The production of floral oils byMonttea (Scrophulariaceae) and the function of tarsal pads inCentris bees

Plant species that secrete oil as their primary floral reward are rare and sporadically found in the angiosperms. We report here thatMonttea, a genus previously unsuspected of being an oil-plant, produces lipids from trichome elaiophores on the inside of the lower (anterior) lip. The discovery of the production of oils by species of this S. American genus explains the occurrence of unusual dual-function collecting structures in ArgentineCentris (Hymenoptera: Anthophoridae) and explains the presence of oil-collecting bees in regions where oil-secreting flowers were previously thought to be absent. The behavior of these centridine pollinators onMonttea flowers parallels that of oil-collecting bees onDiascia (Scrophulariaceae) in S. Africa.     

Aromatic l-Amino Acid Decarboxylase Activity of the Rat Retina Is Modulated In Vivo by Environmental Light Maria Hadjiconstantinou

Aromatic L-amino acid decarboxylase (AAAD) activity of rat retina is low in animals placed in the dark. When the room lights are turned on, activity rises for almost 3 h and reaches values that are about twice the values found in the dark. A study of the kinetics of the enzyme revealed that the apparent Km values for L-3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine and pyridoxal-5'-phosphate were unchanged in light- and dark-exposed animals, whereas the Vmax increased in the light. Treating the animals with cycloheximide before exposure to light prevented the increase of enzyme activity. Immunotitration with antibodies to AAAD suggested that more enzyme molecules are present in the light than in the dark. When the room lights are turned off AAAD activity drops rapidly at first and then more slowly, suggesting that at least two processes are responsible for the fall of enzyme activity. Exposure to short periods of dark followed by light results in a rapid increase of AAAD activity. Mixing homogenates from light- and dark-exposed rats results in activity values that are less than expected, suggesting the presence of an endogenous inhibitor(s). These studies demonstrate that AAAD activity is modulated in vivo.     

Expression of cloned aromatic L-amino acid decarboxylase in Xenopus laevis oocytes.

Sense mRNA coding for bovine adrenal medulla aromatic L-amino acid decarboxylase (AADC) was expressed following microinjection into Xenopus laevis oocytes. The expressed enzyme activity was stereoselective for L-5-hydroxytryptophan and L-DOPA and blocked by NSD-1015 an inhibitor of AADC. Heating the expressed enzyme at 55 degrees C resulted in a parallel loss of activity towards both substrates. Our findings are consistent with the prevailing notion that a single enzyme is able to decarboxylate both substrates in vivo.     

Altering the position of the first horizontal cleavage furrow of the amphibian (Xenopus) egg reduces embryonic survival.

The animal/vegetal cleavage ratio (AVCR), defined as the ratio of the height of the animal blastomere to the height of the Xenopus embryo at the 8 cell stage, can be shifted by placing embryos in novel gravitational fields: clinostating (microgravity simulation) increases AVCR, and centrifugation (hypergravity simulation) reduces AVCR. This report contributes to an understanding of the subcellular mechanism responsible for the furrow relocation and assesses its significance. Embryo inversion and D2O immersion were found to increase AVCR, and cold shock was found to reduce AVCR. Based on the additive or antagonistic effects of combined treatments, it is postulated that the primary cause of AVCR changes is an alteration in the distribution of yolk platelets and the rearrangement of microtubule arrays. Embryos with a decreased AVCR exhibited reduced survival in early developmental stages, indicating serious difficulties in cleavage, blastulation and/or gastrulation. Cold-shocked embryos with a reduced AVCR could be rescued by D2O pretreatment or clinostating, an observation which supports the notion that changes accompanying AVCR modifications represent the primary cause of the reduction in percent survival.     

Can calmodulin function without binding calcium?

Calmodulin is a small Ca(2+)-binding protein proposed to act as the intracellular Ca2+ receptor that translates Ca2+ signals into cellular responses. We have constructed mutant yeast calmodulins in which the Ca(2+)-binding loops have been altered by site-directed mutagenesis. Each of the mutant proteins has a dramatically reduced affinity for Ca2+; one does not bind detectable levels of 45Ca2+ either during gel filtration or when bound to a solid support. Furthermore, none of the mutant proteins change conformation even in the presence of high Ca2+ concentrations. Surprisingly, yeast strains relying on any of the mutant calmodulins not only survive but grow well. In contrast, yeast strains deleted for the calmodulin gene are not viable. Thus, calmodulin is required for growth, but it can perform its essential function without the apparent ability to bind Ca2+.     

Behavioral treatment of irritable bowel syndrome: A 1-year follow-up study

Sixteen clients afflicted with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) were reassessed 1 year following completion of a multicomponent treatment package incorporating progressive muscle relaxation, thermal biofeedback, cognitive therapy, and IBS education. For the 14 patients who kept a 2-week symptom diary, significant reductions in ratings of abdominal pain and tenderness, diarrhea, and flatulence were obtained comparing pretreatment and follow-up symptom-diary ratings. Eleven of 14 clients were improved over pretreatment levels, 57% met the criteria for clinical improvement of at least a 50% reduction in major symptom scores, and all but 1 of 16 rated themselves as subjectively improved.     

Dopamine-containing small intensely fluorescent cells and sympathetic ganglion function

This article reviews some of the neuropharmacology of the dopamine (DA)-containing small intensely fluorescent cells of sympathetic ganglia. The major metabolite of DA found in the ganglia is 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC). DOPAC content appears to be a direct reflection of DA synthesis. DA synthesis can be enhanced by muscarinic agonists and diminished by muscarinic antagonists. Neuroleptic drugs stimulate DA synthesis in the ganglion, which suggests that a local negative neuronal feedback loop might operate within the ganglion. There may be a correlation between deficient DA synthesis in spontaneous hypertensive rats and the development of hypertension. It is possible that some of the peripheral side effects of drugs that act on dopaminergic neurons in the brain might originate from the drugs' action on peripheral dopaminergic neuronal systems such as the sympathetic ganglion.     

Epinephrine: A Potential Neurotransmitter in Retina

Abstract: Dopamine (DA), norepinephrine (NE), and epinephrine (EPI) are present in rat retina. DA is the major catecholamine, whereas NE and EPI represent ∼5% of the DA content. DA is contained in a subpopulation of amacrine cells and has been the subject of numerous studies. We investigated the origin and properties of NE and EPI in retina. Following superior cervical ganglionectomy, there was a decrease in NE content, but no decrease in EPI or phenylethanolamine- N -methyltransferase (PNMT) activity. PNMT in retina has many of the substrate-specificity and inhibitor-sensitivity characteristics of other tissues. Enzyme activity is enhanced in newborn rats by treatment with dexamethasone. Exposure to a lighted environment increases retinal EPI in normal and superior cervical ganglionectomized rats. EPI content increased for more than 2 h in a lighted environment. We conclude that most of the NE is contained within the sympathetic neurons that innervate the eye from the superior cervical ganglion, whereas EPI is contained in retinal elements that are responsive to photic stimulation.     

Acetylcholine and Choline in Neuronal Tissue Measured by HPLC with Electrochemical Detection

Abstract: A simple, rapid method is presented for the determination of acetylcholine (ACh) and choline (Ch) in neuronal tissue using HPLC with electrochemical detection. The method is based on the separation of ACh and Ch by reverse-phase HPLC and mixing the effluent as it emerges from the column with acetylcholinesterase and Ch oxidase, which converts endogenous Ch and Ch produced by the hydrolysis of ACh to betaine and hydrogen peroxide. Production of hydrogen peroxide is continuously monitored electrochemically. The sensitivity of the procedure is 1 pmol for Ch and 2 pmol for ACh. Specificity of the method is based on HPLC, two specific enzymatic reactions, and the detection of hydrogen peroxide.     

Muscarinic Receptors Modulate Dopamine-Activated Adenylate Cyclase of Rat Striatum

We investigated the effect of acetylcholine (ACh) on the activation of adenylate cyclase by dopamine (DA) in a lysed synaptosomal preparation from rat striatum. ACh reduced both basal and the DA-activated adenylate cyclase with an apparent IC50 of approximately 1 microM. From a kinetic analysis it appeared that ACh reduced the Vmax for activation by DA but not the activation constant for DA. For most preparations the Vmax was reduced by 30-40%. The presence of atropine did not affect the activation of the enzyme by DA but it blocked the inhibition by ACh. Following 6-hydroxydopamine lesion of the nigrostriatal pathway, the enzyme became supersensitive to activation by DA and also more sensitive to inhibition by ACh. Inhibition of adenylate cyclase by ACh appeared to be rather specific for activation by DA, as ACh had no effect on activation of adenylate cyclase by the adenosine analogue N6-(L-2-phenylisopropyl)adenosine. These results indicate that some striatal muscarinic and dopaminergic receptors are probably coupled to the same adenylate cyclase domain. Moreover, they suggest a biochemical model for the dynamic balance of cholinergic and dopaminergic neurons that innervate the striatum.