Changes in Metabotropic Glutamate Receptor mRNA Levels Following Global Ischemia: Increase of a Putative Presynaptic Subtype (mGluR4) in Highly Vulnerable Rat Brain Areas

Abstract: Metabotropic glutamate receptors mediate their intracellular response by coupling to G proteins and may be divided into three subfamilies: mGluR1 and mGluR5, which stimulate phosphatidylinositol hydrolysis; mGluR2 and mGluR3, which are negatively coupled to cyclic AMP formation; and mGluR4 and mGluR6, which also inhibit forskolin-stimulated cyclic AMP formation. The mGluR4 subtypes may represent l -2-amino-4-phosphonobutyrate-sensitive presynaptic autoreceptors, and two alternatively spliced variants of the mGluR4 coding for two receptors with different C termini have been identified. Using in situ hybridization, we measured the levels of mGluR1–mGluR5 mRNA in regions of the rat brain 24 h after transient global ischemia, a time point when no neuronal damage can yet be observed morphologically. In the hippocampus, the mRNA levels for mGluR1, mGluR2, and mGluR5 were decreased, mGluR3 mRNA levels were unchanged, and the mGluR4 mRNA levels were strongly increased. The strongest increase appeared to be in the mRNA encoding mGluR4b. The mGluR4 mRNA was also increased in the parietal cortex, whereas the ventral posteromedial thalamic nucleus showed a small decrease in its mRNA content. These results suggest that vulnerable neurons react to an increased extracellular glutamate concentration by differential regulation of the mRNA for pre- and postsynaptically located metabotropic glutamate receptors.     

Fibroblasts maintain the phenotype and viability of the rat heparin-containing mast cell in vitro

Rat serosal heparin-containing mast cells (HP-MC) were maintained in vitro for as long as 30 days when co-cultured with mouse skin-derived 3T3 fibroblasts. In contrast, when the mast cells were cultured alone, on fibronectin-, gelatin-, or dermal-collagen-coated dishes, on acid and heat-killed fibroblasts in the presence or absence of 24 hr fibroblast-conditioned medium, or on a monolayer of mouse serosal macrophages, they failed to adhere to the dishes, released significant amounts of their histamine and lactate dehydrogenase, and stained with trypan blue, indicating a loss of viability. The rat serosal HP-MC cultured with the 3T3 fibroblasts became so adherent to the fibroblasts that the two cell types could be separated from one another only by trypsinization. The cultured HP-MC stained with both alcian blue and safranin and continued to synthesize proteoglycan at a rate comparable to that of freshly isolated cells. The 35S-labeled proteoglycan synthesized by these cultured cells, like that produced by freshly isolated rat serosal HP-MC, was a 750,000 to 1,000,000 m.w. proteoglycan containing only heparin glycosaminoglycans of 50,000 to 100,000 m.w. When HP-MC were cultured for 1 wk with the fibroblasts and were then incubated for 5 min with a 1/20 dilution of rabbit anti-rat IgE, they generated and released an average of 22 +/- 10 ng (mean +/- SD, n = 5) of prostaglandin D2 per 10(6) cells and exocytosed a higher net percentage of their total histamine content (44 +/- 11% [mean +/- SD, n = 8]) than did cells just isolated from the animal (6 +/- 4% [mean +/- SD, n = 4]). As assessed by electron microscopy, many of the cultured HP-MC resembled freshly isolated cells except that some secretory granules had fused with one another in some cells. Morphologically, after activation the cultured HP-MC underwent compound exocytosis like freshly isolated cells. These results demonstrate that the in vivo differentiated rat HP-MC maintain their histology, morphology, immunologic responsiveness, histamine content, and ability to synthesize heparin proteoglycan when co-cultured with living fibroblasts.     

Global patterns of leaf mechanical properties

Leaf mechanical properties strongly influence leaf lifespan, plant-herbivore interactions, litter decomposition and nutrient cycling, but global patterns in their interspecific variation and underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood. We synthesize data across the three major measurement methods, permitting the first global analyses of leaf mechanics and associated traits, for 2819 species from 90 sites worldwide. Key measures of leaf mechanical resistance varied c. 500-800-fold among species. Contrary to a long-standing hypothesis, tropical leaves were not mechanically more resistant than temperate leaves. Leaf mechanical resistance was modestly related to rainfall and local light environment. By partitioning leaf mechanical resistance into three different components we discovered that toughness per density contributed a surprisingly large fraction to variation in mechanical resistance, larger than the fractions contributed by lamina thickness and tissue density. Higher toughness per density was associated with long leaf lifespan especially in forest understory. Seldom appreciated in the past, toughness per density is a key factor in leaf mechanical resistance, which itself influences plant-animal interactions and ecosystem functions across the globe.     

Infestation of mammals by Ixodes ricinus ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) in south-central Sweden

Infestation by Ixodes ricinus ticks on rodents, hares and cervids was examined at Bogesund, 10 km north of Stockholm, in south-central Sweden during 1991-1994 and on varying hares (Lepus timidus) at Stora Karlso and Gotska Sandon in the Baltic Sea during 1992-1993. At Bogesund, there were great differences between two consecutive years in the number of I. ricinus larvae infesting bank voles (Clethrionomys glareolus). The seasonal pattern of infestation by I. ricinus larvae and nymphs on bank voles was unimodal in 1991, with peaks in June-July and bimodal in 1992, with peaks in June and August. Male bank voles, compared to females and older voles, compared to young voles, harboured greater numbers of I. ricinus ticks. Apodemus mice, compared to bank voles, harboured greater numbers of I. ricinus ticks. Ixodes ricinus larvae engorged on Apodemus mice were heavier than larvae engorged on bank voles and resulted in larger nymphs. However, there was no difference in the proportions of viable nymphs resulting from larvae engorged on mice or voles. The ranges in the numbers of I. ricinus ticks infesting individual hosts were 1-451 for rodents, 16-2374 for hares and 428-2072 for roe deer (Capreolus capreolus). These ranges of tick numbers are estimated to represent potential blood losses from individual hosts of approximately 0.2-65% for rodents, 0.2-13% for hares and 0.3-9.0% for roe deer. Within the populations of all host species examined, the distributions of all stages of I. ricinus were clumped, with most host individuals harbouring few ticks and only a few individuals harbouring many ticks. The data suggest that, even though a small proportion of tick hosts may be severely affected, the direct effects of feeding by I. ricinus are unlikely to play an important role on mammal population dynamics.     

Carcinogen treatment in mouse selectively expressing activated N-Ras Q61K in melanocytes recapitulates metastatic cutaneous melanoma development

The incidence of melanoma has significantly increased, and a better understanding of its pathogenesis and development of new therapeutic strategies are urgently needed. Here, we describe a murine model of metastatic cutaneous melanoma using C57BL/6 mice expressing a mutated human N-Ras gene under the control of a tyrosinase promoter (TyrRas). These mice were topically exposed to 7,12- dimethylbenzanthracene (DMBA) for brief exposure periods. Cutaneous melanoma developed at the site of exposure on average by 19 weeks of age and in 80% of mice. Importantly, as in humans, melanoma development was associated with subsequent metastasis to tumor-draining lymph nodes. Critically, such metastatic behavior is transplantable, as intradermal inoculation of melanoma cells from TyrRas-DMBA mice into non-transgenic mice led to the growth of melanoma and, again, metastasis to skin-draining lymph nodes. This metastatic melanoma model closely mimics human pathology and should be a useful tool for studying melanoma pathogenesis and developing new therapies.     

Vegetation in clear‐cuts depends on previous land use: a century‐old grassland legacy

Plant species richness in central and northern European seminatural grasslands is often more closely linked to past than present habitat configuration, which is indicative of an extinction debt. In this study, we investigate whether signs of historical grassland management can be found in clear‐cuts after at least 80 years as coniferous production forest by comparing floras between clear‐cuts with a history as meadow and as forest in the 1870s in Sweden. Study sites were selected using old land‐use maps and data on present‐day clear‐cuts. Species traits reflecting high capacities for dispersal and persistence were used to explain any possible links between the plants and the historical land use. Clear‐cuts that were formerly meadow had, on average, 36% higher species richness and 35% higher richness of grassland indicator species, as well as a larger overall seed mass and lower anemochory, compared to clear‐cuts with history as forest. We suggest that the plants in former meadows never disappeared after afforestation but survived as remnant populations. Many contemporary forests in Sweden were managed as grasslands in the 1800s. As conservation of remaining grassland fragments will not be enough to reduce the existing extinction debts of the flora, these young forests offer opportunities for grassland restoration at large scales. Our study supports the concept of remnant populations and highlights the importance of considering historical land use for understanding the distribution of grassland plant species in fragmented landscapes, as well as for policy‐making and conservation.     

Li+ counterion self-diffusion in ordered DNA

The anisotropic self-diffusion coefficient of ⁷Li⁺ (I = 3/2) counterions has been studied in hydrated, macroscopically oriented Li-(B)DNA fibers at relatively high water contents, corresponding to approximate DNA-DNA helix axis distances of 22–35 Å, using the pulsed field gradient hmr spin-echo method. Self-diffusion coefficients parallel (D_∥) and perpendicular (D_?) to the DNA helix axis increase with increasing salt content and with increasing DNA-DNA helix axis distance. The observed anisotropy D_∥/D_? decreases from 1.6 to 1.2 with the DNA-DNA separation increasing from 22 to 35 Å in the salt-free sample. This result can be understood by the obstruction effect caused by the DNA molecules themselves. The values of the Li⁺ self-diffusion coefficients in the most water-rich system with no added salt (corresponding to an approximate distance of 35 Å between the DNA helix axes) were D_∥ ～ 1.15 × 10^?10 m² s^?1 and D_? ～ 0.98 × 10^?10 m² s^?1, compared to 9.14 × 10^?10 m² s^?1 for the diffusion of Li⁺ in an aqueous solution of LiCl (～ 2.1M). The possible occurrence of restriction effects in the DNA fibers have also been studied by determining the self-diffusion coefficient at different effective diffusion times. The self-diffusion coefficient of Li⁺ in the sample with the largest DNA-DNA helix axis distance seems to be independent of the effective diffusion time, which indicates that the lithium ions are not trapped within impermeable barriers. The possibility of diffusion through permeable barriers has also been investigated, and is discussed. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.