Plankton und Stoffhaushalt der Mosel bei der Stauhaltung Enkirch 1981

River plancton becomes an important factor in rivers affected by man, as a result of a permanent abundance of P and N, and of a lowering of current velocity transforming a river into a chain of storage basins. This process is demonstrated by means of data from the storage basin of Enkirch on the river Mosel, where in summer the growth of plancton leads to an oxygen deficiency. The mechanisms involved are shown. They are controlled by flow, global radiation, and temperature.

     

Studies on ciliated protozoa in eutrophic lakes: 2. Field and laboratory studies on the effects of oxygen and other chemical gradients on ciliate distribution

An investigation into the spatial distribution of hypolimnetic ciliates in three small eutrophic lakes during the period of summer stratification was carried out. Peak ciliate densities were found to occur at the oxic/anoxic boundary, ciliate numbers declining with increasing depth within the hypolimnion. The ciliates only occurred in aerobic water where oxygen levels were less than about 0.5 mgl^–1 Laboratory experiments demonstrated that the ciliates swim upwards under anaerobic conditions but swim rapidly downwards under aerobic conditions. Further laboratory experiments showed that although the bulk of the population occured within anaerobic water, the hypolimnetic ciliates are aerobes and cannot survive indefinite anoxia. Despite the demonstrable toxicity of high levels of ammonia and sulphide, it was probably excesive distance from an available source of oxygen that excluded the ciliates from the lowest levels of the hypolimnion. Possible mechanisms which allowed these aerobic ciliates to colonise anaerobic water are considered.     

Quinolinic Acid Phosphoribosyltransferase in Rat Brain

Because of the possible participation of quinolinic acid in brain function and/or dysfunction, the characteristics of its catabolic enzyme, quinolinic acid phosphoribosyltransferase (QPRTase; EC 2.4.2.19), were examined in rat brain tissue. For this purpose, a sensitive radiochemical assay method, based on the conversion of quinolinic acid to nicotinic acid mononucleotide (NAMN), was developed. For brain QPRTase, the Mg2+ dependency, substrate specificity, and optimal assay conditions were virtually identical to those of the liver enzyme. Kinetic analyses of brain QPRTase revealed a Km of 3.17 +/- 0.30 microM for quinolinic acid and Km = 65.13 +/- 13.74 microM for the cosubstrate phosphoribosylpyrophosphate. The respective Vmax values were: 0.91 +/- 0.08 pmol NAMN/h/mg tissue for quinolinic acid and 11.65 +/- 1.55 fmol NAMN/h/mg tissue for phosphoribosylpyrophosphate. All kinetic parameters measured for the brain enzyme were significantly different from those determined for liver QPRTase, indicating structural differences or distinct regulatory processes for the brain and liver enzymes. Phthalic acid was a potent competitive inhibitor of brain QPRTase. Examination of the regional distribution of QPRTase in the rat CNS and retina indicated a greater than 20-fold difference between the area displaying the highest activity (olfactory bulb) and those of only moderate activity (frontal cortex, striatum, retina, hippo-campus). Enzyme activity was present at the earliest age tested, 2 days, and tended to increase in older animals. Brain QPRTase activity was preferentially located in the nerve-ending (synaptosomal) fraction. Enzyme activity was stable over extensive periods of storage at -80 degrees C.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Isolation and characterization of plasma membrane fromAcanthamoeba culbertsoni

A rapid method for preparation of plasma membrane fromAcanthamoeba culbertsoni involving toluene treatment followed by lithium bromide extraction is described. In the plasma membrane preparation, 5′-nucleotidase, Na⁺ + K⁺ -ATPase, Mg²⁺ -ATPase and glucose-6-phosphatase activities were enriched. The membrane preparation was free from nucleic acid, cytochrome P-450 and cytochrome b5. Amino acid (¹⁴C-Ieucine) was not incorporated in the plasma membrane in 2 min. Succinic dehydrogenase was not detectable in the plasma membrane preparation. The molar ratio of cholesterol and phospholipids was 0.95 which is characteristics for plasma membranes. Under electronmicroscopy the preparation was homogenous without any other component of the cell. Plasma membrane proteins and glycoproteins were separated on acrylamide gel electrophoresis     

Subcellular localization and glycoprotein nature of the invertase from the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe

The subcellular localization of the enzyme invertase in Schizosaccharomyces pombe cells, both repressed and derepressed for synthesis of the enzyme, was studied. Most of the invertase was found to be located outside the plasma membrane and only a small percentage was found to be associated to membranes. A substantial portion of the external enzyme remained firmly bound to cell-wall material.All of the invertase recovered in soluble form from cellular extracts reacted with concanavalin A and with the lectin from Bandeiraea simplicifolia seeds, indicating the presence in the enzyme of a carbohydrate moiety which probably contains terminal mannosyl (or structurally related) and galactosyl residues.The possibility of the presence of two different forms of invertase in S. pombe was considered. An intracellular, soluble form of invertase, devoid of carbohydrate, similar to the small invertase of the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, was not found in S. pombe. However, the Michaelis constant for sucrose of the enzyme present in repressed cells was smaller than that of the invertase synthesized under derepressing conditions, although this difference could also be the result of a different pattern of glycosylation of the invertase synthesized under different growth conditions.     

Lignocellulose biotransformation with immobilized cellulase,d-glucose oxidase and fungal peroxidases

Three enzymes, cellulase [see 1,4-(1,3;1,4)-β-d-glucan 4-glucanohydrolase, EC 3.2.1.4], d-glucose oxidase (β-d-glucose: oxygen 1-oxidoreductase, EC 1.1.3.4) and peroxidase (donor:hydrogen peroxide oxidoreductase, EC 1.11.1.7) immobilized on glass beads, have been incubated with lignocellulose. Fungal peroxidases from Trametes versicolor and Inonotus radiatus when mixed with cellulase and d-glucose oxidase were able to liberate phenolic compounds and d-glucose from lignocellulose. Three lignin monomers were identified. When the immobilized enzymes were incubated individually with lignocellulose they did not degrade lignin.     

Induction of autolysis of staphylococci by the basic peptide antibiotics Pep 5 and nisin and their influence on the activity of autolytic enzymes

Pep 5 and nisin are cationic bactericidal peptides which were shown to induce autolysis in Staphylococcus cohnii 22. In contrast to nisin, Pep 5 induced lysis could be stimulated in the presence of glucose. Addition of lipoteichoic acids (LTA) (d-alanine:phosphorus=0.475:1) inhibited all effects of Pep 5 on susceptible cells in a molar ratio LTA:Pep 5 of 10:1. Treatment of S. cohnii 22 with Pep 5 or nisin for 20 min and subsequent washing with 2.5 M NaCl released autolysin activity. Crude preparations of the hydrolyzing enzymes produced free amino groups as well as polysaccharide fragments from the murein backbone, suggesting the presence of a muramidase or glucosamidase, and endopeptidase or amidase. Both enzyme activities were inhibited by lipoteichoic acid; they could be fully reactivated by addition of Pep 5 in sufficient concentrations. The velocity of hydrolysis was not influenced by nisin, whereas it was doubled in presence of Pep 5. The results are discussed in view of a possible mechanism of induction of lysis by Pep 5 and nisin.Abbreviations A.U. arbitrary unit - CCCP carbonylcyanide-m-chlorophenyl hydrazone - DNase deoxyribonuclease - CYG casein yeast extract glucose - IT initial turbidity - LTA lipoteichoic acid - RNase ribonuclease - TSB Tryptone Soy Broth     

Hepes may stimulate cultured endothelial cells to make growth-retarding oxygen metabolites

Summary Zwitterion buffers are often used to modulate the pH of cell culture medium but their effect on cultured cells is controversial. We found that addition of 4-(2-hydroxyethyl)-1-piperazineethanesulfonic acid (HEPES) caused superoxide dismutase (SOD) inhibitable increases in nitroblue tetrazolium dye reduction and SOD and catalase inhibitable decreases in the growth of cultured bovine pulmonary artery endothelial cells. The findings suggest that HEPES stimulates endothelial cells to make toxic oxygen metabolites that contribute to decreased cell growth. This work was supported in part by the National Institutes of Health, Colorado and American Lung Associations, Colorado and American Heart Associations, the Council for Tobacco Research, and the Kroc, Hill, Swan and Kleberg Foundations. Dr. Bowman is a Clinician Scientist Awardee of the American Heart Association.     

Free radical damage to cultured porcine aortic endothelial cells and lung fibroblasts: Modulation by culture conditions

Summary Culture conditions modulating cell damage from xanthine plus xanthine oxidase-derived partially reduced oxygen species were studied. Porcine thoracic aorta endothelial cells and porcine lung fibroblasts were maintained in monolayer culture. Cells were prelabeled with⁵¹Cr before xanthine plus xanthine oxidase exposure. Endothelial cells showed 30 to 100% more lysis than fibroblasts and thus seemed more sensitive to this oxidant stress. The effect of cell culture age, as indicated by population doubling level (PDL), was examined. Response of low PDL endothelial cells and fibroblasts subjected to oxidant stress was compared with the response of PDL 15 cells. Both low PDL endothelial cells and fibroblasts responded differently to the lytic effect of xanthine oxidase-derived free radicals than did higher PDL cells. Specific activities of the antioxidant enzymes catalase, managanese superoxide dismutase, copper-zinc superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase were measured in both low and high PDL fibroblasts and endothelial cells. Antioxidant enzyme specific activities could only partially explain the differences in response to oxidant stress between fibroblasts and endothelial cells and between low and high PDL cells. Cell culture medium composition modulated the rate of production, and relative proportions of xanthine plus xanthine oxidase-derived partially reduced species of oxygen, i.e. superoxide, hydrogen peroxide, and hydroxyl radical. Serum content of medium was important in modulating free radical generation; superoxide production rates decreased 32%, H₂O₂ became undetectable, and hydroxyl radical generation decreased 54% in the presence of 10% serum. The medium protein and iron content also modulated free radical generation. The data suggest that cell culture media constituents, cell type, and cell culture age greatly affect in vitro response of cells subjected to oxidant stress. Research supported by American Lung Association Fellowship Training Grant and Research Training Grant, the R. J. Reynolds Corporation, and National Institutes of Health Grants HL29784 and 1 HL 23805.     

Oxygen demand and long term changes of profundal zoobenthos

The paper attempts to combine the low oxygen content of the hypolimnion during stratification and the oxygen uptake of zoobenthos. Data of declining oxygen content in the hypolimnion and critical limits of respiration are combined for Chironomus anthracinus, Potamothrix hammoniensis and three species of Pisidium, P. casertanum, P. subtruncatum and P. henslowanum. The respiratory adaptation to low oxygen content influences both growth and population dynamics of the different species. The results have important bearing on eutrophication of the Lake Esrom ecosystem and temperate eutrophic lakes in general as well as the composition of profundal zoobenthos and its population dynamics.Publication No. 389 from Freshwater-Biological Laboratory, University of Copenhagen.