Über das gleichzeitige Vorkommen von zweierlei Eiweißkörpern in den Zellkernen vonPseudolysimachion spicatum und einigen anderen Scrophulariaceen

Zusammenfassung Die Zellkerne vonPseudolysimachion spicatum, Veronica cymbalaria undV. gentianoides enthalten zweierlei Eiweißkörper von je nach dem Entwicklungszustand unterschiedlicher Konsistenz. Bis zum Höhepunkt ihrer Entwicklung liegen sie als anscheinend amorphe flüssige oder gelartige Gebilde vor. Später tritt — mit gewebespezifischen Unterschieden — Verfestigung und Kristallisation ein, und zwar bei beiden nicht gleichzeitig und z. T. auch nur beim großen. Beiderlei Körper unterscheiden sich deutlich in physikalischer und chemischer Hinsicht, außerdem in ihrer Entwicklungsgeschichte und Strukturveränderung. Sie fehlen in den Schließzellen, im Antherentapetum, in den Pollenmutterzellen, Pollenkörnern, im Embryosack, im Endosperm und im Embryo.Die Zellkerne in der Blattepidermis vonPenstemon barbatus enthalten ebenfalls zweierlei Eiweißkörper. Davon liegt einer als kugeliges Gebilde, der andere als Kristallstapel vor.

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Summary In the nuclei ofPseudolysimachion spicatum, Veronica cymbalaria, V. gentianoides there occur two different kinds of protein bodies. They clearly differ from one another in physical and chemical regard as well as in their ontogeny. At first they are amorphous, liquid or geluous. As a rule a consolidation or crystallization with differences according to the tissue takes place after the climax of the development, and that not at the same time within both bodies. In the stomata cells, pollen mother cells, in the embryo sac, in the endosperm, in the endothelium and in the embryo both bodies do not occur.The nuclei in the epidermis of the leaves ofPenstemon barbatus also contain two different kinds of protein bodies, one of them appearing as a round body, and the other one as a pile of crystal plates.

     

Regulation of glycerol metabolism in Enterococcus faecalis by phosphoenolpyruvate-dependent phosphorylation of glycerol kinase catalyzed by enzyme I and HPr of the phosphotransferase system.

Using a polyclonal antibody against glycerol kinase from Enterococcus faecalis, we could demonstrate that glycerol kinase is inducible by growth on glycerol-containing medium and that during growth on glycerol the enzyme is mainly phosphorylated. Glucose and other sugars metabolized via the Embden-Meyerhof pathway strongly repressed the synthesis of glycerol kinase, while if glycerol was also present during growth, low activity, reflecting partial induction and the presence of mainly unphosphorylated, less active enzyme, was found. With gluconate, which is also a substrate of the phosphotransferase system, repression of glycerol kinase was less severe, but the enzyme was mainly present in the less active, unphosphorylated form. Effects of growth on different carbon sources on glycerol uptake are also reported.     

Preservation of Rhizobium viability and symbiotic infectivity by suspension in water

Three Rhizobium japonicum strains and two slow-growing cowpea-type Rhizobium strains were found to remain viable and able to rapidly modulate their respective hosts after being stored in purified water at ambient temperatures for periods of 1 year and longer. Three fast-growing Rhizobium species did not remain viable under the same water storage conditions. After dilution of slow-growing Rhizobium strains with water to 10(3) to 10(5) cells ml-1, the bacteria multiplied until the viable cell count reached levels of between 10(6) and 10(7) cells ml-1. The viable cell count subsequently remained fairly constant. When the rhizobia were diluted to 10(7) cells ml-1, they did not multiply, but full viability was maintained. If the rhizobia were washed and suspended at 10(9) cells ml-1, viability slowly declined to 10(7) cells ml-1 during 9 months of storage. Scanning electron microscopy showed that no major morphological changes took place during storage. Preservation of slow-growing rhizobia in water suspensions could provide a simple and inexpensive alternative to current methods for the preservation of rhizobia for legume inoculation.     

Retinotopy and orientation columns in the monkey: A new model

A model is presented in which orientation columns arise directly out of retinotopy. According to the model, iso-orientation lines are arrayed radially around nodal centers which correspond to cytochrome oxidase patches. The nodal centers form a square matrix superimposed upon the map of ocular dominance stripes. In the supragranular layers horizontal iso-orientation lines run down the centers of ocular dominance stripes, with vertical iso-orientation lines crossing perpendicularly. Diagonal orientations (45 degrees and 135 degrees) are represented as alternating iso-orientation zones at the centers of the interstices in the matrix (internodal centers). Preferred orientations in the infragranular layers are reversed with respect to the supragranular layers. The model is consistent with new data concerning ocularity and preferred orientation in systematic penetrations through striate cortex, and helps to explain some previously puzzling features of the relationship between ocular dominance columns, orientation columns and retinotopy.     

Cell culture density as a modulator of collagenase expression in normal human fibroblast cultures

The effect of various stages of normal cell growth on human fibroblast collagenase found in the culture medium was studied, so that the regulatory mechanisms of synthesis, secretion and activity of the enzyme could be established. Specific activity of collagenase increased 6- to 10-fold shortly after confluence was reached when compared with low density levels and decreased in post-confluent cultures, suggesting that synthesis and/or release of the enzyme changes with culture density. To assess this possibility, culture medium was examined for immunoreactive collagenase protein by radioimmunoassay. After confluence was reached, immunoreactive collagenase had increased approx. 2-fold, indicating greater secretion, and probably synthesis, of the enzyme. However, the increase in specific activity of the enzyme observed shortly after confluence was greater than could be accounted for by an increase in immunoreactive enzyme protein. As a result of the disproportionate increase in collagenase activity, the collagenase activity per unit immunoreactive protein was also found to be greatest shortly after confluence and decreased in post-confluent cultures. This density-associated modulation of collagenase expression could be reproduced by initiating the cultures at high density after subculture. Expression of collagenase activity was dependent upon intact protein synthetic mechanisms, since cultures maintained in the presence of cycloheximide failed to secrete collagenase into the culture medium.     

Chimpanzee bipedal locomotion in the Gombe National Park,East Africa

An adult male chimpanzee in the natural habitat has been observed to walk predominantly bipedally after a total forelimb paralysis in 1966. The major differences from previously described bipedal chimpanzee gait are (1) one third of the femoral extension is posterior to the hip joint in propulsion, (2) excursion of the swinging foot is close to midline, due to adduction of the lower hindlimb in swing and propulsive phases, (3) depressed pelvic tilt is on the side of the swinging limb, (4) thoracic vertebrae rotate and are vertical and erect, and (5) there is only a moderate lateral sway of the midline. This locomotory complex is interpreted as individual variability and suggests an evolutionary model for the origin of hominid bipedal locomotion.     

Identification and differential expression of a novel alternative splice isoform of the beta A4 amyloid precursor protein (APP) mRNA in leukocytes and brain microglial cells.

The gene for the beta A4-amyloid precursor protein (APP) consists of 19 exons which code for a typical N- and O-glycosylated transmembrane protein with four extracellular domains followed by the transmembrane domain and a short cytoplasmic domain. The beta A4-amyloid sequence is part of exons 16 and 17. Several APP isoforms can be generated by alternative splicing of exons 7 and 8, encoding domains with homologies to Kunitz-type protease inhibitors and the MRC OX-2 antigen, respectively. The mechanism by which the pathological beta A4 is generated is unknown, it is however a critical event in Alzheimer's disease and is distinct from the normally occurring cleavage and secretion of APPs within the beta A4 sequence. We report here for the first time considerable APP mRNA expression by rat brain microglial cells. In addition we showed by S1 nuclease protection and polymerase chain reaction analysis of reverse transcribed RNA (RT-PCR) that T-lymphocytes, macrophages, and microglial cells expressed a new APP isoform by selection of a novel alternative splice site and exclusion of exon 15 of the APP gene. This leads to a transmembrane, beta A4 sequence containing APP variant, lacking 18 amino acid residues close to the amyloidogenic region. The use of this novel alternative splice site alters the structure of APP in close proximity to the beta A4 region and thus may determine a variant, potentially pathogenic processing of leukocyte-derived APP in brain.     

Evolution of proton pumping ATPases: Rooting the tree of life

Proton pumping ATPases are found in all groups of present day organisms. The F-ATPases of eubacteria, mitochondria and chloroplasts also function as ATP synthases, i.e., they catalyze the final step that transforms the energy available from reduction/oxidation reactions (e.g., in photosynthesis) into ATP, the usual energy currency of modern cells. The primary structure of these ATPases/ATP synthases was found to be much more conserved between different groups of bacteria than other parts of the photosynthetic machinery, e.g., reaction center proteins and redox carrier complexes.These F-ATPases and the vacuolar type ATPase, which is found on many of the endomembranes of eukaryotic cells, were shown to be homologous to each other; i.e., these two groups of ATPases evolved from the same enzyme present in the common ancestor. (The term eubacteria is used here to denote the phylogenetic group containing all bacteria except the archaebacteria.) Sequences obtained for the plasmamembrane ATPase of various archaebacteria revealed that this ATPase is much more similar to the eukaryotic than to the eubacterial counterpart. The eukaryotic cell of higher organisms evolved from a symbiosis between eubacteria (that evolved into mitochondria and chloroplasts) and a host organism. Using the vacuolar type ATPase as a molecular marker for the cytoplasmic component of the eukaryotic cell reveals that this host organism was a close relative of the archaebacteria.A unique feature of the evolution of the ATPases is the presence of a non-catalytic subunit that is paralogous to the catalytic subunit, i.e., the two types of subunits evolved from a common ancestral gene. Since the gene duplication that gave rise to these two types of subunits had already occurred in the last common ancestor of all living organisms, this non-catalytic subunit can be used to root the tree of life by means of an outgroup; that is, the location of the last common ancestor of the major domains of living organisms (archaebacteria, eubacteria and eukaryotes) can be located in the tree of life without assuming constant or equal rates of change in the different branches.A correlation between structure and function of ATPases has been established for present day organisms. Implications resulting from this correlation for biochemical pathways, especially photosynthesis, that were operative in the last common ancestor and preceding life forms are discussed.