[Tissue free water tritium in pine needles around a nuclear power plant].

The elevation of the concentration of tissue free water tritium (TFWT) in pine needles was discernible in trees growing around a nuclear power plant. The values varied from 2.6 Bq/l to 6.1 Bq/l with a mean value of 3.8 Bq/l. Analysis of pine needles collected at Fukui City as control samples was done. The values averaged 1.7 Bq/l and fell within 1.5 B/l-1.8 Bq/l which was obtained nation-wide survey of TFWT in pine needles in Japan. The present study also revealed that reactor tritium incorporated into pine needles decreased rapidly with a half time of 6 days and then tissue free water tritium has a short retention time.

Carriomycin, a new polyether antibiotic produced by Streptomyces hygroscopicus.

Carriomycin, a new polyether antibiotic, was isolated from culture broth of Streptomyces hygroscopicus strain T-42082. It is active against Gram-positive bacteria, several fungi, yeasts and mycoplasma. It is also coccidiostatic. The free acid of carriomycin occurs as colorless prisms having the molecular formula C47H80O15 (M.W. 885.15), m.p. 120 approximately 122 degrees C and [alpha]25D -0.5 in methanol. It has no characteristic absorption maxima in the ultraviolet spectrum. The presence of one carboxyl and three methoxy groups was observed from its infrared, PMR and CMR spectra.

Studies on lankacidin-group (T-2636) antibiotics. X. Microbial conversion of lankacidin-group antibiotics.

Lankacidin C, a component of lankacidin-group (T-2636) antibiotics, was esterified to lankacidin C 8-butyrate in the presence of methyl butyrate by culture broth and by cell-free extract of Bacillus megaterium IFO 12108. In addition, methyl isobutyrate, methyl valerate and methyl isovalerate served as acyl donors for the esterification, and lankacidin C 8-isobutyrate, lankacidin C 8-valerate and lankacidin C 8-isovalerate were formed respectively. Lankacidin C 8, 14-dibutyrate was hydrolyzed to lankacidin C 14-butyrate by the same organism.

Selective phosphorylation of the 5''-hydroxy group of ribostamycin by a new enzyme from Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

It was found that the 5''-hydroxy group of ribostamycin was preferentially phosphorylated by a cell-free extract from Pseudomonas aeruginosa GN 573, a clinical isolate.

Ribosyl and deoxyribosyl transfer by bacterial enzyme systems.

The enzymatic transfer of ribose and deoxyribose residues in pyrimidine nucleosides to purines was catalyzed by cell-free extracts of various bacteria. Almost all the strains belonging to Enterobacteriaceae were capable of catalyzing the transfer reactions. The transfer activities were also detected among some bacterial strains of other families: Pseudomonadaceae, Corynebacteriaceae, Micrococcaceae, Bacteriaceae, and Bacillaceae. The rates of the transfer reactions were greatly enhanced in the presence of phosphate ion, and the participation of nucleoside phosphorylases in the reactions was suggested. Uridine phosphorylase, thymidine phosphorylase, and purine nucleoside phosphorylase were purified from cell-free extract of Aerobacter aerogenes IFO 3321. The ribosyl transfer from uridine to hypoxanthine was found to be catalyzed by the coupled reactions of uridine and purine nucleoside phosphorylases and the deoxyribosyl transfer from thymidine to hypoxanthine by the coupled reactions of thymidine and purine nucleoside phosphorylases.