Rosenhlattichthys nemotoi,a new species of scopelarchidae,from the south Indian Ocean Subtropical Convergence Zone

Rosenblattichthys nemotoi is described from a single larval specimen, 37 mm SL (standard length) taken from the southern Indian Ocean Subtropical Convergence Zone. This species differs from all otherRosenblattichthys in meristic characters (25 anal-fin rays, 26 or 27 pectoral-fin rays), configuration of accessory pigment areas (two areas present; a dorsal area (DA) and a midlateral peduncular area (PDA), and nonprecocity of pectoral-fin development. All other records ofRosenblattichthys are from tropical or subtropical waters.     

Do the frequencies of sister chromatid exchanges in endoreduplieated mitoses provide a measure for lesion persistence and repair?

Endoreduplication was induced in V 79 cells using Colcemid. The concentration of Colcemid necessary to induce endoreduplication is about 1000 times higher than that needed to arrest mitoses or to induce ordinary tetraploid cells. Diplochromosomes with sister chromatid differentiation were obtained by adding BrdU for the duration of one cell cycle prior to the induction of endoreduplication. The induction of endoreduplication with Colcemid had no influence on the frequency of sister chromatid exchanges (SCEs). Treating the cultures with mitomycin C (MMC) before adding BrdU increased the percentage of endoreduplieated mitoses and also led to marked SCE induction. In the diplochromosomes, the frequencies of both twin SCEs (first cycle) as well as single SCEs (second cycle) were increased. It was also found that the SCE frequencies in mitoses after endoreduplication were lower than the values found in diploid and ordinary tetraploid metaphases of the same preparation. The possible conclusions concerning the lifetime of SCE-inducing lesions and the influence of repair processes are discussed.     

A comparison of techniques for isolation of the outer membrane proteins of Haemophilus influenzae type b

We compared several rapid techniques used for extraction of outer membrane proteins from gram-negative enteric bacteria to Haemophilus influenzae type b. After lysis of cells with a French press, the inner and outer membranes were separated by isopycnic centrifugation. Each membrane was identified by density, morphology, enzymatic activity, and susceptibility to solid-phase iodination of intact cells. By sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, we identified 10 polypeptides which were enriched in the outer membrane band compared to the inner membrane band. Using these proteins, we compared the polypeptide pattern of outer membranes with that obtained by (1) selective solubilization with sodium dodecyl-beta-D-maltoside, octyl-beta-D-glucopyranoside, Triton X-100, sodium, or cholamidopropyl dimethylaminopropanesulfonate; (2) extraction with chaotropic agents and heat; and (3) differential centrifugation of vesicles shed during transition from log growth phase to stationary growth phase. There were definable differences between the polypeptide pattern of membranes obtained with each rapid technique compared to the polypeptide pattern of isolated outer membranes. The polypeptide pattern of lithium extracts and the Triton X-100 insoluble fractions of total membranes most closely approximated the polypeptide pattern of isopycnically isolated outer membranes. Depending on the outer membrane protein sought, one of these rapid techniques can be utilized when a rapid method of outer membrane protein isolation is required.     

Influence of Deep Ocean Sewage Outfalls on the Microbial Activity of the Surrounding Sediment

The microbial activity near two deep ocean sewage outfalls off the coast of the island of Oahu, Hawaii, was characterized. Water samples and sediment samples to a depth of 4.5 cm were analyzed from an area of approximately 4.5 × 10⁴ m² surrounding the outfalls. Although the effluent water at both sites exhibited heterotrophic activity that was 2 orders of magnitude greater than water from a control site, ambient water samples taken within 1 m of the discharge ports exhibited activity only twice that of the control water. The heterotrophic activity of the outfall sediment was only elevated above that of the control site for surface samples collected within 10 m of the outfall. Likewise, the rates of microbial nucleic acid synthesis and carbon production in the sediment were only elevated immediately adjacent to the outfalls. Total microbial biomass, as determined by the ATP content of the sediment, varied spatially but was generally elevated at the outfall sites. The specific growth rates calculated for the sediment microbial populations, however, were not greater at the outfall sites. At one site the rocks surrounding the diffuser pipe were covered with copious amounts of slime that appeared to be composed entirely of microbial cells and filaments. This microbial mat was extremely active with respect to heterotrophic activity and biomass production. Overall, it appears that the impact of the sewage discharge on the ambient seawater microbiota is slight and that the effect on the sediment microbiota is confined to an area immediately adjacent to the diffuser ports. In the sand itself, the effect is limited to the upper 2 cm at most.     

Effect of a cold stimulus on the synthesis of uncoupling protein in brown adipose tissue of rats and newborn rabbits

Rats are known to respond to a cold stimulus by increasing the activity and amount of the uncoupling protein in brown adipose tissue. A 48 h cold stimulus was found to increase the synthesis of uncoupling protein 3.g-fold in 4–5 week old rats whereas no change was observed with newborn rabbits. The lack of response in the latter case may reflect a difference between rabbits and rats or that synthesis is already maximal in newborn rabbits.     

Interrelation between penicillin productivity and growth rate

Summary Fermentations were carried out in an 801 tower-loop reactor with pellets of Penicillium chrysogenum. The development of the inner structure of the pellets with regard to various fermentation conditions was observed by means of histological preparations of the pellets. Under conditions of energy-source-limitation mycelial tip growth and lysis of other mycelial parts exist simultaneously. Thus the net growth rate (formation rate of cell mass) is higher than the gross growth rate (multiplication rate of cell mass). Under conditions of nitrogen limitation, gross growth rate and net growth rate are identical. A very strict correlation between gross growth rate and penicillin production rate was found as long as sufficient oxygen supply could be maintained and carbon catabolite repression was avoided. The energy source requirement of the biomass can be described with the sum of three terms that correspond to gross growth, lysis compensation growth and maintenance.Symbols a Constant 1/l h - b Constant - K Decay rate constant for product 1/h - K ₁ Substrate inhibition constant g/l - K _op Controls saturation constant for oxygen g/l - K _p Saturation constant for substrate g/l - m Maintenance coefficient 1/h - ms Apparent maintenance coefficient 1/h - O Dissolved oxygen concentration g/l - P Product concentration g/l - p Exponent of O - q Specific productivity 1/h - S Substrate concentration g/l - t Time h - t ₁ Beginning of production phase h - t ₂ Time of pellet dissolution h - V Liquid volume of fermentation broth l - X Dry cell mass concentration g/l - Y Yield of dry cell mass from energy substrate - g Specific gross growth rate of biomass 1/h - l Specific lysis rate of cell mass 1/h - n Specific net growth rate of cell mass 1/h - p Maximum specific rate of product formation 1/h     

Mitochondrial DNA of the basidiomycete Polyporus ciliatus

Summary Mitochondrial (mt) DNA of the white rot fungus Polyporus ciliatus was isolated and characterized. As a result of detailed restriction enzyme analysis, a physical map was established showing that this circular DNA has a molecular weight of 88.2 kb. By heterologous cross hybridization the sites of three mt genes were recognized. By nonselective cloning of mt DNA fragments in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, an autonomously replicating sequence (ars) was identified which has potential application in the development of a prokaryotic/eukaryotic shuttle vector.     

Immunoelectron microscopic studies on the localization of peptidoglycan peptide subunit pentapeptides in bacterial cell walls

The peptide subunit pentapeptide H-L-Ala-D-Glu(L-Lys-D-Ala-D-Ala-OH)-NH₂ of peptidoglycan was localized in the cell walls of several Gram-positive bacteria employing the indirect immunoferritin technique. Specific antibodies to the D-alanyl-D-alanine moiety of non-crosslinked peptide subunit pentapeptide were raised in rabbits by immunization with synthetic immunogen albumin-(CH₂CO-Gly-L-Ala-L-Ala-D-Ala-D-Ala-OH)₃₉. Specificity of these antibodies for the peptide subunit pentapeptide and not for the peptide subunit tetrapeptide was corroborated in a Farr-type radio-active hapten binding assay. Specificity of labelling with ferritin was established by immunoelectron microscopic controls, and by the excellent correlation between specific labelling of cells with ferritin and the particular peptidoglycan primary structure of bacterial strains investigated. Cells of Lactobacillus gasseri, Streptococcus pyogenes and Staphylococcus aureus revealing non-crosslinked peptide subunit pentapeptides in their peptidoglycans could specifically be labelled. Lactobacillus acidophilus and Bacillus subtilis, on the contrary, missing such pentapeptides, failed in labelling.The implication of this method to possibly localize the points of attack of penicillin or cycloserine is discussed.Abbreviations used meso-A₂pm meso-diaminopimelic acid - DSM Deutsche Sammlung für Mikroorganismen, Göttingen, FRG This paper is dedicated to Professor Gerhart Drews on the occasion of his 60th birthday     

Effects of incubation in an atmosphere of 20% CO2 in air on the syrian hamster embryo clonal transformation assay

Summary An atmosphere containing 10% CO₂ has been generally accepted as optimal for the growth of Syrian hamster embryo cells in a clonal transformation assay. Data presented in this paper show that 10% CO₂ may not be the optimum environment for this assay. Using 10 or 20% (analytically measured) CO₂ in air (1 atm pressure), hamster embryo cell pools were examined for clonal growth characteristics and transformability using five known carcinogens and a single noncarcinogenic compound. At 10% CO₂, only 2 of 11 pools weee transformed by the five carcinogens but not by the noncarcinogen. At 20% CO₂, six of seven pools were transformed by the five carcinogens and not by the noncarcinogen. Further, the transformation frequencies were found to be greater in cultures incubated in an atmosphere consisting of 20% CO₂ in air. The data also show that 20% CO₂ increased the cloning efficiency of these cells. A comparison of the 10 and 20% CO₂ data to results reported from other conflicting interlaboratory results with this assay system may be due, in part, to variations of CO₂ concentrations. In some instances, the CO₂ levels indicated by incubator flow meters vary considerably from analytically determined CO₂ values. To prevent these CO₂ discrepancies and their resultant effects on transformation and cloning efficiency, methods for monitoring the CO₂ environment other than flow meters are recommended. The observation of increased cloning efficiencies and transformation rates strongly suggests that culture incubation at 20% CO₂ is a preferred environment for the conduct of this assay.     

Bruterfolg des Sumpfrohrs?ngers(Acrocephalus palustris) in Abh?ngigkeit von der Nistplatzwahl

Zusammenfassung Bei 267 Nestern des Sumpfrohrsängers(Acrocephalus palustris) im Rheinland wurden jeweils 6 verschiedene Habitatparameter erfaßt. Nur ca. 14 % der Bruten gingen durch Nesträuber verloren. Erfolgreiche Nester standen vorzugsweise auf feuchten Böden (an Bächen und Gräben) mit ausgedehnten, dichtstehenden Beständen hochstieliger Krautpflanzen, die guten Sichtschutz bieten. Ausgeplünderte Nester fanden sich gehäuft auf trockeneren Böden (Feldabgrenzungen) mit kleinflächigen, durchmischten und lockeren Krautbeständen, die nicht immer ausreichenden Sichtschutz bieten können. Der Sichtschutz wird sowohl durch vertikale Strukturelemente (Zahl der Krautstengel pro Fläche) als auch durch horizontale Elemente (Blätter und Verzweigungen in Nesthöhe) erreicht. Er beeinflußt den Bruterfolg am stärksten, gefolgt von der Größe des Krautbestandes, in der das Nest hängt. Relativ unbedeutend für das Auskommen der Brut waren Nesthöhe und Nistpflanzenspezies. Das Angebot optimaler Habitate war offensichtlich nur begrenzt vorhanden. Doch auch bei suboptimaler Habitateinpassung blieb der Bruterfolg im Vergleich zu einigen anderen Arten noch relativ hoch. Den Bruterfolg beeinflussende Faktoren und die Konsequenzen einer wahrscheinlich sehr guten Habitateinpassung des Nestes werden kurz diskutiert.

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Effects of nestsite selection on breeding success in the March Warbler(Acrocephalus palustris)

Summary During 1969–1973 and 1983 267 nests of Marsh Warblers were found in early breeding stages and controlled throughout the breeding cycle. At all nests 6 parameters describing habitat characteristics (as measures of nestsite selection) were measured. Failures due to other causes had been excluded. Only 14 % of nests were predated, presumably by mammalian predators mainly. There were marked differences comparing habitat characteristics of successfull and predated nests: Successfull nests were located preferably on moist grounds (along rivers and ditches) with large areas of herbaceous vegetation possessing a high density of stems, which offered a good nest cover (75–100 % concealment). Predated nests were found more frequently on dry grounds (field edges) with small areas of herbaceous vegetation having only a low density of stems. There is a reduced nest cover (under 50 % concealment). Nest cover is achieved by the amount of vertical structures (stems) as well as horizontal structures (leaves and twigs around the nest). Cover was the most important factor reducing predation followed by the size of areas of herbaceous vegetation containing the nest. Less important were nest height and plant species. Optimal habitats seemed to have only a limited availability. But even in suboptimal habitats breeding success was still relatively high compared to several other species. Factors influencing the breeding success and the consequences of a probably well, managed nestsite selection (habitat fitting) are discussed briefly.