Protein synthesis in ‘fat body’ and ovary of the physogastric queen of Macrotermes subhyalinus

In the physogastric queen of Macrotermes subhyalinus the fat body, when incubated in vitro with [¹⁴C] amino acids, synthesizes proteins at a much slower rate than ovarian tissue under the same conditions. Only a very small amount of the labelled proteins is released into the incubation medium. Oxygen consumption of the queen fat body is higher than that of ovarian tissue and the fat body of the king. At 3 hr after injection of [¹⁴C] amino acids in vivo the total fat body of the queen contains three to six times less labelled proteins than the two entire ovaries. It is assumed that in contrast to other insects the physogastric termite queen synthesizes vitellogenins mainly in the ovarian follicle cells and not in the fat body.The fat body of the king with a high incorporation rate of [¹⁴C] amino acids and a rapid release of synthesized protein into the incubation medium is comparable to the fat body of other insects.     

Soccer vs. running training effects in young adult men: which programme is more effective in improvement of body composition? Randomized controlled trial

The aims of this study were: 1) To determine the effects of a 12-week recreational soccer training programme and continuous endurance running on body composition of young adult men and 2) to determine which of these two programmes was more effective concerning body composition. Sixty-four participants completed the randomized controlled trial and were randomly assigned to one of three groups: a soccer training group (SOC; n=20), a running group (RUN; n=21) or a control group performing no physical training (CON; n=23). Training programmes for SOC and RUN lasted 12-week with 3 training sessions per week. Soccer sessions consisted of 60 min ordinary five-a-side, six-a-side or seven-a-side matches on a 30-45 m wide and 45-60 m long plastic grass pitch. Running sessions consisted of 60 min of continuous moderate intensity running at the same average heart rate as in SOC (~80% HR_max). All participants, regardless of group assignment, were tested for each of the following dependent variables: body weight, body height, body mass index, percent body fat, body fat mass, fat-free mass and total body water. In the SOC and RUN groups there was a significant decrease (p < 0.05) in body composition parameters from pre- to post-training values for all measures with the exception of fat-free mass and total body water. Body mass index, percent body fat and body fat mass did not differ between groups at baseline, but by week 12 were significantly lower (p < 0.05) in the SOC and RUN groups compared to CON. To conclude, recreational soccer training provides at least the same changes in body composition parameters as continuous running in young adult men when the training intensity is well matched.     

Differences in nutrient uptake between the fat body and embryonic primary cultures of silkworm （Bombyx mori）

Nutrition utilization and by-product formation in cultured insect cells has been investigated in several insect cells and has been of great interest to cell culturists and physiologists. In this research the biochemical changes in embryonic and fat body primary cultures of silkworm, Bombyx mori, have been compared. TC-100 medium supplemented with 10% and 20% FBS was used in embryonic and fat body primary cultures, respectively. Medium was renewed every week and the amount of glucose, uric acid, urea, total protein and alkaline phosphatase were measured in the samples from medium of primary cultures using spectrophotometeric methods. All biochemical macromolecules except uric acid showed significant changes. Glucose decreased in embryonic tissues, while in fat body culture its amount increased. Urea accumulation in embryonic culture was higher than in the fat body cultures. Since urea is a by-product, this accumulation could be due to higher utilization of amino acids. Total protein showed considerable changes and was consumed by embryonic culture more than the fat body＇ s. Alkaline phosphatase showed stronger activity in embryonic cells.     

Volume changes and electrostriction in the primary photoreactions of various photosynthetic systems: estimation of dielectric coefficient in bacterial reaction centers and of the observed volume changes with the Drude–Nernst equation

Photoacoustics (PA) allows the determination of enthalpy and volume changes of photoreactions in photosynthetic reaction centers on the 0.1–10 μs time scale. These include the bacterial centers from Rb. sphaeroides, PS I and PS II centers from Synechocystis and in whole cells. In vitro and in vivo PA data on PS I and PS II revealed that both the volume change (–26 A³) and reaction enthalpy (–0.4 eV) in PS I are the same as those in the bacterial centers. However the volume change in PS II is small and the enthalpy far larger, –1 eV. Assigning the volume changes to electrostriction allows a coherent explanation of these observations. One can explain the large volume decrease in the bacterial centers with an effective dielectric coefficient of ∼4. This is a unique approach to this parameter so important in estimation of protein energetics. The value of the volume contraction for PS I can only be explained if the acceptor is the super- cluster (Fe₄S₄)(Cys₄) with charge change from –1 to –2. The small volume change in PS II is explained by sub-μs electron transfer from Y_Z anion to P₆₈₀ cation, in which charge is only moved from the Y_Z anion to the Q_A with no charge separation or with rapid proton transfer from oxidized Y_Z to a polar region and thus very little change in electrostriction. At more acid pH equally rapid proton transfer from a neighboring histidine to a polar region may be caused by the electric field of the P₆₈₀ cation. This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Vitellogenin fluctuations in haemolymph and fat body and dynamics of uptake into oöcytes during the reproductive cycle of Diploptera punctata

Haemolymph and fat body soluble protein titres have been examined during the reproductive cycle of Diploptera punctata, with particular emphasis on the occurrence of vitellogenin and its uptake into the developing oöcytes. Vitellogenin was first detected in the haemolymph of mated females 2 days after adult eclosion at about the same time that vitellin deposition in basal oöcytes began. Peak haemolymph titres of vitellogenin occurred on day 6, correlated with the completion of yolk uptake. Thereafter vitellogenin levels declined and were generally undetectable throughout most of gestation, rising again shortly before parturition in association with the second gonotrophic cycle. Total haemolymph protein levels were not correlated with vitellogenesis.Soluble fat body vitellogenin titres of mated females remained low during the first oöcyte growth period but then rose several-fold at its completion and remained high throughout pregnancy and the second gonotrophic cycle. Total fat body soluble proteins decline after adult eclosion in association with oöcyte growth.Vitellin accumulation in basal oöcytes was related linearly to increase in volume until the onset of chorion formation. Thus no post-vitellogenic growth period was detected.     

A novel polymorphism of the GDF₁₀ gene and its association with body measurement traits in Chinese indigenous cattle

Body measurement traits are known to play numerous important roles in the assessment of productivity and economic value. They are influenced by several factors, among which genetic factors are predominant. The gene GDF?? is involved in skeletal morphogenesis and is associated with body measurement traits. It may be an important candidate gene for marker-assisted selection. We used the PCR-SSCP technology to examine a possible association of the single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) (G142A) of the bovine GDF?? gene with body measurement traits in 417 animals belonging to six different Chinese cattle populations: Xue long (Xl), Luxi (Lx), Qinchuan (Qc), Jiaxian red (Jx), Xianang (Xn), and Nanyang (Ny). In the Jx population, least squares analysis revealed significant effects on hip width, chest depth and chest circumference. The animals with the GG genotype had higher mean values than those with the GA genotype for all three traits. We conclude that the SNP of the GDF?? gene could be a very useful genetic marker for body traits in Jx cattle reproduction and breeding.     

Effects of photoperiod and temperature on blood feeding,oögenesis and fat body development in the mosquito, Culiseta inornata

In the laboratory, blood feeding rates, oögenesis and fat body development were utilized to assess the effects of photoperiod and temperature in the conditioning of adult female Culiseta inornata for aestivation. Long-day (16L:8D) and short-day (8L:16D) photoperiods were examined in combination with temperatures of 15°C, 20°C, and 25°C. All tested individuals were reared from egg to adult under one of six possible regimes.Blood feeding occurred in approximately 60% of the females subjected to short-day conditions. Females subjected to long-day regimes exhibited gonotrophic concordance (the inhibition of blood feeding), evidenced by a decrease in overall blood-feeding rate to 20%. Inhibition of blood feeding by long-day females decreased in a linear fashion with increasing temperature. No interaction of the effects of photoperiod and temperature upon blood feeding was apparent. Examination of the ovarioles of post-blood feeding females, reared under each of the above conditions, revealed no evidence of gonotrophic dissociation (the inhibition of oögenesis despite continued blood feeding).Fat body hypertrophy occurred in females reared under long-day conditions, whereas hypotrophy of this tissue was apparent in short-day females. No significant difference in fat body development occurred between parous and nulliparous females reared under long-day photoperiod conditions. Short-day blood-fed females reared at 15°C deposited a significantly greater amount of fat than short-day blood fed females reared at 20° and 25°C, and short-day nonbloodfed females reared at 15°, 20°, and 25°C. The primary stimulus for fat body hypertrophy appears to be long-day photoperiod conditions. Temperature exerted little discernible effect upon this process, and there was no interaction between the effects of photoperiod and temperature upon the degree of fat body development.     

Seasonal variation in the metabolic rate and body composition of female grey seals: fat conservation prior to high-cost reproduction in a capital breeder?

Many animals rely on stored energy through periods of high energy demand or low energy availability or both. A variety of mechanisms may be employed to attain and conserve energy for such periods. Wild grey seals demonstrate seasonal patterns of energy storage and foraging behaviour that appear to maximize the allocation of energy to reproduction—a period characterized by both high energy demand and low food availability. We examined seasonal patterns in resting rates of oxygen consumption as a proxy for metabolic rate (RMR) and body composition in female grey seals (four adults and six juveniles), testing the hypothesis that adults would show seasonal changes in RMR related to the reproductive cycle but that juveniles would not. There was significant seasonal variation in rates of resting oxygen consumption of adult females, with rates being highest in the spring and declining through the summer months into autumn. This variation was not related to changes in water temperature. Adults increased in total body mass and in fat content during the same spring to autumn period that RMR declined. RMR of juveniles showed no clear seasonal patterns, but did increase with increasing mass. These data support the hypothesis that seasonal variation in RMR in female grey seals is related to the high costs of breeding.     

Development and endocrine regulation of mitochondrial cytochrome biosynthesis in the insect fat body: δ-[14C]aminolevulinic acid incorporation

The rate of incorporation of [¹⁴C]aminolevulinic acid (ALA) into cytochrome hemes was used to measure mitochondrial cytochrome synthesis in the fat body of adult male Blaberus discoidalis cockroaches. The hemes of cytochromes aa₃+b and c+c₁, were chemically separated to observe differential rates in their synthesis and regulation. [¹⁴C]ALA was linearly incorporated into cytochrome hemes for at least 8 h. No significant pool of endogenous ALA was detected relative to the amount of administered [¹⁴C]ALA. Peak cytochrome synthesis occurred 4 to 6 days after adult emergence. Endocrine disruption by corpora cardiaca-corpora allata extirpation or cervical ligation eliminated the 4-day developmentally related increase in the rate of cytochrome aa₃+b synthesis but had no effect on the production of cytochromes c+c₁. Injections of corpora cardiaca extracts into cervically ligated animals stimulated the rate of production of cytochromes aa₃+b by 2.5 times but did not affect cytochromes c+c₁. By comparison, juvenile hormone injections did not affect the rate of synthesis of either cytochrome fraction. These findings indicate that a neurohormone regulates the rate of synthesis of cytochromes a+b in insect fat body mitochondria.     

Presence of only eupyrene spermatozoa in adult males of the genus Micropterix hübner and its phylogenetic significance (Lepidoptera : Zeugloptera,Micropterigidae)

The morphology of the male genital organs and sperm ultrastructure were studied by light and transmission electron microscopy in adult males of two species of the genus Micropterix (Micropterigidae; Zeugloptera; Lepidoptera). The results are compared with findings from other primitive Lepidoptera and Trichoptera, and evaluated from a phylogenetic viewpoint. Both Micropterix species examined agree with regard to essential characters of the male genital organs. The paired testes are separate and show no internal compartmentalization. The male genital organs contain only mature nucleate (eupyrene) spermatozoa. Anucleate (apyrene) spermatozoa characteristically found in all other Lepidoptera were not observed. The eupyrene spermatozoa are filiform, measure 100 μm in length, and contain an elongated nucleus, 2 mitochondrial derivatives without paracrystalline materials, and a 9 + 2 axoneme without accessory tubules; the nucleus extends for almost the entire length of the spermatozoa. The absence of apyrene spermatozoa in Micropterix is in contrast to their presence in another species of the same family.     

Changes in body mass index and smoking habits have a different impact on hemoglobin concentration in men and women: A longitudinal follow-up of the tromsø study, 1994–2002

Background: Body mass index (BMI) and smoking have been positively associated with hemoglobin concentration, and both are risk factors for cardiovascular disease.Objective: The aim of this study was to assess whether there were sex differences in how changes in BMI and smoking habits influenced hemoglobin concentration.Methods: In 1994–95 and 2001–02, a longitudinal, population-based study was conducted in the municipality of Tromsø, in northern Norway. Inhabitants aged ≥25 years were invited to participate. Participants replied to a questionnaire regarding health, physical activity, coffee and alcohol consumption, and smoking habits. Blood samples were drawn to analyze hemoglobin concentration.All analyses were performed separately for each sex. Differences between 1994–95 and 2001–02 were examined with t or χ² (McNemar) tests for paired data. Cross-sectional comparisons were made using 2-sample t tests. Different models of univariate and multiple linear regression analyses were used to investigate the impact of the various variables on hemoglobin change.Results: Data from a total of 2105 men and 2945 women were examined. At baseline, mean age was 58.9 years for men (range, 25–78 years) and 57.8 years for women (range, 25–82 years); mean BMI was 26.1 kg/m² for men and 25.8 kg/m² for women. In men, hemoglobin decreased with age, on average from 147.5 to 145.1 g/L. In women, hemoglobin decreased from 135.6 to 134.7 g/L, but increased with increasing age up to 54 years, and thereafter decreased gradually. Mean BMI increased 0.8 kg/m² in men and 1.2 kg/m² in women. In total, 394 of 2057 men (19%) and 499 of 2889 women (17%) stopped smoking or smoked fewer cigarettes per day. In a univariate regression model, an increase of 1 kg/m² in BMI was associated with an increase in hemoglobin of 1.1 g/L (95% CI, 0.84 to 1.27) in men and 0.4 g/L (95% CI, 0.30 to 0.56) in women. In another univariate model, smoking cessation was associated with a decrease in hemoglobin of 1.9 g/L (95% CI, ?3.32 to ?0.56) in men and 1.7 g/L (95% CI, ?2.93 to ?0.56) in women. In men who smoked less and had a BMI increase of >2.5 kg/m², hemoglobin decreased 0.3 g/L. In contrast, hemoglobin decreased 3.4 g/L in men who smoked less and lost weight (P for trend, < 0.001 by changing BMI). Women who smoked less had a decrease in hemoglobin independent of BMI changes.Conclusions: The positive association between an increase in BMI and hemoglobin was stronger in men than in women. The effect of smoking reduction on hemoglobin was attenuated with increasing BMI in men, but not in women.