The larval development of lateral musculature in gilthead sea bream Sparus aurata and sea bass Dicentrarchus labrax

Fibre-type differentiation of the lateral musculature has been studied in Sparus aurata (L.) and Dicentrarchus labrax (L.) during larval development. Histochemical and ultrastructural techniques show two presumptive muscle layers and two germinative zones of presumptive myoblasts. At hatching, myotomal muscle consists of a monolayer of thin undifferentiated cells near the skin (first germinative zone) overlying another mono-layer of small diameter fibres extending hypaxially and epaxially away from the transverse septum. Below this, there is a much thicker, deep layer of fibres, generally large in diameter and polygonal in shape. The presumptive myoblasts are located between these two layers of fibres in the second germinative zone. Initially, the superficial and deep muscle fibres show high and low myosin ATPase activity, respectively. Both layers grow by generating new fibres from the two mentioned germinative zones. At the end of larval life, the superficial layer changes its histochemical profile from high to low myosin ATPase activity and, at the same time, intermediate or pink muscle fibres can be observed by oxidative activity (the NADH-TR reaction). Morphometric analysis shows a significant increase in mean fibre diameter during successive ages, as shown by the Student's t-test (hypertrophic growth). Skewness and kurtosis values of fibre diameters point to the generation of a new fibre population from the germinative zones (hyperplastic growth).     

Dinucleotide repeat polymorphism at the D4S2458 locus close to the PKD2 locus on human chromosome 4q

A new polymorphic CA repeat sequence was identified within the candidate region fot the autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease type 2 (PKD2) locus. It should be a useful marker in the localization of this gene.     

Nitrogen-fixing cyanobacteria as source of phycobiliprotein pigments. Composition and growth performance of ten filamentous heterocystous strains

Ten strains of filamentous, heterocystous nitrogen-fixing blue-green algae (cyanobacteria) were screened for growth performance and tolerance to temperature, pH, irradiance and salinity, together with their potential as producers of phycobiliprotein pigments. Phycobiliproteins typically accounted for about 50% total cell protein, the prevalent type being C-phycocyanin, followed by alloppycocyanin, with levels of 17 and 11% d.wt, respectively, in some strains of Anabaena and Nostoc. C-phycoerythrin was the major pigment in several Nostoc strains, reaching 10% d.wt. Some strains represent, therefore, excellent sources of one or more phycobiliproteins. All strains tolerated an irradiance of ca 2000 μmol photon m^-2 s^-1. Anabaena sp. ATCC 33047 and Nostoc sp. (Albufera) exhibited the widest optimum range of both temperature (30–45 and 25–40 °C) and pH (6.5–9.5 and 6.0–9.0) for growth, the former also showing significant salt tolerance. In an outdoor open system, productivity of cultures of two phycoerythrin-rich strains of Nostoc was over 20 g (d.wt) m^-2 d^-1 during summer. The growth performance of the allophycocyanin-rich Anabaena sp. ATCC 33047 in outdoor semi-continuous culture has been assessed throughout the year. Productivity values under optimized conditions ranged from 9 (winter) to 24 (summer) g (d.wt) m^-2 d^-1.     

L-Arabinose is not a gratuitous inducer of α-galactosidase from Saccharomyces carlsbergensis

L-Arabinose has been described as a gratuitous inducer of the yeast -galactosidase. This has been found to be an artefact resulting from galactose contamination of commercial samples of L-arabinose. The inactivation produced on UDP-glucose 4-epimerase by the pentose does not amplify the inducer activity of contaminating D-galactose.     

Effect of mexiletine on glucose and oxygen uptake in rat brain, liver and myocardial tissue in vitro (author's transl)

The effect of mexiletine on oxygen and glucose consumption was studied both in homogenate and slices of brain, liver and myocardium of Wistar rats. Oxygen consumption was detected by means of Warburg's manometric techniques, and glucose utilization by the enzymatic method of glucose oxidase. Whilst glucose uptake was not modified in any of the studied preparations, mexiletine promoted a significant increase of oxygen consumption in the homogenized slices, and an inhibition in the intact tissue.     

The learning skills of primates: The rhesus macaque in comparative perspective

Twenty-month-old rhesus monkeys were tested in a modified discrimination-reversal paradigm, which was designed to distinguish abstract learning from stimulus-response associational learning. Previous studies indicate that talapoin monkeys learn associationally and great apes via forming abstract concepts. Adult rhesus monkeys are apparently capable of forming simple abstractions, but learn primarily through associational process. The results of this study show the adolescent rhesus monkeys to be associational learners, with their response patterns indicating more complexity than the talapoins but less than the adult rhesus monkeys. The data suggest that rhesus monkeys develop their low-level capacity of abstract learning with maturation.     

Processing of an endogenous protein can generate MHC class II-restricted T cell determinants distinct from those derived from exogenous antigen.

Class II MHC molecules on the surface of an APC present immunogenic peptides derived mainly from exogenous proteins to CD4+ T cells. During its transport to the cell surface, class II molecules intersect the endocytic pathway where they acquire peptides derived from endocytosed proteins. However, class II-restricted presentation of endogenously derived peptides can also occur. The current studies were undertaken to examine the ability of different types of APC to generate and present four different T cell determinants derived from an endogenous, nonsecreted, truncated form of hen-egg white lysozyme (HEL[1-80]-Kk). This was compared with the ability of these APC to generate the same determinants from exogenous HEL. All the peptides derived from endogenous HEL[1-80]-Kk tested, were presented by B cells to HEL-specific T cell hybridomas with an efficiency similar to presentation of the same determinants from exogenous HEL. In contrast, an I-Ak-bearing rat fibroblast was unable to generate the HEL peptide 25-43 from exogenous HEL, but could efficiently produce it from endogenous HEL[1-80]-Kk. The results indicate first, that peptides derived from an endogenous Ag can be presented by MHC class II molecules with an efficiency comparable to that of the presentation of the exogenous Ag. Second, that Ag-presenting B cells can generate the same repertoire of antigenic peptides from endogenous Ag as those generated from the exogenous protein. And third, that in contrast to B cells, certain "nonprofessional" APC can generate, from an endogenous protein, T cell determinants distinct from those generated after endocytosis of the exogenous protein. These results suggest that processing of exogenous and endogenous Ag by different APC take place in different intracellular compartments.     

Interactions between magainin 2 and Salmonella typhimurium outer membranes: effect of lipopolysaccharide structure

The role of the outer membrane and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in the interaction between the small cationic antimicrobial peptide magainin 2 and the Gram-negative cell envelope was studied by FT-IR spectroscopy. Magainin 2 alters the thermotropic properties of the outer membrane-peptidoglycan complexes from wild-type Salmonella typhimurium and a series of LPS mutants which display differential susceptibility to the bactericidal activity of cationic antibiotics. These results are correlated with the LPS phosphorylation pattern and charge (characterized by high-resolution 31P NMR) and outer membrane lipid composition, and are compared to the bactericidal susceptibility. LPS mutants show a progressive loss of resistance to killing by magainin 2 as the length of the LPS polysaccharide moiety decreases. Disordering of the outer membrane lipid fatty acyl chains by magainin 2, however, depends primarily upon the magnitude of LPS charge rather than the length of the LPS polysaccharide, contradicting the proposal by Weiss et al. [Weiss, J., Beckerdite-Quagiata, S., & Elsbach, P. (1980) J. Clin. Invest. 65, 619-628] that the sugar side chain of LPS shields the negative charges of the outer membrane surface. While disruption of outer membrane structure most likely is not the primary factor leading to cell death, the susceptibility of Gram-negative cells to magainin 2 is associated with factors that facilitate the transport of the peptide across the outer membrane, such as the magnitude and location of LPS charge, the concentration of LPS in the outer membrane, outer membrane molecular architecture, and the presence or absence of the O-antigen side chain.     

Differentiation between thermophilic Campylobacter species by species-specific antibodies

P.L. GRIFFITHS. G.S. MORENO AND R.W. A. PARK. 1992. The four species of thermophilic camplyobacters, Campylobacter jejuni, C. coli, C. upsaliensis and C. lari , are difficult to distinguish from each other because of their lack of reactivity in many conventional biochemical and physiological tests. Those tests which do discriminate sometimes give discordant results. Species-specific antibody preparations (APs), capable of discriminating between the thermophilic campylobacter species by dot-ELISA, were raised by inoculation of mice with partially purified membrane protein. The APs produced were absorbed with cells of cross-reactive species and tested by dot-ELISA against reference and natural strains, the identities of which were confirmed by DNA/DNA hybridization. The results showed that such APs could be useful as an alternative to DNA/DNA hybridization for rapid species identification, for example in epidemiological surveys. Western blotting experiments with the APs showed that the specificity of the antibodies was not due to a single antigen.