Further studies of the encapsulation of eggs ofMetaphycus spp. (Hym.: Encyrtidae) by the pyriform scale,Protopulvinaria pyriformis (Hom.: Coccidae)

The encapsulation of eggs ofMetaphycus swirskii Annecke &; Mynhardt (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae) by the pyriform scale,Protopulvinaria pyriformis (Cockerell) (Homoptera: Coccidae), collected in the coastal plain of Israel, was determined during April 1986 to May 1987. The rates of encapsulation were low in November (13.0%) and relatively high in April, May, August and September (32.0–89.0%). The seasonal variations in the encapsulation of eggs ofM. stanleyi Compere and/orM. swirskii byP. pyriformis infesting avocado (Persea americana) and jambolan (Syzygium cumini) were studied at Miqwe Yisra'el (coastal plain) during October 1986 to February 1988. Encapsulation rates were similar in scales infesting either of the two host plants. They were highest during July to August (49.0–75.0%) and lowest during December to February (0.9–10.0%). Encapsulation incidence at Miqwe Yisra'el was correlated with the ambient temperatures (r=0.89). The rate of encapsulation of parasitoid eggs (M. stanleyi and/orM. galbus Annecke) recorded inP. pyriformis sent to Israel from Spain in September 1987 was 42.2%. The high rates of encapsulation ofMetaphycus spp. eggs byP. pyriformis during the summer, may interfere with efficient biological control of the pest.     

The Role of Ligand Exchange in the Uptake of Iron from Microbial Siderophores by Gramineous Plants

The siderophore rhizoferrin, produced by the fungus Rhizopus arrhizus, was previously found to be as an efficient Fe source as Fe-ethylenediamine-di(o-hydroxphenylacetic acid) to strategy I plants. The role of this microbial siderophore in Fe uptake by strategy II plants is the focus of this research. Fe-rhizoferrin was found to be an efficient Fe source for barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) and corn (Zea mays L.). The mechanisms by which these Gramineae utilize Fe from Fe-rhizoferrin and from other chelators were studied. Fe uptake from 59Fe-rhizoferrin, 59Fe-ferrioxamine B, 59Fe-ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid, and 59Fe-2[prime]-deoxymugineic acid by barley plants grown in nutrient solution at pH 6.0 was examined during periods of high (morning) and low (evening) phytosiderophore release. Uptake and translocation rates from Fe chelates paralleled the diurnal rhythm of phytosiderophore release. In corn, however, similar uptake and translocation rates were observed both in the morning and in the evening. A constant rate of the phytosiderophore's release during 14 h of light was found in the corn cv Alice. The results presented support the hypothesis that Fe from Fe-rhizoferrin is taken up by strategy II plants via an indirect mechanism that involves ligand exchange between the ferrated microbial siderophore and phytosiderophores, which are then taken up by the plant. This hypothesis was verified by in vitro ligand-exchange experiments.     

Siderophores of Pseudomonas putida as an iron source for dicot and monocot plants

Iron uptake from ferrated (⁵⁹Fe) pseudobactin (PSB), a Pseudomonas putida siderophore, by various plant species was studied in nutrient solution culture under short term (10 h) and long term (3 weeks) conditions. In the short term experiments, ⁵⁹Fe uptake rate from ⁵⁹FePSB by dicots (peanuts, cotton and sunflower) was relatively low when compared with ⁵⁹Fe uptake rate from ⁵⁹FeEDDHA. Iron uptake rate from ⁵⁹FePSB was pH and concentration dependent, as was the Fe uptake rate from ⁵⁹FeEDDHA. The rate was about 10 times lower than that of Fe uptake from the synthetic chelate. Results were similar for long term experiments.Monocots (sorghum) in short term experiments exhibited significantly higher uptake rate of Fe from FePSB than from FeEDDHA. In long term experiments, FePSB was less efficient than FeEDDHA as an Fe source for sorghum at pH 6, but the same levels of leaf chlorophyll concentration were obtained at pH 7.3.Fe uptake rates by dicots from the siderophore and FeEDDHA were found to correlate with Fe reduction rates and reduction potentials (E₀) of both chelates. Therefore, it is suggested that the reduction mechanism governs the Fe uptake process from PSB by dicots. Further studies will be conducted to determine the role of pH in Fe aquisition from PSB by monocots.     

Plasminogen activator activity is associated with neural crest cell motility in tissue culture

We have examined the possibility that proteases such as plasminogen activator (PA) contribute to the extraordinary motile capability of neural crest cells. We show that trunk neural crest cells that migrate from isolated neural tubes in vitro produce PA and that the level of cell-associated PA increases dramatically after 8 days in culture. This increase is not the result of differentiation or time in culture, because neural crest cell clusters that form on top of the neural tube and differentiate into pigment cells but are immotile produce very low levels of PA. If these clusters are removed from the neural tube and replated on a plastic substratum where they migrate, the level of PA associated with the cells increases dramatically, suggesting that PA production is associated with motility. Inhibitors of PA/plasmin activity significantly reduce neural crest cell motility in vitro, further supporting the idea that proteases are important in neural crest cell migration.     

Effect of dexamethasone,ammonium lons,and serum-deprivation on intracellular proteolysis in cultured muscle cells

Intracellular proteolysis was measured in primary cultures of newborn rat skeletal (gastrocnemius) and cardiac muscle cells by release to the medium of trichloroacetic acid-soluble label from cells grown in the presence of ¹⁴C-labeled phenylalanine. Exposure of the cultured cells to 10^?7M dexamethasone for 5 days starting at day 0 of culture resulted in an enhancement of proteolysis in skeletal muscle but not in cardiac muscle cells. Dexamethasone did not affect cell viability measured by release of label from cells preloaded with Na₂ ⁵¹CrO₄, release of creatine phosphokinase, and release of lactic dehydrogenase into the culture medium. Incorporation of ³H-thymidine into the cells increased during the first 3 to 4 days of culture and subsequently decreased, indicating that cell proliferation ceases at that time. When the exposure to dexamethasone was started on day 4 of culture, i.e., at a postmitotic stage, and continued for 4 days, proteolysis was again found to increase in skeletal but not cardiac cells, thereby suggesting that the response to the hormone is independent of the proliferative state of the culture. Ammonium chloride at a concentration of 10 mM produced a 50% reduction of the basal proteolysis in cultures of skeletal muscle cells and did not affect proteolysis in cardiac muscle cells. Exposure to ammonium chloride did not prevent the dexamethasone-induced increase of proteolysis in skeletal muscle cells. Serum-deprivation induced enhanced proteolysis which was not affected by NH₄Cl in both cell types. It is concluded that the differential responses of the two cultures to dexamethasone reflects the sparing of heart proteins and concomitant wasting of skeletal muscle proteins by glucocorticoid hormones in vivo, and that the enhancement of proteolysis by the glucocorticoid hormone or by serum-deprivation is not sensitive to the lysosomotropic agent NH₄Cl. Thus, while a lysosomal-autophagic enzyme system is responsible for almost half of the basal proteolysis, the accelerated proteolysis occurs via ammonium chloride-insensitive enzymes.     

Iron uptake by plants from microbial siderophores : a study with 7-nitrobenz-2 oxa-1,3-diazole-desferrioxamine as fluorescent ferrioxamine B analog

The synthetically produced fluorescent siderophore NBD-desferrioxamine B (NBD-DFO), an analog of the natural siderophore ferrioxamine B, was used to study iron uptake by plants. Short-term (10-hour) ⁵⁵Fe uptake rates by cotton (Gossypium spp.) and maize (Zea mays L.) plants from the modified siderophore were similar to those of the natural one. In longer-term uptake experiments (3 weeks), both siderophore treatments resulted in similar leaf chlorophyll concentration and dry matter yield. These results suggest that the synthetic derivative acts similarly to the natural siderophore. The NBD-DFO is fluorescent only when unferrated and can thus be used as a probe to follow iron removal from the siderophore. Monitoring of the fluorescence increase in a nutrient solution containing Fe³⁺-NBD-DFO showed that iron uptake by plants occurs at the cell membrane. The rate of iron uptake was significantly lower in both plant species in the presence of antibiotic agent, thus providing evidence for iron uptake by rhizosphere microbes that otherwise could have been attributed to plant uptake. Confocal fluorescence microscopy revealed that iron was taken up from the complex by cotton plants, and to a much lesser extent by maize plants. The active cotton root sites were located at the main and lateral root tips. Significant variations in the location and the intensity of the uptake were noticed under nonaxenic conditions, which suggested that rhizosphere microorganisms play an important role in NBD-DFO-mediated iron uptake.     

Metabolism and distribution of yolk DNA in embryos ofOphryotrocha labronica La Greca and Bacci

Summary Exposure of the polychaeteOphryotrocha labronica to³H-thymidine during vitellogenesis leads to substantial incorporation of label in the ooplasm, especially in yolk granule DNA. In embryos from oocytes labelled in this way it was possible to follow the amount and localization of the labelled material (DNA) throughout early development by means of light microscopical and electron microscopical autoradiography; liquid scintillation measurements also were carried out.Within the embryonic cells the bulk of the labelled DNA was localized in the yolk granules and noticeable amounts were associated with minor structural elements, whereas mitochondria and lipid droplets were only slightly labelled. Nuclear labelling was weak. Early development was found to be characterized by rapid loss of labelled DNA, so that larvae, ready to leave the egg packs, retained only about 30% of the amount originally present.It was concluded that yolk granule DNA cannot be a store of precursor material for nuclear DNA synthesis, as has been suggested sometimes, but most likely represents an informative DNA which upon release from the yolk granules is rapidly metabolized. Possible roles for yolk granule DNA is discussed.The excellent technical assistance of Mrs. Siv Nilsson and Mrs. Annagreta Petersen is gratefully acknowledged. This work has been supported by the Swedish Natural Science Research Council and Kungliga Fysiografiska Sällskapet, Lund.     

Physiological effects of a juvenile hormone analog on larvae of Spodoptera littoralis

Topical application of JHA to Spodoptera littoralis larvae extends the duration and increases the final weight of the last larval instar. No supernumary moults occur. Respiration decreases to very low levels and glycogen and lipid stores increase. Respiration remains lower in JHA-treated pharate pupae and more polyunsaturated C₁₈ fatty acids accumulate than in normal pharate pupae. These physiological parameters are similar to those occurring during diapause but are not definitive. Diapause has not been reported in field populations of S. littoralis, nor it's artificial induction by photoperiodic manipulation.

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Résumé Le dernier stade des chenilles de Spodoptera littoralis, traitées avec JHA, est nettement prolongé par rapport aux témoins. Bien que le poids final des chenilles traitées soit plus élevé que celui des témoins, il n'y a pas de mue surnuméraire. Ces chenilles géantes s'alimentent rarement et leur respiration est sérieusement réduite. Les réserves de glycogène s'accumulent chez les chenilles traitées à la même date chronologique que chez les prénymphes non traitées. Bien que les prénymphes traitées à la JHA conservent leur profil biochimique juvénile — tout au moins dans la mesure où on considère la teneur en glycogène et en lipides totales — leur composition en acides gras saturés et non saturés diffère de celle normalement rencontrée à la fin du développement larvaire, et beaucoup plus d'acide oléique monosaturé s'accumule finalement chez les insectes traités par JHA. Ces résultats suggèrent que la JHA fournie peut avoir provoqué un état de développement de diapause naissante semblable par quelques traits fondamentaux à celle induite par la JH endogène chez les insectes enclins à la diapause. Il est cependant prématuré de définir cet état physiologique comme indiquant une vraie diapause chez Spodoptera littoralis.

     

Formation and characterization of stable human serum albumin-tris-malonic acid [C60]fullerene complex

The preparation and characterization of the stable human serum albumin (HSA)-C3 isomer of tris-malonic acid [C60]fullerene complex is reported. Other than the anti-fullerene antibody, a stable protein-fullerene complex with a native protein has never been observed. This study may provide valuable answers to the growing concern regarding the effects of carbonaceous nanomaterials on human health on one hand and, on the other, may lead to the development of novel antioxidant therapeutic agents, radiopharmaceuticals, and components for bioelectronic devices.