Farming,fishing, and fire in the history of the upper Río Negro region of Venezuela

Studies of Río Negro subsistence farming and fishing activities are used to estimate the human carrying capacity for the region and the likely pattern of human land-use during prehistory. Ceramic evidence suggests human presence in the region more than 3000 years ago. Traditional farming is labor intensive and relatively unproductive. Nevertheless, farmers achieve an energy return of 15.21, and produce 2600 kcal per work hour. Fish are the major protein source, but fish catch per unit of effort and fish yield per hectare of floodplain are very low; fishermen are probably exploiting local fish resources very close to their limit. The low human population density would suggest that the Río Negro forest has been relatively undisturbed. Nevertheless, charcoal is widespread and abundant in forest soils. This charcoal is probably from anthropogenic or natural wildfires. These results suggest a much more complex history for Amazonia than previously thought.K. Clark is a free-lance biologist residing in Lima, Peru     

The glue protein of ribbed mussels (Geukensia demissa): a natural adhesive with some features of collagen

Summary The Atlantic ribbed musselGeukensia (Modiolus)demissa attaches itself to the roots of cord grass and other hard objects in tidal salt marshes by spinning adhesive byssal threads. The precursor of a protein apparently present in the adhesive plaques of the threads was isolated in quantity from the foot of the mussel. The protein has an apparent molecular weight of 130000, a pI of 8.1, and contains a high proportion of Gly, Glu/Gln, Lys and 3,4-dihydroxyphenyl-l-alanine (DOPA). Sequence of tryptic peptides suggests a pattern of repeated motifs, such as: Gly-DOPA-Lys, and X-Gly-DOPA-Y-Z-Gly-DOPA/Tyr-Lys, where X is Thr or Ala in octapeptides and Gln-Thr in nonapeptides. Y is variable, but more often than not hydrophobic; and Z is frequently Pro or 4-trans-hydroxyproline (Hyp). The presence of Pro-Gly and Hyp-Gly sequences of -hydroxylysine in the protein is reminiscent of typical collagens; however, the protein is not labile to clostridial collagenase, nor does collagen cross-react with antibodies raised against the mussel protein. Unlike typical collagens, Gly probably occurs only at every 4th or 5th residue in this unusual mussel protein.Abbreviations Anti-Gdfp anti-G. demissa foot protein - Dopa 3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine - CTAB cetyltrimethylammonium bromide - HPLC high performance liquid chromatography - PAGE polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis Supported by grants from the National Science Foundation (DMB 8500301) and the Office of Naval Research (N00014-86K-0717)     

A simple and sensitive method for detecting bacterial elastase production

A sensitive method for detecting bacterial elastase production in growing cultures is described. A variety of commonly isolated clinically relevant aerobic and anaerobic bacteria have been shown to produce the enzyme.     

Lack of a relationship between immune function and chemically induced hepatocarcinogenesis in B6C3F1 mice

Summary The relationship between immune function and chemically induced hepatocarcinogenesis was studied employing an in vivo murine model. Neonatal B6C3F₁ mice were given a single carcinogenic dose of diethylnitrosamine (DEN) and the time-response kinetics for the early (foci of alteration) and late (adenomas/carcinomas) phases of hepatocellular carcinogenesis were compared to changes in hematopoiesis and immune functions associated with immune surveillance and natural resistance. Increases in hematopoiesis occurred just prior to or concurrent with the appearance of hepatocellular carcinomas, while increased macrophage and natural killer cell cytotoxicity and suppression of cell-mediated immunity occurred following tumor appearance and progressed with increasing tumor burden. Neither immunological nor hematopoietic changes were associated with early phases of hepatocarcinogenesis, as monitored by the appearance of altered hepatocellular foci. Although changes in hematopoiesis may represent an early indicator for hepatocarcinogenesis in the mouse tumor model, the data suggest that altered immune surveillance and natural resistance are not factors in the development of chemically induced hepatocellular tumors, and the changes in immune function are probably secondary to tumor development.     

Monoamine Oxidase-Inhibiting Properties of SR 95191, a New Pyridazine Derivative, in the Rat: Evidence for Selective and Reversible Inhibition of Monoamine Oxidase Type A In Vivo but Not In Vitro

In rodents, SR 95191 [3-(2-morpholinoethylamino)-4-cyano-6-phenylpyridazine] has been shown to be active in animal models of depression. The profile of activity of SR 95191 suggests that the compound is a selective and short-acting type A monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitor (MAOI) in vivo. In the present study, the interaction of SR 95191 with MAO-A and MAO-B activity was further examined in vivo and in vitro. In brain, liver, and duodenum of pretreated rats, SR 95191 selectively inhibited MAO-A (ED50 = 3-5 mg/kg, p.o.), whereas MAO-B was only weakly inhibited for doses as high as 300 mg/kg, p.o. In vivo, SR 95191 (1-100 mg/kg, p.o.) antagonized, in a dose-dependent fashion, the irreversible inhibition of brain and liver MAO-A induced by phenelzine. Finally, dopamine and 5-hydroxytryptamine depleted from their striatal stores by tetrabenazine were able to displace SR 95191 from the active site of MAO-A. However, ex vivo, kinetic studies showed that the inhibitory effect of SR 95191 (1-10 mg/kg) towards MAO-A was noncompetitive and was unchanged after dilution or dialysis. In vitro, the inhibition of brain MAO-A, but not MAO-B, by SR 95191 was time dependent, with a 19-fold decrease in the IC50 values being observed over a 30-min incubation period (140 to 7.5 microM). At this time, the SR 95191-induced inhibition of MAO-A was not removed by repeated washings. When the reaction was started by adding the homogenate without prior preincubation with SR 95191, the inhibition of brain MAO-A was fully competitive (Ki = 68 microM).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Sensitivity of some common grain fungi to irradiation on grain and in phosphate-buffered saline

The sensitivity of nine cereal fungi to irradiation on grain and in phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) was investigated. Species of Fusarium and Alternaria were more resistant to irradiation (higher D ₁₀ value) than Aspergillus spp. and Penicillium spp. Generally D ₁₀ values determined on grain were lower than the corresponding values measured in PBS. The plating medium did not significantly affect the D ₁₀ values.     

Saccharin induces morphological changes and enhances prolactin production in GH4C1 cells

Summary The artificial sweetener saccharin inhibits binding of epidermal growth factor (EGF) to cultured rat pituitary tumor cells (GH₄C₁ cells). Saccharin also causes morphological alterations in these cells, resulting in pronounced elongation, stretching, and firmer attachment of cells to the culture dishes. These alterations in cell shape are similar to those observed after treatment of GH₄C₁ cells with EGF and with thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH), both of which enhance prolactin (PRL) production in these cells. After assaying for PRL in saccharin-treated cultures, it was observed that this sweetener is also capable of stimulating PRL production two-to sixfold in a dose-dependent manner. Enhancement of PRL production can be observed at 0.5 mM saccharin, yet this is 10 times less than the saccharin concentration required to alter cell shape. These effects of saccharin on cell morphology and on PRL production are reversible in GH₄C₁ cell cultures. When added to cultures along with maximal concentrations of EGF or TRH, the effects of saccharin on PRL production are additive, suggesting that the actions of saccharin are mediated by a somewhat different pathway from that of the peptide hormones. Pulse labeling studies indicate that the enhancement of PRL production is highly specific inasmuch as saccharin was found to decrease the overall rate of protein synthesis in these cells. Saccharin also causes a decrease in the rate of DNA synthesis under these treatment conditions. Mitomycin C, which similarly inhibited DNA synthesis, had no effect on cell morphology or PRL production. This investigation was supported by a Faculty Research Grant from Wheaton College