MOLECULAR ASSOCIATION OF HEMOCYANIN PRODUCED BY X-RAYS AS OBSERVED IN THE ULTRACENTRIFUGE

1. When normal, monodisperse hemocyanin (60.5S) from Limulus Rolyphemus was irradiated in neutral buffer with x-rays, several new, more rapidly sedimenting ultracentrifugal components (86S, 107S, 122S) were produced, with a corresponding loss in the amount of the unaffected protein. The amount of the effect was roughly proportional to the amount of irradiation. 2. The new resolvable components apparently represented an association of the primary particles into aggregates of 2, 3, and 4 primary particles respectively. 3. The proportional amount of hemocyanin affected decreased almost to the vanishing point as the concentration of the protein was raised to high levels. 4. The absolute effect, i.e. the total number of particles affected in a given volume, increased with the concentration of hemocyanin, at least for concentrations below 15 per cent. 5. The presence of 33 per cent horse serum during irradiation inhibited the effect on the hemocyanin almost completely, with hemocyanin concentrations of both 0.8 and 14 per cent. 6. The presence of 2.8 per cent egg albumin during irradiation lowered the effect by about 70 per cent in the case of dilute preparations (0.8 per cent hemocyanin), but by only about 25 per cent in the case of 14 per cent solutions. 7. A lowering of the solution''s oxygen tension during irradiation enhanced the effect, almost doubling it in some cases. 8. The probable theoretical significance of these and other observations are discussed in the text.     

Arterial supply and venous drainage of the brain of the black bear (Ursus americanus). I. Gross anatomical distribution

A morphological study of the intracranial vessels of the Black bear (Ursus americanus) was undertaken. The object was to provide basic information related to the vascular pattern in these animals as compared with other carnivores and with the human. Vascular casts were prepared from 6 animals. The vasculature of the brain disclosed patterns comparable to other species previously studied.     

The plant activation of m-phenylenediamine by Tradescantia clone 03 and clone 4430 cells in liquid suspension culture

In this study, we expanded the use of the genus Tradescantia to investigate the plant activation of promutagens and further refine the methodology of the plant cell/microbe coincubation assay. Liquid suspension cell cultures of Tradescantia clone 03 and Tradescantia clone 4430 were used to activate the promutagen m-phenylenediamine into a mutagenic compound which was detected by Salmonella typhimurium strain TA98 in the plant cell/microbe coincubation assay. Optimum treatment parameters were established for both plant cell lines. Optimum was defined as the lowest concentration or shortest time period that provided consistently positive results and high rates of revertants. Preliminary experiments with both cell lines defined 2.5 mumoles m-phenylenediamine per plate as the optimum concentration to be used in the determination of the optimal coincubation period and the optimal concentration of plant cells. These experiments also determined the optimal physiological stage at which both clones should be used in the coincubation assay. Differences were found in the optimal of coincubation (1h for clone 03, 2 h for clone 4430) and growth stage (mid-log for clone 03, mid- to late-log for clone 4430). Similar activation responses were seen for both clones when the concentration of plant cells (mg/ml) was varied. Under optimized conditions, clone 03 cells demonstrated an approximately 10% higher activation response than clone 4430.     

Yawning,scratching, and protruded lips: Differential conditionability of natural acts in pigtail monkeys (Macaca nemestrina)

Food rewards were given contingent upon the performance of one of three natural responses in adult male pigtail macaques: scratching, yawning, and the facial expression “protruded lips.” Scratching rapidly increased in frequency when it was followed by food, as did variability in form of scratching and one form in particular, using the feet. The facial expression was resistant to the conditioning procedures. Yawning increased in frequency when followed by food, with extinction and reconditioning procedures confirming the establishment of the conditioned response. This is the first report of the conditioning of yawning in primates. Together, the results contribute to the literature on the differential conditionability of different classes of behavior, and suggest the possibility that macaques can voluntarily display “reflexive” acts for social goals.     

Character displacement in the fighting colours of Hetaerina damselflies

Aggression between species is a seldom-considered but potentially widespread mechanism of character displacement in secondary sexual characters. Based on previous research showing that similarity in wing coloration directly influences interspecific territorial aggression in Hetaerina damselflies, we predicted that wing coloration would show a pattern of character displacement (divergence in sympatry). A geographical survey of four Hetaerina damselfly species in Mexico and Texas showed evidence for character displacement in both species pairs that regularly occurs sympatrically. Hetaerina titia, a species that typically has large black wing spots and small red wing spots, shifted to having even larger black spots and smaller red wing spots at sites where a congener with large red wing spots is numerically dominant (Hetaerina americana or Hetaerina occisa). Hetaerina americana showed the reverse pattern, shifting towards larger red wing spots where H. titia is numerically dominant. This pattern is consistent with the process of agonistic character displacement, but the ontogenetic basis of the shift remains to be demonstrated.