In order to increase the concentration of the nutritionally essential sulphur amino acids in seed protein, a transgene encoding a methionine- and cysteine-rich protein, sunflower seed albumin (SSA), was transferred to chickpeas (Cicer arietinum L). Transgenic seeds that accumulated SSA contained more methionine and less oxidized sulphur than the controls, suggesting that additional demand for s...

This investigation is essentially a collaboration between two laboratories bringing together problems in which each is interested. The Department of Agricultural Research of the American Smelting and Refining Company has long been interested in the problems of sulphur toxicity and sulphur metabolism in plants which are economically important. In the course of this work investigations have been ...

1. Plasma sulphur-containing amino acids were measured in 19 patients with renal failure on chronic haemodialysis and in 22 normal subjects, to determine the rate of accumulation of these amino acids in chronic azotaemia. 2. Cysteine--homocysteine mixed disulphide was significantly increased in patients before dialysis and homocysteine was detected in low concentration in 10 patients. Cystine a...

Wasting in tuberculosis (TB) patients is associated with the severity of lung disease and low serum level of selenium. Low serum levels of selenium may be due to low food intake or altered absorption/metabolism in the body. We therefore wanted to measure and compare the intake of selenium and sulphur amino acids in smear-positive TB patients and appropriately matched adults. We found a low inta...