In vivo visualization of individual neurons in arthropod ganglia facilitates intracellular neuropil recording

Summary A simple method for the in vivo visualization of dye filled cells by laser illumination is used to characterize neurons in situ in the segmentai ganglia of the locust and the crayfish (Fig. 1). Neuron visualization provides the structural information necessary for identification of cells during an ongoing physiological experiment (Figs. 2, 3). Sequential penetrations of soma and neuropil as well as simultaneous double neuropil penetrations of spiking and nonspiking cells are facilitated by the visual control afforded by neuron visualization (Figs. 4, 5, 6). Furthermore, neuron visualization allows the sampling of cellular properties at multiple, predetermined sites in the dendritic and axonal arbors of identified neurons (Fig. 7) and aids in establishing synaptic connectivity through double neuropil recordings (Fig. 8).     

Characterization of the protein from gas-vacuole membranes of the blue-green alga,Microcystis aeruginosa

Summary The purified protein which constitutes the membranes of the gas vacuoles of the the blue-green alga, Microcystis aeruginosa, was partially characterized. Gel electrophoresis and end-group analysis indicate that the protein is a single species. Strongly protic solvents such as formic acid are the only reagents causing appreciable solubilization of the membrane protein. Infrared spectroscopy shows that the membrane protein has both -helix or random-coil conformation, and -conformation.This work was supported by the U. S. Atomic Energy Commission under Contract AT-(11-1)-1338.     

Evolution of a New Gene Substituting for the leuD Gene of Salmonella typhimurium: Characterization of supQ Mutations

Alpha-isopropylmalate isomerase, the second specific enzyme in the biosynthesis of leucine, is coded for by two genes, leuC and leuD. Leucine auxotrophs, harboring leuD mutations including a deletion of the entire leuD gene, revert to leucine prototrophy owing to mutations at a locus, supQ, substantially distant to the leucine operon. A large number of independently isolated supQ mutations were characterized. A significant increase in the spontaneous frequency of supQ mutations was found after mutagenesis with 2-aminopurine, N-methyl-N′-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine, diethyl sulfate, and nitrous acid. The supQ function in most of these strains is temperature sensitive, resulting in more efficient suppression with decreasing temperature. At higher temperatures, the supQ limits the growth rate of leuD supQ mutant strains. All supQ mutations are co-transducible with proA and proB, with co-transduction frequencies ranging from 5.4 to 99.9% for different supQ mutations. Many supQ mutations were isolated, especially after nitrous acid mutagenesis, that had acquired a simultaneous proline requirement. The data support the idea of two genes, supQ and newD, whose protein products form a complex. The newD gene product, without any genetic alteration, is capable of substituting for the missing leuD protein. However, mutations in the supQ gene (point mutations or deletions) are necessary to make the newD protein available, which is normally tied up in a complex with the supQ protein.     

Light-dependent hydrogen evolution by Scenedesmus

Summary The effect of glucose and the uncoupler Cl-CCP upon hydrogen production was studied in adapted cells of Scenedesmus obliquus D₃. Cl-CCP at 10^-5M concentration completely inhibited the evolution of H₂ in the dark and increased the apparent rate of H₂ evolution in the light. At 10^-5M Cl-CCP, photosynthesis and photoreduction by anaerobically adapted algae were only temporarily inhibited; O₂ evolution reappeared after approximately 1 hr of illumination if CO₂ was present. Increasing the Cl-CCP concentration to 5 x 10^-5M led to a maximum rate of photohydrogen production and fully inhibited H₂ evolution, photoreduction and dark H₂ evolution. H₂ evolution was accompanied by a release of varying amounts of CO₂ in the light, as well as in the dark. Dark CO₂ production was stimulated by Cl-CCP. H₂ evolution in the light was stimulated by adding glucose to autotrophically grown cells or by growing the cells heterotrophically with glucose; starvation had an opposite effect. Adapted cells released ¹⁴CO₂ from the 3 and/or 4 position of specifically labeled glucose, indicating that degradation occurred via the Embden-Meyerhof pathway. The amount of H₂ released by autotrophically grown cells was the same either with continuous illumination or with short periods of light, followed by darkness. Scenedesmus mutant No. 11, which is unable to evolve O₂ was not inhibited in its capacity to evolve H₂ in the light. These data indicate that the evolution of H₂ in the light by adapted Scenedesmus depends upon the degradation of organic material and does not require the production of free O₂ by photosystem II.The following abbreviations are used: Cl-CCP = carbonyl cyanide m-chlorophenylhydrazone; DCMU = 3-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-1,1-dimethylurea, DNP = 2,4-dinitrophenol.This work was supported by contract AT-(40-1)-2687 from the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission.     

Zur Feinstruktur der Blutmonozyten des Haushuhns

Zusammenfassung Blutmonozyten von 10 klinisch gesunden, legenden weißen Hybridhennen wurden elektronenmikroskopisch untersucht. Dabei wurde eine zweite Fixierungsmethode in Anlehnung anHirsch u.Fedorko (1968) angewandt. — Deutlich ausgeprägte Golgi-, ER-sowie vesikuläre bzw. granuläre Strukturen kennzeichnen die Aktivität der Monozyten. Sie enthalten außerdem feine Filamente, die stellenweise durch Querbrücken verbunden sind, Mikrotubuli sowie in einem Fall phagozytierte zelluläre Partikel.

---

Fine structure of the hen's monocytes

Summary The fine structure of the monocytes from 10 clinically healthy hybrid hens was investigated electron microscopically. A second fixation method afterHirsch andFedorko (1968) was used. — The activity of the monocytes is characterised by a well developed Golgi apparatus, ER- and vesicular respectively granular structures. Furthermore the cells contain fine filaments with cross-bridges, microtubules and - in a single case-phagocytized cellular particles.

     

Zur Verbreitung der Mallophagen der Gattung Myrsidea Waterston auf der Dschungelkrähe Corvus macrorhynchos Wagler

Im allgemeinen ist eine Mallophagengattung auf eine einzige Familie oder Ordnung ihrer Wirte beschränkt; seit N itzsch (1815) und K ellogg (1896) konnte diese Erscheinung immer wieder bestätigt werden. Damit ist auch naturgemäß die Verbreitung der Mallophagen identisch mit der ihrer Wirte; allerdings können extreme Klimate (s. E ichler , 1963, und N iethammer , 1962) das Vorkommen der Mallophagen im Gegensatz zu dem ihrer Wirte beschränken. Trotz dieser Ausnahmen ist es jedoch wegen des engen Wirt-Parasit-Verhältnis grundsätzlich möglich, mit Hilfe der Mallophagen-Verbreitung den Wirt betreffende, taxonomische, phylogenetische und zoogeographische Fragen zu erörtern. Wie erfolgreich diese Untersuchungsmethoden sind, zeigen etwa die Arbeiten von C lay (1961, 1964, 1966 a, b), E ichler (1963), E lbel & E merson (1959) und T immermann (1957, 1965).