Solvent-induced free energy landscape and solute-solvent dynamic coupling in a multielement solute

Molecular dynamics simulations using a simple multielement model solute with internal degrees of freedom and accounting for solvent-induced interactions to all orders in explicit water are reported. The potential energy landscape of the solute is flat in vacuo. However, the sole untruncated solvent-induced interactions between apolar (hydrophobic) and charged elements generate a rich landscape of potential of mean force exhibiting typical features of protein landscapes. Despite the simplicity of our solute, the depth of minima in this landscape is not far in size from free energies that stabilize protein conformations. Dynamical coupling between configurational switching of the system and hydration reconfiguration is also elicited. Switching is seen to occur on a time scale two orders of magnitude longer than that of the reconfiguration time of the solute taken alone, or that of the unperturbed solvent. Qualitatively, these results are unaffected by a different choice of the water-water interaction potential. They show that already at an elementary level, solvent-induced interactions alone, when fully accounted for, can be responsible for configurational and dynamical features essential to protein folding and function.     

Pregnancy success of lactating Holstein cows after a single administration of a sustained-release formulation of recombinant bovine somatotropin

Background

Results regarding the use of bovine somatotropin for enhancing fertility in dairy cattle are variable. Here, the hypothesis was tested that a single injection of a sustained-release preparation of bovine somatotropin (bST) during the preovulatory period would improve pregnancy success of lactating dairy cows at first service.

Results

The first experiment was conducted in a temperate region of Mexico. Cows inseminated following natural estrus or timed artificial insemination were given a single injection of bST or a placebo injection at insemination (n = 100 cows per group). There was no significant difference between bST and control groups in the proportion of inseminated cows diagnosed pregnant (29 vs 31% pregnant). The second experiment was performed during heat stress in Florida. Cows were subjected to an ovulation synchronization regimen for first insemination. Cows treated with bST received a single injection at 3 days before insemination. Controls received no additional treatment. As expected, bST did not increase vaginal temperature. Treatment with bST did not significantly increase the proportion of inseminated cows diagnosed pregnant although it was numerically greater for the bST group (24.2% vs 17.8%, 124–132 cows per group). There was a tendency (p = 0.10) for a smaller percent of control cows to have high plasma progesterone concentrations (≥ 1 ng/ml) at Day 7 after insemination than for bST-treated cows (72.6 vs 81.1%). When only cows that were successfully synchronized were considered, the magnitude of the absolute difference in the percentage of inseminated cows that were diagnosed pregnant between bST and control cows was reduced (24.8 vs 22.4% pregnant for bST and control).

Conclusion

Results failed to indicate a beneficial effect of bST treatment on fertility of lactating dairy cows.

     

Effects of β-adrenoceptor blocker pindolol, calcium antagonist verapamil and their combination on retention in step-down- and shuttle-box-trained rats and on brain biogenic monoamines

The effects of the β-adrenoceptor blocker pindolol and the calcium antagonist verapamil administered alone or in combination on retention in step-down- and shuttle-box-trained rats and on the biogenic monoamine levels in the frontal cortex and hippocampus were examined. The chronic oral treatment with pindolol impaired retention in step-down- and shuttle-box-trained rats, decreasing the dopamine (DA) and noradrenaline (NA) levels and increasing the serotonin (5-HT) levels in the cortex and hippocampus. Verapamil did not influence retention in step-down- and shuttle-box avoidance situation and the biogenic monoamine levels in the frontal cortex and hippocampus. It should, however, be noted that the chronic oral treatment with verapamil completely abolished the retention-impairing effect of pindolol, restoring to normal DA, NA and 5-HT levels. These findings might be of interest to clinical practice and suggest the necessity for using a combination of β-blockers with Ca²⁺ antagonists in case of prolonged treatment of cardiovascular diseases.     

DEVELOPMENTAL PATTERNS IN PINE POLYEMBRYONY

Berlyn , Graeme P. (Yale U., New Haven, Conn.) Developmental patterns in pine polyembryony. Amer. Jour. Bot. 49(4): 327–333. Illus. 1962.—An investigation of multiple-embryo development in pine was undertaken. The occurrence of 4 embryos per mature seed was found in approximately one third of the seeds of Pinus lambertiana and Pinus cembra examined and in a few seeds of Pinus strobus. These embryos were derivatives of the 4 embryo-initial cells of the apical tier of the proembryo. There was a progressive reduction in size and development of embryos in a given seed, the embryo furthest from the micropyle being the largest and most differentiated. However, in many cases, histogenesis proceed even when embryo size was significantly arrested. All 4 embryos in some seeds were viable in vitro, but rarely did more than one embryo germinate in vivo. This may be associated with the more rapid reactivation of the largest embryo. Variation in the extent of multiple-embryo development reflects the apparently indeterminate pattern of competition within an embryo system.     

Feulgen Cytophotometry of Pine Nuclei; Effects of Fixation, Role of Formaline

The effects of 5 fixatives: FAA, Carnoy's, Craf III, formalin and glutaraldehyde were analyzed for use in quantitative Feulgen cytophotometry of pine embryo tissues. Craf III and glutaraldehyde had serious deficiencies because they depressed the absorption peak, severely interfered with DNA extraction and in the case of glutaraldehyde there was considerable cytoplasmic dye-binding. Neutral 10% formalin gave good tissue fixation but did not permit the degree of enzymatic or acid extraction of DNA as did Carnoy's solution. Haupt's adhesive, with the usual 4% formalin as a hardener, at temperatures of 45-56 C completely prevented the enzymatic extraction of nuclear DNA by DNase and also greatly increased the resistance of the DNA to mineral acid hydrolysis. Denaturation of DNA by formalin appeared to be responsible for these results. Absorption was linearly related to both section thickness and DNA concentration per nucleus.     

Within-crown Foliar Plasticity of Western Hemlock, Tsuga heterophylla, in Relation to Stand Age

Anatomy and morphology of needles from six different positionswithin the crowns of western hemlock,Tsuga heterophylla (Raf.)Sarg., were studied to investigate the plastic response of leafstructure to crown position, in relation to stand age. Treeswere sampled from three stands, all of which originated followingcatastrophic fires, representing a chronosequence (15, 55 and145 years old) of stand development. Needles from the highestand outermost crown positions showed morphological and anatomicalresponses normally associated with ‘sun leaves’.As a measure of expressed plasticity, we calculated a relativetrait range (RTR) index to quantify differences in expressedtraits between needles from the upper outer crown (UO needles)and those from the lower inner crown (LI needles). RTR was positivefor most morphological and anatomical traits, indicating largertrait measurements on UO needles relative to LI needles (e.g.UO needles were thicker and had more vascular tissue than LIneedles). However, the degree to which sun and shade leaf traitswere expressed varied between stands. In the youngest stand,UO needles had higher maximal rates of photosynthesis than LIneedles (positive RTR_Ps), but this trend was reversed in theoldest stand (negative RTR_Ps). Mean RTR across all morphologicaland anatomical traits was higher in the 145-year-old stand thanin either the 55-year-old stand (P = 0·03) or the 15-year-oldstand (P < 0·01). While this probably relates mainlyto differences in light conditions between the three stands,it may also indicate a connection between ontogeny and phenotypicplasticity. Copyright 2001 Annals of Botany Company Foliar plasticity, needle anatomy and morphology, ontogeny, photosynthesis, stand development, sun–shade, Tsuga heterophylla(Raf.) Sarg., western hemlock     

Polyploids and their structural and PHYSIOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS RELATIVE TO WATER DEFICIT IN BETULA PAPYRIFERA (Betulaceae)

The morphology and leaf anatomy, water relations, gas exchange, and growth characteristics of Betula papyrifera seedlings grown in a greenhouse representing three ploidy levels (diploids, pentaploids, and hexaploids) have been compared in an effort to understand the role of polyploidy in habitat differentiation and adaptation to water deficit. The polyploids are more tolerant of water deficit than their diploid relatives. The polyploids have fewer stomata per unit area and smaller stomatal indices than the diploids. They also have thicker upper and lower epidermis and more pubescence, which tend to reduce water loss. The polyploids have lower osmotic potential at saturation (_p.sat) than corresponding diploids, suggesting they are more able to maintain turgor in the case of low tissue water potential than the diploids. The photosynthesis of the diploids is more sensitive to water deficit. A 2-hr artificial water stress treatment caused complete cessation of photosynthesis in the diploids. They are more drought-avoiding than the polyploids as evidenced by closing their stomata to limit water loss at a relatively higher tissue water potential (-1.425 MPa). The pentaploids and hexaploids maintained, although to a small extent, photosynthesis when their tissue water potentials dropped to -1.86 MPa and -2.07 MPa, respectively.