Identification of a Single Phosphorylation Site Within Octopus Rhodopsin

Abstract— Light-dependent phosphorylation of rhodopsin (Rho) is a first step in the desensitization of the signaling state of the receptor during vertebrate and invertebrate visual transduction. We found that only ³⁵⁸Ser of the photoac-tivated octopus Rho (oRho*) was phosphorylated by octopus rhodopsin kinase (oRK). Tryptic truncation of the C-terminal PPQGY repeats of oRho that follow the phosphorylation region did not influence spectral or G-protein activation properties of oRho but abolished phos phorylation. Despite significant structural differences between oRK and mammalian RK, these results provide i further evidence of the importance of singly phosphorylated species of Rho* in the generation of arrestin binding sites.     

Immobilization of microbial cells by radiation-induced polymerization of glass-forming monomers and immobilization ofStreptomyces phaeochromogenes cells by polymerization of various hydrophobic monomers

The immobilization ofStreptomyces phaeochromogenes cells was studied by the radiation-induced polymerization of various hydrophobic glass-forming monomers at low temperatures. The glucose isomerase activity of cells immobilized in hydrophobic polymers showed no decrease in activity with repeated use (batch enzyme reaction). Activity increased with increasing monomer concentration in contrast to results with the immobilized enzyme. The hydrophobic polymer composite was microspheric in form. The particle diameter of the composite increased with the increasing monomer concentration.K _m values of the immobilized cells were close to that of intact cells. It was deduced that the cells were trapped on the surface part of the hydrophobic polymer ready to react with the substrate, and not within the matrix where diffusion would play an important role in reaction rates.     

Structure and synthesis of a new hypotensive vasodilator isolated from Streptomyces aureofaciens

The structure elucidation and synthesis of WS-1228 A, produced by $\text{Streptomyces aureofaciens}$, were described.     

Backward K10 production in the reaction π−p→Λ0K+π− at 9 and 12 GeV/c

We have analysed about 85 000 fast Λ⁰ events, obtained in a fast proton triggered experiment performed at the CERN-Ω spectrometer at 9 and 12 GeV/c incident π^? beam. Nearly 2500 Λ⁰K⁺π^? events have been isolated. We find strong production of quasi-two-body processes $\text{Λ}{}^0\text{K}{}^{10}$ and $\text{∑}{}^{\mathrm{1?}}\text{K}{}^{\mathrm{+}}$ consistent with u-channel hyperon exchange. Results on Λ⁰ polarization, K¹⁰ decay parameters and differential cross sections are given for $\text{Λ}{}^0\text{K}{}^{10}\text{(892)}$ and $\text{Λ}{}^0\text{K}{}^{10}\text{(1430)}$ final states. A comparison is made with the associated backward $\text{Λ}{}^0\text{(1520)}\text{K}{}^{10}$ production seen in the four-prong reaction π^?p→pK^?K⁺π^? obtained in the same experiment.