Phenylpolyenes d'Aspergillus niger: structure et proprietes de l'asperrubrol

When grown on a synthetic medium containing Zn²⁺ and Cd²⁺ in toxic concentrations and a high concentration of Mg²⁺, the mycelium of Aspergillus niger ATCC 9029 is pigmented yellow. Four pigments have been chromatographically separated. Two are still unknown; the others are asperenone and asperrubrol. Asperrubrol is the methyl ester of a dimethyl 13-phenyl-3-ol-2,4,6,8,10,12-tridecahexaenoic acid. One of the methyl groups is on C₂ and the other is probably at C₈. Asperrubrol has been obtained as the enol of the all trans molecule; ketoe nolisation can be obtained by action of heat or alkalis. When grown on the same medium, 13 of 17 strains of A. niger produced asperrubrol and asperenone.     

Publisher's note

During the late spring and early summer 1976, laboratory cultured cells of five marine algae were enclosed in dialysis sacks and grown in situ, in Ligurian coastal waters.Skeletonema costatum (Greville) Cleve did not grow at all. Hemiselmis virescens Droop stayed alive, but did not grow significantly. Platymonas suecica (Butcher) Manton &; Parke grew on cell reserves. Only Phaeodactylum tricornutum Bohlin and Thalassiosira pseudonana Hasle &; Heimdal took up nutrients from sea water when all reserves were exhausted. When division ended, all cells were capable of growing when sub-cultured, but physiologically were only slightly active. During immersion in oligotrophic waters, cell contents adapted quickly from nutrient-rich to nutrient-limited growth conditions. During adjustment to equilibrium with natural conditions, the three species became impoverished mainly in phosphorus (67–88% of initial values), ATP (54–92%), and chlorophyll a (59–89%); losses of nitrogen were lower (24–53%).To obtain algal material similar to that in the wild, the data suggest that the cells have to be kept in situ only until they divide five times, which usually requires no more than a week. Counting the cell density each day is probably the most convenient method of control, and each culture should be counted, because the difference of growth between aliquot dialysis cultures can be important (up to 28%).Data obtained for “wild-like” cells of Platymonas suecica, Phaeodactylum tricornutum, Thalassiosira pseudonana, and a wild contaminant population of Cylindrotheca closterium Rabenhorst with biochemical analysis used to run the Droop's model and with enrichment bioassays demonstrate that, during the period studied, phosphorus was the limiting factor for the algal growth. Bioassays also demonstrate that there were some specific variations; some algae were permanently limited by phosphorus, while for a few others nitrogen and phosphorus could be equally limiting.     

Kin selection and male androphilia in Samoan fa'afafine

The Kin Selection Hypothesis for male androphilia posits that genes for male androphilia can be maintained in the population if the fitness costs of not reproducing directly are offset by enhancing inclusive fitness. In theory, androphilic males can increase their inclusive fitness by directing altruistic behavior toward kin, which, in turn, allows kin to increase their reproductive success. Previous research conducted in Western countries has failed to find any support for this hypothesis. The current study tests this basic prediction of the Kin Selection Hypothesis for male androphilia by comparing the altruistic tendencies of androphilic and gynephilic males in the Polynesian nation of Independent Samoa. In Independent Samoa, androphilic males are known locally as fa'afafine. Altruistic tendencies were assessed using a Kin Selection Questionnaire. Comparisons of the altruistic tendencies of fa'afafine and gynephilic men revealed that these two groups did not differ in terms of their overall generosity and allocation of financial resources toward kin, nor did they differ in terms of general neediness or financial resources obtained from kin. Fa'afafine did, however, report greater avuncular tendencies than gynephilic men. Although the greater avuncular tendencies of fa'afafine support the basic prediction of the Kin Selection Hypothesis for male androphilia, further research is needed before one can conclude that these elevated tendencies represent a specially designed adaptation for promoting the fitness of kin. We discuss a number of sociocultural factors that might promote the expression of avuncular tendencies by androphilic males in Independent Samoa. Our results underscore the importance of testing functional hypotheses in evolutionarily appropriate environments.     

Sur quelques echinodermes(Cystoides et Crinoides) de l'Ashgill d'Aragon (Espagne)

The material collected in the outcrops of Fombuenaand Luesma allows to specify the distinctive characters of the genera Corylocrinus and Caryocrinites, to describe two new species and to complete the morphology of Heliocrinites rouvillei and Proteocystites hispanica. The Crinoid association of these localities shows a very close composition with that of Coat-Carrec (Finistère). The new observations establish definitively the structure of the dorsal cup and the oral face of Mespilocystites. The occurence of the genera Stichocystis, Eucystis and Mespilocystites is recorded for the first time in Aragon. Cystoids and Crinoids confirm the existence of Ashgillian in the western part of the Armorican Massive.     

Cinetique d'action de l'acide 2-chloro ethylphosphonique sur les polyribosomes du latex d'Hevea brasiliensis

Effects of 2-chloroethylphosphonic acid on the latex of Hevea brasiliensis were studied during 7 days after its application on the tapping panel of the tree. Ribosome polymerisation shows a dramatic rise within 12 hr after treatment. This shift is overcome at first without rRNA synthesis. Increase of latex production and latex pH exhibit similar features and start 24 hr after application of the, stimulant. After 4 days, rRNA concentration and the stability of the lutoïds (microvacuoles with lysosomal characteristics) change significantly.     

L'ancistrocladonine et L'ancistroealaensine deux alcaloides nouveaux isoles de L'Ancistrocladus ealaensis

Ancistrocladonine and Ancistroealaensine are two new alcaloids isolated from the roots of Ancistrociadus ealaensis. In their UV spectrum they show strong resemblance to 1,8-dimethoxy naphthalene. Their structures were determined on the basis of spectral data of the bases and their Hofmann degradation products.     

Phagocytose et pinocytose par l'ectoderme et l'endoderme de Cerianthus lloydi Gosse

Starved Cerianthus lloydi Gosse were fed experimentally with Crangon muscles ground and impregnated with Bromocresol Green powder. A phagocytosis of the muscular fibres was detected in the cells of the endoderm layer of the sterile septa. In addition, through feeding with chicken blood, a phagocytosis became evident in the endoderm of sterile septa and of tentacles.The use of Ferritin allowed us to prove an uptake in all the endoderm cells of Cerianthus lloydi with an intensity which varies from one tissue to another. Furthermore, there is an unexpected pinocytosis in the ectoderm layer of the peristome, of pharynx, and the labial tentacles.Results obtained with bacteria and labelled amino acids are less conclusive. Perhaps the techniques used were inadequate.     

Repartition des flavonols dans l'epaisseur des feuilles de quelques vegetaux vasculaires

The tissue localisation of flavonoids has been studied in leaves of Betula, Corylus, Fagus, Fraxinus, Pisum, Platanus, Quercus, Spinacia and Tilia and scales of onion bulbs. All these species contain flavonols which are, for the most part, located in the upper epidermis of the leaves. In the onion bulb, flavonols are exclusively in the epidermis. The flavonols are glycosylated and dissolved in the vacuoles. The leaves were fractionated by an original technique of abrasion of the frozen material. The physiological significance of such a distribution of flavonoids in the adult leaves or scales is discussed.     

Alcaloides d'Araliopsis soyauxii. Isolement d'un nouvel alcaloide,l'Araliopsine

Six alkaloids have been isolated from root bark of Araliopsis soyauxii. Five are known, maculine, flindersiamine, skimmianine, (?) ribalinine, (+) isoplatydesmine and the sixth, araliopsine is new; its structure has been established as hydroxyisopropyldihydrofuro-2-quinolone. From the trunk bark four alkaloids have been isolated: flindersiamine, kokusaginine (?) ribalinine, (+) isoplatydesmine.     

Validite D'Orbitolina subconcava Leymerie, 1878

A detailed revision of the type localities of a new species, Orbitolina subconcava, described by A. Leymerie, has permitted the authors to demonstrate the invalidity of this taxa. As a result of R.C. Douglass' work (3), O. subconcava LEYM. sensu SCHROEDER [(4)–(6)] must be a junior synonym of Orbitolina (Mesorbitolina) texana (ROEMER, 1852); however the previous investigations of R.C. Douglass (3) should be confirmed by a further revision of the type material of F. Roemer.     

Diverses proprietes de l'absorption du citrate du malate et du succinate par les lutoides du latex d'Hevea brasiliensis

Lutoïds from Hevea latex are microvacuoles with lysosomal character. In vitro in a medium free of energetic substrate citrate, malate and succinate are absorbed. The properties of this absorption and the action of some modifiers are discussed.     

On equivalent forms of Whittaker's similarity index

For two N-species assemblages A, B with specific proportionate abundances of the ith species a_i, b_l respectively, we consider the equality

$\text{∑}\text{t=1}\text{N}\text{c}{}_{\mathrm{i}}\text{= 1?}\text{1}\text{2}\text{∑}\text{t=1}\text{N}\text{|a}{}_{\mathrm{i}}\text{?b}{}_{\mathrm{i}}\text{|, c}{}_{\mathrm{i}}\text{=}\text{a}{}_{\mathrm{i}}\text{a}{}_{\mathrm{i}}\text{? b}{}_{\mathrm{i}}\text{b}{}_{\mathrm{i}}\text{a}{}_{\mathrm{i}}\text{> b}{}_{\mathrm{i}}\text{, 0?a,b,c?1}$

. The left-hand term is known as Sanders' minimum faunal abundance value, while the right side is referred to as Whittaker's similarity index. Both measures are commonly used in community studies. Equality between these two measures obtains only when proportionate abundances are utilized. We develop equivalent formulation which is valid for absolute abundance data, reduces to the Sanders-Whittaker equality when proportionate abundance data are employed, and is more sensitive to differences in species abundance distributions. Namely, we show that

$\text{2}\text{α+β}\text{∑}\text{t=1}\text{N}\text{c}{}_{\mathrm{i}}\text{= 1 ?}\text{1}\text{α+β}\text{∑}\text{t=1}\text{N}\text{|a}{}_{\mathrm{i}}\text{?b}{}_{\mathrm{i}}\text{|}$

, where

$\text{α =}\text{∑}\text{t=1}\text{N}\text{a}{}_{\mathrm{i}}\text{, β =}\text{∑}\text{t=1}\text{N}\text{b}{}_{\mathrm{i}}$

, and the a's, b's c's are as defined above.     

Alcaloïdes d'Alstonia quaternata

Eleven alkaloids have been isolated from Alstonia quaternata. Three of them, namely 11-methoxy-epi-3α-yohimbine, 10,11-dimethoxy-picrinine designated quaternine, and 19,20-epoxy-N_(a)-methyl, desacetyl, desformo, 2βH-dihydroakuammiline designated quaternoxine, are new alkaloids.     

The enzymatic sulphation of heparan sulphate by hen's uterus

A sulphotransferase preparation from hen's uterus catalysed the transfer of sulphate from adenosine 3′-phosphate 5′-sulphatophosphate to N-desulphated heparan sulphate, heparan sulphate, N-desulphated heparin and dermatan sulphate. Heparin, chondroitin sulphate and hyaluronic acid were inactive as substrates for the enzyme. N-desulphated heparin was a much poorer substrate for the enzyme than N-desulphated heparan sulphate suggesting that properties of the substrate other than available glucosaminyl residues influenced enzyme activity. N-acetylation of N-desulphated heparin and N-desulphated heparan sulphate reduced their sulphate acceptor properties so it was unlikely that the N-acetyl groups of heparan sulphate facilitated its sulphatiion. Direct evidence for the transfer of [³⁵S]sulphate to amino groups of N-desulphated haparan sulphate was obtained by subsequent isolation of glucosamine $\text{N-[}{}^{35}\text{S}\text{]}\text{sulphate}$ from heparan [³⁵S]sulphate product. This was made possible through the use of a flavobacterial enzyme preparation which contained “heparitinase” activity but had been essentially freed of sulphatases. Attempts to transfer [³⁵S]sulphate to glucosamine or N-acetylglucosamine were unsuccessfull.     

Molécules organiques dissoutes dans l'eau de mer: Utilisation de l'acide palmitique,de l'alcool cétylique et du dotriacontane par les invertébrés marins

It has been shown previously that 16-¹⁴C palmitic acid, 1-¹⁴C cetyl alcohol and 16,17-¹⁴C dotriacontane dissolved in sea water are rapidly incorporated into the oyster Ostrea gryphea L. and the sea anemone Calliactis parasitica Couch. In the present communication, we establish that palmitic acid and cetyl alcohol are slowly metabolized, but the hydrocarbon dotriacontane is unchanged after 48 h. The results are discussed.     

The effect of BCG on the course of experimental Chagas' disease in mice

Experiments were done to determine the effect of BCG treatment on longevity, development of parasitemia, and in vivo distribution of ⁵¹Cr-labelled trypanosomes in C3H(He) female mice infected with a Brazil strain of Trypanosoma cruzi. BCG sensitization of mice was accomplished by a single IV injection of 3·0 mg (wet weight) of BCG. Twenty-one days after BCG injection mice were infected with 5 × 10⁴ blood-form trypomastigotes. Parasitemia determinations were made on alternate days during the experiment while in vivo distribution of exogenously supplied ⁵¹Cr-epimastigotes was made in groups of BCG or PBS stimulated mice on day 15 of the T. cruzi infection.It was found that BCG sensitization had no effect on longevity or parasitemia development in T. cruzi infected C3H(He) female mice. There were, however, some differences in the in vivo distribution of parasites between BCG treated and control mice. BCG stimulated mice accumulated greater numbers of radiolabelled trypanosomes in the kidneys and small intestines while PBS treated mice were found to have greater numbers of labelled parasites in the liver. Although no significant differences were observed in longevity of BCG or PBS treated mice, it was noted that BCG treated animals which were bled for parasitemia determinations lived significantly longer than those which were merely observed for longevity.     

Decouverte de Planomalina buxtorfi (gandolfi) et d'autres foraminiferes plancotoniques inattendus dans l'albien superieur d'abbotscliff (kent,angleterre); consequences paleogeographiques et biostratigraphiques

The discovery of Planomalina buxtorfi (GANDOLFI) in the Upper Albian (Stoliczkaia dispar zone) of Abbotscliff (Kent, England), associated with Rotalipora appenninica (RENZ), Praeglobotruncana delrioensis (PLUMMER), Hedbergella simplex (MORROW) and Hedbergella costellata SAINT MARC, appreciably modifies data on the geography and stratigraphical distribution of these species in the boreal realm.     

Les sterols de l'Ascomycete Leptosphaeria typhae

A mixture of C₂₈ and C₂₉ sterols have been isolated from Leptosphaeria typhae grown in vitro on “oat water” and characterized by GLC and MS. Mono-, di- and tri-unsaturated sterols are present in the extracts of fungi cultivated both in the dark and in the light but the sterol composition is different. The influence of “oat water” on sterol structure has been determined by comparison with the sterols of the same fungus grown on synthetic medium in the dark.     

Women's voice pitch lowers after pregnancy

Women's voice pitch (the perceptual correlate of fundamental frequency, F0) varies across the menstrual cycle and lowers after menopause, and may represent a putative signal of women's fertility and reproductive age. Yet, despite dramatic changes in women's sex hormone levels and bodies during and after pregnancy, previous between-subject and case studies have not found systematic changes in F0 due to pregnancy. Here, we tracked within-individual variation in 20 mothers' voices during their first pregnancy, as well as up to 5?years before conception and 5?years postpartum. Voice recordings from 20 age-matched nulliparous women were measured as a control. Linear Mixed Models indicated that F0 mean, range and variation changed significantly following pregnancy in mothers, controlling for age at time of recording, whereas we did not observe any F0 changes across corresponding timeframes in our sample of nulliparous controls. Mothers' voices became significantly lower-pitched and more monotonous during the first year postpartum compared to during pregnancy or before. These F0 parameters did not decrease within-individuals over a 5-year period prior to conception above and beyond the effects of ageing. Although voice pitch decreased following pregnancy, mothers' F0 parameters reverted after the first year postpartum, approaching pre-pregnancy levels. Our results demonstrate that pregnancy has a transient and perceptually salient masculinizing effect on women's voices.