A probability matrix for the identification of vibrios

A probability matrix for computer-assisted identification of vibrios has been constructed, based on the API 20E system. Data were gathered from 173 strains representing 31 taxa of vibrios and related organisms, from a variety of sources. The matrix was tested internally by four statistical programs. Program OVERMAT tested the separation and program MOSTTYP the discretion and homogeneity of the taxa. Most of the taxa were satisfactory but a few were less so; reasons for this are discussed. Program CHARSEP and program DIACHAR tested the separation and diagnostic values, respectively, of the characters used. The overall test error was 4.5%. The matrix was assessed externally by its performance in the identification of vibrio-like strains isolated from freshwater. Of 243 wild strains, 79.4% were identified with ten taxa, with a Willcox score of greater than or equal to 0.99.     

Thyroidectomy results in termination of photorefractoriness in starlings (Sturnus vulgaris) kept in long daylengths

Four groups of 10 male starlings were transferred from short daylengths (8 h light/day) to long daylengths (18 h light/day), which caused the tests to develop rapidly to maximum size and then to decrease to minimal size as birds became photorefractory. Birds were surgically thyroidectomized at 8, 16 or 28 weeks. A fourth group was left intact. Testicular volume and plasma FSH and prolactin concentrations were measured. After 42 weeks all birds were castrated and plasma FSH was measured during the next 6 weeks. Testicular growth began in all thyroidectomized birds between 4 and 8 weeks after thyroidectomy. By 42 weeks, the testes of all thyroidectomized birds were large, whereas those of intact birds were still of minimal size. Plasma FSH concentrations remained low in all birds and plasma prolactin values, originally elevated by long daylengths, decreased at a similar rate in thyroidectomized and intact birds. After castration at 42 weeks, plasma FSH values increased rapidly in all thyroidectomized birds but remained low in non-thyroidectomized birds. The results demonstrate that thyroidectomy of photorefractory starlings does not induce immediate testicular growth but may initiate a process which eventually terminates photorefractoriness in a way similar to that caused by return to short daylengths.     

Enhanced depressor effect of muscimol in the DOCA/NaCl hypertensive rat: evidence for altered GABAergic activity in brain

To elucidate the role of the central gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) system in the maintenance of deoxycorticosterone (DOCA)NaCl hypertension, the responses of mean arterial pressure (MAP), plasma norepinephrine (NE), and epinephrine (EP) to intracerebroventricular (ICV) administration of muscimol, a GABA agonist, and the responses of MAP to bicuculline, a GABA antagonist, and to clonidine, an alpha 2-adrenoceptor agonist known to lower blood pressure by inhibiting sympathetic tone, were examined in conscious, unrestrained 4 week DOCA/NaCl hypertensive rats and age-matched uninephrectomized control rats. Muscimol (50-1000 ng/300 g, ICV) caused dose-dependent decreases in MAP which were greater in DOCA/NaCl rats than in controls. Basal plasma NE and EP were significantly higher in DOCA/NaCl rats than in controls. Muscimol (1000 ng/300 g, ICV) induced decreases in plasma EP which were greater in DOCA/NaCl rats than in controls without changing NE levels in either group. Bicuculline (3 micrograms/300 g, ICV) caused increases in MAP which were the same in both groups. The depressor response to clonidine (5 micrograms/300 g) was greater in DOCA/NaCl rats than in controls. These results suggest that the activity of the central GABAergic system is altered in the rat with established DOCA/NaCl hypertension and that the alteration in central GABAergic function may be related to the increased sympathoadrenal activity and the maintenance of hypertension in this model.     

Effects of ribavirin and adenine arabinoside on tobacco mosaic virus in Nicotiana tabacum L. var Xanthi tissue cultures

Although both ribavirin (1--ribofuranosyl-1,2,4-triazole-3carboxamide) and adenine arabinoside inhibited the multiplication of tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) in mechanically inoculated leaf tissues, neither chemical inhibited virus multiplication in unorganized tobacco callus after in vitro inoculation. The adenine deaminase inhibitor, pentostatin, did not increase the activity of adenine arabinoside in cultured cells. Several different developmental conditions and media did not increase the ability of either chemical to eradicate the virus from tobacco tissue cultures. However, the virus was eradicated from TMV-infected callus when grown in the presence of combinations of ribavirin and adenine arabinoside in shoot inducing medium.     

Distribution of calcium,magnesium and inorganic phosphate in plasma of estradiol-17β treated rainbow trout

Summary Freshwater rainbow trout,Salmo gairdneri, were injected with different doses of estradiol-17 in order to induce the synthesis of a protein, regarded as identical to vitellogenin. The plasma levels of free and protein-bound calcium, magnesium and inorganic phosphate were studied in control and estradiol-17 treated fish, using an ultrafiltration method. Estradiol-17 caused a dose-dependent increase in plasma vitellogenin levels, which strongly correlated to protein-bound levels of calcium and magnesium in plasma. Calcium and magnesium were bound to vitellogenin in a ratio of 9:1, which was considerably higer than the protein-binding ratio of these ions in normal plasma (5.2:1). The dose-dependent increase in total plasma levels of calcium, magnesium and inorganic phosphate during estradiol-17 treatment was solely due to an increase in the protein-bound fraction of these ions. It is concluded that the physiologically important plasma levels of free calcium, magnesium and inorganic phosphate are effectively regulated at normal levels during vitellogenin synthesis.     

Production of citric acid from sugars present in wood hemicellulose usingAspergillus niger andSaccharomycopsis lipolytica

Summary One strain each of the fungus,Aspergillus niger, and the yeast,Saccharomycopsis lipolytica, were investigated for their ability to produce citric acid from the sugars present in hemicellulose hydrolysates.S. lipolytica produced citric acid as efficiently from mannose as from glucose, but failed to assimilate xylose, arabinose or galactose.A. niger readily assimilated mannose, xylose and arabinose, and produced citric acid from these sugars although the yields were lower than from glucose. A possible inhibitory effect of arabinose on citric acid production from other sugars was observed usingA. niger.     

Mating behavior,egg deposition,incubation period,and hatching in the clearnose skate,Raja eglanteria

Synopsis Adult clearnose skates, Raja eglanteria, were captured during the winters of 1981 and 1983, and observed to mate in captivity. Mating and egg depositions take place on the central west coast of Florida from December through mid-May. During copulation the male holds the trailing edge of the female's right or left pectoral fin firmly in his mouth, swings his tail beneath hers and inserts one clasper into the distal end of her reproductive tract. Copulation may last one to four hours during which time sperm pass from the urogenital papilla of the male along the clasper groove to the female. Sperm move cranially to the upper portion of the shell gland where they are stored and remain viable for at least three months. The ovum is fertilized in the shell gland. The egg case bears a prominent projection or horn at each corner. The two posterior ones are shorter and bear tendrils which are covered with a sticky substance that insures attachment to the substrate when the egg is deposited. Fertilized eggs are laid in pairs at intervals ranging from 1 to 13 days (mean of 4.5 ± 2.2 days). As development proceeds within the egg case a plugged slit on the lateral side of each horn opens and permits seawater to wash the developing embryo. Incubation periods for eggs maintained between 20–22°C decrease in duration throughout the egg laying season, ranging from 94 days initially to 77 days for eggs laid later in the spring. At hatching, the anterior end of the egg case ruptures, and the skate emerges abruptly with its pectoral fins rolled dorsally.     

Hypoxic induction of Ca2+-dependent action potentials in small pulmonary arteries of the cat

Small pulmonary arteries (less than 300 micron) from cats were mounted in myographs to record mechanical and electrical responses to hypoxia. When these preparations were exposed to a PO2 of 30-50 Torr after equilibration at 300 Torr they consistently developed active force, which increased or decreased in amplitude as [Ca2+] was raised or lowered, respectively, and was blocked on addition of verapamil. Intracellular electrical recording with glass microelectrodes demonstrated membrane depolarization and action potential generation when PO2 was lowered. Steady-state voltage vs. applied current curves obtained before and during hypoxia showed a significant reduction in input resistance. The relationship between membrane potential and extracellular K+ was not different during hypoxia compared with control, suggesting that there were not marked changes in K+ permeability under this condition. In the presence of verapamil to block Ca2+ inward current the hypoxia-induced action potentials were abolished concomitant with partial membrane repolarization. The results of these studies suggest that in certain isolated pulmonary arteries hypoxia induces contraction by a mechanism involving an increased Ca2+ conductance. These data suggest that the sensor involved in hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction may lie within the vessel wall and somehow mediates changes in smooth muscle ionic conductances.     

Extensive studies of the heme coordination structure of indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase and of tryptophan binding with magnetic and natural circular dichroism and electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy

In order to probe the active site of the heme protein indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase, magnetic and natural circular dichroism (MCD and CD) and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) studies of the substrate (L-tryptophan)-free and substrate-bound enzyme with and without various exogenous ligands have been carried out. The MCD spectra of the ferric and ferrous derivatives are similar to those of the analogous myoglobin and horseradish peroxidase species. This provides strong support for histidine imidazole as the fifth ligand to the heme iron of indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase. The substrate-free native ferric enzyme exhibits predominantly high-spin EPR signals (g perpendicular = 6, g parallel = 2) along with weak low-spin signals (g perpendicular = 2.86, 2.28, 1.60); similar EPR, spin-state and MCD features are found for the benzimidazole adduct of ferric myoglobin. This suggests that the substrate-free ferric enzyme has a sterically hindered histidine imidazole nitrogen donor sixth ligand. Upon substrate binding, noticeable MCD and EPR spectral changes are detected that are indicative of an increased low spin content (from 30 to over 70% at ambient temperature). Concomitantly, new low spin EPR signals (g = 2.53, 2.18, 1.86) and MCD features characteristic of hydroxide complexes of histidine-ligated heme proteins appear. For almost all of the other ferric and ferrous derivatives, only small substrate effects are observed with MCD spectroscopy, while substantial substrate effects are seen with CD spectroscopy. Thus, changes in the heme coordination structure of the ferric enzyme and in the protein conformation at the active site of the ferric and ferrous enzyme are induced by substrate binding. The observed substrate effects on the ferric enzyme may correlate with the previously observed kinetic substrate inhibition of indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase activity, while such effects on the ferrous enzyme suggest the possibility that the substrate is activated during turnover.