Gravity as an orientation guide during web-construction in the orb spiderAraneus diadematus (Araneae,Araneidae)

summary The effect of gravity on the web building behaviour of the common garden spiderAraneus diadematus was studied in three ways: (i) frames with partially completed vertical webs were swivelled into a horizontal position, (ii) by rotating frames with spiders in a vertical klinostat (1 rpm), and (iii) by vertically rotating a partially completed web treadmill fashion keeping the building animal in a certain position in space.(i) In the horizontal, radial wheels are not constructed, however, a more or less irregular spiral is added to a completed wheel; (ii) in the klinostat the radial wheel lacks the up/down distinction of normal webs, and the spiral is irregular; (iii) in the treadmill the spiral course is abnormal, and the degree of deviation depends on the position of the animal. If the body axis is parallel to gravity the spiral path deviates to both sides of the norm. In ag perpendicular body position the path deviates predominantly to one side, spiralling sharply inwards towards the hub. The observations suggest that the cyclic changes in the body position of spiral-buildingAraneus are an important component of the animal's orientation during this phase of web-construction.     

Establishment and Growth Kinetics of the Mutant Ehrlich-Lettré Ascites Cell Strain Hd33 In Permanent Suspension Culture1,2

Cells of a mutant in vivo subline of the Ehrlich-Lettré mouse ascites tumour (ELAT) were converted to growth in suspension culture. Kinetic analysis revealed the selective character of the conversion process; without a detectable adaptation period, a fraction of about 2 × 10^-5 of the explanted cells continued to grow in vitro. the resulting, mutant Ehrlich-Lettré ascites cell strain was designated HD33 and propagated uninterruptedly from 1974 on. the corresponding in vivo ELAT subline HD33 was derived from the HD33 ascites cell strain by intraperitoneal retransplantation. In HD33 cell suspension cultures, the population doubling time, the average intermitotic interval, as determined by videomonitoring, and the average duration of the cell cycle, as determined from percentage of labelled mitoses (PLM) data, were all measured at 15 hr. Cell loss and quiescent compartments were insignificant. the duration of the G₁ phase was effectively zero. Both PLM data and [³H]/[¹⁴C] thymidine double-labetling measurements revealed an S-phase duration of between 11 and 12 hr. the G₂ phase lasted 3–5 hr. The HD33 strain differs from comparable suspension strains of wild-type Ehrlich ascites cells in the insignificant role of density-dependent inhibition in growth, and the striking prolongation of the S phase which is associated with an excessive, cytoplasmic storage of glycogen by the mutant cells.     

Plant tumor reversal associated with the loss of marker chromosomes in tobacco cells

Summary The determination of partial genotype, B/b and D/d, for coat colour in dogs, from phenotypic observations, is discussed. It is shown that the probability of a given genotype can be reliably determined where multiple observations on the mating of a given dog are available.     

Antigen-induced lymphomagenesis: identification of a murine B cell lymphoma with known antigen specificity

CH12, a murine B cell lymphoma derived in B10 H-2aH-4bp/Wts mice after transfer of SRBC hyperimmunized spleen cells into an adult-thymectomized, sublethally irradiated, syngeneic recipient, is demonstrated to bear surface IgM specific for a determinant found on SRBC and ChRBC. The Ig specificity has been demonstrated by rosetting assays and complement-dependent hemolysis. The removal of CH12 surface IgM by capping with anti-mu or with anti-CH12 idiotype, but not with anti-gamma or with irrelevant anti-idiotype, eliminated the formation of rosettes between CH12 and SRBC or ChRBC. The absorption of CH12 Ig produced in vitro, with either SRBC or ChRBC but not with HRBC, removed all hemolysin activity against SRBC, demonstrating that only one CH12 product was responsible for the reactivity with both SRBC and ChRBC. CH12 has a surface phenotype of a relatively mature B cell expressing surface Ig (IgM-mu,kappa) and la antigens, but lacking Thy-1 or detectable Fc or C3 receptors. CH12 also expresses the antigen Lyt-1. Growth of CH12 in vivo or in vitro results in the generation of up to 3% direct PFC and serum hemolysin, which shows that CH12 is not irretrievably "frozen". The generation of PFC and serum hemolysin is associated with increased population density, and the rate of PFC and serum hemolysin accumulation cannot be explained by simple cell division. A continuously secreting hybridoma derived from CH12 was used to purify the CH12 IgM to facilitate studies of protein sequence and idiotype.     

Applicability of the induced-fit model to glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase from sturgeon muscle. Study of the binding of oxidized nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide and nicotinamide 8-bromoadenine dinucleotide

A new method of calculation, based on a direct fitting of the protein fluorescence intensity observed upon coenzyme binding (H.-P. Lutz, unpublished results), is used to study the negative cooperative behavior of glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase from sturgeon muscle. The calculation procedure simultaneously elaborates data obtained for four different protein concentrations, and it is able to compare different models by computing the minimal and critical sum of squares. Using this approach, it is shown that the induced-fit model [Koshland, D. E., Jr., Nemethy, G., & Filmer, D. (1966) Biochemistry 5,365] and the dimer of dimer model [Malhotra, O. P., & Bernhard, S. A. (1968) J. Biol. Chem. 243, 1243-1252] can both be applied for explaining the negative cooperativity observed upon coenzyme binding to sturgeon glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase. In addition to the progressive modification of the binding affinity during ligand binding, different maximal fluorescence quenchings for the binding steps must be postulated; and furthermore, the binding capability decreases by decreasing the protein concentration. The fact that the induced-fit model can also be applied is rather in contradiction with the view generally accepted of a dimer of dimer structure of sturgeon glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase. By use of the same approach, nicotinamide 8-bromoadenine dinucleotide is shown to bind to glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase from sturgeon in a negative cooperative manner.     

Comparison of the effect of temperature on kidney cortex mitochondria from rabbit,dog, pig,and human: Arrhenius plots of ADP-stimulated respiration

The effect of temperature on the rate of ADP-stimulated respiration of mitochondria from dog, rabbit, pig, and human kidney cortex mitochondria was plotted according to the Arrhenius relationship. The temperature at which the plot demonstrated a break was at 15 °C for mitochondria from dog, pig, and human kidneys. The discontinuity occurred at 10 °C or less for mitochondria from rabbit kidneys. This difference suggests that mitochondria from rabbit kidneys undergo a lipid-phase transition at lower temperatures than for other species commonly used in experimental renal preservation. The implications of this difference suggest caution in using results obtained with rabbit kidneys for comparison to results obtained from hypothermic renal preservation of other species kidneys. Apparent fluidization of dog kidney mitochondrial membranes with adamantine abolished the discontinuity in the Arrhenius plot.     

The goldfish pituitary

Summary In the goldfish, Carassius auratus, morphological and functional aspects of the pituitary gland were studied at the ultrastructural level and six cell types could be distinguished in the pars distalis. Acidophilic cells of the rostral pars distalis were identified as prolactin cells, the chromophobic cells of the rostral pars distalis as ACTH cells, the non-globular basophilic cells of the rostral and the proximal pars distalis as TSH cells, the globular basophils of the proximal pars distalis as gonadotropic cells and the acidophils of the proximal pars distalis as somatotrophs.Besides some of the well established criteria of morphological and functional identification of different cell types, two new approaches have been used in the present study. One was to express the electron density of secretory granules objectively by means of a photometric method. It was found that both types of acidophilic cells which produce the proteohormones prolactin and somatotropin respectively, had granules with the highest electron densities. The basophilic cells producing the glycoproteins gonadotropin and TSH respectively, possessed granules of intermediate electron density whereas the chromophobic cells storing the peptide hormone ACTH had granules of lowest densities. The second new approach was the administration of the synthetic mammalian releasing hormones LH-RP and TRF, which helped in identifying gonadotropic and thyrotropic cells respectively. In the goldfish there is evidence for the presence of only one type of gonadotropic cell.Supported by a grant of the Science Research Council of Great Britain to Professor Sir Francis Knowles, F.R.S. The electron microscope used was provided by the Medical Research Council of Great Britain. The integrating photometer IPM2 was kindly on loan from Messrs. Carl Zeiss, Oberkochen, Germany. For technical advice we are greatly indebted to Mr. P. K. Kaul, B. E., M.I. Struct. E., C. Eng.     

Hg ++ - a DCMU independent electron acceptor of photosystem II

Mercuric chloride functions as a direct electron acceptor from the quencher of fluorescence in Photosystem II. The photoreduction of ferricyanide, dichlorophenol-indophenol or methyl viologen is inhibited by mercuric ion while oxygen evolution is uneffected. Mercuric chloride supported oxygen evolution (mercury Hill reaction) is not prevented by DCMU or other similar electron transport inhibitors.