No evidence for calpain I involvement in fodrin rearrangements linked to regulated secretion.

Stimulation of secretion in chromaffin and parotid acinar cells is associated with dramatic rearrangements of the subplasmalemmal cytoskeleton, notably of fodrin and F-actin. It has been proposed that a proteolytic cleavage of fodrin resulting from an activation of the neutral calcium activated protease (calpain) could be responsible for these changes. Using an affinity-purified anti-alpha-fodrin antibody, several cleavage products of fodrin could clearly be detected following incubation of total cell homogenates from chromaffin and parotid acinar cells with purified calpain I. On the other hand, maximum stimulation of secretion of chromaffin cells by nicotine, and of parotid acinar cells by carbachol plus isoproterenol, was not associated with an increased appearance of cleavage products of fodrin. This result is not compatible with the 'proteolytic cleavage' hypothesis.     

Enhancement of specific nitrogenase activity inAzospirillum brasilense andKlebsiella pneumoniae,inhibition inRhizobium japonicum under air by phenol

Specific nitrogenase activity inAzospirillum brasilense ATCC 29145 in surface cultures under air is enhanced from about 50 nmol C₂H₄·mg protein^-1·h^-1 to 400 nmol C₂H₄ by the addition of 1 mM phenol. 0.5 and 2 mM phenol added increase the rate 5-fold and 4-fold. This enhancement effect is observed only between 2 and 3 days after inoculation, with only a small reduction of the growth of the cells by the phenol added. In surface cultures under 1% O₂, nitrogenase activity is slightly reduced by the addition of 1–0.01 mM phenol. Utilization of succinate is enhanced during the period of maximum enhancement of nitrogenase activity by 60% by addition of 1 mM phenol. The cells did not produce¹⁴CO₂ from [U-¹⁴C] phenol, neither in surface cultures nor in liquid cultures and less than 0.1% of the phenol was incorporated into the cells. A smaller but significant enhancement of nitrogenase activity by about 100% in surface cultures under air was found withKlebsiella pneumoniae K 11 after addition of 1 mM phenol. However, inRhizobium japonicum 61-A-101 all phenol concentrations above 0.01 mM reduced nitrogenase activity. With 1 mM phenol added activity was reduced to less than 10% with no effect on the growth in the same cultivation system. With thisRhizobium japonicum strain significant quantities of phenol (25 mol in 24 h by 2·10¹² cells) were metabolized to¹⁴CO₂, with phenol as sole carbon source. WithAzospirillum brasilense in liquid culture under 1% and 2% O₂ in the gas phase, no enhancement of nitrogenase activity by phenol was noticed.     

Oxygen solubilities in fermentation fluids

Summary Fermentation media consist of a large number of chemicals whose composition undergoes alteration during the course of fermentation. As a result of this, conventional methods and correlations for oxygen solubility measurement and prediction do not apply in these systems. Using a physical method, oxygen solubilities were measured in simulated chemical systems and in fermentation broths. Sugars, salts, and fermentation products were identified as major factors influencing oxygen solubility. Salt effect was correlated with electrical conductivity of the medium, which was easy to measure during fermentation. For mixtures and for fermentation medium, individual influences were found to be log-additive in accordance with Danckwerts (1970).     

Die Pulvillen vonCalliphora erythrocephala (Diptera,Brachycera) als Adhäsionsorgane

Zusammenfassung Die Pulvillen vonCalliphora erythrocephala wurden licht und fluoreszenzmikroskopisch, raster- und transmissions-elektronenmikroskopisch untersucht. Das Adhäsionssekret wurde dünnschichtchromatographisch mit dem Körperoberflächen-Lipid verglichen.Die Pulvillen tragen auf der Ventralseite mehrere Tausend langer dünner Hafthaare mit sohlenartigen Endverbreiterungen. Die Kutikula des Pulvillus besteht hauptsächlich aus elastischen Kutikulatypen (Endo- und Mesokutikula) in verschiedenen, spezifischen Ausbildungsformen.Die Pulvillen enthalten ein sekretorisches Epithel ohne Ausführgänge, das Protein- und Lipideinschlüsse zeigt.Das Pulvillensekret ist eine schwerflüchtige, ölige Flüssigkeit, die nicht identisch ist mit dem Körperoberflächen-Lipid. Das Sekret wird in der homogenen Kutikala des Pulvillus gespeichert und über das Porenkanalsystem der Ventralseite nach außen geleitet.Der Zusammenhang zwischen der Struktur der Pulvillen und ihrer Rolle beim Adhäsionsvorgang wird diskutiert.

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The pulvilli ofCalliphora erythrocephala (Diptera, Brachycera) as adhesive organs

Summary The pulvilli ofCalliphora erythrocephala were examined by light microscopy, fluorescent light microscopy, SEM and TEM. The adhesive secretion was compared with the general surface lipid layer by means of thinlayerchromatography.On the ventral surface the pulvilli bare several thousand long, slender tenent hairs with solelike spatulate tips. The pulvillar cuticle is composed on the whole of elastic cuticle types (endocuticle, mesocuticle) with specific modifications of structure. The pulvilli contain a secretory epithelium without transport ducts which has lipid and proteinaceous inclusions.The pulvillar secretion is a slowly volatile oily liquid which is not identical to the general surface lipid. The secretion is stored in the homogeneous cuticle within the pulvillus and transported to the ventral surface via the pore canal system.The correlation between the structure of pulvilli and their function in the adhesion process is discussed here.

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Abkürzungen bl Basales Labyrinth - cv coated vesicle - db dense body - dlk Dichter Lamellenkörper - dw Dorsalwand - e Epithel - ef Endokutikulafasern in der Übergangszone (meso 2b) - endo 1 lamelläre Endokutikula - endo 2 homogene Endokutikula - endo 3 gelatinöse Endokutikula - ep Empodium - epi Epikutikula - exo Exokutikula - fr Fersenregion - fs Faltensaum - hh Hafthaare - hs Haarschaft - k Kutikula - kr Kralle - ku Kutikulinschicht - l Lumen - li Lipid - lr Dorsale Längsrippen - m Mitochondrium - mb Mesokutikulabalken in der Übergangszone (meso 2b) - meso 1 helle homogene Mesokutikula - meso 2a dunkle homogene Mesokutikula, kompakt - meso 2b Übergangszone, in der dunkle homogene Mesokutikulabalken mit faseriger Endokutikula verzahnt sind - mt Mikrotubulus - mvbd Dunkler multivesikulärer Körper - n Kern - pc Porenkanal - ps Proximalsklerit - pt Prätarsus - rer Rauhes endoplasmatisches Retikulum - s Schulter - sd Sehnendrüse - se Sehne - so Sohle - sr Saumregion - t Tubulus - t₅ Tarsalglied 5 - ta Tasche - td Tarsaldrüse - te Tarsalepithel - tg Taschengrund - tk Terminalkanäle - utr Unguitractor - v Heller Vesikel - va Proteinvakuole - w Wachsschicht - z Zementschicht     

Impact of the alien plant Impatiens glandulifera on species diversity of invaded vegetation in the northern foothills of the Tatra Mountains,Central Europe

Plant Ecology - The impact of exotic annual Impatiens glandulifera on invaded European vegetation is ambiguous; there are studies reporting considerable negative as well as weak or even no impact...