Increased bioactivity of serum follicle-stimulating hormone, but not luteinizing hormone, following hemicastration in ram lambs

This study evaluated the short-term effects of hemicastration on levels of bioactive (bio-) and immunoactive (immuno-) FSH and LH in 3.5-mo-old ram lambs. Biological activities of FSH and LH were determined using in vitro rat granulosa cell aromatase and mouse Leydig cell testosterone assays, respectively. Four rams each were either hemicastrated (HC) or left intact (INT) and blood samples were collected over a 2-wk period. In HC rams, serum bio- and immuno-FSH concentrations increased several fold within 5-8 h after surgery and remained elevated over INT controls for 7 and 14 days, respectively. The increase in bio-FSH was greater than that for immuno-FSH, resulting in an increase in the ratio of biological to immunological activity (B/I ratio) through Day 7. Neither immuno-FSH, bio-FSH, nor the B/I ratios varied throughout the 2-wk study in INT rams. In contrast to FSH, serum concentrations of immuno- and bio-LH and the B/I ratios were similar between HC and INT rams. For both gonadotropins, biological activity was positively correlated to immunological activity. These results demonstrate that (1) immuno- and bio-FSH concentrations are elevated after hemicastration; (2) the FSH biopotency (B/I ratio) also is increased, at least temporarily; and (3), despite these changes in FSH production, neither immuno- nor bio-LH secretion is altered by hemicastration.     

Parallel variation in isoenzyme and nitrogen fixation markers in a Rhizobium population

Twenty isolates of Rhizobium leguminosarum bv. viceae were isolated at random from one field and examined for symbiotic plasmid fragment length polymorphisms and for isoenzyme patterns. The latter are most probably chromosome markers. With one exception both methods separated the isolates into the same 13 different groups. The largest group was represented 7 times according to isoenzymes and 8 times according to RFLP. This fixed non-random association of plasmid and chromosomal genotypes is consistent with a clonal population structure; it indicates limited exchange of plasmids under natural conditions. Seventeen isolates of 11 groups were highly effective and 2 isolates in one group almost ineffective.     

Formation of genotoxic products from N-nitrosoheptamethyleneimine (NHMI), 4-(Methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-Pyridyl)-1-Butanone (NNK) and N′-Nitrosonornicotine (NNN) by isolated rabbit lung cells

The genotoxic potentials of N-nitrosoheptamethyleneimine (NHMI), 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3 pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK) and N-nitrosonornicotine (NNN) were studied in fresh preparations of Clara cells and type II cells isolated by centrifugal elutriation and density gradient centrifugation, and macrophages from rabbit lung. The activation of the compounds to bacterial mutagens was assayed in the Salmonella mutagenicity test using strains of TA 100 and TA 1530 preincubated with test chemicals and cells placed in chambers with nucleopore membranes to separate cells and bacteria. Unscheduled DNA synthesis was measured by incorporation of [³H]-thymidine in the cells after exposure to the compounds. NHMI, NNK and NNN were not activated to bacterial mutagens by Clara cells, type II cells or macrophages, presumably because the reactive metabolites generated were not released into the incubation medium. However, NHMI and NNK increased unscheduled DNA synthesis in Clara cells, and the highest repair activity was found after incubation with NNK. The effect of NNN was only marginal. This indicates that NHHI and NNK are genotoxic in the rabbit lung and that the Clara cells are involved in the metabolic activation of these compounds.Abbreviations NHMI N-nitrosoheptamethyleneimine - NNK 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone - NNN N-nitrosonornicotine Supported by a grant and a fellowship (R.B.) from the Royal Norwegian Council for Scientific and Industrial Research.     

The b alleles of U. maydis, whose combinations program pathogenic development, code for polypeptides containing a homeodomain-related motif

U. maydis is a fungal pathogen of corn with two forms: one is yeast-like and nonpathogenic; the other is filamentous and pathogenic. The b locus, with 25 different alleles, regulates this dimorphism: any combination of two different alleles triggers pathogenic development, whereas the presence of identical alleles results in the yeast-like form. We have cloned four b alleles (b1, b2, b3, and b4) and show that the b locus contains a single open reading frame (ORF) of 410 amino acids with a variable N-terminal region and a highly conserved C-terminal region (60% and 93% identity, respectively). Mutational analysis confirms that this ORF is responsible for b activity. The b polypeptides appear to be DNA binding proteins because they contain a motif related to the homeodomain in their constant region. We propose that combinatorial interactions between b polypeptides generate regulatory proteins that determine the developmental program of the fungus.     

Six genes of the human connexin gene family coding for gap junctional proteins are assigned to four different human chromosomes

Connexin genes code for proteins that form cell-to-cell channels known as gap junctions. The genes for the known connexins 26, 32, 43, and 46 have been assigned to human chromosomes, 13, X, 6, and 13, respectively, by analysis of a panel of human-mouse somatic cell hybrids using rat cDNA probes. A pseudogene of connexin 43 that lacks an intron of the cx43 gene has been located on human chromosome 5. Furthermore, the genes of the two new connexins 37 and 40 have both been assigned to human chromosome 1. Thus the human chromosomes 1 and 13 each carry at least two different connexin genes. Their exact location on these chromosomes is not yet known. From our results subchromosomal assignments can be deduced for the human cx32 gene to Xq13-p11, the human cx37 gene as well as the human cx40 gene to 1pter-q12, and the human cx43 gene to 6q14-qter. The generation of the connexin multigene family from a hypothetical ancestral connexin gene is discussed.     

Cell swelling inhibits proteolysis in perfused rat liver.

Exposure of isolated single-pass-perfused rat liver to hypo-osmotic media resulted in liver cell swelling and an inhibition of release of branched-chain amino acids. Similarly, cell swelling inhibited [3H]leucine release from perfused livers from rats in which liver proteins were prelabelled in vivo by intraperitoneal injection of L-[4,5-3H]leucine 16-20 h before the experiment. The effects of cell swelling on [3H]leucine release were fully reversible. [3H]Leucine release was also inhibited when cell swelling was induced by addition of glutamine (0.5-2 mM). There was a close relationship between the inhibition of [3H]leucine release and the degree of liver cell swelling, regardless of whether cell swelling was induced by hypo-osmotic perfusion or addition of glutamine. The data suggest that the known anti-proteolytic effect of glutamine is in large part due to glutamine-induced hepatocyte swelling.     

Genital swelling in females of the monogamous gibbon, Hylobates (H.) lar.

Cyclical changes in the vulvae of five adult lar gibbons (Hylobates [H.] lar) were studied and compared with those of eight lowland gorillas. The results reveal that the gibbons have relatively conspicuous and specialized sexual swellings that alter shape and appearance during the ovarian cycle. At maximum extent, the genital swellings of gorillas are relatively and absolutely smaller than those of gibbons, and lack the distinctive coloration seen in the genital swellings of the smaller apes. We conclude that the female gibbon's sexual swelling is a far more conspicuous and effective signal of estrus status than that of the gorilla, and that this is not explicable in terms of allometry. Previous investigators have pointed to one-male mating systems, monogamous pair-bonding, or an arboreal habitat as reasons that some primates should have less conspicuous signals of estrus than others. Our findings for the gibbon are the reverse of these predictions, and indicate that sexual selection other than by intermale competition for estrous females is implicated in the ultimate causation of the gibbon's swelling. The adaptive value and significance of the female gibbon's sexual signals remain unclear, however.     

Isolation and characterization of Chinese hamster ovary cells defective in the intracellular metabolism of low density lipoprotein-derived cholesterol.

We have isolated clones of an established cell line which express defects in intracellular cholesterol metabolism. Chinese hamster ovary cells were mutagenized, and clones unable to mobilize low density lipoprotein (LDL)-derived cholesterol to the plasma membrane were selected. Biochemical analysis of two mutant clones revealed a phenotype characteristic of the lysosomal storage disease, Niemann-Pick type C. The mutant cell lines were found to be defective in the regulatory responses elicited by LDL-derived cholesterol. LDL-mediated stimulation of cholesterol esterification was grossly defective, and LDL suppression of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA reductase was impaired. However, the mutants modulated these activities normally in response to 25-hydroxycholesterol or mevalonate. The LDL-specific defects were predicated by the inability of these mutants to mobilize LDL-derived cholesterol from lysosomes. Cell fractionation studies showed that LDL-derived, unesterified cholesterol accumulated in the lysosomes of mutant cells to significantly higher levels than normal, commensurate with defective movement of cholesterol to other cellular membranes. Characterization of cell lines defective in intracellular cholesterol transport will facilitate identification of the gene(s) required for intracellular cholesterol movement and regulation.     

Genetic barcoding of dark‐spored myxomycetes (Amoebozoa)—Identification,evaluation and application of a sequence similarity threshold for species differentiation in NGS studies

Unicellular, eukaryotic organisms (protists) play a key role in soil food webs as major predators of microorganisms. However, due to the polyphyletic nature of protists, no single universal barcode can be established for this group, and the structure of many protistean communities remains unresolved. Plasmodial slime moulds (Myxogastria or Myxomycetes) stand out among protists by their formation of fruit bodies, which allow for a morphological species concept. By Sanger sequencing of a large collection of morphospecies, this study presents the largest database to date of dark‐spored myxomycetes and evaluate a partial 18S SSU gene marker for species annotation. We identify and discuss the use of an intraspecific sequence similarity threshold of 99.1% for species differentiation (OTU picking) in environmental PCR studies (ePCR) and estimate a hidden diversity of putative species, exceeding those of described morphospecies by 99%. When applying the identified threshold to an ePCR data set (including sequences from both NGS and cloning), we find 64 OTUs of which 21.9% had a direct match (>99.1% similarity) to the database and the remaining had on average 90.2 ± 0.8% similarity to their best match, thus thought to represent undiscovered diversity of dark‐spored myxomycetes.     

High Efficiency (>17%) Si‐Organic Hybrid Solar Cells by Simultaneous Structural,Electrical, and Interfacial Engineering via Low‐Temperature Processes

Highly efficient organic–inorganic hybrid solar cells of Si‐poly(3,4‐ethylenedioxythiophene):polystyrene sulfonate (PEDOT:PSS) have been demonstrated by simultaneous structural, electrical, and interfacial engineering with low processing temperature. Si substrate has been sculpted into hierarchical structure to reduce light reflection loss and increase interfacial junction area at the same time. Regarding the electrical optimization, highly conductive organic PEDOT:PSS layer has been formulated with low sheet resistance. It is argued that the sheet resistance, rather than conductivity, is the primary parameter for the high efficiency hybrid cells, which leads to the optimization of thickness, i.e., thick enough to have low sheet resistance but transparent enough to pass the incident sunlight. Finally, siloxane oligomers have been inserted into top/bottom interfaces by contact‐printing at room ambient, which suppresses carrier recombination at interfaces and reduces contact resistance at bottom electrode. Contrary to high‐temperature doping (for the formation of front surface or back surface fields), wet solution processes or vacuum‐based deposition, the contact‐printing can be done at room ambient to reduce carrier recombination at the interfaces. The high efficiency obtained with low processing temperature can make this type of cells be a possible candidate for post‐Si photovoltaics.