The global relevance of locally grounded ethnobiology

While ethnobiology is a discipline that focuses on the local, it has an outstanding, but not yet fully realized potential to address global issues. Part of this unrealized potential is that universalistic approaches often do not fully recognize culturally grounded perspectives and there are multiple challenges with scaling up place-based research. However, scalability is paramount to ensure that the intimate and context-specific diversity of human-environmental relationships and understandings are recognized in global-scale planning and policy development. Here, we identify four pathways to enable the scalability of place-based ethnobiological research from the ground up: local-to-global dialogues, aggregation of published data, multi-sited studies, and geospatial analyses. We also discuss some major challenges and consideration to encourage continuous reflexivity in these endeavours and to ensure that scalability does not contribute to unnecessarily decontextualizing, co-opting, or overwriting the epistemologies of Indigenous Peoples and local communities. As ethnobiology navigates multiple scales of time and space and seeks to increase its breadth, this study shows that the use of deliberately global approaches, when carefully nested within rich field-based and ecological and ethnographically grounded data, can contribute to: (1) upscaling case-specific insights to unveil global patterns and dynamics in the biocultural contexts of Indigenous Peoples and local communities; (2) bringing ethnobiological knowledge into resolutions that can influence global environmental research and policy agendas; and (3) enriching ethnobiology's field-based ethos with a deliberate global analytical focus.

New Plants, New Resources, New Knowledge: Early Introductions of Exotic Plants to Indigenous Territories in Northwestern North America

Plants have always been important for the Indigenous Peoples of Northwestern North America. Collectively, these peoples named and used hundreds of different native plant species, along with diverse animal species. When traders and settlers from Europe and other parts of the world arrived in the region, they brought many new species of plants with them. Some (e.g., turnips (Brassica rapa) and onions (Allium cepa)), were from Europe, and some (e.g., potatoes (Solanum tuberosum)) were from South America or elsewhere. Other plants, like dandelion, Taraxacum officinale, probably arrived unintentionally, as weeds. Examining the ways in which the Indigenous Peoples have incorporated these new species into their lexicons and lifestyles provides insight into processes of acquiring and embracing new products and expanding the cultural knowledge base for human societies in general.

"When the Wild Roses Bloom": Indigenous Knowledge and Environmental Change in Northwestern North America

Indigenous Peoples in Northwestern North America have always worked with predictable cycles of day and night, tides, moon phases, seasons, and species growth and reproduction, including such phenological indicators as the blooming of flowers and the songs of birds. Negotiating variability has been constant in people's lives. Long-term monitoring and detailed knowledge of other lifeforms and landscapes of people's home territories have assisted in responding and adapting to change. Aspects of cultural knowledge and practice that have helped Indigenous Peoples navigate nature's cycles at different scales of time and space include kin ties and social relationships, experiential learning, language, storytelling and timing of ceremonies such as "First Foods" celebrations. Working with ecological processes, Indigenous Peoples have been able to maintain optimal conditions for preferred species, reducing variability and uncertainty through taking care of productive habitats, leaving ecosystems intact, and allowing other species to change in their own cycles. Since the onset of colonization, however, Indigenous Peoples' lifeways have been changed drastically, culminating with the current impacts of global climate change and biodiversity loss. This paper, based on contributions of numerous Indigenous Knowledge holders from across Northwestern North America, outlines some of the key ways in which Indigenous Peoples have embraced predictability and change in their environments and lifeways, and addresses the particular threat of climate change: its recognition, ways of adapting to it, and, ultimately, how it might be reversed through developing more careful, respectful relationships with and responsibilities for the other-than-human world.

“The Old Foods Are the New Foods!”: Erosion and Revitalization of Indigenous Food Systems in Northwestern North America

The global “nutrition transition” has had an immense impact on Indigenous Peoples of Northwestern North America. From an original diet comprised of mostly local plant and animal foods, including salmon, game, diverse plants, seaweed and other marine foods, many Indigenous people are now eating mostly imported, refined marketed foods that are generally less healthy, and many are at risk of diet-related diseases such as type 2 diabetes. Nevertheless, Indigenous people have always valued their ancestral foods, and over the last few decades there have been many initiatives throughout the region to restore and revitalize these original foods, and to re-learn Indigenous methods of processing and harvesting them. In this paper we describe the original Indigenous food systems in the study region, and the methods used to sustain and promote the ancestral food species and habitats. We then discuss the impacts of colonization, and describe recent and ongoing Resilience and Resurgence in relation to ancestral foods and food practices, including firsthand experiences with renewing food traditions. These initiatives are often connected with language revitalization and cultural resurgence programs. Led by Indigenous communities, they are undertaken with support of academic, government, and other partners. In all, they have resulted in stronger, more vibrant cultures and generally healthier communities.

Mechanical strength vs. degradation of a biologically-derived surgical mesh over time in a rodent full thickness abdominal wall defect

The use of synthetic surgical mesh materials has been shown to decrease the incidence of hernia recurrence, but can be associated with undesirable effects such as infection, chronic discomfort, and adhesion to viscera. Surgical meshes composed of extracellular matrix (i.e., biologically-derived mesh) are an alternative to synthetic meshes and can reduce some of these undesirable effects but are less frequently used due to greater cost and perceived inadequate strength as the mesh material degrades and is replaced by host tissue. The present study assessed the temporal association between mechanical properties and degradation of biologic mesh composed of urinary bladder matrix (UBM) in a rodent model of full thickness abdominal wall defect. Mesh degradation was evaluated for non-chemically crosslinked scaffolds with the use of (14)C-radiolabeled UBM. UBM biologic mesh was 50% degraded by 26 days and was completely degraded by 90 days. The mechanical properties of the UBM biologic mesh showed a rapid initial decrease in strength and modulus that was not proportionately associated with its degradation as measured by (14)C. The loss of strength and modulus was followed by a gradual increase in these values that was associated with the deposition of new, host derived connective tissue. The strength and modulus values were comparable to or greater than those of the native abdominal wall at all time points.

Lodgepole Pine Cambium (Pinus contorta Dougl. ex Loud. var. latifolia Engelm. ex S. Wats.): a springtime first peoples' food in British Columbia

Lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta var. latifolia) is a tree species utilized for succulent edible cambium and secondary phloem in the spring by Interior First Peoples of the Pacific Northwest. In this article we present a nutritional analysis of this food based on a pooled sample of 17 trees harvested in the Chilcotin region of British Columbia. We also present enzymatic sugar analysis of raw, dried, and cooked lodgepole pine cambium harvested from the Chilcotin and Okanagan regions in British Columbia. In the discussion we interpret the nutrient values of raw lodgepole pine cambium in comparison to dried and cooked cambium, results from other nutritional studies of pine cambium, and nutrients in some other traditional and nontraditional foods.

"Tinni" rice (Oryza rufipogon Griff.) production: an integrated sociocultural agroecosystem in eastern Uttar Pradesh of India

This study reports how Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) and informal cultural institutions have conserved key varieties of the wildgrowing rice, 'tinni' (red rice, or brownbeard rice, Oriza rufipogon Griff.), within the Bhar community of eastern Uttar Pradesh, India. The study was conducted, using conventional and participatory methods, in 10 purposively selected Bhar villages. Two distinct varieties of tinni ('tinni patali' and 'tinni moti') with differing habitats and phenotypic characters were identified. Seven microecosystems (Kari, Badaila, Chammo, Karmol, Bhainsiki, Bhainsala and Khodailia) were found to support these varieties in differing proportions. Tinni rice can withstand more extreme weather conditions (the highest as well as lowest temperatures and rainfall regimes) than the 'genetically improved' varieties of rice (Oriza sativa L.) grown in the region. Both tinni varieties are important bioresources for the Bhar's subsistence livelihoods, and they use distinctive conservation approaches in their maintenance. Bhar women are the main custodians of tinni rice agrobiodiversity, conserving tinni through an institution called Sajha. Democratic decision-making at meetings organized by village elders determines the market price of the tinni varieties. Overall, the indigenous institutions and women's participation seem to have provided safeguards from excessive exploitation of tinni rice varieties. The maintenance of tinni through cultural knowledge and institutions serves as an example of the importance of locally maintained crop varieties in contributing to people's resilience and food security in times of rapid social and environmental change.

Local Ecological Knowledge and Importance of Bakeapple (Rubus chamaemorus L.) in a Southeast Labrador Métis Community

Bakeapple, or cloudberry (Rubus chamaemorus L.; Rosaceae) is a circumpolar perennial with orange aggregate fruits, which has been a vital food resource for many northern peoples including those of the Subarctic and Arctic areas of North America. This study documented the importance and local knowledge of bakeapple in the predominantly Métis community of Charlottetown, Labrador. The cultural importance of bakeapple is evidenced by the social customs surrounding its picking, by its prevalence in people’s homes and at community events, and by its formal and informal economic exchange, within and outside the community. The local ecological knowledge of bakeapple that residents of Charlottetown possessed also illustrates its importance. Local knowledge of interviewees included different habitat types associated with various bakeapple densities and fruit sizes, bakeapple development/phenology (e.g., “turned in” stage) and variations in the berry (e.g. in color and size). Bakeapple remains a culturally important species with a high profile in Charlottetown, although lack of interest in bakeapple picking by younger people may affect future use.

Intimal Neovascularisation is a Prominent Feature of Atherosclerotic Plaques in Diabetic Patients with Critical Limb Ischaemia

INTRODUCTION

Neovascularisation of atherosclerotic plaques correlates with increased plaque instability and subsequent risk of vascular complications. Diabetics have widespread atherosclerotic involvement of the arterial tree and a more aggressive form of the disease culminating in increased plaque instability. This results in a greater incidence of ischaemic sequelae than in non-diabetics. Previous studies have examined neovascularisation as a marker of plaque instability in both the carotid and coronary territories and revealed a greater degree in both symptomatic and diabetic patients. This is the first study to examine intimal neovascularisation in lower limb peripheral arterial disease.

METHODS

Arterial specimens were taken from 20 patients, ten of whom were type 2 diabetics, undergoing major lower limb amputation for unreconstructable critical ischaemia. Sections were stained with H&E for morphological assessment and inflammatory cell characterisation. Additional sections underwent immunohistochemical staining for CD31 and von-Willebrand Factor (vWF) and the number of intimal vessels per four 40x magnification fields assessed.

RESULTS

There was a more prominent inflammatory infiltrate in diabetic subjects compared to non-diabetic controls. Diabetic patients had a greater degree of intimal neovascularisation compared to controls with a median of 11.5 and 2.0 vessels per field respectively (P<0.05). Sub-group analysis revealed that diabetic patients medicating with HMG-CoA Reductase inhibitors (Statins) had a greater degree of neovascularisation compared to those not taking this class of medication.

CONCLUSION

Diabetic patients with critical limb ischaemia requiring amputation demonstrate a greater degree of plaque intimal neovascularisation and inflammatory infiltrate compared to their non-diabetic counterparts. This may explain the greater plaque instability and subsequent cardiovascular complications seen in these patients.

Psychological distress and concerns of elderly patients treated with palliative radiotherapy for lung cancer

We conducted a prospective observational cohort study of 83 elderly patients (aged 75 and above) being treated with palliative radiotherapy for lung cancer, with a comparison group of 49 younger patients (aged 65 and under). Psychological distress and concerns were measured before and after treatment using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) and a Concerns Checklist. Psychosocial morbidity was common, however, prevalence was similar in both age groups. There was a trend towards worsening of both anxiety and depression scores after treatment, but this did not reach statistical significance. Younger patients reported more concerns than the older group (median 12 vs 10) but this too was not statistically significant. Concerns about the illness and symptoms were more likely to have been addressed by the care team than were concerns about psychosocial issues such as the family and the future. People of all ages have similar concerns and levels of anxiety and depression whilst receiving palliative radiotherapy for lung cancer. Further research is needed to explore the use of screening tools, like those used in this study, to identify patients' difficulties and target interventions to improve their quality of life.

Preparative deracemization of unnatural amino acids

Unnatural amino acids are a growing class of intermediates required for pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals and other industrial products. However, no single method has proven sufficiently versatile to prepare these compounds broadly at scale. To address this need, we have developed a general chemoenzymatic process to prepare enantiomerically pure L- and D-amino acids in high yield by deracemization of racemic starting materials. This method involves the concerted action of an enantioselective oxidase biocatalyst and a non-selective chemical reducing agent to effect the stereoinversion of one enantiomer and can result in an enantiomeric excess of >99% from the starting racemate, and product yields of over 90%. This approach compares very favourably with resolution processes, which have a maximum single-pass yield of 50%. We have developed efficient methods to adapt the process towards new target compounds and to optimize key factors that influence process efficiency and offer competitive economics at scale.

Expression of growth factors and growth factor receptor in non-healing and healing ischaemic ulceration

OBJECTIVES

To characterise the histological and cytokinetic characteristics of purely ischaemic ulcers and the processes that underpin healing following successful revascularisation.

DESIGN

Prospective observational study.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Biopsies were taken immediately pre- and 6 weeks following successful revascularisation of solely ischaemic ulceration. They were evaluated for morphological differences using H&E staining for the platelet derived growth factor receptor (PDGFR), epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), TGFbeta receptorIII (TGFbetaRIII), transforming growth factor beta 1 and 3 (TGFbeta1 and TGFbeta3) and von Willebrand factor (vWF) expression using immunohistochemistry. Localisation and quantification of these growth factors and receptors was assessed systematically by three independent investigators who were blinded to the timing of biopsy.

RESULTS

Pre-operatively, small vessel vasculitis, necrosis and infection with a profuse neutrophil and macrophage infiltrate was observed in all samples. Post-operative biopsies revealed a proliferation of new capillaries in and around the ulcer edge and base. vWF staining confirmed an endothelial layer within these new vessels. Following successful revascularisation there was less infection and inflammation with minimal vasculitis. These newly formed capillaries had increased staining for TGFbeta3, PDGFR and TGFbetaRIII with staining for PDGFR also localised to dermal fibroblasts which were larger and more numerous. Accelerated epithelial cell proliferation was observed with detachment from the underlying dermis.

CONCLUSIONS

Healing of purely ischaemic ulcers is characterised by vasculogenesis associated with increased presence of the proangiogenic cytokines PDGF and TGFbeta3. These findings show promise for the use of growth factor manipulation to aid healing in ischaemic ulcers.

Do elderly people with lung cancer benefit from palliative radiotherapy?

The median age at diagnosis of patients with lung cancer is currently around 70 and is rising, yet the trials on which treatment is based included few elderly people. We conducted a prospective observational cohort study of 83 elderly patients (aged 75 and above) being treated with palliative radiotherapy for lung cancer, with a comparison group of 49 younger patients (aged 65 and under). Response to treatment was evaluated by patient-assessed symptom and quality of life scores using the EORTC QLQ-C30 and its companion lung module LC17. This is to date the largest prospective study of elderly lung cancer patients in routine practice. We found no significant differences in response or toxicity between the two groups. Elderly people with lung cancer should be offered palliative radiotherapy the same as younger patients, with the same expectation of benefit.

Forensic palynology and ethnobotany of Salicornia species (Chenopodiaceae) in northwest Canada and Alaska

Pollen grains from bodies of ancient people provide clues to their diet and domicile. To learn more about Kwädāy Dän Ts'ìnchí (Long Ago Person Found), who died on a British Columbia glacier 550 years ago, we studied the Chenopodiaceae pollen found in his stomach and robe. Environmental scanning electron microscopy was used to distinguish pollen of the native chenopod genera Atriplex, Chenopodium, Eurotia, Suaeda, and Salicornia (here including Sarcocornia). All chenopod pollen grains in one stomach sample were from Salicornia (Tourn.) L. (glasswort), which grows only in saline soils and has been used for food and medicine. Elders from the Champagne and Aishihik, Tagish, Gwitch'in, and Tlingit First Nations report their ethnobotanical and historical knowledge about inland and coastal Salicornia species. There is no common use for the small inland annual glasswort, Salicornia rubra A. Nelson, although other species were used for grain further south; however, Pacific Northwest coastal people have eaten the succulent perennial glasswort, Salicornia perennis Miller, since at least the 1880s. Pollen grains of this perennial salt marsh species are most similar to the chenopod pollen grains in the stomach of Kwädāy Dän Ts'ìnchí and suggest the ancient man's last meal came from the coast rather than from inland.Key words: Chenopodiaceae, Salicornia, Sarcocornia, forensic palynology, frozen body, ethnobotany.

The ethnobotany of edible seaweed (Porphyra abbottae and related species; Rhodophyta: Bangiales) and its use by First Nations on the Pacific Coast of Canada

Porphyra abbottae Krishnamurthy is a nutritionally and culturally important species of red alga used by First Peoples of coastal British Columbia and neighbouring areas. This species, along with Porphyra torta and possibly others, is still harvested from wild populations in large quantities, dried and processed, and served in a variety of ways: toasted as a snack, cooked with clams, salmon eggs, or fish in soup, or sprinkled on other foods as a condiment. It is also a valued trade and gift item, especially on the central and northern coasts of British Columbia and Alaska. Common linguistic origin of the majority of names for this species among some 16 language groups in five language families indicates widespread exchange of knowledge about this seaweed from southern Vancouver Island north to Alaska. Coastal indigenous people have expressed concerns about potential commercialization of Porphyra and impacts from pollution and global climate change.Key words: Porphyra abbottae, Northwest Coast, traditional food, Aboriginal people, marine algae, edible seaweed.

P450(camr), a cytochrome P450 catalysing the stereospecific 6- endo-hydroxylation of (1 R)-(+)-camphor

Rhodococcus sp. NCIMB 9784 accumulated 6- endo-hydroxycamphor 3 when grown on (1 R)-(+)-camphor 1 as sole carbon source. The structure of 3 has been unambiguously assigned for the first time using X-ray crystallography. A soluble cytochrome P450 hydroxylase, induced by growth on (1 R)-(+)-camphor and designated P450(camr), has been isolated from the bacterium Rhodococcus sp. NCIMB 9784. Using authentic 6- endo hydroxycamphor as standard, a cell-free system consisting of pure P450(camr) and putidaredoxin and putidaredoxin reductase from Pseudomonas putida confirmed that the enzyme hydroxylates (1 R)-(+)-camphor specifically in the 6- endoposition, in contrast to the 5- exo hydroxylation catalysed by the well-studied P450(cam) from P. putida. P450(camr) has a molecular mass of approximately 44 kDa, and a pI of 4.8.

Tuning lipase enantioselectivity in organic media using solid-state buffers

The enantioselectivity exhibited by Candida antarctica lipase B (CALB) in predominantly organic media has been studied for different enzyme protonation states. Alcoholysis of (+/-)-2-phenyl-4-benzyloxazol-5(4H)-one (1) using butan-1-ol as the nucleophile in low-water organic solvents was used as a model reaction. Using either organo-soluble bases or the newly introduced solid-state buffers of known pK(a), the protonation state of the lipase was altered. By choice of the appropriate solid-state buffer or organic base, the enantioselectivity could be selectively tuned. Both Et(3)N and the solid-state buffer pair CAPSO/CAPSO.Na were found to increase the enantioselectivity of the reaction catalyzed by CALB and that of another lipase (Mucor miehei). Significant differences to both the enantioselectivity and catalytic rate were observed, especially under hydrated conditions where byproduct acid was formed.

The desymmetrization of bicyclic beta -diketones by an enzymatic retro-Claisen reaction. A new reaction of the crotonase superfamily

The enzyme 6-oxocamphor hydrolase, which catalyzes the desymmetrization of 6-oxocamphor to yield (2R,4S)-alpha-campholinic acid, has been purified with a factor of 35.7 from a wild type strain of Rhodococcus sp. NCIMB 9784 grown on (1R)-(+)-camphor as the sole carbon source. The enzyme has a subunit molecular mass of 28,488 Da by electrospray mass spectrometry and a native molecular mass of approximately 83,000 Da indicating that the active protein is trimeric. The specific activity was determined to be 357.5 units mg(-)1, and the K(m) was determined to be 0.05 mm for the natural substrate. The N-terminal amino acid sequence was obtained from the purified protein, and using this information, the gene encoding the enzyme was cloned. The translation of the gene was found to bear significant homology to the crotonase superfamily of enzymes. The gene is closely associated with an open reading frame encoding a ferredoxin reductase that may be involved in the initial step in the biodegradation of camphor. A mechanism for 6-oxocamphor hydrolase based on sequence homology and the known mechanism of the crotonase enzymes is proposed.

Applications of transketolases in organic synthesis

The enzyme transketolase has been employed as a catalyst for asymmetric carbon-carbon bond formation in the synthesis of biologically important molecules. A number of important parameters have been addressed including substrate specificity, over-expression of the protein in suitable host systems, scale-up of the reaction and use of transketolase in multi-enzyme experiments. X-ray structural studies have been used to probe the origin of the asymmetry of the carbon-carbon bond-forming process.

Novel mechanism of inhibition of elastase by beta-lactams is defined by two inhibitor crystal complexes

Two structurally related beta-lactams form different covalent complexes upon reaction with porcine elastase. The high resolution x-ray structures of these two complexes provide a clear insight into the mechanism of the reaction and suggest the design of a new class of serine protease inhibitors that resist enzyme reactivation by hydrolysis of the acyl intermediate. The presence of a hydroxyethyl substituent on the beta-lactam ring provides a new reaction pathway resulting in the elimination of the hydroxyethyl group and the formation of a stabilizing conjugated double bond system. In contrast, the presence of a diethyl substituent on the beta-lactam ring leads to addition of water. The two enzyme complexes show very different binding modes in the enzyme active site.

Consent to treatment and the mentally incapacitated adult

Doctors are sometimes faced with adult patients who lack the mental capacity to consent to treatment. In a questionnaire, 120 doctors in a district general hospital were asked what action they would take if such a patient had a clear need for elective treatment. Of the 89 who replied, 57 said they would seek consent from relatives or others; 11 of these, nevertheless, stated that treatment could proceed without such consent. These results, and inquiries about other options, pointed to widespread misunderstanding of the law. In English law, no one can give legally valid consent on behalf of another adult. When an individual is unable to give consent, common law allows a doctor to protect a patient's best interests by treating him or her in accordance with a responsible body of medical opinion.

Content and legibility of outpatient appointment letters

OBJECTIVES

To assess whether outpatient appointment letters can be read by visually impaired people and to examine the information they contain.

DESIGN

Postal survey of hospital outpatient departments in England and Wales.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Royal National Institute for the Blind (RNIB) guidelines for print size and weight, colour contrast between paper and print and use of capital letters; checklist of items of information contained.

RESULTS

We asked 295 hospital trusts for copies of their outpatient appointment letters, and received 158 samples. In 87% the print size was too small to be read by visually impaired people. All used contrasting paper and print colour, but 13% used too light a print weight. Twelve percent used capital letters throughout which are harder to read than lower case lettering. Information content was variable. Twenty letters specifically designed for low vision clinics were assessed separately; all used adequate print size and weight, but 55% used capitals throughout.

CONCLUSIONS

Most outpatient appointment letters are not easily read by visually impaired people. Important items of information are omitted from some letters.

Molecular modelling studies of substrate binding to the lipase from Rhizomucor miehei

Lipase enzymes have found increasingly widespread use, especially in biotransformation reactions in organic synthesis. Due to their efficiency and high enantioselectivity, they can be employed in a variety of reactions to carry out asymmetric hydrolyses, esterifications and transesterifications. However, the reasons for their stereospecificity have not been fully correlated with the enzyme structure. Employing molecular modelling techniques and existing experimental data, a transesterification reaction using Rhizomucor miehei lipase was studied. The results indicate that the major controlling factor for this reaction is hydrophobic in nature, providing support for previous literature hypotheses. In addition, computational experiments suggest that the origin of enantioselectivity is the formation of essential hydrogen bonds in and around the catalytic triad of active site residues. Only one enantiomer of the substrate is able to form these hydrogen bonds during the formation of the first tetrahedral transition state.

Carrier herbal medicine: an evaluation of the antimicrobial and anticancer activity in some frequently used remedies

The antimicrobial properties of some traditional Carrier herbal preparations were evaluated using an agar dilution method. Pitch preparations were screened against known human pathogens: Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Candida albicans and Aspergillus fumigatus. The results indicated definite antimicrobial activity in the pitch preparations of Picea glauca and Pinus contorta and provide a starting point for pharmacognostic evaluation of these species. In addition, cytoxicity assays, to test the anticancer activity of methanolic extracts of Alnus incana and Shepherdia canadensis against mouse mastocytoma cells, were shown to be positive.

Carrier herbal medicine: traditional and contemporary plant use

The Carrier, an Athapaskan-speaking people of northcentral British Columbia, occupy the sub-boreal spruce forests of the central interior. This report, which is based on field study, documents some traditional and contemporary knowledge of the medicinal use of plants by the Carrier people. Important medicinal plants include: Abies lasiocarpa, Alnus incana, Arctostaphylos uva-ursi, Artemisia frigida, Fragaria virginiana, Juniperus communis, Picea glauca, Pinus contorta, Populus tremuloides, Rubus idaeus and Shepherdia canadensis.

Microbial hydrolysis of glutaronitrile derivatives with Brevibacterium sp. R 312

The enantiomerically pure (S)-cyano acids 3 and 4 can be obtained by biotransformation with Brevibacterium sp. R 312 of the corresponding prochiral dinitriles 5 and 6, respectively. The hydrolysis is probably a two step process involving a nitrile hydratase and an amidase. In connection with these investigations a facile method for the synthesis of racemic 4-cyano-3-hydroxybutanoic acid derivatives was developed.

A novel mono-branched lipid phosphate acts as a substrate for dolichyl phosphate mannose synthetase

Dolichyl phosphate mannose synthetase (GDP-mannose: dolichyl-phosphate O-beta-D-mannosyltransferase; EC 2.4.1.83) is an enzyme that is involved in glycoconjugate biosynthesis and possesses a putatively conserved dolichol binding site. In order to probe the interaction between the enzyme and the dolichol chain, lipid phosphates varying in length and extent of branching have been tested as substrates in crude microsomal preparations from Saccharomyces cerevisiae. It was found that phytanyl (3,7,11,15-tetramethylhexadecanyl) phosphate was utilized at 60-70% of the efficiency of the natural dolichyl lipid in transfer of [3,4,-3H]mannose from GDP-Man to organic soluble material, whereas addition of S-3-methyloctadecanyl phosphate, which is of similar length to the phytanyl analogue but with only one branch, resulted in approximately 25% of the incorporation of the natural substrate. Incubations with the unbranched tetradecanyl phosphate and with the short, doubly branched R- and S-dihydrocitronellyl (3,7-dimethyloctanyl) phosphates exhibited levels of activity similar to incubations with no exogenous acceptor. These results were qualitatively confirmed with experiments on Escherichia coli harbouring the S. cerevisiae DPM1 gene. The [3H]mannosylated lipid-linked material from microsomal incubations was purified by anion-exchange chromatography. The major saccharide component recovered after hydrolysis was determined to be mannose, but a mannose-containing disaccharide was also present. It is concluded that branching of lipid phosphates is essential for substrates of dolichyl phosphate mannose synthetase and that significant transfer of mannose occurs even if only branching at C-3 is present.