Nile crocodiles, Crocodylus niloticus, and estuarine crocodiles, Crocodylus porosus, show similar osmoregulatory responses on exposure to seawater

1. Nile crocodiles, reared in fresh water and exposed acutely to seawater, suffer marked dehydration and hypernatraemia. Cloacal urine osmolarity and potassium concentration increased markedly but urine sodium remains low. 2. Hypernatraemia is increased when secretion from the lingual salt glands is prevented. 3. C. niloticus appears not to drink seawater. 4. Similarities in osmoregulatory response between estuarine and Nile crocodiles suggest that the lingual salt glands of C. niloticus are functional in salt water, playing an important role in sodium balance. 5. Significant differences in the function of the renal/cloacal complex of Alligator and Crocodylus emphasize further the differences between these two groups of crocodilian and provide support for the postulated marine ancestry of many or all of the Crocodylidae.     

In vitro anti-HIV activity of phosphorothioate alpha-anomeric oligodeoxynucleotides

Oligonucleotide analogs consisting exclusively of alpha-anomeric deoxynucleoside units bridged with phosphorothioate linkages have been synthesized and tested in vitro as antiviral agents against human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in human T cells. Two 28-mers, an homopolymer alpha-S-dC28 and an oligomer alpha-S-anti-rev complementary to the initiation site of the regulatory viral gene rev exhibited antiviral activities comparable to those reported for the corresponding beta-anomeric phosphorothioate analogs. In contrast, a nuclease-resistant homopolymer, alpha-dC28 was inactive. Their preliminary results would indicate that the origin of oligonucleotide phosphorothioate anti-HIV activity is not exclusively correlated with their higher nuclease resistance.     

Purple pigmentation in leaves of some tropical weed species

The photoacoustic spectroscopic studies of purple pigmented leaves revealed the occurrence of anthocyanins and betalains in some local weed species growing on soils with low moisture levels. The pigmentation intensities were higher in C₄ plants than in C₃ plants. An inverse correlation was observed between pigmentation intensities and soil moisture levels. This work is a part of the UNEP Research Project granted to Prof. D. O. Hall, UNEP Coordinator, Department of Plant Sciences, King’s College; London.     

Structural aspects of recognition motifs contributing to autoimmune responses.

Sequence analysis of autoimmune-associated antibodies has suggested a structural relatedness between genes used to encode autoantibodies and those encoding unrelated antibodies without autoreactive specificities. Subsequently, the basis for cross-reactive idiotypes across germ-line lineages, as well as conserved interspecies cross-reactivities of autoantigens among serologically similar antibodies, may result from evolutionary duplication of particular types of recognition motifs. As a first step toward elucidating structural recognition principles underlying possible cross-reactive epitopes involved in autoimmune pathologies, structural features of selected motifs associated with native ligand binding are examined for their inherent occurrence in antibody and T-cell receptor repertoires. This analysis considers the putative recognition features representative of common motif subsets shared with loop structures in CDR2 and FR3 regions of antibodies such as charge-2x-charge-x-charge or hydrogen bond donor (acceptor)-2x-charge-x-hydrogen bond donor (acceptor) type motifs, where x is any residue that can participate in maintaining a loop conformation. Such tracts encoded in the CRD2 and FR3 regions of heavy chains of antibodies and T-cell receptors (TCRs) associated with autoimmune dysfunction, with non-autoreactive antibodies, and with native host proteins. Such evolutionarily conserved motifs may be targets for complementary interactions involving autoantibodies and receptors.     

Kinetics of phenylalanine absorption by the rat intestine in vivo after distal resection

The kinetics of L-phenylalanine absorption across rat small intestine in sham and 50% distal resected animals, in vivo, have been studied by perfusing jejunal loops and monitoring the disappearance of the substrate from the perfusate. After 5 months postresection the total phenylalanine absorption was increased. The relationship between total absorption of substrate and its concentration in the bulk phase shows a non-saturable component and a saturable one that can be inhibited by methionine, both in control and remnant jejunum. The slope of the line that represents the non-saturable component is greater in remnant jejunum, indicating that the apparent mass-transfer coefficient, K'D, was increased by distal resection. The kinetic analysis of the saturable component shows that Jmax was unaltered and the apparent semisaturation constant, K'M, was slightly decreased by distal small intestine resection. Correction of the kinetic constant for the unstirred water layer effects shows that the differences between 'real' KD values of the two experimental groups increase whereas 'real' KM values do not change significantly. This indicates that the observed increase in total intestinal absorption in resected animals appears to result from an increase in the intestinal passive permeability.     

Factors governing the production of juvenile Atlantic salmon in Scottish streams

Data are presented to show how the number and growth of juvenile salmon in streams in the Scottish Highlands are influenced by various physical (temperature, water chemistry, depth and velocity, type of substratum) and biotic (food resources, competition, recruitment) factors.     

Cultured astrocytes from a syncytium after maturation

The formation of functional gap junctions between astrocytes was investigated during differentiation of these cells in culture. Precursor cells of GFA (glial fibrillary acidic) protein-positive astrocytes were cultured in a chemically defined medium as a homogeneous population. These cells were rarely coupled to one neighbour, as revealed by electrical and dye coupling and never formed a large syncytium, as investigated by injection and spread of Lucifer Yellow. Differentiation with respect to GFA protein accumulation can be induced in these cells by culturing in horse serum-containing medium. The formation of functional junctions developed within 2 weeks in about 20% of the cells. Coupled cells formed a large syncytium. When the astrocytes were co-cultured with primary cerebellar cells (consisting predominantly of small neurons) after the switch to serum-containing medium the percentage of coupled astrocytes increased to about 65%. Again the coupled cells formed a large syncytium. Since no physical contact was possible between the astrocyte cultures and the primary cerebellar cells the stimulation of coupling had to be signalized by soluble factor(s).