Extra Y chromosomes and epilepsy

Summary The authors examined the karyotypes of the men 183 cm (6 ft.) tall or more among the 320 male residents of two Swedish institutions for the long-term care of epilepsy. All 14 men meeting this criterion proved to have the normal chromosome constitution-46, XY.     

Isolation and characterization of a 23 kDa protein essential for photosynthetic oxygen evolution

A 23 kDa protein has recently been demonstrated to participate in photosynthetic oxygen evolution by reconstitution experiments on inside-out thylakoid vesicles (Åkerlund H-E, Jansson C and Andersson B (1982) Biochim Biophys Acta 681:1–10). Here we describe the isolation of the 23 kDa protein from a spinach chloroplast extract using ion-exchange chromatography. The protein was obtained in a yield of 25% and with less than 1% of contaminating proteins. The ability of the protein to stimulate oxygen evolution in inside-out thylakoids was preserved throughout the various fractionation steps. The isolated protein was highly water soluble and appeared as a monomer. Its isoelectric point was at pH=7.3. The amino acid composition showed a high content of polar amino acids, resulting in a polarity index of 49%. The isolated protein lacked metals and other prosthetic groups. Its function as a catalytic or regulating subunit in the oxygen evolving complex is discussed.Abbreviations kDa kiloDalton - PAGE polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis     

Qualitative and quantitative variations of membrane lipid species in Acholeplasma laidlawii A

In Acholeplasma laidlawii A, strain EF 22, the relative amounts of the membrane polar lipids vary as a consequence of different fatty acid supplements to the growth medium. The number of lipid species also varies; a new apolar monoglucolipid containing four fatty acid residues was present only when saturated fatty acids dominated in the growth medium. A new phosphoglucolipid, probably with a glycerophosphoryl-monoglucosyldiglyceride structure, was also found. The most pronounced variations occurred between the two dominating glucolipids, monoglucosyldiglyceride and diglucosyldiglyceride; the former being found in larger amounts when a saturated or a trans-unsaturated fatty acid was present in the medium. The amount of diglucosyldiglyceride decreased accordingly. A qualitative relationship between fatty acid properties and membrane lipid variations was established over a wide fatty acid concentration range. Incorporation of supplied fatty acids reached higher levels than normally found in other acholeplasmas. The ratio between membrane protein and lipids exhibited significant and coherent variations during growth and was to some extent influenced by the fatty acids in the medium. These changes indicate variations in lipid-protein organization in the membranes during growth.     

Evidence for A Ca2+ gradient across the plasma membrane of wheat protoplasts

Fluxes of Ca²⁺ across the plasma membrane of isolated wheat protoplasts have been measured both as net accumulation and as uptake under steady-state conditions. The ATPase inhibitors, orthovanadate and diethylstibesterol, and the divalent cation ionophore, A23187, were all found to enhance net Ca²⁺ accumulation by protoplasts. The uptake of Ca²⁺ under steady-state conditions was also stimulated by A23187 but relatively unaffected by a range of plant hormones or by red or far red light. Light treatments were compared to dark controls with protoplasts isolated from etiolated wheat.The results suggest that plant cells maintain a Ca²⁺ gradient across their plasma membrane but it appears not to be under phytochrome control.     

Body temperature responses of Great Tits Parus major to handling in the cold

Animals typically respond to stressful stimuli such as handling by increasing core body temperature. However, small birds in cold environments have been found to decrease body temperature (T_b) when handled over longer periods, although there are no data extending beyond the actual handling event in such birds. We therefore measured both the initial T_b decrease during ringing and standardized T_b sampling, and subsequent recovery of T_b after this handling protocol in wild Great Tits Parus major roosting in nestboxes in winter. Birds reduced their T_b by 2.3 °C during c. 4 min of handling. When birds were returned to their nestboxes after handling, T_b decreased by a further 1.9 °C over c. 2 min, reaching a T_b of 34.6 °C before taking 20 min to rewarm to 2.5 °C above their initial T_b. The T_b reduction during handling could be a consequence of increased heat loss rate from disrupted plumage insulation, whereas T_b reduction after handling might reflect reduced heat production. These are important factors to consider when handling small birds in the cold.     

Über die Backfähigkeit schwedischer Weizensorten und die Möglichkeit ihrer Verbesserung durch Züchtung

Ohne Zusammenfassung     

The Functional Surface Charge Density of a Fast K Channel in the Myelinated Axon of Xenopus laevis

The action of Mg²⁺ on the putative xKv1.1 channel in the myelinated axon of Xenopus laevis was analyzed in voltage clamp experiments. The main effect was a shift in positive direction of the open probability curve (16 mV at 20 mm Mg²⁺), calculated from measurements of the instantaneous current at Na reversal potential after 50–100 msec steps to different potentials. The shift was measured at an open probability level of 25% to separate it from shifts of other K channel populations in the nodal region. The results could be explained in terms of screening effects on fixed charges located on the surface of the channel protein. Using the Grahame equation the functional charge density was estimated to −0.45 e nm⁻². Analyzing this value, together with previously estimated values from other K channels, with reference to the charge of different extracellular loops of the channel protein, we conclude that the loop between the transmembrane S5 segment and the pore forming P segment determines the functional charge density of voltage-gated K channels. Received: 11 December 1997/Revised: 24 April 1998     

Differing myocardial response to a single session of hemodialysis in end-stage renal disease with and without type 2 diabetes mellitus and coronary artery disease

The ninth edition of the congress of the European Association of Echocardiography (EAE) (former working group of Echocardiography) held in Florence has just finished with a great success of participant attendance (2.842) and abstract submissions. Hot topics at EuroEcho 9 were: 1-live 3-dimensional echocardiography and surgical decision making; in pediatric cardiology; in resynchronization therapy 2- stress echocardiography beyond wall motion: from valve diseases to contractility to coronary flow reserve to diastolic function; 3- pulmonary cardiogenic interstitial thickening recognized by ultrasonic lung comets; 4- the "proven clinical inefficacy" of the many technologies sold as breakthrough: color kinesis, tissue characterization, strain rate, tissue Doppler, applied to stress echocardiography.