Ein neuer Palaeodictyopteren-Fund aus dem westdeutschen Namurium

From the Namurian B of the Bergisches Land the oldest known remain of the Dictyoneuridae is described, namedSchmidtopteron adictyon n. g., n. sp. Present is a wing with the following characteristics: 1. shape long and slender; 2. subcosta relativly short; 3. radius nearly as long as the wing; 4. radius-sector branched off from the radius at 1/5 of the length of the wing (prox.), subdivided into 4 branches; 5. medialis subdivided also at 1/5 of the length of the wing; MEp with 2 branches; 6. cubitus subdivided at 1/10 of the length of the wing, CUp undivided; 7. anal veins 4 in number, separated each from the others in full length; at least A1 und A2 bifurcated; 8. A1 and CUp joined by a short connecting vein; 9. archaeodictyon not present. Schmidtopteron adictyon is the most primitive Namurian wing known. Its systematic position results from the structure of the only little branched veins. The absence of the archaeodictyon may be attributed to preservation: only the external mould of the upper surface of the wing is preserved. From all other genera of the Dictyoneuridae,Schmidtopteron is separated by the connection between A1 and CUp. This feature, and the relative large anal area, show thatSchmidtopteron is not the ancestor of younger Dictyoneuridae, but an early side branch of the evolution of this family.     

Kinetic characterisation of the enzymatic activity of the eEF-2-specific Ca2(+)-and calmodulin-dependent protein kinase III purified from rabbit reticulocytes.

The Ca2(+)-and calmodulin-dependent protein kinase III, which specifically phosphorylates the eukaryotic elongation factor 2 (eEF-2), has been purified to apparent homogeneity from the post-ribosomal fraction of rabbit reticulocytes by an efficient four-step method. The method results in a more than 4000-fold purification of the enzyme. SDS-gel electrophoresis showed that the purified kinase contained only one polypeptide with the apparent molecular mass of 90 kDa. The kinase activity was associated with the 90-kDa protein as shown by analyzing the phosphorylating activity of SDS gel electrophoretically purified protein electroblotted to nitrocellulose membranes. The purified kinase was dependent on Ca2+, Mg2+ and calmodulin for activity. Kinetic analysis of the phosphorylation reaction indicates that the turnover number of the kinase was approximately 1 s-1. The Km for the two substrates ATP and eEF-2 was calculated to be approximately 100 microM and 10 microM, respectively. The activity of the kinase was competitively inhibited by cAMP. The inhibition constant Ki (0.5 mM) was found to be in the same order of magnitude as that calculated for the competitive product inhibition caused by ADP. GTP was ten-times less efficient as competitor, indicating that the kinase had a preference for adenosine nucleotides. Phosphorylation of eEF-2 did not interfere with the diphtheria-toxin-catalysed ADP-ribosylation of the factor nor did ADP-ribosylation inhibit phosphorylation.     

Mineralization of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) in soil inoculated with Pseudomonas cepacia DBO1(pRO101), Alcaligenes eutrophus AEO106(pRO101) and Alcaligenes eutrophus JMP134(pJP4): effects of inoculation level and substrate concentration

Mineralization of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) by two Alcaligenes eutrophus strains and one Pseudomonas cepacia strain containing the 2,4-D degrading plasmids pJP4 or pRO101 (=pJP4::Tn1721) was tested in 50 g (wet wt) samples of non-sterile soil. Mineralization was measured as ¹⁴C-CO₂evolved during degradation of uniformly-ring-labelled ¹⁴C-2,4-D. When the strains were inoculated to a level of approximately 10⁸ CFU/g soil, between 20 and 45% of the added 2,4-D (0.05 ppm, 10 ppm or 500 ppm) was mineralized within 72 h. Mineralization of 0.05 ppm and 10 ppm, 2,4-D by the two A. eutrophus strains was identical and rapid whereas mineralization by P. cepacia DBO1(pRO101) occurred more slowly. In contrast, mineralization of 500 ppm 2,4-D by the two A. eutrophus strains was very slow whereas mineralization by P. cepacia DBO1 was more rapid. Comparison of 2,4-D mineralization at different levels of inoculation with P. cepacia DBO1(pRO101) (6×10⁴, 6×10⁶ and 1×10⁸ CFU/g soil) revealed that the maximum mineralization rate was reached earlier with the high inoculation levels than with the low level. The kinetics of mineralization were evaluated by nonlinear regression analysis using five different models. The linear or the logarithmic form of a three-half-order model were found to be the most appropriate models for describing 2,4-D mineralization in soil. In the cases in which the logarithmic form of the three-half-order model was the most appropriate model we found, in accordance with the assumptions of the model, a significant growth of the inoculated strains.Abbreviations 2,4-D 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid - CFU colony forming units - PTYG peptone, tryptone, yeast & glucose - DPM disintegrations per minute     

Restoration of light induced photosystem II inhibition without de novo protein synthesis

Illumination of isolated spinach thylakoid membranes under anaerobic conditions gave rise to severe inhibition of photosystem II electron transport but did not result in D1-protein degradation. When these photoinhibited thylakoids were incubated in total darkness the photosystem II activity could be fully restored in vitro in a process that required 1-2 h for completion.     

Fermentation of Bacillus thuringiensis for exotoxin production: Process analysis study

The exotoxin produced by certain serotypes of Bacillus thuringiensis was used as a means of microbiological control of the larval development of flies. The optimal batch cultivation conditions with respect to pH, temperature, aeration, agitation, and initial concentration of growth-limiting substrate were determined. A dynamic model describing the process was designed and fitted to the experimental data. The application of a method for estimating exotoxin and bacterial concentrations from on-line measurable quantities such as oxygen consumption and heat production is presented.     

Purification and characterization of the flavoenzyme glutathione reductase from rat liver.

Glutathione reductase from rat liver has been purified greater than 5000-fold in a yield of 20%. The molecular weights of the enzyme and its subunits were estimated to be 125,000 and 60,000, respectively, indicating that the native enzyme is a dimer. The enzyme molecular contains 2 FAD molecules, which are reducible by NADPH, GSH or dithioerythritol. The reduced flavin is instantaneously reoxidized by addition of GSSG. The steady state kinetic data are consistent with a branching reaction mechanism previously proposed for glutathione reductase from yeast (MANNERVIK, B. (1973) Biochem. Biophy. Res. Commun. 53, 1151-1158). This mechanism is also favored by the nonlinear inhibition pattern produced by NADP-+. However, at low GSSG concentrations the rate equation can be approximated by that of a simple ping pong mechanism. NADPH and the mixed disulfide of coenzyme A and GSH were about 10% as active as NADPH and GSSG, respectively, whereas some sulfenyl derivatives related to GSSG were less active as substrates. The pH activity profiles of these substrates differed from that of the NADPH-GSSG substrate pair.     

Process‐based functions for seed retention on animals: a test of improved descriptions of dispersal using multiple data sets

Studies of external seed transport on animals usually assume that the probability of detachment is constant, so that seed retention should show a simple exponential relationship with time. This assumption has not been tested explicitly, and may lead to inaccurate representation of long distance seed dispersal by animals. We test the assumption by comparing the fit to empirical data of simple, two‐parameter functions. Fifty‐two data sets were obtained from five published studies, describing seed retention of 32 plant species on sheep, cattle, deer, goats and mice. Model selection suggested a simple exponential function was adequate for data sets in which seed retention was followed for short periods ( <48 h). The data gathered over longer periods (49–219 days) were best described by the power exponential function, a form of the stretched exponential which allows a changing dropping rate. In these cases the power exponential showed that seed dropping rate decreased with time, suggesting that seeds vary in attachment, with some seeds becoming deeply buried or wound up in the animal's coat. Comparison of fitted parameters across all the data sets also confirmed that seeds with adhesive structures have lower dropping rates than those without. We conclude that the seed dropping rate often changes with time during external transport on animals and that the power exponential is an effective function to describe this change. We advise that, to analyse seed dropping rates adequately, retention should be measured over reasonable time periods – until most seeds are dropped – and both the simple and power exponential functions should be fitted to the resulting data. To increase its utility, we provide functions describing the seed dropping rate and the dispersal kernel resulting from the power exponential relationship.     

Validation of density–elasticity relationships for finite element modeling of human pelvic bone by modal analysis

In total hip arthroplasty and particularly in revision surgery, computer assisted pre-operative prediction of the best possible anchorage strategy for implant fixation would be a great help to the surgeon. Computer simulation relies on validated numerical models. In the current study, three density–elasticity relationships (No. 1–3) from the literature for inhomogeneous material parameter assignment from CT data in automated finite element (FE) modeling of long bones were evaluated for their suitability for FE modeling of human pelvic bone. Numerical modal analysis was conducted on 10 FE models of hemipelvic bone specimens and compared to the gold standard provided by experimental modal analysis results from a previous in-vitro study on the same specimens. Overall, calculated resonance frequencies came out lower than measured values. Magnitude of mean relative deviation of numerical resonance frequencies with regard to measured values is lowest for the density–elasticity relationship No. 3 (−15.9%) and considerably higher for both density–elasticity relationships No. 1 (−41.1%) and No. 2 (−45.0%). Mean MAC values over all specimens amount to 77.8% (No. 1), 78.5% (No. 2), and 83.0% (No. 3). MAC results show, that mode shapes are only slightly influenced by material distribution. Calculated resonance frequencies are generally lower than measured values, which indicates, that numerical models lack stiffness. Even when using the best suited (No. 3) out of three investigated density–elasticity relationships, in FE modeling of pelvic bone a considerable underestimation of model stiffness has to be taken into account.