Water flux through a semi-deciduous forest grove of the Orinoco savannas

Water relations were analysed in a semi-deciduous forest grove occurring in the oxisols of the Orinoco savannas. This grove has a shallow unconsolidated ironstone cuirass, which is overlaid by a sandy loam layer (0.0–0.5 m) that contains more than 90% of the grove forest root phytomass. Evapotranspiration and through drainage were calculated by using data from the soil profile as related to physical characteristics of the site root zone, hydraulic conductivity, volumetric water content and potential hydraulic gradient. Mean annual evapotranspiration was 783 mm year^–1 and annual through drainage below the root zone was 14% (162 mm year^–1) of the gross rainfall. This drainage recharged the 42% of the annual saturation deficit of the water table. Similar mean annual evapotranspiration (770 mm year^–1) was also calculated by using the water balance components. The mean daily coupling omega factor () between the grove canopy and the surrounding atmosphere indicated that a high degree of coupling (=0.14±0.16) occurs in the grove and evapotranspiration was mainly controlled by surface conductance. As the dry season proceeded, the soil saturation deficit () increased rapidly resulting in a threshold surface conductance (0.030–0.005 m s^–1) for ranging from 0.05 to 0.10. Hypotheses to explain the omnipresence of perennial species in the wide range of physical conditions in neotropical savannas are discussed.     

The mite Varroa jacobsoni does not transmit American foulbrood from infected to healthy colonies

The present study was conducted to determine whether Varroa jacobsoni can transmit American foulbrood (AFB), caused by the bacterium Paenibacillus larvae to healthy colonies by the surface transport of spores. Five two-storey Langstroth colonies of Apis mellifera ligustica were infested by placing a sealed brood comb, with 10% Varroa prevalence, between the central brood combs of each colony. Two months later the colonies were inoculated with P. larvae by adding brood comb pieces with clinical signs of AFB (45±5 scales per colony). After 60 days the brood area was completely uncapped by means of dissecting needles and tweezers, separating the Varroa mites from the larvae and the collected mites were introduced at a rate of 51 per colony into four recipient hives placed in an isolated apiary. Twenty female Varroa specimens were separated at random and observed by SEM. Paenibacillus larvae spores were found on the dorsal shield surface and on idiosomal setae. All colonies died after 4–5 months due to a high incidence of varroosis. No clinical AFB symptoms or P. larvae spores were observed in microscopic preparations. It is concluded that Varroa jacobsoni does not transmit AFB from infected to healthy colonies; it does, however transport P. larvae spores on its surface.     

Specificity of T lymphocyte cytotoxicity to autologous hepatocytes in chronic hepatitis B virus infection: evidence that T cells are directed against HBV core antigen expressed on hepatocytes

Peripheral blood T lymphocytes from 21 patients with chronic HBV infection were incubated with autologous hepatocytes in a microcytotoxicity assay. Cytotoxicity was significantly increased in 13 cases, and in 12 of these the cytotoxic effect of the T lymphocytes was inhibited by preincubating the liver cells with IgG containing antibodies to the hepatitis B core antigen (HBcAg). Normal human IgG and IgG containing antibodies to the hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAG) were without effect. Control experiments using autologous fibroblasts as target cells showed low levels of T cell cytotoxicity and no blocking effect of anti-core antibody. All patients in whom it was possible to demonstrate HBcAg in liver tissue had significantly increased T cell cytotoxicity to autologous hepatocytes. These studies suggest that T cell cytotoxicity in patients with chronic HBV infection is directed against determinants resembling the hepatitis B core antigen on the plasma membrane of hepatocytes.     

Metabolic studies in unaffected co-twins of non-insulin-dependent diabetics.

Forty-eight out of 53 non-insulin-dependent diabetic identical twin pairs were concordant for diabetes. In the five discordant pairs the diabetic twin had only recently been diagnosed. Oral glucose tolerance tests were carried out on the unaffected twins of the five pairs and on matched controls. Fasting concentrations of blood glucose (5.5 +/- 0.6 v 3.7 +/- 0.3 mmol/l; 99.1 +/- 10.8 v 66.6 +/- 5.4 mg/100 ml), haemoglobin A1 (mean 9.1%, range 8.8-9.2% v mean 7.9%, range 7.4-8.4%), lactate, alanine, and glycerol (0.090 +/- 0.017 v 0.045 +/- 0.008 mmol/l); and the lactate: pyruvate ratio were significantly higher in the twins than controls. After glucose challenge blood glucose, lactate, alanine, and glycerol concentrations and lactate: pyruvate ratio were increased in the twins. Insulin response was severely impaired, being almost absent in four of the five twins. The non-diabetic members of the discordant non-insulin-dependent diabetic pairs showed noticeable metabolic abnormalities which would later presumably deteriorate to frank diabetes. These findings, taken with the high concordance rate for non-insulin-dependent diabetic twins, suggest that non-insulin-dependent diabetes is predominantly, possibly entirely, inherited.     

A partially deficient mutant, recA1730, that fails to form normal nucleoprotein filaments.

Summary The phenotype of the recA1730 mutant is highly dependent on the level of expression of the RecA1730 protein. If the recA1730 gene was expressed from its own promoter, the cells were deficient in recombination and SOS induction. In contrast, when the recA1730 gene was expressed under the control of recAo98, a constitutive operator that increased the RecA1730 concentration 20-fold, cells became proficient in recombination and SOS induction. Likewise, in crude extracts, fivefold more RecA1730 than RecAwt was required to produce full cleavage of LexA protein. The requirement for a high RecA1730 concentration for recombination and LexA cleavage suggests that the recA1730 defect alters a common reaction step. In fact, in vitro data show that the impaired assembly of RecA1730 protein on single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) can account for the mutant phenotype. Purified RecA1730 protein was assayed in vitro for ssDNA binding and ATPase activities. RecA1730, like RecAwt, retained ssDNA equally well on nitrocellulose filters; this activity was specifically inhibited by a monoclonal anti-RecA antibody. However, RecA1730 protein did not form complete filaments on ssDNA, as shown by two observations: (i) most of the protein did not elute with ssDNA during gel filtration; and (ii) binding of RecA1730 to ssDNA did not protect it from being digested by DNaseI. RecA1730 hydrolysed ATP in high salt but was defective in ssDNA-dependent ATP hydrolysis. These results strongly suggest that RecA1730 binds to ATP and ssDNA but does not form normal nucleoprotein filaments.Abbreviations RecAwt RecA wind-type protein - ssDNA singlestranded DNA - dsDNA dmble-stranded DNA     

Developmental analysis of the cell recognition mechanism in the ciliate Euplotes raikovi

Euplotes raikovi, like other ciliates, passes through a postconjugal immaturity, operatively identified by an apparent cell inability to form mating pairs under experimental conditions that are the same as those used for inducing mating at maturity. In cells homozygous for the gene mat-2, which controls the pheromone Er-2, Er-2 mRNA synthesis and mature Er-2 secretion were shown to start from the very beginning of the life cycle and continue throughout immaturity, although to extents estimated to be 5- to 10-fold lower than at maturity. In addition, experiments of ¹²⁵ I-Er-2 binding and crosslinking provided evidence that autocrine pheromone-binding sites, showing values of the dissociation constant of the order of 10^?9 M, are on the surface of immature cells. The number of these sites per cell was estimated to increase from less than 10⁶ per cell of 5–7 fissions of age, to about 16 × 10⁶ at maturity. These results were taken to suggest that a pheromone-receptor production is stimulated during immaturity by autocrine pheromone binding to cells and that this production might be essential for the development of a pheromone-receptor density high enough to transform the cell from “immature” to “adult,” that is competent to respond as well to pheromones of conspecific, genetically different cells. © 1992 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

On the identity of dnaP and dnaF genes of Bacillus subtilis

Summary The dnaP strains of Bacillus subtilis are altered in the initiation of DNA replication at high temperature (Riva et al., 1975). Fine mapping of the gene shows that it is located very close to the dnaF gene, described by Karamata and Gross (1970) and mapped by Love et al. (1976) in the polC region. The phenotype of both mutants is indistinguishable: the DNA synthesis stops at non permissive temperature after synthesizing an amount of DNA equivalent to the completion of the rounds of replication already initiated; at permissive temperature they are abnormally sensitive to MMS and are reduced in the ability to be transformed. Both mutants are to be considered as belonging to the dnaF locus.The dnaF gene is very close to the polC gene, which specifies the DNA polymerase III of B. subtilis. The DNA polymerase III of the dnaF mutants is not temperature sensitive in vitro, however, the level of this enzyme is lower by a factor of 4 or 5 in the dnaF mutants, at the permissive temperature. Following shift of dnaF cultures to the non permissive temperature, the level of DNA polymerase III activity specifically decreases further by a factor of at least 10 in the mutant, whereas the DNA polymerase I level is unaffected.The possible roles of the dnaF gene in the control of the cellular level of the DNA polymerase III, and the possibility of a regulatory role of DNA polymerase III in the initiation of DNA replication in bacteria are discussed.Abbreviations and symbols HPUra 6-(p-hydroxyphenylazo)-uracil; mic, minimum inhibitory concentration - MMS methyl-methanesufonate - Pol I Pol II and Pol III: DNA polymerase I, II and III respectively - PCMB parachloro-mercuri-benzoate     

Factors regulating amino acid release from extrasplanchnic tissues in the rat. Interactions of alanine and glutamine.

1. Factors regulating the release of alanine and glutamine in vivo were investigated in starved rats by removing the liver from the circulation and monitoring blood metabolite changes for 30 min. 2. Alanine and glutamine were the predominant amino acids released into the circulation in this preparation. 3. Dichloroacetate, an activator of pyruvate dehydrogenase, inhibited net alanine release: it also interfered with the metabolism of the branched-chain amino acids valine, leucine and isoleucine. 4. L-Cycloserine, an inhibitor of alanine aminotransferase, decreased alanine accumulation by 80% after functional hepatectomy, whereas methionine sulphoximine, an inhibitor of glutamine synthetase, decreased glutamine accumulation by the same amount. 5. It was concluded that: (a) the alanine aminotransferase and the glutamine synthetase pathways respectively were responsible for 80% of the alanine and glutamine released into the circulation by the extrasplanchnic tissues, and extrahepatic proteolysis could account for a maximum of 20%; (b) alanine formation by the peripheral tissues was dependent on availability of pyruvate and not of glutamate; (c) glutamate availability could influence glutamine formation subject, possibly, to renal control.