Zeitschrift fur Naturforschung - Section C Journal of Biosciences

A theory of the elasticity of lipid bilayers is proposed. Three types of strain, i. e. stretching, tilt and curvature, are distinguished and the associated stresses are identified. It is argued that in the case of vesicles (= closed bilayer films) the only elasticity controlling nonspherical shapes is that of curvature. Euler-Lagrange equations are derived for the shape in magnetic fields and under excess outside pressure. It is shown that magnetic fields can deform spherical vesicles into ellipsoids of revolution. Under excess outside pressure the spherical shape becomes unstable at a certain threshold pressure. Both effects can be influenced by a spontaneous curvature of the bilayer. Some possible experiments to determine the elastic properties are also discussed

The contrast-response function of a class of first order intemeurons in the fly's compound eye approximates to the cumulative probability distribution of contrast levels in natural scenes. Elementary information theory shows that this matching enables the neurons to encode contrast fluctuations most efficiently.

The 32 kDa herbicide and Q_B binding peptide (D-1 protein) and its homologous 34 kDa peptide (D-2 protein) are integral membrane subunits of photosystem II. A model for their folding through the thylakoid membrane in five transmembrane a-helices is proposed from the compari­son of amino acid sequence and hydropathy index plot homologies with subunits of the bacterial system. Following recent data on the X-ray structure of a bacterial photosystem the binding niche for Q_B is interpreted on the basis of the amino acid changes found in the 32 kDa peptide in herbicide tolerant higher plants and algae.

Các tính chất an thần của tinh dầu oải hương (Lavandula angustifolia Miller) và các thành phần chính của nó - linalool và linalyl acetate - đã được nghiên cứu trên chuột thí nghiệm qua một chuỗi quy trình thí nghiệm. Sự giảm xuống rõ rệt trong độ vận động của động vật thí nghiệm cái và đực dưới các điều kiện thí nghiệm tiêu chuẩn được tìm thấy có liên quan chặt chẽ đến thời gian tiếp xúc với các loại thuốc. Tuy nhiên, sau khi tiêm caffeine vào chuột, một tình trạng hiếu động đã được quan sát, tình trạng này chỉ trở về gần với mức độ vận động bình thường thông qua hít thở các loại thuốc hương liệu này. Đặc biệt là mối tương quan giữa độ vận động của động vật với linalool trong huyết thanh đã được chứng minh một cách thực nghiệm, từ đó cung cấp bằng chứng cho việc sử dụng liệu pháp hương liệu của gối thảo dược đã được áp dụng trong y học dân gian từ thời cổ đại nhằm tạo điều kiện cho giấc ngủ dễ dàng hơn hoặc để giảm thiểu các tình huống căng thẳng của con người.

Pyrazolopyranopyrimidines 6a-c and 8a-c were prepared from the reaction of compounds 4a-c or 7a-c with methylamine or ammonium hydroxide solutions. Treatment of compounds 6a-c or 8a-c with 2-chloroethyl methyl ether afforded their corresponding acyclonucleosides 9a-c or 10a-c, respectively, as a new class of acyclonucleosides. All prepared compounds were tested as anti-inflammatory agents and some of them revealed moderate to potent antiinflammatory activity

Vai trò của việc trao đổi lipid trong độ đàn hồi cong của các lớp màng được nghiên cứu lý thuyết. Việc ngăn chặn trao đổi giữa các lớp đơn có thể dẫn đến một phân bố lipid không cân bằng đi đôi với một độ cong tự phát. Một số hậu quả có thể cho các biến dạng của bào tử được thảo luận. Sự không cân bằng lipid được gợi ý một cách tạm thời như một nguyên nhân có thể cho một số chuyển đổi hình dạng của hồng cầu.

The lateral lipid organization and the local surface curvature in small and giant bilayer vesicles of binary lipid mixtures were investigated. Mixtures of the following lipids are studied: Cholesterin, di-alcyl-lecithins, dioleyl-lecithin and di-alcyl-phosphatidic acid. The latter is considered as being representative of charged natural lipids (e.g. phosphatidyl serine or cardiolipin).

Three different experimental methods are compared: 1) The excimerfluorescence method, 2) the spin label technique and 3) the freeze fracture electron microscopy. The latter two methods yield information on the size of lipid precipitations. The surface curvature may be studied by electron microscopy. The essential experimental results are: (1) Mixtures of smectic phases of different symmetry undergo lateral phase separation. (2) The phase separation leads to a domain-like lateral lipid organization. (3) The domain structure is often accompanied by a variation in local curvature. (4) In membranes containing a charged lipid component, the domain structure may also be triggered by external charges (such as surface proteins). (5) two types of domains are observed: Circular domains (diameters of the order of several 100 Å) occur in mixtures of non-tilted fluid and rigid phases. Elongated domains (width ∼ 100 Å) are observed in mixtures of tilted and nontilted phases. This domain pattern is characteristic for mixtures of lecithins and cholesterols.

The domain structure is explained by combining the theory of spinodal decomposition of alloys with the essential result of the orientational elastic model of membranes. The domain size calculated from this model agrees well with the experimental result. The periodic ripple structure observed between the pre-and the main transition is explained by generalizing the concept of spinodal decomposition to include the separation of phases which are only distinguishable (e. g. by the tilt angle). The width of the domains in equilibrium is explained in terms of the spontaneous curvature of the decoupled monolayer of a bilayer. Good agreement with the experimental result is obtained. The ripple phase is only a special case of the surface induced domain structures in ordinary liquid crystals. The defect structure of the ripple phase has been analysed in terms of its symmetry. A symmetry rule is established which leads to a model of lipid orientation.

Below the pretransition no periodic domain pattern is observed under normal conditions. But upon cooling a bilayer very rapidly a defect structure reminiscent of a screw dislocation is ob­ served. This is expected for coupled biaxial monolayers.

Salicylic acid (SA) plays many roles in plant physiology. Besides pathogenesis-related resistance, SA is involved in the response to abiotic stress. However, the effects of SA on plant resistance to abiotic stress were found contradictionary, and the actual role of SA in abiotic stress remains unresolved. Generally, deficiency of SA or a very high level of SA increase the plant susceptibility to abiotic stress. The optimal levels for the highest stress tolerance range from 0.1 mm to 0.5 mm for most plants. But the role of SA at a certain level in moderate and severe abiotic stress may be different. This can be attributed to redox regulations in plant cells. In this paper, we discuss the relationship between reactive oxygen species (ROS) and SA, and propose a subsequent intracellular signal transduction network of SA and ROS under abiotic stress. Anti-stress substances besides antioxidant enzymes induced by SA are also summarized.

We have tested acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) inhibitory activities of nineteen essential oils obtained from cultivated plants, namely one from Anethum graveolens L. (organic fertilizer), two from Foeniculum vulgare Mill. collected at fullymature and flowering stages (organic fertilizer), two from Melissa officinalis L. (cultivated using organic and chemical fertilizers), two from Mentha piperita L. and M. spicata L. (organic fertilizer), two from Lavandula officinalis Chaix ex Villars (cultivated using organic and chemical fertilizers), two from Ocimum basilicum L. (green and purple-leaf varieties cultivated using only organic fertilizer), four from Origanum onites L., O. vulgare L., O. munitiflorum Hausskn., and O. majorana L. (cultivated using organic fertilizer), two from Salvia sclarea L. (organic and chemical fertilizers), one from S. officinalis L. (organic fertilizer), and one from Satureja cuneifolia Ten. (organic fertilizer) by a spectrophotometric method of Ellman using ELISA microplate-reader at 1 mg/ml concentration. In addition, a number of single components widely encountered in most of the essential oils [γ-terpinene, 4-allyl anisole, (-)-carvone, dihydrocarvone, (-)-phencone, cuminyl alcohol, cumol, 4-isopropyl benzaldehyde, trans-anethole, camphene, iso-borneol, (-)-borneol, l-bornyl acetate, 2- decanol, 2-heptanol, methyl-heptanol, farnesol, nerol, iso-pulegol, 1,8-cineole, citral, citronellal, citronellol, geraniol, linalool, α-pinene, β-pinene, piperitone, iso-menthone, menthofurane, linalyl oxide, linalyl ester, geranyl ester, carvacrol, thymol, menthol, vanilline, and eugenol] was also screened for the same activity in the same manner. Almost all of the essential oils showed a very high inhibitory activity (over 80%) against both enzymes, whereas the single components were not as active as the essential oils.

Wild-type Arabidopsis L. leaves exposed to low ultraviolet-B (U V B ) conditions contained predominantly kaempferol glycosides, with low levels of quercetin glycosides. The flavonoid level doubled on treatment with UVB and an increase in the ratio of quercetin: kaempferol was observed. These results suggest that flavonols protect Arabidopsis plants from UVB damage, and indicate that the flavonoid 3’-hydroxylase (F3’H) enzyme, which converts dihydrokaempferol to dihydroquercetin, may play a crucial role. The tt7 mutant lacks this gene and, after treatment with sub-ambient UVB, contained kaempferol glycosides exclusively, to a level of total flavonols similar to that in wild-type Arabidopsis. Total flavonols after enhanced UVB treatment were higher in tt7 than in similarly treated wild-type plants, and only kaempferol glycosides were detected. Despite this high level, tt7 plants were less tolerant of UVB radiation than wild-type plants. These observations suggests that kaempferol is a less effective photoprotectant than quercetin. The chalcone isomerase (CHI) mutant (tt5) surprisingly did not accumulate naringenin chalcone, and this suggests that the mutation may not be restricted to the CHI gene alone. The concentration of hydroxycinnamic acid derivatives did not change with UVB treatment in most varieties indicating that their role in UV photoprotection may be subordinate to that of the flavonoids.