Effects of culture density on the kinetics of germ tube formation in Candida albicans

The relationship between culture density or phase of growth at 24.5 degrees C and the ability of Candida albicans to form germ tubes when shifted to 37 degrees C was investigated. Evidence is presented demonstrating germ tube production from liquid synthetic medium cultures at all phases of growth. Previous studies reported that only cells from stationary phase cultures were competent to form germ tubes. Comparisons between exponential and stationary phase cultures indicate more rapid and more synchronous germ tube production from cells growing in the exponential phase.     

An evaluation of four methods for measuring cholesterol absorption by the intestine in man

Critical comparisons have been made in 12 patients of four methods for measuring cholesterol absorption from the intestine. Methods I-III depend on the use of labeled cholesterol (intravenously or continuous labeling orally) in conjunction with sterol balance measurements; Method IV can be carried out with only a single test dose containing labeled cholesterol plus labeled beta-sitosterol. In the latter technique absorption is calculated as the loss of cholesterol relative to beta-sitosterol during intestinal transit. Method III (isotopic steady-state method) proved to be undependable because of uncertainties in determining the existence of an isotopic steady state. However, Method IV gave good agreement with Methods I and II, and it appears to have certain practical as well as theoretical advantages. Although Method IV requires collections of stools for up to 8 days, it is nevertheless the most rapid and the simplest of all the methods for estimating absorption. It can also be used in certain situations, such as in fur-licking animals, when Methods I and II are inadequate. Therefore, this method would seem to be a valuable addition to other isotopic techniques for estimating cholesterol absorption in man.     

Effects of dietary cholesterol on the regulation of total body cholesterol in man

Studies on the interaction of cholesterol absorption, synthesis, and excretion were carried out in eight patients using sterol balance techniques. Absorption of dietary cholesterol was found to increase with intake; up to 1 g of cholesterol was absorbed in patients fed as much as 3 g per day. In most patients, increased absorption of cholesterol evoked two compensatory mechanisms: (a) increased reexcretion of cholesterol (but not of bile acids), and (b) decrease in total body synthesis. However, the amount of suppression in synthesis was extremely variable from one patient to another; one patient had no decrease in synthesis despite a large increment in absorption of dietary cholesterol, and two patients showed a complete suppression of synthesis. In the majority of cases the accumulation of cholesterol in body pools was small because of adequate compensation by reexcretion plus reduced synthesis, but in a few patients large accumulations occurred on high cholesterol diets when absorption exceeded the compensatory mechanisms. These accumulations were not necessarily reflected in plasma cholesterol levels; these increased only slightly or not at all.     

Polyamine als Stimulatoren von Genaktivitäten Eine autoradiographische Studie an Riesenchromosomen von Chironomus thummi

Zusammenfassung Inaktive Riesenchromosomen der Speicheldrüsen ausgewachsener Chironomus thummi-Larven zeigten nach 60 min Inkubation mit 0,05 N Putrescin-, Spermidin-oder Spermin-Lösung erneute Syntheseaktivitäten, die sich im Einbau von radioaktiv markiertem Uridin autoradiographisch zu erkennen geben. Diese Beobachtung wird im Zusammenhang mit der bekannten genaktivierenden Wirkung von Mg⁺⁺ diskutiert. Auf der Basis zahlreicher biochemisch analoger Wirkungen von Polyaminen und Mg⁺⁺ wird ein ursprünglich für die genaktivierende Wirkung von Mg⁺⁺ postuliertes Modell auf Polyamine übertragen.

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Stimulation of gene activities by polyamines an autoradiographic study with giant chromosomes of Chironomus thummi

Summary Inactive salivary gland giant chromosomes of full grown Chironomus thummi larvae showed after 60 min of incubation in 0.05 N putrescine, spermidine or spermine solutions autoradiographically demonstrable incorporation of radioactiv labelled uridine caused by a reactivation of RNA synthesis. This observations is discussed in relation to the known gene activating effect of Mg⁺⁺, and, since polyamines and Mg⁺⁺ have numerous effects in common, it is suggested that polyamines affect gene activity in a way similar to Mg⁺⁺.

     

Die Rolle der Fimbrien bei der eigenartigen Sternbildung von Agrobacterium luteum

Zusammenfassung Die bemerkenswerte Sternbildung von Agrobacterium luteum Stamm A61 (Moll et al., 1967; Ahrens, 1968) ist auf polare Fimbrien zurückzuführen, die um die Sternaggregate ausgebreitet sind. Es wird angenommen, daß sich Schwärmzellen an den Fimbrien verfangen und durch Kontraktion rasch zum Stern gezogen werden. Nach elektronenoptischen Präparaten sind die Fimbrien bis zu 10,5 lang und können die beobachtete Sternbildung gut erklären. Agrobacterium luteum Stamm B14 besitzt ebenfalls lange polare Fimbrien. Beide Stämme tragen peritriche Geißeln, deren Struktur sich deutlich von den dünnen und unregelmäßigen Fimbrien unterscheidet.

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The function of fimbriae in the peculiar star formation of Agrobacterium luteum

Summary The remarkable way of star formation in Agrobacterium luteum strain A61 (Moll et al., 1967; Ahrens, 1968) was found to be due to polar fimbriae which are spread around the star-shaped aggregates. It is assumed that swarmers adhere to the fimbriae and, by contraction, are swiftly pulled towards the star. As seen in electron microscopic preparations, the fimbriae are up to 10,5 long and may well explain the star formation observed. Agrobacterium luteum strain B 14 also possesses long polar fimbriae. Both strains have peritrichous flagella, the structure of which being clearly distinct from the delicate and irregular fimbriae.

     

Dietary beta-sitosterol as an internal standard to correct for cholesterol losses in sterol balance studies

In the course of carrying out sterol balance studies in 19 patients, we gathered the following evidence that, in some but not all patients, considerable amounts of neutral sterols are "lost" during their passage through the intestinal tract. (a) Since plant sterols are largely nonabsorbable in man, they should be totally recovered in the feces; yet in many patients significantly less plant sterol than expected was recovered, the loss amounting to as much as 56% of daily intake. (b) In two patients in whom cholesterol-(14)C and beta-sitosterol-(3)H were instilled into the terminal ileum, from which neither sterol is absorbed, the feces contained 25% less of each isotope than was instilled. (c) In four patients fed radioactive cholesterol daily until the isotopic steady state was closely approximated, 28-50% of the isotope could not be accounted for. On the other hand, in five patients fed radioactive bile acids until the isotopic steady state was approximated, input equalled output as predicted. Since the amount of -sitosterol absorbed in man is limited (5% or less), this sterol can be used as an internal standard for upward correction of the figure obtained for the amount of neutral steroids excreted. The use of beta-sitosterol for this purpose is based on three considerations: (a) it passes through the intestine in the same physicochemical state as cholesterol; (b) it accompanies cholesterol at every step of its isolation and chromatographic measurement; and (c) it is lost to the same extent as cholesterol. Excretion data for fecal neutral steroids can therefore be corrected for irregular fecal flow as well as for the "unexpected loss" referred to. This loss seems to be due not to errors in stool collection or to technical errors, but to intestinal bacterial degradation of neutral 3beta-OH,Delta(5)-sterols to products not recognized as steroids in the analytical methods used.     

Zur Regulation der NAD-abhängigen Hydrogenase-Aktivität

Zusammenfassung Ruhende Zellen von Hydrogenomonas H 16 enthalten je Gramm Trockengewicht 0,7 mg ATP und 0,9 mg NAD. Bei der Fixierung von Kohlendioxyd und der Synthese des Speicherstoffs Poly--hydroxybuttersäure sinkt die intracelluläre ATP-Konzentration um 30% und das Redoxverhältnis NADH₂/NAD von 1,4 auf 0,46. Die NAD-abhängige Hydrogenase enthält NAD als Coenzym relativ fest gebunden. In Gegenwart von Wasserstoff wird dieses zu NADH₂ reduziert und das Enzym in eine aktive, reaktionsfähige Form umgewandelt. Die Geschwindigkeit der NAD-Reduktion ist infolge einer allosterischen Hemmung der NAD-abhängigen Hydrogenase durch ihr Reaktionsprodukt NADH₂ von dem Redoxverhältnis NADH₂/NAD abhängig. Hierdurch erhält das Enzym eine regulatorische Funktion für den von Folgereaktionen abhängigen Wasserstofftransport.

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Summary Resting cells of Hydrogenomonas strain H 16 contain 0.7 mg ATP and 0.9 mg NAD/g dry weight. During the fixation of carbon dioxide and the synthesis of the storage product poly--hydroxybutyric acid, the intracellular concentration of ATP decreases by 30% and the redox-ratio (NADH₂/NAD) decreases from 1.4 to 0.46.In the NAD-dependent hydrogenase the coenzyme NAD is bound to the enzyme. In the presence of hydrogen NAD is reduced to NADH₂ and the enzyme is converted to a reactive state. The velocity of NAD-reduction is related to the concentration of NADH₂ and the redox-ratio NADH₂/NAD. This allosteric inhibition of the NAD-dependent hydrogenase by its reaction product NADH₂ is responsible for the control of hydrogen transport exerted by consecutive hydrogen requiring reactions.

     

中国东北地区常见有瓣蝇类调查初步报告

与人类杂处的蝇类,在我国东北地区的分布情况尚少系统调查。作者于1956年5月、8月曾赴内蒙东北部(伊图里河、图里河),6月、7月赴营口、盘山(田庄台),借这些机会,顺便采集了蝇类标本;同年9月组内同志去绥中也采回部分标本;1957年5月至10月作者又赴吉林、辽宁两省各地进行了蝇类调查。其中有瓣蝇类已经定名的共计5科26属68种,有6种为国内新记录。兹将结果报告如下:     

我国赫坎按蚊群内中华按蚊不同类型的研究——Ⅳ.幼虫形态的比较

对于赫坎按蚊群内(Anopheles(A.)hyrcanus group.)用四龄幼虫的形态来区别不同种型,在国外曾有若干报导,如马来亚(Reid,1953;1963)、日本(Otsuru and Ohmori,1960)、菲律宾(Baisas et al.,1936等)及印澳(Bonne-Wepsrer and Swellengrebel,1953)等,但在国内对这方面的研究很少。1938年林樑城和姚永政对于南京地区中华按蚊(统称)幼     

酪氨酸对人离体滋养层细胞孕酮与hCG分泌的影响

本文观察三种剂量(2×10~(-5)mol/L,2×10~(-4)mol/L和2×10~(-3)mol/L)的酪氮酸对离体培养的滋养层细胞孕酮及hCG分泌的影响,并对其抑制效应的机理作了初步探讨。实验结果表明,三种剂量的酪氨酸均可抑制滋养层细胞孕酮分泌(P<0.01),但是,在孕酮分泌受酪氨酸抑制的同时,未见对hCG分泌发生影响(P>0.05),进一步观察了酪氨酸对滋养层细胞3β-羟甾脱氢酶活性的影响,结果表明,酪氨酸能显著抑制3β-羟甾脱氢酶活性,提示酪氨酸对滋养层细胞孕酮生成的抑制作用与抑制3β-羟甾脱氢酶活性有关。