Die Littorina-Arten: Kein Modell für die Entstehung der Landschnecken

Zusammenfassung Die europäischen Littorina-Arten verfügen über keinerlei Osmoregulation.Kleine Individuen (Arten) haben kleine Kiemen, die Kiemen wachsen positiv allometrisch.Die Fortpflanzung zeigt keine parallel dem spezifischen Habitat zunehmende Neigung zur direkten Entwicklung.Die Littorina-Arten stellen kein Modell für die Entwicklung der Landschnecken dar, sie zeigen lediglich typische Charaktere von Tieren der Gezeitenzone.

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The Littorina species of the European coasts: No model for the evolution of terrestrial gastropods

Summary The Littorina-species of the European coasts are completely isoosmotic with their environment.Small specimens (species) have very small gills; with increasing size the gills grow rapidly. The gills of different species of identical size show no difference. The reproduction does not trend towards direct development parallel to the habitat of the species.Therefore the Littorina species are no model for the evolution of terrestrial gastropods, their characteristics are merely those of intertidal animals.

     

Mikropinozytose im Zentralnervensystem

Zusammenfassung An durch Perfusion mit Glutaraldehyd fixierten Rattengehirnen wurde das Erscheinungsbild der Mikropinozytose in Elementen der Meso- und Neuroglia sowie an den Perikarya und synaptischen Endformationen der Nervenzellen elektronenmikroskopisch dargestellt.Die bei der Mikropinozytose von der Zellmembran invaginierten Caveolen und Tubuli können einfache Verzweigungen zeigen. Ihre Oberfläche und die der mikropinozytotischen Bläschen zeigen an der gegen das Zytoplasma gerichteten Membranseite einen Stachelsaum. Diese Membrandifferenzierung dürfte mit der Resorption besonderer, zum Teil makromolekularer Substanzen zusammenhängen.Im Bereich großer Synapsen, z.B. in den Moosfasertelodendren der Glomerula cerebellaria oder in der Zona glomerulosa des Bulbus olfactorius sind mikropinozytotische Invaginationen und Bläschen sehr häufig. Möglicherweise übernehmen sie von den postsynaptischen Dendriten, die dünne Zytoplasmaprotrusionen in die Invaginationen hineinsenden, Stoffe. Es wird vermutet, daß es sich hierbei um inaktivierte Transmittersubstanz handelt, die auf diesem Wege dem präsynaptischen Abschnitt wieder zugeführt wird. Die zurückresorbierten Abbauprodukte der Transmittersubstanz werden in einem präsynaptischen Golgi-Komplex resynthetisiert und in synaptischen Bläschen angereichert. Dieses morphologische Bild ergänzt die biochemische Hypothese eines Acetylcholin-Kreislaufes im Bereich von Nervenendigungen.Entsprechende mikropinozytotische Erscheinungen wurden in caudalen Abdominalganglien von Leucophaea maderae beobachtet. Es wird angenommen, daß die Mikropinozytose ein allgemein verbreiteter Resorptionsmechanismus im Zentralnervensystem ist.Herrn Prof. Dr. F. Wassermann zum 80. Geburtstag gewidmet.Mit dankenswerter Unterstützung durch die Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft.     

Two substrate sites in the renal Na+-d-glucose cotransporter studied by model analysis of phlorizin binding and-d-glucose transport measurements

Summary Time courses of phlorizin binding to the outside of membrane vesicles from porcine renal outer cortex and outer medulla were measured and the obtained families of binding curves were fitted to different binding models. To fit the experimental data a model with two binding sites was required. Optimal fits were obtained if a ratio of low and high affinity phlorizin binding sites of 1:1 was assumed. Na⁺ increased the affinity of both binding sites. By an inside-negative membrane potential the affinity of the high affinity binding site (measured in the presence of 3 mM Na⁺) and of the low affinity binding site (measured in the presence of 3 or 90 mM Na⁺) was increased. Optimal fits were obtained when the rate constants of dissociation were not changed by the membrane potential. In the presence of 90 mM Na⁺ on both membrane sides and with a clamped membrane potential,K _D values of 0.4 and 7.9 M were calculated for the low and high affinity phlorizin binding sites which were observed in outer cortex and in outer medulla. Apparent low and high affinity transport sites were detected by measuring the substrate dependence ofd-glucose uptake in membrane vesicles from outer cortex and outer medulla which is stimulated by an initial gradient of 90 mM Na⁺(out>in). Low and high affinity transport could be fitted with identicalK _m values in outer cortex and outer medulla. An inside-negative membrane potential decreased the apparentK _m ofhigh affinity transport whereas the apparentK _m of low affinity transport was not changed. The data show that in outer cortex and outer medulla of pighigh and low affinity Na⁺-d-glucose cotransporters are present which containlow and high affinity phlorizin binding sites, respectively. It has to be elucidated from future experiments whether equal amounts of low and high affinity transporters are expressed in both kidney regions or whether the low and high affinity transporter are parts of the same glucose transport moleculc.     

Collagen fiber arrangement of the human shoulder joint capsule--an anatomical study

The polariscopic examination of isolated shoulder joint capsules shows that the entire capsule does not have a homogeneous collagen structure. Most of the capsule is characterized by regular collagen fibers which cross at an obtuse angle in the area of the musculus supraspinatus and at an acute angle in the area of the m. infraspinatus. The density of the collagen network increases from the medial to the lateral part. Deviating from this basic pattern of the joint capsule, there is a different collagen texture in the area between the m. supraspinatus and the m. subscapularis. This texture has dissociated, rarefied and irregular collagen fibers. This means that the area--in comparison with the remainder of the capsule--is characterized not only by missing reinforcing ligaments but also by a deviating pattern of the collagen fibers. This different collagen structure is already existent in the fetus.     

Vitamin E and fatty acids in the grey seal (Halichoerus grypus)

Summary Vitamin E levels in serum, liver and blubber (subcutaneous adipose tissue) were determined for 66 male and female grey seals of varying age in the pupping colony on Sable Island in the Northwest Atlantic by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Fatty acid concentrations were determined for all blubber specimens. Adult males and pups had significantly higher levels of vitamin E and cholesterol in serum than females and juveniles. A close relationship between vitamin E and cholesterol in serum could be observed. Suckling pups had significantly higher levels of vitamin E in liver (191 mg·kg^–1) than juveniles and adults (21–41 mg·kg^–1). Levels of vitamin E in blubber showed an age-dependent increase, with the highest levels being found in adult males; overall, these levels were much lower than in man. Vitamin E levels in blubber and liver of lactating females were only half that of adult males. This might be due to an intensive transfer of vitamin E from mother to pup during lactation, a process which may also explain the much higher levels of vitamin E in serum and liver of nursing pups. The low levels of vitamin E in blubber of seals might be a result of its high percentage of unsaturated fatty acids (79%). Highest percentage was represented by 18:1, 16:1, 22:6 and 16:0. Pups had lower values of monounsaturated, and a higher percentage of saturated fatty acids compared to mothers.     

2,3-Butanediol production by Enterobacter aerogenes in continuous culture: role of oxygen supply

Summary The influence of oxygen on growth and production of 2,3-butanediol and acetoin by Enterobacter aerogenes was studied in continuous culture. At all dilution rates (D) studied cell mass increased steadily with increasing oxygen uptake rate (OUR), hence the micro-aerobic cultivation was energy-limited. The biomass yield on oxygen increased with D which suggests that cells need more energy for maintenance functions at lower D. At each D an optimal OUR giving highest volumetric productivity for the sum of butanediol and acetoin was found. The optimal OUR increased with D. The occurrence of optimal OURs results from the various effects of O₂ on growth and specific productivity. The latter was found to be a linear function of the specific OUR irrespective of D. At optimal OUR the cells proved to have equal specific OURs and equal specific productivities representing a fixed relationship between fermentative and respiratory metabolism. The product yield based on glucose and corrected for biomass formation was 80%. A product concentration as high as 43 g/l was obtained at D =0.1 h^–1 while the volumetric productivity was the highest at D =0.28 h^–1 (5.6 g/l and hour). The findings further indicate that growth and product generation are obviously non-associated phenomena. Hence, high productivities may be achievable by cell recycling and cell immobilisation systems. Offprint requests to: W.-D. Deckwer     

The transient receptor potential protein (Trp), a putative store-operated Ca2+ channel essential for phosphoinositide-mediated photoreception, forms a signaling complex with NorpA, InaC and InaD.

The transient receptor potential protein (Trp) is a putative capacitative Ca2+ entry channel present in fly photoreceptors, which use the inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (InsP3) signaling pathway for phototransduction. By immunoprecipitation studies, we find that Trp is associated into a multiprotein complex with the norpA-encoded phospholipase C, an eye-specific protein kinase C (InaC) and with the InaD protein (InaD). InaD is a putative substrate of InaC and contains two PDZ repeats, putative protein-protein interaction domains. These proteins are present in the photoreceptor membrane at about equimolar ratios. The Trp homolog analyzed here is isolated together with NorpA, InaC and InaD from blowfly (Calliphora) photoreceptors. Compared to Drosophila Trp, the Calliphora Trp homolog displays 77% amino acid identity. The highest sequence conservation is found in the region that contains the putative transmembrane domains S1-S6 (91% amino acid identity). As investigated by immunogold labeling with specific antibodies directed against Trp and InaD, the Trp signaling complex is located in the microvillar membranes of the photoreceptor cells. The spatial distribution of the signaling complex argues against a direct conformational coupling of Trp to an InsP3 receptor supposed to be present in the membrane of internal photoreceptor Ca2+ stores. It is suggested that the organization of signal transducing proteins into a multiprotein complex provides the structural basis for an efficient and fast activation and regulation of Ca2+ entry through the Trp channel.