The effect of the iron content in the culture medium on the nature of the protein spectrum in Neisseria meningitidis

The protein spectra of Neisseria meningitidis, strain A 208, in the process of its cultivation on solid culture medium based on peptone agar under the conditions of the surplus or deficiency of ions of trivalent iron in the medium. The creation of iron deficiency by the introduction of two iron-binding admixtures, desferol and diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (DTPA), was found to lead to the production of two additional proteins with molecular weights of 72 kD and 36-37 kD by meningococcal cells. Of these two admixtures, DTPA more readily stimulated the production of low-molecular protein with a molecular weight of 36-37 kD. This protein was found to be noticeably labile, while protein with a molecular weight of 72-73 kD showed no such lability. As the result of the cultivation of meningococci in iron-deficient medium, the content of protein in microbial residue was 2- to 3-fold greater than that obtained by the cultivation of meningococci in culture medium with the surplus of iron in the form of ferric nitrate.     

The function of multi-pod aggregations of fish-eating killer whales (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Orcinus orca</Emphasis>) in Kamchatka,Far East Russia

In fish-eating North Pacific killer whales, large multi-pod aggregations of up to 100 animals often occur. These aggregations are thought to be reproductive gatherings where mating between members of different pods takes place. However, killer whales are social animals, and the role of these aggregations might also be establishing and maintaining social bonds between pods. Alternatively, it is also possible that multi-pod aggregations are in some way connected with foraging or searching for fish. In this study of killer whales in the western North Pacific, we describe multi-pod aggregations quantitatively and suggest their functional role in the life of fish-eating killer whales. We show that foraging is rare in multi-pod aggregations, whether inter-clan or intra-clan, and thus they are unlikely to play an important role in cooperative foraging. Socialising occurs more frequently in inter-clan rather than in intra-clan aggregations, which suggests the higher arousal level and possible mating during inter-clan aggregations. In summary, multi-pod aggregations of Kamchatka killer whales might be both reproductive assemblages and “clubs” of some kind in which whales gather to establish and maintain social bonds.