Zymomonas mobilis mutants blocked in fructose utilization

Summary A mutant ofZymomonas mobilis deficient in the utilization of fructose for growth and ethanol formation was shown to lack fructokinase activity. When grown in media which contained glucose+fructose or sucrose, both the mutant and wild type produced sorbitol in amounts up to 60 g·l^-1, depending on the initial concentrations of sugars. Sorbitol formation was accompanied by an accumulation of acetaldehyde, gluconate, and acetoin. A ferricyanide-dependent sorbitol dehydrogenase could be localized in the cell membrane; it thus resembles the sorbitol dehydrogenase ofGluconobacter suboxydans. Neither a NAD(P)H dependent reduction of fructose nor a NAD(P) dependent dehydrogenation of sorbitol could be detected in cell-free extracts. The use of fructose-negative mutants ofZ. mobilis for the enrichment of fructose in glucose+fructose mixtures is discussed.     

Die Littorina-Arten: Kein Modell für die Entstehung der Landschnecken

Zusammenfassung Die europäischen Littorina-Arten verfügen über keinerlei Osmoregulation.Kleine Individuen (Arten) haben kleine Kiemen, die Kiemen wachsen positiv allometrisch.Die Fortpflanzung zeigt keine parallel dem spezifischen Habitat zunehmende Neigung zur direkten Entwicklung.Die Littorina-Arten stellen kein Modell für die Entwicklung der Landschnecken dar, sie zeigen lediglich typische Charaktere von Tieren der Gezeitenzone.

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The Littorina species of the European coasts: No model for the evolution of terrestrial gastropods

Summary The Littorina-species of the European coasts are completely isoosmotic with their environment.Small specimens (species) have very small gills; with increasing size the gills grow rapidly. The gills of different species of identical size show no difference. The reproduction does not trend towards direct development parallel to the habitat of the species.Therefore the Littorina species are no model for the evolution of terrestrial gastropods, their characteristics are merely those of intertidal animals.

     

Two substrate sites in the renal Na+-d-glucose cotransporter studied by model analysis of phlorizin binding and-d-glucose transport measurements

Summary Time courses of phlorizin binding to the outside of membrane vesicles from porcine renal outer cortex and outer medulla were measured and the obtained families of binding curves were fitted to different binding models. To fit the experimental data a model with two binding sites was required. Optimal fits were obtained if a ratio of low and high affinity phlorizin binding sites of 1:1 was assumed. Na⁺ increased the affinity of both binding sites. By an inside-negative membrane potential the affinity of the high affinity binding site (measured in the presence of 3 mM Na⁺) and of the low affinity binding site (measured in the presence of 3 or 90 mM Na⁺) was increased. Optimal fits were obtained when the rate constants of dissociation were not changed by the membrane potential. In the presence of 90 mM Na⁺ on both membrane sides and with a clamped membrane potential,K _D values of 0.4 and 7.9 M were calculated for the low and high affinity phlorizin binding sites which were observed in outer cortex and in outer medulla. Apparent low and high affinity transport sites were detected by measuring the substrate dependence ofd-glucose uptake in membrane vesicles from outer cortex and outer medulla which is stimulated by an initial gradient of 90 mM Na⁺(out>in). Low and high affinity transport could be fitted with identicalK _m values in outer cortex and outer medulla. An inside-negative membrane potential decreased the apparentK _m ofhigh affinity transport whereas the apparentK _m of low affinity transport was not changed. The data show that in outer cortex and outer medulla of pighigh and low affinity Na⁺-d-glucose cotransporters are present which containlow and high affinity phlorizin binding sites, respectively. It has to be elucidated from future experiments whether equal amounts of low and high affinity transporters are expressed in both kidney regions or whether the low and high affinity transporter are parts of the same glucose transport moleculc.     

Über die Einwirkung Hypotonischer Medien auf das Zwischenhirn-Hypophysensystem von Mugil und Gobius

Zusammenfassung Bei den Teleostiern Mugil und Gobius wurden die Veränderungen des Zwischenhirn-Hypophysensystems in veränderten Außenmedien (hypotonisches Seewasser) histologisch untersucht.Beim langsamen Überführen aus Seewasser von 38,4 S in Seewasser von 25,4 und 20,8 S nahm das Sekret nicht, wie erwartet, zu. Im Nucleus praeopticus und im Hinterlappen der Hypophyse erfolgt eine starke Verringerung des Sekretbestandes (Mugil). Erst in Seewasser von weit niedrigerem Salzgehalt (6,3 und 1, 4) nimmt das Sekret im Hypophysenhinterlappen wieder zu (Gobius). Bei 6 S ist eine intensive Sekretableitung im N.p. und Tractus praeopticohypophyseus zu beobachten. Eine Deutung der Ergebnisse wird versucht, indem das weitgehend konstante Innenmedium mit den wechselnden Außenfaktoren in Beziehung gebracht wird.Die Befunde weisen darauf hin, daß das Zwischenhirn-Hypophysensystem auch bei Teleostiern an der Regulation des Wasserhaushaltes beteiligt ist.Der Deutschen Forschungsgemeinschaft danke ich für die Gewährung eines Stipendiums, das mir den Aufenthalt in Neapel ermöglichte. Mein besonderer Dank gilt auch den Herren Prof. Dr. Remane, Prof. Dr. Bargmann und Dozent Dr. Schiebler für ihre Unterstützung.