Application of an androgen receptor assay for the characterisation of the androgenic or antiandrogenic activity of various phenylurea herbicides and their derivatives.

The potency of different substances for [3H]dihydrotestosterone ([3H]DHT) displacement from the bovine androgen receptor was tested. The phenylurea herbicide linuron and its derivative 3,4-dichloroaniline (3,4-DCA), which are found in sediments and surface waters, are known to displace bound testosterone from the rat androgen receptor. Because 3,4-DCA is rapidly taken up by fish and metabolised into 3,4-dichloroacetanilide (3,4-DCAc), it was investigated whether the displacement effects are attributable to 3,4-DCA or to 3,4-DCAc. The potency of 3,4-DCAc androgen receptor binding was compared with that of several phenylurea compounds. In a radioreceptor assay with calf uterus cytosol as androgen receptor preparation, the specific binding of [3H]DHT, the endogenous ligand, was completely displaceable by increasing concentrations of 3,4-DCAc. The relative binding affinities (RBA) of the various compounds were about 1/10(4) to 1/10(5) of that of DHT. 3,4-DCAc had the relative highest affinity (1.31 x 10(-4)), followed by linuron, 3,4-dichlorophenylurea, flutamide, 3,4-DCA and diuron with the lowest RBA (2.4 x 10(-5)). Hence the metabolism of xenobiotic compounds has to be considered to estimate potential ecotoxiocological effects. This test not only can be used to screen for androgen- and antiandrogen-like substances in environmentally relevant samples such as surface waters, but might also be applied for drug testing and for residue monitoring.     

Production of indigotin in submerged culture using morchella nov. ES-1

A new strain of the fungusMorchella nov. ES-1 (ATCC 20951) that produces blue pigment in submerged culture has been isolated. The blue pigment was extracted by chloroform or ethyl acetate treatment. The crude extract when chromatographed yielded three fractions; a blue one has been identified by mass spectrometry as indigotin. Fermentation studies using enriched media revealed that maximum accumulation of indigotin in culture was approx 24 mg/L in 168 h.     

Strikte Konvexität für Variationsprobleme auf demn-dimensionalen Torus

We consider a variational problem with an integrandF:R ⁿ ×R×R ⁿ →R that isZ-periodic in the firstn+1 variables and satisfies certain growth-conditions. By a recent result of Moser, there exist for every α∈R ⁿ minimal solutionsu:R ⁿ →R minimising ƒF(x, u(x), u _x (x)) dx with respect to compactly supported variations ofu and such that sup |u(x)-αx|<∞. Given such a minimal solutionu we define the average action (whereB _r is ther-ball around 0∈R ⁿ ) and show thatM(α) is indeed independent of the minimal solutionu satisfying sup |u(x)-αx|<∞. We prove that this average actionM(α) is strictly convex in α.      

Fractional noise

Fractional noiseN(t),t 0, is a stochastic process for every , and is defined as the fractional derivative or fractional integral of white noise. For = 1 we recover Brownian motion and for = 1/2 we findf ^–1-noise. For 1/2 1, a superposition of fractional noise is related to the fractional diffusion equation.     

Differential operators on homogeneous spaces. I

Summary In this paper, we extend recent work of one of us [Br] to investigate an old problem of the other one [B2]. Given a connected semisimple complex Lie-groupG with Lie-algebrag, we study the representation of the enveloping algebra of by global differential operators on a complete homogeneous spaceX=G/P. It turns out that the kernelI _x of _X is the annihilator of a generalizedVerma-module. On the other hand, we study the associated graded ideal grI _x , and relate it to the geometry of a generalizedSpringer-resolution, that is a map of the cotangent-bundle ofX onto a nilpotent variety in , as studied e.g. in [BM1]. We prove, for instance, that grI _x is prime if and only if _X is birational with normal image. In general, we show that is prime. Equivalently, the associated variety ofI _x in is irreducible: In fact, it is the closure of theRichardson-orbit determined byP. For the homogeneous spaceY=G/(P, P), we prove that the analogous idealI _y has for associated variety the closure of theDixmier-sheet determined byP. From this main result, we derive as a corollary, that for any module induced from a finitedimensional LieP-module the associated variety of the annihilator is irreducible, proving an old conjecture [B2], 2.5. Finally, we give some applications to the study of associated varieties of primitive ideals.     

Zur Synthese von Human-Big-Gastrin I

The synthesis of the tetratriacontapeptide amide corresponding to the revised primary structure of human big gastrin I is described. For this purpose the fragments were designed in view of the maximum use of those utilized in our previous synthesis of human big gastrin I according to the first sequence proposal. Consequently the key tripeptide-Pro-Pro-His- (sequence 7–9) was prepared in suitably protected form to be used as amino or carboxyl component for assembly of the segments 1–9 and 1–14, respectively. Final condensation of the latter nona- and tetradecapeptide derivatives with the C-terminal segments 10–34 and 15–34 via the azide and the dicyclohexylcarbodiimide/N-hydroxysuccinimide procedure, respectively, leads to crude fully protected human big gastrin I. Upon deprotection by exposure to trifluoroacetic acid in presence of ethanedithiol-(1,2) as scavanger, ion exchange chromatography and partition chromatography, the desired tetratriacontapeptide amide was isolated in satisfactory yield with a high degree of purity. The identical immunological behaviour of the synthetic material, if compared with that of natural human big gastrin I, represents ulterior strong evidence for the correctness of the newly proposed structure for this putative prohormonal form of the gastrins.

Kurzmitteilung:Wünsch E., Wendlberger G., Mladenova-Orlinova L., Göhring W., Jaeger E., Scharf R., Gregory R. A., Dockray G. J., Hoppe-Seyler's Z. Physiol. Chem.362, 179 (1981).     

Polymerization and polymers of silicic acid

Linear relationships among molecular weight, polymerization time, and gelation for the condensation of any monomer, including those of unknown size and functionality, are developed and applied to data on soluble silicic acids generated from tetraethyl silicate and from sodium silicate. The results suggest the formation of monomers containing ca. 12–15 ? OSi units with functionality of ca. 2.05 that condense with a rate constant of ca. 10^?4 liter/mole sec and an activation energy of 40–70 kJ/mole. One model compatible with these characteristics and the stoichiometry involved is a ladder polymer ca. 3 ? SiO units wide. Polymer isolation was achieved by replacing residual ? OH with (CH₃)₃Sio? , as well as by freezing of of aqueous solutions, which yielded fibers under special conditions. Solutions of the uncapped and capped polymers and melts of the latter had low viscosity even for fractions with M?_n ～100,000. This implies a coiled or globular nature for the polymers, which is supported by their limited propensity for film and fiber formation. Attemps to improve this situation by copolymerization, the use of other capping agents, and by the polymerization of precapped monomers were unsuccessful.     

Die photometrische Bestimmung des Wismuts mit Thioharnstoff

Zusammenfassung Es wird gezeigt, daß die Bestimmung des Wismuts mit Thioharnstoff in bromwasserstoffsaurer Lösung auf photometrischem Wege mit dem Gerät ELKO II durchgeführt werden kann. Hierbei benutzt man zweckmäßig das Gerät mit der Glühlampe und Filter S 47 E oder den Quecksilberbrenner in Verbindung mit Filter Hg 436. Damit die Extinktion des gelbgefärbten Komplexes von der Thioharnstoffkonzentration unabhängig wird, muß die Lösung bei Benutzung des Filters S 45 E mindestens 10% Thiohamstoff, bei Benutzung des Filters Hg 436 mindestens 5% Thioharnstoff enthalten. Auch die Bromwasserstoffsäure übt einen Einfluß auf die Ausbildung der Extinktion aus. Wenn man die Messung mit dem Filter S 45 E durchführt und den Thioharnstoffgehalt mit 12% konstant hält, so darf die Bromwasserstoffkonzentration zwischen 1,2–9,2% betragen, um gleichbleibende Extinktionswerte zu erhalten. Benutzt man das Filter Hg 436 bei der gleichen Thioharnstoffkonzentration, so muß der Bromwasserstoffgehalt zwischen 3,0–7,5% liegen. Die Temperatur übt nur einen geringen Einfluß auf die Ausbildung des ThioharnstoffWismutkomplexes aus. Die Extinktion ist zeitunabhängig. Die Extinktionswerte ändern sich innerhalb 3 Std nach Zusammengeben der Reagenslösungen nicht. Das BEERsche Gesetz ist erfüllt. Das Verfahren besitzt erhebliche praktische Bedeutung, da sich sehr viele Metalllegierungen in denen Wismut zu bestimmen ist, mit Hilfe von Bromwasserstoffsäure und Brom sehr schnell lösen lassen.     

Quantitation of camphechlor/toxaphene in cod-liver oil by integration of the HRGC/ECD-pattern

Summary Quantitation of camphechlor/toxaphene in biological matrices like cod-liver oil or fish is difficult because it is a very complex mixture of alicyclic polychlorinated compounds. Furthermore, many toxaphene components are biotransformed and photodegraded and the complex mass spectral fragmentation pattern of HRGC/MSD (electron impact (EI)) cannot be used for quantitation at the g/g-level or below. The use of several indicator-peaks after ECD-detection using the technical standard mixture for calibration does not characterize the entire pattern in a biological sample. Two averaging integration methods that are based on the entire HRGC/ECD-pattern of toxaphene compounds after separation from the PCB congeneres by adsorption chromatography on silicagel, allow a fast and accurate quantitation of the mixture in biological samples, e.g. cod-liver oil. Biological degradation does not disturb the determination because the whole pattern of the complex mixture is considered instead of only a few compounds of the parent mixture which could be degraded or not.