Demonstration of chromosome replication by BrdU antibody technique and electron microscopy

Summary We describe the use of different reporter groups in visualizing replication patterns on metaphase chromosomes after BrdU incorporation by the BrdU antibody technique for the electron microscope. There is an inverse correlation between the density of the label and the size of the reporter particles. This observation alludes to stereo problems interfering with the access of the labeled antibodies into the chromatin. The use of silver enhancement enables easy detection of 1-nm and 5-nm gold particles, which make replication patterns visible in the electron microscope as does the diaminobenzidine/ H₂O₂ reaction. Possible consequences for the demonstration of replication patterns and for nonradioactive DNA in situ hybridization are discussed.     

Simultaneous saccharification and protein enrichment fermentation of sugar beet pulp

Summary A product with 40 % protein content was obtained from sugar beet pulp (1.25–2.0 mm) in 48 h one stage (simultaneous) saccharification/fermentation process under optimized conditions using a specific enzyme mixture andCandida tropicalis strain, also saving about 40 % enzymes in comparison to a 2-stage process.     

Selection of preculture conditions for solid state fermentation of sugar beet pulp

Summary For the protein upgrading of sugar-beet pulp in solid state fermentation byTrichoderma reesei andFusarium oxysporum, serveral conditions were studied to prepare an economical preculture for large scale process. The best performance was shown by a preculture obtained in 24 h from 1.5 % molasses solution at pH 4.5–5.0 with 1.0 % milled beet pulp.     

Production of tumor necrosis factor by rIFN-gamma-primed C3H/HeJ (Lpsd) macrophages requires the presence of lipid A-associated proteins

Previous studies have shown that the activation of murine macrophages to a fully tumoricidal state requires that specific environmental signals be delivered to the macrophage in a step-wise manner: a "priming" signal first renders the macrophage stimulated, but not cytolytic. The addition of a second or "trigger" signal to the primed macrophage results in tumoricidal activity. One potent priming signal has been identified as IFN-gamma and one often used trigger signal for endotoxin-responsive (Lpsn) macrophages is LPS. In contrast to LPS-responsive macrophage, rIFN-gamma-primed C3H/HeJ (Lpsd) macrophages fail to become cytolytic in response to protein-free, phenol-water-extracted LPS preparations, but become tumoricidal when exposed in vitro to protein-rich butanol-extracted LPS or purified lipid A-associated proteins. Further characterization of the activation requirements of the C3H/HeJ macrophages revealed that for optimal elaboration of TNF in vitro, two signals were also required: rIFN-gamma and a second signal that contained LAP. C3H/HeJ macrophages macrophages primed with rIFN-gamma failed to produce TNF in response to any concentration of protein-free phenol-water extracted LPS, even when supernatants were concentrated before assaying for functional activity in a standard TNF L929 fibroblast assay. Although exposure of rIFN-gamma-primed C3H/HeJ macrophages to LAP resulted in a fully tumoricidal state equivalent to that exhibited by C3H/OuJ macrophages, the levels of TNF produced remained discrepant. Under identical conditions, C3H/OuJ macrophages produced approximately fivefold more TNF (11,776 U/ml) than C3H/HeJ macrophages (2,399 U/ml). This suggests that although C3H/HeJ macrophages can respond functionally in a "normal" manner given the correct signals, they remain quantitatively deficient in the production of certain proteins. In this system, the elaboration of TNF and macrophage-mediated tumor cell lysis were shown to be dissociable events. The tumor target used in these studies (P815) was shown to be resistant to as much as 40,000 U/ml of purified rTNF. In addition, C3H/OuJ macrophage cultures exposed to LPS only (which resulted in the production of high levels of TNF), failed to lyse these targets. Lastly, anti-mouse TNF antibody added to macrophage cultures had no effect on the induction of tumor cell lysis.     

Die Ölblumensymbiosen – Parallelismus and andere Aspekte ihrer Entwicklung in Raum and Zeit1, 2

The oil-bee/oil-flower relationships: parallelism and other aspects of their evolution in space and time A survey is given of our present knowledge and existing hypotheses concerning the biogeography, history, and phylogeny of plant taxa yielding fatty oil as a floral reward, and of the bee genera involved in their pollination. Four syngenetic complexes of the symbiosis arose convergently: The neotropical, the paleotropical, the holarctic, and the capensic complex. On the basis of the mutual structural adaptations of bees and flowers it is concluded that, in addition, parallelism within related groups as a result of a common tendency to develop the respective organs, has played an important role in the evolution of the oil-based floral interrelationships.     

Localization of a gene for the human low-voltage EEG on 20q and genetic heterogeneity.

The localization of a gene responsible for a normal variant of the human electroencephalogram to the distal part of chromosome 20q is reported. A linkage analysis, including 17 families with 191 individuals, tested with 73 RFLPs and 22 blood and serological markers, was performed for the low-voltage electroencephalogram. This is a normal variant of the human electroencephalogram with an autosomal dominant mode of inheritance. The results present strong evidence for close linkage with the highly polymorphic marker CMM6 (D20S19) and for genetic heterogeneity.     

Substrate interactions of benzene, toluene, and para-xylene during microbial degradation by pure cultures and mixed culture aquifer slurries.

Benzene, toluene, and p-xylene (BTX) were degraded by indigenous mixed cultures in sandy aquifer material and by two pure cultures isolated from the same site. Although BTX compounds have a similar chemical structure, the fate of individual BTX compounds differed when the compounds were fed to each pure culture and mixed culture aquifer slurries. The identification of substrate interactions aided the understanding of this behavior. Beneficial substrate interactions included enhanced degradation of benzene and p-xylene by the presence of toluene in Pseudomonas sp. strain CFS-215 incubations, as well as benzene-dependent degradation of toluene and p-xylene by Arthrobacter sp. strain HCB. Detrimental substrate interactions included retardation in benzene and toluene degradation by the presence of p-xylene in both aquifer slurries and Pseudomonas incubations. The catabolic diversity of microbes in the environment precludes generalizations about the capacity of individual BTX compounds to enhance or inhibit the degradation of other BTX compounds.     

Comparison of two cytochromes P-450 from Candida maltosa: primary structures, substrate specificities and effects of their expression in Saccharomyces cerevisiae on the proliferation of the endoplasmic reticulum

cDNAs were cloned, sequenced and expressed which encode two different cytochrome P-450 forms of the alkane-assimilating yeast Candida maltosa, designated as P-450Cm1 and P-450Cm2. The amino acid sequences deduced were about 55% identical. Expression in Saccharomyces cerevisiae resulted in the formation of intact microsomal P-450 systems catalyzing the hydroxylation of n-hexadecane and lauric acid with significantly different substrate preferences. A massive proliferation of the endoplasmic reticulum was observed in the S. cerevisiae cells which produced P-450. Depending on the P-450 form expressed, distinctly organized stacks of paired membranes appeared and occupied considerable areas of the cytoplasm. As shown by immunoelectron microscopy for P-450Cm1, the protein expressed was highly concentrated within these newly formed membrane structures.     

Responses of the photosynthetic flagellate,Euglena gracilis,to hypergravity

Motility and orientation has been studied in the unicellular photosynthetic flagellate, Euglena gracilis, using real time image analysis capable of tracking up to 200 cells simultaneously in the slow rotating centrifuge microscope (NIZEMI) which allows one to observe the cells' swimming behavior during centrifugation accelerations between 1 g and 5 g. At 1 g the cells show a weak negative gravitaxis, which increases significantly at higher accelerations up to about 3 g. Though most cells were capable of swimming even against an acceleration of 4.5 g, the degree of gravitaxis decreased and some of the cells were passively moved downward by the acceleration force; this is true for most cells at 5 g. The velocity of cells swimming against 1 g is about 10% lower than that of cells swimming in other directions. The velocity decreases even more drastically in cells swimming against higher acceleration forces than those at 1 g. The degree of gravitactic orientation drastically decreases after short exposure to artificial UV radiation which indicates that gravitaxis may be due to an active physiological perception rather than a physical effect such as an asymmetry of the center of gravity within the cell. Offprint requests to: D.-P. Häder