The functional morphology of the respiratory system of the Holothyrida (= Tetrastigmata) Acari: Anactinotrichida

The respiratory system of Holothyrus coccinella Gervais (Holothyridae) and Allothyrus australasiae (Womersley) (Allothyridae) were examined. The stigma-peritreme complex is connected to tracheae and ventilated by indirect muscles. The peritreme provides an alternative route for the entry of air into the tracheal system, should a stigma be occluded by debris and retards water vapour transpiration, the mechanisms of which are compared in the two species.     

A regression analysis of the summer population dynamics of Polyarthra vulgaris in a northern Michigan bog lake

The population dynamics of a planktonic rotifer (Polyarthra vulgaris) were examined in a brown water, acid lake in northern Michigan, U.S.A. Predation by Chaoborus punctipennis and low food (Navicula spp. and Cyclotella spp.) concentrations were the main factors limiting P. vulgaris populations of all factors examined. The data presented here support a hypothesis for zooplankton limitation by an invertebrate predator.     

Time course of active Na transport and oxidative metabolism following transepithelial potential perturbation in toad urinary bladder

Summary The use of an Ussing chamber with well-defined mixing characteristics coupled to a mass spectrometer permits the concurrent evaluation of transepithelial current and oxidative metabolism with improved temporal resolution. The time-course of the amiloride-sensitive currentI ^a and the rate of suprabasal CO₂ productionJ _CO2 ^sb were observed in 10 toad urinary bladders at short-circuit and after clamping at 100 mV, serosa positive. Following perturbation of (0100mV),I ^a declined sharply within 1/2 min, remained near constant 15 min, and then increased slightly.J _CO2 ^sb declined more gradually, remained near constant at 4–7 min, and then declined further. Detailed analysis revealed an early quasi-steady state with near constancy ofJ _CO2 ^sb starting at 2.9±1.1 (sd) min and lasting 4.7 ±1.8 (sd) min, followed by relaxation to a later steady state at about 15 min. During the early quasi-steady state,I ^a was also nearly constant. Considering that in steady statesI ^a/FJ _Na ^a , the rate of transepithelial active Na transport, during the early quasi-steady state mean values ±se ofJ _Na ^a ,J _CO2 ^sb and (J _Na ^a /J _CO2 ^sb ) were, respectively, 29.9±1.7%, 59.4 ±3.2%, and 56.4±5.7% of values at short-circuit. Corresponding values during the late steady state were 41.4±6.0%, 38.2±6.1%, and 111.3±8.6%. Thus the flow ratioJ _Na ^a /J _CO2 ^sb was depressed significantly during the early quasi-steady state, but returned later to the original value. The results of measurements ofI ^a andJ _CO2 ^sb in three hemibladders were qualitatively similar. In terms of a phenomenological black-box treatment the findings are consistent with earlier studies indicating incomplete coupling between transport and metabolism. Further studies will be required to clarify the molecular basis for these observations.     

Eudesmanolides and diterpenes from Wedelia trilobata and an ent-kaurenic acid derivative from Aspilia parvifolia

The reinvestigation of the aerial parts of Wedelia trilobata afforded, in addition to known compounds, six new eudesmanolides, two ent-kaurenic acid derivatives as well as a degraded one. A corresponding hydroxy compound was present in Gnaphalium undulatum. From Aspilia parvifolia new ent-kaurenic acid epoxides were isolated. The structures were elucidated by spectroscopic methods. The chemotaxonomic situation is discussed briefly.     

Physicochemical properties of dipalmitoyl phosphatidylcholine after interaction with an apolipoprotein of pulmonary surfactant

We studied the interaction between an apolipoprotein of pulmonary surfactant and the principal lipid found in this material, dipalmitoyl phosphatidylcholine. The apolipoprotein was extracted from canine surfactant and purified to greater than 90% homogeneity. The apolipoprotein was mixed for 16 h at room temperature with dipalmitoyl phosphatidylcholine dispersed in a buffer containing 0.1 M NaCl and 3mM CaCl2. Unbound lipid, unbound protein, and recombinants of lipid and protein were separated by density gradient centrifugation. 71% of the apolipoprotein was found associated with dipalmitoyl phosphatidylcholine. In comparable experiments using bovine plasma albumin about 13% of the albumin was recovered with the lipid. The physicochemical state of the lipid in the apolipoprotein-lipid complex was modified after binding of the protein. A distinct phase transition at 42 degrees C could no longer be detected, and the rate of adsorption to an air-liquid interface of the apolipoprotein-lipid complex was greater than that of the lipid alone. Surface tension vs. surface area isotherms of the dipalmitoyl phosphatidylcholine-apolipoprotein materials, however, were similar to those exhibited by pure dipalmitoyl phosphatidylcholine. The results suggest a physiological role for this apolipoprotein. It may bind to dipalmitoyl phosphatidylcholine under conditions expected in vivo, and may modify the physical properties of the aggregated dipalmitoyl phosphatidylcholine to form domains of lipid in a liquid-crystalline array. The complex dipalmitoyl phosphatidylcholine and apolipoprotein would have the physical properties necessary for its physiological function, allowing it to absorb to the alveolar interface and reduce its surface tension to less than 10 dynes/cm. Dipalmitoyl phosphatidylcholine, by itself, is in a gel-crystalline array below its phase transition temperature (42 degrees C) and would be incapable of effecting these actions.     

Comparison of the metabolism of benzo[alpha]pyrene and binding to DNA caused by rat liver nuclei and microsomes.

Administration of 3-methylcholanthrene (3MC) to rats greatly enhanced the aryl hydrocarbon hydroxylase (AHH) activity of liver nuclei. However, the binding in vitro [3H]benzo[alpha]pyrene (BP) to DNA within the nuclei which occurred at the same time as hydroxylation of BP was much less enhanced. Thin layer chromatography of the metabolites of BP produced by these nuclei revealed the same metabolites in similar relative amounts as were produced by rat liver microsomes prepared from rats which had received 3MC. The binding to DNA was further analysed by hydrolysis of the DNA and fractionation on a Sephadex column. This analysis revealed that the binding to DAN in nuclei was very similar in nature to that which occurred when calf-thymus DNA was added to microsomes metabolising BP.     

Acylation of hemoglobin by succinyldisalicylate, a potential crosslinking reagent.

Diaspirin, HO₂CC₆H₄OOCCH₂CH₂COOC₆H₄CO₂H, acylates hemoglobin more effectively than does aspirin. The disalicylate has the potential to act as a crosslinking reagent in proteins and other molecules in general.     

A trypsin-resistant heme peptide from cardiac cytochrome c1.

A tryptic resistant heme peptide has been prepared and purified from cardiac cytochrome c1. This purified peptide is not further hydrolyzed by reactions of other proteolytic enzymes, such as pronase. The peptide contains 2 residues each of serine, cysteine and valine, and 1 residue each of alanine, methionine, tyrosine, histidine, arginine, proline, glutamic acid (glutamine) and aspartic acid. The intensity of the absorption spectrum of the peptide has been found to be dependent upon, but the positions of the absorption maxima do not vary with, concentration. The heme peptide does not show multiple splitting of absorption peaks at liquid N2 temperatures as does the intact cytochrome C1. However, cyanide rapidly reacts with the peptide and causes significant spectral changes. CD spectra of the peptide exhibit a typical profile of a non-structured heme peptide with positive CD bands in the Soret region and around 250 nm, and a broad negative extreme of 320-360 nm. The similarities and differences between the tryptic resistant heme peptides from cytochromes c1 and c have been compared.