Effect of chemical and pharmacological agents on the secretory activity induced by Escherichia coli heat-stable enterotoxin

The effect of aspirin (ASP), chlorpromazine (CPZ), diphenoxylate (DP), ethylene glycol tetraacetate (EGTA), hydrocortisone (HC), loperamide (LPA), methylprednisolone (MP), phenotolamine mesylate (PTM), propranolol (PR), and trifluoperazine (TPZ) on the secretory activity induced by Escherichia coli heat-stable (ST) enterotoxin in infant mice was studied. LPA and DP, which are used therapeutically for diarrhea, did not inhibit the effect of ST enterotoxin; MP and HC, known inhibitors of cholera enterotoxin, and two adrenergic agents (PR and PTM) had no effect on ST-induced secretory activity. TPZ, EGTA, ASP, and CPZ caused a significant (P less than 0.05) decrease in the secretory activity induced by ST enterotoxin, CPZ, EGTA, and TPZ inhibited secretory activity induced by 8-bromoguanosine 3'5'-cyclic monophosphoric acid (8-BrcGMP), a cGMP analog.     

Molecular mechanisms of associative learning in mammal and mollusc

Recent work in this laboratory has begun to cast light on the biochemical mechanisms by which a cell stores associatively acquired information. This appears to occur principally via two general pathways. The first seems to be a long-term activation of protein kinase C (resulting in long-term alterations in protein phosphorylation) while the second involves changes in RNA synthesis. One striking aspect of these mechanisms in that they seem to be conserved across the species we have studied (rabbit and Hermissenda). In the present paper we review some of the studies that support the role of protein kinase C activation and RNA synthesis in memory formation.     

Non-Destructive Lichen Biomass Estimation in Northwestern Alaska: A Comparison of Methods

Terrestrial lichen biomass is an important indicator of forage availability for caribou in northern regions, and can indicate vegetation shifts due to climate change, air pollution or changes in vascular plant community structure. Techniques for estimating lichen biomass have traditionally required destructive harvesting that is painstaking and impractical, so we developed models to estimate biomass from relatively simple cover and height measurements. We measured cover and height of forage lichens (including single-taxon and multi-taxa “community” samples, n = 144) at 73 sites on the Seward Peninsula of northwestern Alaska, and harvested lichen biomass from the same plots. We assessed biomass-to-volume relationships using zero-intercept regressions, and compared differences among two non-destructive cover estimation methods (ocular vs. point count), among four landcover types in two ecoregions, and among single-taxon vs. multi-taxa samples. Additionally, we explored the feasibility of using lichen height (instead of volume) as a predictor of stand-level biomass. Although lichen taxa exhibited unique biomass and bulk density responses that varied significantly by growth form, we found that single-taxon sampling consistently under-estimated true biomass and was constrained by the need for taxonomic experts. We also found that the point count method provided little to no improvement over ocular methods, despite increased effort. Estimated biomass of lichen-dominated communities (mean lichen cover: 84.9±1.4%) using multi-taxa, ocular methods differed only nominally among landcover types within ecoregions (range: 822 to 1418 g m⁻²). Height alone was a poor predictor of lichen biomass and should always be weighted by cover abundance. We conclude that the multi-taxa (whole-community) approach, when paired with ocular estimates, is the most reasonable and practical method for estimating lichen biomass at landscape scales in northwest Alaska.     

Associative Training of Hermissenda

Reflex behavior of Hermissenda in response to visual and rotational stimuli is described. It is shown that repeated association of light with rotation modifies the subsequent responses of the animals to light. This modification does not occur after the same period of light or rotation alone. The effect of the associative training is strongly dependent on the amount of daily light with which the animals are maintained.     

Neural Organization of a Molluscan Visual System

Intracellular recording was used to study the response to light of second order visual cells within the optic ganglion of Hermissenda crassicornis. Simultaneous recordings revealed that type B but not type A photoreceptors inhibit the second order cells. Additional details of the neural organization of the visual system were obtained. Possible functional implications of this neural organization are discussed.     

Immunoprecipitation of lipid transfer protein activity by an antibody against human plasma lipid transfer protein-I

Two lipid transfer proteins, designated lipid transfer protein-I (Mr 69 000) and lipid transfer protein-II (Mr 55 000), each of which facilitates the transfer of radiolabelled cholesteryl ester, triacylglycerol and phosphatidylcholine between plasma lipoproteins, were purified from human plasma. Immunoglobulin G was prepared from goat antiserum to human lipid transfer protein-I (i.e., anti-human LTP-I IgG). The progressive addition of anti-human LTP-I IgG to buffered solutions containing either a highly purified mixture of human lipid transfer protein-I and lipid transfer protein-II, or highly purified rabbit lipid transfer protein (Abbey, M., Calvert, G.D. and Barter, P.J. (1984) Biochim. Biophys. Acta 793, 471-480) resulted in specific immunoprecipitation and the removal of increasing amounts, up to 100%, of cholesteryl ester, triacylglycerol and phosphatidylcholine transfer activities. However, similar precipitation studies on human and rabbit lipoprotein-free plasma resulted in the progressive removal of all cholesteryl ester and triacylglycerol transfer activities but only 30% (human) or 20% (rabbit) of phosphatidylcholine transfer activity. In all cases more anti-human LTP-I IgG was required to precipitate rabbit lipid transfer activity than human lipid transfer activity. These results suggest that lipid transfer protein-I and lipid transfer protein-II have antigenic sites in common, allowing precipitation of both proteins by specific antibody to lipid transfer protein-I. Most plasma phosphatidylcholine transfer activity is mediated by a protein (or proteins) other than lipid transfer protein-I and lipid transfer protein-II. In lipoprotein-free plasma all cholesteryl ester and triacylglycerol transfer activity, and some phosphatidylcholine transfer activity, is mediated by lipid transfer protein-I (or lipid transfer protein-I and an antigenically similar protein, lipid transfer protein-II.     

Arachidonic acid and diacylglycerol act synergistically to activate protein kinase C in vitro and in vivo

Using a well-defined model membrane bilayer system, incorporation of both lipid second messengers, 1,2-diacylglycerol and arachidonic acid, at submaximal activating concentrations, resulted in a synergistic activation of protein kinase C in a Ca2+/phosphatidylserine-dependent manner as measured by monitoring phosphorylation of phosphoprotein substrates. The arachidonic acid appears to modulate membrane properties both at the hydrocarbon core and the membrane surface increasing the availability of the diacylglycerol which can bind to and subsequently activate the enzyme. Co-application of these two lipid activators to the Hermissenda photoreceptor reduced K+ channel conductance in a synergistic manner via a PKC-dependent pathway. Thus, these in vivo and in vitro studies suggest that the membrane bilayer properties of these PKC lipid activators interact to specifically regulate the cellular lipid microenvironment resulting in PKC activation.     

Nutritional ecology of dimorphic herbivores: digestion and passage rates in Nubian ibex

We compared forage digestion and passage rates among three groups of Nubian ibex (Capra ibex nubiana) — mature males, non-lactating females, and lactating females — to test hypotheses relating intraspecific digestive ability to body mass and reproduction costs. We hypothesized that large males (60 kg) would exhibit longer forage retention times and more complete digestion of fermentable cell walls than adult females (23 kg). We tested these predictions by measuring digestion and retention of a grass hay and an alfalfa hay, forages that exhibited contrasting rates and extents of cell wall digestion. Consistent with predictions, males retained both forages longer than non-lactating females. However, by substantially increasing gut fill, lactating females increased both intake and retention time with respect to non-lactating females. Contrary to predictions, all three groups digested the grass (66% digestible) and alfalfa hay (63%) equally well. Alfalfa cell wall was less digestible than that of grass hay (60% vs 69% digestible), and retention time of alfalfa was consistently, but not statistically significantly, shorter. Fiber digestion was not correlated with retention time, emphasizing the ability of behavioral processes to modify digestion rate. We postulate that females achieved their greater digestion rate by masticating forages much more thoroughly than males.