The Salmonella typhimurium/mammalian microsomal assay. A report of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Gene-Tox Program

The Salmonella assay has been in use for almost 15 years and can be defined as a routine test for mutagenicity and for predicting potential carcinogenicity. It detects the majority of animal carcinogens and consequently plays an important role in safety assessment. The test is also routinely used as the frontline screen for environmental samples (complex mixtures) isolated from air, water and food. This role will continue to remain an area of growth as or because sample volumes associated with these testing areas are generally very limited and more extensive testing is generally impossible. While this test, like all others, has some limitations, it is recommended that it be regularly included in all genetic testing batteries.     

Inhibition of Ornithine Decarboxylase and Growth of the Fungus Helminthosporium maydis

α-dl-Difluoromethylornithine (DFMO), a specific enzyme-activated inhibitor of ornithine decarboxylase, at 0.5 to 2.0 millimolar significantly inhibited mycelial growth and especially sporulation of Helminthosporium maydis in the dark; its inhibitory effect on sporulation was greatly increased under light conditions. Putrescine at 0.25 millimolar fully prevented the inhibitory effects of DFMO; the inhibition caused by the latter could not be prevented by cadaverine or CaCl₂. α-dl-Difluoromethylarginine, a specific enzyme-activated inhibitor of arginine decarboxylase, at 0.1 to 2.0 millimolar had a weak inhibitory effect on the fungus. The effect was not dependent on the inhibitor concentration and there was no detectable arginine decarboxylase activity in the fungus.     

Chromatographic and biologic analysis of ME and OVLT LHRH

The luteinizing hormone (LH)-releasing activities a pooled rat organum vasculosum lamina terminalis (OVLT) and median eminence (ME) tissues were evaluated for chromatographic and biologic similarity and compared to those of synthetic decapeptide LH-releasing hormone (LHRH). The LHRH detected in these extracts appeared similar chromatographically (Sephadex G-25) to synthetic LHRH. These extracts, as well as synthetic LHRH, were also capable of stimulating dose dependent gonadotropin release form cultures rat gonadotrophs. These findings suggest a physiological role of the LHRH present in the rat OVLT in the control of gonadotropin secretion.     

Effect of central injection of bradykinin and bradykinin potentiating factor upon release of anterior pituitary hormones in ovariectomized female rats

The effects of third ventricular (IVT) injection of 25 μg of bradykinin (BK) upon plasma levels of LH, FSH, TSH, GH and prolactin were investigated in conscious ovariectomized female rats bearing indwelling jugular cannulae. Some animals were pretreated with bradykinin potentiating factor (BPF). Intravenous administration of BK had no effect upon hormone levels. IVT injection of BK significantly depressed plasma prolactin levels at 15 and 30 min post-drug, with levels returning to control values by 60 min. Pretreatment of animals with BPF (75 μg/3 μl) prolonged the prolactin suppression induced by BK for up to two hours. Plasma LH, FSH, TSH and GH levels in BK-rats were not significantly different from those of saline-injected animals at any time point measured. Neither BPF alone nor in conjunction with BK had any effects upon plasma levels of TSH; however, BK plus BPF suppressed FSH concentrations at 75 min post-BPF, while BPF alone appeared to increase GH levels at 45 min. In vitro incubation of hemipituitaries with 0.083, 0.83 or 8.33 μg/ml BK had no effect upon the release of LH, TSH or prolactin compared to control values. However, the secretion of GH and FSH was suppressed by the lowest dose of BK tested. These results suggest that BK may play a physiological inhibitory role in the regulation of prolactin, which can be augmented by preventing its degradation, i.e. via BPF. The effect of the peptide seems to be mediated by the CNS since neither intravenous injection of BK nor in vitro incubation of pituitaries with the peptide modified prolactin release.     

In vitro stimulation of prolactin release by vasoactive intestinal peptide

The effect of vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) on anterior pituitary hormone release was examined in a variety of in vitro preparations. Synthetic VIP was capable of stimulating increased prolactin (PRL) release from male rat hemipituitaries in doses as low as 10⁻⁹ M only when the enzyme inhibitor bacitracin was present in the incubation medium. Natural porcine VIP was similarly capable of stimulating PRL release, but only at higher doses (10⁻⁶ M). Additionally, synthetic VIP was capable of stimulating PRL release from dispersed anterior pituitary cells harvested from adult male and lactating female rats and from an enriched population of lactotrophs obtained by unit gravity sedimentation of similar dispersed cells from infantile female rats. No effect of VIP on luteinizing hormone, growth hormone or thyroid stimulating hormone release was seen. These findings taken in concert with the presence of VIP in the hypothalamus, pituitary and hypophyseal portal plasma of the rat suggest a physiological role for VIP in the control of PRL secretion.     

Plasmid-mediated UV-protection in Myxococcus xanthus

Summary Plasmid R46 was successfully transferred from Escherichia coli K-12 into Myxococcus xanthus strain MD-1 but not into M. xanthus strain XK. Plasmid R68.45 was transferred from E. coli K-12 into both strains of M. xanthus. The effects of these plasmids on survival of M. xanthus after ultraviolet (UV)-254 nm irradiation, the ability of M. xanthus to reactivate irradiated myxophages, and Weigle reactivation of UV-irradiated myxophages by M. xanthus were studied. Plasmid R46 had no effect on UV survival of M. xanthus, but increased the host's ability to reactivate irradiated myxophages. Plasmid R68.45 protected M. xanthus strains MD-1 and XK against the lethal effects of UV irradiation and also increased the host's ability to reactivate irradiated myxophages.     

The putative sigma factor KatF has a central role in development of starvation-mediated general resistance in Escherichia coli.

KatF is required for the expression of some 32 carbon starvation proteins in Escherichia coli including 6 previously identified as Pex. Mutants with the katF gene survive carbon and nitrogen starvation poorly. Many of the KatF-regulated starvation proteins are common to those induced by other stresses, and the mutant failed to develop starvation-mediated cross protection to osmotic, oxidative, and heat stresses. Furthermore, thermal resistance was not induced in the mutant by heat preadaptation, and it exhibited an altered pattern of protein synthesis at elevated temperature. Thus, KatF is a major switch that controls the starvation-mediated resistant state in E. coli.     

Intrahypothalamic action of corticotrophin-releasing factor (CRF) to inhibit growth hormone and LH release in the rat

The effects of intravenous or intraventricular injection of synthetic ovine corticotrophin-releasing factor (oCRF) on plasma levels of anterior pituitary hormones were studied in conscious, ovariectomized (OVX) female rats and compared with the actions of the peptide on dispersed anterior pituitary cells from OVX female rats incubated in the presence of CRF. Third ventricular injection of oCRF in freely moving rats caused a significant increase in plasma levels of ACTH in a dose-related manner with a minimal effective dose of less than 0.5 micrograms (0.1 nmol). The effect was observable at 5 min after injection and persisted for the 60 min duration of the experiment. In contrast, growth hormone levels were significantly depressed within 15 min with a minimal effective intraventricular dose of 0.5 micrograms. The suppression persisted for the duration of the experiment but there was no additional effect of the higher dose of 5 micrograms. Plasma LH levels were also lowered by the highest dose of 5 micrograms (1.0 nmol) of oCRF, with the first significant lowering at 30 min. Lower doses had no effect on plasma LH. Plasma TSH levels were not significantly altered. Control injections of the 0.9% NaCl diluent were without effect on the levels of any of the hormones. Intravenous injection of similar doses of oCRF had no effect on plasma levels of GH or LH. The ACTH-releasing action of the oCRF preparation was confirmed by in vitro incubation of the peptide with dispersed anterior pituitary cells for 2 h. A dose-related release of ACTH occurred in doses ranging from 0.1-10 nM, but there were no effects on the release of the other anterior pituitary hormones. The results suggest that oCRF may act within the hypothalamus to suppress the release of GH and to a lesser extent LH. The stimulation of ACTH release following intraventricular CRF is presumably related to its uptake by portal blood vessels with delivery to the pituitary and stimulation of the corticotrophs.     

Population size and status of the southern elephant seal (Mirounga leonina) at South Georgia, 1951–1985

Summary The elephant seal population of South Georgia was surveyed comprehensively during the 1985 breeding season. 87711 females and 10260 adult males were counted. The counts were corrected using a model of the haul-out distribution to adjust for date of count. Annual pup production was estimated to be about 102000. Counts made at various beaches on South Georgia between 1951 and 1964 were examined to compare pup production then with present data. Although the population has fluctuated substantially, the 1985 population estimate was very similar to the estimate based on an incomplete survey in 1951. This contrasts with the Indian Ocean and Macquarie Island populations of this species which recent surveys show to be declining.