Pacidamycins are a family of uridyl tetra/pentapeptide antibiotics that act on the translocase MraY to block bacterial cell wall assembly. To elucidate the biosynthetic logic of pacidamcyins, a putative gene cluster was identified by 454 shotgun genome sequencing of the producer Streptomyces coeruleorubidus NRRL 18370. The 31-kb gene cluster encodes 22 proteins (PacA-V), including highly dissoc...

Cell surface proteins of parasites play a role in pathogenesis by modulating mammalian cell recognition and cell adhesion during infection. β-Galactofuranose (Galf) is an important component of glycoproteins and glycolipids found on the cell surface of Leishmania spp. and Trypanosoma cruzi. β-Galf-containing glycans have been shown to be important in parasite-cell interaction and protection aga...

We have developed methods for covalently joining duplex DNA molecules to one another and have used these techniques to construct circular dimers of SV40 DNA and to insert a DNA segment containing lambda phage genes and the galactose operon of E. coli into SV40 DNA. The method involves: (a) converting circular SV40 DNA to a linear form, (b) adding single-stranded homodeoxypolymeric extensions of...

background: increased oxygen free radical and reduced glutathione level in the eye lens are important risk factor for cataract formation. the antioxidative property and increasing cellular and extra cellular glutathione level have been reported by several herbal medicines including silymarin.  objective: in present interventional study silybum marianum l. seed extract (silymarin) was tested aga...

In order to explore the genetic variation of O antigens of Salmonella enterica, we surveyed 164 strains (132 serovars) belonging to 45 serogroups, using 25 mostly single-gene rfb DNA probes for colony hybridization. The results revealed that strains within a serogroup have very similar or identical rfb genes. At least three of the four rhamnose genes were detected in all 17 serogroups reported ...

Introduction Sialic acid (N-acetylneuraminic acid, NeuAc, Neu5Ac) is an essential terminal sugar on the glycan moieties of many functional and structural human glycoproteins. A key intermediate in the biochemical process to form sialic acid is the monosaccharide, ManNAc, which is formed by the bifunctional enzyme UDPN-acetylglucosamine / Nacetylmannosamine epimerase kinase (GNE). ManNAc is an i...

Terminal steps in the transport of the vesicular stomatitis virus glycoprotein (G protein) in the Golgi stack have been reconstituted in a cell-free system. Incorporation of sialic acid into the oligosaccharide chains of G protein was used to monitor transport into the trans Golgi compartment. Transport-coupled sialylation required cytosol, ATP, an N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive factor extractable ...

We have demonstrated a lipid requirement for the UDPgalactose:1,2-diacylglycerol 3-beta-D-galactosyl-transferase (or monogalactosyldiacylglycerol synthase; EC 2.4.1.46), an enzyme involved in the biosynthesis of monogalactosyldiacylglycerol, solubilized from chloroplast envelope membranes and partially purified by hydroxyapatite chromatography. The enzyme fraction was highly delipidated (<0.1 m...