Control of the production of orthophosphate repressible extracellular enzymes in Neurospora crassa

Summary N-1, a plasmid isolated from a strain ofShigella flexneri in Japan more than 10 years ago, mediates the phage inhibition phenotype which has recently been found to be characteristic of plasmids of the H₂ incompatibility group. Using the criteria of phage inhibition, surface exclusion and incompatibility, the N-1 plasmid is shown to be closely related to H₂ plasmids isolated from non-typhoid salmonella and distantly related to H₁ plasmids isolated fromSalmonella typhi. Plasmids of other incompatibility groups did not show the H₂ type of phage inhibition.     

Opportunities for natural selection on DNA and protein at the Adh locus in Drosophila melanogaster

A study was made of environmental and genetic factors affecting the quantity and disposition of the alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) protein in Drosophila melanogaster. It was found that the amount of enzyme per fly is greatly influenced by the environmental conditions in which it develops. A critical factor is the concentration of yeast in the medium. A high concentration of yeast can double the quantity of ADH. The yeast appears to act through the provision of protein, and the protein to act through the provision of threonine, which is already known to induce ADH in fungi. Various genetic factors affect the quantity of enzyme. Males have more ADH than females. Files homozygous for the Fast allele have more ADH than those homozygous for the slow allele, and the difference is greater in females than in males. One particular line (ve), homozygous for Slow, has approximately half the normal quantity of enzyme, and the quantity segregates with the electrophoretic allele. Lines differ in the relative amounts of ADH in the gut (including Malpighian tubules) and the fat body. In general it seems that slow lines have relatively more enzyme in the fat body. In a cross between ve and a line homozygous to Fast, the difference in tissue distribution segregated with the electrophoretic allele. It is argued, but not demonstrated, that the differences in quantity and tissue distribution are due to nucleotide substitutions in noncoding regions close to, or within, the structural gene. It seems likely that the observed environmental and genetic differences in the quantity and disposition of ADH will influence the relative selective values of the electrophoretic genotypes.     

An improved medium for the detection of Aspergillus flavus and A. parasiticus

An effective selective medium for the enumeration of Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus has been developed by modification of Bothast and Fennell's Aspergillus Differential Medium. Results can be obtained with the new medium, Aspergillus flavus and parasiticus Agar (AFPA), after 42 h incubation at 30°C. The medium is thus suitable for use in quality control as a guide to the presence of A. flavus and, potentially, of aflatoxins. AFPA has been extensively tested on peanuts and soils. Results were reproducible and comparable with those on standard fungal enumeration media incubated for much longer periods. A very low percentage of false positives or negatives was found.     

Application of the functional-form model to the culture of seaweeds

Selecting the most appropriate species or strains is an important first step in the development of most algal cultivation systems and is usually a tedious, time-consuming, and expensive step. The functional-form model, first developed to synthesize the adaptive significance of easily assessed thallus-form attributes relative to the productivity and survival of benthic macroalgae, is applicable to the culture of seaweeds and can expedite species or strain selection. The production ecology aspects of the model are useful particularly for applications where the desired product is not species-specific, e.g., systems in which the emphasis is on algal production, such as algal biomass farms and wastewater treatment. A thallus-form with a high surface area: volume ratio is more suited for rapid production and nutrient uptake. The utility of this model to strain selection is demonstrated with the red alga Gracilaria tikvahiae, a species that has been considered a maricultural candidate for a number of utilizations. A continuum of surface area: volume ratios for eight clones of G. tikvahiae showed that this ratio decreased as morphological complexity increased and was a good predictor of both short-term photosynthesis and long-term growth rate. Clones near opposite ends of the surface area: volume ratio spectrum had significant differences for both photosynthesis and growth. Each clone of G. tikvahiae possesses concomitant combinations of benefits as well as costs, which should be carefully evaluated for the cultivation application of interest. Knowledge of functional-form relationships in seaweeds can significantly expedite their successful cultivation.     

Selective Medium for Isolating Phanerochaete chrysosporium from Soil

A selective medium was developed that is capable of isolating Phanerochaete chrysosporium from soil. This medium contains 15 ppm of benomyl (15 μg g⁻¹) and 550 ppm of streptomycin sulfate in 2% malt agar and is held at 39°C after inoculation. P. chrysosporium was isolated from three nonsterile forest soils to which the fungus had been added. These soils contained large microbial populations.     

Intracellular distribution of transglutaminase activity during rat liver regeneration

Transglutaminase and ornithine decarboxylase activities have been assayed at intervals after partial hepatectomy in regenerating liver cells fractionated to obtain nuclear, cytoplasmic-particulate, and cytoplasmic-soluble fractions. Ornithine decarboxylase activity, localized entirely in the cytoplasmic fractions, undergoes a dramatic induction during the first 4 h after partial hepatectomy and remains elevated. This induction is very sensitive to inhibition by cycloheximide and actinomycin D, as previously reported. Transglutaminase activity is localized in both the cytoplasm and the nucleus with the highest specific activity in the nucleus. Nuclear transglutaminase activity approximately doubles in the first 2 h of liver regeneration, apparently as a result of a translocation of enzyme from the cytoplasm to the nucleus. Inhibitor studies indicate that the translocation is not dependent upon protein or RNA synthesis. In the first 2 h, actinomycin D slightly activates transglutaminase activity in the cytoplasmic-particulate and nuclear fractions. Only at 4 h after the onset of regeneration do actinomycin D and cycloheximide show some inhibition of transglutaminase activity indicating de novo synthesis at this time. A broad increase of transglutaminase activity occurs from hours 12–16 to hour 32 after partial hepatectomy in the nuclear and cytoplasmic-particulate fraction. These data suggest the existence of a function for transglutaminase in the nucleus of rat liver cells.     

Evaluation of a new modified pediatric bubble oxygenator

A comparison was made of the S-070 Pediatric Bubble Oxygenator, which was unreliable above flow rates of approximately 1.5 L/min, with a modified S-070A, which proved to be extremely efficient to flow rates of 2.5 L/min.