Rigorous conformational analysis of right and left DNA helices and junction between them

On the basis of complete scanning through conformational space of dihedral angles, twelve structural genera were obtained. Subsequent energy minimization within these genera yielded a limited set of duplexes with stacking: right-handed B-form (Wilkins type), B2-form (Watson and Crick type) and left-handed Ll-form (Sasisekharan type) and the new L2-form. In the polymeric DNA only right-handed double-helices are possible, the left-handed helices are forbidden due to poor 1–5 interchain contacts. In contrast, for short fragments the left- and right-handed helicek have practically the same energies providing some physical ground for side-by-side form, which biologically is possible as recombination form and may be as replication form.     

Influence of melatonin and serotonin on the number of rat pineal “synaptic” ribbons and spherules in vitro

Summary Previous studies have shown that the synaptic ribbons (SR) and spherules (SS) of the mammalian pineal gland may respond differently under physiological and various experimental conditions. The aim of the present study was to gain insight into the mechanisms that may be responsible for the numerical changes of these organelles during a 24-h cycle. As the possibility exists that the structures are influenced by substances synthesized within the pinealocyte, rat pineal glands were cultured with and without added melatonin or serotonin, using an experimental protocol such that the addition of melatonin and serotonin mimicks the circadian changes of the respective substances within the pineal. The tissue was processed for electron microscopy and the numbers of SR and SS were counted in a unit area of pineal tissue. The results obtained indicate that melatonin added to the incubation medium increases the number of SR in the first half of the night; serotonin decreases SR numbers in the morning. SS numbers, by contrast, decrease following melatonin administration in the afternoon, and increase in the morning following serotonin administration. It thus appears that the numbers of SR and SS are influenced by melatonin and serotonin and that the two structures are regulated by differential, but nevertheless biochemically closely related mechanisms.Financial support of the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (Schwerpunktprogramm Neuroendokrinologie, Vo 135/8-4), the Polish Academy of Sciences (Research Program 10.4.04.6), and the Freunde der Universität Mainz e.V. is gratefully acknowledged.On leave from Department of Anatomy, University Medical School, Pécs, Hungary     

Metabolic,physiological and kinetic aspects of the alcoholic fermentation of whey permeate by Kluyveromyces fragilis NRRL 665 and Kluyveromyces lactis NCYC 571

Optimum growth conditions for the fermentation of non-concentrated whey permeate by Kluyveromyces fragilis NRRL 665 have been defined. Use of 3.75 g yeast extract l^?1, a growth temperature of 38°C and a pH of 4.0 allowed a maximum productivity of 5.23 g ethanol l^?1 h^?1 in continuous culture with a yield 91% of theoretical. Complete batch fermentation of permeate with 100 g lactose l^?1 was possible with a maximum specific growth rate of 0.276 h^?1 without any change in ethanol yield. Fermentation of concentrated permeate resulted, however, in a general decrease of specific substrate consumption rate, demonstrated by the inability to completely convert an initial 90 or 150 g lactose l^?1 in continuous culture, even at dilution rates as low as 0.05 and 0.08 h^?1, respectively. The decrease could be related to substrate inhibition, to an increase in osmotic pressure caused by lactose and salts, and to ethanol inhibition of both alcohol and biomass yield. The decrease in specific productivity could be counterbalanced by use of high cell density cultures, obtained by cell recycle of K. fragilis. Fermentation of a non-concentrated permeáte at a dilution rate of 1 h^?1 resulted in a productivity of 22 g l^?1 h^?1 at 22 g ethanol l^?1. Cell recycle using flocculating Kluyveromyces lactis NCYC 571 was also tested. With this strain a productivity of 9.3 g l^?1 h^?1 at 45 g product l^?1 was attained at a dilution rate of 0.2 h^?1, with an initial lactose concentration of 95 g l^?1.     

家兔大脑嗅鼻沟后缘皮层对内膝体神经元电活动的下行性影响

在39只用三碘季铵酚麻痹的成年家兔上观察刺激大脑皮层听区对内膝体神经元听反应的影响。刺激 Woolsey 氏 AⅠ、AⅡ区及其周围颞叶皮层,或刺激大脑嗅鼻沟后缘皮层,能抑制一部分 MGB 神经元的听反应,但也有少数神经元受到易化。有效的颞叶皮层刺激点分布范围弥散,而嗅鼻沟后缘皮层的有效刺激点分布得相当集中。根据抑制潜伏期较短以及抑制内膝体早、晚二反应的潜伏期相同等事实,作者认为,刺激嗅鼻沟后缘皮层对 MGB 神经元的下行性影响发生在 MGB 核团之内。     

Composition of Caulobacter crescentus murein synthesized in the presence of glycine

Abstract Glycine added to the growth medium of Caulobacter crescentus was found to substitute Cterminal alanine in the peptide side chains of the murein of this species. Murein synthesized in vivo and in vitro in the presence of glycerine was poorly crosslinked as was new murein formed in the presence of the amino acid. The reduced cross-linkage seems to be due to the effect of glycine on the formation of trimeric muropeptides as revealed by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) muropeptide analysis of murein formed in the presence and absence of the amino acid.     

褐稻虱饲料稻株中数种氨基酸的营养效应

本研究初步证实饲料稻株中甘氨酸、赖氨酸和酪氨酸含量的高低,同褐稻虱(Nilaparvata lugens Stal)的发育进度、存活率、短翅型出现率和单雌产卵量关系极为密切,它们是褐稻虱赖以正常生长发育和繁殖的重要氨基酸。     

The influence of food plant dispersion on caterpillar searching success

Abstract. 1. Collards (Brassica oleracea L.) grown in clumps were more difficult for unstarved, early instar cabbage white caterpillars (Pieris rapae L.) to find than collards spaced at regular intervals, although total plant densities were identical.
2. Early instar, unstarved larvae are less mobile than later instar larvae (our data) or starved larvae (Jones' 1977 data).
3. Starved larvae and late instar larvae tend to find plants more readily than do unstarved or younger larvae.
4. We contend that larval mobility governs the success of searching caterpillars and their sensitivity to variations in plant dispersion.
5. Our results show that the dispersion of targets can influence searching success even though target density is constant. This means that the degree of clumping in host plants is capable of influencing their availability to herbivores.     

Persistence of Bacillus thuringiensis parasporal crystal insecticidal activity in soil

Spores and parasporal crystals of a Bacillus thuringiensis var. aizawai (H-serotype 7), strain HD137, streptomycin-resistant mutant were added to acidic (pH 5.0) natural and autoclaved soil and incubated at ?0.10 MPa, 25°C. Populations of B. thuringiensis in both soil treatments showed exponential rates of mortality which were represented by linear regression, the loss of viability being greater in natural than autoclaved soil. In natural soil, parasporal crystal insecticidal activity was lost at a complex, nonexponential rate. The initial, rapid decrease of activity gradually slowed, and the level of activity stabilized at 10% of the original inoculum level after 250 days incubation, until the cessation of sampling at >2 years. In autoclaved soil no significant (P > 0.2) loss of parasporal crystal insecticidal activity was detected over the same period, which suggested that soil microorganisms were responsible for the loss of crystal insecticidal activity in the natural, nonsterilized soil. The rate of loss of crystal activity in natural soil correlated well with assay data reported in the literature using Galleria mellonella, which measures the combined activity of spore and crystal. In autoclaved soil correlation was poor, probably due to variability in the bioassay data.     

Neural mechanisms of auditory information processing by identified interneurones in Orthoptera

Three qualities of sound—the directional, the temporal and the spectral—are important for intraspecific communication in Orthoptera. The neural mechanisms employed by identified interneurones for encoding these sound qualities are illustrated by examples of physiological processes found at different levels of the CNS. Discussed are: (1) the creation of directional information by local interneurones in the thorax, and the use of time-intensity trading in sound location; (2) mechanisms for encoding the temporal parameters of sound by interneurones ascending to the brain; (3) frequency-dependent neural filtering of auditory information by local interneurones.     

Bluelight-induced,flavin-mediated transport of redox equivalents across artificial bilayer membranes

Summary This paper continues our studies of physico-chemical properties of vesicle-bound flavins. Based on previous results, an advanced model system was designed in order to study the mechanisms underlying bluelight-induced redox transport across artificial membranes. The lumen of single-shelled vesicles was charged with cytochromec, and amphiphilic flavin (AF1 3, AF1 10) was bound to the membrane. Upon bluelight irradiation redox equivalents are translocated from exogeneous 1e ^–(EDTA)-and 2e ^–(BH₃CN^–) donors across the membrane finally reducing the trapped cytochromec both under aerobic and anaerobic conditions. The mechanisms involved are explored and evidence for the involvement of various redox states of oxygen, dihydroflavin and flavosemiquinone is presented.