Effect of stream microhabitat characteristics on rate of net energy gain by juvenile smallmouth bass, Micropterus dolomieu

Synopsis We estimated the rate of energy consumed and expended by 43 juvenile smallmouth bass, Micropterus dolomieu, videotaped in the North Anna River during 1991. Habitat data were also collected in the areas where each individual was videotaped. The net rate of energy gained (J·min^–1) increased as water depths decreased and mean water-column velocities increased. This relationship remained statistically significant even when we assumed that consumption was as little as 40% of our original estimates, and that respiratory costs were three times higher than we suspected. The net rate of energy gained by juvenile smallmouth bass was only affected by the characteristics of the area that they searched and not the foraging tactics they employed.     

Effects of neuropeptide Y on rat body temperature in normal conditions and after ethanol administration]

It was shown that intracerebroventricular (icv) administration of 2 micrograms neuropeptide Y (NPY) increased the rectal temperature in rats 2.5 hours postinjection. During 5 days we analysed dynamics of the effect of NPY on alcohol-induced hypothermia in this particular interval. 2 micrograms of NPY were given daily 30 min prior to 25% solution of ethanol (3 g/kg weight rat) intraperitoneal injection. It was found that NPY can prevent the attenuation of alcohol hypothermia on the 3-d and 4-th injection day. It was supposed that the inhibitory effect of NPY on the development of alcohol tolerance may be due to the capacity of NPY to increase food behavior. So it's known that activation of other competitor motivation may inhibit the development of alcoholism.     

The plant homologue of MAP kinase is expressed in a cell cycle-dependent and organ-specific manner

In animals, MAP kinase plays a key role in growth factor-stimulated signalling and in mitosis. The isolation of a Medicago sativa cDNA clone MsK7 which shows 52% identity to animal MAP kinases is reported. The deduced protein sequence shows all the important structural features of MAP kinases and also contains the highly conserved Thr-183 and Tyr-185 residues. Northern analysis of synchronized alfalfa cells showed that the MsK7 kinase gene is expressed at low levels in G1 phase but at higher levels in S and G2 phases of the cell cycle. In the plant, only stems and roots were found to contain MAP kinase MsK7 mRNA. Southern and PCR analyses indicated that alfalfa contains at least four highly related MAP kinase genes.