A probing feeding strategy for Escherichia coli cultures

A strain-independent feeding strategy for fed-batch cultures of Escherichia coli is presented. By superimposing short pulses in the glucose feed rate, on-line detection of acetate formation can be made using a standard dissolved oxygen sensor. A simple feedback algorithm is then used to adjust the feed rate to avoid acetate formation. The feasibility of the strategy is demonstrated by both simulation and experiments.     

Placing butterflies on the map – testing regional geographical resolution of three stable isotopes in Sweden using the monophagus peacock Inachis io

Stable isotope analyses of tissues have been used to help delineate natal regions and routes of migratory animals. The foundations of such studies are isotopic gradients or differences representing geographic regions and habitat used by the organism that are retained in selected tissues. We sampled peacock butterflies Inachis io on a regional level in southern Sweden to study natural variation and the resolving power of the stable isotope method to delineate individuals from known areas on a smaller scale than has typically been used in previous studies. Hydrogen (δD), carbon (δ¹³C) and nitrogen (δ¹⁵N) isotopes were obtained from butterflies at seven different locations in an area of 250×250 km over three years (2002–2004). We found sufficient isotopic differences on this regional scale to delineate approximate origins. Of the three isotopes, deuterium showed good discrimination between sites, carbon isotopes showed weaker differentiation, whereas nitrogen isotopes proved unsuitable for small scale studies in this region due to high and unpredictable variation. We found there was enough variation in δD between years to prevent a general application of the technique to resolve sub‐regional variation. Substantial part of this variation was probably caused by seasonal changes in δD of precipitation. These differences produce significant variation in δD between years in animals having short and variable tissue development times, and are difficult to estimate in natural situations. We conclude that stable isotopes are potentially powerful predictors for studies of migratory butterflies in Europe. However, without good knowledge about the sampled individuals’ previous life‐history, a lot of the natural environmental variation in tissue δD cannot be controlled for. In the case of migratory species, this information is difficult to obtain, making the confidence intervals for prediction of natal areas fairly wide and probably only suitable for longer distance migration.     

Influence of gonadal hormones and social housing conditions on agonistic,copulatory, and related socio-sexual behaviour in the Mongolian gerbil (Meriones unguiculatus)

The Mongolian gerbil is colonial, but its social organization within its colonies is not known. Pair formation has been suggested by breeders and has been observed under semi-natural conditions. Family units remain stable under such conditions. In the solitary-living hamster (Cricetus auratus), agonistic behaviour decreases in male-female encounters during female heat. This report concerns the influence of female and male gonadal hormones on agonistic behaviour in gerbils studied in cagemate and non-cagemate encounters. Further, the occurrence of mating, marking, and drumming was studied in the same situations. No effects were found of either the female or the male endocrine condition on the low amount of agonistic behaviour between cagemates. A reduction in the high amount of agonistic responses in encounters between non-cagemates was indicated. It was related to the castrated-male and induced-oestrous female conditions. Copulatory behaviour was not influenced by social maintenance conditions. Marking and drumming were most frequent in females in oestrous and intact males. The occurences in the females were influenced by the individual's endocrine condition, but not by the opponent's. Intact males in encounters with non-cagemates marked more frequently when the females were in anoestrous. Drumming in the intact males increased in tests with oestrous versus anoestrous females but occurred more frequently in encounters with non-cagemates than in those with cagemates. The behaviour of castrated males was not influenced by the endocrine or by social housing conditions. The limited variation in agonistic behaviour relative to the endocrine conditions may reflect a non-solitary social organization.     

Aerobe und anaerobe Glykolyse bei der Entwicklung des Froscheies (Rana temporaria L.)

Zusammenfassung Die Milchsäure wurde unter aeroben und anaeroben Verhältnissen in verschiedenen Stadien der Froschentwicklung bestimmt. Es wird eine anaerobe Glykolyse festgestellt. Die Atmung verdrängt die Milchsäure, denn aerob ist nur eine schwache Glykolyse festzustellen. Der Milchsäuregehalt des unbefruchteten und des befruchteten Eies ist gleich. Die anaerobe Glykolyse steigt im Laufe der Entwicklung. Die Entwicklung kann auch anaerob vor sich gehen, kommt aber schließlich zum Stillstand. Die Neurula sind bedeutend empfindlicher gegen Sauerstoffmangel als die Keime in früheren Stadien der Entwicklung.     

Cytosolic and nuclear binding proteins for 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin in the rat thymus

The existence of a high-affinity, low-capacity 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD)-binding species was demonstrated in cytosol from rat thymus. It was sensitive to heat and to pronase, trypsin or chymotrypsin but not to DNAase or RNAase, indicating that it was a protein. An excess of unlabelled 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzofuran or β-naphthoflavone displaced [³H]TCDD from the binder whereas phenobarbital, pregnenolone-16-α-carbonitrile or dexamethasone did not compete. Using a dextra-coated charcoal assay, the apparent dissociation constant (K_d) of the [³H]TCDD-binder complex was determined to 0.36 nM and the apparent maximum amount of binding sites (B_max) to 68 fmol/mg of cytosolic protein. When analyzed by sucrose density-gradient centrifugation at high ionic strength, the [³H]TCDD-binder complex sedimented at 4?5 S; at low ionic strength the complex sedimented more rapidly, probably due to aggregation. All these data support the interpretation that the demonstrated cytosolic TCDD-binder represents the receptor protein for TCDD, as previously described for rat and mouse liver. Following intravenous administration of [^3H]TCDD, a low-capacity [³H]TCDD-macromolecule complex was extractable from thymic cell neuclei; this complex behaved identically to the cytosolic [³H]TCDD-receptor complex when exposed to heat or to hydrolytic enzymes and was therefore alos identified as a protein. The nuclear [³H]TCDD-protein complex sedimented at 4–5 S at high ionic strength. Furthermore, a maximum uptake of [³H]TCDD in thymic nuclei was observed simultaneously with a decline in cytosolic radioactivity (at 3 h post-injection). These findings suggest that the nuclear [³H]TCDD-protein complex represented [³H]TCDD-receptor complex translocated from the cytoplasm. In conclusion, the rat thymus contains a cytosolic TCDD receptor at a concentration similar to that of the rat hepatic receptor. However, in vivo experiments showed that the nuclear uptake of [³H]TCDD (expressed as dpm/mg GNA) in the thymus was only about 6% of that in liver. Further studies are needed for an understanding of the mechanism behind this discrepancy.     

The primary structure of a 1,4-β-glucan cellobiohydrolase from the fungus Trichoderma reesei QM 9414

The sequence of the approx. 490 amino acid residues of the main 1,4-β-glucan cellobiohydrolase (CBH I) (EC 3.2.1.91) from culture filtrates of the fungus Trichoderma reesei QM 9414 has been established by automatic liquid phase Edman degradation. Peptides obtained by chemical and enzymatic cleavage of the reduced and S-carboxymethylated protein were isolated by a combination of gel filtration and high-performance liquid chromatography. The amino-terminus of the single polypeptide chain is blocked by a pyroglutamyl residue. Most of the neutral carbohydrate present in the glycoprotein is bound within a short region near the carboxyl-terminus. Three attachment sites of glucosamine residues have also been established.     

Monitoring Svalbard rock ptarmigan: Distance sampling and occupancy modeling

The only resident terrestrial herbivorous bird species in high-Arctic Svalbard, Norway is the endemic Svalbard rock ptarmigan (Lagopus muta hyperborea) of which little is known of its population dynamics. We assessed temporal and spatial variability of the pre-breeding population of Svalbard rock ptarmigan males using: 1) distance sampling to estimate density (2000–2009) and 2) occupancy modeling to determine the proportion of survey points being occupied in relation to a habitat index for ptarmigan habitat suitability (2005–2009). Data were collected using a point-transect sampling design. We split the analysis according to type of survey point (non-random, random, and survey points combined). Our estimated spring densities were low (1.3–3.1 territorial male/km², non-random survey points, 2000–2009) with limited annual variability. The best models describing occupancy rates of territorial males at 2 different spatial scales (ptarmigan males observed ≤250 m and ≤450 m from the sampling point) were independent of spatial scales and the type of survey points. Occupancy dynamics were related to the habitat index whereas detection probability was year dependent. Extinction probability was negatively related to habitat quality (good habitats had lower extinction probability). We could not estimate the habitat effect on colonization precisely because initial occupancy rates were high at both spatial scales (estimated average initial occupancy at scale ≤250 m = 0.96; scale ≤450 m = 0.97). Colonization appeared to be positively related to the habitat index for the random survey points (including mainly marginal habitats), but the small sample size led to large uncertainty in the parameter estimate. Detection probabilities varied greatly between study years, thus demonstrating the importance of estimating detection probability annually. We recommend that future surveys are stratified with respect to habitat quality and to integrate the 2 methodologies in population monitoring of Svalbard rock ptarmigan. © 2011 The Wildlife Society.     

Do human activity and infrastructure disturb domesticated reindeer? The need for the reindeer’s perspective

In recent decades, human–Rangifer (reindeer and caribou) interactions have increasingly been studied from a scientific perspective. Many of the studies have examined Norwegian wild reindeer or caribou in North America. It is often questioned whether results from these studies can be applied to reindeer in managed herds, as these animals have been exposed to domestication and are also more used to humans. In order to examine the domesticated reindeer’s reactions to various disturbance sources, we reviewed 18 studies of the effects of human activity and infrastructure on 12 populations of domesticated reindeer and compared these to studies on wild reindeer and caribou; based on this, we discuss the effects of domestication and tameness on reindeer responses to anthropogenic disturbance. We also consider the relevance of spatial and temporal scales and data collection methods when evaluating the results of these studies. The reviewed studies showed that domesticated reindeer exhibit avoidance behaviours up to 12 km away from infrastructure and sites of human activity and that the area they avoid may shift between seasons and years. Despite a long domestication process, reindeer within Sami reindeer-herding systems exhibit similar patterns of large-scale avoidance of anthropogenic disturbance as wild Rangifer, although the strength of their response may sometimes differ. This is not surprising since current Sami reindeer husbandry represents an extensive form of pastoralism, and the reindeer are not particularly tame. To obtain a true picture of how reindeer use their ranges, it is of fundamental importance to study the response pattern at a spatial and temporal scale that is relevant to the reindeer, whether domesticated or wild.