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     

Appearance of alpha-smooth muscle actin in human eye lens cells of anterior capsular cataract and in cultured bovine lens-forming cells

Using light and electron-microscopic immunolocalization techniques, and gel electrophoresis combined with immunoblotting, we have examined the expression of cytoskeletal proteins in normal human fetal, child and adult lenses, in human anterior capsular cataract and in bovine lens cells in vivo and in vitro. In this report, we focus our observations on the pattern of actin-isoform expression during normal and pathological situations in vivo and culture conditions. We have noted that cells of developing and mature human lenses as well as bovine lens cells in situ contain only beta- and gamma-actins. In contrast, alpha-smooth muscle (alpha-sm) actin, an isoform typical of smooth muscle differentiation, was demonstrated in bovine lens cells at different times of culture. Moreover, the multilayered cells observed in the subcapsular zone of human anterior capsular cataract were characterized by the presence of alpha-sm actin. Thus, extensive changes in actin-isoform expression take place in lens cells growing in culture and may also occur during cataractogenesis. The biological meaning of the appearance of a marker of myoid differentiation in the ectodermally derived lens-forming cells is discussed.     

Aerobic nitrate and nitrite reduction in continuous cultures of Escherichia coli E4

Nitrate and nitrite was reduced by Escherichia coli E4 in a l-lactate (5 mM) limited culture in a chemostat operated at dissolved oxygen concentrations corresponding to 90–100% air saturation. Nitrate reductase and nitrite reductase activity was regulated by the growth rate, and oxygen and nitrate concentrations. At a low growth rate (0.11 h^–1) nitrate and nitrite reductase activities of 200 nmol · mg^–1 protein · min^–1 and 250 nmol · mg^–1 protein · min^–1 were measured, respectively. At a high growth rate (0.55 h^–1) both enzyme activities were considerably lower (25 and 12 nmol mg^–1 · protein · min^–1). The steady state nitrite concentration in the chemostat was controlled by the combined action of the nitrate and nitrite reductase. Both nitrate and nitrite reductase activity were inversely proportional to the growth rate. The nitrite reductase activity decreased faster with growth rate than the nitrate reductase. The chemostat biomass concentration of E. coli E4, with ammonium either solely or combined with nitrate as a source of nitrogen, remained constant throughout all growth rates and was not affected by nitrite concentrations. Contrary to batch, E. coli E4 was able to grow in continuous cultures on nitrate as the sole source of nitrogen. When cultivated with nitrate as the sole source of nitrogen the chemostat biomass concentration is related to the activity of nitrate and nitrite reductase and hence, inversely proportional to growth rate.     

Search for polythionates in cultures of Chromatium vinosum after sulfide incubation

Cultures of Chromatium vinosum, devoid of sulfur globules, were supplemented with sulfide and incubated under anoxic conditions in the light. The concentrations of sulfide, polysulfides, thiosulfate, polythionates and elemental sulfur (sulfur rings) were monitored for 3 days by ion-chromatography and reversed-phase HPLC. While sulfide disappeared rapidly, thiosulfate and elemental sulfur (S₆, S₇ S₈ rings) were formed. After sulfide depletion, the concentration of thiosulfate decreased fairly rapidly, but elemental sulfur was oxidized very slowly to sulfate. Neither polysulfides (S _x ^2– ), polythionates (S_nO ₆ ^2– , n=4–6), nor other polysulfur compounds could be detected, which is in accordance with the fact that sulfide-grown cells were able to oxidize polysulfide without lag. The nature of the intracellular sulfur globules is discussed.     

The effect of ranitidine on cellular immunity in patients with multiple myeloma

Summary Multiple myeloma is characterized by an increased susceptibility to infections and to other malignancies. In a double-blind, placebo-controlled study the potential impact of immunomodulation by ranitidine was studied in 20 patients with multiple myeloma. Three patients were untreated, while 17 after previous cytotoxic therapy were in a stable phase of their disease. All were without clinical signs of infections and at that time had not been treated with other immunomodulating agents. The patients were randomized to oral ranitidine 300 mg twice a day for 21 days or placebo, and several immunological parameters related to multiple myeloma were studied. The blood monocyte chemotactic response was improved in patients treated with ranitidine, and superoxide anion production increased from 2.02 nmol/min to 3.86 nmol/min (median values), while it was unchanged in patients given placebo (2.19–2.25 nmol/min) (P <0.005 between groups). Among ranitidine-treated patients spontaneous NK cell activity was unchanged, while in vitro interleukin-2- and interferon--stimulated NK cell activity decreased (P <0.03, respectively). As production of oxygen radicals constitutes an important mechanism of monocyte killing activity against microorganisms and probably against malignant cells, it is suggested that ranitidine may be of beneficial impact in the treatment of multiple myeloma.     

Enhanced tumor susceptibility of immunocompetent mice infected with lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus

Summary Mice infected i.v. with high doses of lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV; 10⁵–10⁶ plaqueforming units) 8–10 days prior to challenge with the methylcholanthrene-induced fibrosarcoma tumor cell line MC57G or the melanoma cell line B16 tumor cells showed an enhanced tumor susceptibility with respect to both growth kinetics of the tumor and the minimal dose necessary for tumor take. After transient initial growth, MC57G tumor cells were all rejected by uninfected C57BL/6 mice by day 14. Mice preinfected i.v. with LCMV 3 weeks before or at the time of tumor challenge, but not those infected 2 months before or 7 days after, showed increasing tumor growth, the tumor take being 100% for 10⁶, 50% for 10⁵ and 37% for 10⁴ MC57G tumor cells injected into the footpad compared with resistance to 10⁶ cells in normal mice. B16 melanoma cells also grew more rapidly in LCMV-preinfected mice and by day 40 tumors were established with about 100 times fewer cells, i.e. about 10³ compared with 3×10⁴–3×10⁵ for uninfected mice. Analysis of the growth of tumor cells in normal and in LCMV-carrier mice revealed that the latter mice were not more susceptible to LCMV-infected than to uninfected MC57G. Since LCMV-carrier mice fail to mount LCMV-specific T cell responses, these results suggest that anti-LCMV-specific T cells may be responsible for acquired immunodeficiency hampering immune surveillance against the tumors studied.Supported by grants from the Swiss National Science Foundation 3.259–0.87 and the Kanton of Zürich     

The analysis of hypervariable DNA profiles: problems associated with the objective determination of the probability of a match

Summary A computerised system has been used to store DNA profiles from 3 hypervariable loci. This initial survey illustrates that band matching is only possible after analysis of the errors associated with electrophoretic systems. A number of databases have been constructed with the three probes investigated and two methods of frequency determination, binning and sliding window fitting, have been compared.     

SEM observations on seeds ofStriga spp. andBuchnera americana (Scrophulariaceae)

Seeds of the root parasitesStriga (several spp.) andBuchnera americana were examined by means of SEM. The surface patterns of the seeds in both genera resemble each other closely, especially those ofS. angustifolia andB. americana. SomeStriga spp. can be clearly distinguished by their surface characteristics, while this is quite difficult in others. The taxonomic value of the seed surface features ofStriga andBuchnera is discussed.     

AN AMPLIFICATION OF THE PHYLOGENETIC SPECIES CONCEPT

Abstract— The goal of a phylogenetic species concept is to reveal the smallest units that are analysable by cladistic methods and interpretable as the result of phylogenctic history. We define species as the smallest aggregation of populations (sexual) or lineagcs (asexual) diagnosable by a unique combination of character states in comparable individuals (semaphoronts). A character state is an inherited attribute distributed among all comparable individuals (semaphoronts) of the same historical population, clade, or terminal lineage. This definition of species is character-based and pattern oriented. Evolutionary explanations of phylogenetic species are consistent with contemporary explanations of processes of speciation, but require only the assumption of nested hierarchical pattern. We discuss the compatibility of the phylogenetic species concept with various biological needs for species and justify its use at the exclusion of alternative species concepts.     

The HOX-5 and surfeit gene clusters are linked in the proximal portion of mouse chromosome 2

Using an interspecies backcross, we have mapped the HOX-5 and surfeit (surf) gene clusters within the proximal portion of mouse chromosome 2. While the HOX-5 cluster of homeobox-containing genes has been localized to chromosome 2, bands C3-E1, by in situ hybridization, its more precise position relative to the genes and cloned markers of chromosome 2 was not known. Surfeit, a tight cluster of at least six highly conserved “housekeeping” genes, has not been previously mapped in mouse, but has been localized to human chromosome 9q, a region of the human genome with strong homology to proximal mouse chromosome 2. The data presented here place HOX-5 in the vicinity of the closely linked set of developmental mutations rachiterata, lethargic, and fidget and place surf close to the proto-oncogene Abl, near the centromere of chromosome 2.