Basal level of human platelet prostaglandins: PGE1 is more elevated than PGE2

Radioimmunoassays of platelet prostaglandins E₁ and F_1α in platelet rich plasma or platelet suspension, demonstrate that both PGE₁ and PGF_1α are present at higher concentrations than prostaglandins E₂ and F_2α. Gas chromatography — mass spectrometry determinations of prostaglandins E₁ and E₂ in resting washed platelets confirm this difference. Lastly, there is a greater incorporation of [1-¹⁴C] acetate into prostaglandins E₁ and F_1α compared to that into prostaglandins E₂ and F_2α.     

Primary photochemical processes in isolated reaction centers of Rhodopseudomonas viridis

Picosecond and nanosecond spectroscopic techniques have been used to study the primary electron transfer processes in reaction centers isolated from the photosynthetic bacterium Rhodopseudomonas viridis. Following flash excitation, the first excited singlet state (P1) of the bacteriochlorophyll complex (P) transfers an electron to an intermediate acceptor (I) in less than 20 ps. The radical pair state (P⁺I^?) subsequently transfers an electron to another acceptor (X) in about 230 ps. There is an additional step of unknown significance exhibiting 35 ps kinetics. P⁺ subsequently extracts an electron from a cytochrome, with a time constant of about 270 ns. At low redox potential (X reduced before the flash), the state P⁺I^? (or P^F) lives approx. 15 ns. It decays, in part, into a longer lived state (P^R), which appears to be a triplet state. State P^R decays with an exponential time of approx. 55 μs. After continuous illumination at low redox potential (I and X both reduced), excitation with an 8-ps flash produces absorption changes reflecting the formation of the first excited singlet state, P1. Most of P1 then decays with a time constant of 20 ps. The spectra of the absorbance changes associated with the conversion of P to P1 or P⁺ support the view that P involves two or more interacting bacteriochlorophylls. The absorbance changes associated with the reduction of I to I^? suggest that I is a bacteriopheophytin interacting strongly with one or more bacteriochlorophylls in the reaction center.     

Separation of Linked Markers in Chinese Hamster Cell Hybrids: Mitotic Recombination Is Not Involved

A search for mitotic recombination was carried out using mutant subclones of cultured Chinese hamster ovary cells. Recombination events were sought between the linked loci specifying the enzymes hypoxanthine phosphoribosyl transferase and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase. It was shown by fluctuation analysis that markers at these two loci co-segregate from doubly heterozygous pseudotetraploid hybrid cells more than 90% of the time. The minority class of segregants, which had lost one marker without losing the other, were genetically analyzed to distinguish between the possibilities of mitotic recombination and deletion of chromosomal material. Nine clones in which a linkage disruption had occured were studied, using further cell hybridization and segregation. In three cases, a recessive lethal loss of genetic information was indicated, suggesting the deletion mechanism. In six cases, it was demonstrated that no new linkage relationships had been established concomitant with linkage disruption. Thus, in all nine clones, the evidence indicated that mitotic recombination was not involved in the events that disrupted linkage between these two loci. If mitotic recombination takes place at all in this system, the rate must be less than about 10^-6 per cell per generation.     

Ectopic pairing and evolution of 5S ribosomal RNA genes in the chromosomes of Drosophila funebris

5S ribosomal RNA from Drosophila melanogaster labeled with ¹²⁵I was used to locate the 5S rRNA genes in chromosomes of D. funebris by means of in situ hybridization. Silver grains were observed at three distinct sites, one of which was a recognized reverse repeat. Only one half of the reverse repeat, however, hybridizes with 5S rRNA and the significance of this phenomenon is discussed. A case of ectopic pairing between two different 5S sites in the genome is reported, and the significance of ectopic pairing is considered.The author was a Predoctoral Fellow supported by Grant GM 1974 from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences, National Institutes of Health.Contribution from Oak Ridge National Laboratory, operated by the Union Carbide Corporation for the U.S. Energy Research and Development Administration.     

Developmental requirements of the univoltine species Chrysopa downesi: Photoperiodic stimuli and sensitive stages

Chrysopa downesi reproduces only in the spring and the resulting adults enter an aestival-autumnal-hibernal diapause which is primarily controlled by photoperiod. In the laboratory, constant photoperiods result in diapause induction and maintenance, whereas a series of short days followed by long days prevents or terminates diapause and promotes reproduction. The stages most sensitive to the diapause-averting stimulus are the free-living third instar, the third instar within the cocoon, and the pupa.C. downesi responds in different ways to three aspects of photoperiod: (a) an all-or-none response (diapause prevention or induction) to a sequence of two critical photoperiods, (b) an all-or-none response (diapause prevention or induction) to the difference between the long and short daylengths (a 4 hr difference is sufficient to avert diapause but a 2 hr difference is not), and (c) a quantitative response to the absolute duration of day (or night) length (after the short day requirement is fulfilled the rate of diapause termination is related to daylength).Differences and similarities in phenological adaptations and in photoperiodic responses of C. downesi, C. carnea, and C. harrisii reflect the degree of phylogenetic relationship between these closely related species.     

Genetic Heterozygosity in Unreplicated Bacteriophage λ Recombinants

Bacteriophage crosses using density-labeled parents have been carried out under conditions restricting DNA synthesis. The parental material and genetic contributions to progeny manifesting recombination within a genetic interval sufficiently short to exhibit high negative interference have been examined. The unreplicated products of recombination isolated as phage particles appear to contain long continuous heteroduplex regions which are heterozygous for the closely linked markers. Recombination between closely linked markers seems to be the consequence of the removal of base-pair mismatches that are present within the heteroduplex regions. This localized reduction of heterozygosity within the heteroduplex regions that join the parental components of recombinant DNA molecules can account for high negative interference.     

Chemical Communication in Necturus maculosus and his Cave-Living Relative Proteus anguinus (Proteidae,Urodela)

The chemical communication of the epigean Necturus maculosus and the cave-living Proteus anguinus are compared in laboratory conditions. In both species a specks-specific substance transferred by water could be shown, another was deposited on the substrate.