Dopaminergic neurotoxicity of 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,5,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) in the mouse: relationships between monoamine oxidase, MPTP metabolism and neurotoxicity

Mice treated with MPTP had a marked decrement in their neostriatal content of dopamine and its metabolites compared to controls and a severe loss of nerve cells in the zona compacta of the substantia nigra. Furthermore, neostriatal synaptosomal preparations from MPTP-treated mice had a greatly diminished capacity to take up 3H-dopamine compared to control. These biochemical and histological changes seen in MPTP-treated mice are similar to those observed in Parkinson patients. In mice treated with the specific MAO-B inhibitor deprenil prior to MPTP, these changes were not observed. It thus follows that deprenil is able to protect against the MPTP-induced dopaminergic neurotoxicity in mice. These data suggest a critical role for MAO-B in MPTP-induced neurotoxicity.     

Action Spectrum of the Activity of Acifluorfen-methyl, a Diphenyl Ether Herbicide, in Chlamydomonas eugametos

Light is required for the herbicide activity of diphenyl ether herbicides. An action spectrum of acifluorfen-methyl activity with Chlamydomonas eugametos (Moewus) determined that cell death occurred at two peaks of light; 450 and 670 nanometers. These data indicate both chlorophyll and carotenoids, but not riboflavin, are involved in herbicide toxicity.     

Photosynthesis involvement in the mechanism of action of diphenyl ether herbicides

Photosynthesis is not required for the toxicity of diphenyl ether herbicides, nor are chloroplast thylakoids the primary site of diphenyl ether herbicide activity. Isolated spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.) chloroplast fragments produced malonyl dialdehyde, indicating lipid peroxidation, when paraquat (1,1′-dimethyl-4,4′-bipyridinium ion) or diuron [3-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-1,1-dimethylurea] were added to the medium, but no malonyl dialdehyde was produced when chloroplast fragments were treated with the methyl ester of acifluorfen (methyl 5-[2-chloro-4-(trifluoromethyl)phenoxy]-2-nitrobenzoic acid), oxyfluorfen [2-chloro-1-(3-ethoxy-4-nitrophenoxy)-4-(trifluoromethyl)benzene], or MC15608 (methyl 5-[2-chloro-4-(trifluoromethyl)phenoxy]-2-chlorobenzoate). In most cases the toxicity of acifluorfen-methyl, oxyfluorfen, or MC15608 to the unicellular green alga Chlamydomonas eugametos (Moewus) did not decrease after simultaneous treatment with diuron. However, diuron significantly reduced cell death after paraquat treatment at all but the highest paraquat concentration tested (0.1 millimolar). These data indicate electron transport of photosynthesis is not serving the same function for diphenyl ether herbicides as for paraquat. Additional evidence for differential action of paraquat was obtained from the superoxide scavenger copper penicillamine (copper complex of 2-amino-3-mercapto-3-methylbutanoic acid). Copper penicillamine eliminated paraquat toxicity in cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) cotyledons but did not reduce diphenyl ether herbicide toxicity.     

Properties of strange attractors in yeast glycolysis

The properties of periodic and aperiodic glycolytic oscillations observed in yeast extracts under sinusoidal glucose input were analyzed by the following methods. (1) Spectral analysis, rendering sharp peaks for periodic responses and enhanced broad-band noise for aperiodic oscillations. (2) Phase plane analysis, leading to closed and to open trajectories for periodic and aperiodic oscillations, respectively. (3) Rotation of a phase plane proportionally to time, revealing strange attractors associated with the aperiodic oscillations. (4) Stroboscopic plot on the phase plane, showing that the strange attractors follow a stretch-fold-press process, if the stroboscoping phase is varied. (5) Stroboscopic transfer plot, admitting a period of three transfer processes and thus implying chaos according to the Li-Yorke theorem. (6) Determination of the rate of information production by differentiation of the transfer plot, yielding approx. 0.21 bits per min for the chaotically glycolyzing yeast extract.     

Surface Rodlets of Tilletia indica Teliospores

Tilletia indica teliospores were studied by use of thin sections and freeze-etch replicas. Surfaces of these spores have rodlet patterns which differ from those previously reported for spores of other fungi. The rodlets on T. indica teliospores average 240 nm in length and are not grouped into fascicles.     

Isolation and comparison of arylsulfatase A from rat liver and Morris hepatoma 7777

Rat liver and Morris hepatoma 7777 arylsulfatase A were isolated from the soluble lysosomal extract by a procedure involving blue-Sepharose affinity chromatography, DEAE-cellulose chromatography, hydrophobic chromatography on phenyl-Sepharose and preparative polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The preparation obtained by this method was apparently homogenous in disc electrophoresis and in immunoelectrophoresis. The comparative studies revealed that the properties of arylsulfatase A from rat liver and Morris hepatoma 7777 are very similar, considering molecular weight of the native monomer and its subunits, the ability to form tetramers, isoelectric point, Michaelis constant and the anomalous kinetics of the reaction. The twofold elevation of arylsulfatase B activity found in Morris hepatoma 7777 suggests that the enzyme may have certain functions in tumor growth.     

Role of pit membranes in macromolecule-induced wilt of plants

Macromolecules present in low concentrations in xylem fluid of Medicago sativa L. var DuPuits will increase the resistance to xylem liquid flow. This increase in resistance was found to be reversible by backflushing the xylem. Autoradiography showed that very large molecules do not pass through pit membrane pores. A comparison of pit membrane pore sizes to molecule sizes suggests that increased resistance to xylem flow is a result of plugging pit membrane pores. It was also found that pit membranes located in two parts of the plant differ in the apparent diameter of their pores and, thus, in their susceptibility to plugging by macromolecules. Macromolecules in xylem fluid may result from hostparasite interactions and may play a significant role in the outcome of the interaction.     

Raman spectroscopic and X-ray diffraction studies of the effect of temperature and Ca2+ on phosphatidylethanolamine dispersions

Raman spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction are used to study the effect of heat and Ca²⁺ on dimyristoylphosphatidylethanolamine dispersions. Unlike phosphatidylcholine dispersions, dimyristoylphosphatidylethanolamine bilayers (at pH 8) require heating above T_m in order for hydration to occur and apparently bind Ca²⁺ at very low levels. These results are related to models for membrane fusion.