Adnotationes lichenographicae

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Exploring the environmental diversity of kinetoplastid flagellates in the high-throughput DNA sequencing era

The class Kinetoplastea encompasses both free-living and parasitic species from a wide range of hosts. Several representatives of this group are responsible for severe human diseases and for economic losses in agriculture and livestock. While this group encompasses over 30 genera, most of the available information has been derived from the vertebrate pathogenic genera Leishmaniaand Trypanosoma. Recent studies of the previously neglected groups of Kinetoplastea indicated that the actual diversity is much higher than previously thought. This article discusses the known segment of kinetoplastid diversity and how gene-directed Sanger sequencing and next-generation sequencing methods can help to deepen our knowledge of these interesting protists.     

Effects of Temperature, Poststaining Rinses and Ethanol-Butanol Dehydrating Mixtures on Methyl Green-Pyronin Staining

Methyl green GA (Chroma) and pyronin GS (Chroma) were used. Procedure recommended: Stain for 1 hr at 37 C in a purified 0.5% aqueous methyl green, buffered to pH 4.1 with Walpoles acetate buffer, and containing 0.2% pyronin; rinse for 1-2 sec in ice-cold distilled water; blot sections evenly, and rinse with vigorous agitation in t-butanol; dehydrate in 2 changes of t-butanol for 5 min each; clear in xylene and mount. This technique results in a consistent staining pattern for qualitative nucleic acid differentiation, whereas older methods have been only partly satisfactory. Rinsing in ice-cold water is a critical step; t-butanol was superior to n-butanol and to ethanol-butanol mixtures for dehydration. Staining at 25-27 C is feasible hut less effective.     

Beiträge zur Kenntnis der Pilzflora von Kärnten

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Beiträge zur Kenntnis der Pilzflora von Kärnten

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STUDIES OF GAS AND ELECTROLYTE EQUILIBRIA IN THE BLOOD : IX. THE DISTRIBUTION OF ELECTROLYTES BETWEEN TRANSUDATES AND SERUM.

1. Analyses have been made of the electrolytes and proteins of serum and transudates from human subjects. 2. The distribution ratios of HCO₃, Cl, Na, and H⁺ deviated from unity as predicted by the Gibbs-Donnan law for similar heterogeneous systems. 3. Analyses of serum, and of artificial salt solutions approximating edema fluid in composition, after equilibration across collodion membranes showed distributions similar to those between serum and edema fluid in vivo.     

Suppression and augmentation of the primary in vitro immune response by different classes of antibodies

The capacity of purified γG₁ and γG₂ anti-sheep red blood cell (SRBC) antibodies to exert antigen-specific feedback regulations on the primary in vitro immune response to SRBC was studied. Antibodies were administered to the culture in the native form, as sheep erythrocyte-antibody complexes or as pepsin-derived F(ab′)₂ antibody fragments. Marked differences in the feedback regulatory effects of γG₁ and γG₂ antibodies were found. Antibodies of the γG₁ class suppressed the immune response to SRBC, whereas γG₂ antibodies isolated from the same serum exerted an augmenting effect on antibody synthesis. These opposing feedback effects on in vitro antibody synthesis were immunologically specific, relatively insensitive to changes in antigen concentrations, and could be elicited by either adding antibodies and antigen separately to the culture or as preformed antigen-antibody complexes. Experiments comparing the activities of the F(ab′)₂ antibody fragments with the parent γG₁ and γG₂ antibodies suggested that the Fc fragments may be involved in these regulatory effects on the immune response. It is concluded that the antigen-specific suppressive and augmenting effects on antibody synthesis shown here are determined by the antibody class. In addition, we suggest that these opposing antibody-mediated feedback effects may represent one of the important elements of the immune response.