Nucleotide sequence of the PR-1 gene of Nicotiana tabacum

A gene encoding one of the pathogenesis-related proteins, PR1a, and two related pseudogenes were isolated from Nicotiana tabacum. The cloned PR1a gene (pPR-gamma) and one of the pseudogenes (pPR-alpha) were sequenced and found to have similar structures. The sequence of pPR-gamma was quite similar to that of the cDNA clone of PR1a. The plasmid pPR-gamma did not contain an intron and had a typical promoter sequence in the 5'-flanking region.

Classification and Structural Comparison of Full-Length cDNAs for Pathogenesis-Related Proteins

Fourteen cDNA clones of pathogenesis-related (PR) proteins, PR1a and PR1b of tobacco were obtained and classified into six groups based on restriction enzyme maps. To assign the groups to different classes of PR1 proteins, all the clones were partially sequenced and compared with amino acid sequences of PR1a and PR1b. Two groups of these corresponded to PR1a and four to PR1b. The results indicate that there are at least two kinds of PR1a mRNAs and four kinds of PR1b mRNAs. In fact, one cDNA insert hybridized to at least six to seven DNA fragments in restriction enzyme fragments of Samsun NN genomic DNA, indicating that the PR1 protein genes exist as a multigene family in the tobacco genome. Two sequences of essentially full-length cDNAs for PR1a and PR1b were determined and compared. The coding sequences of two cDNAs share 93% homology and the deduced amino acid sequences of PR1a and PR1b precursors, which are synthesized as larger precursors containing signal peptides, are 91% homologous. The homology of mature PR1a and PR1b regions is higher than that of larger precursors, 94% in the nucleotide sequence and 93% in the amino acid sequence, whereas that of the signal peptide regions is 80 and 90%, respectively. The hydropathy patterns and the secondary structures predicted by Chou-Fasman rules are similar to tomato PR protein in the half-side of the C terminus, which suggests that the half-C terminus side is important for the function of PR1 proteins.

[Left-sided gallbladder: report of a case and study of 26 cases in Japan]

A case of left-sided gallbladder with an anomaly of the intrahepatic portal vein and cholesterol polyps of the gallbladder is presented. A 23-year-old man with sudden onset of epigastric pain, fever and abdominal irritation was admitted to our hospital and an emergency celiotomy was carried out. The gallbladder lay on the left side of the round ligament, that is, it was a left-sided gallbladder. Since operative findings such as cholecystitis, gastrointestinal perforation and pancreatitis were not observed, no more procedures were done. Postoperative ultrasonography showed some interesting findings as follows: multiple echogenic nonshadowing small polypoid lesions which did not change in size and shape during a 2.5 year interval were detected and were thought to be cholesterol polyps. The tail of the gallbladder was situated on the left side of the round ligament and the motion of the gallbladder as determined by postural exchange was not floating. These findings are compatible with a left-sided gallbladder. The left branch of the portal vein did not form an umbilical portion as is usually expected and the right branch formed a cystic structure similar to a normal umbilical portion with the anterior, posterior and medial branches ramified. The round ligament arose from the cul-de-sac of the umbilical portion. Twenty-six cases of left-sided gallbladder from the Japanese literature were reviewed and discussed.

Nucleotide sequence of cDNA encoding the small subunit of ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase from maize

We have cloned a full length cDNA for the small subunit of ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase from C4 monocot maize, determined the complete nucleotide sequence of this cDNA and deduced its amino acid sequence. The cDNA insert included 513 bp of the coding region, and 65 and 252 nucleotides of the 5' and 3' untranslated regions, respectively. The transit and mature peptides have, respectively, 47 and 123 amino acids. Comparison with the small subunit genes from other plants revealed that the maize small subunit is similar to the wheat one, there being 73% homology between the transit peptides and 64% between the mature proteins. This indicates that there is no noteworthy difference between the C3 and C4 small subunit structures. Extreme codon bias was observed for this gene, and similar codon preferences are observed for other proteins highly expressed in maize leaf, light harvesting chlorophyll binding protein and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase. The results indicate that preferential codon usage for highly expressed genes occurs in maize leaf.

Cholesterol, phytosterol and polyunsaturated fatty acid levels in 1982 and 1957 Japanese diets

The dietary intake of cholesterol, phytosterol and PUFA in Japanese was investigated to obtain information on dietary parameters related to coronary artery disease. Three daily menus for both 1957 and 1982 were prepared based on the daily per capita consumption of foods and nutrient intakes from national surveys. From 1957 to 1982, the average daily intake of cholesterol rose 2.1-fold from 183 to 376 mg while that of phytosterol remained at about 373 mg. Daily intakes of total fatty acid (19.2 g), PUFA (7.3 g), MUFA (5.8 g) and SFA (6.1 g) in 1957 increased in 1982 to 48.7 g, 11.9 g, 19.5 g and 17.3 g, respectively. The ratio of PUFA/SFA decreased to 56% from 1.23 in 1957 to 0.69 in 1982 and the PUFA/MUFA ratio also decreased to 48%. The PUFA/cholesterol ratio was lower in 1982 (31.8) than in 1957 (42.6), and the decrease in the phytosterol/cholesterol ratio to 46% was greater than that in the PUFA/cholesterol ratio (which only fell to 75% of the 1957 value). Thus, comparison of the 1982 and 1957 intakes indicated the increase in risk factors, cholesterol and SFA intake, and the decrease in the ratio of PUFA/SFA in the Japanese population during the past few decades.

Purification and some properties of chalcone synthase from a carrot suspension culture induced for anthocyanin synthesis and preparation of its specific antiserum

Chalcone synthase was purified to homogeneity by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis from cell suspension cultures of carrot in which anthocyanin synthesis was induced by transferring the cells from a medium containing 2,4-dichlorophenoxy-acetic acid (2,4-D) to one lacking it. A molecular weight of 80,000-85,000 for the enzyme was determined by gel filtration and disc-gel polyacrylamide electrophoresis, and one of about 40,600 for the subunit by SDS slab-gel electrophoresis. The primary reaction product was chalcone and the pH optimum of the reaction was 8.0. The Km values for 4-coumaroyl-CoA and malonyl-CoA were 5.7 microM and 18 microM, respectively. These properties of carrot chalcone synthase were discussed in comparison to those of that from cell cultures of parsley reported previously. Antiserum against chalcone synthase from carrot was obtained from mice bred under specific pathogen free conditions. Crossreactivity was examined by Western-blotting, and the high specificity of the antiserum against chalcone synthase was demonstrated.