Ernst Mayr as community architect: Launching the society for the study of evolution and the journalEvolution

Ernst Mayr's contributions to 20th century biology extend far beyond his defense of certain elements in evolutionary theory. At the center of mid-century efforts in American evolutionary studies to build large research communities, Mayr spearheaded campaigns to create a Society for the Study of Evolution and a dedicated journal,Evolution, in 1946. Begun to offset the prominence ofDrosophila biology and evolutionary genetics, these campaigns changed course repeatedly, as impediments appeared, tactics shifted, and compromises built a growing coalition of support. Preserved, however, were designs to balance the community and journal with careful equation of status and explicit partitioning of responsibilities within the working coalition. Choice terms such as cooperation and unity carried a strong political message. Mayr's editorship ofEvolution provides a superb example of these balancing efforts. The mid-century infrastructural activities described herein also represented aggressive attempts to leverage control across several layers of community. Leaders of these campaigns sought: (1) to promote evolutionary studies as a modernized research discipline and place it at the center of American biology, (2) to promote evolutionary studies within existing disciplines — e.g. systematics, genetics, and paleontology, (3) to foster certain research styles within evolutionary studies, and (4) to emphasize certain solutions to prominent research questions. Throughout, Mayr interjected his priorities, tactics and energy.     

Christian Ludwig Brehms und Friedrich Wilhelm Justus Baedekers ?Vollst?ndige Naturgeschichte der europ?ischen V?gel“

Zusammenfassung Zwischen 1825 und 1828 versuchte Christian Ludwig Brehm (1787–1864) eine Vollständige Naturgeschichte der europäischen Vögel, illustriert von seinem Freund Friedrich Wilhelm Justus Baedeker (1786–1865), herauszubringen. Brehms Bemühungen um eine Förderung des Tafelwerk-Projektes durch den preußischen König Friedrich Wilhelm III scheiterten an einem Gutachten Hinrich Lichtensteins. Ein bislang unbekannter Brief von Brehm mit einem Originalaquarell Baedekers ergänzt und erweitert unser Wissen um dieses erfolglose Buchvorhaben.

---

A complete natural history of the European birds by Christian Ludwig Brehm and Friedrich Wilhelm Justus Baedeker

Summary Between 1825 and 1828, Christian Ludwig Brehm tried to publish a Complete natural history of the European birds illustrated with plates by his friend Friedrich Wilhelm Justus Baedeker (1786–1865). Brehm's efforts to get this project supported by the Prussian king Friedrich Wilhelm III. failed as a result of an expertise by Hinrich Lichtenstein. A so far unknown letter written by Brehm with an enclosed original water-colour painting by Baedeker completes and enlarges our information on this unsuccessful book project.

     

Evolutionary origin of the class A and class C β-lactamases

Summary The protein sequences of 18 class A -lactamases and 2 class C -lactamases were analyzed to produce a rooted phylogenetic tree using the DD peptidase of Streptomyces R61 as an outgroup. This tree supports the penicillin-binding proteins as the most likely candidate for the ancestoral origin of the class A and class C -lactamases, these proteins diverging from a common evolutionary origin close to the DD peptidase. The actinomycetes are clearly shown as the origin of the class A -lactamases found in other non-actinomycete species. The tree also divides the -lactamases from the Streptomyces into two subgroups. One subgroup is closer to the DD peptidase root. The other Streptomyces subgroup shares a common branch point with the rest of the class A -lactamases, showing this subgroup as the origin of the non-actinomycete class A -lactamases. The non-actinomycete class A -lactamase phylogenetic tree suggests a spread of these -lactamases by horizontal transfer from the Streptomyces into the non-actinomycete gram-positive bacteria and thence into the gram-negative bacteria. The phylogenetic tree of the Streptomyces class A -lactamases supports the possibility that horizontal transfer of class A -lactamases occurred within the Streptomyces.     

Phylogenetic Relationships of the Seven Coat Protein Subunits of the Coatomer Complex, and Comparative Sequence Analysis of Murine Xenin and Proxenin

The coatomer complex is involved in intracellular protein transport and comprises an assembly of seven polypeptide subunits designated , , , , , , and COP. Rooted phylogenetic trees constructed from the full-length cDNA and amino acid sequences of 49 COP entities in different eukaryotes from yeast to man generally revealed striking conservation of each subunit through evolution. Both nucleotide and protein trees displayed close relationships between and subunits, between and subunits, and between and subunits, implying evolution from common ancestors as well as functional similarity. Interestingly, although 6 out of 7 -COP genes appeared to be grouped and related to the -COP genes, 4 out of 7 -COP gene products clustered with other groups of other COP subunit proteins. A 5 coding segment of the murine -COP gene was amplified by RT-PCR and cycle-sequenced. The partial predicted amino acid sequence of this murine homolog was exactly identical to the human and bovine counterparts. Of particular significance was the complete identity of the first 25 and 35 N-terminal residues which constitute the gastrointestinal hormone xenin and its precursor proxenin, thus emphasizing their strict evolutionary conservation and alluding to their physiological importance.     

Hydric constraints upon foraging in a terrestrial salamander,Desmognathus ochrophaeus (Amphibia: Plethodontidae)

Summary The time until salamanders voluntarily abandoned foraging (the water time limit) and the amount of water lost when salamanders abandoned foraging (dehydration deficit) were determined for terrestrial plethodontid salamanders, Desmognathus ochrophaeus, foraging at various vapor pressure gradients in the laboratory. Salamander activity was correlated with the rate of water loss and was inversely related to the water time limit. Animals at 0.35–0.86 kPa vapor pressure gradients abandoned foraging and returned to moist retreats significantly sooner than animals in water-saturated air. The early retreat of animals in dry air was related in part to high rates of water loss and in part to the modest dehydration deficit (3.8%) at which animals abandoned foraging. Locomotor performance and foraging ability were unaffected by dehydration until dehydration deficits exceeded 12%. This suggests that salamanders in unsaturated air abandoned foraging at a low dehydration deficit to conserve and replenish water reserves rather than to avoid outright incapacitation or death. Present address: Department of Zoology, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario N1G 2W1, Canada     

“It Ain’t Over ‘til it’s Over”: Rethinking the Darwinian Revolution

This paper attempts a critical examination of scholarly understanding of the historical event referred to as the Darwinian Revolution. In particular, it concentrates on some of the major scholarly works that have appeared since the publication in 1979 of Michael Ruses The Darwinian Revolution: Nature Red in Tooth and Claw. The paper closes by arguing that fruitful critical perspectives on what counts as this event can be gained by locating it in a range of historiographic and disciplinary contexts that include the emergence of the discipline of evolutionary biology (following the evolutionary synthesis), the 1959 Darwin centenary, and the maturation of the discipline of the history of science. Broader perspectives on something called the Darwinian Revolution are called for that include recognizing that it does not map a one-to-one correspondence with the history of evolution, broadly construed.     

Linkage of the β-Like ω-Globin Gene to α-Like Globin Genes in an Australian Marsupial Supports the Chromosome Duplication Model for Separation of Globin Gene Clusters

The structure, function, and evolutionary history of globin genes have been the subject of extensive investigation over a period of more than 40 years, yet new globin genes with highly specialized functions are still being discovered and much remains uncertain about their evolutionary history. Here we investigate the molecular evolution of the -globin gene family in a marsupial species, the tammar wallaby, Macropus eugenii. We report the complete DNA sequences of two -like globin genes and show by phylogenetic analyses that one of these genes is orthologous to embryonically expressed -globin genes of marsupials and eutherians and the other is orthologous to adult expressed -globin genes of marsupials and eutherians. We show that the tammar wallaby contains a third functional -like globin gene, -globin, which forms part of the -globin gene cluster. The position of -globin on the 3 side of the -globin cluster and its ancient phylogenetic history fit the criteria, originally proposed by Jeffreys et al. (1980), of a fossil -globin gene and suggest that an ancient chromosome or genome duplication preceded the evolution of unlinked clusters of - and -globin genes in mammals and avians. In eutherian mammals, such as humans and mice, -globin has been silenced or translocated away from the -globin locus, while in marsupials -globin is coordinately expressed with the adult -globin gene just prior to birth to produce a functional hemoglobin (_{2 2}).     

Leo Semenovich Berg and the biology of Acipenseriformes: a dedication

This volume is dedicated to the memory of Leo Semenovich Berg (1876–1950), a Russian ichthyologist and geographer. In the foreword to the English translation of Berg's remarkable treatise, Nomogenesis or evolution according to law, Theodosius Dobzhansky wrote: Berg was one of the outstanding intellects among Russian scientists. The breadth of his interests and the depth as well as the amplitude of his scholarship were remarkable. He had the reputation of being a walking library, because of the amount of information he could produce from his memory (Dobzhansky 1969, p. xi). Berg was prolific, publishing 217 papers and monographs on ichthyology, 30 papers on general zoology and biology, 20 papers on paleontology, 32 papers on zoogeoégraphy, 320 papers and monographs on geography, geology, and ethnography, as well as 290 biographies, obituaries, and popular articles (Berg 1955, Sokolov 1955).     

Antitumor response to recombinant murine interferon γ correlates with enhanced immune function of organ-associated,but not recirculating cytolytic T lymphocytes and macrophages

The mechanism of therapeutic activity for recombinant murine interferon-(rMu IFN) in the treatment of metastatic disease was investigated by comparing effector cell augmentation with therapeutic activity in mice bearing experimental lung metastases (B16-BL6 melanoma). Effector cell functions in spleen, peripheral blood, and lung (the tumor-bearing organ) were tested after 1 week and 3 weeks of rMu IFN administration (i.v. three times per week). Natural killer (NK), lymphokine-activated killer (LAK), cytolytic T lymphocyte (CTL) activities against specific and nonspecific targets, and macrophage tumoristatic activity were measured. rMu IFN demonstrated immunomodulatory activity in most assays of immune function. The optimal therapeutic protocol of rMu IFN (2.5×10⁶ U/kg, three times per week) prolonged survival and decreased the number of pulmonary metastatic foci. This therapeutic activity was correlated with specific CTL activity from pulmonary parenchymal mononuclear cells (PPMC), but not from spleen or blood. Macrophage tumoristatic activity in PPMC also correlated with therapeutic activity, but activity in alveolar macrophages did not. However, therapeutic activity did not correlate with NK or LAK activity at any site. These results demonstrate that the optimal therapeutic protocol is the same as the optimal immunomodulatory dose for pulmonary CTL and macrophage activities. Furthermore, while immunological monitoring may help to optimize treatment protocols, current monitoring procedures that use readily accessible sites, particularly peripheral blood, may not accurately predict the therapeutic efficacy of biological response modifiers in clinical trials.By acceptance of this article, the publisher or recipient acknowledges the right of the US. Government to retain a nonexclusive, royalty-free license in and to any copyright covering the articleThis research was sponsored by the DHHS, under contract N01-23910 with Program Resources Inc. The contents of this publication do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the Department of Health and Human Services, nor does mention of trade names, commercial products, or organizations imply endorsement by the US Government     

Identification and characterization of the Sda β1,4,N-acetylgalactosaminyltransferase from pig large intestine

The high occurrence in large intestine epithelial cells from pig of a -N-acetylgalactosaminyltransferase with a substrate specificity very similar to that of the Sd^a 1,4-N-acetylgalactosaminyltransferase from other tissues is reported. The enzyme strictly recognized the NeuAc2,3Gal terminal sequence ofN- andO-linked oligosaccharides bound to glycoproteins. The transferase activity required Mn²⁺ and an optimum pH of 7.4. In contrast to the kidney Sd^a-enzyme from humans and other mammals, the microsomal fraction of pig colonic cells expressed a very high activity even in the absence of Triton X-100. A rapid procedure is presented for the large scale preparation of GalNAc1,4(NeuAc2,3)Gal1,4Glc from NeuAc2,3Gal1,4Glc. The biosynthesized tetrasaccharide was completely resistant to the action of neuraminidase fromVibrio cholerae, whereas about 60% ofN-acetylneuramic acid was cleaved by neuraminidase from Newcastle disease virus. HPLC separation of different compounds is reported.