In higher plants, long-chain fatty acid hydroperoxides are intermediates in the synthesis of a diverse group of bioactive compounds. We used the reverse trascriptase-polymerase chain reaction to isolate a gene responsible for the oxidization of fatty acids from Petunia hybrida. A P450 cDNA not isolated earlier, CYP92B1, contained an open reading frame predicted to encode a polypeptide consistin...

The organic soluble extract from the leaves of the native North American prairie plant Ipomoea leptophylla (big root morning glory) showed in vitro activity against M. tuberculosis. Bioassay-guided fractionation of this extract resulted in the identification of two new resin glycosides (6, 7). Base-catalyzed hydrolysis of these glycosides gave operculinic acid (1) as the glycosidic acid compone...

BACKGROUND Glycerol monolaurate (GML) is an antimicrobial agent that has potent activity against gram-positive bacteria. This study examines GML antibacterial activity in comparison to lauric acid, in broth cultures compared to biofilm cultures, and against a wide range of gram-positive, gram-negative, and non-gram staining bacteria. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS GML is ≥ 200 times more effe...

BACKGROUND The effects of dietary fats on the risk of coronary artery disease (CAD) have traditionally been estimated from their effects on LDL cholesterol. Fats, however, also affect HDL cholesterol, and the ratio of total to HDL cholesterol is a more specific marker of CAD than is LDL cholesterol. OBJECTIVE The objective was to evaluate the effects of individual fatty acids on the ratis of ...

Cytochromes P45OIVA1 and IVA3 display 72 % amino acid sequence similarity and are expressed in livers of rats treated with the hypolipidemic drug clofibrate. The catalytic activities of IVAl and IVAS were examined by cDNA-directed expression using vaccinia virus. cDNA-expressed IVAl and IVAS had relative M,s of 51,500 and 52,000, respectively, on SDSpolyacrylamide gels. Both enzymes displayed r...