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Biomedical subjects

J Ralph

Publications and source records attributed to J Ralph.

36 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1999

A cinnamoyl esterase from Aspergillus niger can break plant cell wall cross-links without release of free diferulic acids.

A cinnamoyl esterase, ferulic acid esterase A, from Aspergillus niger releases ferulic acid and 5-5- and 8-O-4-dehydrodiferulic acids from plant cell walls. The breakage of one or both ester bonds from dehydrodimer cross-links between plant cell wall polymers is essential for optimal action of carbohydrases on these substrates, but it is not known if cinnamoyl esterases can break these cross-links by cleaving one of the ester linkages which would not release the free dimer. It is difficult to determine the mechanism of the reaction on complex substrates, and so we have examined the catalytic properties of ferulic acid esterase A from Aspergillus niger using a range of synthetic ethyl esterified dehydrodimers (5-5-, 8-5-benzofuran and 8-O-4-) and two 5-5-diferulate oligosaccharides. Our results show that the esterase is able to cleave the three major dehydrodiferulate cross-links present in plant cell walls. The enzyme is highly specific at hydrolysing the 5-5- and the 8-5-benzofuran diferulates but the 8-O-4-is a poorer substrate. The hydrolysis of dehydrodiferulates to free acids occurs in two discrete steps, one involving dissociation of a monoesterified intermediate which is negatively charged at the pH of the reaction. Although ferulic acid esterase A was able to release monoesters as products of reactions with all three forms of diesters, only the 5-5- and the 8-O-4-monoesters were substrates for the enzyme, forming the corresponding free diferulic acids. The esterase cannot hydrolyse the second ester bond from the 8-5-benzofuran monoester and therefore, ferulic acid esterase A does not form 8-5-benzofuran diferulic acid. Therefore, ferulic acid esterase A from Aspergillus niger contributes to total plant cell wall degradation by cleaving at least one ester bond from the diferulate cross-links that exist between wall polymers but does not always release the free acid product.

Absorption↗
PubMed1998

NMR characterization of altered lignins extracted from tobacco plants down-regulated for lignification enzymes cinnamylalcohol dehydrogenase and cinnamoyl-CoA reductase.

Homologous antisense constructs were used to down-regulate tobacco cinnamyl-alcohol dehydrogenase (CAD; EC 1.1.1.195) and cinnamoyl-CoA reductase (CCR; EC 1.2.1.44) activities in the lignin monomer biosynthetic pathway. CCR converts activated cinnamic acids (hydroxycinnamoyl-SCoAs) to cinnamaldehydes; cinnamaldehydes are then reduced to cinnamyl alcohols by CAD. The transformations caused the incorporation of nontraditional components into the extractable tobacco lignins, as evidenced by NMR. Isolated lignin of antisense-CAD tobacco contained fewer coniferyl and sinapyl alcohol-derived units that were compensated for by elevated levels of benzaldehydes and cinnamaldehydes. Products from radical coupling of cinnamaldehydes, particularly sinapaldehyde, which were barely discernible in normal tobacco, were major components of the antisense-CAD tobacco lignin. Lignin content was reduced in antisense-CCR tobacco, which displayed a markedly reduced vigor. That lignin contained fewer coniferyl alcohol-derived units and significant levels of tyramine ferulate. Tyramine ferulate is a sink for the anticipated build-up of feruloyl-SCoA, and may be up-regulated in response to a deficit of coniferyl alcohol. Although it is not yet clear whether the modified lignins are true structural components of the cell wall, the findings provide further indications of the metabolic plasticity of plant lignification. An ability to produce lignin from alternative monomers would open new avenues for manipulation of lignin by genetic biotechnologies.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1998

The DFRC Method for Lignin Analysis. 2. Monomers from Isolated Lignins.

Monomers released from derivatization followed by reductive cleavage (DFRC degradation) of lignins have been identified by mass spectra and/or comparison of their GC retention times with authentic compounds. The primary monomers from several isolated lignins representing softwoods, hardwoods, grasses, and dicots have been quantified by GC. Sources of the minor monomeric components have been rationalized on the basis of the DFRC mechanisms; products from cinnamyl alcohol endgroups, aldehydes, arylglycerols, and alpha-carbonyl units have been identified. From isolated lignins, the DFRC method produces its diagnostic primary monomers, the hydroxycinnamyl peracetates, with yields comparable to the production of monomers from other ether-cleaving analytical methods.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1998

The DFRC Method for Lignin Analysis. 4. Lignin Dimers Isolated from DFRC-Degraded Loblolly Pine Wood.

Sixteen lignin dimers were directly isolated by gel permeation and reversed-phase TLC and HPLC from loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) sapwood following large-scale application of the new derivatization followed by reductive cleavage (DFRC) procedure. Their structures were elucidated by GC/MS and NMR. These dimers included representatives from all of the common interunit linkages in softwood lignins (beta-1, beta-beta, 5-5, beta-5, and 5-O-4). The DFRC procedure efficiently cleaves beta-aryl ethers, the major structural unit, so beta-ethers were not found among the dimeric products. All but two of the isolated dimers were guaiacyl-guaiacyl (from coniferyl alcohol-derived units in lignin); small amounts of p-hydroxyphenyl/guaiacyl beta-5 and beta-1 dimers were characterized. Several dimers have benzaldehydes as one unit-since aldehydes are not created by the procedure, they are either present in the native lignin or are formed during the minimal preparation of the wood. The dimers isolated and identified here will eventually allow their quantitation to aid in the structural analyses of wide-ranging plant materials.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1998

Assessment of reductive acetogenesis with indigenous ruminal bacterium populations and Acetitomaculum ruminis.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the role of reductive acetogenesis as an alternative H2 disposal mechanism in the rumen. H2/CO2-supported acetogenic ruminal bacteria were enumerated by using a selective inhibitor of methanogenesis, 2-bromoethanesulfonic acid (BES). Acetogenic bacteria ranged in density from 2.5 x 10(5) cells/ml in beef cows fed a high-forage diet to 75 cells/ml in finishing steers fed a high-grain diet. Negligible endogenous acetogenic activity was demonstrated in incubations containing ruminal contents, NaH13CO3, and 100% H2 gas phase since [U-13C]acetate, as measured by mass spectroscopy, did not accumulate. Enhancement of acetogenesis was observed in these incubations when methanogenesis was inhibited by BES and/or by the addition of an axenic culture of the rumen acetogen Acetitomaculum ruminis 190A4 (10(7) CFU/ml). To assess the relative importance of population density and/or H2 concentration for reductive acetogenesis in ruminal contents, incubations as described above were performed under a 100% N2 gas phase. Both selective inhibition of methanogenesis and A. ruminis 190A4 fortification (>10(5) CFU/ml) were necessary for the detection of reductive acetogenesis under H2-limiting conditions. Under these conditions, H2 accumulated to 4, 800 ppm. In contrast, H2 accumulated to 400 ppm in incubations with active methanogenesis (without BES). These H2 concentrations correlated well with the pure culture H2 threshold concentrations determined for A. ruminis 190A4 (3,830 ppm) and the ruminal methanogen 10-16B (126 ppm). The data demonstrate that ruminal methanogenic bacteria limited reductive acetogenesis by lowering the H2 partial pressure below the level necessary for H2 utilization by A. ruminis 190A4.

Acetic Acid↗
PubMed1997

Abnormal lignin in a loblolly pine mutant.

Novel lignin is formed in a mutant loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) severely depleted in cinnamyl alcohol dehydrogenase (E.C. 1.1.1.195), which converts coniferaldehyde to coniferyl alcohol, the primary lignin precursor in pines. Dihydroconiferyl alcohol, a monomer not normally associated with the lignin biosynthetic pathway, is the major component of the mutant's lignin, accounting for approximately 30 percent (versus approximately 3 percent in normal pine) of the units. The level of aldehydes, including new 2-methoxybenzaldehydes, is also increased. The mutant pines grew normally indicating that, even within a species, extensive variations in lignin composition need not disrupt the essential functions of lignin.

Alcohol Oxidoreductases↗
PubMed1997

Formation of formate and hydrogen, and flux of reducing equivalents and carbon in Ruminococcus flavefaciens FD-1.

A pathway for conversion of the metabolic intermediate phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP) and the formation of acetate, succinate, formate, and H2 in the anaerobic cellulolytic bacterium Ruminococcus flavefaciens FD-1 was constructed on the basis of enzyme activities detected in extracts of cells grown in cellulose- or cellobiose-limited continuous culture. PEP was converted to acetate and CO2 (via pyruvate kinase, pyruvate dehydrogenase, and acetate kinase) or carboxylated to form succinate (via PEP carboxykinase, malate dehydrogenase, fumarase, and fumarate reductase). Lactate was not formed even during rapid growth (batch culture, mu = 0.35/h). H2 was formed by a hydrogenase rather than by cleavage of formate, and 13C-NMR and 14C-exchange reaction data indicated that formate was produced by CO2 reduction, not by a cleavage of pyruvate. The distribution of PEP into the acetate and succinate pathways was not affected by changing extracellular pH and growth rates within the normal growth range. However, increasing growth rate from 0.017/h to 0.244/h resulted in a shift toward formate production, presumably at the expense of H2. This shift suggested that reducing equivalents could be balanced through formate or H2 production without affecting the yields of the major carbon-containing fermentation endproducts.

Acetates↗
PubMed1995

Obsessive-compulsive symptoms and the family.

A questionnaire study of 98 family members of individuals with obsessive-compulsive symptoms revealed that 60% of the family members were involved to some extent in rituals with the affected family member. Nearly all family members reported at least some degree of interference in their lives. Information was also gathered about the sort of rituals in which members were involved, how they responded to the demands of the affected relative to engage in the rituals, their beliefs and knowledge about compliance, and the degree to which the rituals interfered in their lives. The study highlights the possible need for support, advice, and education for family members of persons with obsessive-compulsive symptoms.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1993

Synthesis and spectroscopic characterization of hydroxycinnamoylated methyl alpha-L-arabinofuranosyl-(1-->2)- and (1-->3)-beta-D-xylopyranosides.

A reaction sequence for the preparation of methyl 5-O-feruloyl-alpha-L- arabinofuranosyl-(1-->3)-beta-D-xylopyranoside, the companion 5-O-p-coumaroyl disaccharide, and their (1-->2) analogs has been developed. The (1-->3) hydroxycinnamoylated disaccharides are available in 11 steps from L-arabinose and methyl beta-D-xylopyranoside in 17% overall yield (based on methyl beta-D-xylopyranoside). The corresponding (1-->2) materials were prepared in 9 steps in > 37% overall yield. Complete spectral characterization provides unambiguous assignments for comparison with analogous materials isolated from plant cell-walls. Conformational aspects of the prepared materials are discussed in relation to coupling-constant information.

Arabinose↗
PubMed1991

Synthesis of methyl 5-O-trans-feruloyl-alpha-L-arabinofuranoside and its use as a substrate to assess feruloyl esterase activity.

A synthetic scheme was developed for the production of methyl 5-O-trans-feruloyl-alpha-L-arabinofuranoside (FA-Ara) in gram quantities. This molecule accurately models the chemical attachment of ferulic acid to polysaccharides found in cell walls of plants in the Gramineae family. It is therefore a realistic substrate that can be used to monitor feruloyl esterase activity. Ultraviolet spectral analysis indicated that FA-Ara has an absorption maximum distinct from the hydrolytic product, ferulic acid (FA), over a wide range of solution pH values. The log molar extinction coefficient ranges from 4.16 to 4.36 for FA-Ara and 4.16 to 4.33 for FA depending upon the pH of the buffered solution. Consequently a convenient spectrophotometric assay can be utilized to monitor esterase activity. Three different methods were developed for using this model substrate to assess esterase activity, including thin-layer chromatography, a spectrophotometric assay, and the use of high-performance liquid chromatography.

Arabinose↗
PubMed1990

Synthesis of affinity ligands and radioactive probes for isolation and study of myo-inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate binding proteins.

To synthesize an affinity matrix for isolation of D-myo-inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate binding proteins, racemic 3-cyclohexene-1-carboxaldehyde was oxidized and converted to a mixture of trans-3,4-di-hydroxycyclohexane-1-carboxylic acid methyl ester isomers, which was phosphorylated and separated into (+-)-(1R,3R,4R)- and (+-)-(1R,3S,4S)-trans-3,4-bis[(diphenoxyphosphoryl)oxy]cyclohex an e-1- carboxylic acid methyl esters. Each of these racemic compounds was hydrogenolyzed and reacted with ethylenediamine to give a monoamide, N-(2-aminoethyl)-bis(phosphonyloxy)cyclohexane-1-carboxamide, that was coupled to cyanogen bromide activated Sepharose 4B to provide the desired affinity matrices. The intermediate trans-3,4-bis[(diphenoxyphosphoryl)oxy]cyclohexane-1-carboxylic acid methyl ester was also reduced with lithium borotritide to give the (hydroxy[3H]methyl)cyclohexane derivative, which was phosphorylated and hydrogenolyzed to yield trans-3,4-bis(phosphonyloxy)-1-[(phosphonyloxy)[3H]methyl]cy clohexane, a radiolabeled analogue of inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate. The carboxamide was also coupled to 4-azidosalicylic acid, and the product was iodinated to provide a 125I-radiolabeled photoactivatable cross-linking derivative of cyclohexanediol bisphosphate.

Calcium Channels↗
PubMed1989

Morphological alterations in cultured neuromuscular tissue induced by two anesthetic agents.

A diversity of pathogenic effects was observed in two complementary culture systems following their exposure to the anesthetic agents. Thiopental sodium and ketamine hydrochloride. The cytotoxic effects of both agents in these two culture types were reversible and dose-related. In organotypic spinal cord slice cultures, thiopental sodium caused general toxicity but no demyelination, while ketamine hydrochloride induced, to a varied extent, damage of the myelin sheath and degeneration of mitochondria into multilamellar bodies. In autologous nerve-muscle co-cultures both anaesthetic agents caused the arrest of muscle contractions. However, when added to skeletal muscle cultures, the drugs differed in their effect. Thiopental sodium did not inhibit spontaneous muscle contractions indicating, as in the case of Tubocurarine, a direct effect of the drug on the neuromuscular junction. Ketamine hydrochloride, in contrast, arrested spontaneous muscle contractions, implying that it did not directly affect the neuromuscular synapse.

Anesthetics↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Ferulic acid dehydrodimers from wheat bran: isolation, purification and antioxidant properties of 8-O-4-diferulic acid.

Wheat bran contains several ester-linked dehydrodimers of ferulic acid, which were detected and quantified after sequential alkaline hydrolysis. The major dimers released were: trans-5-[(E)-2-carboxyvinyl]-2-(4-hydroxy-3-methoxy-phenyl)-7-methoxy-2, 3- dihydrobenzofuran-3-carboxylic acid (5-8-BendiFA), (Z)-beta-[4-[(E)-2-carboxyvinyl]-2-methoxyphenoxy]-4-hydroxy-3-methox ycinnamic acid (8-O-4-diFA) and (E,E)-4,4'-dihydroxy-5,5'-dimethoxy-3,3'-bicinnamic acid (5-5-diFA). trans-7-hydroxy-1-(4-hydroxy-3methoxyphenyl)-6-methoxy-1,2-dihydro - naphthalene-2,3-dicarboxylic acid (8-8-diFA cyclic form) and 4,4'-dihydroxy-3,3'-dimethoxy-beta,beta'-bicinnamic acid (8-8-diFA non cyclic form) were not detected. One of the most abundant dimers, 8-O-4-diFA, was purified from de-starched wheat bran after alkaline hydrolysis and preparative HPLC. The resultant product was identical to the chemically synthesised 8-O-4-dimer by TLC and HPLC as confirmed by 1H-NMR and mass spectrometry. The absorption maxima and absorption coefficients for the synthetic compound in ethanol were: lambda max: 323 nm, lambda min: 258 nm, epsilon lambda max (M-1 cm-1): 24,800 +/- 2100 and epsilon 280 (M-1 cm-1): 19,700 +/- 1100. The antioxidant properties of 8-O-4-diFA were assessed using: (a) inhibition of ascorbate/iron-induced peroxidation of phosphatidylcholine liposomes and; (b) scavenging of the radical cation of 2,2'-azinobis (3-ethyl-benzothiazoline-6-sulphonate) (ABTS) relative to the water-soluble vitamin E analogue, Trolox C. The 8-O-4-diFA was a better antioxidant than ferulic acid in both lipid and aqueous phases. This is the first report of the antioxidant activity of a natural diferulate obtained from a plant.

Antioxidants↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Hardiness, stress, and burnout among intensive care nurses.

The purposes of this study were to determine whether hardiness is a predictor of burnout and whether it can buffer the effect of stress on burnout. Thirty-one registered nurses who work in intensive care units completed the Hardiness test, the Nursing Stress scale, and the Tedium scale. Descriptive statistics, correlational statistics, t tests, analysis of variance, and hierarchical multiple regressions were used to analyze the data. Results indicated that hardiness and burnout had a significant inverse relationship (r = 0.66). Stress and the stress-hardiness interaction term accounted for 29% of the variance in burnout scores. This study found hardiness to be a predictor of burnout and a buffer in the stress-burnout relationship. Furthermore, the relationship between hardiness and stress was found to be stronger than that between stress and burnout. Further study is needed to verify that hardiness is a stress mediator in nursing and to determine how to best promote hardiness in nurses.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Enhancing the coping skills of mothers with developmentally delayed children.

Recent studies have shown that mothers of developmentally delayed children are at risk for depression. During weekly psychoeducational group meetings, Roy's adaptation model was used to identify the focal, contextual, and residual stimuli that contributed to the mothers' depression. Nursing interventions that encouraged adaptation in the four modes were implemented by group facilitators providing parent education and emotional support. Implications for nurses in a variety of settings are given.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Operation cataract.

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Aged↗