Diurnal Variations of Beta-Endorphin at Rest and After Moderate Intensity Exercise

To determine the effect of time of day on circulating beta-endorphin concentrations 14 men exercised at 75% of their maximal capacity at 0600, 1200, 1800 and 2400 hr. Each trial was separated by 3-5 days and preceded by a normal sleep cycle except for the 0600 hr trials which was preceded by 6 hr sleep. Resting physiological data indicated normal diurnal variations in heart rate, core temperature and oxygen uptake, being lowest during the 0600 hr trials and highest during the 1800 hr trials. Resting plasma beta-endorphin concentrations averaged 11.9 +/- 8.4 pmol/l during the 0600 hr trials, significantly greater than the 2400 hr trials (6.4 +/- 3.6 pmol/l; P less than 0.05). No other significant differences existed at rest. Post exercise beta-endorphin concentrations were elevated and found to be inversely related to time of day with the 0600 hr trials having the highest mean (25.7 +/- 14.7) and the 2400 hr trials the lowest (14.7 +/- 8.3). These data suggest that the plasma beta-endorphin concentrations at rest and after exercise are affected by the time of day. The results also suggest that the changes in beta-endorphin associated with exercise are not major contributors to cardiorespiratory control or changes in psychological effect associated with exercise.     

Bacterial siderophores : structure and NMR assignment of pyoverdins Pa,siderophores ofPseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 15692

Summary In iron-deficient conditions,Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 15692 synthesizes two major siderophores, pyoverdins Pa and pyoverdin Pa B. Two other compounds, pyoverdin Pa A (occurring from hydrolysis of pyoverdin Pa during the culture) and pyoverdin Pa C (occurring artifactually during the purification procedure) were also isolated. All these compounds possess the same partly cyclic peptide chain wherel-Orn(OH · HCO) isN -formyl,N -hydroxy-l-ornithine. The chain is bound to a chromophore derived from 2,3-diamino-6,7-dihydroxyquinoline and having the (S) configuration. The four pyoverdins differ only in the acyl substituent bound to the nitrogen atom bound to carbon C3 of the chromophore. This is succinamide (pyoverdin Pa), succinic acid (pyoverdin Pa A), methyl succinate (pyoverdin Pa C) and 2-oxoglutaric acid (pyoverdin Pa B). The complete¹H- and¹³CNMR assignments, using two-dimensional total correlation NMR spectroscopy (TOCSY) and rotating-frame Overhauser enhancement spectroscopy (ROESY) procedures, as well as¹H-¹³C correlations, are reported. The complete sequence of the peptide using CH-NH correlations was achieved by NMR and confirmed the partly cyclic structure earlier reported using fast-atom-bombardment mass spectrometry (FAB-MS) on the siderophores and their dansylated fragments [Briskot G, Taraz K, Budzikiewicz H (1989)Liebigs Ann Chem: 375–384]. The use of these NMR procedures appears to be a tool of choice and a complementary approach to FAB-MS in the structure determination of some complex pyoverdins.Abbreviations Ser serine - Arg arginine - Thr ethreonine - Lys lysine - OHOrn N -hydroxyornithine - Chr chromophore     

Messenger RNA recognition in Escherichia coli: a possible second site of interaction with 16S ribosomal RNA.

Examination of the nucleotides following the ATG or GTG initiation codons of a file of 251 genes from Escherichia coli has shown that 247 (98.4%) of them contain a sequence of at least three and 168 (66.9%) of them a sequence of at least four consecutive nucleotides that is complementary to some part of the 16 nt at the 5' terminus of the bacterial 16S rRNA. It is proposed that this sequence, which falls within the first 24 nt coding for the genetic message, might be involved in mRNA recognition through a mechanism analogous to the well-established 'Shine--Dalgarno' interaction with the 3' terminus of the 16S rRNA. Comparison of these data with data derived from a file of 117 'false' gene starts that have a Shine--Dalgarno-like sequence followed by a suitably spaced ATG or GTG triplet but which are believed not to lie at the beginnings of genetic messages shows the association that we have found to be statistically significant at the 99.9% level.     

Ritual production of environmental history among the Arawakan Wakuénai of Venezuela

This essay examines ritual and ceremonial activities among the Arawakspeaking Wakuénai of the Venezuelan Amazon as processes of constructing power relations in changing historical and ecological conditions. Ritual evocations of the vertical dimension of power relations between mythic ancestors and human descendants adapt local populations to conditions of relatively severe stress, such as epidemics and scarcity of fish in long wet seasons. Other rituals evoke the horizontal dimension of power relations between affinally-related groups as a way of expanding the local descent group in conditions of lowered stress. These two ways of exercising ritual power link human populations to specific natural habitats and provide flexibility needed to adjust to demographic and other historical changes. Through ritual performances, the Wakuénai transform the natural environment into a cultural landscape of socialized objects and, conversely, remember the history of political relations among peoples through spirit-naming of natural species, objects, places, and geographic landmarks.     

Cloning and characterization of the tetracycline resistance determinant of and several promoters from within the conjugative transposon Tn919

Tn919 is a 15- to 16-kilobase (kb) tetracycline resistance conjugative transposon that was originally isolated from Streptococcus sanguis FC1. The tetracycline resistance determinant (tet) was found on a 4.2-kb HindII fragment by in vitro deletion analysis. This fragment was subcloned to a pWV01 origin capable of directing replication in Escherichia coli, Bacillus subtilis, and Streptococcus lactis, and expression was observed in all three genera. In all cases, expression was weaker when only the 4.2-kb cloned fragment rather than the full transposon was present. The resistance gene is of the streptococcal tetM class and codes for a protein of approximately 70 kilodaltons. The restriction map resembles that of the tetM gene of Tn1545 (P. Martin, P. Trieu-Cuot, and P. Courvalin, Nucleic Acids Res. 14:7047-7058, 1986), which codes for a protein of 72.5 kilodaltons. A number of transposon-derived promoter-bearing fragments were also cloned and sequenced. These closely resemble the consensus sequence of E. coli and B. subtilis promoters. Fusion experiments with a truncated lacZ gene indicate the possibility of an open reading frame for one of the promoters.     

Interactions of porphyrins with purified DNA and more highly organized structures

Studies of the solution properties of gold(III)tetrakis(4-N-methylpyridyl) porphine and its DNA binding characteristics have been conducted utilizing uv/vis absorption spectroscopy, circular dichroism (CD), Mossbauer spectroscopy, and temperature-jump relaxation techniques. These studies indicate that over the concentration range considered this water soluble gold(III) porphyrin does not aggregate, binds axial ligands only weakly with a preference for soft Lewis bases, and is capable of intercalation into nucleic acids of appropriate base pair content. The interaction of this and several other porphyrins with the synthetic polynucleotide poly(dA-dC).poly(dT-dG) has been studied. Spectroscopic signatures for intercalation were found for those derivatives not having axial ligands. Intercalation into chromatin in vitro can also occur with those porphyrins and metalloporphyrins which do not have axial ligands. Finally, studies utilizing microinjection techniques indicate that once within the cell, tetrakis(4-N-methylpyridyl)porphine tends to localize in the nucleus.     

Distribution of Nephrops norvegicus (L.) larvae in the western Irish Sea: an example of advective control on recruitment

Results of a survey of Nephrops norvegicus larvae conductedin the western Irish Sea during May 1984 are discussed. Thelarval distributions show a pronounced tongue of high numbersextending southward from the muddy area where they are hatched.The inferred density-driven circulation at the time of the surveyis consistent with the southward transport of larvae. BecauseN.norvegicus requires a muddy substrate for successful larvalsettlement, the processes which influence the circulation mayprovide an important control on the level of recruitment.