Estimation of protein digestibility—IV. Digestive proteinases from the pyloric caeca of coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) fed diets containing soybean meal

The goal of this study was to better understand why dietary soybean products are poorly utilized by salmonids. The influence of dietary intake on coho salmon fingerling weight gain and specific properties of pyloric caeca enzymes was investigated. Fingerlings were fed diets containing heated or unheated soybean meal (SBM) or Promoveal™, as 15–25% herring meal replacer, for 8–12 weeks. Fish fed to apparent satiation with diets containing heated SBM replacer gained more weight than those fed unheated SBM at the same level. Fish increased in body weight at the same rate when fed restricted rations containing either 15% SBM replacer that was variously heated up to 20 min, 15% Promoveal™ replacer or the herring meal basal diet. After the experimental diets were fed, digestive proteinases were isolated from the pyloric caeca. Yield of pyloric caeca enzymes (PCE), recovery of trypsin in PCE, soybean trypsin inhibitor (SBTI) sensitivity of PCE trypsin, specific activity of PCE trypsin and in vitro casein digestibility by PCE were determined for each dietary group. Weight gain vs in vitro casein digestibility by PCE was linear for animals fed unheated SBM to apparent satiation (r² = 0.71, P < 0.1) but not for animals fed either heated SBM to apparent satiation or variously heated SBM as 15% replacer at restricted levels. Trypsin from fish fed diets with heated or unheated SBM, but not Promoveal™ replacer, was less sensitive to SBTI than fish fed no SBM. For fish fed diets with variously heated SBM as 15% replacer, the SBTI activity of the SBM and SBTI inhibition of PCE trypsin were inversely related (r² = 0.88, P < 0.05). The yield of PCE was higher for fish fed 25% of heated SBM replacer than it was for diet groups fed less SBM. The yield of PCE trypsin was higher from animals fed 25% heated SBM replacer than those fed diets with a lower percentage of heated SBM replacer. Feeding coho fingerlings rations with SBM replacer appears to promote physiological compensation of PCE. Heat stable and/or heat-activated factor(s) and SBTI appear to cause the compensation of salmon digestive proteinases from coho salmon fed diets with SBM.     

Comparative measurements of chlorophyll a fluorescence, acid accumulation and gas exchange in exposed and shaded plants of Clusia minor L. and Clusia multiflora H. B. K. in the field

 Changes in chlorophyll a fluorescence during the day and diurnal-changes of net CO₂-exchange and organic acid contents were determined in two species of the genus Clusia during the dry season in Venezuela. The investigations included plants of the C₃/CAM intermediate species Clusia minor and the C₃ species C. multiflora growing at exposed and shaded sites. Both species showed a C₃ pattern of net CO₂-exchange at the exposed site. In the shade under extreme drought stress C. minor showed a weak expression of CAM without CO₂-uptake during the afternoon (phase IV of CAM). C. multiflora growing in the shade exhibited a C₃-pattern of net CO₂-exchange and a small but significant nocturnal accumulation of citrate. Shaded plants of C. minor were able to double their light utilisation for electron transport and to reduce non-photochemical quenching during phase III compared to phase II of CAM. Furthermore, increase of electron transport rate through photosystem II in phase III of CAM is correlated to decarboxylation of malate. At the exposed site C. multiflora was less negatively affected by high PPFD than C. minor. This was shown by a lower reduction of potential electron quantum yield (F_v/F_m) and higher light utilisation of electron transport of C. multiflora compared to C. minor. At the exposed site C. minor did not make use of the CAM option to increase light utilisation of electron transport and to reduce non-photochemical quenching as did the plants growing in the shade. Received: 20 March 1996 / Accepted: 24 June 1996     

Environment not dispersal limitation drives clonal composition of Arctic Daphnia in a recently deglaciated area

One of the most prominent manifestations of the ongoing climate warming is the retreat of glaciers and ice sheets around the world. Retreating glaciers result in the formation of new ponds and lakes, which are available for colonization. The gradual appearance of these new habitat patches allows us to determine to what extent the composition of asexual Daphnia (water flea) populations is affected by environmental drivers vs. dispersal limitation. Here, we used a landscape genetics approach to assess the processes structuring the clonal composition of species in the D. pulex species complex that have colonized periglacial habitats created by ice‐sheet retreat in western Greenland. We analysed 61 populations from a young (<50 years) and an old cluster (>150 years) of lakes and ponds. We identified 42 asexual clones that varied widely in spatial distribution. Beta‐diversity was higher among older than among younger systems. Lineage sorting by the environment explained 14% of the variation in clonal composition whereas the pure effect of geographical distance was very small and statistically insignificant ( = 0.010, P = 0.085). Dispersal limitation did not seem important, even among young habitat patches. The observation of several tens of clones colonizing the area combined with environmentally driven clonal composition of populations illustrates that population assembly of asexual species in the Arctic is structured by environmental gradients reflecting differences in the ecology of clones.     

Effects of supraoptimal temperatures on the myxomycetePhysarum polycephalum

Vibrio parahaemolyticus, the flagellated nonswarming marine bacteria were induced to swarm on solid media under three different conditions: growth at 20–26°C on medium containing 1% NaCl, growth on a medium in a sealed Petridish and growth on H₂O₂-treated medium. The morphological transformations observed in cells during swarming of V. parahaemolyticus are similar to those found jor the naturally swarming Vibrio alginolyticus. The mechanism of swarming in both species involves massive formation of peritrichous flagella and a negative chemotactive response to metabolic byproducts.     

Theory of initial current density in membrane voltage-clamp experiments

Herein we show that the voltage-clamp current density at zero time calculated from electrodiffusion equations is linear in the clamping voltage for a simple membrane (no charge structure) and for a membrae with fixed charges. Such membranes are nonexcitable. Excitable membranes can be represented by a homogeneous membrane with dipole layers at the surface. In this case the initial current density will be linear in the clamping voltage if a critical field for a dipole layer reorientation is not passed through in changing from holding to clamping potential. Otherwise, deviation from nonlinearity may occur. This is in agreement with experimental data for the squid giant axon.     

THE ULTRASTRUCTURE OF THE SENSORY HAIRS AND ASSOCIATED ORGANELLES OF THE COCHLEAR INNER HAIR CELL, WITH REFERENCE TO DIRECTIONAL SENSITIVITY

From the apical end of the inner hair cell of the organ of Corti in the guinea pig cochlea protrude four to five rows of stereocilia shaped in a pattern not unlike the wings of a bird. In the area devoid of cuticular substance facing toward the tunnel of Corti lies a consistently present centriole. The ultrastructure of this centriole is similar to that of the basal body of the kinocilium located in the periphery of the sensory hair bundles in the vestibular and lateral line organ sensory cells and to that of the centrioles of other cells. The physiological implications of the anatomical orientation of this centriole are discussed in terms of directional sensitivity.     

Inductive stimulation

Electrical stimulation, which has long been known, has recently been complemented by electromagnetic stimulation. This method is based on the law of induction and employs coils in place of electrodes. The effect of this process is deduced from both the relationship between magnetic and electrical fields and the stimulating effect. A new type of stimulator has been developed from a resonant circuit, thus allowing nerves to be excited with low-frequency pulses up to fusion frequency.     

Rostock zooplankton studies off West Africa

Since the beginning of the seventies, upwelling research has become increasingly popular in the path of the Canary and Benguela Current, because of economic consideration, particularly in the relation to fisheries and marine geology. Many expeditions were carried out between 1970 and 1977, including 8 cruises of the German R. V. “A. v. Humboldt” operating from Rostock. Measurements covered scales ranging in time from minutes to several years and in space from hundreds of metres to several thousands of kilometres. Zooplankton studies focussed on quantitative, metabolic, taxonomic, and parasitological aspects. Plankton was collected with a WP-2-UNESCO standard net to a maximum depth of 200 m. The epipelagic mesozooplankton consists mainly of copepods, especially calanoids with developmental times of about 20 to 23 days. After an upwelling event, zooplankton is able to double its biomass. This typical biomass increase is independent of coastal distance and depth. The upwelling response lasts about 3 weeks in nearsurface waters, and 6 to 8 weeks in depths below 75m. A relationship was observed between the duration of seasonal upwelling (that means the numbers of single upwelling events) and the cumulative increase of biomass. This net growth rate of zooplankton biomass is most pronounced at the shelf break, the area with the highest fish biomass, and in the upper 25 m. Differences between the expected and the real rate values in conjunction with the known amount of nutritive demands of fishes allow the estimation of the fish biomass in a given area. The near coastal Ekman upwelling, which is an event in the time scale of about two weeks, also shows seasonality in some areas. Off Northwest Africa the largest expansion was recorded in the first half of the year, extending from 10° N to 24° N, more than 400 km offshore and at least down to 200 m. It contracts in the second half of the year to an area between 20°N and 22°N, 100 to 200 km off the coast and in an average depth of 25 m. These zooplankton biomass patterns are superimposed by mesoscale phenomena, originated by other than Ekman upwelling events. Those are, for example, long coastal parallel waves, producing cells of intensified upwelling and downwelling, and eddies, caused by instabilities in a frontal zone parallel to the coast. Different water masses can be distinguished by indicator species, species combinations or the significant absence of species. This was demonstrated for chaetognaths. The calanoidCalanus helgolandicus (Claus, 1863), a typical species of the North Atlantic, indicates North Atlantic Central Water, whereasCalanoides carinatus (Krøyer, 1849) is an indicator of South Atlantic Central Water. Finally, comparisons of near coastal current regimes, transport velocities, and developmental rates of calanoids allow one to conclude that a suitable mechanism is present to maintain plankton in the coastal environment.