Some facts concerning the nature and formation of axial core structures in spermatids of Gryllus domesticus

Examination of living spermatid nuclei of Gryllus domesticus has revealed the presence of the same structures, the X chromosome, the round body and the axial core structures, which have been described from electron microscopic observations. The outer ribbons of the axial core structures and the round body are composed of 100 Å fibres indiscernible from and often continuous with the fibres composing the X chromosome. That the outer ribbons of the axial core structures and the round body are chromosomal is further substantiated by the results of cytochemical examinations of formaldehyde fixed material which show that the axial core structures and the round body contain RNA, DNA and basic protein. Neither acetic acid-ethanol nor cold ethanol fixation preserve the round body and the axial core structures suggesting that a protein may be responsible for maintenance of the central core structure. The central core structures are always found in close association with condensed chromatin in regions where the chromosome elements are about 1000 Å apart, suggesting that the relative state of condensation of the chromatin and the spacial relationship between condensed regions may be two of the chief factors concerned in central core formation. Maintainance of the condensed state of the chromatin, however, may in turn depend upon central core integrity.Herrn Prof. J. Seiler zu seinem 80. Geburtstag gewidmet.     

Bildung Zusätzlicher DNS nach Blockierung der Zellteilung von Tetrahymena durch Actinomycin

Summary The effect of 0,4 g of actinomycin per ml medium on DNA synthesis in synchronous cultures of Tetrahymena pyriformis strain HSM was studied. Synchronous cultures were obtained by selecting cells from a stock culture which were all in the same division phase In this concentration actinomycin inhibits cell division but permits the normal doubling of DNA and furthermore another period of macronuclear DNA synthesis. In this additional DNA production phase the rate and the synchrony of DNA synthesis is reduced as revealed by autoradiography. The production of additional DNA was demonstrated by photometric determination of Feulgen stainable material. These findings indicate that the onset of DNA synthesis is independent of a preceding cell division, of a preceding nuclear division, of the average amount of DNA present, and of the main portion of RNA synthesis.

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Herrn Professor Dr. R. Danneel zu seinem 65. Geburtstag.

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Unterstützt durch Sachbeihilfen der Deutschen Forschungsgemeinschaft.     

Der Einfluß des Zeugungsalters auf die Mutationen zu Hämophilie A

Assuming that in sibships with sporadic hemophilia the mothers of the patients are already carriers the relationship between the age of the mother's father at birth of the mother and frequency of hemophilia among his grandsons was examined.The ages of the mother's father at birth of the mother of 40 patients with sporadic hemophilia A was compared with that of a control-group as well as with the ages of the mother's fathers at birth of the mothers of patients from families where hemophilia A is inherited. The mean age of these grandfathers was found to be increased. Using the Mann-Whitney-U-test for comparing the ages of grandfathers of sporadic cases with the control-group there is to be found P=.0025, which is highly significant statistically. Comparing data from sibships with sporadic hemophilia with data from sibships where hemophilia is inherited there is no significant difference — perhaps according to the small number of inherited cases (19, P=0.065) —, but the deviation is in the same direction. Comparison of data both from the inherited cases and the control-group with data of sporadic cases gives P=.0087.There is perhaps a connection between parental age and number of children, but it is shown to have no important influence in our material. On the other hand fathers with a higher number of children are significant more frequent among the grandfathers than among the controls. This difference cannot be explained sufficiently. Between cases of sporadic and inherited hemophilia there is no clear cut difference.Certainly there exists a relationship between parental age and birth-rank. Therefore the mothers of sporadic cases — unlike to carriers of sibships with inherited hemophilia — take clearly higher ranks in birth-order than it is theoretically to be expected. Penrose published a method of separating the relative aetiological effects of birth-order and parental age. Using this method an influence of birth-order cannot be found after excluding the influence of parental age. Hence, paternal age seems to be the determining factor.It is discussed which model of mutation the hemophilia-mutation belongs to because of this relationship. We would count it to No. 2 of the classification given by Vogel where mutations are due to copy errors. So cases of sporadic hemophilia seem equal to those of sporadic achondroplasia.

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Diese Arbeit wurde der Medizinischen Fakultät der Universität Hamburg als Inaugural-dissertation vorgelegt.

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Herrn Prof. Dr. F. Vogel danke ich für wertvolle Hinweise, insbesondere zur statistischen Methodik.     

Über das Fehlen einer Beziehung zwischen dem Kaffeegenuß der Eltern und dem Geschlechtsverhältnis unter ihren Kindern

Ohne ZusammenfassungTeile dieser Arbeit wurden von Fräulein M. Kurth im Rahmen ihrer medizinischen Doktordissertation erarbeitet.Die Untersuchungen der Verfasser zum Mutationsproblem werden durch die Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft gefördert.     

Enzymhistochemische Untersuchungen an der Harderschen Drüse des Kaninchens

Zusammenfassung In der Harderschen Drüse von Kaninchen wurden mit der Tetrazoliumtechnik die Enzyme NADH-Tetrazoliumreduktase (NADH-T-Red), NADPH-Tetrazoliumreduktase (NADPH-T-Red), NAD-spezifische Isocitrat-Dehydrogenase (NAD-IDH), Succinat-Dehydrogenase (SDH), NAD-spezifische Malat-Dehydrogenase (NAD-MDH), Laktat-Dehydrogenase (LDH), Glucose-6-phosphat-Dehydrogenase (G-6-PDH),-Glycerophosphat-Dehydrogenase (GPDH) und-Hydroxybuttersäure-Dehydrogenase (HBDH) histochemisch nachgewiesen und ihr Verteilungsbild in den beiden Drüsenlappen studiert. Darüber hinaus wurden histochemische Reaktionen auf folgende Enzyme durchgeführt: Cytochromoxydase (nachBurston), Leucinaminopeptidase (nachNachlas,Crawford undSeligman), alkalische Phosphatase (nachGomori), ATPase (nachPadykula undHerman). Fette wurden mit Scharlachrot und Sudan Schwarz B gefärbt. Die histochemisch faßbare Aktivitätsverteilung der Enzyme geht aus der Tabelle 1 hervor. Die Befunde werden diskutiert.

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Summary A study was conducted to investigate the distribution pattern of various enzymes in both lobes of the Harder gland in rabbits by means of the tetrazolium technique [NADH-tetrazoliumreductase (NADH-T-Red), NADPH-tetrazolium-reductase (NADPH-T-Red), NAD-specific isocitrate-dehydrogenase (NAD-IDH), succinate-dehydrogenase (SDH), NAD-specific malate-dehydrogenase (NAD-MDH), lactate-dehydrogenase (LDH), glucose-6-phosphate-dehydrogenase (G-6-PDH),-glycerophosphate-dehydrogenase (GPDH), and-hydroxy-butyrate-dehydrogenase (HBDH)]. In addition histochemical tests for the determination of cytochrome-oxidase (Burston), leucine-amino-peptidase (Nachlas,Crawford andSeligman), alkaline phosphatase (Gomori), and ATP-ase (Padykula andHerman) were carried out. Fets were stained with Scharlach-red and Sudan black B. The results of the histochemically determinable enzyme activities are listed in table 1. The findings are discussed.

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Mit dankenswerter Unterstützung durch die Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft.     

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