Analysis of bacterial populations in a grassland soil according to rates of development on solid media

Abstract The process of colony formation by bacteria from grassland soil sampled in April, July and September was simulated by a colony-forming curve (CFC). The CFC was a super-imposition of several component curves (cCFC) given theoretically by the first order reaction (FOR) model [3,6]. The pattern of FOR model curves was not influenced by the time of sampling and four cCFCs were always recognized during an incubation period of 160 h. It was considered that the CFC describes an inherent property of the bacterial population of the field. Bacterial isolates were obtained from colonies produced in each of four cCFCs on agar plates. Isolates corresponding to one cCFC were classified as one group. The bacterial isolates were characterized by morphological and physiological tests and subsequently clustered. Few oligotrophic bacteria were obtained among bacteria which produced visible colonies within 63 h of incubation time. On the other hand, approx. 50% of bacteria which produced v colonies after 63 h were oligotrophic bacteria. The time required for the appearance of the first colony, t _r of the FOR model, was very similar in the isolates belonging to one group. A close linear relationship was observed between t _r value and doubling time of isolates.     

Trace element distributions in some saline lakes of the Vestfold Hills,Antarctica

The distributions of trace elements in Shield, Ace and Burton Lakes of the Vestfold Hills were investigated. Three aspects are discussed as follows: (1) the vertical distribution of 18 trace elements in the three lakes, (2) the behaviour of trace elements in the lakes, especially that of manganese in Shield Lake, and (3) the origin of trace elements in antarctic saline lakes.High concentrations of trace elements were found in these coastal saline lakes, when compared to open ocean water.We suggest that the peak of total extractable manganese, found at 20 m in Shield Lake, was related to the oxic/anoxic water interface brought about by microbiological activity. Solid phase manganese at the upper oxic layer may have precipitated and then reached the anoxic boundary to be there reduced to manganese ion. This dissolved manganese may then have diffused upwards to be reoxidized to a solid form. This cycle, repeated many times, may have produced the Mn profile.The alkali, alkaline earth elements and Cl were probably derived from relict seawater. Other elements were present in similar concentration ratios to those of South Polar aerosols. Residence time calculations indicate that fallout of aerosol particles, themselves derived from various sources, is capable of accounting for the measured concentrations of some trace elements in Shield Lake. This source of trace elements may be significant for other antarctic saline lakes.     

Immunohistochemical localization of plasma retinolbinding protein and prealbumin in human pancreatic islets

Summary This study was undertaken, employing the immunoenzyme method, to confirm the presence of retinol-binding protein in human pancreatic islets, and to compare its distribution with that of prealbumin, insulin, glucagon, somatostatin and pancreatic polypeptide. It was found that most islet cells contained retinol-binding protein, although centrally located cells showed stronger reactivity than those in the peripheral region. The distribution of each of the five polypeptides differed from that of retinolbinding protein, indicating that these peptides did not cross-react with anti-retinol-binding protein antibody. Islet cells which contained prealbumin, on the other hand, were mostly classified as A cells. Further studies are necessary to confirm whether the islet cells produce retinol-binding protein or only store it.     

Examination of protein sequence homologies: III. Ribosomal protein YS25 fromSaccharomyces cerevisiae and its counterparts fromSchizosaccharomyces pombe,rat liver,andEscherichia coli

Summary The sequences of the ribosomal proteins YS25, SP-S28, RL-S21, and Ec-S6, fromSaccharomyces cerevisiae, Schizosaccharomyces pombe, rat liver, andEscherichia coli, respectively, have been examined using a computer program that searches for homologous tertiary structures. Matrices of comparisons among the eukaryotic sequences show that they match each other sequentially without any internal gaps. The average values of the correlation coefficients obtained from the comparison matrices are higher for the first halves of the sequences than for the latter halves. This result suggests that the first halves of the sequences may represent a more important domain than the latter halves. The comparison matrices between the eukaryotic and bacterial sequences of ribosomal proteins, however, do not show sequentially arranged homology, though there are six well-matching segments arranged in different orders in the two types of sequences. This implies that the eukaryotic sequences of the ribosomal protein were reconstituted by two internal transpositions and six deletions of 4–12 residues each from the ancestral sequence during the divergence between bacterial and eukaryotic genes. These findings may give insight into structural and quantitative studies of evolutionary divergence between eukaryotes and prokaryotes.     

Synergistic interaction of a cytokine produced by embryonic fibroblasts and a lymphokine contained in Con A-stimulated spleen cell culture for murine macrophage differentiation: a model experiment using cell line cells, M1

The modulating activity of the culture supernatant of Con A-stimulated murine spleen cells for macrophages was investigated by using M-1 cells, which could differentiate into macrophage-like cells (referred to as M+1 hereafter), cocultured in a conditioned medium (CM) containing a differentiation factor (DF) obtained from the secondary culture of murine embryonic fibroblasts. DF induced Ia antigens on M-1 cells at a high rate in parallel with the appearance of Fc-receptor (FcR)-dependent phagocytic activity for erythrocytes coated with an antibody (EA). In contrast, Con A-sup alone had no modulating effect on M-1 cells. However, the Con A-sup stimulates synergistically M-1 cells with DF. Thus, coculture of M-1 cells with Con A-sup and DF generates M++1 cells which possess higher phagocytic activity than M+1 cells. These cells also exhibited stronger accessory cell activity than M+1 cells when tested for their promoting effect on IL-2 production by Sephadex G-10-passed spleen cells. The accessory cell activity of M++1 cells was further enhanced by culture with lymphocytes in the presence of indomethacin while that of M+1 cells did not change. These findings suggest that M-1 cells probably acquire potentiating, as well as inhibitory activity at the same time when cultured with DF and Con A-sup. The functional maturation caused by Con A-sup seemed to be associated with the expression of a receptor for a lymphokine, termed phagocytosis-augmenting factor (PAF) which is present in the Con A-sup. Such a receptor appeared to be common to macrophage lineage, since PAF in Con A-sup was absorbed out with splenic adherent cells and peritoneal exudate cells (PEC) in addition to M+1 cells, but not with nonadherent splenic lymphocytes or lymphoid cell line cells, such as EL-4 and L-1210. This fact suggests that PAF is different from interferon-gamma (IFN) which is known to modulate the function of lymphocytes. Inability of PAF to bind Cibacron Blue-Sepharose, unlike IFN, supports this notion. The molecular weight of PAF is approximately 2-3 X 10(4). Thus, the present studies suggest the requirement of at least two signals for the full maturation of macrophages, a cytokine represented by DF and a lymphokine, by PAF.     

A Z-DNA binding protein isolated from D. radiodurans

A DNA binding protein isolated from D. radiodurans changes CD-spectrum of Z-form poly(dG-dC) X poly(dG-dC). We have found that a positive band at 268 nm is converted close to that of B-form in the presence of the protein. Concomitantly, a negative band at 295 nm shown by Z-form poly(dG-dC) X poly (dG-dC) was weakened by the protein but not by albumin. Such changes in the CD-spectra were not induced by the protein and by albumin when they were mixed with Z- or B-form poly(dG-me5dC) X poly(dG-me5dC) or with B-form poly(dG-dC) X poly(dG-dC). The protein formed a complex preferentially with Z-form poly(dG-dC) X poly(dG-dC).     

Postnatal development of the anulospiral endings of Ia fibers in muscle spindles of mice

The formation of the anulospiral ending of Ia fibers in muscle spindles was investigated in the masseter muscle of developing mice. Before 15 days after birth, the complete anulospiral ending was not observed in almost all of the muscle spindles examined. With the growth of mice, the Ia fiber began to construct the spiral ending, and by the 40th postnatal day after weaning, almost all of the Ia fibers of the muscle spindles had complete coiled endings, though the formation still continued in some spindles. The continuous formation of anulospiral endings for a long period after weaning indicates that muscle spindle morphogenesis may be affected by muscle tension in the masseter muscle due to the movement activated after weaning.     

Defective endocytosis of low-density lipoprotein in monensin-resistant mutants of the mouse Balb/3T3 cell line

Two monensin-resistant clones show similar low-density lipoprotein binding activity but less internalization or degradation of low-density lipoprotein than the parental Balb/3T3 or other resistant clone. Sterol synthesis from radioactive acetate in the resistant mutant, MO-5, is inhibited by more than 70% of control in the presence of tenfold higher amounts of low-density lipoprotein than the dose that inhibits the parental Balb/3T3 to similar level. 3-Hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase activity of Balb/3T3 and MO-5 is inhibited by 48% and 27% of control, respectively, in the presence of 10 micrograms/ml of low-density lipoprotein. Colloidal silica gradient centrifugation shows that transport of low-density lipoprotein from the surface membrane to the lysosome is much slower in MO-5 cells than in Balb/3T3 cells. Down regulation of low-density lipoprotein receptors on the cell surface in Balb/3T3 is observed by exposing the cells to 5-15 micrograms/ml low-density lipoprotein, whereas only slight if any down regulation is observed when MO-5 cells are treated with low-density lipoprotein. The altered endocytosis of low-density lipoprotein behaves as a dominant trait in hybrids of MO-5 and THO2-2, a derivative of Balb/3T3 resistant to both ouabain and 6-thioguanine.     

Flavonoid glycosides of the roots of Glycyrrhiza uralensis

The structure of a flavanone glycoside from the roots of Glycyrrhiza uralensis has been confirmed as 4′-O-[β-d-apio-d-furanosyl-(1 → 2)-β-d-glucopyranosyl]liquiritigenin. In addition, two known flavonoid glucosides, ononin (a minor component) and liquiritin (a major component), were isolated from the same extract.