Tunicamycin-resistant mutants of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens are deficient in amylase, protease and penicillinase synthesis and have altered sensitivity to antibiotics and autolysis

Mutants of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens resistant to at least 10 micrograms/ml of tunicamycin were isolated and shown to be pleiotropic. The mutants were more resistant to streptomycin, chloramphenicol, kanamycin and neomycin than was the parent strain but less resistant to penicillin G and tetracycline. They were more autolytic, presumably due to an altered cell wall. The mutants produced reduced levels of amylase, penicillinase and both metal and serine protease besides having an enhanced sporulation frequency and being more motile.     

Inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate is not effective in releasing calcium from skeletal sarcoplasmic reticulum microsomes

Regulation of many cell systems has been shown to be mediated by Inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate which causes a release of calcium from intracellular sites. We have shown that release of Ca2+ from sarcoplasmic reticulum microsomes was not stimulated by IP3. The phorbol ester, TPA, also had no effect on Ca2+ release or Ca2+ ATPase activity. Thus, it is unlikely that the breakdown of polyphosphatidylinositides serves as a second messenger to mediate release of Ca2+ in skeletal muscle.     

Neurospecific proteins in human malignant brain tumors

The content of neurospecific proteins S-100, GFA and D2 was measured in malignant cerebral tumors by electrophoresis with the use of monospecific antisera. Concomitant measurement of proteins S-100 and GFA is a more reliable diagnostic criterion as to the tumor histogenesis than study of each protein alone. D2 protein appeared to be the most stable specific marker.     

Decreased expression of J11d antigen during monocytic differentiation of M1 myeloid leukemic cells.

Four myeloid cell lines (M1, WEHI-3B D+, FDC-P1, and 32D) were screened for the presence of J11d antigen. One of these cell lines, the myeloid leukemia M1, was found to express a high level of J11d antigen on the cell surface. Recombinant mouse leukemic inhibitory factor (rm-LIF), recombinant human LIF (rh-LIF), and steroids (hydrocortisone and dexamethasone) could induce M1 cells to undergo monocytic differentiation. The level of J11d antigen was greatly reduced after treatment of the cells with LIF or steroids. Western blotting revealed that the apparent molecular weight of the J11d antigen on M1 cells was 45-48 kDa. Furthermore, the level of J11d mRNA was also reduced during LIF-induced differentiation of M1 cells.     

Effect of sublethal concentrationsof mercury, cadmium, and copper salts on the lysozyme content in fryof the lena river sturgeon acipenser baeri

The paper presents data on a change in lysozyme content in tissues of spleen, liver and heart in fry of the Lena River sturgeon exposed to the presence of sublethal concentrations of Hg2⁺, Cd²⁺, and Cu²⁺ under conditions of chronic experiment. It has been shown that the lysozyme content in fish tissues varies and has a phasic character. The amplitude of fluctuations of this parameter depends on the moment of sampling, nature of the toxicant, and structural-functional organization of the studied organs.     

Vertical distribution of zooplankton in the frontal zone of the Gulf Stream and Labrador Current

Zooplankton data collected during September 1995 in the NorthWest Atlantic at 4139'N, 4958'W (the location of the siteof the ‘Titanic’ wreck) were analysed. The regioninvestigated was characterized by a very sharp frontal zonebetween the Gulf Stream and the main stream of the LabradorCurrent. The total plankton biomass in the water column wasvery high. The macroplankton biomass values below the 600 mlayer were significantly higher as compared with the similarvalues measured before in other productive boreal regions ofthe Atlantic and Pacific oceans. A lot of dead mesoplanktonanimals occurred in the deep layers. The reason was that thecold-water mesoplankton advected by the Labrador Current diedoff intensively within the deep layers of the frontal zone andwere used as a food resource by the macroplankton carnivoresand scavengers that were very abundant there.