Biochemical changes in the corpus luteum of intrauterine device fitted goats

Parous goats were sham operated (6 goats), bilaterally fitted with IUDs (7 goats), or unilaterally fitted with an IUD isilateral (6 goats) or contralateral (5 goats) to the corpus luteum (CL). Autopsy was on Day 3 or Day 5 of the second or third estrus. The cycle length of IUD-fitted goats was shorter than in controls (6.2 days vs. 16.7 days, p less than .05). Mean CL weight in the contralateral group, 164.8 mg, exceeded mean weight of the ipsilateral group, 92.4 mg (P less than .01). The concentration of total cholesterol was higher in the ipsilateral group than in the contralateral group (3.16 vs. 2.12 mg/gm CL, p less than .01). The protein concentration in CL from the control, unilateral and bilateral groups was 14.4, 12.2, and 23.9 mg, respectively, p less than .05. The content and concentration of progesterone, and total and free cholesterol was higher in sham operated controls than in IUD-fitted goats (not significant). Protein, RNA, and DNA increased considerably in IUD-fitted goats (not significant), indicating a derangement of a luteotrophic rather than luteomorphic mechanism in CL from IUD-fitted goats.     

Ecology of a pastoral caste: Gavli Dhangars of peninsular India

The Gavlis are a pastoral caste of the forested hill tracts of India 's Western Ghats region. This paper examines their shift under British colonial rule from buffalo-keepers to goatherds to cultivators of increasingly marginal hill tracts, the context of forest exploitation and malaria control as well as more recent dairy development programs of the Indian government. It concludes that if present trends continue Gavlis everywhere will follow the same progression, eventually becoming landless migrants.     

Genetic Interactions between Neurofibromin and Endothelin Receptor B in Mice

When mutations in two different genes produce the same mutant phenotype, it suggests that the encoded proteins either interact with each other, or act in parallel to fulfill a similar purpose. Haploinsufficiency of Neurofibromin and over-expression of Endothelin 3 both cause increased numbers of melanocytes to populate the dermis during mouse development, and thus we are interested in how these two signaling pathways might intersect. Neurofibromin is mutated in the human genetic disease, neurofibromatosis type 1, which is characterized by the development of Schwann cell based tumors and skin hyper-pigmentation. Neurofibromin is a GTPase activating protein, while the Endothelin 3 ligand activates Endothelin receptor B, a G protein coupled receptor. In order to study the genetic interactions between endothelin and neurofibromin, we defined the deletion breakpoints of the classical Ednrb piebald lethal allele (Ednrb^s-l) and crossed these mice to mice with a loss-of-function mutation in neurofibromin, Dark skin 9 (Dsk9). We found that Neurofibromin haploinsufficiency requires Endothelin receptor B to darken the tail dermis. In contrast, Neurofibromin haploinsufficiency increases the area of the coat that is pigmented in Endothelin receptor B null mice. We also found an oncogenic mutation in the G protein alpha subunit, GNAQ, which couples to Endothelin receptor B, in a uveal melanoma from a patient with neurofibromatosis type 1. Thus, this data suggests that there is a complex relationship between Neurofibromin and Endothelin receptor B.     

Increase in efficiency of media utilization for recombinant protein production in Chinese hamster ovary culture through dilution

Animal cells are extensively used for the large-scale production of recombinant proteins. Processes and genetically engineered cell lines have been developed to enhance longevity of the culture and increase protein productivity. In this study, we tested the effect of diluting a culture of Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells with phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) on cell growth and efficiency of media utilization. An immunoglobulin G-expressing CHO cell line was cultured in CD CHO media followed by dilution of the culture with PBS after the end of the exponential phase. A 28% and 61% increase in protein yield per milliliter of media was observed in the diluted culture in the batch and fed-batch mode with glucose and protein hydrolysate feeding, respectively. To aid in analyzing the potential causes of this observed increase, an unstructured mathematical model was constructed using previously reported kinetics to simulate cell growth, nutrient utilization, and protein production. The model predicts an increase in recombinant protein yield per milliliter of media in PBS diluted cultures under both batch and fed-batch conditions, and suggests that this observed increase could at least partly be due to a decrease in inhibitor concentration in the diluted culture.     

Fatty acids in callus cultures: Stage of reversal in the proportion of unsaturated to saturated acids and of change in major components

The lipids of the cotyledon of Cucumis melo contain a large proportion of unsaturated fatty acids with linoleic acid as the major component, whereas those of cotyledon callus show a marked reduction in linoleic acid, an increase in linolenic acid and a predominance of palmitic acid which results in an increase in total saturated acids. The fatty acid compositions of total lipids in the cotyledons at different stages of seedling development, excised cotyledon tissue at different stages of callus initiation and in isolated callus show that the observed changes manifested in the established callus occur in the newly formed meristimatic cells as a result of the action of growth substances used for callus initiation.