Production of indole alkaloids by gel-entrapped cells of Catharanthus roseus in a continuous flow reactor

Summary Calcium alginate gel-entrapped cells ofCatharanthus roseus were used to study the production of indole alkaloids in a flow through process. The bioreactor was functional for more than two months and product recovery was analyzed under various operating conditions.     

Laryngeal papillomas: local cellular immune response,keratinization and viral antigen

Virchows Archiv B Cell Pathology - Various parameters of the local cellular response have been studied in 16 laryngeal papillomas from ten patients with recurrent papillomas as well as normal...     

Über das Axialorgan („mysterious gland“) vonAsterias rubens L.

Zusammenfassung Das Axialorgan vonAsterias rubens und sein Terminalfortsatz im Dorsalsack wurden licht- und elektronenmikroskopisch untersucht.Die Hämalkanäle des Axialorgans bilden ein labyrinthartiges Konvolut, das in den Axialsinus hineinragt. Die Wandung der Kanäle besteht aus einer Basalmembran, deren Außenfläche von Coelomzellen (Deckzellen, Epizyten) und Muskelzellen überzogen wird. Beide Zellarten enthalten zahlreiche Einschlüsse verschiedener Form und Struktur. Die Deckzellen breiten sich mit vielen zarten Fortsätzen auf der Oberfläche des Organs zu einem zytoplasmatischen Gitterwerk aus, das morphologisch an den Zellüberzug der Glomeruluskapillaren der Vertebratenniere erinnert. Sowohl die Deckzellen als auch die von ihnen teilweise umschlossenen Muskelzellen besitzen Geißeln, die sich in das Lumen des Axialsinus erheben. Auch die Muskelzellen sind mit Ausläufern versehen. Ein Teil dieser Fortsätze enthält Bündel von dicken und dünnen Myofilamenten. Wahrscheinlich handelt es sich um Muskelzellen vom Paramyosintypus.Die Basalmembran wird hie und da durch lockere Bündel von Kollagenfasern mit periodischer Gliederung ihrer Fibrillen bzw. Filamente verstärkt. Diese Bündel sind in die aufgelockerte Innenschicht der Basalmembran eingelagert.Die Hämalkanäle werden nicht von einer endothelartigen Zellschicht ausgekleidet, verhalten sich also ebenso wie die Blutgefäße der Anneliden. Der Innenfläche der Basalmembran schmiegen sich gelegentlich große freie, an Einschlüssen reiche Zellen vom Typ der Coelomozyten an bzw. diese Zellen lösen sich von ihr ab. Das Lumen der Hämalkanäle ist vielfach von freien Zellen ausgefüllt.Die Wandung der Gefäße des Terminalfortsatzes besitzt grundsätzlich den gleichen Aufbau wie die der Hämalkanäle im Axialorgan. Im Gegensatz zu diesen enthält sie jedoch viele nackte Axone, die unter und zwischen den Deckzellen und Muskelzellen verlaufen und mit letzteren engen Kontakt aufnehmen. Regelrechte Synapsen wurden jedoch nicht festgestellt. In den Axonen und ihren Endigungen finden sich Vesikel und massendichte Granula, unter ihnen solche, die von einer Membran umschlossen werden und damit an neurosekretorische Elementargranula erinnern.Die mitgeteilten Befunde stehen mit älteren Lebendbeobachtungen in Einklang, wonach das Axialorgan und sein Terminalfortsatz pulsatorische Bewegungen nach Art eines Herzens ausführten. Die strukturelleÄhnlichkeit des Axialorgans, in demRemane (1959) ein Homologen des Glomerulus von Hemichordaten erblickt, mit den Glomeruli der Vertebratenniere läßt darüber hinaus an eine exkretorische Funktion denken. Auf eine vergleichbare Analogie zwischen der sog. Endblase im Maxillarorgan von Crustaceen und den Nierenglomeruli der Wirbeltiere (Tyson, 1968) wird hingewiesen.

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The axial organ of the starfish, Asterias rubens L.

Summary The axial organ and its terminal process (head piece) in the dorsal sac ofAsterias rubens were investigated with the light-and the electronmicroscope.The hemal channels of the axial organ form a labyrinthine system (spongy body) which is situated within the axial sinus. The walls of the channels consist of a basement membrane, the outer surface of which is covered by coelomic epithelial elements (epicytes) and muscle cells. Either cell type contains numerous inclusions of different shape and structure (phagocytosis, lysosomes). The epicytes spread with many delicate processes on the surface of the organ, thus moulding a cytoplasmic meshwork which is similar to the visceral layer of the glomerular capillaries of the vertebrate kidney. The muscle cells which are also provided with cytoplasmic processes, part of which contains bundles of thick and thin filaments (presumably constituting fibres of the paramyosin-type), are to some extent enclosed by the covering cells. Eithercell type bears cilia projecting into the lumen of the axial sinus.The basement membrane contains occasionally bundles of collagen fibres showing a periodical structure of their individual fibrils. These bundles are embedded in the loose interior layer of the basement membrane.The hemal channels are not lined by an endothelial cellular layer, resembling in this respect the vessels of the annelides, Occasionally, big free coelomocytes rich of inclusion bodies, cling to the inner surface of the basement membrane or become detached of it. The lumen of the hemal channels is frequently crowded with free cells.The structure of the vascular wall in the terminal process is principally the same as in the axial organ proper. In contrast to this it contains, however, many naked axons which run under or between the epicytes and muscle cells and which come into close contact with the latter. Typical synapses, however, have not been detected. Inside the axons and their terminals, vesicles and electron dense granules are to be found. The dense granules are often surrounded by a distinct membrane, thus bearing a close similarity to neurosecretory elementary granules.Our findings are in accordance with older in vivo observations after which the axial organ and its terminal process undergo contractions comparable to the pulsations of a heart. In addition to this, the structural similarity of the axial organ with the glomeruli of the vertebrate kidney suggests an excretory function. As already pointed out byRemane (1959) the axial organ of the Echinoderms might be the homologue to the glomerulus of Hemichordata. A comparable analogy between the terminal sac in the maxillary gland of the crustacea and the glomeruli of the vertebrate kidney (Tyson, 1968) is referred to.

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Die Untersuchungen wurden mit dankenswerter Unterstützung durch die Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft durchgeführt.     

Different Hoechst 33342 and DAPI fluorescence of the human Y chromosome in bivariate flow karyotypes

Summary The staining properties of AT-specific dyes Hoechst 33342 and DAPI as revealed by Hoechst 33342/mithramycin and mithramycin/DAPI bivariate human flow karyotype patterns are different for chromosomes rich in heterochromatin. The peak corresponding to chromosome Y of a given cell line is higher on the A/T axis with mithramycin/DAPI staining than with mithramycin/Hoechst. The chromosome 1 was found slightly more fluorescent in mithramycin/DAPI than in mithramycin/Hoechst as judged by the slight displacement of its area on the Hoechst-DAPI axis. The other peaks did not show major differences. On the same flow karyotypes, chromosomal rearrangements were detected.     

A revision of coregonine fish distribution and abundance in eastern James-Hudson Bay

Synopsis Recent sampling programs conducted in the estuaries of the Eastmain and La Grande rivers (James Bay) and the Great Whale, Little Whale, Innuksuac and Povungnituk rivers (Hudson Bay) revealed patterns of coregonine fish distribution that differ from previous observations. The relative abundance of cisco, Coregonus artedii, and lake whitefish, C. clupeaformis, varied among rivers but did not reveal a latitudinal cline. Previous sampling programs underestimated the abundance of cisco in the Little Whale River. In addition, cisco was the third most abundant species captured in the Povungnituk River, situated 200 km to the north of the previously proposed northern limit at Innuksuac River. As such, the low abundances of cisco in the Great Whale and Innuksuac rivers cannot be attributed to a physiological inability to cope with a reduced growing season. Immature cisco were almost totally absent from the estuaries of the Hudson Bay rivers following spring breakup whereas immature lake whitefish made up 100% of the catch in the Innuksuac River at the same time of year. Species-specific migration patterns in Hudson Bay that differ from those observed in James Bay and the existence of unique juvenile overwintering rivers are 2 hypotheses proposed to explain the discontinuous age-class distribution of cisco and lake whitefish observed in Hudson Bay.Contribution to the program of GIROQ (Groupe Interuniversitaire de Recherche Océanographique du Québec).