Identification of muscle fiber types in “semithin” sections stained with p-phenylene-diamine

Summary Semithin sections of osmium-fixed plastic embedded muscle, stained with p-phenylene-diamine, show three types of muscle fibers. Electron microscopy of adjacent sections indicates that differing content and distribution of mitochondria and fat vacuoles are the basis for this distinction.     

Tensegrin in context: Dual role of α8 integrin in the migration of different cell types

α8β1 integrin is highly expressed in cells with contractile function, such as mesangial cells of the kidneys and vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs). Although it promotes migration of neural crest cells and breast cancer cells, recent studies suggest that α8 integrin has a negative regulatory role in VSMC migration. In this Review, the question of why α8β1 integrin plays a dual role in cell migration is raised and discussed. It seems that cells require optimum contractility and balanced tensile forces for migration. α8β1 integrin promotes migration of cells that are initially in a less than optimal contractile state (e.g., neural cells) and reduces the migration of cells known as contractile cells. α8β1 integrin can be called “Tensegrin” as it fits perfectly into the tensegrity model (tensional integrity) and seems to play a prominent role in the integration of the tensile forces.Key words: integrin, migration, adhesion, mesenchymal cell, epithelial cell, vascular smooth muscle cell     

Malt1 and cIAP2–Malt1 as effectors of NF-κB activation: Kissing cousins or distant relatives?

Malt1 is a multi-domain cytosolic signaling molecule that was originally identified as the target of recurrent translocations in a large fraction of MALT lymphomas. The product of this translocation is a chimeric protein in which the N-terminus is contributed by the apoptosis inhibitor, cIAP2, and the C-terminus is contributed by Malt1. Early studies suggested that Malt1 is an essential intermediate in antigen receptor activation of NF-κB, and that the juxtaposition of the cIAP2 N-terminus and the Malt1 C-terminus results in deregulation of Malt1 NF-κB stimulatory activity. Initial experimental data further suggested that the molecular mechanisms of Malt1- and cIAP-Malt1-mediated NF-κB activation were quite similar. However, a number of more recent studies of both Malt1 and cIAP2–Malt1 now reveal that these proteins influence NF-κB activation by multiple distinct mechanisms, several of which are non-overlapping. Currently available data suggest a revised model in which cIAP2–Malt1 induces NF-κB activation via a mechanism that depends equally on domains contributed by cIAP2 and Malt1, which confer spontaneous oligomerization activity, polyubiquitin binding, proteolytic activity, and association with and activation of TRAF2 and TRAF6 at several independent binding sites. By contrast, emerging data suggest that the wild-type Malt1 protein uniquely contributes to NF-κB activation primarily through the control of two proteolytic cleavage mechanisms. Firstly, Malt1 directly cleaves and inactivates A20, a negative regulator of the antigen receptor-to-NF-κB pathway. Secondly, Malt1 interacts with caspase-8, inducing caspase-8 cleavage of c-FLIP_L, initiating a pathway that contributes to activation of the IκB kinase (IKK) complex. Furthermore, data suggest that Malt1 plays a more limited and focused role in antigen receptor activation of NF-κB, serving to augment weak antigen signals and stimulate a defined subset of NF-κB dependent responses. Thus, the potent activation of NF-κB by cIAP2–Malt1 contrasts with the more subtle role of Malt1 in regulating specific NF-κB responses downstream of antigen receptor ligation.     

Community characteristics of main vegetation types in the ecological “green-core” area of Changzhutan urban cluster

长株潭城市群生态绿心地区地处南方红壤丘陵区的中心地带, 植被区划上属中亚热带常绿阔叶林北部植被亚地带。该区植被以次生林为主, 植被类型复杂多样, 在南方红壤丘陵区现状植被中具有典型代表性, 可为区域植被演替动态和植被恢复研究提供良好的平台。该研究采用统一、规范的方法设置了50个样方, 对区内主要植被类型的物种组成、数量特征、生境信息等进行调查。计算乔木层、灌木层和草本层物种重要值, 运用《中国植被志》编研规范进行植被类型划分和命名, 描述群落物种组成和特征, 并提供10个植被型、22个群系、33个群丛共50个样方的原始数据, 包括森林样方43个, 灌丛样方5个, 草地样方1个, 沼泽样方1个。     

Mediterranean types of β-thalassemia in the German population

Summary Forty -thalassemia genes from unrelated German heterozygotes with no known foreign ancestry were examined using the oligonucleotide technique and DNA restriction analysis, with the aim of determining the contribution of Mediterranean -thalassemia mutations to the prevalence of this trait in the German population. Of the 40 -thalassemia genes, 26 were identified as Mediterranean types (20 39 nonsense, 3 IVS2 nt 110, 2 IVS2 nt1, 1 IVS1 ntl GA). The geographic distribution of the birthplaces of the probands' grandparents revealed no difference in the proportion of Mediterranean and unidentified -thalassemia genes in the west and the north of Germany.     

A survey of colicin types and phage types ofShigella sonnei in Czechoslovakia 1976–1978

In the years 1976–1978 3 552 strains ofShigella sonnei obtained from the whole Czechoslovak territory by the method of colicin typing and phage typing was examined. Each strain represented always one focus. 81.3 % of the strains were colicinogenic. Twenty-one colicin types, 41 characteristic and 105 non-characteristic phage types participated in bacillary dysentery. Of the total number, 77.4 % belonged to 9 phage types (2, 3, 6, 65, 66, 67, 75, NC IV-VIII- and NC III-IV-VIII-), which are endemic in Czechoslovakia. Of the 2 889 colicinogenic strains, 85 % belonged to 3 colicin types: 2 = Ia (31 %), 6/11 = El (27 %), 12 = E6 (27 %). Some phage types produced predominantly colicin of a certain type.     

Duration of marriages and remarriages in Chiomonte (Turin) in the XVII–XVIII century

This is a preliminary study of the duration of marriages and remarriages by widowed people in Chiomonte (Turin) from 1670 to 1729, a period that saw long periods of war alternating with brief intervals of peace. We analysed 748 marriage acts and evaluated the age at first marriage, the duration of marriage, the frequency of remarriage by widowed people and the number of widowed people who remarried. The data were analysed in five-year intervals. The results show that the population of Chiomonte was essentially permanent, since the end of the marriage could be established in 77,6% of cases. The mean duration of marriages increased from the end of the XVII century and around 51% of all marriages lasted more than 20 years. Historical events had different effects on the matrimonial behaviour. After the mortality crisis in 1690–91, marriages and remarriages increased in 1691–94, a typical response of populations decimated by an epidemic. However, the matrimonial behaviour in the decade 1704–14 was different, in that there was a strong increase in exogamous marriages (56.52% of all marriages). Remarriages, especially of widowed persons, also increased in that period. Although these data are preliminary and from a brief time period, they reveal particular aspects of the marriage and remarriage behaviour, thus helping to clarify the biodemographic evolution of the Chiomonte population.     

Frequency and types of deletional α+ in Northern Sardinia

Summary We determined by restriction mapping the frequency of the –^3.7 determinant in a random sample of 48 adults in Northern Sardinia. We found a frequency of 0.18±0.04 and demonstrated that only type I crossover as determined by Apa I digestion (Higgs et al. 1984) is present. Moreover, we showed that this haplotype is not associated with an Rsa I polymorphism 5 to the ₂-globin gene. These data support the hypothesis of a unique origin of this deletion in Sardinia.     

Molecular detection of Epstein–Barr virus in different types of lymphoma

Molecular Biology Reports - Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is a member of the γ herpesvirus subfamily. It is widely spread, potentially oncogenic and has been studied in different human cancers such...     

Tubulin evolution: Two major types of α-tubulin

Summary Tubulin subunits have been isolated from a variety of protists and marine invertebrates. The sources were: sperm tails of a tunicate (Ciona intestinalis), an abalone (Haliotis rufescens) and a sea anemone (Tealia crassicornis), the gill cilia of a clam (Mercenaria mercenaria), the cilia of a ciliate (Tetrahymena pyriformis) and the cytoplasm of a slime mold (Physarum polycephalum). All the -tubulins, as characterised by their electropherograms after limited proteolytic cleavage withStaphylococcus aureus protease, were fairly similar. In contrast, two markedly different peptide patterns were found for the -tubulins of (a) metazoan axonemes and (b) protistan axonemes, plant axonemes and slime mold cytoplasm.Metazoan axonemal -tubulin peptide patterns could be further divided into two similar but distinct subtypes which did not correlate with the taxonomic divisions of deuterostomia and protostomia, or to different tubulins within an axoneme, or to different tubulins of flagella and cilia. We have postulated that these small differences may be accounted for by a simple glutamicaspartic acid exchange at a particular position in the -tubulin sequence. Identical peptide patterns were observed for sea urchin and sea anemone sperm tail tubulins, proving that the metazoan type of axonemal tubulin arose before the divergence of bilateral and radial symmetric organisms.The close similarity of the slime mold cytoplasmic -tubulin peptide pattern to protistan and plant axonemal -tubulin patterns suggests that the same type of tubulin might be used to form both axonemal and cytoplasmic types of microtubules in protists and plants. The large structural constraints imposed upon this tubulin molecule probably allowed very little change in its primary structure, thus explaining the similarity of tubulins from organisms which diverged at such an early time in eukaryote history. Duplication and modification of the tubulin gene may then have led to the development of specific axonemal and cytoplasmic microtubules during the evolution of the metazoa.     

Frequency and molecular types of deletional α-thalassemia in Egypt

Summary The frequency of deletional -thalassemia in the Egyptian population was estimated at 0.08 by DNA analysis of a newborn random sample. No ⁰ determinants were found. The most frequent ⁺ determinant was the –^3.7 type I in association with the medium allele at inter-zeta HVR. The –^4.2 and ^{anti 3.7} arrangements were found at very low frequencies.     

A Review of: “Chromatography in Biotechnology”

Abstract

C. Horvith and L.S. Ettre, Eds. ACS Symposium Series 529, American Chemical Society, Washington, DC, 1993, hardbound pp. ix+ 189, $49.95     

Airborne pollen in Bahía Blanca,Argentina: seasonal distribution of pollen types

The composition and seasonal distribution of airborne pollen grains in the atmosphere of Bahía Blanca, Argentina, has been studied between June 2001 and December 2003 using the Rotorod sampler (model 40). The results show that the main pollen types during this period were Cupressaceae, Fraxinus, Myrtaceae, Poaceae, Amaranthus/Chenopodiaceae, Pinus, Urticaceae, Ulmus, Olea and Styphnolobium. The highest concentrations occurred from August to December (end of winter and spring), accounting for 80% of the total annual pollen count. The greatest diversity was found in the spring, with the major of pollen coming from short-flowering plant types, such as Populus, Acer, Platanus, Juglans, Tamarix, Ailanthus and Typha. The potential sources of pollen from woody ornamental species are Cupressus sempervirens, Eucalyptus camaldulensis and Fraxinus pennsylvanica. whereas those from herbaceous species are the Chenopodiaceae and Poaceae, which are found within the city and also in the surrounding natural vegetation, and the Urticaceae, which are only present in the city. Marked annual differences were noted during the study period. The increase in 2002 may have been due to the abundant rainfall that occurred prior to the spring season, which would have favored the vegetative stage and flower development of plants. The decrease in pollen concentration in 2003 was mainly due to low rainfall throughout the year.     

Age‐discrepant marriages: Cross‐national comparisons of Canadian‐American trends

Abstract

Comparisons of age‐discrepant marriages ideally involve data which are collected at the time of marriage and which are available by single years of age for the same population over time. Although such data are not available for Canadian‐American comparisons, approximations of them are derived from the United States census, from marriage statistics (including statistics for California and for British Columbia), and from selected fortuitous studies of age at marriage. Although available data are not conclusive, they suggest that Canada and the United States do not differ markedly in the incidence of age‐discrepant marriages and that both exhibit longitudinal trends which reflect a decreased incidence of marriages with large husband‐wife age differences and an increased preference for coeval marriages, but exhibit markedly little change in the incidence of wife‐older marriages. Cross‐cultural patterns of age‐discrepant marriages are suggested as an unobtrusive indicator for comparative assessments of the de facto status of women.     

How many fold types of protein are there in nature?

Many protein structures have now been determined and reveal that protein molecules can adopt the same fold despite having very different sequences. It has been suggested that, owing to different stereochemical constraints, the number of ways that a sequence can fold may be limited. Therefore, it is reasonable to ask how many fold types exist in nature. Several groups have tackled this problem with very different results. In the present study, a novel statistical sampling approach is used to reestimate this number. The results suggest that the number of protein folds in nature is probably several hundreds. © 1996 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Seasonal attenuation of quantum irradiance (400–700 NM) in three Nebraska reserviors

The attenuation of down-welling quantum irradiance (400–700 nm) was monitored seasonally in three eutrophic Nebraska reservoirs from July, 1975, to June, 1976. Measurements were made at four stations in McConaughy, three in Pawnee, and three in Yankee Hill using a commercially available, quantum irradiance sensor. The mean vertical attenuation coefficient () for McConaughy varied within a range of thirty-four-fold (0.16 5.45 m^-1), and this range is apparently the greatest reported and this range is apparently the greatest reported for a freshwater system in which data were collected with a quantum sensor. Annual average values for McConaughy, Yankee Hill, and Pawnee were 0.69 m^–1, 1.08 m^–1, and 1.25 m^–1, respectively. The euphotic zone and the 1% level of subsurface irradiance is discussed with respect to the penetration of photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) into natural waters.This study was supported by a grant from the Office of Water Research and Technology, U.S. Dept. of the Interior, project number A-043-NEB, agreement number 14-34-0001-6028, to James R. Rosowski, School of Life Sciences, University of Nebraska, Lincoln.     

Coexistence of behavioural types in an aquatic top predator: a response to resource limitation?

Intra-population variation in behaviour unrelated to sex, size or age exists in a variety of species. The mechanisms behind behavioural diversification have only been partly understood, but density-dependent resource availability may play a crucial role. To explore the potential coexistence of different behavioural types within a natural fish population, we conducted a radio telemetry study, measuring habitat use and swimming activity patterns of pike (Esox lucius), a sit-and-wait predatory fish. Three behavioural types co-occurred in the study lake. While two types of fish only selected vegetated littoral habitats, the third type opportunistically used all habitats and increased its pelagic occurrence in response to decreasing resource biomasses. There were no differences in size, age or lifetime growth between the three behavioural types. However, habitat-opportunistic pike were substantially more active than the other two behavioural types, which is energetically costly. The identical growth rates exhibited by all behavioural types indicate that these higher activity costs of opportunistic behaviour were compensated for by increased prey consumption in the less favourable pelagic habitat resulting in approximately equal fitness of all pike groups. We conclude that behavioural diversification in habitat use and activity reduces intraspecific competition in preferred littoral habitats. This may facilitate the emergence of an ideal free distribution of pike along resource gradients.     

Molecular characterization of two types of 22 kilodalton α-zein genes in a gene cluster in maize

Summary Five genes of the -zein subfamily four (SF4) are located in a 56 kb genomic region of the maize inbred line W22. Their nucleotide and deduced amino acid sequences have been determined. The sequences define two types of -zein SF4 genes — type 1 (T1) and type 2 (T2). The single T1 -zein SF4 gene codes for an -zein protein with a M_r of about 22 000. This is the first -zein SF4 gene sequenced that contains no early in-frame stop codons in its coding sequence. The four T2 -zein SF4 genes in this cluster contain one or two early in-frame stop codons. In addition, our T1 and T2 genes differ markedly in the base sequences of their distal 5 non-translated flanking regions. The nucleotide and the deduced amino acid sequences of these two types of -zein SF4 genes are similar ( > 90 %) to one another and to all known -zein SF4 genes and cDNAs. Of the known W22 -zein SF4 genes, only one in six does not contain an early in-frame stop codon. If the number of -zein SF4 genes is 15–20, then we estimate that only about 4 of the W22 -zein SF4 genes are without in-frame early stop codons.