Effect of dark treatment on the starch degradation and the agar quality of cultivated Gracilariopsis lemaneiformis (Rhodophyta,Gracilariales) from Venezuela

The effect of darkness and ammonia on Gracilariopsis lemaneiformis agar yield and quality was studied. Plants were cultivated under controlled conditions in the laboratory and fertilized with ammonia prior to a month storage in the dark. Starch inclusions are known to interfere with the mechanical properties of the isolated agar. The starch content of algal tissue and the activities of the floridean starch phosphorylase and -glucosidase were measured during this storage period as a way to follow the enhancement of starch degradation in the absence of light, and to measure the effect of darkness on the content and quality of the synthesized agar. The agar yield, gel strength, 3,6-anhydrogalactose, sulphate and starch content were considerably affected by this dark treatment. The values obtained reflect a pattern of optimization of agar quality when Gracilariopsis lemaneiformis was stored in the dark. The isolated agar following dark treatment is less contaminated by starch inclusions. This is shown by the improvement in the agar yield and quality, the nutrient status of the plant and the reduction of the starch content.Abbreviations DW: Dry weight - FW: Fresh weight - S: Sulphate - 3,6-AG: 3,6-anhydrogalactose - GS: Gel strenght at 1.5% concentration - CX: Cold extract at 25 °C - A: Autoclaved extract at 121 °C - MW: Molecular weight - PFD: Photon flux density     

Prenatal diagnosis of Meckel syndrome

Summary The three main features of Meckel syndrome are encephalocele, polycystic kidneys, and polydactyly. Prenatal diagnosis of a fetus with Meckel syndrome was made in the 16th week of gestation by means of amniotic fluid alpha₁ fetoprotein estimation. The indication for amniocentesis was a previous child with an occipital meningocele and polycystic kidneys. Interpretation of the alpha₁-fetoprotein value (240 g/ml) was difficult due to fetal blood contamination. Prenatal diagnosis is indicated in any pregnancy following the birth of a child with only two major symptoms of Meckel syndrome.     

Copper as an initiating factor of vibriosis (Vibrio anguillarum) in eel (Anguilla anguilla)

Eels ( Anguilla anguilla ) which were exposed to copper-contaminated fresh water (30–60 ρg Cu/I) died with signs of vibriosis ( Vibrio anguillarum). Eels kept in non-contaminated fresh water (<6ρgCu/I) remained healthy. V. anguillarum was shown to be present in the eels with symptoms of vibriosis. We suggest V. anguillarum is a common inhabitant of eels and copper can change a commensal association between fish and bacterium to one of pathogenicity.     

Differential Staining of Calcified Tissues in Plastic Embedded Microtome Sections by A Modification of Movat's Pentachrome Stain

Movat's pentachrome I stain has been adapted and modified as a stain for Undecalcified bone sections. After embedding in methyl methacrylate, this procedure yields consistently good results, with an excellent and colorful contrast between mineralized and unmineralized compartments of both cartilage and bone. in addition, osteoblats, osteoclasts, and other cells and tissue components can easily be differentiated. the staining properties of the lacunar wall surrounding the osteocytes are considered to reflect various states of osteocytic activity. the method is especially useful for the study of bone growth and bone repair, and as a stain for conventional histomorphometry and computer-assisted image analysis in bone biopsies.     

Über Mikrofibrillen-Aggregate in langgestreckten Vesikeln und ihre Bedeutung für die Zellwandbildung bei einem Stamm von Penium (Desmidiales)

Bei Feinstrukturuntersuchungen an einem in Kultur gehaltenen Stamm von Penium spirostriolatum var. amplificatum wurden cytoplasmatische Vesikel beobachtet, die von einer einfachen Membran umgeben sind und fast ausschließlich unter dem Plasmalemma liegen. Querschnitte dieser Vesikel erscheinen rund bis oval und zeigen als Inhalt neben einer amorphen Grundsubstanz 8, 10 oder 12 quergeschnittene Fibrillen, die bündelartig einander zugeordnet sind. An Längsschnitten ist zu erkennen, daß die Fibrillen parallel angeordnet sind und die Vesikel in ganzer Länge durchziehen. Da die Sekundärwände der Conjugaten aus Bändern von durchschnittlich 8 bis 10 parallel orientierten Mikrofibrillen aufgebaut sind, wird ein enger Zusammenhang zwischen den fibrillären Innenstrukturen der gestreckten Vesikel und den Fibrillenbändern der Sekundärwand vermutet. Wir danken Frau Christa adami für die Herstellung der Abbildungspositive.     

Conformational effects of coenzyme binding to porcine lactic dehydrogenase

Changes induced on addition of the coenzyme, NADH or NAD⁺, to porcine lactic dehydrogenase isoenzymes H₄ and M₄ have been studied by hydrodynamic and spectroscopic methods. As shown by ultracentrifugal analysis, the native subunit structure remains unchanged on holoenzyme formation; a 5% increase of the sedimentation coefficient, parallelled by a slight decrease of the partial specific volume (<1%) indicate a significant change in the native tertiary and/or quaternary structure of the enzymes, corroborating earlier calorimetric data (Hinz and Jaenicke, 1975). The binding constant for the enzyme from skeletal muslce (M₄) and NADH are found to be in agreement with K _D-values obtained from equilibrium dialysis, as well as spectroscopic and thermal titration experiments (8 M). Far UV circular dichroism measurements do not show significant changes on ligand binding, indicating unchanged helicity or compensatory conformational effects. In the near UV, ligand binding is reflected by an extrinsic Cotton effect around 340 nm; in the range of aromatic absorption no changes are detectable.The experimental results suggest that there are gross structural changes on coenzyme binding to lactic dehydrogenase which do not affect the intrinsic spectral properties normally applied to analyze transconformation reactions in protein molecules.     

GTP,as well as ATP,can act as a substrate for the intrinsic protein kinase activity of synaptic plasma membranes

Summary GTP as well as ATP can act as phosphate donor for the intrinsic protein kinase activity of synaptic plasma membranes. There are many similarities between the activities observed with ATP or GTP. Both need a divalent cation, Mg²⁺ being preferred, both are slightly inhibited by Na⁺, and more strongly by K⁺, both are inhibited by theophylline and adenosine. The K_m for GTP (0.13 mM) is similar to that ATP (0.12 mM). There are, however, some differences in properties. When GTP instead of ATP is the phosphate donor the pH optimum is 6.5 instead of 7.4. In addition NH ₄ ⁺ inhibits the transfer of phosphate from GTP but not from ATP. More importantly, cyclic AMP only stimulates the transfer of phosphate from ATP not from GTP. SDS gel electrophoresis reveals that similar membrane proteins are phosphorylated by GTP and ATP in the presence or absence of cyclic AMP. This suggests that there may be two different types of protein kinase in the synaptic plasma membrane which act on similar membrane proteins. One is stimulated by cyclic AMP and is specific to ATP while the other is unaffected by cyclic nucleotides and can use either ATP or GTP as phosphate donor.Deceased     

Jahreszeitlich und altersbedingte Variationen im Stickstoifhaushalt von Halophyten

An einigen ausgewählten Halophytenarten (Lepidium crassifolium, Triglochin maritimum, Puccinellia distans, Aster tripolium subsp. pannonicus, Suaeda maritima und Plantago maritima) der Salzgebiete am Neusiedlersee wurden im Verlauf von zwei Vegetationsperioden jeweils im Juni, August und Oktober (bei überdauernden Pflanzen auch im Februar) die Gehalte an freien Aminosäuren, Gesamtstickstoff und anorganischen Kationen bestimmt. Nur bei Lepidium bilden die freien Aminosäuren einen wesentlichen Anteil am Gesamtstickstoff. Das von dieser Pflanze in besonders hohem Ausmaß gespeicherte Prolin macht im Verlauf des Jahres immer etwa 20 % des Stickstoffgehaltes aus. In allen anderen Pflanzen finden sich wesentlich weniger freie Aminosäuren bzw. Prolin, wobei der Prolingehalt starken jahreszeitlichen Schwankungen unterliegt. Diese zeigen keinen Zusammenhang mit Änderungen im Salzgehalt, sondern dürften — da die maximalen Prolinkonzentrationen im Oktober bzw. Februar auftreten — mit der Kälteresistenz in Beziehung stehen. Eine Differenzierung des Pflanzenmaterials in junge und alte Blätter bei Lepidium, Plantago und Phragmites austrails zeigt, daß die Prolinakkumulation vor allem in den jungen Pflanzenteilen stattfindet. Während bei Lepidium in den jungen Blättern etwa doppelt soviel wie in den alten enthalten ist, kann es bei Plantago und Phragmites überhaupt nur in den jungen Blättern festgestellt warden.     

Action pattern of human pancreatic α-amylase on maltoheptaose,a substrate for determining α-amylase in serum

An enzymatic assay for the determination of α-amylase in serum was developed which employed a soluble substrate, maltoheptaose, and a coupled enzymatic indicator reaction consisting of α-glucosidase and the hexokinase—glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase system. We used high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) to establish the action pattern of maltoheptaose under the test conditions: (A) the action pattern of α-amylase alone, (B) that of the combined action of α-amylase and α-glucosidase. Conducive to this effort was: the availability of pure maltoheptaose and human pancreatic α-amylase; the development of an adequate procedure for sample pretreatment (partition chromatography on a mixed-bed ion exchanger) and of an HPLC system for separation of substrate and reaction products without interference from by-products of the assay (partition chromatography on a cation-exchange column with acetonitrile—water); and the use of a new, very sensitive refractometric detector revealing sugar amounts as low as 40 ng.We derived the following stoichiometric equations:

The standard deviation of the rate coefficients is about 5%.