0000000000455662
AUTHOR
Angelo Carere
An operon for histidine biosynthesis in Streptomyces coelicolor
On the assumption that a cluster of five his genes (eight cistrons) in S. coelicolor corresponds to an operon, a genetic analysis of a constitutive mutant was carried out. This strain has a multi-site mutation localized at the (conventional) right end of the his cluster and is derepressed for at least two enzymes coded by genes of the cluster. The study of suitable heterozygous clones (heteroclones), showed the mutation to be cis-dominant, suggesting that the operator region is affected. Most likely the strain has a deletion connecting the his operon to an adjacent amm (ammonium requirement) operon as demonstrated by its inability to utilize nitrate as nitrogen source and to complement or r…
Methods of in vitro toxicology
In vitro methods are common and widely used for screening and ranking chemicals, and have also been taken into account sporadically for risk assessment purposes in the case of food additives. However, the range of food-associated compounds amenable to in vitro toxicology is considered much broader, comprising not only natural ingredients, including those from food preparation, but also compounds formed endogenously after exposure, permissible/authorised chemicals including additives, residues, supplements, chemicals from processing and packaging and contaminants. A major promise of in vitro systems is to obtain mechanism-derived information that is considered pivotal for adequate risk asses…