Influence of chlorophyll a on intermolecular interactions in liquid crystal

Studies of the variability of the spectral properties (linear dichroism, polarized fluorescence and the energetic separation of the absorption and emission bands) of chlorophyll a in a nematic liquid crystal matrix with respect to the effects of solute concentration and the external electric fields were made. A close examination of the above mentioned types of variability suggest that the pigment molecules can influence a high initial order of the liquid crystal matrix. These structural changes of the matrix can be explained by the assumption that two types of chlorophyll with different orientations occur: the surface layers with the high degree of orientation, and a central volume of the sample with disordered molecules. The ordered molecules are sensitive to an reorientation by the external electric field.     

The Muridae glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase family

Summary Although only one gene is known to be functional, numerous glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) related sequences are scattered throughoutMus musculus andRattus rattus genomes. In this report we show that: (1) GAPDH pseudogenes are repeated to comparable extents, at least 400 copies, in 12 other Muridae species; (2) the complete, or nearly so, sequence of GAPDH messenger RNA is amplified, and a high proportion, if not all of these copies, are intronless; (3) GAPDH pseudogenes are preferentially located in heavily methylated and DNAse I-insensitive regions of chromatin; and (4) the presence of atypical GAPDH-related mRNAs in different cellular contexts raises the possibility that more than one GAPDH gene is transcribed.     

Encephalic ventricles of the ewe (Ovis aries L.): conformation, relations and stereotaxic topography

Fifteen ewes, aged 3-6 years, were used for studying the conformation of the cerebral ventricles on mouldings, and the topography on scannographs and frozen cuts. The lateral ventricles show important variations, but the topography of their olfactory recess is constant.     

Stuttering—The Effect of Treatment with D-Amphetamine and a Tranquilizing Agent,Trifluoperazine; A Preliminary Report on an Uncontrolled Study

In an institution for the mentally retarded, an uncontrolled study was made on the effects of d-amphetamine, d-amphetamine followed by trifluoperazine, and of combined d-amphetamine and trifluoperazine on stuttering. Of 28 patients to whom d-amphetamine was given, 14 showed improvement after one month''s treatment. Eight more showed improvement when trifluoperazine was given for one month to those who did not improve on d-amphetamine. In many cases, improvement was sustained at least six months after treatment was discontinued.Treatment with d-amphetamine was apparently more effective in patients with functional than with organic retardation.     

The molecular machinery of germ line specification

Germ cells occupy a unique position in animal reproduction, development, and evolution. In sexually reproducing animals, only they can produce gametes and contribute genetically to subsequent generations. Nonetheless, germ line specification during embryogenesis is conceptually the same as the specification of any somatic cell type: germ cells must activate a specific gene regulatory network in order to differentiate and go through gametogenesis. While many genes with critical roles in the germ line have been characterized with respect to expression pattern and genetic interactions, it is the molecular interactions of the relevant gene products that are ultimately responsible for germ cell differentiation. This review summarizes the current state of knowledge on the molecular functions and biochemical connections between germ line gene products. We find that homologous genes often interact physically with the same conserved molecular partners across the metazoans. We also point out cases of nonhomologous genes from different species whose gene products play analogous biological roles in the germ line. We suggest a preliminary molecular definition of an ancestral “pluripotency module” that could have been modified during metazoan evolution to become specific to the germ line. Mol. Reprod. Dev. 77: 3–18, 2010. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

Osmotic stress induces gut microbiota community shift in fish

Alteration of the gut microbiota plays an important role in animal health and metabolic diseases. However, little is known with respect to the influence of environmental osmolality on the gut microbial community. The aim of the current study was to determine whether the reduction in salinity affects the gut microbiota and identify its potential role in salinity acclimation. Using Oryzias melastigma as a model organism to perform progressive hypotonic transfer experiments, we evaluated three conditions: seawater control (SW), SW to 50% sea water transfer (SFW) and SW to SFW to freshwater transfer (FW). Our results showed that the SFW and FW transfer groups contained higher operational taxonomic unit microbiota diversities. The dominant bacteria in all conditions constituted the phylum Proteobacteria, with the majority in the SW and SFW transfer gut comprising Vibrio at the genus level, whereas this population was replaced by Pseudomonas in the FW transfer gut. Furthermore, our data revealed that the FW transfer gut microbiota exhibited a reduced renin–angiotensin system, which is important in SW acclimation. In addition, induced detoxification and immune mechanisms were found in the FW transfer gut microbiota. The shift of the bacteria community in different osmolality environments indicated possible roles of bacteria in facilitating host acclimation.