Neuroendocrine regulation of cardiac activity in the snail Strophocheilus oblongus

• 1.1. Cardio-accelerator substances are present both in the brain and heart tissue of the snail Strophocheilus.
• 2.2. The excitatory effect of organ extracts is due not only to the presence of ACh and 5-HT but probably to another substance of neuroendocrine nature as well.
• 3.3. Structural modifications of stainable neurosecretory-like material were found in heart tissue submitted to electrical stimulation through its nerve, and the new excitor substance was found in the blood stream.
• 4.4. The unidentified excitor substance is: (a) heat-stable in different pH; (b) soluble in 50% acetone; (c) inactivated by pronase; (d) non-dialysable and (e) does not migrate with paper electrophoresis.

     

The energy burden of the bopyrid parasite Argeia pauperata (Crustacea,isopoda) on the grass shrimp Crangon franciscorum (Crustacea,crangonidae)

• 1.1. The relationship between host and parasite rates of energy metabolism was used to estimate the energy burden of Argeia pauperata on its host Crangon franciscorum.
• 2.2. Respiration rates of the host were not significantly affected by the parasite even though the caloric turnover rate of the parasite was more than three times that of the host.
• 3.3. The ratios of both energy expenditure and size of the parasite to those of the host were positively correlated with host size.

     

Drosophila mettleri and senita cactus alkaloids: Fitness measurements and their ecological significance

• 1.1. Drosophila mettleri have been found feeding but not breeding on decaying stems of senita cactus, the normal host for Drosophila pachea.
• 2.2. Alkaloids were extracted from senita stems and used in tests of egg-to-adult viability, developmental rate, and adult longevity.
• 3.3. The results show that developmental rate is not appreciably affected by senita alkaloids.
• 4.4. In general, D. mettleri was less affected by the alkaloids with respect to egg-to-adult viability and adult longevity than D. pachea at concentrations which are fatal to other desert Drosophila.
• 5.5. Tolerance to alkaloids gives D. mettleri an ecological advantage.

     

Metabolic Cross-talk Between Human Bronchial Epithelial Cells and Internalized Staphylococcus aureus as a Driver for Infection*

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Highlights

• •Interplay of epithelial cells and internalized S. aureus was dissected over 96 h.
• •Surviving host cells contain nonreplicating bacteria that persists in the cytoplasm.
• •Competition over resources triggers temporal metabolic changes.
• •Metabolic adaptation of host and bacteria determines the outcome of infection.

     

Comparative studies on the ability of the dialysate from the total RNA of Rhodnius prolixus in protecting the 26S ribosomal RNA of insects from thermal dissociation

• 1.1. The dialysate obtained from the total RNA of Rhodnius prolixus protects the purified 26S rRNA of this insect from thermal dissociation.
• 2.2. The 26S rRNA isolated from Triatoma infestans and Panstrongylus megistus was also protected by this dialysate. It is noteworthy that these insects and Rhodnius prolixus belong in the same subfamily Triatominae (Hemiptera).
• 3.3. The dialysate is not effective in protecting the purified 26S rRNA of Apis mellifera (Hymenoptera).
• 4.4. These results suggest that the dialysate contains substance(s) which protects the 26S rRNA through recognizing the structure of the molecule.

     

Respiration in the eastern water dragon,Physignathus lesueurii (agamidae)

• 1.1. Some aspects of the gas exchange system of a diving lizard, Physignathus lesuewii were studied.
• 2.2. Breathing patterns were analysed.
• 3.3. Breathing rate increases logarithmically with temperature and Q₁₀ = 1.8. LogBR = −0.237 + 0.0256 T.
• 4.4. Gas tensions in lung air and arterial and venous blood were measured. Arterial pH declines with increasing temperature.
• 5.5. Temperature has a marked effect on oxygen affinity of the blood (ΔH = −10.1 kcal mol⁻). A Bohr effect was also noted.
• 6.6. CO₂ equilibrium curves were drawn.
• 7.7. The results are considered with a view to anticipating the efficiency of the gas exchange system of this species under conditions of variable temperature and during diving.

     

Purification and characterization of hatching enzyme of the pike (Esox lucius)

• 1.1. A choriolytic enzyme was isolated from the hatching medium of the pike, Esox lucius.
• 2.2. The enzyme is defined as hatching enzyme.
• 3.3. The molecular weight of the enzyme is 24,000.
• 4.4. The enzyme is a glycoprotein containing 2% carbohydrate.
• 5.5. Its isoelectric point is 6.5.
• 6.6. The pH optimum is around pH 8.
• 7.7. The enzyme molecule contains two disulfide bonds but no free cysteine.
• 8.8. Inhibitor studies and metal analysis show that the enzyme is a zinc-metalloprotease.

     

Renin activity in rainbow trout (salmo gairdneri rich.) and effects of environmental ammonia

• 1.1. A working model for renin assay in trout is described.
• 2.2. Renal renin activity increases in trout exposed to various un-ionized ammonia (UIA) environmental concentrations, with the only exception of 20 μgN/l UIA treated specimens.
• 3.3. Such effect of the toxic substance seems to be proportional to the logarithm of the environmental ammonia concentration and reaches a maximum in overturned specimens.
• 4.4. Results contribute new findings concerning correlation between renin activity and diuresis in fresh water fish.

     

The effect of myo-inositol on the ability of Ditylenchus dipsaci,D. myceliophagus and Anguina tritici to survive desiccation

• 1.1. The effect of myo-inositol on the ability of three species of nematodes to survive desiccation has been studied.
• 2.2. Survival rates obtained from worms treated with an inositol bathing medium were compared with survival rates of worms treated with distilled or tapwater media.
• 3.3. Highest survival rates were found in those nematodes that were placed in an inositol solution prior to desiccation.
• 4.4. Tapwater facilitated higher revival rates than did distilled water in both D. dipsaci and D. myceliophagous.
• 5.5. No such differences were found for A. tritici.
• 6.6. The results are discussed in relation to the possible mechanisms of protection afforded by the different bathing media.

     

Salmonella Effectors SseK1 and SseK3 Target Death Domain Proteins in the TNF and TRAIL Signaling Pathways*

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Highlights

• •MS-based method to detect native arginine-GlcNAcylation during Salmonella infection.
• •Demonstration that SseK1 targets TRADD, whereas SseK3 targets the death receptors, TNFR1 and TRAILR.
• •Evidence that effector overexpression results in misleading identification of host targets.
• •Crystal structure of SseK3.

     

Functional properties of the two major hemoglobin components from Leporinus friderici (Pisces)

• 1.1. The hemoglobins of Leporinus friderici were separated by liquid chromatography on DEAE-Sepharose in order to isolate the two major electrophoretic components.
• 2.2. The chromatographic fraction I (electrophoretically slow anodic) showed no Bohr effect and no nucleoside triphosphate modulation.
• 3.3. The chromatographic fraction III (electrophoretically fast anodic) showed a normal Bohr effect and addition of nucleoside triphosphate decreased oxygen affinity but did not alter the Bohr effect.
• 4.4. The whole hemolysate showed a normal Bohr effect and phosphate modulation altered both Bohr effect and oxygen affinity.
• 5.5. No or little difference between the effect of adenosine or guanosine triphosphates on hemoglobin function was observed.

     

Mitochondria from the ventricle of the marine clam,Mercenaria mercenaria: Substrate preferences and effects of pH and salt concentration on proline oxidation

• 1.1. Mitochondria with high respiratory control ratios (RCR) have been isolated from the ventricle of the marine clam Mercenaria mercenaria.
• 2.2. Proline is the preferred substrate of the mitochondria of the ventricle based on state 3 rates.
• 3.3. Pyruvate, ornithine and succinate are oxidized at rates 3/4 that of proline.
• 4.4. α-Glycerophosphate was oxidized at rates 1/2 that of proline.
• 5.5. The pH optimum for proline oxidation lies between 6.5 and 7.5 based on RCR and ADP/O and between 7.0 and 7.4 based on state 3 rates.
• 6.6. KCl concentrations between 250 and 450 mM gave optimal values for the oxidation of proline based on RCR and state 3 rates.
• 7.7. KCl concentration had little effect on ADP/O between 100 and 850 mM.

     

Allozyme variation in the solanaceous fruit fly Bactrocera latifrons (insecta: diptera: tephritidae) from peninsular malaysia

• 1.1. Bactrocera latifrons fruit flies recovered from four solanaceous fruits (Capsicum annuum, Lycopersicon esculentum, Solanum pseudocapsicum and Solanum melongena) in Peninsular Malaysia were analyzed for a total of 15 gene-enzyme systems comprising 21 loci.
• 2.2. Eleven loci—aAdh, Aldox, Ald, Est-F, Est-S, Hk-F, Ldh, cMdh, Me, Pep-A and Pep-C—were invariant.
• 3.3. Of the polymorphic loci, cathodal alcohol dehydrogenase, glucose phosphate isomerase, glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase, hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase, isocitrate dehydrogenase, anodal malate dehydrogenase and phosphoglucomutase were represented by two alleles each, while hexokinase-S, peptidase-B and phosphogluconate dehydrogenase were represented by three alleles each.
• 4.4. The proportion of polymorphic loci ranged from 0.28 to 0.33, while the mean heterozygosity ranged from 0.04 to 0.13.
• 5.5. The genetic variability is associated with the host range.

     

Breast,hips, and buttocks revisited: Honest fatness for honest fitness

This paper comments on: Low, B. S., Alexander, R. D., and Noonan, K.M. Human hips, breast, and buttocks: Is fat deceptive? Ethology and Sociobiology 8: 249-247, 1987. In it I argue that:

• 1.1. Sexual selection has probably not been the most important selection pressure on
• 2.female human body shape.
• 3.2. Male humans in different cultures find different aspects of the female body attractive
• 4.and therefore are unlikely to have exerted consistent directional sexual selection on
• 5.the female body.
• 6.3. Breast size is not correlated with lactation success.
• 7.4. Visible hip width is not correlated with parturition success.
• 8.5. Women would lower their fitness if they tried to deceive men about their internal
• 9.pelvic dimensions.
• 10.6. There are many alternative hypothesis to explain the existence of fat onwomen's
• 11.breast, hips, and buttocks.

     

Light-induced effects of several enzymes of carbohydrate metabolism in Phycomyces blakesleeanus

• 1.1. The photoregulation shown by glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase and glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase appears to be independent of the mad gene product(s) and also independent of carotene biosynthesis regulation.
• 2.2. The photoregulation of malate dehydrogenase appeared to be dependent on the mutation of the mad and car S genes.
• 3.3. Pyruvate kinase and lactate dehydrogenase may be classified as light-independent.
• 4.4. The action of ATP and fructose 1,6-bisphosphate on the enzymes studied was generally independent of light/dark grown conditions.
• 5.5. However, the effect of fructose 1,6-bisphosphate on Phycomyces pyruvate kinase appears to be light-dependent.

     

In vivo effect of Berenil on rat liver polyamine metabolism

• 1.1. Berenil, administered to rats in vivo, promoted a decrease in liver SAMDC activity, but an increase in ODC and SAT activity.
• 2.2. Its effect on ODC was completely prevented by cycloheximide, that on SAT only partially.
• 3.3. Berenil had no effect on ODC activity in adrenalectomized rats. Adrenergic antagonists counteracted the effect of Berenil on ODC activity.
• 4.4. Polyamine content was increased. The maximum modification was observed for putrescine and N¹-acetylspermidine.

     

The action of the venom of Philanthus triangulum F. on an insect visceral muscle

• 1.1. Low concentrations (0.05−0.38 BU/ml) of a crude venom extract from P. triangulum F. potentiate nerve-evoked contractions of the locust hindgut, possibly due to contamination of the venom preparation with proctolin.
• 2.2. Higher venom concentrations inhibit nerve-evoked contractions to a dose-independent plateau level.
• 3.3. The venom has no effect on responses to bath-applied proctolin, but responses to bath-applied L-glutamate are inhibited.
• 4.4. Spontaneous contractions are unaffected by the venom.
• 5.5. It is concluded that the plateau contractions are the result of excitation by non-glutamatergic transmission, and are possibly the result of proctolin release.

     

A thioredoxin from the extreme thermophilic Archaeon Sulfolobus solfataricus

• 1.1. A purification procedure for a thioredoxin from the extremophilic archaeon Sulfolobus solfataricus is described.
• 2.2. The thioredoxin is active in the dithiothreitol-dependent reduction of insulin disulfide bonds.
• 3.3. The thioredoxin is a monomer of 24,800 Da; it is an acidic protein with a pi of 4.5.
• 4.4. The protein is stable to heating for 3 hr at 90°C.
• 5.5. The amino acid composition of S. solfataricus thioredoxin is reported.

     

Variations of respiratory rate of Tisbe holothuriae humes (copepoda,harpacticoida) in relation to temperature,salinity and food type

• 1.1. The influence of temperature (14,19, 24°C), salinity (26,32, 38,44%.) and food type (artificial diets: Fryfood, Mytilus, Soya, Yeast, Spirulina) on the respiratory rate of Tisbe holothuriae has been studied.
• 2.2. Oxygen consumption decreased with decreasing temperature, but with a greater rate at supra- or subnormal salinities.
• 3.3. Multiple-regression analysis showed the quadratic effect of temperature and the linear effect of salinity to be the more important factors affecting respiration.
• 4.4. The food type also seems to exert an important effect on oxygen consumption.
• 5.5. A significant lowering of respiration was observed for all food tested when the animals were starved.