Das pyroelektrische Verhalten und das permanente elektrische Moment von menschlichem und tierischem Sehnengewebe

Zusammenfassung Bei menschlichem und tierischem Sehnengewebe wurde pyroelektrisches Verhalten festgestellt. Pyroelektrisches Verhalten bedeutet, daß eine permanente makroskopische elektrische Polarisation und somit ein permanentes elektrisches Moment in Richtung der pyroelektrischen Achse vorhanden ist.Die pyroelektrische (und daher auch piezoelektrische) Achse verläuft in der Längsrichtung der Sehnenfasern bzw. ihrer Kollagenfibrillen. Sie stimmt überein mit der optischen Faserachse, in deren Verlauf positiv einachsige Doppelbrechung bekannt ist. Sehnen mit leidlicher Parallelausrichtung ihrer Faserbündel zeigen dementsprechend makroskopisch eine pyroelektrische Achse parallel zur physiologischen Sehnenlängsachse. Bei seilartiger Bündelung der Fibrillen oder anderen histologischen Unregelmäßigkeiten im Faserverlauf zeigen sich korrespondierende Unregelmäßigkeiten des pyroelektrischen Achsenverlaufs.In genau korrespondierenden Abschnitten der gleichen Sehne verschiedener Individuen fand sich eine sehr erhebliche biologische Streubreite der pyro- und piezoelektrischen Effekte.In situ hatte das permanente elektrische Moment der untersuchten menschlichen und Rinder-Sehnen, sowie der Schwanzsehnen von Ratten eine festliegende gleichsinnige Vektorrichtung bei allen Individuen. Die Vektorrichtung war bei den untersuchten korrespondierenden Sehnen von Mensch und Rind sowie bei den Rattenschwanz-Sehnen analog.Die Vektorrichtung der permanenten elektrischen Polarisation bei Sehnengewebe, und wahrscheinlich auch bei anderen kollagenhaltigen Strukturen, scheint in Beziehung zur morphogenetischen Entwicklungsrichtung der Tiere zu stehen.

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Summary Tendons are pyroelectric. Pyroelectrical behaviour is identical with a permanent electrical moment in the direction of the pyroelectrical axis. There exists a pyroelectrical (and consequently also piezoelectrical) axis corresponding to the longitudinal axis of the tendon fibres and their collagen fibrils, and also corresponding to their optical axis, in the direction of which a positive birefringence is known.Accordingly in tendons with an approximately parallel alignment of the collagen fibres the pyroelectrical (and piezoelectrical) axis corresponds to the physiological longitudinal tendon axis. In rope-like or any other histological irregular forms of the collagen fibre alignment corresponding irregularities of the electrical axis direction were found.The pyro- and piezoelectric effects show large biological variations in corresponding tendons of different individuals.In situ the permanent electrical moment in the examined tendons of men and ox and of rat-tail respectively is always in the same vector direction in each individual. This vector direction is analogical in all examined corresponding tendons of men, ox, and also in rat-tail. The permanent electrical moment of tendons (as well as of other collagen-containing tissues) seems to correspond to the morphogenetical development axis of animals.The results of this investigation may be understood by the assumption that the rod-like collagen molecule (i.e. tropocollagen) represents an electrical dipole with a permanent electrical moment in the longitudinal direction of the rod.

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Unterstützt durch Sachbeihilfen der Deutschen Forschungsgemeinschaft.     

Inhibition of cardiolipin synthesis by end-products and other complex lipids in membrane preparations of Micrococcus lysodeikticus.

Using membrane preparations of Micrococcus lysodeikticus, the end-products of cardiolipin synthesis, cardiolipin and glycerol, were shown to inhibit cardiolipin synthetase at several concentrations. Other phospholipids tested for inhibitory effects, phosphatidyl-ethanolamine, phosphatidylinositol, and phosphatidic acid were also shown to inhibit cardiolipin synthesis. Phosphatidic acid was considerably more inhibitory than cardiolipin, phosphatidylethanolamine was similar to cardiolipin, and phosphatidylinositol less inhibitory at the same concentrations. A non-phosphate-containing glycolipid was also inhibitory. In contrast, glycerophosphate had no effect on cardiolipin synthesis.     

Genic homozygosity in an ancient reptile (Alligator mississippiensis)

Proteins assayed electrophoretically showed variation at only three of 49 presumed genetic loci in alligators from southwestern Louisiana. Average heterozygosity per individual was 0.021±0.012; proportion of polymorphic loci was 0.06. Data on the history, structure, and ecology of this alligator population are consistent with natural selection as the primary factor accounting for this low genetic variability. However, neither a historic population bottleneck nor some genetic mechanism limiting variability can be dismissed as a possible factor.The study was supported by NSF Grant BMS 73-0125 to H.C.D.     

Spectroscopic study of monosubstituted amides. II. Rotation isomers in amides substituted by aliphatic side-chain models

The influence of the substituents upon the Amide I and νNH frequencies has been analyzed for ten amides substituted by aliphatic side chains. By considering the aliphatic chain field effect, some data are obtained as to the conformation of the N? C_α bond. In two amides, the presence of an equilibrium between two conformers is shown and a semiquantitative estimation of the energies involved is obtained. The consequences for polypeptides conformation, especially for poly-L -valine, are discussed.     

Body size increase in insular rodent populations: a role for predators?

Insular mammalian populations living in areas of small size are often characterized by a drastic change in body mass compared to related continental populations or species. Generally, small mammals (less than 100 g) evolve into giant forms while large mammals (up to 100 g) evolve into dwarf forms. These changes, coupled with changes in other life, behavioural, physiological or demographic traits are referred to generally as the insular syndrome. We tested in this study the relative contribution of three factors — area of island, numbers of competitor species and number of predator species — to changes in body size of the woodmouse (Apodemus sylvaticus) in the Western Mediterranean Sea. Our results, based on a comparative analysis using the phylogenetic independent contrasts method, indicate that the increase in body size is related both to the decrease of island size and to the lower number of predator species. A decrease of competitor species does not seem to have an important effect.     

Influence of environment upon the life history of gudgeon, Gobio gobio (L.): a recent and successful colonizer of the Iberian Peninsula

The growth and the reproductive tactics of gudgeon, Gobio gobio (L.) were assessed in three contrasting streams of the Iberian Peninsula: the Rivers Moros and Ucero, tributaries of the R. Duero, and the R. MatarrańGa, a tributary of the R. Ebro. The R. Duero gudgeon have spread in the last 50 years while their presence in the lower tributaries of the R. Ebro followed the construction of reservoirs in the mid 1960s. The life histories of the Moros and MatarrańnGa gudgeon are very similar; rapid growth in spring, early reproduction (1 -year-old), high reproductive cost, short life-span and trend to semelparity. Both populations are strongly influenced by the severe summer droughts that result in (I) reduction in the condition coefficient, (2) reduction in the growth rate (particularly in the River MatarrańGa), (3) single spawning and (4) no gonad development in the summer. The gudgeon in the Ucero delay maturity, grow slower, are multi-spawners and have a longer life span. All the Duero populations come from the same genetic pool and they are actually connected through the populations living along this river basin, whereas the MatarrańGa population is not genetically linked, we hypothesize that the differences between these populations are environmentally induced.