Analogues of neuropeptide Y (NPY) containing small N-and C-terminal segments linked via flexible spacer arms were found to exhibit receptor binding affinity constants almost as high as NPY as well as post-and presynaptic NPY-agonistic activities. One of the most active analogues contains N-terminal NPY segment 14 linked via e-aminocaproic acid (Aca) to the C-terminal partially a-helical peptide amide segment 25-36. NPY 14Aca-25-36 is the first highly potent NPY agonist, which is of considerably reduced size in comparison to the native hormone. The analogues are accessible by solid-phase synthesis using Fmoc strategy.

Tetra-tert-butylphthalocyaninatonickel is synthesized from phthalic anhydride as well as from phthalodinitrile and nickel chloride, whereby a mixture of four different structural isomers are obtained; two of these isomers, with C2"and C,-symmetry are isolated for the first time by HPLC and medium pressure liquid chromatography (MPLC) and characterized.

Soluble (Tetraethylphthalocyaninato)iron(II) and -cobalt(II) CompoundsThe (tetraethylphtha1ocyaninato)iron and -cobalt compounds Et,PcFe (9), Et,PcCo (8), and Et4PcH2 (7) have been synthesized starting from 3,4-dibromoacetophenone (1) via the corresponding dinitrile 5 or isoindolenine 6, respectively. Et4PcFe (9) reacts with tBuNC, p-diisocyanobenzene (dib), and me4dib to form the bisaxially coordinated compound E t , p~F e ( t B u N c )~ (10) and the oligomers [Et,PcFe(dib)], (11) and [Et,PcFe- (me4dib)], (12).All of the synthesized compounds, except the oligomers with a chain length of more than 8 -14 units, are soluble in organic solvents such as chloroform or toluene. The new compounds were characterized by 'H-, 13C-NMR, I3C-CP/ NMR, UV/Vis, and IR spectra. In addition the redox properties of Et4PcCo (8) were studied by cyclic voltammetry and spectroelectrochemical methods. The MoRbauer spectra of the (phtha1ocyaninato)iron compounds 9, 11, and 12 demonstrate the bridged structure of [Et4PcFe(L)], (L = dib, me4dib) (11, 12). The powder conductivity of [Et,PcFe(dib)], (11) (oRT = S/cm) is ca. lo6 times higher than that of Et4PcFe (9) (oRT = 9.S/cm). After doping with iodine the oligomers 11 and 12 show an increase in conductivity of lo5 and lo4, respectively (oRT % lo-' S/cm for [Et4PcFe(dib)I,,,,],).

Two metabolites of P. leptostromijormis (phomopsins A and B) have been isolated as a crystalline mixture from a culture of the fungus on lupin seed. The mixture has been shown to be capable of inducing lupinosis in sheep and in young rats. Key steps in the isolation were the transfer of the phomopsins from crude aqueous solution to tetrahydrofuran and chromatography on macroreticular polystyrene resin. The bioassays used in monitoring fractions were based on inhibition of cell cultures and the mitosis-arresting effect of the metabolites on liver cells in vivo.

No abstract

High molecular weight chromosomal DNA was isolated from ten nitrate-negative campylobacters of human origin (gastric biopsies and faecal specimens). The DNA was digested with various restriction endonucleases and the patterns obtained were compared with those of Campylobacter coli, C. fetus subsp. fetus, C. jejuni and C. laridis reference strains. Electrophoresis of Hae III digests of DNA in 0.5% agarose gave excellent patterns which comprised at least 25 well-resolved bands with fragment sizes between about 4 and 40Kb. There were distinct differences between strains from different geographical locations. The six gastric strains from West Germany formed a relatively homogeneous group with respect to their band patterns (type I and II), whereas the U.K. gastric isolate had a slightly different pattern (type III) as did the three Australian faecal isolates (types IV, V and VI). No plasmids were detected in these nitrate-negative campylobacters and differences in DNA digest patterns between strains and representatives of allied species were attributed to variations in the distributions of Hae III recognition sequences within the genome. The patterns provided further evidence that the strains were atypical C. jejuni.

Chromosomal DNA from 26 strains of Providencia stuartii isolated mainly in hospitals in the United Kingdom and reference strains of P. stuartii, P. rustigianii, and Proteus vulgaris were digested with the restriction endonucleases EcoRI and HindIII. After electrophoresis in agarose gels, the fragments were subjected to Southern blot hybridization analysis with a biotin-labeled cDNA probe transcribed from a mixture of 16S and 23S rRNA from P. stuartii NCTC 11800T. The pattern of bands (the rDNA fingerprint), which depended on restriction fragment length polymorphism containing rRNA genes, was used as a measure of minor genomic variation within and between species. The P. stuartii clinical isolates had similar total digest patterns, but the rDNA fingerprints revealed some heterogeneity between strains, with EcoRI digests providing better strain discrimination than HindIII. Such rDNA fingerprints comprised between five and seven bands with sizes in the range of 5 to 28 kilobases. The 11 different EcoRI patterns were compared by numerical analysis, and several groups or subgroups of strains were identified. Over half (15 of 26) of the urease-negative isolates (subgroups Aa and Ab) had patterns that differed only by the presence or absence of a 25-kilobase band. Urease-negative strains from other clinical material were more heterogeneous in their patterns. No correlation was apparent between strain pattern group and urease production or geographic location of isolate. The P. stuartii rDNA fingerprints were quite distinct from those of allied Providencia and Proteus species and provided a more sensitive measure of minor genomic differences than total DNA digests did.

1987. Evaluation of three procedures using a laser densitometer and microcomputer for estimating molecular sizes of restriction endonuclease digest fragments and application to Campylobacter jejuni chromosomal DNA. Letters in Applied Microbiology 4, 5-8.Laser densitometer scanning and three methods of computation were investigated for estimating sizes of restriction endonuclease digest fragments of Campylobacter jejuni chromosomal DNA. Accuracy of the procedures was determined with standard bacteriophage lambda DNA fragments. The program DNASIZE was the most accurate for fragments between 2.3 and 3 3 3 kb while the program DNAFRAG and multiple regression analysis gave slightly greater errors particularly for smaller fragments. Hae I11 fingerprints of DNA from six C . jejuni strains contained at least 25 resolvable fragments with sizes between 3.2 and 35.8 kb estimated by DNASIZE and several differences between pattern types were detected. 281-287.132,53-59. 31-32.SBRENSEN, B., FALK, E X , WISLFF-NILSEN, E., BIOR-We thank Dr J. Rood for providing DNAFRAG and Dr D. Pitcher for assistance with programming.