Transforming NRK cells with avian sarcoma virus reduces the extracellular Ca requirement without affecting the calcicalmodulin requirement for the G1/S transition

NRK rat cells infected with a transformation-defective, temperature-sensitive (ts) mutant of the avian sarcoma virus could not proliferate in Ca²⁺-deficient medium at a nonpermissive temperature (40 °C) that inactivated the viral pp60^v-scr-transforming product and rendered the cells phenotypically untransformed. However, these arrested cells were stimulated to initiate DNA replication with little or no delay while still in the Ca²⁺-deficient medium, either by adding Ca²⁺ or calmodulin at 40 °C or by reducing the temperature to 36 °C which restored the transformed phenotype by rapidly reactivating pp60^v-src. The G1/S transition triggered by restoring the transformed phenotype was suppressed by three different anticalmodulin drugs (R24571, trifluoperazine, W7). The suppression by one of these drugs, trifluoperazine, was overcome by adding calmodulin. Thus, neoplastic transformation by the avian sarcoma virus sharply reduces the extracellular Ca²⁺ requirement for the initiation of DNA replication without bypassing a calcical-modulin-dependent mechanism also needed for the G1/S transition.     

The possible cyclic AMP-dependence of an early prereplicative event that determines mitosis in regenerating rat liver

The beta-adrenergic blocker dl-propranolol prevented a large proportion of regenerating rat liver cells from entering the mitotic phase of their first cell division cycle without affecting their ability to initiate or complete DNA replication. The drug, at a dose of 20 or 50 mg/kg of body weight, was most effective in reducing mitosis when injected between 1 and 2 hours after the proliferatively activating partial hepatectomy, which was 22 to 23 hours before the peak of DNA-synthetic activity. Propranolol also inhibited the early prereplicative surge of total liver cyclic AMP, which occurs shortly after partial hepatectomy, but this effect was not correlated to the mitosis-inhibiting activity. However, cyclic AMP or dibutyryl cyclic AMP completely reversed propranolol's mitosis-inhibiting action when injected between 1.5 and 2 hours (but not sooner or later) after partial hepatectomy, which was just before the total liver cyclic AMP content began to rise. Thus, there appears to be a transient, propranolol-inhibitable, probably cyclic AMP-initiated event in the early prereplicative development of rat hepatocytes that determines entry into mitosis rather than the initiation of DNA replication.     

Estuaries – how challenging are these constantly changing aquatic environments for associated fish species?

Environmental Biology of Fishes - Much has been written about the abundance of fishes in estuaries, and particularly the value of the littoral zone and associated macrophyte habitats as fish...     

Renesting by male Dotterel Charadrius morinellus after successfully rearing chicks

Although some waders (Charadrii) are known regularly to attempt to rear 2 broods in some summers (e.g. Ringed Plover Charadrius hiaticula, Little Ringed Plover Charadrius dubius ^l), this ability is not associated with Palearctic waders breeding at higher latitudes, except where one or more clutches are left in the sole care of previous mates. This note documents an attempt made by a male Dotterel to raise a second brood after its first brood of young became independent.     

Neonatal respiratory distress: potential for prevention.

A prospective study was conducted of 100 consecutive admissions to the neonatal intensive care unit of the Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, of infants with respiratory distress syndrome or transient tachypnea of the newborn. It was found that in 15% of cases the illness was completely preventable, being the result of unintentionally premature termination of pregnancy. Significant intrapartum asphyxia occurred in 44% of the infants in whom respiratory distress syndrome developed. Factors placing the pregnancy at high risk were present antenatally in most cases, and most of the deliveries took place in hospitals without adequate facilities or staff, or both, for the requirements of the infant at and following birth.