Sensory and motor innervation of bird intrafusal muscle fibers

• 1.1. Most bird muscle spindles are supplied by only one primary afferent.
• 2.2. Secondary afferents occur irregularly.
• 3.3. Sensory terminals are covered by a basal lamina and a collagenous sheath.
• 4.4. Two types of motor terminal are recognized which can be referred to specific types of intrafusal fiber.
• 5.5. The sensory and motor innervation of bird intrafusal fibers is less understood than that of mammalian intrafusal fibers.

     

Characterization of Colorado potato beetle lipophorin: A hydrocarbon-rich diacylgycerol-poor lipophorin

• 1.1. The lipid composition of lipophorin from the Colorado potato beetle, Leptinotarsa decemlineata Say, was analyzed.
• 2.2. This insect lipophorin contains 44% lipid and is characterized by large amounts of hydrocarbons and small amounts of diacylglycerol.
• 3.3. This is the first observation of a diacylglycerol-poor insect lipophorin in haemolymph.
• 4.4. Since the main energy source for flight in the Colorado potato beetle is proline, the low diacylglycerol content in lipophorin must be related to its peculiar flight metabolism.
• 5.5. This lipophorin, however, can still take up appreciable amounts of diacylglycerol from the locust fat body. Hydrocarbon uptake by this lipophorin was also demonstrated.
• 6.6. The main function of this lipophorin therefore seems to be transport of hydrocarbons from oenocytes to the cuticle.

     

Cellulose digestion by the firebrat Thermobia domestica

• 1.1. A highly efficient cellulose digestion could be demonstrated in a primitive insect species, Thermobia domestica (Thysanura:Lepismatidae), by the application of a uniformly ¹⁴C-labelled substrate.
• 2.2. Gut extracts exhibit distinct hydrolytic activities toward different cellulosic substrates (cellobiose, sodium carboxymethylcellulose and microcrystalline cellulose). Therefore, the complete cellular complex must be present.
• 3.3. Besides cellulases, several other carbohydrates occur in the digestive juice, thus reflecting the omnivorous feeding habits of the insect.
• 4.4. The crop was found to be the main site of carbohydrate digestiopn, also including cellulolysis.
• 5.5. It is very likely that the cellulolytic enzymes derive from the gut tissues of the firebrat.

     

Distribution of tetracycline in haemolymph and tissue of all stages of corn earworm (Heliothis zea boddie)

• 1.1. Insects reared on tetracycline containing diets had lower mortality, but required more time to reach the pupal stage.
• 2.2. Tetracycline diffuses and dissipates readily into and out of insect blood and tissues.
• 3.3. It reduces biosynthesis of high molecular weight proteins in blood.
• 4.4. Apportionment of tetracycline in the pupal tissue is uneven.

     

Induction kinetics of immune antibacterial proteins in pupae of Galleria mellonella and Pieris brassicae

• 1.1. Pupae of Galleria mellonella and Pieris brassicae given an injection with live, non-pathogenic Enterobacter cloacae or abiotic foreign molecules induce an acquired immunity that corresponds with the synthesis of haemolymph proteins of antibacterial activity.
• 2.2. This humoral defensive response which persists for several days, differs quantitatively between insect species and between the inducers used, although very different foreign bodies induced the same immune proteins in both lepidopteran insects.
• 3.3. A stronger and longer lasting response was consistently noticed in pupae immunized with non-pathogenic bacterium than after sterile nutrient broth injections.
• 4.4. A demonstrably elevated activity of haemolymph lysozyme and trace activity of cecropins found in pupae of Galleria treated with saline W, a salt solution physiological to moths, disappear soon after 36 hr from injection.
• 5.5. In P. brassicae, however, sterile insect Ringer can give a varying, if present at all, immune response.
• 6.6. A mechanical injury (sterile wounding of insect body) can occasionally induce a similar but much weaker response.
• 7.7. The antibacterial activity was drastically reduced in Pieris or completely depressed in most pupae of Galleria when actinomycin D or cycloheximide was given at an early time post-immunization with E. cloacae.
• 8.8. It is concluded that the de novo synthesis of ribonucleic acid and immune proteins is required for expression of antibacterial activity in pupal haemolymphs.
• 9.9. The synthesis of an immune mRNA was completed about 7 hr after the injection of the immunizing bacteria.

     

Topography and distribution of motor neurons supplying uropod muscles of a crayfish

• 1.1. The pathway and distribution of motor neurons in the uropod muscles of the crayfish, Procambarus clarkii, was investigated electrophysiologically and histologically.
• 2.2. There were three crossing points of motor neurons between the peripheral motor bundle originating from the second and third roots of the sixth abdominal ganglion.
• 3.3. It seems that there are no anatomical and functional regularity in the innervation pattern of the uropod muscles.

     

Aquatic ecotoxicology: On the problems of extrapolation from laboratory experiments with individuals and populations to community effects in the field

• 1.1. Ecotoxicology is defined as the study of the effect of toxicants on structure and function of ecosystems.
• 2.2. Properties of individuals and populations in laboratory experiments differ from those in the field with respect to distribution in space and time as well as to genetic structure.
• 3.3. Studies of community response can only be extrapolated to other systems if they include the analysis of the causal chain.
• 4.4. Causal explanations require a system analysis at different trophic levels as well as a modelling of the system and an analysis of sensitivity.
• 5.5. A research project is presented which covers most of the suggested problems.

     

Ouabain sensitive Na+/K+-transporting ATPase from the brain of Poekilocerus bufonius

• 1.1. The properties of Na⁺/K⁺-transporting ATPase in microsomal fractions from the nervous tissue of the grasshopper, Poekilocerus bufonius were investigated.
• 2.2. Two components of ATPase activity are present.
• 3.3. Inclusion of 1 mM ouabain in the incubation media reduced the activity of total and Na⁺/K⁺-ATPase by 57 and 79%, respectively.
• 4.4. The maximum velocity (V_max) was decreased by the addition of 1 mM ouabain, whereas the apparent K_m value was not affected indicating a non-competitive type of inhibition.
• 5.5. The calculated value of the pI₅₀ was 6.4 (I₅₀ = 3.98 × 10⁻⁷M) for ouabain inhibition of the enzyme showing great sensitivity to the cardiac glycoside ouabain.
• 6.6. The present results show that the physicochemical properties of Na⁺/K⁺-transporting ATPase from the brain of P. bufonius are essentially the same as for the enzyme prepared from the excretory system of the insect which has been previously investigated.
• 7.7. Dissimilarities were also observed between these tissues in the way that the enzyme from the brain was sensitive to ouabain inhibition with a non-competitive type rather than a ouabain-resistance and a competitive type of inhibition for the enzyme from the excretory system.
• 8.8. These dissimilarities are probably due to different isoenzyme patterns available in the same insect.

     

Optical and neural pooling in visual processing in crustacea

• 1.1. Optical pooling is common in crustacean vision, both pooling in the single ommatidium and pooling inputs from many ommatidia by overlapping visual fields.
• 2.2. Optical and neural pooling work together subdividing the eye into different surface regions with different tasks.
• 3.3. Small-fiber and large-fiber systems with corresponding small and large dendritic branching provide a parallel processing system.
• 4.4. Several parallel, integrating channels process that visual information which is needed for high-speed reactions.
• 5.5. Visual fibers receive contributions from other modality inputs like vibration, olfaction or attention neurons. Inputs from mechanoreceptors transmitted over integrating fibers seem to join the signals in the intergrating visual fibers.
• 6.6. The signal for a particular channel is expressed by the pattern of spikes (rather than changes in the mean frequency of spikes) which is modulated by any input variation.
• 7.7. A particular discharge pattern may then be recognized by a command neuron or a muscle ensemble.

     

Thermodependence of the tyrosine transaminating activity in mitochondria of Drosophila Melanogaster

• 1.1. The effect of temperature on activation energy of enzyme was examined.
• 2.2. Irrespective of the method applied for solubilization of mitochondria or of insect developmental stage, a biphasic Arrhenius plot with a well defined break point was obtained.
• 3.3. Both the temperature at which the break point was observed and the activation energy above and below this point were dependent on the detergent used and the stage of insect development.

     

Company news

Including information on:

• ScanSoft
• SpeechWorks International
• Viisage Technology
• Firstec
• BIO-key International
• HP
• ZN Vision Technologies
• Unisys
• US Government’s
• Communication Intelligence Corporation
• Infinity Technologies

     

Identification of neurons involved in the earthworm Amynthas hawayanus reflex activity

• 1.1. The medial (MGF), lateral (LGF) and motor (RMS-2) giant neurons were confirmed as neural components in the earthworm Amynthas hawayanus polysynaptic reflex circuit by simultaneous potential recording and dye injection.
• 2.2. The reflex was initiated from the mechanoreceptors when evoked by mechanical stimulation but electrical stimulation also evoked an antidromic response in the motoneuron.
• 3.3. The primary reflex response propagates decrementally along both giant axons but directly evoked action potentials conduct in an all-or-none fashion.
• 4.4. The secondary reflex response continues to propagate after the primary response disappears.
• 5.5. A rhythmically discharging neuron of uncertain function was also identified.

     

Lizard heart rate and motor activity relationships in the circadian and ultradian ranges

• 1.1. The heart rate and motor activity of lizards (Gallotia galloti) maintained in a light-dark cycle (12:12 hr) and with changing cyclic temperature were recorded. Both variables showed a circadian pattern, motor activity variations leading heart rate by approximately 110 min.
• 2.2. Results from cross spectral analysis showed that heart rate was highly correlated with temperature and both variables were changing practically in phase. However, motor activity and temperature were less correlated and in this case motor activity led temperature by approximately 100 min.
• 3.3. In the ultradian range, two periodicities could be distinguished in the power spectra of motor activity and heart rate variations during the day: one between 0.019 and 3.9 × 10⁻³ cycles/min (central peak around 85 min period) and another, of lower power, between 0.05 and 0.02 cycles/min (central peak around 34 min period). During the night, only the heart rate showed both periodicities but with a lower amplitude.
• 4.4. The presence of ultradian oscillations in heart rate during the night suggested that they do not depend on motor activity which was almost absent during that daily period.
• 5.5. Motor activity and heart rate were also highly correlated in the ultradian range, motor activity leading heart rate by around 5 min at the 85 min main peak.

     

Company news

• Daon
• Musicrypt
• EMI Music Canada
• Digital Broadband Networks
• FaceKey Corporation
• Eystar Media Inc (EMI)
• Temasya Wira
• Animated Electronic Industries
• BIO-key International
• Entryport Corporation

     

Solving parasite-related problems in cultured marine fish

• 1.1. Our knowledge of parasite born e diseases of cultured marine fish is restricted by the limited extent of practiced mariculture.
• 2.2. Several parasites, pathogenic to fish including capsaloid, microcotylid and diclidophoran monogeneans and caligid copepods are ubiquitous in mariculture systems in diverse species of fish and geographical regions.
• 3.3. The alga Amyloodinium ocellatum and the ciliated protozoan Cryptocaryon irritons are not as ubiquitous, but nevertheless present the most serious risk to farmed fish of most species due to their high pathogenicity, fecundity and resistance to conventional means of control.
• 4.4. Infections in maricultured fish are dominated by monoxenous parasites. Occurence of heteroxenous parasites is restricted by their requirement for additional hosts to maintain transmission.
• 5.5. Cage culture allows free exchange of infection between caged and native fishes; in inshore systems infections have to be introduced primarily from external sources.
• 6.6. Water supply does not appear to be an efficient route of entry of infection into culture systems; parasites are introduced either by wild fry or wild breeders collected into the system, or with wild fish infiltrating via water supply or drainage.
• 7.7. Adverse growth conditions are the most common circumstances in outbreak of epizooites. Over-crowding does not appear to promote primarily epizooites, its impact is indirect by contributing to the deterioration of the growth conditions.
• 8.8. Epizooites are likely to occur also in juvenile, immunologically naive fish as well as following introduction of parasites into unexperienced fish population.
• 9.9. Control has been implemented thus far through an empirical approach. Recent research is geared towards the development of methodology specifically designed to the needs of mariculture.

     

Cloning and characterization of rabbit pancreatic colipase

• 1.1. Among the digestive enzymes synthesized by pancreas, lipase is the principle lipolytic enzyme which hydrolyses dietary glycerides.
• 2.2. For its action it requires a coenzyme, colipase.
• 3.3. The molecular mechanisms of the interaction of these two are not fully understood.
• 4.4. Further, molecular events that regulate and influence lipid absorption are ill denned.
• 5.5. The rabbit is the conventional animal model for the study of lipid absorption. We have undertaken the molecular cloning, and characterization of rabbit pancreatic colipase, the coenzyme for pancreatic lipase.
• 6.6. Colipase has been cloned from a gt 11 library of an adult rabbit pancreatic cDNA by probing with an oligonucleotide derived from human colipase sequence.
• 7.7. The total reading frame consists of 321 nucleotides coding for 90 amino acids of the functional protein and 17 nucleotides of the leader peptide.
• 8.8. Northern blot analysis revealed a distinct band around 0.5kb. Comparison with other species revealed an over all homology of 75% at the nucleotide level.
• 9.9. At the amino acid level highest conservation is observed at the lipase-binding region (AA 53–73).
• 10.10. Rabbit enzyme also retained the N-terminal pentapeptide of it preform.
• 11.11. The regions of homology and conservation may aid to define the sites of interaction of colipase with lipase.

     

Significance of scrotal afferents within the general thermoafferent system

• 1.1.|Switching neurons, in the past referred to as a special scrotal afferent system, intergrate information not only from the scrotum, but from various body areas.
• 2.2.|They are present in male and female rats, as well as in guinea-pigs.
• 3.3.|They are present in midbrain, thalamus, hypothalamus and cortical areas.
• 4.4.|Information processing from the scrotum, is not a special system, but part of the general thermo-and noci-afferent system.
• 5.5.|Switching neurons seem to interact with behavioral, perhaps with autonomic thermoregulatory mechanisms, too.

     

Application news

Including information on:

• Martin State Airport
• Bioscrypt
• Saflink
• Office of the Secretary of Defense
• Department of Defense
• Boeing Corporation
• Bell ID, Gemplus
• Siemens
• Foreign Ministry

     

Co-localization of locustamyotropin- and pheromone biosynthesis activating neuropeptide-like immunoreactivity in the central nervous system of five insect species

• 1.1. Myotropin I of Locusta and Pheromone Biosynthesis Activating Neuropeptide (PBAN) of Heliothis share the same carboxyterminal pentapeptide FSPRL-amide.
• 2.2. Immunostaining revealed colocalization in cells and axons in the central nervous system, especially in the suboesophageal ganglion, of Locusta, Periplaneta, Leucophaea, Neobellieria (Sarcophaga) and Mamestra.
• 3.3. Following preabsorption with synthetic FSPRL-amide, the PBAN antiserum continued to immunostain cells in Mamestra and Neobellieria only. The preabsorbed Lom-MT I antibody did not yield any positive reaction.
• 4.4. Our results indicate that the functional epitope FXPRL-amide is widespread among insect orders. Its distribution in the nervous system seems to be rather similar in all investigated species.

     

In brief

• Bioscrypt
• Saflink
• Dell
• Fujitsu Microelectronics America
• Identix
• Viisage
• Acsys Biometrics
• US Government