No abstract

June, 1948 PHOSPHORYLATION OF PROTEINS 2101 the methyl ester of e-carbobenzoxy-lysine yields on heating mainly e,c'-dicarbobenzoxy-lysine an-(6) This specificity contrasts with the non-specific action of other phosphorylating agents which are known to react with amines, guanidyl compounds, etc.. as well as with alcohols and phenols. Mayer and Heidelberger' phosphorylated horse-serum albumin in alkaline solution with phosphorus oxychloride. The derivatives contained 2 4 % phosphorus, approximately half of which was accounted for by reaction with the amino groups. The reaction of egg albumin under similar conditions was described by Heidelbuger, cf a1.a (7) Mayer and Heidelberger, TEIS JOURNAL, 68, 18 (1946). ( 8 ) Heidelberger, Davis and Treffus, ibid.. 611, 498 (1941).

No abstract

The purpose of this work was to examine the influence of apolipoprotein gene variation on plasma lipid levels in a population of Mayan Indians of the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico. Four restriction enzymes: XmnI, PstI, SstI, and PvuII, were used to detect restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLP) within the region of the apolipoprotein AI/CIII/AIV gene cluster. The frequencies of these polymorphisms in this Mayan population were similar to those reported for other Amerindian populations, but differed widely from those reported for Caucasian populations. The XmnI and SstI RFLPs were informative for association studies in this population, and we analyzed their influence on the quantitative variation of plasma cholesterol and triglycerides. Using a nonparametric analysis of variance, it is shown that the presence of the XmnI restriction site had a significant effect in lowering plasma cholesterol, whereas the presence of the restriction site for SstI had a significant effect in raising plasma triglycerides. Consequently, genetic indicators of both low and high risk for lipid-related diseases, such as atherosclerosis and coronary heart disease, seem to be present within the same gene region in this Mayan population.

Ion-exchange chromatography was used to follow changes in inositol phosphate esters of California small white beans and hard red winter wheat during autolysis and germination. Untreated bean extracts con-,tained appreciable quantities of lower phosphate esters, while wheat extracts contained only inositol hexaphosphate (IHP). Autolysis in beans at both 35 and 55°C was slow (30% of IHP still present after 48 hr). Over 80% of wheat IHP was hydrolyzed in 4 hr at both temperatures. During autolysis bean extracts contained appreciable quantities of lower phosphate esters while wheat chromatograms showed trace amounts. Germination of the seeds for 2,4 and 7 days produced similar patterns of change in the phosphate esters as in autolysis. The use of wheat phytase to rapidly reduce phytic acid in bean preparations is presented.