Preparation and characterization of total,rough and smooth microsomes from the lung of control and methylcholanthrene-treated rats

Optimal conditions for the preparation of relatively pure microsomes and microsomal subfractions from rat lung have been determined. The most important of these conditions is homogenization of a 20% (w/v) suspension of lung tissue in 0.44 M sucrose/1% (w/v) bovine serum albumin with four up-and-down strokes at 440 rev./min in a Potter-Elvehjem homogenizer. The 10 000 × g supernatant prepared from this homogenate can be centrifuged at 105 000 × g to obtain total microsomes or subfractionated into rough and smooth microsomes on a Cs⁺-containing discontinuous sucrose gradient. The total, rough and smooth microsomes have been characterized in terms of their chemical composition, enzymatic activity, and morphology. These preparations should prove useful in studies of various enzymes in lung (e.g. benzpyrene monooxygenase, epoxide hydrase, enzymes of phospholipid and ascorbic acid synthesis) and in subfractionations designed to reveal heterogeneites in the lateral plane of the lung endoplasmic reticulum.     

Using sensitivity analysis to identify keystone species and keystone links in size‐based food webs

Human‐induced alterations in the birth and mortality rates of species and in the strength of interactions within and between species can lead to changes in the structure and resilience of ecological communities. Recent research points to the importance of considering the distribution of body sizes of species when exploring the response of communities to such perturbations. Here, we present a new size‐based approach for assessing the sensitivity and elasticity of community structure (species equilibrium abundances) and resilience (rate of return to equilibrium) to changes in the intrinsic growth rate of species and in the strengths of species interactions. We apply this approach on two natural systems, the pelagic communities of the Baltic Sea and Lake Vättern, to illustrate how it can be used to identify potential keystone species and keystone links. We find that the keystone status of a species is closely linked to its body size. The analysis also suggests that communities are structurally and dynamically more sensitive to changes in the effects of prey on their consumers than in the effects of consumers on their prey. Moreover, we discuss how community sensitivity analysis can be used to study and compare the fragility of communities with different body size distributions by measuring the mean sensitivity or elasticity over all species or all interaction links in a community. We believe that the community sensitivity analysis developed here holds some promise for identifying species and links that are critical for the structural and dynamic robustness of ecological communities.     

Formation of electronically excited states during the interaction of p-benzoquinone with hydrogen peroxide

The reaction between p-benzoquinone and H₂O₂ in slightly alkaline solutions yields three major quinoid products that accumulate in the reaction mixture: (a) 2,3-epoxy-p-benzoquinone, (b) 2-hydroxy-p-benzoquinone and (c) p-benzohydroquinone. The reaction is accompanied by photoemission, probably originating from excited triplet 2-hydroxy-p-benzoquinone. These products originate from hydrogen peroxide and hydroxide nucleophilic addition to the C₂?C₃ double bond, as well as secondary redox interactions. The hydroxy substituent and the epoxide ring exert a substantial influence on the electronic distribution in the p-benzoquinone molecule leading to a decrease in the half-wave potential, as compared to the parent p-benzoquinone. The generation of electronically excited states is the result of reactions secondary to the nucleophilic additions involving 2-hydroxy-p-benzosemiquinone, H₂O₂ and hydroxyl radical. The process involves the primary oxidation of 2-hydroxy-p-benzosemiquinone by hydrogen peroxide, followed by oxidation of the semiquinone by hydroxyl radical leading to the formation of the electronically excited quinone. The decay of the excited triplet to the ground state is accompanied by photoemission with maximal intensity at 485–530 nm. Thermodynamic calculations along with an observed increase of photoemission intensity in anaerobiosis point to the triplet (n, π*) multiplicity of the excited state. The efficiency of chemiluminescence could be calculated as 10^?8 photons/2-hydroxy-p-benzoquinone molecule formed. Photoemission arising from the p-benzoquinone/H₂O₂ reaction was inhibited efficiently by addition of GSH to the reaction mixture. This may be due to deactivation of the triplet quinone by a 2-glutathionyl-p-benzohydroquinone adduct, involving thioether α-hydrogen atom-transfer to the triplet ketone.     

Estrogen accelerates immune complex glomerulonephritis but ameliorates T cell-mediated vasculitis and sialadenitis in autoimmune MRL lpr/lpr mice.

Estrogen is known to influence immune responses in healthy subjects in a dichotomous fashion. Thus, in number of previous studies we and others have demonstrated that B cell activities are augmented after exposure to estrogen whereas T cell reactivity is suppressed. Furthermore, it has been shown that this hormone has significant impact on the course of certain human and experimental autoimmune diseases. In this study we report that treatment with physiological doses of estradiol exerts dichotomous effects on different manifestations of the lupus disease in MRL/l mice. On one hand immune complex-mediated glomerulonephritis was significantly accelerated. This outcome was due to polyclonal B cell activation with increased production of antibodies to double-stranded DNA and formation of circulating immune complexes. In contrast, T cell-mediated lesions such as focal sialadenitis, renal vasculitis, and periarticular inflammation were all significantly ameliorated in MRL/l mice exposed to estrogen. Thus, we were able to demonstrate that, within one subject and even within one organ, administration of estrogen leads to differential outcome of SLE morbidity. We propose that the differential effect of estrogen on the manifestations of the autoimmune disease of MRL/l mice is due to its dichotomous effects on B and T cell-mediated immune responses.     

Predation of the shelduck Tadorna tadorna on the mud snail Hydrobia ulvae

Many waders and ducks rely exclusively on invertebrates for their food and can deplete populations of these invertebrates. The mudsnail Hydrobia ulvae and the shelduck Tadorna tadorna are both widespread and abundant and in previous studies H. ulvae has been identified as the main food source for shelduck. The objective of the study was to quantify the predation of shelduck of H. ulvae on an intertidal mud flat in north Wales in order to estimate the contribution of shelduck predation to H. ulvae mortality and to estimate the importance of H. ulvae in the diet of shelduck. The contribution of shelduck towards the observed mortality was estimated from the number of H. ulvae per dropping, the number of droppings produced per hour and the number of shelduck found at the study site. Shelduck predation hardly made a contribution to the observed mortality of H. ulvae. Examination of the energetic requirements of shelduck shows that H. ulvae cannot be a significant part of the diet. In conclusion, the predation of shelduck on H. ulvae was irrelevant for both the population dynamics of the mud snail and for the energy requirements of shelduck in the study area.     

Sex-role reversal revisited: choosy females and ornamented, competitive males in a pipefish

In the pipefish Syngnathus typhle sex roles are reversed, thatis, females compete more intensely than males over mates. However,competition over mates among individuals of one sex does notnecessarily prevent members of that same sex from being choosy,and choosiness in the other sex does not prevent competitionwithin it. In an experiment we allowed a female pipefish tochoose freely between two males, after which we released themales and let the three interact. Comparisons with earlier resultsshow that both sexes courted partners and competed with consexuals.However, females courted more often than did males, and courtshipwas more frequent in treatments involving large individualsthan in treatments with small individuals. Males competed amongthemselves for access to mates but for a shorter duration thanfemales in the same situation. Males displayed an ornament towardsfemales but not to males during mating competition. Females,however, used their ornament in both contexts. Females did notalways mate with the male of their previously made choice, whichwe interpret as females being constrained by male-male competition,male motivation to mate, or both. Thus, in this sex-role reversedspecies, mate choice in the more competitive sex may be circumventedand even overruled by mate competition and mating willingnessin the least competitive sex. Hence, sex roles should not beconsidered as sexes being either choosy or competitive but ratherthat males and females may exhibit different combinations ofchoice and competition.     

Productivity of high-latitude lakes: climate effect inferred from altitude gradient

Climate change is predicted to be dramatic at high latitudes. Still, climate impact on high latitude lake ecosystems is poorly understood. We studied 15 subarctic lakes located in a climate gradient comprising an air temperature difference of about 6°C. We show that lake water productivity varied by one order of magnitude along the temperature gradient. This variation was mainly caused by variations in the length of the ice‐free period and, more importantly, in the supply of organic carbon and inorganic nutrients, which followed differences in terrestrial vegetation cover along the gradient. The results imply that warming will have rapid effects on the productivity of high latitude lakes, by prolongation of ice‐free periods. However, a more pronounced consequence will be a delayed stimulation of the productivity following upon changes of the lakes terrestrial surroundings and subsequent increasing input of elements that stimulate the production of lake biota.