Methyl mercury uptake by free and immobilized cyanobacterium

Methyl mercury uptake in free cells and different immobilizates of the cyanobacteriumNostoc calcicola has been examined. The general growth of the immobilized cyanobacterial cells could be negatively correlated with methyl mercury uptake. Alginate spheres proved most efficient in terms of uptake rate (0.48 nmol mg protein^–1 min^–1, 10 min) and total bioaccumulation (10.71 nmol mg protein^–1, 1 h) with a bioconcentration factor of 3.3×10³. Alginate biofilms showed a faster methyl mercury accumulation rate (0.83 nmol mg protein^–1 min^–1, 10 min) with a saturation of 10.28 nmol mg protein^–1 reached within only 30 min (bioconcentration factor, 3.1×10³). Foam preparations with a slow initial uptake approximated biofilms but were characterized by a lower bioconcentration factor (2.8×10³). Free cells, in comparison, maintained the initial slow rate of uptake (0.62 nmol mg protein^–1 min^–1, 10 min), saturating at 30 min (8.81 nmol mg protein^–1), and the resultant lowest bioconcentration factor (2.7×10³). Cell ageing (30 days) brought a drastic reduction (3-fold) in organomercury uptake by free cells while alginate spheres maintained the same potential. Foam preparations of the same age showed a significant improvement in methyl mercury uptake followed by only a marginal decline in alginate biofilms. Data are discussed in the light of the physiological efficiency and longevity of immobilized cells.     

Formation of acetic acid from cellulosic substrates byFusarium oxysporum

Summary Four strains of Fusarium oxysporum and a strain of Monilia brunnae were screened for their ability to convert cellulosic substrates into ethanol/acetic acid. These strains were found to utilize cellulose and produce extracellular cellulases. However, only F. oxysporum 841 was found to convert glucose, xylose, and cellulose into ethanol and acetic acid as major end-products under microaerobic conditions. Acetic acid at a level of 4.7 g/l resulted in a single-step process on potato pulp medium, indicating the potential of the strain for converting cellulosic substrates into acetic acid. Offprint requests to: K. Schügerl     

Insulin-stimulated tyrosine phosphorylation of a 43 kDa protein in rat liver membranes

The insulin receptor (IR) tyrosine kinase is essential for the regulation of different cellular functions by insulin. This may occur by a direct phosphorylation of membrane and/or cytoplasmic proteins by the IR tyrosine kinase. Hence it is important to identify putative physiological substrates for the IR tyrosine kinase. In this study we found that the glycoprotein fraction from rat liver membranes contain a 43 kDa protein (pp43) which, like the -subunit of IR, is phosphorylated in an insulin-dependent manner. A 25-fold enhancement of ³²P incorporation into pp43 by insulin was found under optimal conditions. Half-maximal phosphorylation of pp43 and the -subunit of IR were attained at 66 nM and 60 nM insulin, respectively. Mn²⁺ (K_a = 1.0 mM) was much better than Mg²⁺ (K_a = 6.3 mM) in supporting pp43 phosphorylation. Insulin-stimulated phosphorylation of pp43 (t_1/2 = 3.6 min) proceeded at a much slower rate compared to that of the -subunit of IR (t_1/2 = 1.2 min). Phosphoamino acid analysis of pp43 revealed that both tyrosine and serine are phosphorylated in the ratio 4 : 1. Tyrosine, but not serine, phosphorylation was increased 12-fold by insulin. Phosphorylation of pp43 occurred on 4 major tryptic peptides. Comparison to the tryptic phosphopeptides from IR -subunit suggest that pp43 was not derived from IR -subunit by proteolysis. Our results suggest that pp43 may be an endogenous substrate for the IR tyrosine kinase.     

A sequence motif found in a Drosophila heterochromatin protein is conserved in animals and plants.

Modifiers of position-effect-variegation in Drosophila encode proteins that are thought to modify chromatin, rendering it heritably changed in its expressibility. In an attempt to identify similar modifier genes in other species we have utilized a known sequence homology, termed chromo box, between a suppressor of position-effect-variegation, Heterochromatin protein 1 (HP1), and a repressor of homeotic genes, Polycomb (Pc). A PCR generated probe encompassing the HP1 chromo box was used to clone full-length murine cDNAs that contain conserved chromo box motifs. Sequence comparisons, in situ hybridization experiments, and RNA Northern blot analysis suggest that the murine and human sequences presented in this report are homologues of the Drosophila HP1 gene. Chromo box sequences can also be detected in other animal species, and in plants, predicting a strongly conserved structural role for the peptide encoded by this sequence. We propose that epigenetic (yet heritable) changes in gene expressibility, characteristic of chromosomal imprinting phenomena, can largely be explained by the action of such modifier genes. The evolutionary conservation of the chromo box motif now enables the isolation and study of putative modifier genes in those animal and plant species where chromosomal imprinting has been described.     

Image segmentation using a neural network

An object extraction problem based on the Gibbs Random Field model is discussed. The Maximum a'posteriori probability (MAP) estimate of a scene based on a noise-corrupted realization is found to be computationally exponential in nature. A neural network, which is a modified version of that of Hopfield, is suggested for solving the problem. A single neuron is assigned to every pixel. Each neuron is supposed to be connected only to all of its nearest neighbours. The energy function of the network is designed in such a way that its minimum value corresponds to the MAP estimate of the scene. The dynamics of the network are described. A possible hardware realization of a neuron is also suggested. The technique is implemented on a set of noisy images and found to be highly robust and immune to noise.     

Urea metabolism in the cyanobacterium Anabaena cycadeae: regulation of urea uptake and urease by ammonia

A total of 160 Escherichia coli positive for F165 fimbrial antigen and isolated from diarrheic and septicemic animals, were examined for the presence of the pap, afa, and sfa/foc operons or related nucleotide sequences using colony hybridization. Most isolates shared DNA sequences with the pap operon sequences alone or in association with afa or sfa. Thus, our results indicate that F165-positive E. coli from diseased animals share DNA sequences with operons coding for adhesins important in human extra-intestinal disease and that multiple adhesin systems are often found in single isolates. However, 20% of the F165-positive isolates did not show any homology with the probes representing the three adhesin systems, suggesting that one of the operons responsible for F165 production could be different from the pap, sfa/foc, and afa operons.     

Insulin effect on [14C]-valine incorporation and its relation to hexokinase activity in developing brain

Using minced brain cortex from fetal and postnatal rats, we studied the incorporation of [14C]-valine into protein in the presence of insulin. We also assayed the "particle bound" and soluble hexokinase in these tissues. Insulin significantly stimulated the incorporation of [14C]-valine into brain proteins from fetal stage upto 2 days of life. After this period the insulin effect was minimal, with no effect by day 5. The "particle bound" (40,000g pellet) brain hexokinase, on the other hand, remained low till about 2 days of life and then increased to almost adult level by 5 days. Our results show that there is an inverse relation between this anabolic effect of insulin and the "particle bound" hexokinase activity in the cortex of developing rat brain.     

Plant water relations as selection criteria for drought tolerance in mustard

Genotypes of mustard (B. juncea) were evaluated for concurrent changes in leaf water potential (Ψ), leaf osmotic potential (π), leaf turgor potential (P) and leaf relative water content (RWC) during moisture stress at reproductive stage of growth. The slope ‘b’ in the regression between Ψ and π varied from 0.43 to 0.97 and was positively correlated with P and RWC. The genotypes with ‘b’ around 0.7 were able to maintain P of about 0.5 MPa at Ψ of − 2.5 MPa and thus such value of ‘b’ seems to provide enough degree of tolerance against drought.     

Cell cycle dependent variation of calmodulin in Tetrahymena

The level of calmodulin (CaM), a ubiquitous calcium-binding protein of eukaryotic cells was determined at different phases of the cell cycle in a synchronized Tetrahymena population. It was found that the concentration of CaM at G1 was approximately half of the concentration of S and this 2 x G1 level of CaM was maintained through the G2 and M stages of the cell cycle. To ascertain the role of CaM in the initiation of DNA synthesis, the cells were treated with trifluoperazine (TFP), a CaM antagonist, and EGTA (Ca2+-chelator) at the G1/S boundary. It was found that DNA synthesis was inhibited in these drug-treated cells. The uptake of the nucleotide precursor was not affected in TFP and EGTA treated cells, thus excluding the possibility of alteration in the membrane transport properties. Treatment with TFP failed to inhibit the synchronous mitotic division in Tetrahymena. The existence of a variable content of CaM through the cell cycle of Tetrahymena was demonstrated, suggesting the possible involvement of this Ca2+-binding protein in the nuclear DNA replication process.