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Biomedical subjects

R L Lester

Publications and source records attributed to R L Lester.

85 records · Page 5Linked to original sources
PubMed1971

Effects of molybdate and selenite on formate and nitrate metabolism in Escherichia coli.

The effects of adding molybdate and selenite to a glucose-minimal salts medium on the formation of enzymes involved in the anaerobic metabolism of formate and nitrate in Escherichia coli have been studied. When cells were grown anaerobically in the presence of nitrate, molybdate stimulated the formation of nitrate reductase and a b-type cytochrome, resulting in cells that had the capacity for active nitrate reduction in the absence of formate dehydrogenase. Under the same conditions, selenite in addition to molybdate was required for forming the enzyme system which permits formate to serve as an effective electron donor for nitrate reduction. When cells were grown anaerobically on a glucose-minimal salts medium without nitrate, active hydrogen production from formate as well as formate dehydrogenase activity depended on the presence of both selenite and molybdate. The effects of these metals on the formation of formate dehydrogenase was blocked by chloramphenicol, suggesting that protein synthesis is required for the increases observed. It is proposed that the same formate dehydrogenase is involved in nitrate reduction, hydrogen production, and in aerobic formate oxidation.

Chloramphenicol↗
PubMed1971

Regulation of phosphatidylcholine biosynthesis in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Evidence is presented which indicates that the biosynthesis of phosphatidylcholine by the methylation pathway in growing cultures of Saccharomyces cerevisiae is repressed by the presence of choline in the growth medium. This result, obtained previously for glucose-grown cells, was also observed for lactate-grown cells, of which half of the phosphatidylcholine is mitochondrial. A respiration-deficient mutant of the parent wild-type strain has been studied, and its inability to form functional mitochondria cannot be due to an impaired methylation pathway, as it has been shown to incorporate (14)C-CH(3)-methionine into all of the methylated glycerophosphatides. The incorporation rate is depressed by the inclusion of 1 mm choline in the growth medium, suggesting a regulatory effect similar to that demonstrated for the wild-type strain. The effects of choline on the glycerophospholipid composition of lactate and glucose-grown cells is presented. The repressive effects of the two related bases, mono- and dimethylethanolamine, were examined, and reduced levels of (14)C-CH(3)-methionine incorporation were found for cells grown in the presence of these bases. The effect of choline on the methylation rates is reversible and glucosegrown cells regain the nonrepressed level of methylation activity in 60 to 80 min after removal of choline from the growth medium.

Amino Alcohols↗
PubMed1970

Polar lipids of Chromatium strain D grown at different light intensities.

The total amount and the composition of polar lipids of the photosynthetic bacterium Chromatium strain D grown in high (7,500 ft/c) and low (100 ft/c) incident white light were measured. Cells grown with low incident light as compared with cells grown in high incident light contained approximately 3.5 times more chlorophyll and contained significantly more internal membranes (chromatophores) as determined by electron microscopy. Nevertheless, there was approximately 40% more phospholipid in cells grown at 7,500 ft/c than in cells grown with 100 ft/c; the phospholipid composition of the cells was similar under both conditions of growth. These observations lead us to suggest that the organization and perhaps localization of the phospholipids in Chromatium may be dependent on the light intensity supplied during growth.

Carbon Isotopes↗
PubMed1969

Isolation and partial characterization of a major inositol-containing lipid in baker's yeast, mannosyl-diinositol, diphosphoryl-ceramide.

A polar lipid containing about 20 per cent of the lipid soluble inositol has been purified from cells of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. This compound labeled with (3)H-inositol, (32)P(i), or (14)C glucose was isolated from aqueous pyridine extracts by means of paper chromatography. Unlabeled compound was obtained by a differential solubility scheme. Analytical and degradation studies suggest that this compound can be formulated as a mannosyl-diinositol, diphosphoryl-ceramide. It can be converted by treatment with base or acid into a mannosylmonoinositol phosphoryl-ceramide, a composition which relates it to the basic structure of the phytoglycolipids.

Carbon Isotopes↗
PubMed1969

Separation and identification of the polar lipids of Chromatium strain D.

The polar lipids of the autotrophically grown, obligately anaerobic, photosynthetic bacterium Chromatium strain D were separated by paper chromatography. Four major phospholipids were identified: lysophosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylglycerol, and cardiolipin. In addition, three glycolipids were observed and characterized, namely, monoglucosyldiglyceride, which is found in other biological systems, and (mannosyl, glucosyl)-diglyceride and (dimannosyl, glucosyl)-diglyceride, which heretofore have not been observed in nature.

Autoradiography↗