The morphology and physiological properties of nereid giant fibres

• 1.1. The three sets of giant fibres in the nerve cord of Nereis virens are connected by both electrotonic and chemically transmitting junctions.
• 2.2. The paired laterals and paramedials are connected to their partners by electronic junctions. The laterals are also electrically coupled to the median giant fibre.
• 3.3. The laterals are connected to the paramedials by an excitatory chemical synapse, while in the anterior segments the paramedials provide an inhibitory input to the median giant fibre.
• 4.4. Afferent input to the giant fibres through the segmental nerves two and four is excitatory, except that to the median fibre in the caudal segments.
• 5.5. There is no evidence of the segmental origin of the lateral giant fibres, either in the form of macrosynapses or segmental cell bodies.
• 6.6. The median giant fibre originates from two groups of cell bodies in the sub-oesophageal ganglia.

     

Diversity of native myosin and myosin heavy chain in fish skeletal muscles

• 1.1. Polymorphism of native myosin and myosin heavy chain (MHC) of fish skeletal muscles was analysed by pyrophosphate and SDS-gel electrophoreses.
• 2.2. Depending on the species, three or four myosin isoforms were detected in the white muscle, one or two isoforms in the pure red muscle, and four isomyosins were found in the red muscle composed of red and pink (intermediate) fibres.
• 3.3. It is suggested that all main types of fish muscle fibre (red, intermediate and white) differ in myosin isoform content.
• 4.4. Myosin heavy chain of the red muscle is a distinct protein from that of the white muscle. However, structural differences between these proteins vary among species.

     

A study of excitatory efferent fibres in the intestinal nerve of the fowl (Gallus domesticus)

• 1.1. The intestinal nerve of the fowl was studied in vitro.
• 2.2. A significantly larger amplitude spike discharge was recorded in side branches of the nerve which innervate the gut when the aboral end of the main nerve trunk was stimulated than when the oral end was stimulated.
• 3.3. Postganglionic autonomic neurones innervating the smooth muscle of the ileum are not located in the intestinal nerve. Evidence is presented, however, supporting the idea that such neurones innervating the rectum are located in the rectal position of the nerve.
• 4.4. The increase in intraluminal pressure and circular muscle tension in the ileum was greater following aboral nerve stimulation than following oral nerve stimulation.
• 5.5. It is suggested that excitatory efferent nerve fibres ascend the intestinal nerve to innervate the ileum.

     

Metabolic capacity,fibre type area and capillarization of rat plantaris muscle. Effects of age,overload and training and relationship with fatigue resistance

• 1.1. The influences of age (5, 13 and 25-month-old rats), overload as obtained by denervation of synergists, and training on the metabolic capacity, relative muscle cross-sectional area occupied by each fibre type, capillarization and fatigue resistance of the rat m. plantaris were investigated.
• 2.2. Creatine kinase, phosphorylase and citrate synthase activities were lower in muscles of 25 than in those of 13-month-old rats (P < 0.001).
• 3.3. Overload resulted in an increased relative area of type I and II a fibres at all ages (P = 0.001).
• 4.4. Capillary density decreased with overload and increasing age (P < 0.001).
• 5.5. Fatigue resistance was higher in muscles of 13 than in those of 5-month-old rats (P < 0.05), and increased with overload (P < 0.05) at all ages.
• 6.6. Fatigue resistance of the whole muscle was not closely related to its oxidative capacity in contrast to what is generally found for single fibres or motor units.

     

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Some observations on the behaviour of the sodium efflux in barnacle muscle fibres towards lithium ions

• 1.1. The behaviour of the Na efflux towards Li⁺ was studied using single barnacle muscle fibres as a preparation.
• 2.2. It is found that the Na efflux into Li⁺-ASW (artificial seawater) is reduced and that this effect is not fully reversed by returning back to Na⁺-ASW.
• 3.3. Preinjection of 100 mM-EGTA reduces the magnitude of the fall of the Na efflux into Li⁺-ASW.
• 4.4(a). The remaining Na efflux into Li⁺-ASW is further reduced by external application of 10⁻⁴ M-ouabain. (b) The remaining Na efflux in ouabain-poisoned fibres is reduced by replacing Na_e by Li⁺. However, some fibres show a rise rather than a fall.
• 5.5. Fibres loaded with NaCl (by injection) show a prompt and sustained stimulation of the Na efflux when Na_e is replaced by Li⁺. A similar but less pronounced response is often seen with ouabain-poisoned fibres.
• 6.6. Injection of LiCl (e.g. a 2 M-solution), causes a 20% fall in Na efflux. Subsequent replacement of Na_e by Li⁺ fails to bring about a fall in the remaining efflux.
• 7.7. Itis concluded that the Na efflux in these fibres consists of a Na-Na exchange diffusion component which is not mediated by the Na-K pump and that its operation is interrupted by injecting Li⁺. The relative size of this component is about one-fifth and not one-half of the Na efflux.

     

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Electrophoretic comparison of myosin light chains and parvalbumins of trunk and head muscles from two barbel (Barbus barbus) populations

• 1.1. Myosin light chains and parvalbumins have been compared in several trunk and head muscles from small and large size barbels (Barbus barbus) living in river or reared in hatchery.
• 2.2. These proteins isolated from white, red and ventricle fibres exhibit identical electrophoretic characteristics in the four batches.
• 3.3. The slow fibre content and the parvalbumin distribution are generally similar in river and hatchery barbels of the same size but differ between small and large barbels within a population.
• 4.4. Alterations of the mode of fertilization and breeding conditions do not modify the differentiation of myosin and parvalbumins in barbels.

     

Monoclonal antibodies prepared against heparin lyase I and their reactivity toward heparin lyase I,II and III

• 1.1. Six different monoclonal IgG mouse antibodies to heparin lyase I from Flavobacterium heparinum were prepared.
• 2.2. The monoclonal antibodies were used to detect heparin lyases I, II and III by dot-blotting immunoassay and by Western blotting.
• 3.3. Individual antibodies showed different reactivity toward the three heparin lyases.
• 4.4. The reactivity of two of the monoclonal antibodies was destroyed by exposing heparin lyases to sodium dodecyl sulfate.
• 5.5. The antibodies can be used to rapidly distinguish between the three heparin lyases.

     

Phase reversal in the lateral line of the ruff (Acerina cernua) as cue for directional sensitivity

• 1.1. The afferent response recorded from single fibres innervating canal neuromasts on the head of the ruff shows phase shifts of 180°, depending on stimulus location.
• 2.2. Based on these recordings it is shown, that in the flow field of a nearby moving object, the cupulae of adjacent neuromasts can be deflected in opposite directions.
• 3.3. This information may, in addition to other cues, enable localization of the stimulus source.

     

Subcellular distribution of metals within the kidney of the bivalve Mercenaria mercenaria (L.)

• 1.1. The subcellular distribution of nine transition metals (plus four additional elements) was measured in the kidney tissue of the quahog, Mercenaria mercenaria.
• 2.2. Elemental analyses of the subcellular fractions indicated three main patterns of metal distribution within kidney cells.
• 3.3. Barium, iron, manganese and lead were associated primarily with kidney granules.
• 4.4. Cadmium, copper, potassium and magnesium were found mainly in the cytosolic fraction.
• 5.5. Calcium, phosphorus and zinc were found in all isolated fractions, probably reflecting the important roles that these elements play in bivalve metabolism.
• 6.6. The organelle composition of the isolated subcellular fractions was determined using marker enzyme assays and microscopic techniques.

     

Essential tyrosyl residues of human placental alkaline phosphatase

• 1.1. Human placental alkaline phosphatase was inactivated with tetranitromethane in a biphasic process.
• 2.2. Spectral and amino acid analysis demonstrated that the inactivation was due to the conversion of tyrosine residues to 3-nitrotyrosine.
• 3.3. The inactivation process showed saturation kinetics.
• 4.4. Protection of the enzyme against tetranitromethane inactivation was afforded by inorganic phosphate.
• 5.5. The binding affinity between the modified enzyme and inorganic phosphate was decreased.
• 6.6. Our results suggest the involvement of tyrosyl residues in the locus of phosphoryl site of the phosphorylated enzyme forms.

     

Cholesterol metabolism in new world primates: Comparative studies in two tamarin species (Saguinus oedipus and Saguinus fuscicollis) and the squirrel monkey (Saimiri sciureus)

• 1.1. Cholesterol metabolism has been characterized in three species of New World primates, the cotton-top tamarin, the saddle-back tamarin, and the squirrel monkey.
• 2.2. When fed a diet containing cholesterol, the three species exhibited differing responses of plasma cholesterol levels.
• 3.3. Dietary cholesterol absorption was determined and plasma cholesterol die-away kinetics were analyzed in terms of a two-pool model.
• 4.4. The results of the analyses of cholesterol turnover are consistent with the observed species-specific differences in plasma cholesterol values and cholesterol absorption.
• 5.5. Cholesterol metabolism differs between the two tamarin species, as well as between the tamarins and the squirrel monkey.
• 6.6. Implications of species-specific differences between tamarin species are discussed in terms of the use of tamarin species as animal models for comparative studies of cholesterol metabolism and the etiology of cancer and cardiovascular disease.

     

A comparative study of the basic nuclear proteins from sperm of bivalve molluscs

• 1.1. Basic nuclear proteins from spermatozoa of the three mollusc species belonging to the class Bivalvia have been analyzed using one- and two-dimensional electrophoresis.
• 2.2. Four nuclear basic proteins have been purified and their amino acid compositions determined.
• 3.3. In these spermatozoa histone-type proteins coexist with protamine-like proteins.
• 4.4. The protamine-like proteins that have been studied show different electrophoretic behavior but in general are similar, with a high content of lysine, arginine, alanine and serine.
• 5.5. Interspecific variability has been found for the H1-like histone.

     

The energetics of shedding: Energy content of snake skin

• 1.1. The weight and energy content of sloughed skins of 92 individual snakes of 22 different species in three families were measured.
• 2.2. Weight and total energy content of shed skins were highly correlated with body weight.
• 3.3. The heat of combustion (kJ/g) of sloughed skins varied significantly among families and was higher in species having unkeeled scales than in those with keeled scales.
• 4.4. The presence of keels significantly affected weight of skins, even when skin weight is adjusted for covariance with body weight.
• 5.5. Neither body weight nor ambient temperature significantly affected the heat of combustion of sloughed skins.
• 6.6. The energy content of shed skin, expressed as a proportion of daily metabolism, decreased with ambient temperature, but the effect is minimized in large snakes.
• 7.7. Small snakes expended relatively less energy in sloughed skins than large snakes when the expenditure is expressed in terms of total daily metabolized energy.

     

Investigation of phycocyanin-membrane interaction: Promotion of membrane interactions

• 1.1. In a continuing investigation of phycocyanin-membrane surface interaction, fluorescence quenching experiments were performed with a mixture of two populations of fluorescence probe-encapsulated phospholipid bilayer vesicles in the presence and absence of phycocyanin.
• 2.2. These membrane vesicles were prepared with 1,2-dimyristoyl phosphatidylcholine (DMPC), cholesterol and a probe molecule.
• 3.3. A fluorophore was encapsulated in one population of membrane vesicles, while a quencher was encapsulated in another population of membrane vesicles.
• 4.4. The result was compared with those of experiments in the presence of other biomolecules, including albumin, cytochrome c, hemoglobin, myoglobin or RNA.
• 5.5. Interestingly, a one-third reduction of the fluorescence intensity was observed in the mixture of these two populations of membrane vesicles in phycocyanin's presence.
• 6.6. In contrast, the other biomolecules caused no significant reduction in the fluorescence intensity.
• 7.7. These findings were evidence of a phycocyanin-induced membrane perturbation.
• 8.8. This was further demonstrated by a phycocyanin-induced change in the thermotropic behavior of DMPC vesicles, as measured by differential scanning microcalorimetry.
• 9.9. Such a unique property of phycocyanin is believed to be associated with its known membrane surface-interacting character.
• 10.10. A possible phycocyanin-modulated membrane-membrane interaction was discussed.

     

Electrophoretic identification of bird species involved in collisions with aircraft

• 1.1. The utility of biochemical genetic methods of bird identification was investigated for some common species which create a hazard for commercial aviation in Ireland.
• 2.2. Sixteen enzyme loci were assayed in eight species, using starch gel electrophoresis; three larids, three corvids and two columbids.
• 3.3. Genera were distinguishable using all but two loci.
• 4.4. Differences within genera were small, but all species except for the gulls Larus argentatus and L. marinus, could be identified using one or more loci.
• 5.5. Arising from the success of the method using fresh specimens, a protocol for the electrophoretic identification of traumatized remains of strikes is suggested.

     

Domain structure of the 90-kDa stress protein: Heparin- and antibody-binding domain

• 1.1. To understand the physiological roles of the 90-kDa stress protein (HSP90), we investigated the heparin- and antibody-binding domains of the protein.
• 2.2. For heparin-binding sites, HSP90 was digested completely with trypsin, and the digests were applied to a heparin-Sepharose column and eluted with 1.0 M NaCl, followed by 8.0 M urea.
• 3.3. Each elutant was purified by a reverse-phase C₁₈ column.
• 4.4. Two peptides from the NaCl-eluted fraction and no peptide from the urea-eluted fraction were purified.
• 5.5. The purified peptides were sequenced by an automated peptide sequencer.
• 6.6. One of the heparin-binding sites was present between Leu-362 and Arg-365; another was present between Leu-645 and Lys-648.
• 7.7. These two peptides were basic and considerably hydrophilic.
• 8.8. For antibody-binding sites, HSP90 was mildly digested with trypsin, electrophoresed on SDS-polyacrylamide gels and transferred to PVDF membranes.
• 9.9. The four bound of the trypsin fragments could be sequenced with a peptide sequencer.
• 10.10. There was only one antibody-binding peptide, 38 kDa, starting from Pro-2. The others showed no cross-reactivity with the antibody and started from Leu-283.
• 11.11. Therefore, the epitopes of HSP90 are present between Pro-2 and Leu-282.
• 12.12. The heparin-binding sites are present from the middle region of the HSP90 molecule, and the antigen sites are at the N-terminal domain.