DIFFERENTIATION OF SUPRAHYOID ACTIVITY PATTERNS DURING SWALLOWING OF UMAMI-TASTING FOODS

In the preceding study, the present authors differentiated the activity patterns of the suprahyoid (SH) muscles during pharyngeal swallowing of tasty and tasteless foods by using “T_P” values that assigned activity of electromyograms (EMG) to a standardized time scale. In the present study, we calculated not only the T_P values but also the In_P values (by subtracting the preceding T_P‐10 values from T_P) to analyze activity patterns of the SH EMG during pharyngeal swallowing of foods dissolved in unitary (monosodium glutamate [MSG] and disodium inosine‐5′‐monophosphate [IMP]) and binary (MSG + IMP) “umami‐” tasting solutions of low and high concentration. We found that SH activity patterns differed slightly between low and high concentration of unitary and binary umami‐tasting foods, but that SH activity patterns measured while swallowing umami‐tasting foods did not differ from those measured while swallowing sweet‐ or salty‐tasting foods, or tasteless food.     

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN TASTE AND CHEWING PATTERNS OF VISCO-ELASTIC MODEL FOODS

The jaw movements and muscular activity of masticatory muscles of five assessors, having bitterness thresholds about 8 μM quinine in water, were monitored throughout chewing of similar strength gelatin gels containing 0, 40, 70 or 100 μM quinine. Gel bitterness ratings were not related to sensory texture which was 78kN/m² by shear test. On average, 100 μM quinine gels were as bitter as 7 to 30 μM quinine in water, depending on the assessor. Chewing patterns were not affected by concentration of quinine in the gels. During mastication of acceptable gels, there appears to be no feedback from taste to the motor control of mastication. In gels of the same consistency and the same concentration of quinine, assessors who chewed more rated higher for bitterness. The implications for mimicking mastication by machine and the training of assessors for solid foods are discussed.     

DIFFERENTIAL ENZYME ACTIVITY DURING TRICHOBLAST DIFFERENTIATION IN ELODEA CANADENSIS

Enzymes active in the developing root epidermis of Elodea canadensis Michx. were demonstrated by histochemical techniques. The future root-hair-forming cells (trichoblasts) showed a period of elevated activity more extensive than the one previously reported in trichoblasts of another species for dehydrogenases (glucose-6-phosphate, pyruvate, lactate, succinic, isocitrate, glutamate), phosphatases (acid, ATPase, 5-nucleotidase), cytochrome oxidase, and peroxidase. This elevated activity extended from the time of trichoblast formation up to the point of root hair outgrowth, even for enzymes not previously demonstrated in trichoblasts: alkaline phosphatase, NADH diaphorase, NADPH diaphorase, esterase, and leucine aminopeptidase. Glucose-6-phosphatase and aryl sulfatase were not detected. The single exception to this pattern was phosphorylase activity, which intensified only just prior to and during root hair outgrowth. The more generalized activity pattern is considered to indicate the so-called meristematic character of these cells in terms of both macromolecular synthesis and lack of specialization. It is suggested that specific root hair development begins just prior to initiation, at the point marked by elevated phosphorylase activity.     

CHEMICAL DIFFERENTIATION OF NUCLEAR PROTEINS DURING SPERMATOGENESIS IN THE SALMON

By means of qualitative staining experiments the characteristic protein changes which occur during maturation of salmon sperm can be followed. It can be observed that the replacement of histone by protamine takes place after completion of meiosis during an advanced stage of spermiogenesis.     

THE LOCALIZATION OF MYOFIBRILLAR ATPASE ACTIVITY IN THE FLIGHT MUSCLES OF THE BLOWFLY, CALLIPHORA ERYTHROCEPHALA

The distribution of ATPase activity in the asynchronous flight muscles of Calliphora erythrocephala (Diptera) was studied at a fine structural level, using preparations of teased fibers, both unfixed and after brief fixation in hydroxyadipaldehyde, incubated in a medium for the histochemical demonstration of myosin or actomyosin ATPase. In relaxed fibrils, activity was found confined to the A bands and was absent from the H zones as well as from the Z and I band regions. At high magnification, deposits of final product, lead phosphate, appeared primarily related to the thick filaments, or to short lateral extensions from them. Evidence was gathered which indicated that this enzyme activity was that of a triphosphatase which did not act on dinucleoside or non-nucleoside substrates.     

光质与人参淀粉酶活性、总糖和淀粉含量的关系

研究了生长在同等透光率六种滤光膜覆盖下的人参淀粉酶活性、总糖和淀粉含量的季节性变化。人参叶片的淀粉酶活性、总糖和淀粉含量明显低于根部,叶片酶活性的高峰在红果期,糖和淀份含量在成熟期最高;根部与叶片相反,酶活性高峰在成熟期,糖和淀粉含量在红果期最高。红光、红蓝和红蓝绿复合光下人参的淀粉酶活性,总糖和淀粉含量均较高,单质蓝光和绿光下偏低。红光对糖分的合成与积累有明显促进作用,但有红光参与的复合光更有利于人参的生长。     

肌细胞分化基因与大鼠肝再生的相关性分析

肌细胞是组织器官的重要组成部分。为在基因转录水平了解肌细胞分化相关基因在大鼠肝再生中的作用,本文用搜集网站资料和查阅相关论文等方法获得上述基因．用Rat Genome2302．0芯片检测它们在大鼠肝再生（liver regeneration,LR）中表达情况,用比较真、假手术基因表达的差异性方法确定肝再生相关基因。初步证实上述基因中52个基因与肝再生相关。根据肝再生中基因表达的时间相关性将上述基因聚合为0．5-1h;2—12h;16、30、42、96h;18—24、36、48—60h;66—72、120-168h等5类,表达上调和下调的基因数分别为8和10,24和8,21和24,53和64,28和36。它们表达的相似性分为均上调、上调占优势、均下调、下调占优势、上调和下调次数相近等5类,涉及15、10、17、7和3个基因,共上调表达143次、下调136次,分为8类表达方式。表明肌细胞分化相关基因表达变化多样和复杂。根据上述结果推测,肝再生中成肌细胞和平滑肌细胞分化增强：骨骼肌和心肌细胞分化相关基因参与肝再生的生理生化活动。     

人脑θ电活动涨落的空间分化现象

研究了15名正常人四个头区(Fz,Cz,O1-P3-T5(LA)及O2-P4-T6(RA))不同频率脑电活动(.1-46Hz)的涨落相关关系.发现在安静及心算条件下,5Hz左右的θ活动的涨落具有特殊的空间分化现象;在Fz与Cz间及LA与RA间θ涨落相关系数明显低于其它频率活动;在Fz与RA间及Cz与LA间θ涨落相关系数仍显著偏低,但在Fz与LA间及Cz与RA间θ涨落相关系数却较高.此种出人意料的现象提示海马与皮层间存在着复杂有序的功能关系.     

几种植物组织及其原生质体过氧化物酶同工酶的比较研究

对马尾松幼苗子叶和胚轴、甘蔗、小麦、烟草、黄花菜等幼叶及其原生质体的过氧化物酶同工酶(POI)分别作比较研究。观察到凡经纤维素酶处理的各植物组织POI酶带数均多于未经纤维素酶处理的组织的酶带数;除个别例外,后者一般又比无壁原生质体的酶带数多。此种差异随植株生长年龄而增大,表明植物组织内大部分POI主要存于质外体中。     

柳叶烟草愈伤组织分化期间抗氰呼吸的改变

继代培养的柳叶烟草愈伤组织有明显的抗氰呼吸。交替途径的相对贡献约占总呼吸的29—38%;但仍以细胞色素途径为主,约占总呼吸的44—51%。接种在分化培养基上的愈伤组织在发生组织分化和芽原基形成期间,交替途径运行量占总呼吸的41—47%,承担呼吸电子传递的主要部分;而细胞色素途径只占总呼吸的29—32%。交替途径运行程度的增高可能与烟草愈伤组织的分化有一定相关性。     

EFFECTS OF NEUROMUSCULAR BLOCKING AGENTS ON THE DIFFERENTIATION OF NERVE-MUSCLE CONNECTIONS IN SLOW AND FAST CHICK MUSCLES

The effects of neuromuscular blocking drugs on the development of slow and fast muscle fibres and their neuromuscular junctions was studied in chick embryos.
Treatment of embryos with the depolarizing neuromuscular blocking agent suxamethonium affected the development of muscle fibres of the slow anterior latissimus dorsi (ALD) muscle more than that of muscle fibres of the posterior latissimus dorsi (PLD). The differentiation of the presynaptic elements of the neuromuscular junction was delayed and this was particularly obvious in PLD. Normally the number of axon profiles at individual endplates is reduced by 18 days of incubation, but in suxamethonium treated embryos this reduction took place only at 21 days. During earlier stages of development the axon profiles from treated embryos were small with sparse synaptic vesicles. Nevertheless the subsynaptic site of endplates on ALD and PLD muscle fibres became specialized earlier than normal and to a greater extent. Treatment with hemicholinium (HC-3), a drug that reduces the synthesis of acetylcholine (ACh) in nerve terminals affected the development of PLD muscle fibres more than ALD muscle fibres. Although in HC-3 treated embryos nerve-muscle contacts were formed, the axon terminals look immature and remain small even in 18-day old embryos at both ALD and PLD muscle fibres. The reduction of the number of axon profiles normally seen at 18 days failed to take place in treated embryos. At 18 days of incubation many endplates on PLD muscle fibres showed little sign of postsynaptic specilization and resembled endplates usually seen at this stage on ALD muscle fibres.
It is concluded that while neuromuscular activity may be important for the reduction of the number of axon profiles at individual endplates, the specialization of the subsynaptic membrane is brought about by depolarizing effect of ACh.