Trade-offs between flower number and investment to a flower in selfing and outcrossing varieties of Impatiens hypophylla (Balsaminaceae)

Floral resource allocation was compared on a whole-plant basis between two varieties of Impatiens hypophylla that differ in flower size. There were significant negative correlations between flower number and investments to a flower at both the within-population and between-variety levels. In individual flowers, var. hypophylla with larger flowers invested significantly more resources to male and pollinator-attractive functions, whereas investments to female function did not differ between the varieties. In experimental populations placed in the field, pollinators preferred the larger flowers of var. hypophylla even within the same habitat of var. microhypophylla, which has smaller flowers. There was a significant lack of observed heterozygosity only in var. microhypophylla. Thus, the outcrossing variety had more attractive but fewer flowers, while the selfing variety had less attractive but more abundant flowers.     

哲罗鱼消化系统器官发生发育的组织学观察

采用形态观察与连续组织切片技术,对哲罗鱼(Hucho taimen)胚胎期(水温7~8℃)和胚后期(水温3~14℃)消化系统的发生发育进行观察和研究。结果表明,哲罗鱼受精11d形成原始的消化管。受精18d肝原基出现,U型胃雏型形成。受精30d鱼体破膜,口能自由闭合。破膜8d后,齿形成,肛门与外界相通,消化道初步形成口咽腔、食道、U型胃、肠和肛门。破膜16d,胰及瓣囊出现,仔鱼消化系统初步具备了摄食和消化外源性食物的能力。破膜24d后,鱼体开始上浮,主动摄食,由内源性营养转向混合性营养。破膜30d后,卵黄囊完全被吸收,各消化器官功能和结构逐步发育完善,鱼体由混合性营养进入外源性营养阶段。此后随着鱼体的生长消化器官逐步发育成熟,舌齿和下颌齿分别为双排,胃腺发达,形成网状结构,幽门盲囊较多,肠为直行,肝和胰为相互分开的独立器官。     

LacSwitchTM Inducible Mammalian Expression System in mouse Swiss 3T3 fibroblasts

Swiss 3T3 fibroblasts were transfected with the provided plasmids of LacSwitch Inducible Mammalian Expression System (Stratagene). Stable transfectants were selected, expanded and characterised. At first, the production of CAT in these cell lines could be induced by IPTG treatment, but the inducibility was lost after a few months in culture in a reproducible manner. Further analysis revealed that the transfectants did not lose the cat gene nor the lac repressor protein. As a result, we conclude that LacSwitch Inducible Mammalian Expression System needs further modification for use in Swiss 3T3 fibroblasts.     

Inhibition of calcium ATPase by phencyclidine in rat brain

Phencyclidine (PCP) is a potent psychotomimetic drug of abuse and has profound effect on the functioning of the central nervous system (CNS). Many of the CNS functions are known to be mediated by calcium (Ca2+). In the present study we have investigated the effects of PCP on Ca2+ ATPase activity in rat brain both in vitro and in vivo. For in vitro studies, synaptic membrane fractions prepared from normal rat brain were incubated with PCP at different concentrations (25-100 M) before the addition of substrate. For n vivo studies, rats were treated with a single moderate dose of PCP (10 mg/kg, IP) and animals were sacrificed at 1,2, 6 and 12 h after treatment. Ca2+ ATPase activity in synaptic membrane fractions was assayed by estimation of inorganic phosphate. PCP inhibited the Ca2+ ATPase in vitro in a concentration dependent manner with significant effect at 50 and 100 M. A significant time-dependent reduction of the Ca2+ ATPase activity was evident in vivo. As early as 2 h after the treatment of rats with PCP the ATPase activity was significantly reduced. The reduction of Ca2+ ATPase observed even at 12 h after treatment suggesting a prolonged presence of the drug in the brain tissue. Further, kinetic studies in vitro indicated PCP to be a competitive inhibitor of Ca2+ ATPase with respect to the substrate, ATP. The present findings indicate that PCP inhibits synaptic membrane Ca2+ ATPase thus altering cellular Ca2+ homeostasis in CNS which may partially explain the pharmacological effects of the drug and/or its neurotoxicity.     

肾脏和肾神经在应激、钠盐所致高血压中的作用

本工作采用电生理、生化、放免、电镜等方法,探讨了慢性应激和盐致高血压大鼠交感神经系统和肾脏功能的改变。实验在雄性ＳＤ大鼠上进行。结果表明：（１）高盐大鼠肾血浆流量（ＲＰＦ）和尿钠排泄明显增加,而应激大鼠ＲＰＦ显著下降。（２）电镜显示高盐大鼠近曲和远曲小管上皮细胞及线粒体变大,应激则使细胞萎缩、线粒体变小。（３）高盐大鼠肾皮质ＮａＫＡＴＰ酶活性下降,应激可使其恢复。（４）频谱分析显示应激大鼠低频波动（０２～０９Ｈｚ）明显增加。（５）应激导致大鼠肾素活性（ＰＲＡ）及血管紧张素Ⅱ（ＡＮＧⅡ）水平升高,并能使高盐大鼠低ＰＲＡ和ＡＮＧⅡ水平升高。（６）大鼠去除双侧肾神经后,应激无法造成血压升高、ＲＰＦ下降和ＰＲＡ、ＡＮＧⅡ上升。上述结果提示：肾交感神经系统兴奋性增加介导的肾脏机制,可能在应激和／或盐致高血压发病过程中具有重要作用。     

GATC-specific restriction and modification systems in treponemes

AIMS: To investigate the presence of GATC-specific modification and restriction activities in rumen isolates of Treponema sp. METHODS: The presence of N6-methyladenine within GATC (Dam) sequences was analysed using isoschizomeric restriction endonucleases having different sensitivities to the methylation of the target sequence. A fast screening method was used for testing of site-specific endonuclease activities directly in crude cell extracts. Three out of six rumen isolates of Treponema sp. showed restriction activities. Restriction endonucleases were further purified by Heparin-Sepharose chromatography. Using PCR and specific primers, no sequence homologous to the T. pallidum dam gene was found. CONCLUSIONS: Three rumen treponemal strains were documented to possess MboI isoschizomeric restriction-modification systems. SIGNIFICANCE: This is the first report on restriction activity in rumen treponemes.     

Identification of a cDNA clone encoding DIP1-binding protein in Drosophila melanogaster

The Drosophila melanogaster L27a gene encodes a ribosomal protein which is a member of the L15 family of ribosomal proteins. D.m. L27a is closely related to the mammalian protein that has been found differentially expressed in lung cancer tissues and therefore could be involved in the control of cell proliferation such as the ribosomal protein S6. Our work elucidates the role of DIP1 which is a novel protein that we found in Drosophila. We performed a two-hybrid system assay and identified the L27a protein as an interactor of DIP1. The interaction was then validated by in vitro binding assays. DIP1, similar to other nuclear proteins in eukaryotes, is localized to the nuclear periphery and chromatin domain in all nuclei, but disappears at the metaphase. It is possible that in D.m. L27a protein, via interaction with DIP1, could be involved in protein synthesis as well as in cell cycle regulation.     

Calbindin-immunopositive cells are cholinergic interneurons in the myenteric plexus of rabbit ileum

The 28-kDa calcium-binding protein (calbindin) is a widely studied neuronal marker in the enteric nervous system of numerous species. Calbindin has previously been detected in myenteric neurons of rabbit ileum in which 3% of all myenteric neurons are calbindin-immunopositive. We have studied the detailed morphology and chemical coding of calbindin-immunopositive neurons in this segment of the gut. We have found calbindin immunoreactivity in both strongly and weakly stained neurons. Of these, the strongly immunoreactive neurons belong to the Dogiel type I category. These neurons project only to other ganglia and primary strands of the plexus and their processes never run to the muscle or mucosal layers. The neurons within this group are 29.5±6.6 m in length and 14.7±3.8 m in width. The second smaller group of immunoreactive cells (27%) label faintly and have different morphological properties. They are characterized by their round medium-sized cell bodies (long axis: 24.4±5.2 m; short axis: 15.5±2.9 m) and do not exhibit immunoreactivity either in their dendrites or in their axonal processes. Double-label studies show that all calbindin-immunopositive neurons lack immunoreactivity for nitric oxide synthase, vasoactive intestinal peptide and substance P but all are immunoreactive for the synthesizing enzyme of acetylcholine, choline acetyltransferase. Thus, populations of neurons containing calbindin are cholinergic interneurons in the myenteric plexus of rabbit ileum.This study was supported by grant OTKA T 34160     

Neurotrophin receptors and enteric neuronal development during metamorphosis in the amphibian<Emphasis Type="Italic"> Xenopus laevis</Emphasis>

During metamorphosis, the frog intestine goes through a dramatic shortening with extensive apoptosis and regeneration in the epithelial layer and connective tissue. Our aim was to study changes in the enteric nervous system represented by one inhibitory (vasoactive intestinal polypeptide; VIP) and one excitatory (substance P, neurokinin A; SP/NKA) nerve population and concomitant changes in neurotrophin receptor occurrence during this development in the gut of Xenopus laevis adults and tadpoles at different stages of metamorphosis (NF stages 57–66). Sections were incubated with antibodies against the neurotrophin Trk receptors and p75^NTR, and the neurotransmitters VIP and SP/NKA. Trk-immunoreactive nerves increased dramatically but transiently in number during early metamorphic climax. Nerves immunoreactive for p75^NTR were present throughout the gut, decreased in number in the middle intestine during climax, and increased in the large intestine during late metamorphosis. The percentage of VIP-immunoreactive nerves did not change during metamorphosis. SP/NKA-immunoreactive nerves were first apparent at NF stages 61–62 in the middle intestine and increased in the stomach and large intestine during metamorphosis. Endocrine cells expressing SP/NKA increased in number in stomach, proximal, and middle intestine during metamorphic climax. Thus, neurotrophin receptors are expressed transiently in neurons of the enteric nervous system during metamorphosis in Xenopus laevis and SP/NKA innervation is more abundant in the intestine of the postmetamorphic frog than in the tadpole.This study was supported by grants from the Swedish Research Council to S. Holmgren     

Retinal and optical adaptations for nocturnal vision in the halictid bee<Emphasis Type="Italic"> Megalopta genalis</Emphasis>

The apposition compound eye of a nocturnal bee, the halictid Megalopta genalis, is described for the first time. Compared to the compound eye of the worker honeybee Apis mellifera and the diurnal halictid bee Lasioglossum leucozonium, the eye of M. genalis shows specific retinal and optical adaptations for vision in dim light. The major anatomical adaptations within the eye of the nocturnal bee are (1) nearly twofold larger ommatidial facets and (2) a 4–5 times wider rhabdom diameter than found in the diurnal bees studied. Optically, the apposition eye of M. genalis is 27 times more sensitive to light than the eyes of the diurnal bees. This increased optical sensitivity represents a clear optical adaptation to low light intensities. Although this unique nocturnal apposition eye has a greatly improved ability to catch light, a 27-fold increase in sensitivity alone cannot account for nocturnal vision at light intensities that are 8 log units dimmer than during daytime. New evidence suggests that additional neuronal spatial summation within the first optic ganglion, the lamina, is involved.B.G. is thankful for travel awards from the Royal Physiographic Society, the Per Westlings Fond, the Foundation of Dagny and Eilert Ekvall and the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences. E.J.W. is grateful for the support of a Smithsonian Short-Term Research Fellowship, the Swedish Research Council, the Crafoord Foundation, the Wenner-Gren Foundation and the Royal Physiographic Society of Lund for their ongoing support