Somatostatin binding to dissociated cells from rat cerebral cortex

A method has been developed for the study of somatostatin (SS) binding to dissociated cells from rat cerebral cortex. Binding of [¹²⁵I][Tyr¹¹]SS to cells obtained by mechanical dissociation of rat cerebral cortex was dependent on time and temperature, saturable, reversible and highly specific. Under conditions of equilibrium, i.e., 60 min at 25°C, native SS inhibited tracer binding in a dose-dependent manner. The Scatchard analysis of binding data was linear and yielded a dissociation constant of 0.60±0.08 nM with a maximal binding capacity of 160±16 fmol/mg protein. The binding of [¹²⁵I][Tyr¹¹]SS was specific as shown in experiments on tracer displacement by the native peptide, SS analogues, and unrelated peptides.     

L-lysine Transport in Chicken Jejunal Brush Border Membrane Vesicles

The properties of l-lysine transport in chicken jejunum have been studied in brush border membrane vesicles isolated from 6-wk-old birds. l-lysine uptake was found to occur within an osmotically active space with significant binding to the membrane. The vesicles can accumulate l-lysine against a concentration gradient, by a membrane potential-sensitive mechanism. The kinetics of l-lysine transport were described by two saturable processes: first, a high affinity-transport system (K _mA= 2.4 ± 0.7 μmol/L) which recognizes cationic and also neutral amino acids with similar affinity in the presence or absence of Na⁺ (l-methionine inhibition constant K_iA, NaSCN = 21.0 ± 8.7 μmol/L and KSCN = 55.0 ± 8.4 μmol/L); second, a low-affinity transport mechanism (K_mB= 164.0 ± 13.0 μmol/L) which also recognizes neutral amino acids. This latter system shows a higher affinity in the presence of Na⁺ (K_iB for l-methionine, NaSCN = 1.7 ± 0.3 and KSCN = 3.4 ± 0.9 mmol/L). l-lysine influx was significantly reduced with N-ethylmaleimide (0.5 mmol/L) treatment. Accelerative exchange of extravesicular labeled l-lysine was demonstrated in vesicles preloaded with 1 mmol/L l-lysine, l-arginine or l-methionine. Results support the view that l-lysine is transported in the chicken jejunum by two transport systems, A and B, with properties similar to those described for systems b ^0,+ and y⁺, respectively. Received: 14 August 1995/Revised: 2 April 1996     

Three fluorescent probes for the flow-cytometric assessment of membrane potential inSaccharomyces cerevisiœ

Three fluorescent probes, tetramethyl rhodamine ethyl ester (TMRE), 3,3′-dipropylthiacarbocyanine iodide (diS-C₃(3)) and 3,3′-dipropyloxacarbocyanine iodide (diO-C₃(3)), were tested for their suitability as fluorescent indicators of membrane potential inSaccharomyces cerevisiœ in studies performed by flow cytometry. For all these dyes the intensity of fluorescence of stained cells increased with probe concentration in the range of 60–3000 nmol/L. The optimum staining period was 15–20 min for diS-C₃(3). Depolarization of cells by increased extracellular potassium level and by valinomycin elicited with all probes a drop in fluorescence intensity. In some yeast batches this depolarization was accompanied by a separation of subpopulations with different fluorescence properties.     

Letters to the metanarrative: Totalitarian “enjoyment” and self representation in postcommunist Serbia

Conclusion This outline of the instrumentality of the technology/technique of representation in postcommunist Serbia is but a brief attempt to address the modes of production of identity in postmodernism, its legitimation in/of dominant discourse, and their embedding in common sense language and practice. Postcommunist Serbia is obviously a special situation:²³ a particular case of the social appropriation and construction of enjoyment and desire, intimately related to the desires and various enjoyments of the members of the community, precarious in its collective affirmation. Based on the idea of contingent collectivity, faction-fiction, in its meta-critique seems to signal the emergence of a new régime in the relation between historical reality and its representation in historical narratives.This new régime, obviously, cannot be exhaustively (or even extensively) discussed in a brief paper like this one. Nevertheless, some (three) points of departure for the general discussion of postmodern modes of representation are still possible. One such point of departure is the contingence of representation, another the apparent paradigmatic similarity between trash talk-shows and Echoes and Reactions. And finally, much of iek's discussion does not seem to be restricted to the totalitarian metanarrative, and can be a significant contribution to the debate on power relations.Nikola Stojin is a Serbian Writer and Graduate Student in Comparative Literature at Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey.     

An extended x-ray absorption fine structure study of the high-affinity cation-binding site in the purple membrane.

The structure of the high-affinity cation-binding site of bacteriorhodopsin was studied using extended x-ray absorption fine structure techniques. The results obtained for Mn2+ in aqueous solution and for the complex BR-Mn2+ (1:1 molar ratio) show great similarities, suggesting that Mn2+, when bound to this site, is coordinated with six atoms of oxygen, forming an octahedral disposition. The interatomic distance between the atoms of oxygen and the Mn2+ was found to be 2.17 A for the complex BR-Mn2+, similar to Mn2+ in solution (2.15 A). In addition, the absence of any other peak at greater distances in the Fourier-transformed spectrum indicates that neither phosphorus nor sulphur atoms are present in the second coordination shell. This suggests that this binding site is located in the protein, discarding the proximity of lipid polar headgroups.     

Variance deficit is not reliable evidence for niche limitation

Variance deficit in the number of species per sampling unit, as compared to a null model with species occurring independently of each other has been considered by various authors to be evidence for niche limitation. I show that simpler mechanisms could explain this phenomenon. Of those, the competition of individuals for space limits the number of individuals per sampling unit, resulting in decrease of variance in species richness. Testing the proportions of species belonging to various guilds seems to be more ecologically interesting, although here also the variance deficit can hardly be taken as reliable evidence for niche limitation.     

Application of the exploratory data analysis for evaluating the toxicity of chlorinated phenol derivatives by various cell models

Exploratory data analysis based on multivariate statistical analysis techniques was introduced as a new approach to expressing the toxicity of chemical substances at the simultaneous acceptance of various cell models. Using principal component analysis and cluster analysis methods the toxicity of chlorinated phenol derivatives on employing some of the cell models (chlorococcal algae, cyanobacteria, bacteria, micromycetes, plant and animal cells) was characterized. The previous empirical experience that the toxicity of chlorinated phenol derivatives will increase with a growing degree of chlorination and that the presence of the methoxy group will cause a lowering of the toxic effect was demonstrated. The relationship between groups of tests used was presented.     

Plant clonality: Biology and diversity

The current approaches to the study of clonal plants are reviewed. Most studies concentrate at the level of the ramet and clonal fragment exploring the “microscopic” view of clonal plants, dealing with the translocation of resources, clonal integration, plasticity of growth etc. The information gained, by this approach can be used in the understanding of higher levels of organization within the clonal system either with the help of spatially explicit modelling techniques, or by using means and distributions of size within a population instead of studying individual ramets separately. Plant scientists use the term clone with two meanings, viz. (a) a set of physiologically connected, but potentially independent ramets, and (b) a set of genetically identical, but potentially physically separated individuals. The overlap of these terms differs between individual plant species, depending on the extent of physical separation of the ramets and the degree of physiological integration between the ramets; the lower the frequency of ramet separation, the closer are the physiological and genetic concepts of the clone. Three critical areas seem to be neglected in clonal plant research: (a) the interrelationship between hierarchical levels in clonal plants, (b) the particular spatial structure of their environment, and (c) the importance of clonal plants in different ecological communities.