Rethinking the Synthesis Period in Evolutionary Studies

I propose we abandon the unit concept of “the evolutionary synthesis”. There was much more to evolutionary studies in the 1920s and 1930s than is suggested in our commonplace narratives of this object in history. Instead, four organising threads capture much of evolutionary studies at this time. First, the nature of species and the process of speciation were dominating, unifying subjects. Second, research into these subjects developed along four main lines, or problem complexes: variation, divergence, isolation, and selection. Some calls for ‹synthesis’ focused on these problem complexes (sometimes on one of these; other times, all). In these calls, comprehensive and pluralist compendia of plausibly relevant elements were preferred over reaching consensus about the value of particular formulae. Third, increasing confidence in the study of common problems coincided with methodological and epistemic changes associated with experimental taxonomy. Finally, the surge of interest in species problems and speciation in the 1930s is intimately tied to larger trends, especially a shifting balance in the life sciences towards process-based biologies and away from object-based naturalist disciplines. Advocates of synthesis in evolution supported, and were adapting to, these larger trends.     

Solution structure of a DNA hairpin and its disulfide cross-linked analog.

The solution structures of a 21 base long DNA hairpin derived from the ColE1 cruciform, and an analog possessing a disulfide cross-link bridging the terminal bases, have been determined by NMR spectroscopy. The 8 bp long stem of these sequences adopts a B-form helix whereas the five base long single-stranded loop appears to be flexible and cannot be represented by a unique static conformation. NOESY cross-peak volumes, proton and phosphorus chemical shifts, and both homo- and heteronuclear coupling constants for the cross-linked hairpin are virtually identical to those measured for the unmodified sequence, even for the residues that are proximal to the cross-link. These results indicate that both hairpins are structurally isomorphous. Because this cross-link can be incorporated site specifically in a sequence independent manner, and does not appear to alter native conformation, it should prove broadly applicable in studies of DNA structure and function.     

Glucagon-initiated human growth hormone release: a comparative study

Human growth hormone (HGH) responses in 20 healthy adults to subcutaneous glucagon, arginine infusion and tolbutamide and insulin hypoglycemia were compared. HGH rose in all four tests. HGH response to glucagon was also studied in 49 patients with suspected pituitary insufficiency, of whom 25 also later received an arginine infusion; an abnormal response to glucagon was the most frequent functional abnormality and often HGH was the only anterior pituitary hormone of which a deficiency was detectable. In seven subjects (two healthy controls and five patients with suspected hypopituitarism) there was a subnormal HGH response to arginine but a normal response to glucagon. It is concluded that glucagon is a simple and effective stimulus to HGH release, equal or superior to arginine, tolbutamide and insulin, and is an important test of anterior pituitary function.     

Unidentified cells reside in fish skeletal muscle

Cell cultures were established from the skeletal muscle tissue of 6–13 months old rainbow trout and 12–14 months old yellow perch. Approximately 27,000 ± 5,000 cells/g (trout; N = 5) and 5,000 ± 1,200 cells/g of tissue (perch; N = 4) were obtained. Isolation and propagation were qualitatively greater for both species when the cells (younger fish producer more cells than older fish) were exposed to DMEM + 15% FBS, rather than L-15 + 15% FBS, at 20 °C (trout) and at 24 °C (yellow perch). Two morphologically distinct cell types were observed in cultures of both species, some of which eventually formed very small myotubes, which displayed immunocytological reactivity for myogenin, myosin heavy chain, and α-actinin; the second population of cells remained unstained. Successful cryopreservation was achieved using a 5% DMSO and 95% serum mixture, but post-thawing viabilities were low 5–27% (trout) and 14–30% (perch). Further research is needed in order to determine cell type specificity of isolated cells.     

Photoperiodism in Ostrinia nubilalis: a new protocol for the analysis of the role of the circadian system

A 12-hr dark period, at a temperature high enough to permit time measurement to occur, is necessary for maximal induction of larval diapause in the European corn borer, Ostrinia nubilalis. In the present study, induction of diapause only occurred in a periodic environment. This was in the form of certain (1) light-dark (LD) cycles at a constant temperature; (2) thermoperiods in constant darkness (DD), but not constant illumination (LL); and (3) LD cycles with concurrent thermoperiods. A light-break experiment protocol, in which the pulses systematically scan the cold and warm phases of a thermoperiod in DD, is discussed as a way of helping clarify how seasonal time measurement is effected in Ostrinia.     

Relative Sensitivity of the Ocular Trigeminal, Nasal Trigeminal and Olfactory Systems to Airborne Chemicals

We measured thresholds for eye irritation and odor in homologousseries of alcohols (ethanol, 1-butanol, 1-hexanol and 1-octanol),ketones (2-propanone, 2-pentanone, 2-heptanone and 2-nonanone),and alkylbenzenes (toluene, ethyl benzene and propyl benzene).Eye irritation thresholds were well above odor thresholds forall series. Both sensory thresholds declined with carbon chainlength, a trend that has implicated lipophilicity in the potencyof these and related stimuli. Eye irritation thresholds wereremarkably close to nasal pungency thresholds obtained previouslyin persons lacking olfaction (i.e. anosmics). The agreementbetween the two thresholds implies that, despite differencesin the mucus layer at the two sites and in the epithelial tissueitself, there is remarkable similarity at the site of stimulation.As a practical matter, the eyes could serve as the sites toassess potency for induction of nasal pungency, an assessmentpreviously limited to testing anosmics. Presumably, for ourbrief stimulus presentations (1–3 s), the differencesbetween ocular and nasal mucosae have little relevance to chemicalsensitivity. Studies of the ability of homologous chemical seriesto evoke threshold eye irritation, nasal pungency and odor notonly have practical value, but also can help to define the physicochemicalproperties of the receptor and perireceptor biophases. ¹Present address: Department of Surgery (Otolaryngology), UCSDMedical Center, University of California, San Diego, USA     

Female-specific dominant lethal effects in mice

For some chemicals, induction of presumed dominant lethal mutations has been observed only in female mice and not in males. In those cases, questions arise as to (1) whether the increased embryonic mortality is due to genetic effects of the chemicals in the oocyte or, (2) is caused indirectly through maternal toxicity, and, if genetic, (3) the basis for the sex difference. These questions were studied using the compounds adriamycin and platinol. Neither compound induces dominant lethals in male germ cells, but both increased early embryonic mortality when females were treated prior to mating (treatment of maturing oocytes). Reciprocal zygote transfer experiments rules out, either entirely or for the large part, maternal toxicit as the cause, and cytogenetic analysis of first-cleavage metaphases revealed high incidences of chromosomal aberrations. The results of both of these experiments thus provide evidence that the early embryonic mortality resulted from genetic effects induced in oocytes. Most interestingly, each compound produced unexpected types of chromosomal aberrations. Adriamycin produced deletions, rings, and presumed chromosome-type rearrangements. Platinol, on the other hand, produced a few chromatid-type aberrations, but the bulk of aberrations were characterized by disorganization of the chromatin, minute fragments, and thread-lik chromatin bridges between fragments and chromosomes or between two or more chromosomes. The latter type of cytogenetic damage was observed primarily in the compounds are associated with the diffused state of the maturing oocyte chromosomes.