cell-bound nuclease was associated with the cell-wall membrane fraction of mechanically disrupted cells. (iii) The nuclease activity of cell-wall membrane fractions from cells during early and late stages of protoplast formation were compared. Less activity was found in the late stage. These results suggest that nuclease may be located at or near the surface of the cells. The distribution of cell-bound nuclease in the cell-wall membrane fraction varied with the growth conditions of S. aureus. The activity of alkaline phosphatase, another surface enzyme, was also investigated. Less of this enzyme than nuclease was released when the cells were converted to protoplasts.     

Surface-Bound Nuclease of Staphylococcus aureus: Purification and Properties of the Enzyme

The surface-bound nuclease of Staphylococcus aureus liberated during formation of protoplasts was purified 1,000-fold by chromatography on phosphocellulose. Its properties were compared with those of the known extracellular nuclease, purified 200-fold by the same procedures. The adsorbance of the surface-bound nuclease on phosphocellulose was distinctly different from that of the extracellular nuclease, but other properties of the two enzymes were similar. Both enzymes had a pH optimum of about 10 and required Ca²⁺ for activity. Both enzymes hydrolyzed deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and ribonucleic acid, and denatured DNA was a better substrate than native DNA. Both enzymes were inhibited by the same metal ions. Nuclease-less mutants of S. aureus were isolated from S. aureus 209P by using N-methyl-N′-nitroso-N-nitrosoguanidine. These mutants contained neither surface-bound nor extracellular nuclease activity. These results suggest that the surface-bound and extracellular nucleases are expressed from the same cistron of S. aureus.     

The brachial plexus of a capuchin monkey (Cebus capucinus)

Brachial plexuses of an adult female capuchin monkey (Cebus capucinus) were observed macroscopically. The main characteristic features of the organization of the plexus were as follows:Substantially the same organization was observed in the plexuses on both sides. The plexuses were formed by the union of the 5th–8th cervical nerves and the 1st thoracic nerve. The component from C5 contributed only to the superior posterior division; consequently the superior trunk in the strict sense was lacking. The medial cord was a peripheral extension of the inferior anterior division and formed a common trunk with the lateral root of the median nerve. Therefore, the medial root of the median nerve in the strict sense was absent, and the median nerve arose from the common trunk with the ulnar nerve. In the plexus on the right side, a long aberrant branch was found, which arose as an extra anterior divison of the middle trunk and joined peripherally the medial cord at a point where the cord formed the common trunk with the lateral root of the median nerve.These findings were compared with previous data obtained from other primates.     

Stabilization of Colicin E2 by Bovine Serum Albumin

Colicin E2 was partially purified from Escherichia coli W3110. This preparation was remarkably stabilized by bovine serum albumin in a solution at neutral pH, as shown by dilution experiments and tests on heat stability of colicin. One killing unit of colicin E2 was estimated to correspond to one molecule of colicin E2, on the assumption of a molecular weight of 60,000.     

Nuclear Fraction of Bacillus subtilis as a Template for Ribonucleic Acid Synthesis

A "nuclear fraction" prepared from Bacillus subtilis was a more efficient template than purified deoxyribonucleic acid for the synthesis of ribonucleic acid by exogenously added ribonucleic acid polymerase isolated from B. subtilis. The initial rate of synthesis with the nuclear fraction was higher and synthesis continued for several hours, yielding an amount of ribonucleic acid greater than the amount of deoxyribonucleic acid used as the template. The product was heterogenous in size, with a large portion exceeding 23S. When purified deoxyribonucleic acid was the template, a more limited synthesis was observed with a predominantly 7S product. However, the ribonucleic acids produced in vitro from these templates were very similar to each other and to in vivo synthesized ribonucleic acid as determined by the competition of ribonucleic acid from whole cells in the annealing of in vitro synthesized ribonucleic acids to deoxyribonucleic acid. Treatment of the nuclear fraction with heat (60 C for 15 min) or trypsin reduced the capacity of the nuclear fraction to synthesize ribonucleic acid to the level observed with purified deoxyribonucleic acid.