Patterns on the Face: The Eyebrow Flash in Crosscultural Comparison

255 instances of “brow raise” filmed in three cultures in unstaged social interactions were analyzed on different levels using the “Facial Action Coding System” (FACS, Ekman & Friesen 1978). Contraction and slackening of the M. frontalis, pars medialis et lateralis are involved, and show temporal constancy in all three cultures, creating a pattern with a typical movement configuration. This configuration is discussed as a universal prerequisite for stimulus generation perception. The total time of contraction varies with contextual features, and brow raise in openings is longer than during interactions. An analysis of co-occurrence of other facial movements showed universal patterns occurring in all three cultures. Brow raise is most often accompanied by a smile. The antithesis of this “eyebrow flash”, both in neuromuscular and semantic aspect, is brought about by the action of the M. corrugator supercilii, lowering the brows and pulling them together. In addition, a set of functional patterns could be identified in all three cultures, ranging from a factual “yes” to a “yes to social contact”. Thus, the eyebrow flash can be interpreted as a “social marking-tool” which emphasizes the meaning of other facial cues, head movements and even verbal statements.     

Diesj?hriger Eisvogel (Alcedo atthis) als Helfer am Nest

Summary On 24. and 26.7. 1986 a ringed first-year male kingfisher was observed carrying fish into a burrow containing nestlings 22–24 days old. The first-year bird had hatched at a breeding site 5.5 km away from the place where it helped feed the nestlings and left its own natal nest on 11.6. 1984. The first-year kingfisher's parents were not the adult birds whose nestlings the young male was feeding.     

Morphologische Untersuchungen zur Proliferationskinetik der Mäusehaut

Zusammenfassung 1. Es wird eine Methode zur Herstellung, Montierung und Färbung von epidermalen Häutchenpräparaten zur dreidimensionalen Analyse des Epidermis-Aufbaues beschrieben. Eine Kombination mit der Histoautoradiographie ist bedingt möglich. Damit ist eine Basis für weitere Untersuchungen mit neuer Fragestellung geschaffen. 2. Die untersuchten Objekte Mäuseohr und Rückenhaut zeigen eine bisher unbekannte, auffallende Musterbildung mit Zuordnung bestimmter interfollikulärer basaler Gruppen zu Zellen des Stratum spinosum und des Stratum corneum. Es handelt sich um rosettenähnliche Gebilde aus mehreren peripheren Basalzellen und meist einer zentralen Spinosumzelle. 3. Die Bedeutung der Befunde für die normale wie für die pathologische Regeneration und Neoplasie der Epidermis ist offen. Es werden Beziehungen zum Regenerationsmodus und damit zur Proliferationskinetik der Epidermis diskutiert. In diesem Zusammenhang sind die Untersuchungen auch für die Humanpathologie relevant.

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Morphologic investigations of the proliferation kinetics of the mouse epidermisStandardized methods and results

Summary 1. A method for the preparation, mounting, and staining of thin preparations of mouse epidermis is described, which allows a three-dimensional analysis of epidermal structure. A limited combination of this technique with histo-autoradiography is possible, thereby presenting a broader basis for further investigations. 2. Both ear and back skin show a striking, previously unrecognized pattern of organization, in which definite interfollicular basal cell groups are oriented towards cells of the stratum spinosum and stratum corneum. A rosettelike picture of many peripheral basal cells and, in most instances, a central spinosum cell is found. 3. The significance of our findings for normal and pathological regenerations as well as neoplasia of the epidermis remains open. We discuss relationships to the mode of regeneration and thus the kinetics of proliferation in the epidermis. Our investigations are also relevant for human pathology in this regard.

Meinem Vater Kurt Goerttler zur Vollendung des 75. Lebensjahres herzlichst zugeeignet.     

THE EXTRACTABLE AND DIFFUSIBLE AUXIN-AUXIN INHIBITOR LEVEL IN NICOTIANA GLAUCA,NICOTIANA LANGSDORFFII AND THEIR AMPHIDIPLOID HYBRID

The auxin-auxin inhibitor (effective auxin content—EAC)² level of stems and leaves of normal Nicotiana plants (N. glauca, N. langsdorffii and of their spontaneously tumor-producing hybrid) was investigated by the use of the diffusion method into agar blocks and by the wet-ether and wet-alcohol extraction method. In all series, the EAC was tested by the Avena curvature test. Although the Avena curvature produced from extracts and diffusates in these tobacco plants is low, in general there is a consistently greater curvature in the parents (on an average for N. glauca, 6.7° in the diffusion and 6.2° in the extraction tests; for N. langsdorffii, 2.7° in the diffusion and 4.6° in the extraction tests) than in the hybrid (on an average of 0.7° in the diffusion and 2.6° in the extraction tests). This suggests that the question “Why do tumors form in the hybrid?” cannot be answered simply by suggesting that it is a function of excessive auxin. It is known that IAA must be added in high concentrations to aseptic cultures of N. langsdorffii and N. glauca whereas cultures of hybrid tissues do not require such an exogenous auxin supply for growth. This might indicate differences in the availability of IAA for growth of these tissues.     

The mycorrhizal fungus Amanita muscaria induces chitinase activity in roots and in suspension-cultured cells of its host Picea abies

A cell-wall fraction of the mycorrhizal fungus Amanita muscaria increased the chitinase activity in suspension-cultured cells of spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst.) which is a frequent host of Amanita muscaria in nature. Chitinase activity was also increased in roots of spruce trees upon incubation with the fungal elicitor. Non-induced levels of chitinase activity in spruce were higher in suspension cells than in roots whereas the elicitorinduced increase of chitinase activity was higher in roots. Treatment of cells with hormones (auxins and cytokinin) resulted in a severalfold depression of enzyme activity. However, the chitinase activity of hormone-treated as well as hormone-free cells showed an elicitor-induced increase. Suspension cells of spruce secreted a large amount of enzyme into the medium. It is postulated that chitinases released from the host cells in an ectomycorrhizal system partly degrade the fungal cell walls, thus possibly facilitating the exchange of metabolites between the symbionts.     

Dysfunctional telomeres in human BRCA2 mutated breast tumors and cell lines

In the present study the possible involvement of telomeres in chromosomal instability of breast tumors and cell lines from BRCA2 mutation carriers was examined. Breast tumors from BRCA2 mutation carriers showed significantly higher frequency of chromosome end-to-end fusions (CEFs) than tumors from non-carriers despite normal telomere DNA content. Frequent CEFs were also found in four different BRCA2 heterozygous breast epithelial cell lines, occasionally with telomere signal at the fusion point, indicating telomere capping defects. Extrachromosomal telomeric repeat (ECTR) DNA was frequently found scattered around metaphase chromosomes and interstitial telomere sequences (ITSs) were also common. Telomere sister chromatid exchanges (T-SCEs), characteristic of cells using alternative lengthening of telomeres (ALT), were frequently detected in all heterozygous BRCA2 cell lines as well as the two ALT positive cell lines tested. Even though T-SCE frequency was similar in BRCA2 heterozygous and ALT positive cell lines they differed in single telomere signal loss and ITSs. Chromatid type alterations were more prominent in the BRCA2 heterozygous cell lines that may have propensity for telomere based chromosome healing. Telomere dysfunction-induced foci (TIFs) formation, identified by co-localization of telomeres and γ-H2AX, supported telomere associated DNA damage response in BRCA2 heterozygous cell lines. TIFs were found in interphase nuclei, at chromosome ends, ITSs and ECTR DNA. In conclusion, our results suggest that BRCA2 has an important role in telomere stabilization by repressing CEFs through telomere capping and the prevention of telomere loss by replication stabilization.     

Irradiation leads to sensitization of hepatocytes to TNF-α-mediated apoptosis by upregulation of IκB expression

This study aimed to reveal the pathophysiological signalling responsible for radiation-induced sensitization of hepatocytes to TNF-α-mediated apoptosis. IκB was upregulated in irradiated hepatocytes. Administration of IκB antisense oligonucleotides prior to irradiation inhibited occurrence of apoptosis after TNF-α administration. Caspases-8, -9 and -3 activities were increased in irradiated hepatocytes and downregulation of apoptosis by IκB antisense oligonucleotides was mediated by suppression of caspases-9 and -3 activation but not of caspase-8 activation, suggesting that radiation-induced sensitization of hepatocytes to TNF-α-mediated apoptosis additionally requires changes upstream of caspase-8 activation. Herein, upregulation of FLIP may play a crucial role. Cleavage of bid, upregulation of bax, downregulation of bcl-2 and release of cytochrome c after TNF-α-administration depend on radiation-induced upregulation of IκB, thus demonstrating an apoptosis permitting effect of IκB. H. Gürleyen and H. Christiansen contributed equally to this work.     

ATG7(2) Interacts With Metabolic Proteins and Regulates Central Energy Metabolism

Macroautophagy/autophagy is an essential catabolic process that targets a wide variety of cellular components including proteins, organelles, and pathogens. ATG7, a protein involved in the autophagy process, plays a crucial role in maintaining cellular homeostasis and can contribute to the development of diseases such as cancer. ATG7 initiates autophagy by facilitating the lipidation of the ATG8 proteins in the growing autophagosome membrane. The noncanonical isoform ATG7(2) is unable to perform ATG8 lipidation; however, its cellular regulation and function are unknown. Here, we uncovered a distinct regulation and function of ATG7(2) in contrast with ATG7(1), the canonical isoform. First, affinity-purification mass spectrometry analysis revealed that ATG7(2) establishes direct protein–protein interactions (PPIs) with metabolic proteins, whereas ATG7(1) primarily interacts with autophagy machinery proteins. Furthermore, we identified that ATG7(2) mediates a decrease in metabolic activity, highlighting a novel splice-dependent function of this important autophagy protein. Then, we found a divergent expression pattern of ATG7(1) and ATG7(2) across human tissues. Conclusively, our work uncovers the divergent patterns of expression, protein interactions, and function of ATG7(2) in contrast to ATG7(1). These findings suggest a molecular switch between main catabolic processes through isoform-dependent expression of a key autophagy gene.