The grass megagametophyte and its possible phylogenetic implications

The structure of the grasses megagametophyte is considered to be characteristic enough as to deserve a particular place in the megagametophyte typology. Furthermore, it is compared with those of other Monocotyledonous families to point out embryological affinities.Both are members of the Carrera del Investigador (Conicet, Argentina).     

Pleurotrema epiphylla Vězda sp. n., eine neue foliikole Flechte aus Zentral-Afrika

Eine nèue foliikole Flechte (Pleurotrema epiphylla sp. n.) aus Zaïre (Zentral-Afrika) wird beschrieben. Die systematischen Beziehungen der neuen Art zu den anderenPleurotrema-Arten und die Stellung der GattungPleurotrema innerhalb der FamilieParatheliaceae wird kurz diskutiert.     

Stereoselective action of acylated crude papain toward mandelic and atrolactic hydrazides

Acylated crude papain has been shown to exert stereoselective behavior toward racemic hydrazides devoid of an amino acid residue, namely, (RS)-mandelic and (RS)-atrolactic hydrazides. These hydrazides functioned as nucleophiles to yield N¹,N²-diacylhydrazines. Several achiral acylating agents for the enzyme were chosen, including Z-glycine, BOC-glycine, AOC-glycine, and hippuric acid. With the exception of hippuric acid as the acylating agent, the reaction product, in every instance for these achiral hydrazides, consisted of an excess of the (+)-N¹,N²-diacylhydrazine. The relative rates of product formation for the mandelic hydrazides were considerably greater than for corresponding reactions with racemic atrolactic hydrazide. When chiral Z-l-alanine was employed to acylate crude papain, the stereoselective action was most pronounced, with the formation of a mixture of diastereoisomers consisting of 73% N¹-(Z-l-alanyl)-N²-[(R)-mandelyl]hydrazine. The relative reactivities for the electrophiles was Z-l-alanine ? Z-glycine ? hippuric acid ? AOC-glycine > BOC-glycine. The hydrazides of (R)-, (S)-mandelic, and (RS)-atrolactic acids were prepared by conversion of the corresponding acids to their esters by means of a catalytic dehydrating agent and subsequent treatment with a methanolic solution of hydrazine.     

Ultracentrifugation in polyethylene tubing: An efficient method to concentrate protein solutions on the microliter scale

An ultracentrifugation procedure is described to concentrate protein solutions on the microliter scale. Protein solutions were centrifuged in U-shaped lengths of polyethylene tubing at 160 000 × g for 15 h and thereafter fractionated by cutting the tubing. The method can be performed in a conventional ultracentrifuge and needs no special equipment.     

Psoralen/UVA treatment and chromosomes

Summary Treatment of human lymphocytes in vitro with trimethylpsoralen or 8-methoxypsoralen and UVA irradiation (PUVA) induced chromosome damage, mainly constrictions and gaps, but also breaks and exchanges, and increased the frequency of sister chromatid exchange (SCE). The localization of the chromosome aberrations was nonrandom. The coincidence of many PUVA hits with mercaptoenthanol hits suggests that PUVA may have other targets in the cell than the DNA, perhaps the folding proteins of the chromosomes and the nuclear membrane/chromatin attachment organelles.Caffeine increased in a synergistic way the chromosome aberration yield if added after PUVA treatment, but there was no effect when caffeine was present before and during PUVA treatment. The SCE frequency was increased in the presence of caffeine.     

Toxicological evaluation of agromet (Metalaxyl) preparation.

A complex toxicological study was carried out in relation to the hygienic standardization of the fungicide preparation Ridomil, whose forthcoming production in this country will be under the name Metalaxyl. The study was performed on sexually mature white rats of both sexes, at oral, dermal and inhalation exposure, acute, subacute and chronic experiments, according to the Bulgarian State Standard. Besides the routine toxicological studies were carried also studies for establishing the long-term effects of the preparation (gonadotropic, embryotoxic and teratogenic, cardiovascular). The results from the study permitted the Agromet preparation to be put in III class--moderately toxic according to limiting index LD50 oral. On the basis of data from the authors study on the general toxicity and long-term effects of Metalaxyl a temporary MAC 4 mg/m3 was proposed.     

Morphologic, phenotypic, and cytotoxic analyses of C57BL/6 murine non-parenchymal liver cells: new evidence associating murine liver large granular lymphocytes with monocyte precursors and implications for tumor immunotherapy.

Non-parenchymal liver cells (NPCs) have been implicated in murine host resistance to hepatic metastases. We have examined the relative cell number, morphology, phenotype, and cytotoxic potential of Percoll fractionated C57BL/6 murine liver NPCs. Low density (Percoll fractions 2 and 3) cells showed a large granular lymphocyte morphology and made up 76% of all NPCs recoverable, while high density (fractions 5 and 6) showed a small lymphocyte morphology and made up 10% of all NPCs. Low density cells demonstrated the following phenotype: 14% of the cells demonstrated the Thy 1.2 marker; 12%, the Lyt-2 marker; 67%, the L3T4 marker; 74%, the asialo GM1 marker; 30%, the 49H.8 marker; and 65%, the F4/80 marker. The high density cells expressed the same markers on 71%, 21%, 33%, 68%, 37%, and 19% of their cell surface, respectively. There were no differences phenotypically between high density NPCs and splenocytes except for the F4/80 expression (fractions 5 and 6 NPCs, F4/80 expression 19%, fresh splenocytes 60%). Dual color analysis of L3T4+ NPCs documented that fractions 2 and 3 cells also expressed the F4/80 marker on 85% of their cell surface and the Thy 1.2 marker on 11% of their cell surface. The high density fractions 5 and 6 L3T4+ cells expressed the F4/80 marker on 16% of their cell surface, and the Thy 1.2 marker on 89% of their cell surface. Cytotoxicity against YAC-1 [a natural killer (NK) sensitive target], MCA-102 (a NK resistant target), and WEHI-164 (a natural cytotoxicity target) were similar for fractions 2 and 3, and 5 and 6 cells. Based upon the expression of the F4/80 marker on L3T4+ cells that are Thy 1.2 negative and appear to be similar to LGLs morphologically (fractions 2 and 3 NPCs), we propose that these cells are monocyte precursors while fractions 5 and 6 cells are small lymphocytes. These findings with liver LGLs support the need for the evaluation of monocyte directed biological response modifiers in therapeutic models of murine hepatic metastases.     

Mitotic activity in the blastema and stump tissues of regenerating hind limbs of Xenopus laevis larvae after amputation at ankle level. An autoradiographic study

Mitotic activity, as indicated by DNA synthesis, was studied by autoradiographic analysis along the proximodistal axis of regenerating limbs in the early and later larval stages 53 and 57 of Xenopus laevis. Wound-healing, dedifferentiation, blastema formation and growth phases were studied. Most of the various stump tissues, as well as the cell mass of the regeneration blastema, were involved. The study showed an increase in DNA synthesis in the stump tissues during their dedifferentiation as well as during blastema formation. The increase was confined mainly to the distal portion (close to the amputation level), so that a proximodistal gradient was discernible. This could be regarded as valid evidence of contribution of the severed stump tissues to the blastema cells. The mesenchymal blastema cells formed after amputation at stage 53 displayed higher mitotic activity than the fibrocytoid blastema cells formed at stage 57. Although the latter were more differentiated than the former, they still showed DNA replication and mitotic division.     

Occurrence of Cladocera (Crustacea) in subterranean waters in Yugoslavia

Contrary to some localities in France and Spain, Cladocera occur in hypogean waters in Yugoslavia very sporadically. Beside the stygobitic species, Alona hercegovinae from caves and Alona smirnovi from interstitial waters, particularly some other Chydoridae seem to be suited for hypogean life. Chydorus sphaericus, reputed as one of the most euryoecious cladocerans, occurs also the deepest in interstitial waters as well as in caves. Other species, found in hypogean waters are Simocephalus vetulus, Ilyocryptus sordidus, Eurycercus lamellatus, Chydorus ovalis, Leydigia leydigi, Acroperus harpae and Biapertura affnis.     

Porewater chemistry of inorganic nitrogen compounds in the eastern Skagerrak (NE North Sea)

Porosity, Eh and interstitital nitrogen compounds profiles are given for four locations in the eastern Skagerrak. Sediments down to 30 cm depth, i.e. postindustrial in age, were analysed. The results together with a detailed age determination (²¹⁰Pb) suggest a high degree of both lateral and vertical variability as a result of local bottom topography and currents as well as event-controlled sedimentation processes.