Canarion,ein neues naphthochinon aus Usnea canariensis

The structure of canarione, a new naphthoquinone from the lichens Usnea canariensis and U. hookeri was elucidated by UV, ¹H-NMR, ¹³C-NMR, mass spectrometry, and chemical degradation as 5,8-dihydroxy-2-methyl-4H-naphtho [2,3b]-pyran-4,6,9 (6H, 9H)- trione.     

Ein neuer Palaeodictyopteren-Fund aus dem westdeutschen Namurium

From the Namurian B of the Bergisches Land the oldest known remain of the Dictyoneuridae is described, namedSchmidtopteron adictyon n. g., n. sp. Present is a wing with the following characteristics: 1. shape long and slender; 2. subcosta relativly short; 3. radius nearly as long as the wing; 4. radius-sector branched off from the radius at 1/5 of the length of the wing (prox.), subdivided into 4 branches; 5. medialis subdivided also at 1/5 of the length of the wing; MEp with 2 branches; 6. cubitus subdivided at 1/10 of the length of the wing, CUp undivided; 7. anal veins 4 in number, separated each from the others in full length; at least A1 und A2 bifurcated; 8. A1 and CUp joined by a short connecting vein; 9. archaeodictyon not present. Schmidtopteron adictyon is the most primitive Namurian wing known. Its systematic position results from the structure of the only little branched veins. The absence of the archaeodictyon may be attributed to preservation: only the external mould of the upper surface of the wing is preserved. From all other genera of the Dictyoneuridae,Schmidtopteron is separated by the connection between A1 and CUp. This feature, and the relative large anal area, show thatSchmidtopteron is not the ancestor of younger Dictyoneuridae, but an early side branch of the evolution of this family.     

Historical phytoplankton data of the Marsdiep

Published and unpublished data on phytoplankton of the Marsdiep tidal inlet were studied. Most older data, going back to 1897, are based on net-phytoplankton only, the earliest quantitative (Utermöhl) data being from 1965.Phaeocystis sp. bloomed in the Marsdiep after a spring diatom peak, at least as long ago as 1897. Summer or automn peaks ofPhaeocystis sp., frequent now, were also observed in 1898 and 1899. The duration of thePhaeocystis blooms in 1897 to 1899 was shorter than observed after 1978, but longer than in the early 1970s. The recent (1987 to 1989) duration ofPhaeocystis blooms is 2 to 3 times that of 1897–1899. This increase surpasses normal yearly variation and can be related to anthropogenically caused in crease in nutrient concentrations. A number of diatomspecies, at present numerically dominant in the spring peak, are not mentioned as dominant in the earlier periods of observation. They are small and passed through the nets used.Biddulphia sinensis, at present often abundant, is an immigrant in the North Sea since 1903, and for that reason absent from the earliest Marsdiep observations. No clear trend in duration of diatom blooms is apparent during 1965 to 1989. Anthropogenic eutrophication did not affect diatom blooms. Marsdiep records in the literature ofPhaeocystis globosa, P. pouchetii andP. sp. all refer to the same species.     

Mice can recover from pulmonary influenza virus infection in the absence of class I-restricted cytotoxic T cells.

Intranasal exposure of athymic (nu/nu) BALB/c mice to influenza virus leads to a persistent infection of the respiratory tract from which the mice die, usually within 3 to 4 wk with symptoms of general cachexia. However, if these nude mice were injected 1 day after infection, with approximately 10(6) cells from individual virus-specific MHC class II-restricted Th cell clones, they showed greatly reduced mortality and the titers of infectious virus in their lungs were reduced, often to undetectable levels. By coinfecting mice with pairs of antigenically distinct viruses and subsequently determining the extent of clearance of each type of virus, it could be shown first that the clearance mechanism was immunologically specific but did not display the typical crossreaction of class I-restricted cytotoxic T (Tc) cells. In addition, neither primary nor memory Tc responses could be detected in these mice. Second, Th cell clones promoted clearance solely of those viruses that contained the specific Th cell determinant, i.e., Th cell-nonreactive bystander viruses were not cleared. These findings were compatible with virus clearance being effected either directly after recognition of infected class II-positive cells by the transferred Th cells or indirectly via promotion of a glycoprotein-specific antibody response. The latter seems to be the case because transfer of Th cells into infected T and B cell-deficient SCID mice did not result in virus clearance, although transfer of an anti-hemagglutinin antibody cocktail did. Thus, a virus-specific Tc cell response is not a requirement for recovery from a pulmonary influenza virus infection.     

The hemocytes of the centipedeLithobius forficatus (Chilopoda,Lithobiomorpha)

Summary Five different types of hemocytes are found within the hemolymph ofLithobius forficatus: (1) small prohemocytes, (2) very actively spreading plasmatocytes, (3) granulocytes which have a lower spreading ability but tend to agglutinate, (4) spherulocytes which are filled with spherules, and (5) presumably, a coagulocyte, characterized by instant disintegration. Cystocytes as described forL. forficatus in the literature are preparation artifacts. Cell types are characterized by electron microscopy and in vitro and vital staining techniques at the light microscopic level. Results are discussed with reference to different nomenclatures and functions of hemocytes in other arthropods.     

Protection against acute paraquat toxicity by ambroxol

An expression vector for G-CSF, pASLB3-3, was constructed and introduced into Namalwa KJM-1 cells (Hosoi et al., 1988), and cells resistant to 100 nM of methotrexate (MTX) were obtained. Among them, the highest producer, clone SC57, was selected and the productivity of this clone was further characterized. The maximal production of G-CSF was at the most 1.8 g/ml/day using a 25 cm² tissue culture flask, even though the cell number was above 7×10⁵ cells/ml. The limiting factors at high density were analyzed as the deficiency of nutrients, such as glucose, cysteine and serine, and pH control. The depression of specific G-CSF productivity per cell under the batch culture conditions was overcome by using a perfusion culture system, Biofermenter^TM (Sato, 1983) with modifications of nutrients supplementation by a dialysis membrane and/or dissolved oxygen (DO) supplementation by microsilicone fibers. ITPSGF medium was modified to elevate concentrations of amino acids and glucose by 2.0- and 2.5-times, respectively. Under the control of pH at 7.4 and DO at 3 ppm, the specific G-CSF productivity was not depressed even at high cell density (above 1×10⁷ cells/ml), and the amount of G-CSF reached 41 g/ml. These results indicated the possibility of finding the optimum culture conditions for the production of recombinant proteins by Namalwa KJM-1 cells.Abbreviations ABTS 2,2-Azino-di-(3-ethylbenzothiazoline)-6-sulfonic acid - BSA Bovine Serum Albumin - BSA-PBS Phosphate-buffered Saline without Ca²⁺ and Mg²⁺ containing Bovine Serum Albumin - dhfr Dihydrofolate Reductase - DO Dissolved Oxygen - G-CSF Granulocyte Colony-stimulating Factor - HEPES 4-(2-Hydroxyethyl)-1-piperazineethansulfonic Acid - IFN Interferon - MTX Methotrexate - PBS(-) Phosphate-buffered saline without Ca²⁺ and Mg²⁺ - Tween-PBS Phosphate-buffered saline without Ca²⁺ and Mg²⁺ containing 0.05% of Tween 20     

A substance released by metamorphosing larvae and young polyps ofHydractinia echinata induces metamorphosis in conspecific larvae

Summary A metamorphosis-inducing factor was isolated from medium conditioned by either metamorphosing larvae or 3-day postmetamorphic primary polyps. The factor has a molecular weight 8 kDa and is heatlabile. It does not induce metamorphosis of isolated posterior fragments and is therefore not identical to the internal signal described by Schwoerer-Böhning et al. (1990). The biological significance of the substance is currently unclear, therefore its inducing activity may be a side effect.     

Isolation and identification of spirorenone metabolites from the monkey (Macaca fascicularis)

The plasma level of spirorenone was determined 3 h after 1, 8, 22 and 46 daily oral administrations of 20 mg/kg to two female and two male monkeys ($\text{Macaca fascicularis}$). A fifth animal, female, was treated with eight daily doses of tritium-labelled drug and was completely bled from the carotid vein 4 h after the last administration in order to isolate and identify plasma metabolites.After repeated daily doses of spirorenone the mean plasma level of unchanged drug was 711 ± 213 ng/ml. In the plasma of the fifth animal four radioactively labelled compounds could be detected after extraction and subsequent HPLC separation. Mass spectrometric identification of three of the substances indicated 1,2-dihydrospirorenone, hydroxy-1,2-dihydrospirorenone and the unchanged drug itself.     

Hemoglobins,XLVIIII

Summary Hagfish hemoglobin has three main components, one of which is Hb III. It is monomeric and consists of 148 amino acid residues (M = 17 350). Its complete primary structure, previously published, is discussed here. The proximal amino acid (F8) of the heme linkage is histidine as always in the hemoglobins, but the regularly expected distal histidine E7 is substituted by glutamine. This substitution, leading to a new kind of heme linkage, has hitherto only been demonstrated in opossum hemoglobin. It is suggested that E7, Gln, is directed out of the heme pocket, and that the adjacent Ell, Ile, is directed toward the inside of the pocket, giving the distal heme contact instead of histidine.Myxine Hb III has an additional tail of 9 amino acid residues at its N-terminal end, as has the hemoglobin ofLampetra fluviatilis. The genetic codes ofMyxine andLampetra hemoglobins show 117 differences, in spite of many morphological resemblances between hagfish and lamprey. Their primary hemoglobin structures show differences substantial enough to bo compatible with the divergence of the two families some 400–500 million years ago.     

Versuche zum angenommenen Kontrastverlust im Gesang der Blaumeise (Parus caeruleus) auf Teneriffa

Zusammenfassung Der Gesang von Blaumeisen-Populationen in Mitteleuropa, Spanien, Marokko und auf Teneriffa wurde miteinander verglichen (Abb. 1). In Süddeutschland und auf Teneriffa wurden Klang-Attrappen-Versuche durchgeführt.1. Der Blaumeisen-Gesang ist in Marokko und auf Teneriffa sehr ähnlich. Er unterscheidet sich vom Blaumeisengesang in Europa (Mitteleuropa und Spanien) in folgenden Eigenschaften (2.–4.):2. Ihm fehlen phrasierte Strophen (Abb. 2 a–c, e, 3, 4 a, b, f, g), also Strophen, in denen dasselbe Element mindestens viermal nacheinander wiederholt wird.3. Er enthält mehr verschiedene Elemente (Abb. 5, 7).4. Die interindividuelle Variation ist größer (Abb. 6, 7).5. Die Unterschiede zwischen dem Blaumeisen-Gesang in Europa und auf Teneriffa lassen sich nicht mit der Kontrast-Betonungs- und der Kontrast-Verlust-Hypothese nachLack &Southern (1949) undMarler (1960) erklären. Die Lernentzugs-Hypothese erklärt sie besser.6. Die Blaumeisen von Teneriffa und Marokko sind sehr nahe miteinander verwandt, aber vermutlich sind sie von den europäischen Blaumeisen artlich nicht getrennt.

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The song of the Blue Tit (Parus caeruleus) on Tenerife: Experiments on a presumed loss of contrast

Summary Songs of Blue Tit populations from Central Europe, Spain, Morocco and Tenerife (fig. 1) were compared. Playback experiments were made in South Germany and on Tenerife.1. Blue Tit songs from Morocco and Tenerife are very similar. They differ from songs of Blue Tits in Europe (Central Europe and Spain) in the following characteristics (2–4):2. Lack of phrased songs (fig. 2 a–c, e, 3, 4 a, b, f, g), i. e. songs with the same notes repeated successively at least four times.3. A greater number of different types of notes (fig. 5, 7).4. Greater interindividual variation (fig. 6, 7).5. Differences between Blue Tit song from Europe and from Tenerife cannot be explained by the hypothesis of contrast reinforcement and loss of contrast, according toLack &Southern (1949) andMarler (1960). The withdrawal of learning hypothesis is a better explanation.6. Blue Tits on Tenerife and Morocco are very closely related to each other but are probably not a different species from the Blue Tits of Europe.

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Für die Übersetzung danken wir FrauR. Jellis und HerrnP. Lundberg.