The stimulatory effect of beta-endorphin on the plasma prolactin levels was diminished in the rats treated with 6-hydroxydopamine

Intraventicular injection of beta-endorphin (beta LPH_61^?91) in urethane anesthetized male rats led to a dose dependent increase of plasma prolactin levels. Intravenous injection of apomorphine completely abolished the stimulatory effect of beta-endorphin. Animals treated with 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) and 6-OHDA plus desmethylimipramine showed inhibition of beta-endorphin induced prolactin release. These results suggest that beta-endorphin presynaptically inhibits the activity of dopaminergic neurones, leading to the stimulation of plasma prolactin levels.     

Low-pressure microwave-induced helium plasma emission spectrometry: Vaporization characteristics of metal chlorides,nitrates, and sulfates

A low-pressure microwave-induced helium plasma serves as an excitation source for metal chlorides, nitrates, and sulfates vaporized from a filament, resulting in fractional vaporization and differential sensitivities of detection of the elements depending on the vapor pressures of their salts. The shapes of the single emission peaks, which are simple in the presence of potassium chloride, become complex and may double in number.     

Tail-associated structural protein gp61 of Staphylococcus aureus phage φMR11 has bifunctional lytic activity

A tailed bacteriophage, φMR11 (siphovirus), was selected as a candidate therapeutic phage against Staphylococcus aureus infections. Gene 61, one of the 67 ORFs identified, is located in the morphogenic module. The gene product (gp61) has lytic domains homologous to CHAP (corresponding to an amidase function) at its N-terminus and lysozyme subfamily 2 (LYZ2) at its C-terminus. Each domain of gp61 was purified as a recombinant protein. Both the amidase [amino acids (aa) 1–150] and the lysozyme (aa 401–624) domains but not the linker domain (aa 151–400) caused efficient lysis of S . aureus . Immunoelectron microscopy localized gp61 to the tail tip of the φMR11 phage. These data strongly suggest that gp61 is a tail-associated lytic factor involved in local cell-wall degradation, allowing the subsequent injection of φMR11 DNA into the host cytoplasm. Staphylococcus aureus lysogenized with φMR11 was also lysed by both proteins. Staphylococcus aureus strains on which φMR11 phage can only produce spots but not plaques were also lysed by each protein, indicating that gp61 may be involved in 'lysis from without'. This is the first report of the presence of a tail-associated virion protein that acts as a lysin, in an S. aureus phage.     

Cardiolipin and Its Different Properties in Mitophagy and Apoptosis

Cardiolipin (CL) is a unique dimeric phospholipid that exists almost exclusively in the inner mitochondrial membrane (IMM) in eukaryotic cells. Two chiral carbons and four fatty acyl chains in CL result in a flexible body allowing interactions with respiratory chain complexes and mitochondrial substrate carriers. Due to its high content of unsaturated fatty acids, CL is particularly prone to reactive oxygen species (ROS)-induced oxidative attacks. Under mild mitochondrial damage, CL is redistributed to the outer mitochondrial membrane (OMM) and serves as a recognition signal for dysfunctional mitochondria, which are rapidly sequestered by autophagosomes. However, peroxidation of CL is far greater in response to severe stress than under normal or mild-damage conditions. The accumulation of oxidized CL on the OMM results in recruitment of Bax and formation of the mitochondrial permeability transition pore (MPTP), which releases Cytochrome c (Cyt c) from mitochondria. Over the past decade, the significance of CL in the function of mitochondrial bioenergy has been explored. Moreover, approaches to analyzing CL have become more effective and accurate. In this review, we discuss the unique structural features of CL as well as the current understanding of CL-based molecular mechanisms of mitophagy and apoptosis.     

Development of social grooming between mother and offspring in wild chimpanzees

Grooming between female chimpanzees and their offspring was studied in the Mahale Mountains, Tanzania. Infants under 2 years of age rarely groomed their mothers, and mostly groomed accessible parts of their mother's bodies, if they did so. Most older adolescents reciprocated grooming with their mothers almost equally. Daughters appeared to mature socially earlier than sons, judging from the earlier ages at which a female infant began to groom her mother, groom mutually with her, and groom others. Weaning infants groomed their mothers more when they were in oestrus than when they were not. Development of the use of grooming as a means of social manoeuvring is discussed.     

Distribution of Clostridium botulinum type C in Ishikawa prefecture, and applicability of agglutination to identification of nontoxigenic isolates of C. botulinum type C.

Since deaths of waterfowls have frequently been observed in Lake Kahoku near Kanazawa city, Japan, we attempted an ecological study on Clostridium botulinum type C in four other lakes as well as Lake Kahoku. One hundred and twenty-nine (56%) of 230 soil samples collected gave rise to lethal toxicity in mice with the characteristic “wasp-waist” symptom. All of the 51 samples arbitrarily selected were neutralized by C. botulinum type C antitoxic serum. A further seasonal study throughout the year at a given shore area of Lake Kahoku disclosed that nearly all samples gave rise to toxicity due to C. botulinum type C during the autumn season when the most waterfowls congregate. Toxigenic strains of C. botulinum type C were isolated together with nontoxigenic strains that were culturally and biochemically similar to the toxigenic strains. Both the toxigenic and nontoxigenic strains were equally agglutinable by an antiserum prepared against one of the nontoxigenic strains. Further extensive studies on the specificity of the agglutination method for identification were performed with 112 strains of 46 clostridial species. None of the strains used except some strains of C. novyi type A and a strain of C. botulinum type D was agglutinable. Based on the findings for cultural, biochemical, and agglutinable properties, the nontoxigenic strains were identified as C. botulinum type C. Also, C. novyi type A isolates showing colonies covered with a small pearly layer zone but surrounded by an aberrantly wide lecithinase zone are discussed.