First evidence of the tooth eruption sequence of the upper jaw in Hyaenodon (Hyaenodontidae,Mammalia) and new information on the ontogenetic development of its dentition

Juvenile material with the main focus on the upper jaw of the fossil predator Hyaenodon was evaluated to study the tooth eruption sequence and to examine the ontogeny of its dentition in detail. The comparison in size of milk to permanent teeth indicates a growth rate of 12–16 % in Hyaenodon. The thin section of a deciduous canine of a North American taxon shows four dental rings. Based on the knowledge of recent carnivores, this implies an age of 3–4 years in the last stage of tooth eruption and thus a long juvenile phase. The mandibles ascertained the most recent established tooth eruption sequence for North American and European species. For the first time ever, juvenile material from Asia is documented and interpreted. This study likewise shows a difference in the sequence of the upper jaw: the first upper premolar erupts before the first upper molar in North American species, whereas the European taxa show an earlier eruption of the first upper molar. This fact further confirms the divergence between the Hyaenodon lineages from North America and Europe.     

Time course of pump inhibition by ouabain in amphibian epithelia

Inhibition by ouabain of rheogenic Na⁺ transport across the basolateral membranes of frog skin is found to be manifest within 3–4 min. This rate of pump inhibition is not different from the rate of diffusion through extracellular tissue layers between the serosal bath and the actual site of action, i.e., the epithelial cell layers. It is concluded that the well-known slow time course of decrease in transepithelial current flow is due ionic redistribution and conductance changes of the epithelial membranes secondary to pump inhibition.     

Light-induced changes in the amounts of the 36000-Mr polypeptide of NADPH-protochlorophyllide oxidoreductase and its mRNA in barley plants grown under a diurnal light/dark cycle

Seedlings of barley were grown either in continuous darkness or under a diurnal 12 h light/12 h dark cycle and the effects on NADPH-protochlorophyllide oxidoreductase were followed at two different levels. Firstly, the relative content of the mRNA encoding the NADPH-protochlorophyllide oxidoreductase was measured by dot-blot hybridization. Secondly, changes in the enzyme polypeptide were monitored either by the method of immunoblotting or by immunogold labelling of ultrathin sections of Lowicryl-embedded leaf tissue. Our results demonstrate that drastic diurnal changes in the level of mRNA sequences and the enzyme protein are unlikely to occur in plants which have been grown under natural light/dark conditions. In the dark, protein and mRNA accumulation occurs at an early developmental stage. These results are difficult to reconcile with the suggestion that the massive accumulation of mRNA and enzyme protein in dark-grown seedlings is primarily the consequence of an artificially extended darkperiod. In addition to the plastid-specific NADPH-protochlorophyllide oxidoreductase a closely related polypeptide has been detected outside the plastid in the surrounding cytoplasm (Dehseh et al. 1986b, Planta 169, 172–183). During the diurnal light/dark treatment of seedlings the concentrations of the two protein populations did not show any variation indicative of an exchange between the two protein populations across the plastid envelope.Abbreviation poly(A)⁺RNA polyadenylated RNA     

On subspecific taxa ofHypericum empetrifolium (Hypericaceae) from Crete

The morphology, altitudinal distribution and phytocoenology ofHypericum empetrifolium Willd., var.oliganthum Rech. fil. and var.tortuosum Rech. fil. are reassessed and as a result, the taxa are treated at subspecific rank. Essential characters proved to be growth form, number of flowers, foliage and epidermal surface characters, shape of seeds and testa sculpturing.The different growth forms can be interpreted as adaptations to the local habitats.Hypericum empetrifolium Willd. subsp.empetrifolium is a low subshrub of various vegetation types known as phrygana whereasHypericum empetrifolium Willd. subsp.oliganthum (Rech. f.)Hagemann grows as a cushion-like dwarf shrub in chasmophyte associations rich in relic species.Hypericum empetrifolium Willd. subsp.tortuosum (Rech. f.)Hagemann is confined in the high mountain regions and grows as a true dwarf espalier shrub with low spreading shoots.Dedicated to Hofrat Univ.-Prof. DrK. H. Rechinger on the occasion of his 80th birthday.     

Microelectrode studies of potential difference responses to changes in stromal K+ in bullfrog cornea

The effects of changing stromal K+ were studied using microelectrodes in an in vitro preparation of frog cornea. The intracellular potential (V0) responded in two opposite ways under short-circuit conditions: (1) depolarization (normal response) when stromal K+ was increased from 4 to 20 or to 79 mM, about 30 mV per 10-fold K+ concn. change; (2) a hyperpolarization (anomalous response) of 10 mV maximum when stromal K+ was increased from 0 to 4 mM. The increase from 4 to 20 or 79 mM decreased or even reversed the short-circuit current (Isc). The transepithelial conductance (gt) increased when K+ was increased to 79 mM but no change occurred in the apical membrane fractional resistance (fRo). Increase of stromal K+ from 0 to 4 mM increased Isc and minimally changed gt and fRo. Ouabain (10(-3) M) abolished the anomalous responses, that is, the increases in V0 and Isc when stromal K+ was increased from 0 to 4 mM. These results are interpreted in terms of two K+ conductive pathways in the basolateral membrane of the corneal epithelium, a Nernstian conductance and an electrogenic (Na+ + K+)-ATPase pump transporting more Na+ than K+ ions per cycle. The normal or anomalous potential difference responses to changes in stromal K+ appear to depend on the relative resistance of the two pathways at the time stromal K+ is changed.     

Na+ currents generated by the purified (Na+ + K+)-ATPase on planar lipid membranes

Purified (Na+ + K+)-ATPase from pig kidney was attached to black lipid membranes and ATP-induced electric currents were measured as described previously by Fendler et al. ((1985) EMBO J. 4, 3079-3085). An ATP concentration jump was produced by an ultraviolet-light flash converting non-hydrolysable caged ATP to ATP. In the presence of Na+ and Mg2+ this resulted in a transient current signal. The pump current was not only ATP dependent, but also was influenced by the ATP/caged ATP ratio. It was concluded that caged ATP binds to the enzyme (and hence inhibits the signal) with a Ki of approx. 30 microM, which was confirmed by enzymatic activity studies. An ATP affinity of approx. 2 microM was determined. The addition of the protonophore 1799 and the Me+/H+ exchanger monensin made the bilayer conductive leading to a stationary pump current. The stationary current was strongly increased by the addition of K+ with a K0.5 of 700 microM. Even in the absence of K+ a stationary current could be measured, which showed two Na+-affinities: a high-affinity (K0.5 less than or equal to 1 mM) and a low-affinity (K0.5 greater than or equal to 0.2 M). In order to explain the sustained electrogenic Na+ transport during the Na+-ATPase activity, it is proposed, that Na+ can replace K+ in dephosphorylating the enzyme, but binds about 1000-times weaker than K+. The ATP requirement of the Na+-ATPase was the same (K0.5 = 2 microM) with regard to the peak currents and the stationary currents. However, for the (Na+ + K+)-ATPase the stationary currents required more ATP. The results are discussed on the basis of the Albers-Post scheme.     

Effects of light and acetate on the liberation of zoospores by a mutant strain ofChlamydomonas reinhardtii

In light-dark-synchronized cultures of the unicellular green algaChlamydomonas reinhardtii, release of zoospores from the wall of the mother cell normally takes place during the second half of the dark period. The recently isolated mutant ls, however, needs light for the liberation of zoospores when grown photoautotrophically under a 12 h light-12 h dark regime. The light-induced release of zoospores was found to be prevented by addition of the photosystem-II inhibitor 3-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-1,1-dimethylurea. Furthermore, light dependence of this process was shown to be abolished when the mutant ls was grown either photoautotrophically under a 14 h light-10 h dark regime or in the presence of acetate. Our findings indicate that the light-dependency of zoospore liberation observed in cultures of this particular mutant during photoautotrophic growth under a 12 h light-12 h dark regime might be attributed to an altered energy metabolism. The light-induced release of zoospores was found to be prevented by addition of cycloheximide or chloramphenicol, antibiotics which inhibit protein biosynthesis by cytoplasmic and organellar ribosomes, respectively. Actinomycin D, an inhibitor of RNA synthesis, however, did not affect the light-induced liberation of zoospores.Sporangia accumulate in stationary cultures of the mutant ls. Release of zoospores was observed when these sporangia were collected by centrifugation and incubated in the light after resuspension in fresh culture medium. Since liberation of zoospores was not observed after dilution of the stationary cultures with fresh culture medium, we suppose that components which interfere with the action of the sporangial autolysin are accumulated in the culture medium of the mutant ls.Abbreviation DCMU 3-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-1,1-dimethylurea     

Expression of interleukin 2 and the interleukin 2 receptor in aging rats

Lymphocytes of aged animals exhibit a marked decrease in proliferative capacity in response to mitogen stimulation when compared to those of younger animals. In humans and mice the decreased proliferation is due at least in part (i) to the inability of lymphocytes to synthesize sufficient interleukin 2 (IL-2) and (ii) to decreased expression of IL-2 receptors (IL-2R) on the surface of aged lymphocytes. We compared proliferative abilities, IL-2 production, and IL-2R expression in splenocyte cultures of 4- to 5- and 22- to 24-month-old Fischer 344 rats stimulated with either concanavalin A (Con A) or A23187 and phorbol myristate acetate (PMA). Proliferation was significantly decreased in aged lymphocytes (30-50%) with both treatment protocols. However, unlike mice and humans we observed no difference in IL-2 activity, IL-2 mRNA levels, or IL-2R cell surface expression of lymphocytes from young and aged rats stimulated with either Con A or A23187 and PMA. These results indicate that factors other than decreased expression of IL-2 and IL-2R are responsible for the diminished proliferative capacity of aged rat lymphocytes following mitogen stimulation.