Determination of the hydraulic conductivity of Lamprothamnium by use of the pressure clamp

By use of the pressure-clamp technique, the hydraulic conductivity of the brackish-water alga Lamprothamnium was found to be 5·10^-6 cm s^-1 bar^-1. The dimensions of the internodes are so small that it is possible, for the first time, to measure a complete volume relaxation upon clamping the turgor pressure to a preset value by a feedback control of the pressure probe. As theoretically predicted, the values of the hydraulic conductivity obtained from the initial slope of the volume relaxation induced by the pressure clamp are in agreement (within experimental error) with those obtained from the half-time of the relaxation process. The cell volume also obtained from the analysis of the volume relaxation is the osmotically effective cell volume and is therefore slightly smaller than the value obtained by taking the dimensions of the cell including the cell wall.Abbreviations and symbols Lp hydraulic conductivity - P turgor pressure - S_v initial slope of volume relaxion - T_1/2 half-time of volume relaxation Dedicated to Professor Dr. H. Ziegler on the occasion of his 60th birthday     

Isolation and characterization of a new thermophilic and autotrophic methane producing bacterium:Methanobacterium thermoaggregans spec. nov.

Methanobacterium thermoaggregans is a new thermophilic autotrophic rod-shaped methane producing bacterium. The organism likes to form aggregates during growth and utilizes only H₂ and CO₂ as substrates. Growth optimum is at 65°C with a doubling time of 3.5 h. Optimal growth occurs at pH-values between 7 and 7.5. The addition of yeast extract to the mineral salt medium stimulates growth. The DNA base composition is 42 mol% G+C. The organism was isolated from mud taken from a cattle pasture. Because of its optimal growth temperature and its tendency to form aggregates the nameMethanobacterium thermoaggregans is suggested.Abbreviations G+C Guanine+cytosine     

On the fine structure of the cerebral ganglion of Sagitta (Chaetognatha)

Summary In this study the fine structure of the cerebral ganglion of Sagitta setosa (Chaetognatha) is investigated. The ganglion is flat and superficially positioned dorsally, below the basal lamina of the cephalic epidermis. It is surrounded by a specifically differentiated sheath. This sheath is made up of cells, which are interpreted as representing glial cells, and can be divided into an outer and an inner zone. The outer zone is composed of flat sheath cells with pale nuclei and few organelles. The inner zone consists of densely packed, extremely thin lamellar cellular processes. These attenuated lamellae, which still contain cytoplasm, resemble the myelin sheath of vertebrate axons. The intercellular space between the lamellae contains electron-dense material. In the sheath specialized intercellular contacts occur. The inner zone of this sheath extends at definite points into the centre of the ganglion and separates a zone of perikarya from the neuropil, as well as the single perikarya from each other. The perikarya are relatively uniform and do not form a cortex, but are concentrated mainly in lateral parts of the cerebral ganglion. Within the neuropil are axonal endings which have synaptic contacts with several postsynaptic elements. These anatomical findings are discussed with respect to their functional significance.     

Regional differences in a nematoceran retina (Insecta,Diptera)

Summary The compound eye of Psychoda cinerea comprises two types of ommatidia, arranged so as to divide the retina into distinct dorsal and ventral regions. The P-type ommatidium, in the ventral part of the eye, differs fundamentally from the other dipteran ommatidia so far described, and is regarded as a primitive ommatidium. The acone dioptric apparatus is the same in both types, with a spherical lens and four Semper cells, the processes of which expand below the rhabdom to form a ring of pigment sacs. Only the distal region of the rhabdom is surrounded by a continuous ring of screening pigment, formed by 2 primary and 12–16 secondary pigment cells. The highly pigmented retinula cells penetrate the basement membrane proximally at about the level of their nuclei; in this region they are separated from the hemolymph by glial elements. The rhabdomeres R1–6 are fused to form a tube. The two types of ommatidia are defined by the arrangement of the retinula cells R7/8: in the T type the central rhabdomeres are one below the other, in the usual tandem position, whereas in the P type only R8 is central, with R7 in the peripheral ring. In the proximal region of the retina, retinula cells with parallel microvilli in neighboring ommatidia are joined in rows by lateral processes from the R8 cells. All the rhabdomeres are short and not twisted, which suggests that the retinula cells are highly sensitive to direction of polarization. The eye can adapt by a number of retinomotor processes. These findings, together with observations of behavior, imply that the psychodids have well-developed visual abilities.     

Isolation and structural analysis of two lipid A precursors from a KDO deficient mutant of Salmonella typhimurium differing in their hexadecanoic acid content

The extraction, purification and structural characterization of two lipid A precursors (Ia and Ib) differing only in one hexadecanoic acid are described. Both precursors were synthesized at elevated temperatures by a new mutant of Salmonella typhimurium (mutant Ts5) which is conditionally defective in synthesis of the 3-deoxy-d-manno-octulosonic acid region of lipopolysaccharides.Both precursors were purified by repeated phenol/chloroform/petroleum ether (PCP) extractions followed by thin layer chromatography. Teh precursor preparation was free of lipopolysaccharides and phospholipids and contained less than 0.1% protein. Structural analysis which included chemical degradation procedures as well as positive ion laser desorption (LDMS) mass spectroscopy of dephosphorylated lipid A precursors showed together that precursor Ia represents a diphosphorylated glucosamine disaccharide containing two ester, two amide-linked residues of 3-hydroxytetradecanoic acid and lacks the ester-linked dodecanoic, tetradecanoic and hexadecanoic acid as well as 3-deoxy-d-manno-octulosonic acid. Precursor Ib has the same basic structure as precursor Ia, but contains in addition one mol of hexadecanoic acid per mol disaccharide which is linked to the 3-hydroxy group of the amide-bound 3-hydroxy-tetradecanoic acid of the reducing, terminal glucosamine residue.The structure of precursor Ib supports the conclusion that hexadecanoic acid incorporation occurs at an early stage in lipid A biosynthesis prior to the attachment of 3-deoxy-d-manno-octulosonic acid and/or other polar substituents.Abbreviations LDMS laser desorption mass spectrometry - KDO 3-Deoxy-d-manno-octulosonic acid - Ts5 Salmonella typhimurium mutant Ts5 - PCP phenol/chloroform/petroleum ether - H₂F₂ hydrogen fluoride This work is dedicated to Prof. Dr. Drews, Freiburg, on the occasion of his 60th birthday     

Thermal influences on the habitat preference and the diurnal activity in three European Rana species

The diurnal behaviour of frogs was recorded quantitatively in a habitatlike experimental environment by a new method of automatic registration via thermocouples. Three species with different habitat preferences during their summer activity period were chosen: the terrestrial common frog Rana temporaria LINNÈ and the semiaquatic water frog Rana lessonae CAMERANO and Rana ridibunda PALLAS. The activity, the location and the skin temperatures of these frogs were recorded continuously in four different temperature ranges (8.1° C–31.0° C) within the temperature span of the summer activity period. The thermal requirements and behavioural adaptations to the habitat of each species were analysed. The experimental results coincided with field observations and showed some details not yet known. The northern species R. temporaria exhibited a distinctive behavioural thermoregulation including cooling behaviour at high temperatures and warming behaviour at low temperatures during the day. In all temperatures tested these frogs remained on land changing their preferred location from the open area to the hiding places. The main activity period shifted from night to day with decreasing temperatures. The more southern species R. lessonae preferred higher temperatures than the other species showing basking behaviour during the day independent of the ambient temperature. With decreasing temperatures the preferred location changed from the shore to the water and the activity during the night almost disappeared. The closely related R. ridibunda tolerated high temperatures too, but only rarely basked. This species, however, reacted contrarily to decreasing temperatures: it changed its preference from the water to the land. This behavioural differenciation between the water frog species may be of importance for the actual habitat preference of these central european water frogs.     

The effect of endotoxin on the lipoxygenase-mediated conversion of exogenous and endogenous arachidonic acid in mouse peritoneal macrophages

The influence of lipopolysaccharide (LPS, endotoxin) or its lipid A component (bacterial and synthetic) on the synthesis of zymosan induced leukotriene C₄, prostaglandin E₂ and prostacyclin and on the conversion of exogenous arachidonic acid was studied in mouse peritoneal macrophages. It was found that following preincubation with LPS the amount of leukotriene C₄ released during phagocytosis of zymosan was substantially decreased. The levels of prostaglandin E₂ and prostacyclin, however, were the same in LPS-treated cells and controls. Likewise, pretreatment with LPS impaired the capacity to convert exogenously added arachidonic acid to mono- and di-HETE's. Lipid A (bacterial and synthetic) exhibited the same activity as LPS. LPS had no effect on macrophages of the endotoxin low responder mouse strain (C3H/ HeJ). Several explanations could be possible for the observed LPS effect. The finding that low doses of α-tocopheryl acetate prevented the LPS-induced decrease of LTC₄ synthesis indicates a protective role of this agent. We would, therefore, favour the idea that lipoxygenases undergo oxidative selfinactivation during LPS action.     

In vitro studies on the subcellular location of glucosidase I and glucosidase II in dog pancreas

When programmed with yeast prepro--factor mRNA, the heterologous reticulocyte/dog pancreas translation system synthesizes two pheromone related polypeptides, a cytosolically located primary translation product (pp--F_cyt, 21 kDa) and a membrane-specific and multiply glycosylated e-factor precursor (pp--F₃, 27.5 kDa). Glycosylation of the membrane specific pp--F₃ species is competitively inhibited by synthetic peptides containing the consensus sequence Asn-Xaa-Thr as indicated by a shift of its molecular mass from 27.5 kDa to about 19.5 kDa (pp--F₀) , whereas the primary translation product pp--Fcyt is not affected. Likewise, only the glycosylated pp--F₃ structure is digested by Endo H yielding a polypeptide with a molecular mass between PP--F₀ and pp--Fcyt. These observations strongly suggest that the primary translation product is proteolytically processed during/on its translocation into the lumen of the microsomal vesicles. We believe that this proteolytic processing is due to the cleavage of a signal sequence from the pp--Fcyt species, although this interpretation contradicts previous data from other groups. The distinct effect exerted by various glycosidase inhibitors (e.g. 1-deoxynojirimycin, N-methyl-dNM, 1-deoxymannojirimycin) on the electrophoretic mobility of the pp--F₃ polypeptide indicates that its oligosaccharide chains are processed to presumbly Man₉-GlcNAc₂ structures under thein vitro conditions of translation. This oligosaccharide processing is most likely to involve the action of glucosidase I and glucosidase II as follows from the specificity of the glycosidase inhibitors applied and the differences of the molecular mass observed in their presence. In addition, several arguments suggest that both trimming enzymes are located in the lumen of the microsomal vesicles derived from endoplasmic reticulum membranes.Abbreviations dNM 1-deoxynojirimycin - N-Me-dNM N-methyl-dNM - dMM 1-deoxymannojirimycin - CCCP carbonylcyanide m-chlorophenyl hydrazone     

Embryonic cholinesterase activity during morphogenesis of the mouse genital tract

Summary In the genital tract of male and female mouse embryos cholinesterase activity is described that is independent from innervation. The enzyme activity is localized in the mesenchyme at the junction of Wolffian and Müllerian ducts with the urogenital sinus. During male development prostate buds and vesicular glands grow out into the cholinesterase-active mesenchyme. During female development the active mesenchyme participates in the downgrowth of the vaginal anlage. Ultrastructurally the cholinesterase activity is localized in the perinuclear cisterna and in smooth endoplasmic reticulum of the mesenchymal cells. The enzyme activity disappears with definitive differentiation of the tissue. The embryonic cholinesterase is a component of a primitive muscarinic system. Its relation to the morphogenetic action of testosterone and its possible general functions are discussed.