Tyrosine hydroxylase in the cerebral ganglia of the American cockroach (Periplaneta americana L.): an immunohistochemical study

We have investigated the distribution of tyrosine-hydroxylase-like immunoreactivity in the cerebral ganglia of the American cockroach, Periplaneta americana. Groups of tyrosine-hydroxylase-immunoreactive cell bodies occur in various parts of the three regions of the cerebral ganglia. In the protocerebrum, single large neurons or small groups of neurons are located in the lateral neuropil, adjacent to the calyces, and in the dorsal portion of the pars intercerebralis. Small scattered cell bodies are found in the outer layers of the optic lobe, and clusters of larger cell bodies can be found in the deutocerebrum, medial and lateral to the antennal glomeruli. Thick bundles of tyrosine-hydroxylase-positive nerve fibers traverse the neuropil in the proto- and deutocerebrum and innervate the glomerular and the nonglomerular neuropil with fine varicose terminals. Dense terminal patterns are present in the medulla and lobula of the optic lobe, the pars intercerebralis, the medial tritocerebrum, and the area surrounding the antennal glomeruli, the central body and the mushroom bodies. The pattern of tyrosine-hydroxylase-like immunoreactivity is similar to that previously described for catecholaminergic neurons, but it is distinctly different from the distribution of histaminergic and serotonergic neurons.     

Pollen frequencies reflect vegetation patterns in a great basin (U.S.A.) mountain range

Five indices are used to quantify the relationship between vegetation and pollen in a mountain range in the arid Great Basin. Computations are based on vegetation coverage and pollen percentages from 63 stands. Association is a measure of whether the presence of the pollen type in a surface sample is an indication of the presence of the parent plant in the local vegetation. Over-representation and under-representation measure tendencies for pollen to occur where the parent plants are absent and vice versa. The correlation coefficient measures the relationship between plant and pollen in stands where both are present. Twenty-nine trees, shrubs, and herbs accurately reflect local vegetation conditions. A percentage diagram shows elevational trends in abundant pollen types. Regional pollen types are used to compute the accumulation rate of pollen in the surface samples. A diagram of pollen accumulation rates shows trends similar to those shown in the percentage diagram. The moss polsters used in this study may collect pollen over a fifteen-year interval.     

The response of serum ceruloplasmin to injections of walker 256 tumor cells or turpentine into rats

The subcutaneous injection of Walker 256 carcinosarcoma cells into a rat was followed by a pronounced increase in plasma ceruloplasmin activity. This lasted only about 3 weeks even though the tumors were still enlarging rapidly. Based upon studies with⁶⁷Cu, the increase in plasma ceruloplasmin seemed to reflect increased production of the enzyme by the livers of rats bearing the tumors. Injections of turpentine also raised plasma ceruloplasmin, but to a significantly lesser extent and normal values were reached within 2 weeks.     

An examination and correction of plant tissue culture basal medium formulations

The inorganic formulations of fourteen common plant tissue culture basal media were examined from the primary literature. Inaccuracies and errors were found for molecular formulae, chemical hydrations, and molar equivalences for iron/EDTA complexation. A comparison with published basal medium formulations from six commercial suppliers uncovered additional inaccuracies, modifications, and errors, thereby emphasizing the need for investigators to examine and describe medium formulations precisely in future publications.     

Effect of Aging on the Metabolism of Pyruvate and 3-Hydroxybutyrate in Nonsynaptic and Synaptic Mitochondria from Rat Brain

Abstract: Age-dependent changes in the oxidative metabolism in nonsynaptic and synaptic mitochondria from brains of 3, 12, and 24-month-old rats were investigated. When pyruvate and malate were used in conjunction as substrates, a significant reduction in State 3 respiration was observed in both mitochondrial populations from 12-and 24-month-old rats compared with 3-month-old animals. A similar age-dependent reduction in the oxidation of [1-¹¹C]pyruvate was also observed in nonsynaptic and synaptic mitochondria from senescent rats. Pyruvate dehydrogenase complex activity (both active and total) was, however, not decreased in the two mitochondrial populations from brains of 3, 12, and 24-month-old rats. When DL-3-hydroxybutyrate plus malate were used as substrates, a decrease in State 3 respiration was observed only in synaptic mitochondria from 24-month-old rats compared with 3- month-old animals. Similarly, an age-dependent reduction in the oxidation of 3-hydroxy[3-¹¹C]butyrate was also observed only in synaptic mitochondria from 12-and 24-month-old rats. However, a significant reduction in the activities of ketone body-metabolizing enzymes, namely, 3-hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase, 3-ketoacid CoA transferase, and acetoacetyl-CoA thiolase was observed in both mitochondrlal populations from 12- and 24-month-old rats compared with 3 month-old animals. These findings show that specific alterations in oxidative metabolism occur in nonsynaptic and synaptic mitochondria from aging rats. The data also suggest that in addition to alterations in enzyme activities, permeability of anions (e.g. pyruvate) across the inner mitochondrial membrane may be altered in nonsynaptic and synaptic mitochondria from senescent animals.     

The creation and management of wildfowl refuges as a means of lessening the conflict between farmers and geese

With increases in goose numbers and incidences of problems with other than traditionally damaging species on new crops conflict has greatly increased recently. This paper suggested that the creation of managed goose refuges in problem areas provided the best long-term solution. Examples of the success of refuges were given based on experience at two Wildfowl Trust goose refuges. Goose use of land surrounding these refuges had decreased following their creation and the goose carrying capacity of refuge land had been increased by up to 150% by controlling winter disturbance, cropping and stock grazing. This had been achieved without drastically changing the agricultural regime, which in both areas was in line with local practices. Because of great annual fluctuations in goose numbers following variations in breeding success and of the difficulty of predicting goose carrying capacity, assessments of the area of land required to accommodate geese in conflict with agriculture in Britain can only be very approximate. Based on goose counts in 1975-6, some 150000 geese (of four species) were potentially involved and the land area required as refuges to accommodate all of them (giving a maximum figure) in the region of 20 000 acres (7800 ha).     

Deoxyribonucleic acid reassociation in the classification of flavobacteria.

DNA-DNA reassociation studies showed that Flavobacterium emningosepticum strains had a genetic relatedness of 91 to 100% with inter-strain duplexes having high thermal stabilities. The only exception, strain NCTC10016, had an average relatedness of only 43% to other strains of F. meningosepticum. The apparent divergence in DNA base sequence of this strain was reflected in the structural differences of some enzymes. There was a gradation of DNA relatedness among the Flavobacterium group II-b strains, but three strains were sufficiently related to constitute a species. Low levels of genetic relatedness were confirmed between F. meningosepticum and strains of Flavobacterium group II-b, group II-f, F. aquatile, F. breve, F. heparinum, F. pectinovorum, F. odoratum and Moraxella saccharolytica. All strains had base compositions in the range 32 to 46% guanine plus cytosine. The genome sizes of representative strains of F. meningosepticum and Flavobacterium group II-b were 2-50 X 10(9) to 3-52 X 10(9) daltons. The taxonomic implications of these findings are discussed.