Low incidence of bronchus-associated lymphoid tissue (BALT) in chronically inflamed human lungs

The relevance of bronchus-associated lymphoid tissue (BALT) in man is still under discussion. Animal experiments indicate that the development of BALT is dependent on microbial stimulation. Therefore, the incidence of BALT was investigated retrospectively in specimens removed during surgical procedures on patients with chronic pulmonary inflammation. All these patients had severe chronic bronchitis and bronchiectasis, but BALT was found in only 8%. In patients with BALT and a malignant tumor, occlusion of a bronchus with poststenotic pneumonia was always present and BALT was observed exclusively in areas peripheral to the occlusion. In man other compartments of the lung must be responsible for the immune function of BALT found in animals. Partly presented at the Congress of the Eur. Respir. Soc, 21.- 26.9.1991 in Brussels. (Abstract: Eur Respir J. 4, Suppl. 14:217p)     

Development of cricket sensory hairs: changes of dynamic mechanical properties

Summary Mechanical oscillation properties of cricket (Acheta domesticus) filiform hair sensilla were measured at different larval stages, as an indication of larval sensory capacities and for comparison with data in the literature on central nervous changes during development. The hairs were stimulated by airborne vibration over a frequency range of 10 to 220 Hz. Best frequency, angular displacement at best frequency, slope of angular-displacement tuning curve and phase of hair deflection relative to air particle velocity were tested for correlation with hair length, which is proportional to the age of a sensillum. The ranges found for the various oscillation parameters in early larval stages were similar to or larger than those in adults. Oscillation properties changed with both the developmental stage of the hair sensilla and that of the whole animal. Four individually identifiable hair sensilla were analysed separately; the sensory neurons of two of them are known to change synaptic properties during maturation. Angular displacement at a given stimulus intensity was maximal for all hairs after differentiation, and decreased during further development. The hairs did not show clear common changes for any of the other oscillation parameters. Yet particular changes were found for individual hairs.     

New techniques in rapid viral diagnosis

Abstract The development of new diagnostic techniques in immunology and molecular biology during the last two decades has opened up new possibilities for rapid viral diagnosis. Solid phase immunoassays for antigen and antibody detection are now widely used in diagnostic settings. Several novel techniques have been introduced and have led to commercially available tests. Diagnostic methods using nucleic acid amplification procedures are already applied in research laboratories and will be commercialized soon. Biosensor-based diagnostic techniques have the potential of generating a result nearly instantaneously and it has become possible to monitor kinetic processes. Automatization and simplified procedures are needed to allow diagnostic tests to be performed soon after the sample has been obtained from the patient. In order to evaluate the new procedures and avoid false results, rigorous quality control in diagnostic virology will have to be instituted.     

Sex expression in EgyptianThymelaea hirsuta (Thymelaeaceae) populations

The sex expression inThymelaea hirsuta was assessed in five habitats in the western Mediterranean desert of Egypt. The survey over two main flowering periods indicated that the sexual expression of this plant is complex and labile. Beside the dioecious male and female states, five monoecious states were detected. The dioecious states are more abundant and less labile. There is a clear shift from monoecious towards dioecious states and in general favour of males from the first (late autumn) to the second (late winter) flowering period. These results are discussed in view of the adaptive theories and evolution.     

Isolation and genetic structure of IS112, an insertion sequence responsible for the inactivation of the SalI restriction-modification system of Streptomyces albus G.

Summary IS112 is a transposable element identified in Streptomyces albus G by its frequent mutagenic insertion into the genes for the SalI restriction-modification system. IS112 is present in several copies in the genome of S. albus G. Homologous sequences were detected in other Streptomyces strains. Sequence analysis revealed that IS112 has a length of 883 by with a GC content of 67.4%. The copy that was isolated contained imperfect inverted repeats (16/20 match) at its ends and was flanked by a 2 by duplication at the target site, which was located within the gene (salIR) for the Sall endonuclease. A long open reading frame (ORF) encoding a putative polypeptide of 256-253 amino acids spans almost the entire sequence. Significant homology was detected between this polypeptide and that corresponding to ORFB of IS493, an insertion sequence recently isolated from Streptomyces lividans 66.

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The perturbation of the endomembrane network of the chlamydomonad alga Gloeomonas by the herbicide isopropyl N-phenyl carbamate (IPC)

Abstract. The highly complex and symmetric endomembrane network of the chlamydomonad alga, Gloeomonas kupferri , can be disrupted by the herbicide, isopropyl N-phenyl carbamate (IPC). Upon incubation with IPC for between 30 min and 1 h, curling of the dictyosomes, proliferation of small vesicles from the trans face and swelling of the peripheral vacuolar complex takes place. Longer treatments result in degeneration of dictyosome cisternae into vesicular masses and the formation of supervacuolar complexes. Enzyme cytochemistry revealed that endomembrane 'marker' enzymes are altered/inhibited by IPC. A second but striking I PC-induced effect is the production of branched, fibrillar inclusions in the cell nucleus. A discussion of I PC-induced affects on ion regulation and microtubule/MTOC distribution in the cell is presented.     

Expression and stability of amplified genes encoding 5-enolpyruvylshikimate-3-phosphate synthase in glyphosate-tolerant tobacco cells

Two distinct cDNAs for 5-enolpyruvylshikimate-3-phosphate synthase (EPSPS) were obtained from a glyphosate-tolerant tobacco cell line. The cDNAs were 89% identical and the predicted sequences of the mature proteins were greater than 83% identical with EPSPS proteins from other plants. Tobacco EPSPS proteins were more similar to those from tomato and petunia than Arabidopsis. One cDNA clone, EPSPS-1, represented a gene that was amplified in glyphosate-tolerant cells, while the gene for EPSPS-2 was unaltered in these cells. Consequently, EPSPS-1 mRNA was more abundant in tolerant than unselected cells, whereas EPSPS-2 mRNA was at relatively constant levels in these cell lines. Exposure of unselected cells and tobacco leaves to glyphosate produced a transient increase in EPSPS mRNA. However, glyphosate-tolerant cells containing amplified copies of EPSPS genes did not show a similar response following exposure to glyphosate. A significant proportion of the EPSPS gene amplification was maintained when tolerant cells were grown in the absence of glyphosate for eight months. Plants regenerated from these cells also contained amplified EPSPS genes.     

Novel DNA structures resulting from dTam3 excision in tobacco

A Tam3 two-element system has been designed by combining an immobilized Tam3 element with a non-autonomous dTam3 element inserted into the HPT gene. The phenotypic assay employed, restored hygromycin resistance, indicated thattrans-activation of the non-autonomous dTam3 element occurred. Molecular analyses of the excision sites revealed that the ends of the dTam3 element remain in the empty donor sites. The predominant consequence of this type of excision appears to be that excised fragments fail to re-integrate into the tobacco genome. Only one case of dTam3 re-integration could be detected. The ends of this element had been degraded upon integration into the tobacco genome. Either the altered structure of the Tam3 derivatives or tobacco host factors are influencing thetrans-activation of a dTam3 element, resulting in aberrant excision.     

Biodegradation of textile azo-dyes byPhanerochaete chrysosporium

Of 18 commercially used textile dyes, eight were degraded by the white rot fungus,Phanerochaete chrysosporium, by 40 to 73% based on decrease of colour. Both the lignin-degrading enzyme system ofP. chrysosporium and adsorption to its cell mass were involved in the degradation of the diazo dye, Reactofix Gold Yellow. Degradation was best achieved by adding the dye to the medium and then inoculating with pre-grown mycelium; inoculation with spores resulted mainly in dye adsorption.