On the nature of the hormonal regulation of amylase activity in cotyledons of germinating peas

The effect of the embryo axis and various growth substanceson amylase activity in cotyledons of germinating peas was studied. The embryo axis brought about an elevation in the level of enzymeactivity. Gibberellic acid, kinetin, benzyladenine and zeatinriboside also promoted the activity, but none of these substancesbrought about a full replacement of the axis. Such a replacementwas caused by zeatin or by a simultaneous application of zeatinriboside and gibberellic acid. The results suggest that the regulative effect of the embryoaxis on amylase activity in cotyledons is brought about eitherby zeatin alone or a cooperative action of a cytokinin (or severalcytokinins) and a gibberellin (or several gibberellins). (Received November 30, 1974; )     

Bacterial attack of corals in polluted seawater

Coral heads of the genusPlatigyra exposed to low concentrations of crude oil, copper sulfate, potassium phosphate, or dextrose were killed in periods of 5 to 10 days in aquarium studies. The chemicals stimulated the production of large quantities of mucus by the corals. In aquaria treated with antibiotics to prevent microbial growth,Platigyra survived the presence of these chemicals in the water, indicating a role of the microflora in the death of the corals. Evidence was obtained implicating predatory bacteria,Desulfovibrio andBeggiatoa, in the destruction of the stressed coral colonies.     

Analysis by two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of the in vivo phosphorylation of ribosomal proteins derived from free and membrane-bound polysomes

Analysis of in vivo phosphorylation of mouse liver ribosomal proteins was performed by two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis following 32P-injection. Our method is special and differs from other eukaryotic systems reported in that all proteins separated on the first dimension gel are completely solubilized, moving quantitatively to the second dimension gel. Only ribosomes from polysomes were used, ensuring analysis of ribosomes actively engaged in protein synthesis. We resolved sixty-five distinct proteins from ribosomes from membrane bound or free polysomes. In both cases radioautography revealed similar labeled patterns with one highly phosphorylated ribosomal protein and five marginally labeled spots.     

Proteins of Newcastle Disease Virus and of the Viral Nucleocapsid

Newcastle disease virus was found to contain three major proteins. The structure unit of the viral nucleocapsid appears to be monomeric and to consist of a single large protein of an approximate molecular weight of 62,000.     

Diaphragmatic defects in children of consanguineous parents

Summary It is known from the literature that total loss of the short arm causes complete Turner's signs (Hoo, 1975; Therman and Patau, 1974). Partial deletions of the short arm of the X chromosome are in some cases compatible with fertility (Fraccaro et al., 1977; Hoo, 1979), but in other cases they cause a significant ovarial insufficiency with Turner's signs (Giraud et al., 1974) or gonadal dysgenesis (Petrinelli et al., 1978). A common sign for all the patients having the Xp-wwith the break point in the dark band (p113-p21) seems to be a short stature. The presence of other clinical signs is rather irregular. In this work, a 25-year-old female patient having a Xp deficiency in region p21 (46,X,del(X) (qterp21:)) with short stature, primary amenorrhea, sterility, and clear Turner's is described.     

Effects of colchicine on nucleic acid metabolism during metamorphosis of Tenebrio molitor L. and in some mammalian tissues

1. Administration of 10mug. of colchicine/pupa of the beetle Tenebrio molitor L. arrests its differentiation, the pupa remaining alive for 2-3 weeks. 2. The same concentration of colchicine inhibits DNA synthesis and stimulates RNA synthesis (as shown by incorporation into the nucleic acids of labelled adenine, labelled uridine and labelled thymidine). The effects of colchicine on nucleic acid metabolism are first detected 3 days after its administration to first-day pupae. 3. No effects of colchicine are seen on [1-(14)C]glycine incorporation into protein in vivo. 4. Relatively high concentrations of colchicine (e.g. 10mm) suppress incorporation of [8-(14)C]adenine into RNA in dorsal abdominal wall in vitro. Such concentrations have no effect on its incorporation into acid-soluble nucleotides. 5. Colchicine (1mm) suppresses incorporation of [8-(14)C]adenine into DNA to a greater extent than into RNA in various mammalian tissues in vitro (e.g. rat spleen, regenerating rat liver, rat embryo, guinea-pig intestinal mucosa, Ehrlich ascites cells). Colchicine (1mm) has no effect on the rate of respiration of, or on incorporation of radioactivity into acid-soluble nucleotides in, the mammalian tissues tested. 6. Further evidence indicates complex-formation between colchicine and DNA, and it is suggested that the effect of colchicine in suppressing DNA synthesis is due to its combination with the DNA primer (template).