Rat liver alcohol dehydrogenase. Purification and properties

Alcohol dehydrogenase (EC 1.1.1.1) from the rat liver supernatant fraction has been purified 200-fold and partially characterized. The isolation procedure involved ammonium sulphate fractionation, DEAE-Sephadex chromatography and gel filtration. The purified enzyme behaved as a homogeneous preparation as evaluated by cellulose acetate and polyacrylamide-gel disc electrophoresis. Sulphoethyl-Sephadex chromatography and immunoelectrophoresis with rabbit antiserum indicated the presence of a minor component. Rat liver alcohol dehydrogenase appears to contain 4mol of zinc/mol, has an estimated molecular weight of 65000 and consists of two subunits of similar molecular weight. Heavy-metal ions, thiol-blocking reagents, urea at concentrations below 8m, low pH (5.5) and chelating agents deactivate the enzyme but do not dissociate it into subunits. Deactivated enzyme could not be reactivated. The enzyme is strictly specific for NAD(+) and has a broad specificity for alcohols, which are bound at a hydrophobic site. Inhibition occurred with the enzyme equilibrated with Zn(2+) at concentrations above 0.1mm.     

Induced Bivalent Interlocking and the Course of Meiotic Chromosome Synapsis

WHEN chromosomes pair at meiosis the bivalents so formed do not normally interlock. Heat-treatments can, however, induce bivalent interlocking in the locust Locusta migratoria. Only the longest bivalents interlock and usually only two are found per cell; two “rod” bivalents, with single chiasmata, two “ring” bivalents, each with two or three chiasmata, or one “rod” and one “ring” bivalent (Fig. 1a, b and c). The nature of this interlocking and the metaphase orientational and congressional properties of interlocked bivalents are analysed in detail elsewhere¹.     

SPRING MIGRATION OVER PUERTO RICO AND THE WESTERN ATLANTIC, A RADAR STUDY

Migration over Puerto Rico was recorded by time-lapse filming of the display of a long-range surveillance radar on 40 days and 37 nights in the period 2 March-29 May 1971. Moderate density movements occurred every night; low density movements occurred on most days. Many birds, primarily passerines, took off from Puerto Rico each evening at 20–45 minutes after sunset.
Almost all birds flew to the west, NW or north. Birds were seen approaching from the direction of the Windward Islands and Venezuela, over Puerto Rico, and departing towards the Bahamas and eastern coast of the U.S. Uni- and multivariate analyses showed that the number of birds departing W-N each evening was positively correlated with following winds.
There is less night-to-night variation in the amount of migration at Puerto Rico than in eastern North America. However, this is apparently the result of less variable weather in the tropics, not the result of any lesser degree of meteorological selectivity by the migrants.
The tracks of the birds were correlated with wind direction. Birds moved WNW-NW with NE side winds but NW-NNW with SE following winds. The tracks were rarely exactly downwind. The variance amongst the directions of individual birds at any given time was usually small and not correlated with cloud cover or magnetic disturbances. The estimated headings of the birds varied from day to day in a pattern suggesting adjustment of headings to compensate at least partially for lateral wind drift.
In autumn many birds approach Puerto Rico from the north or even east of north; in spring few birds moved in the opposite directions. This difference in routes takes advantage of prevailing wind patterns.     

The accumulation of 65Zn and other Radionuclides by Tubificid Worms

Tubificid worms did not accumulate radionuclides bound to sediments, but did accumulate dissolved radionuclides. The level of accumulation of dissolved ⁶⁵Zn by the worms was dependent upon temperature and concentration of the radionuclide. This paper is based on work performed under United States Atomic Energy Commission Contract AT(45-1)-1830. This paper is based on work performed under United States Atomic Energy Commission Contract AT(45-1)-1830.     

Liberation and Development of Allomyces arbuscula Mitospores Viewed by Scanning Electron Microscopy

Scanning electron microscopy has been employed to examine events in the release and development of mitospores of the aquatic fungus, Allomyces arbuscula. Among the salient features of spore release from the mitosporangium is the digestion of the inner matrix of the exit papillum. Hydrolysis appears to begin at the outer layer of the papillum plug matrix and probably results from activation of localized hydrolytic enzymes. The plug clearly consists of at least two different component layers. Elaboration of mitospores from the mitosporangium is depicted in several micrographs. Motile spores were induced to begin development, and the sequence of surface changes associated with the encystment process was studied. Time course studies show the retraction of the flagellum, the change from elipsoidal to spherical shape, and the deposition of the cell wall. Early in encystment, small vesicles accumulate on the surface of the plasma membrane. These enlarge and fuse to form the mature cyst wall. This surface view of cell wall deposition appears to support the possible role of gamma particles in cell wall synthesis during encystment.     

Potassium Transport and the Relationship Between Intracellular Potassium Concentration and Amino Acid Uptake by Cells of a Marine Pseudomonad

Transport of K(+) by K(+)-depleted cells of marine pseudomonad B-16 (ATCC 19855) exhibited saturation kinetics. Rb(+) inhibited both K(+) transport and the K(+)-dependent transport of alpha-aminoisobutyric acid (AIB) into K(+)-depleted cells of the organism in proportion to the concentration of Rb(+) in the suspending medium. Inhibition of the K(+)-dependent uptake of AIB into K(+)-depleted cells by Rb(+) could be overcome by increasing the concentration of K(+) in the medium. When AIB and K(+) were added simultaneously to a suspension of K(+)-depleted cells, the uptake of K(+) occurred immediately and rapidly, whereas the accumulation of AIB occurred only after a lag. The initial uptake rate of AIB was directly proportional to the intracellular K(+) concentration. The intracellular concentration of K(+) and AIB at their steady-state levels increased to a maximum as the Na(+) concentration in the suspending medium was increased. At Na(+) concentrations between 0.2 and 0.3 M, the molar ratio of K(+) to AIB at their intracellular steady-state concentrations was constant at 1.6. At external Na(+) concentrations less than 0.2 M, the cells maintained a relatively higher K(+) intracellular steady-state level than AIB.     

Regulation of the Pool Size of Valine in Escherichia coli K-12

Three mutations (ilvH611, ilvH612, and ilvH613) are described which make Escherichia coli K-12 resistant to valine inhibition and are located near leu. The expression of the ilv genes appears to be normal in these mutants since the isoleucine-valine biosynthetic enzymes are not derepressed relative to the wild type. The intracellular concentration of valine is, however, higher in the mutants than in the isogenic ilvH(+) strain. These mutants also excrete valine, probably because of the high intracellular concentration of this amino acid. The pool size of valine is regulated independently from that of isoleucine and leucine. The increased intracellular concentration of valine is due to a decreased feedback inhibition that valine exerts on its own biosynthetic pathway. In fact, acetolactate synthase activity assayed in extracts of ilvH612 and ilvH613 mutants is more resistant to valine inhibition than the activity assayed in the ilvH(+) isogenic strain. Two forms of acetolactate synthase activity can be separated from these extracts by adsorption and elution on hydroxylapatite. One of them is as sensitive to valine inhibition as that of the wild type, the other is more resistant to valine inhibition.