High hydrostatic pressure and the dissection of fertilization responses : I. The relationship between cortical granule exocytosis and proton efflux during fertilization of the sea urchin egg

High hydrostatic pressure applied between sperm attachment and the onset of cortical granule exocytosis will inhibit this exocytotic event in sea urchin eggs. Such pressure-treated zygotes, nevertheless, are activated and capable of development. Thus, this technique can be used as a tool to study the relationship between cortical granule breakdown and other fertilization-related responses. We have studied whether the exocytosis of cortical granules is necessary for proton efflux (acid release) to occur. Our results indicate that although Ca²⁺ is released while the eggs are under pressure (a prerequisite for the following events to take place), cortical granule exocytosis and acid release are pressure-sensitive and completely inhibited at pressures above 400 atm (6000 psi) and 275 atm (4000 psi), respectively. However, upon decompression, acid release is initiated which amounts to 65–70% of that seen in the unpressurized controls, suggesting that the efflux mechanism does not require cortical granule exocytosis and must result from some modification of the original plasma membrane of the egg. The remaining 30–35% of the acid release is related to cortical granule exocytosis, since it can be obtained upon induction of the cortical granule fusion 30 min later under atmospheric pressure. The initiation of acid release after decompression indicates that the efflux mechanism is not transiently turned on at fertilization, but undergoing long-term modification; the recovery of the ability to induce cortical granule fusion after fertilization under pressure suggests a refilling of cytoplasmic Ca²⁺ stores within this time course.     

Cell surface heparan sulfate proteoglycans from human vascular endothelial cells. Core protein characterization and antithrombin III binding properties.

Human aortic endothelial cells (HAEC) and human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) were labeled with 35SO(4)2- for 48 h. The membrane-associated proteoglycans were solubilized from these monolayers with detergent and purified by ion-exchange chromatography on Mono Q, incorporation in liposomes, and gel filtration. The liposome-intercalated proteoglycans were 125I-iodinated and treated with heparitinase before SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Radio-labeled proteins with apparent molecular masses of 130, 60, 46, 35, and 30 kDa (HAEC) and 180, 130, 62, 43, and 35 kDa (HUVEC) were detected by autoradiography. Further characterization by affinity chromatography on immobilized monoclonal antibodies and by Northern blot analysis provided evidence for the expression of syndecan, glypican, and fibroglycan in human endothelial cells. Most of the heparan sulfate which accumulated in the subendothelial matrix was implanted on a 400-kDa core protein. This protein was immunologically related to perlecan and bound to fibronectin. Binding studies on immobilized antithrombin III suggested that all membrane-associated heparan sulfate proteoglycan forms had the capacity to bind to antithrombin III but that high affinity binding was more typical for glypican. Most of the proteoglycans isolated from the extracellular matrix also bound only with low affinity to antithrombin III. These results imply that glypican may specifically contribute to the antithrombotic properties of the vascular wall.     

Action of alcohol in chronic emotional pain stress in rats

Male albino rats were exposed to daily emotional painful stress (EPS) for 4 weeks. The arterial blood pressure of the stressed animals increased and the dynamics of the heart rate changed after functional loading (hypokinesis during one or two hours) as compared with the control group. The increase of the heart weight and activation of cytochrome oxidase activity in the cerebral cortex and hippocampus of rats exposed to EPS were also demonstrated. The use of 20% ethyl alcohol instead of drinking water during EPS partially prevented vegetative disturbances and activation of hippocampal cytochrome oxidase and fully prevented the heart hypertrophy and activation of the enzyme in the cortex. Alcoholization resulted in the increased weight of the spleen and brown adipose tissue and thymus involution. A possible mechanism of the antistress action of alcohol linked with normalization of intensified lipid peroxidation under stress is discussed.     

Alkaliphilic anaerobic community at pH 10

Relict or ancient microbial communities in extreme environment might be analogous to the centers of origin of bacterial diversity. A bacterial community of an alkaline lake was investigated, and the diversity of bacteria found there indicates that both conditions of autonomy and phylogenetic variety are fulfilled for anaerobic bacteria developing at pH 10±0.2. Major functional groups in the trophic network were present. Representatives of proteolytic, bacteriolytic, cellulolytic, saccharolytic, dissipotrophic, acetogenic, sulfate-reducing, methanogenic bacteria were isolated.     

Enumeration of potentially pathogenic bacteria from sewage sludges.

To ascertain the health risks that may be posed by the land application of sewage sludges, a scheme was devised to determine the types and numbers of pathogenic and potentially pathogenic bacteria present in sludges. A processing treatment was adapted to sludge to give a homogenate which yielded the greatest numbers of viable bacteria. Conventional methods were successful in enumerating Klebsiella, Staphylococcus, gram-negative enteric bacteria, and commonly used indicator organisms. Modifications of conventional methods improved the enumeration of Salmonella, Mycobacterium sp., fluorescent Pseudomonas sp., and Clostridium perfringens. However, Shigella methodology yielded only one isolate. Utilizing the proposed scheme, the population densities of these organisms were estimated in three domestic wastewater sludges. In light of these results, the potential impact of land application of sewage sludges is discussed.     

Characterization of microsatellite loci in White‐chinned Petrel (Procellaria aequinoctialis) and cross‐amplification in six other procellariiform species

Six polymorphic dinucleotide microsatellite loci were isolated and characterized from the White‐chinned Petrel Procellaria aequinoctialis, using a degenerate primer and PCR‐based technique to construct and screen an enriched genomic library. Preliminary data on three populations show heterozygosity levels ranging from 0.22 to 0.67 and allele numbers from three to nine. Preliminary data also suggest genetic distance between these three populations (F_ST 0.088). Cross‐species amplification of these six microsatellite loci and one further locus were tested in six other procellariiform species of the genus Procellaria, Macronectes, Thalassarche and Diomedea.