Prey-capture techniques and prey preferences of Corythalia canosa and Pystira orbiculata, ant-eating jumping spiders (Araneae, Salticidae)

Corythalia canosa from Florida is an unusual salticid because it is known to eat ants. This species' specialized behaviour for catching ants is described in detail for the first time and compared to its behaviour for catching other insects. Pystira orbiculata from Queensland is shown to be another ant-eating salticid, although its behaviour for catching ants seems less specialized than that of C. canosa. Three different types of tests of prey preference were carried out. In each type of test C. canosa and P. orbiculata took ants in preference to other insects. Another species of salticid, Trite planiceps from New Zealand, failed to eat ants in these tests, although T. planiceps often attacked then released the ants. Corythalia canosa's and P. orbiculata's preference for ants, and their prey-specific predatory behaviour for catching ants, are shown not to depend on prior experience with ants.     

F-specific RNA bacteriophages are adequate model organisms for enteric viruses in fresh water.

Culturable enteroviruses were detected by applying concentration techniques and by inoculating the concentrates on the BGM cell line. Samples were obtained from a wide variety of environments, including raw sewage, secondary effluent, coagulated effluent, chlorinated and UV-irradiated effluents, river water, coagulated river water, and lake water. The virus concentrations varied widely between 0.001 and 570/liter. The same cell line also supported growth of reoviruses, which were abundant in winter (up to 95% of the viruses detected) and scarce in summer (less than 15%). The concentrations of three groups of model organisms in relation to virus concentrations were also studied. The concentrations of bacteria (thermotolerant coliforms and fecal streptococci) were significantly correlated with virus concentrations in river water and coagulated secondary effluent, but were relatively low in disinfected effluents and relatively high in surface water open to nonhuman fecal pollution. The concentrations of F-specific RNA bacteriophages (FRNA phages) were highly correlated with virus concentrations in all environments studied except raw and biologically treated sewage. Numerical relationships were consistent over the whole range of environments; the regression equations for FRNA phages on viruses in river water and lake water were statistically equivalent. These relationships support the possibility that enteric virus concentrations can be predicted from FRNA phage data.     

Removal of enteric viruses from surface water at eight waterworks in The Netherlands.

Eight waterworks in The Netherlands, which use surface water as their raw water source, were sampled repeatedly between November 1978 and June 1981. At five waterworks , 30 of 45 samples of raw water contained viruses. Of 55 samples of partially purified water, 11 were virus positive, including 8 after coagulation, sedimentation, and rapid sand filtration, 2 after storage, coagulation, sedimentation, transport chlorination, and rapid sand filtration, and 1 after storage in open reservoirs for 5 months. No viruses were detected in 100 samples of drinking water of 500 liters each from six waterworks . Most isolated viruses were typed, and a great variety of human enteroviruses were found, reflecting both pollution of raw water sources with sewage and vaccination with oral polio vaccine in neighboring countries.     

CNS and antimalarial activity of synthetic meridianin and psammopemmin analogs

The marine invertebrate-derived meridianin A, the originally proposed structure for psammopemmin A, and several related 3-pyrimidylindole analogs were synthesized and subsequently investigated for central nervous system, antimalarial, and cytotoxic activity. A Suzuki coupling of an indoleborate ester to the pyrimidine electrophile was utilized to form the natural product and derivatives thereof. The 3-pyrimidineindoles were found to prevent radioligand binding to several CNS receptors and transporters, most notably, serotonin receptors (<0.2 μM K(i) for 5HT(2B)). Two compounds also inhibited the human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum (IC(50) <50 μM). Only the natural product was cytotoxic toward A549 cells (IC(50)=15 μM).     

An XYY chromosome pattern in a boy with Marfan's syndrome

In three siblings (two girls and a boy) we diagnosed the Marfan syndrome. With the girls we could not find any chromosome anomalies. The boy appeared to have 47 chromosomes; his chromosome pattern was interpreted as XYY. There are no indications for a specific clinical picture going with the XYY chromosome pattern.     

Development and characterization of bovine x human hybrid cell lines that efficiently support the replication of both wild-type bovine and human adenoviruses and those with E1 deleted

The 293 cell line that was generated by transforming human embryonic kidney cells with human adenovirus type 5 (HAV5) early region 1 (E1) sequences is an excellent host for generating and growing HAV5 recombinants with E1 deleted, but it does not support the replication of bovine adenovirus type 3 (BAV3). Madin-Darby bovine kidney (MDBK), an established bovine cell line, is an excellent host for growing and plaquing BAV3. For the purpose of combining the unique characteristics of these two cell lines (293 and MDBK), we generated a number of bovine x human hybrid (BHH) cell lines. Comparison of three BHH hybrid clones-BHH3, BHH8, and BHH2C-with 293-Puro (puromycin-resistant 293 cells) and MDBK-Neo (G418-resistant MDBK cells) cell lines for total cellular DNA content, species-specific surface markers, isoenzyme analysis, and karyotyping indicate that they are hybrid in nature. BHH clones constitutively expressed the E1 proteins (E1A, E1B-21kDa, and E1B-55kDa) of HAV5 and efficiently supported the replication of both wild-type and replication-incompetent bovine or human adenoviruses. Transient gene expression experiments with a plasmid encoding the bacterial beta-galactosidase gene demonstrated that BHH cell hybrids seem to have better transfection efficiencies than either of the parental cell lines. These cell lines will be useful for isolating and growing replication-competent human or bovine adenovirus recombinants with E1 deleted and for the study of cellular or viral factors important for viral replication. The development of somatic cell hybrids appears to be a simple way of combining some of the desirable characteristics present separately in two parental cell lines.     

Epigallocatechin gallate modulates cytokine production by bone marrow-derived dendritic cells stimulated with lipopolysaccharide or muramyldipeptide, or infected with Legionella pneumophila

The primary polyphenol in green tea extract is the catechin epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). Various studies have shown significant suppressive effects of catechin on mammalian cells, either tumor or normal cells, including lymphoid cells. Previous studies from this laboratory reported that EGCG has marked suppressive activity on murine macrophages infected with the intracellular bacterium Legionella pneumophila (Lp), an effect mediated by enhanced production of both tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and gamma-interferon (IFN-gamma). In the present study, primary murine bone marrow (BM)-derived dendritic cells (DCs), a phagocytic monocytic cell essential for innate immunity to intracellular microorganisms, such as Lp, were stimulated in vitro with the microbial stimulant lipopolysaccharide (LPS) from gram-negative bacteria, the cell wall component from gram-positive bacteria muramyldipeptide (MDP) or infected with Lp. Production of the T helper cell (Th1)-activating cytokine, interleukin-12 (IL-12) and the proinflammatory cytokine, tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha),produced mainly by phagocytic cells and important for antimicrobial immunity, was determined in cell culture supernatants by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Treatment of the cells with EGCG inhibited, in a dose-dependent manner, production of IL-12. In contrast, enhanced production of TNF-alpha occurred in a dose-dependent manner in the DC cultures stimulated with either soluble bacterial product or infected with Lp. Thus, the results of this study show that the EGCG catechin has a marked effect in modulating production of these immunoregulatory cytokines in stimulated DCs, which are important for antimicrobial immunity, especially innate immunity. Further studies are necessary to characterize the physiologic function of the effect of EGCG on TNF-alpha and IL-12 during Lp infection, and the mechanisms involved.     

Prey-capture techniques and prey preferences of Chrysilla, Natta and Siler, ant-eating jumping spiders (Araneae, Salticidae) from Kenya and Sri Lanka

The predatory behaviour of Chrysilla lauta and Sliersemiglaucus from Sri Lanka, and four species of Natta from Kenya, was studied in the laboratory for the first time. These salticids eat ants, a prey most salticids avoid. These species' specialized behaviour for catching ants is described and compared to their behaviour for catching other insects. Three different types of tests of prey preference were carried out and, in each type, ants were taken in preference to other insects. Preference for ants, and prey-specific predatory behaviour did not depend on prior experience with ants. Results from this study are discussed in relation to recent findings on other ant-eating salticids.