Seasonal changes in the oviduct of the pied myna (Aves: Sturnidae)

Study of the oviduct of the pied myna (Sturnus contra contra) throughout the year reveals that oviductal weight, length, surface epithelial height and glycogen content are low during August to January (nonbreeding phase), partially increase during February to April (pre-breeding phase), maximally increase in May (breeding phase) and decrease in June and July (post-breeding phase). In the nesting cycle, there is greatest growth in all the regions of the oviduct from early nest-building to the egg-laying period and this is followed by rapid involution during incubation and nestling periods. Some notable features in the oviduct of the pied myna are described: 1) All five regions of the oviduct (infundibulum, magnum, isthmus, uterus, and vagina) are clearly distinguishable when studied from serial sections of the oviduct even during the nonbreeding phase of the annual ovarian cycle. 2) There is a strong correlation between initiation of tubular gland formation and the onset of nestbuilding activity. 3) The distal part of the magnum is differentiated into a 'mucous region' having well developed basal nonciliated cells. 4) A sixth zone can be identified between the magnum and isthmus. Sperm hostlike glands exist at the cranial end of the zone. 5) Several circular epithelial invaginations are evident in the intermucosal folds and their size decreases in centripetal order in the vagina. 6) The pattern and degree of regression are different in various regions of the oviduct. A close synchrony between ovarian and oviducal cycles is indicated in the pied myna (Sturnus contra contra).     

Purification and immunological characterization of catfish (Heteropneustes fossilis) metallothionein

Catfish hepatic metallothionein was purified to homogeneity by Sephadex G-75 gel filtration, DEAE-Sephadex A-25 column chromatography and preparative polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Induction by cadmium and zinc, characteristic UV spectrum, cadmium binding property and its low MW established that it was a metallothionein. Antibody was raised in rabbit against catfish metallothionein. Catfish antimetallothionein cross-reacted with other fish metallothioneins but not with chicken or rodent metallothionein. Catfish metallothionein is more electronegative as compared to mouse, rat, chicken or hamster metallothionein. Catfish MT appeared to aggregate readily on storage and to be less electronegative.     

Immobilization of fungal spores on synthetic polymers

Adsorption of fungal spores on a synthetic polymer - High Density Polyethylene was successfully achieved using different pretreatments. Sonication of beads followed by ferric nitrate treatment or use of 0.1% tributyrin gave adsorption upto 46%. Use of dichloromethane as a solvent for sonication is recommended for its better performance in reuse studies (upto 5 times without much decrease in activity). 100 g of immobilized biocatabyst in a 7 L Fluidized Bed Bioreactor was found to perform better than shaker flask at a much lower power input.     

Picosecond dynamics of bacteriorhodopsin, probed by time-resolved infrared spectroscopy.

The photoinduced reaction cycle of bacteriorhodopsin (BR) has been studied by means of a recently developed picosecond infrared spectroscopic method at ambient temperature. BR - K difference spectra between 1560 and 1700 cm-1 have been recorded at delay times from 100 ps to 14 ns. The spectrum remains unchanged during this period. The negative difference OD band at 1660 cm-1 indicates the peptide backbone responds within 50 ps. A survey in the region of carboxylic side chain absorption around 1740 cm-1 reveals that perturbations of those groups, present in low-temperature FTIR spectra, are not observable within 10 ns, suggesting a slow conformational change.     

Ethanol-dependent oxygen consumption and acetaldehyde formation during vanadyl oxidation by H2O2

Sequential addition of vanadyl sulfate to a phosphate-buffered solution of H₂O₂ released oxygen only after the second batch of vanadyl. Ethanol added to such reaction mixtures progressively decreased oxygen release and increased oxygen consumption during oxidation of vanadyl by H₂O₂. Inclusion of ethanol after any of the three batches of vanadyl resulted in varying amounts of oxygen consumption, a property also shared by other alcohols (methanol, propanol and octanol). On increasing the concentration of ethanol, vanadyl sulfate or H₂O₂, both oxygen consumption and acetaldehyde formation increased progressively. Formation of acetaldehyde decreased with increase in the ratio of vanadyl:H₂O₂ above 2:1 and was undetectable with ethanol at 0.1 mM. The reaction mixture which was acidic in the absence of phosphate buffer (pH 7.0), released oxygen immediately after the first addition of vanadyl and also in presence of ethanol soon after initial rapid consumption of oxygen, with no accompanying acetaldehyde formation. The results underscore the importance of some vanadium complexes formed during vanadyl oxidation in the accompanying oxygen-transfer reactions.     

Prestige,possessions, and progeny

It has been suggested by some that the acquisition of symbolic capital in terms of honor, prestige, and power translates into an accumulation of material capital in terms of tangible belongings, and that on the basis of these goods high reproductive success may be achieved. However, data on completed fertility rates over more than one generation in so-called traditional societies have been rare. Ethnographic and demographic data presented here on the pastoral Bakkarwal of northern India largely corroborate the hypothesis concerning the interdependence between the attainment of various cultural goals and differential reproduction rates and indicate that the numbers of (especially male) surviving offspring and siblings are crucial to a man’s position in society.     

Production of some extracellular enzymes by a lignin peroxidase-producing brown rot fungus, Polyporus ostreiformis, and its comparative abilities for lignin degradation and dye decolorization.

Polyporus ostreiformis produced Mn peroxidase, acid protease, alpha-amylase, and lignin peroxidase, with maximum activities of 40, 8,300, and 4,200 U liter-1 and 50 nkat liter-1, respectively, in nitrogen-limited liquid media. The fungus removed only 18.6% lignin from rice straw in 3 weeks but effected 99% decolorization of Congo red dye in 9 days.     

Ter-Seq: A high-throughput method to stabilize transient ternary complexes and measure associated kinetics

Regulation of biological processes by proteins often involves the formation of transient, multimeric complexes whose characterization is mechanistically important but challenging. The bacterial toxin CcdB binds and poisons DNA Gyrase. The corresponding antitoxin CcdA extracts CcdB from its complex with Gyrase through the formation of a transient ternary complex, thus rejuvenating Gyrase. We describe a high throughput methodology called Ter-Seq to stabilize probable ternary complexes and measure associated kinetics using the CcdA-CcdB-GyrA14 ternary complex as a model system. The method involves screening a yeast surface display (YSD) saturation mutagenesis library of one partner (CcdB) for mutants that show enhanced ternary complex formation. We also isolated CcdB mutants that were either resistant or sensitive to rejuvenation, and used surface plasmon resonance (SPR) with purified proteins to validate the kinetics measured using the surface display. Positions, where CcdB mutations lead to slower rejuvenation rates, are largely involved in CcdA-binding, though there were several notable exceptions suggesting allostery. Mutations at these positions reduce the affinity towards CcdA, thereby slowing down the rejuvenation process. Mutations at GyrA14-interacting positions significantly enhanced rejuvenation rates, either due to reduced affinity or complete loss of CcdB binding to GyrA14. We examined the effect of different parameters (CcdA affinity, GyrA14 affinity, surface accessibilities, evolutionary conservation) on the rate of rejuvenation. Finally, we further validated the Ter-Seq results by monitoring the kinetics of ternary complex formation for individual CcdB mutants in solution by fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) studies.