Subcellular Localization of Asparaginase and Asparagine Aminotransferase in Pisum sativum Leaves

Protoplasts isolated from young and mature pea leaves (Pisum sativum L.) were broken and their contents fractionated by differential centrifugation or on sucrose-density gradients. Asparaginase was found only in the cytosol of young leaves. Asparagine aminotransferase was found in both young and mature leaves and was localized exclusively in the peroxisome. This corroborates the observation that asparagine transamination is catalyzed by the serine:glyoxylate aminotransferase.     

New Method of Isolating Salmonellae from Milk

The use of a cotton gauze swab and subsequent culture of the swab was found to be a more sensitive method for isolating Salmonella from liquid milk than the revised procedure of North. The swab method was found to be as sensitive as the North procedure for recovering Salmonella when incubated at 37 C but more sensitive when incubated at 43 C. Incubation of the swab cultures at the elevated temperature of 43 C gave good results when Salmonella was present at levels as low as one per liter. Swabs exposed to milk contaminated with 100 Salmonella per liter remained positive even when subsequently washed for 2 hr in noncontaminated milk. Bismuth sulfite agar and Brilliant Green sulfadiazine agar were equally effective for isolating Salmonella from broth cultures; use of both media resulted in maximal isolations.     

Asymptomatic Significant Bacteriuria in the Non-pregnant Woman: II. Response to Treatment and Follow-up

Short courses of nitrofurantoin and ampicillin produced an immediate cure in 80% of adult non-pregnant bacteriuric women. Of the subjects so treated, 55% remained cured at the end of one year. Over the same follow-up period 36% of untreated bacteriuric women developed a spontaneous remission of bacteriuria. Treatment failed to prevent the development of symptomatic infection, and the reinfections which followed successful treatment were more commonly associated with the development of symptoms than the persistent or relapsing infections in untreated or unsuccessfully treated subjects.It is concluded that a search for bacteriuria in non-pregnant women is unlikely to be of value as a preventive measure, since in many instances it fails to detect urinary tract infection at an early stage and since treatment by methods suitable for large-scale use is ineffective.     

Sexual differentiation,gonad development,and spawning seasonality of the Hawaiian butterflyfish,Chaetodon multicinctus

Synopsis The reproductive biology of the coral reef butterflyfish,Chaetodon multicinctus, was investigated by histological examination of gonads sampled over an 18 month period from a shallow inshore population on Oahu, Hawaii. Most gonads developed directly from previously undifferentiated tissue. Ovarian development (the structural formation of lamellae and primary oocytes) was observed in fish ≥44 mm and testicular development (the formation of spermatogenic crypts) in fish ≥62 mm standard length (SL). In addition, testis formation was identified within the ovarian lamellae of several differentiated but immature fish. It is hypothesized that prematurational sex change may facilitate monogamy within the highly competitive social structure of this site attached species. Oocyte development in mature females was marked by distinct phases of primary growth, the formation of yolk vesicles, and vitellogenesis. Spawning activity was histologically identified by the maturation and hydration of fully yolked oocytes, and presence of postovulatory follicles. Recently spawned females from field collections and experimental gonadotropin-treatments exhibited postovulatory follicles that were estimated to persist at least 24 h after ovulation. Atresia of yolked oocytes was classified into four stages of cell degeneration and resorption. Monthly analyses of oocyte development and atresia within the sample population show thatC. multicinctus has a protracted annual spawning season with a major peak during the early spring and evidence of spawning activity among some individuals in the fall. Histological analyses of spawning activity provide more accurate and unambiguous information than do traditional gonadosomatic assays in this and probably other coral reef fishes.     

Effect of abscisic acid, osmolarity and partial desiccation on the development of recalcitrant mango somatic embryos

Inhibition of mango somatic embryo growth was inducedin vitro by treatments for 4 or more weeks with abscisic acid (0–100 M ABA) with and without high osmolarity provided by mannitol (0–10%). High osmolarity and ABA significantly affected somatic embryo length, precocious germination and the production of good quality secondary somatic embryos. High osmolarity also affected root elongation. Abscisic acid was more effective in suppressing growth and development of 0.5 cm-length somatic embryos than smaller somatic embryos. Development beyond the heart stage was significantly inhibited by both ABA and mannitol treatments. The recovery of good quality somatic embryos was enhanced by high levels of ABA (100 M) with and without mannitol (0–5%). Somatic embryos that had been pulsed with ABA were partially desiccated at different relative humidities. Weight loss was affected only by relative humidity; and ABA did not enhance desiccation tolerance.Abbreviations ABA Abscisic acid - 2,4-D 2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid - MM1 Mango maturation medium - RH Relative humidity     

Construction and characterization of recA mutant strains of Corynebacterium glutamicum and Brevibacterium lactofermentum

An internal fragment of the Corynebacterium glutamicum recA gene was amplified by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using degenerate primers corresponding to two short sequences that are well conserved homology with RecA sequences from other bacteria including the invariant and functionally conserved amino acids Leu-126, Asp-144, Gly-157, Arg-169 and Asn-193. Highest identity (91%) was shared with the gram-positive Mycobacterium tuberculosis RecA sequence. The amplified fragment was cloned into a conditional suicide vector, pBGS8, and used to generate recA deficient strains of C. glutamicum and Brevibacterium lactofermentum by insertional inactivation. These strains exhibited classical RecA phenotypes including reduced recombinational activity and increased sensitivity to DNA-damaging agents such as UV irradiation, mitomycin C and methyl-methanesulphonate.     

Urea production and accumulation in the green toad, Bufo viridis

The toad, Bufo viridis , can live for several months without access to free water, absorbing soil-bound water down a water-potential gradient created, mainly, by accumulating urea in its body fluids. We investigated if the retention of urine was sufficient to account for the rate of accumulation or if an increased rate of urea production was needed in order to do so. The basal rate of urea production in unfed animals in the absence of osmotic stress was estimated by two methods; first, analysis of the bathing medium and, secondly, collection and analysis of urine at two-hourly intervals. This was then repeated with animals fed a weight-maintaining diet. Generally similar results were obtained by either method in both fed and unfed animals, although higher urea production rates were found in the former. Although it had been planned to apply the short interval method to toads with free access to water, the control condition for toads transferred to soil, it proved to be impracticable. Some animals did not bathe for almost a day, during which time minute quantities of urine were obtained. Larger volumes were only produced during or after bathing. Consequently, animals which were partially immersed in water were substituted as controls. Total urea content was determined in these and in toads after a week on soil. The calculated increase was compared to that which could be expected from urine retention. It was found that urea accumulated at more than twice the predicted rate. When rates of accumulation were calculated over longer periods, urine retention alone was sufficient to account for them within three weeks on soil, the usual period required for acclimation. We concluded that B. viridis increased its rate of urea production only for a short period, until a favourable water potential gradient was achieved.