Micropropagation of Calluna vulgaris cv. ‘H.E. Beale’

Axillary shoot producing cultures were obtained from microcuttings and shoot tips of Calluna vulgaris cv. H.E. Beale. For cultures derived from microcuttings the highest multiplication rate of 38 shoots (5 mm or longer) was obtained on a reduced salt medium with the addition of 0.5 mgl^-1 2-isopentenyladenine (2iP) during an 8 week subculture. For shoot tip derived cultures 0.2 mgl^-1 6-benzyladenine (BA) was the best cytokinin and led to a multiplication rate of 26 for a 6 week subculture. The addition of 1 g/l casein hydrolysate to a multiplication medium enhanced shoot proliferation in presence of 0.5 mgl^-1 BA.Despite various auxin treatments shoots formed no roots in vitro but rooted readily if transferred to a peat substrate ex vitro. A high rooting percentage (80%) was also obtained with shoots taken from the end of a multiplication phase and rooted directly. An additional subculture on low auxin containing media before transfer to peat substrate is recommended because the shoot condition can be improved in this way. A high number of rooted plantlets was produced, so the methods described will allow mass propagation.     

Ultrastructure ofCatharanthus roseus cells culturedin vitro and exposed to conditions for alkaloid accumulation

Summary Periwinkle (Catharanthus roseus) cells cultured in 1-B 5 medium display the ultrastructure of parenchyma cells. The parenchyma character remained unchanged when cells were exposed to any one of three different conditions effecting alkaloid accumulation. Transfer of cells to alkaloid production medium for 2 weeks (condition 1) accorded two special features,i.e., unusually big lipid droplets in the cytoplasm and, upon fixation, one or several electron-dense droplets of spongy precipitate in vacuoles. Among hormone-autotrophic cultures (condition 2) some cells showed a fine electron-dense vacuolar precipitate. Addition ofPhythium homogenate (fungal elicitor) to cells cultured in 1-B 5-medium for 10 days (condition 3), cells showed a frequent appearance of singular big lipid droplets in the cytoplasm, whereas vacuoles remained devoid of precipitate. The appearance of big lipid droplets and of vacuolar precipitate is interpreted as progressing cytodifferentiation, but is coincidental with alkaloid accumulation.NRCC no. 24524.     

Purification and properties of a protein linked to the soluble hydrogenase of hydrogen-oxidizing bacteria.

In Alcaligenes eutrophus, the formation of the hydrogenases and of five new peptides is subject to the hydrogenase control system. Of these, the B peptide was purified to homogeneity. This protein (Mr, 37,500) was composed of two identical subunits (Mr, 18,800). Antibodies against the B protein were used for its quantification by rocket immunoelectrophoresis. About 4% of the total protein consisted of the B protein; its molar ratio to the NAD-linked hydrogenase was about 4:1. The B protein appeared to be associated with the NAD-linked hydrogenase, as shown by gel filtration analysis with Sephadex G-200. The B protein was not detected in cells that had not expressed the hydrogenase proteins or that lacked the genetic information of the hydrogen-oxidizing character; it was also not detected in Tn5 insertional mutants that were unable to form soluble hydrogenase antigens. Immunochemical analysis of other species and genera than A. eutrophus revealed that only strains able to form a NAD-linked hydrogenase also formed B-protein antigens. The B protein is not required for the catalytic activity of soluble hydrogenase in vitro; its function is at present unknown.     

N-Terminal Sequence of Pig Brain Choline Acetyltransferase Purified by a Rapid Procedure

A procedure is reported that allows the purification and amino terminal sequencing of pig brain choline acetyltransferase. The enzyme (present in extremely low amounts in this tissue) is eluted together with its antibody from an affinity column by a mild pH shift and the resulting enzyme-antibody complex separated by gel electrophoresis. The band corresponding to the enzyme is electroeluted from the gel using volatile solutions allowing the direct determination of the amino acid composition and partial sequence. The first 11 residues are: Pro-Ile-Leu-Glu-Lys-Thr-Pro-Pro-Lys-Met-Ala.     

Oxidation of ethanol by methanogenic bacteria

Methanogenium organophilum, a non-autotrophic methanogen able to use primary and secondary alcohols as hydrogen donors, was grown on ethanol. Per mol of methane formed, 2 mol of ethanol were oxidized to acetate. In crude extract, an NADP⁺-dependent alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) with a pH optimum of about 10.0 catalyzed a rapid (5 mol/min·mg protein; 22°C) oxidation of ethanol to acetaldehyde; after prolonged incubation also acetate was detectable. With NAD⁺ only 2% of the activity was observed. F₄₂₀ was not reduced. The crude extract also contained F₄₂₀: NADP⁺ oxidoreductase (0.45 mol/min·mg protein) that was not active at the pH optimum of ADH. With added acetaldehyde no net reduction of various electron acceptors was measured. However, the acetaldehyde was dismutated to ethanol and acetate by the crude extract. The dismutation was stimulated by NADP⁺. These findings suggested that not only the dehydrogenation of alcohol but also of aldehyde to acid was coupled to NADP⁺ reduction. If the reaction was started with acetaldehyde, formed NADPH probably reduced excess aldehyde immediately to ethanol and in this way gave rise to the observed dismutation. Acetate thiokinase activity (0.11 mol/min·mg) but no acetate kinase or phosphotransacetylase activity was observed. It is concluded that during growth on ethanol further oxidation of acetaldehyde does not occur via acetylCoA and acetyl phosphate and hence is not associated with substrate level phosphorylation. The possibility exists that oxidation of both ethanol and acetaldehyde is catalyzed by ADH. Isolation of a Methanobacterium-like strain with ethanol showed that the ability to use primary alcohols also occurs in genera other than Methanogenium.Non-standard abbreviations ADH alcohol dehydrogenase - Ap₅ALi₃ P¹,P⁵-Di(adenosine-5-)pentaphosphate - DTE dithioerythritol (2,3-dihydroxy-1,4-dithiolbutane) - F₄₂₀ N-(N-l-lactyl--l-glutamyl)-l-glutamic acid phosphodiester of 7,8-dimethyl-8-hydroxy-5-deazariboflavin-5-phosphate - Mg. Methanogenium - OD₅₇₈ optical density at 578 nm - PIPES 1,4-piperazine-diethanesulfonic acid - TRICINE N-(2-hydroxy-1,1-bis[hydroxymethyl]methyl)-glycine - Tris 2-amino-2-hydroxy-methylpropane-1,3-diol - U unit (mol substrate/min)     

Identification of a novel casein kinase activity in HeLa cell nuclei

Three casein kinase activities have been resolved by column chromatography of HeLa cell nuclear extracts. In addition to casein kinases NI and NII, which have been described in other cell types, HeLa nuclei contain a third casein kinase activity which we have named NIII. NIII is a cyclic nucleotide-independent casein kinase which uses either Mg2+ or Mn2+ as a divalent cation, but is inhibited by increasing NaCl concentrations in the presence of Mg2+ and has optimal activity at 50 mM NaCl in the presence of Mn2+. In Mg2+, NIII uses only ATP as a phosphate donor, but in Mn2+ NIII transfers phosphate from either ATP or GTP. NIII phosphorylates the serine and threonine residues of casein, but does not phosphorylate phosvitin or calf thymus histones.     

Individualgeschichte und Gesangsauspr?gung beim Star (Sturnus vulgaris) in einer Kolonie

Zusammenfassung Die Lautäußerungen der Stare können in Gesangsstrophen und Pfeiflaute unterteilt werden. Pfeiflaute sind kurz (bis 2 s) und einfach gebaut, während die Strophen wesentlich länger andauern (meist über 20 s) und sich aus zahlreichen komplex gebauten Untereinheiten zusammensetzen. In einer Kolonie bei Frankfurt am Main, in der die Individuen durch Farbringe gekennzeichnet sind, wurde der individuelle Variationsspielraum der Lautäußerungen analysiert. In den Feinstrukturen der Pfeifthemen glichen sich die Koloniemitglieder weitgehend aneinander an. In den Feinstrukturen der Motivtypen der Gesangsstrophen traten dagegen große individuelle Unterschiede auf. , die während Jahren in der gleichen Kolonie brüteten, sangen nur sehr wenige gemeinsame Motivtypen. Die Repertoiregröße variierte zwischen 17–39 Motivtypen. Im Herbstgesang traten 5 bisher noch nicht beobachtete Motivtypen auf. Es gibt somit deutliche Hinweise darauf, daß auch der adulte Star neue Laute erlernen kann.

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Individual history and song structure of Starlings (Sturnus vulgaris) living in a colony

Summary Starling's song can be divided into warbling and whistles. Whistles have a short and simple structure, whereas warbling is sung in long sequences (most often more than 20 s). In the warbling one can distinguish many different subunits (repetition of motifs). The individual variability of songs was studied in a colony near Frankfurt/Main in West Germany, where starlings were colour banded since 1969. The following results were obtained:Birds from the same colony uttered nearly identical or very similar microstructures in the species-specific whistle themes. Different to the whistle themes very distinct individual differences characterized the warbling. Only a few motif types were common among colony members. The individual repertoire size ranged from 17 to 39 motif types. Comparison of the song of one individual between the breeding season and the following autumn shows that motifs, which were not observed during spring occurred in the autumn. This observation is a hint that starlings are capable to learn new motif types even as adults.

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Stipendium der Alexander-von-Humboldt-Stiftung