C-10 dipertide derivatives of colchicine

The methyl esters of colchicidylglycyl-L-leucine, -L-phenylalanine, and-L-tryptophan and the ethyl esters of colchicidylglycylglycine, -L-isoleucine,-L-valine, -L-tyrosine, and -L-glutamic acid have been obtained by the condensation of colchicidylglycine and esters of amino acids. The structures of the compounds have been confirmed on the basis of their UV spectra and nuclear magnetic resonance spectra.Institute of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Kazakh SSR Academy of Sciences, Alma-Ata. Institute of Molecular Biology, Academy of Sciences of the USSR, Moscow. Translated from Khimiya Prirodnykh Soedinenii, No. 1, pp. 91–95, January–February, 1989.     

Amounts of protein and oil and activity of the trypsin inhibitor in different varieties of soybean

Fifteen varieties of soybean have been investigated for the amounts of protein, oil, and trypsin inhibitor that they contain. A high thermal stability of the latter has been detected. Information is given on the kinetics of the inhibition of the amidase and proteinase activity of trypsin. It has been shown that the trypsin inhibitor consists of a mixture of six proteins.Institute of Plant Biophysics and Physiology, Academy of Sciences of the Tadzhik SSR, Dushanbe. Institute of Molecular Biology, Academy of Sciences of the USSR, Moscow. Translated from Khimiya Prirodnykh Soedinenii, No. 1, pp. 84–88, January–February, 1980.     

Conformational changes in the reserve proteins of the cotton plant

A quantitative study of the secondary structures of the 11S and 7S globulins from cotton seeds has been made by the circular dichroism (CD) method. It has been established that the 11S and 7S globulins contain, respectively: 16 and 14% of -helices; 15% each of -structures; 18 and 20% of -bends; and 51% each of irregular sections.Institute of the Chemistry of Plant Substances, Academy of Sciences of the Uzbek SSR, Tashkent. Institute of Molecular Biology, Academy of Sciences of the USSR, Moscow. Translated from Khimiya Prirodnykh Soedinenii, No. 3, pp. 355–357, May–June, 1984.     

Biotinylation of amines with the pentafluorophenyl ester of D-biotin

The synthesis has been effected of the pentafluorophenyl ester of D-biotin by the reaction of D-biotin with bispentafluorophenyl carbonate or pentafluorophenyl trifluoroacetate. The possibility has been shown of using the ester obtained for the biotinylization of amino acids and NH₂-containing macromolecules, and D-biotinyl--aminocaproic acid and -[¹⁴C]glycine have been synthesized. It is proposed to use the biotinyl-[¹⁴C]glycine for measuring the activity of avidin.Institute of Molecular Biology, Academy of Sciences of the USSR, Moscow. Translated from Khimiya Prirodnykh Soedinenii, No. 3, pp. 404–408, May–June, 1989.     

Solid-phase triester synthesis of modified triuridylates using an effective condensing agent

Triuridylates containing 2-deoxyuridine, 5-bromouridine, and 6-azauridine in various positions of the sequence have been synthesized by the use of an O-nucleophilic nucleotide condensation catalyst — 4-ethoxypyridine N-oxide — under the conditions of the solid-phase triester method.Institute of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Ukrainian SSR Academy of Sciences, Kiev. Translated from Khimiya Prirodnykh Soedinenii, No. 3, pp. 416–421, May–June, 1988.     

Synthesis of methyl ethers of Nα-arylsulfonylvalylarginines — Thrombin and trypsin substrates

Summary New thrombin substrates — methyl esters of N-arylsulfonylvalylarginines — have been synthesized by the condensation of N-hydroxysuccinimide esters of arylsulfonylvalines with arginines followed by the treatment of the reaction product with thionyl chloride in methanol. The same compounds have been obtained by condensing N-hydroxysuccinimide esters of arylsulfonylvalines with arginine methyl ester.Institute of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Academy of Sciences of the Ukrainian SSR, Kiev. Translated from Khimiya Prirodnykh Soedinenii, No. 3, pp. 368–373, May–June, 1978.     

The change in the globulins during the development of cotton seeds

The biosynthesis of the 11S and 7S globulins — the main reserve proteins of cotton seeds — has been investigated. The periods at which the globulins appear in cotton seeds have been established. The changes in the amino acid composition and in the secondary structure of the 11S globulin during the ripening of cotton seeds have been studied.Institute of the Chemistry of Plant Substances, Academy of Sciences of the Uzbek SSR, Tashkent. Institute of Molecular Biology, Academy of Sciences of the USSR, Moscow. Translated from Khimiya Prirodnykh Soedinenii, No. 3, pp. 349–355, May–June, 1984.     

Synthesis and physicochemical and encephalitogenic properties of analogs of a tryptophan-containing fragment of myelin protein

Summary 1. Analogs of the encephalitogenic nonapeptide with the substitution of glycine in the first and in the first and second positions and also with the deletion of the glutamic acid residue and the insertion of a glycine residue between the fifth and sixth positions have been synthesized.2. An investigation of the encephalitogenic activity of the compounds synthesized has shown the necessity for a hydrophobic N-terminal amino acid, since the replacement of phenylalanine by glycine leads to the inactivation of the compound. A change in the length of the encephalitogenic determinant also leads to the loss of EAE activity.3. The CD spectra of the peptides synthesized are identical in water, a 1% solution of SDS, and an 8 M solution of urea and do not change on heating to 50°C. It is obvious that under the conditions mentioned these compounds do not possess an ordered structure of the -helical type of a structure, and their dichroic absorption is due to the contribution of the aromatic side chains.Institute of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Academy of Sciences of the Ukrainian SSR, Kiev. A. V. Palladin Institute of Biochemistry, Academy of Sciences of the Ukrainian SSR, Kiev. Translated from Khimiya Prirodnykh Soedinenii, No. 6, pp. 842–849, November–December, 1977.     

Synthesis of protected oligopeptides representing fragements of histone fraction HI

Summary Protected oligopeptides corresponding to sequences (31–40) of histone fraction HI of rabbit thymus and (34–41) of histone fraction HI of calf thymus and a number of their analogs have been synthesized.Institute of Molecular Biology, Academy of Sciences of the USSR, Moscow. Institute of Chemistry, Academy of Sciences of the Tadzhik SSR, Dushanbe. Translated from Khimiya Prirodnykh Soedinenii, No. 1, pp. 87–93, January–February, 1977.     

Synthesis of polypeptides with the sequences-Gly-Gly-Ala-, -Gly-Gly-Lys(Tos)-, and-Gly-Gly-Glu(OCH3)- and the influence of triethylamine on the degree of their polycondensation

Conclusions The synthesis of polytripeptides with the sequences -Gly-Gly-Ala-,-Gly-Gly-Lys(Tos)-, and -Gly-Gly-Glu(OCH₃)-having molecular weights of 11,000, 39,000, and 3000, respectively, have been effected.Institute of Molecular Biology, Academy of Sciences of the USSR. Institute of Chemistry, Academy of Sciences of the TadzhSSR, V. I. Lenin Tadzhik State University. Translated from Khimiya Prirodnykh Soedinenii, No. 2, pp. 206–210, March–April, 1974.     

A new method for the purification and determination of the total alkaloids in a culture of Rauwolfia tissue

Institute of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Academy of Sciences of the Ukrainian SSR, Kiev. Translated from Khimiya Prirodnykh Soedinenii, No. 1, pp. 148–149, January–February, 1991.     

Variety characteristics of soybean seeds in relation to protein and oil contents and activities of proteinase inhibitors

The protein and oil contents and the activity of proteinase inhibitors in six varieties of soybean have been studied. It has been found that the specific amidase activity of trypsin inhibitors ranges from 170 to 320 nominal units. Electrophoretic results indicates the presence in the water-soluble fraction of seven or eight components possessing inhibitor activity in relation to trypsin and chymotrypsin.Institute of Plant Physiology and Biophysics, Academy of Sciences of the Tadzhik SSR, Dushanbe. Institute of Molecular Biology, Academy of Sciences of the USSR, Moscow. Translated from Khimiya Prirodnykh Soedinenii, No. 6, pp. 761–765, November–December, 1984.     

Use of sodium pyrophosphate in the ion-exchange chromatography of oligonucleotides

All-Union Scientific-Research Institute of Molecular Biology. Vektor Scientific-Production Association, Ministry of the Medical Industry, Koltsova, Novosibirsk. Novosibirsk Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Siberian Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences. Translated from Khimiya Prirodnykh Soedinenii, No. 1, pp. 148–149, January–February, 1992.     

Synthesis of regular polypeptides including lysine, proline, and alanine residues

Conclusions Polypeptides of the following sequences have been obtained: -Lys-Pro-,-Lys₂-Pro-, -Lys₃-Pro-,-Lys-Pro₂-, and -Lys-Ala-, with molecular weights of from 1000 to 14,000. It has been established that the use of pentachlorophenyl esters for polymerization in place of 2,4,5-trichlorophenyl esters leads to a considerable increase in the molecular weights of the polypeptides.Institute of Chemistry, Academy of Sciences of Tadzhik SSR. Institute of Molecular Biology, Academy of Sciences of the USSR. Translated from Khimiya Prirodnykh Soedinenii, No. 2, pp. 210–213, March–April, 1974.     

Identification of cysteine residues in aspartate transaminase from pig-heart cytosol

Summary The two readily accessible cysteine residues (Cys-45 and Cys-82) and one completely masked residue (Cys-252) in the polypeptide chain of aspartate transaminase have been identified. The second completely masked cysteine residue is Cys-191.Institute of Molecular Biology, Academy of Sciences of the USSR. Translated from Khimiya Prirodnykh Soedinenii, No. 6, pp. 761–764, November–December, 1974.     

Cerebrosides of the Far Eastern sponge Hymeniacidon assimilis

Cerebrosides have been isolated from chloroform-ethanol extract of the spongeHymeniacidon assimilis. Their structures have been established with the aid of¹H NMR spectroscopy, acid hydrolysis, and ozonolysis as the -galactosides of the C₁₆-, C₁₇-, and C₁₈-erythro-⁴-sphingenines of normal, iso, and anteiso structures acylated in the amino groups with C₂₁-, C₂₂-, and C₂₃--hydroxy acids. The cerebrosides fromH. assimilis differ in structure from the corresponding compounds isolated previously from sponges.Pacific Ocean Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Far Eastern Scientific Center, Academy of Sciences of the USSR, Vladivostok. Institute of Marine Biology, Far Eastern Scientific Center, Academy of Sciences of the USSR, Vladivostok. Translated from Khimiya Prirodnykh Soedinenii, No. 5, pp. 634–639, September–October, 1989.