CORRESPONDENCE BETWEEN PHYLOGENY AND MORPHOLOGY OF SNOWELLA SPP. AND WORONICHINIA NAEGELIANA,CYANOBACTERIA COMMONLY OCCURRING IN LAKES1

In this study, the first reported isolates of the genera Snowella and Woronichinia were characterized by 16S rRNA gene sequencing and morphological analysis. Phylogenetic studies and sequences for these genera were not available previously. By botanical criteria, the five isolated strains were identified as Snowella litoralis (Häyrén) Komárek et Hindák Snowella rosea (Snow) Elenkin and Woronichinia naegeliana (Unger) Elenkin. This study underlines the identification of freshly isolated cultures, since the Snowella strains lost the colony structure and were not identifiable after extended laboratory cultivation. In the 16S rRNA gene analysis, the Snowella strains formed a monophyletic cluster, which was most closely related to the Woronichinia strain. Thus, our results show that the morphology of the genera Snowella and Woronichinia was in congruence with their phylogeny, and their phylogeny seems to support the traditional botanical classification of these genera. Furthermore, the genera Snowella and Woronichinia occurred commonly and might occasionally be the most abundant cyanobacterial taxa in mainly oligotrophic and mesotrophic Finnish lakes. Woronichinia occurred frequently and also formed blooms in eutrophic Czech reservoirs.     

Ruddy turnstones Arenaria interpres rapidly build pectoral muscle after raptor scares

To cope with changes in the environment, organisms not only show behavioural but also phenotypic adjustments. This is well established for the digestive tract. Here we present a first case of birds adjusting their flight machinery in response to predation risk. In an indoor experiment, ruddy turnstones Arenaria interpres were subjected to an unpredictable daily appearance of either a raptor or a small gull (as a control). Ruddy turnstones experiencing threat induced by a flying raptor model, longer than after similar passage by the gull model, refrained from feeding after this disturbance. Pectoral muscle mass, but not lean mass, responded in a course of a few days to changes in the perceived threat of predation. Pectoral muscle mass increased after raptor scares. Taking the small increases in body mass into account, pectoral muscle mass was 3.6% higher than aerodynamically predicted for constant flight performance. This demonstrates that perceived risk factors may directly affect organ size.     

Methods of tracing hydrogen in polyketide biosynthesis: High field NMR spectroscopy of citrinin produced in a D2O based medium

Penicillium citrinum cultures have been germinated on an H₂O-based medium, resuspended on a D₂O-based medium and treated with [l,2-¹³C₂] acetate. The resulting citrinin (1) has been analysed by²H and¹³C nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and information about the metabolism of hydrogen in citrinin biosynthesis has been deduced.     

Calcium Dependence of Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide-Stimulated Cyclic AMP Accumulation in Rat Hippocampal Slices

Previous work has shown that incubation of hippocampal slices in medium without added calcium markedly attenuates the capacity of vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) to elevate cyclic AMP levels. The present studies examined the mechanism that confers calcium dependence on VIP stimulation of cyclic AMP accumulation in hippocampal slices. Calcium dependence was apparent immediately on slice preparation and was reversible only if calcium ions were added back very early during slice incubation (within 5 min). The cyclic AMP response to VIP was not abolished by preincubating slices in 100 microM adenosine, suggesting that calcium-dependent, VIP-induced release of adenosine does not mediate VIP elevation of cyclic AMP. VIP-stimulated cyclic AMP accumulation was not decreased by agents that block calcium influx (verapamil, nifedipine, magnesium ions), or by calmodulin antagonists (trifluoperazine, calmidozolium). In fact both verapamil (100 microM) and magnesium (14 mM) augmented VIP stimulation of cyclic AMP generation. Incubation of slices with the phosphodiesterase inhibitor 1-methyl-3-isobutylxanthine (MIX) did not affect VIP activation of cyclic AMP accumulation if slices were incubated without added calcium, but MIX did enhance VIP elevation of cyclic AMP content in slices incubated with calcium. Thus calcium dependence of the cyclic AMP response to VIP in hippocampal slices is unlikely to result from VIP-dependent calcium influx, from interactions with calmodulin, or from calcium-inhibited phosphodiesterase(s).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Behavioral responses of red hake,Urophycis chuss,to decreasing concentrations of dissolved oxygen

Synopsis Laboratory experiments were conducted to examine changes in behavior of red hake,Urophycis chuss, under decreasing concentrations of dissolved oxygen (DO). Since the ecological requirements of this species change with age, responses were measured for three different groups: (1) age 0+, = 89 mm total length (TL); (2) age 1+, = 238 mm TL; and (3) age 2–3+, = 397 mm TL. As DO decreased from 8–10 mg l^-1 to < 0.5 mg l^-1, changes were evident in active time, water column activity, range of horizontal movement, food searching, and agonistic behavior. Age 0+ fish were most sensitive, moving up into the water column and swimming continuously as DO levels fell below 4.2 mg l^-1. Age 2–3+ fish were the least responsive, remaining on the substrate and increasing only their range of movement at concentrations below 3 mg l^-1. Responses of age 1 + fish were variable, possibly reflecting a transition stage between the younger and older fish. Common to all groups was the decrease and eventual cessation of food searching.     

Microtubule assembly kinetics. Changes with solution conditions.

The assembly kinetics of microtubule protein are altered by ionic strength, temperature and Mg2+, but not by pH. High ionic strength (I0.2), low temperature (T less than 30 degrees C) and elevated Mg2+ (greater than or equal to 1.2 mM) induce a transition from biphasic to monophasic kinetics. Comparison of the activation energy obtained for the fast biphasic step at low ionic strength (I0.069) shows excellent agreement with the values obtained at high ionic strength, low temperature and elevated Mg2+. From this observation it can be implied that the tubulin-containing reactant of the fast biphasic event is also the species that elongates microtubules during monophasic assembly. Second-order rate constants for biphasic assembly are 3.82(+/- 0.72) x 10(7) M-1.s-1 and 5.19(+/- 1.25) x 10(6) M-1.s-1, and for monophasic assembly the rate constant is 2.12(+/- 0.56) x 10(7) M-1.s-1. The microtubule number concentration is constant during elongation of microtubules for biphasic and monophasic assembly.     

A reply to Holmes on Gendercide

Warren's book, Gendercide: The Implications of Sex Selection (Totowa, N.J.: Rowman and Allanheld; 1985), was reviewed by Helen Bequaert Holmes in the January 1987 issue of Bioethics. Here, Warren responds to the review by clarifying some of her moral arguments and continuing to defend the point of view that selecting the sex of children before conception or before birth is not always sexist, socially harmful, or disrespectful of the child as an end in itself.     

The thymic microenvironment. Characterization of in vitro differentiation of the IT26R21 rat thymic epithelial cell line

We have previously postulated an in vivo pathway of thymic epithelial (TE) cell maturation in pre- and postnatal thymus, whereby endocrine medullary TE cells terminally differentiate to form Hassall's bodies. Epithelial-cell differentiation has been well documented in vitro using epidermal keratinocytes. Therefore, to characterize TE-cell differentiation in vitro, we observed clones of the rat TE cell line, IT26R21, after 4 and 14 days in culture. We found alterations in cell morphology, the cessation of cell proliferation, and the acquisition of a differentiation antigen defined by monoclonal antibody TE-19 (a marker of terminally differentiated epithelial cells). At light and electron microscopy, we detected progressive TE-cell stratification and squamous-cell formation between 4 and 14 days of culture. Autoradiography on day 14 showed that squamous TE cells in stratified layers did not incorporate tritiated thymidine, while surrounding smaller cells adhering to the substratum continued to synthesize DNA. At indirect immunofluorescence, only 3% of cells reacted with monoclonal antibody TE-19 at day 4, while on day 14, 22% of the TE cells were TE-19 positive (P less than 0.02). Antibody-TE-19 reactivity was limited to stratified, squamous TE cells. Additionally, we isolated a clone of the IT26R21 cell line that did not undergo these changes characteristic of TE cell differentiation. We conclude that IT26R21 TE cells are capable of undergoing programs of both terminal differentiation and cell renewal in vitro.