Morphometric characteristics of hepatocyte mitochondria during internal administration of boron-containing water

The changes of hepatic mitochondrial cells were studied in white male rats during internal application of boron-containing waters, having 250 mg/l concentration of boron, but different ionic-salt basis. Mitochondrial hepatocytes and hepatic boron content relationships were established. It was shown that during boron accumulation in liver (15 applications) decreasing of mitochondrial size occurred, independently, of the type of boron-containing waters. During stable boron level and particularly during its excretion from organism (24 applications, 6 days aftereffect), increase of size of mitochondria and their ellipticity, change of configuration, that depend on the type of applied waters was shown.     

Structure of the Escherichia coli 0104 polysaccharide and its identity with the capsular K9 polysaccharide

Spontaneous mutants of Rhizobium leguminosarum biovar viciae strain C1204b were selected for their ability to tolerate 0.2 M NaCl, a growth-inhibiting level of salt for the parental strain. Transposon-mediated salt-sensitive mutants of strain C1204b were screened for their inability to grow in 0.08 M NaCl. Quantitation of the free-amino acid pools in the mutants grown in NaCl revealed a dramatic increase in glutamine, serine, glutamate and proline, and to a lesser extent alanine and glycine in the salt-tolerant mutants in comparison with the parental strain exposed to NaCl; but only glutamate and proline increased in the salt-sensitive mutants under NaCl stress. Extracellular polysaccharide levels were quantitated for the salt-tolerant mutants and determined to be approximately two-fold higher than for the parental strain. Although the mutations that occurred in the NaCl-tolerant and NaCl-sensitive strains did not interfere with nodule formation, no nitrogenase activity could be observed in the NaCl tolerant mutants as evaluated by acetylene reduction.     

Fatty acyl moieties: improving Pro-rich peptide uptake inside HeLa cells.

In the field of drug delivery there has been a continuous study of powerful delivery systems to aid non permeable drugs in reaching their intracellular target. Among the systems explored are cell penetrating peptides (CPPs), which first garnered interest a decade ago when the interesting translocation properties of the pioneer CPPs Tat and Antp were described. A new family of CPPs has recently been described as non cytotoxic Pro-rich vectors with favorable profiles for internalization in HeLa cells. Fatty acyl moieties that can tune a peptide's interaction with the lipophilic environment of a cell membrane have been incorporated into the Pro-rich sequence. Improvements in cellular uptake of peptides modified with fatty acyl groups, as studied by confocal microscopy and flow cytometry, as well as the results obtained by the interaction of these peptides with a model dioleoylphosphatidylcholine (DOPC) membrane and transmission electron microscopy (TEM), illustrate the importance of the fatty acyl moieties for efficient internalization.     

Spatial organization of detector neurons in the caudo-medial part of the frog tectum opticum

Investigation of the spatial organization of detector neurons of the frog tectum opticum showed that these neurons are mainly in the nuclear layers. When responding to a photic stimulus they form a mosaic of groups of synergically excited cells separated by inhibited or nonresponding neurons. Inhibited neurons are much more numerous than excited. Different photic stimuli (shaped or diffuse) evoke the appearance of mosaics of different structure; mosaics connected with different forms of detection are to a considerable degree stratified.Rostov State University. Research Institute of Neurocybernetics, Rostov-on-Don. Translated from Neirofiziologiya, Vol. 5, No. 5, pp. 468–475, September–October, 1973.     

Spectral specific responses in the visual behavior of the greenhouse whitefly,Trialeurodes vaporariorum (Homoptera: Aleyrodidae)

Attraction of the greenhouse whiteflyTrialeurodes vaporariorum Westw. to reflected and to transmitted light of various wavelength compositions was measured by trapping and counting adults on greased, colored surfaces. The wavelength composition of the reflecting or transmitting surfaces was spectrophotometrically determined.The whiteflies showed a strongly positive response to surfaces with maximum reflectance or transmittance in the yellow-green region (520–610 nm), and a moderately positive response to ultra-violet (<400 nm). Light in the blue-violet region seemed to inhibit the response, and red (610 to ca. 700 nm) might also be moderately inhibitory.The response to the most excitatory hues sharply decreases with darker shades or with less saturated tints of the same hues.The implications of these responses in the mechanisms of host selection by the greenhouse whitefly are discussed.

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Zusammenfassung Die Attraktion der Weißen Fliege zu remittiertem und transmittiertem Licht verschiedener Wellenlängen-Kombinationen (spektrometrisch bestimmt) wurde gemessen durch Fang und Auszählen von angeflogenen Adulten an geleimten, farbigen Oberflächen. Die Weißen Fliegen zeigten eine starke positive Reaktion zu Oberflächen mit maximaler Remission oder Transmission im Gelg-Grün-Bereich (520–610 nm) und eine mäßige positive Reaktion zu UV (<400 nm). Licht im Blau-Violett-Bereich scheint die Reaktion zu hemmen und Rot (610 bis etwa 700 nm) scheint ebenfalls hemmend zu sein.Die Reaktion zu den Farbtönen mit höchster Wirksamkeit nimmt stark ab bei geringerer Intensität (Schwarzverhüllung) oder geringerer Sättigung (Weissverhüllung) der Farbtöne.Die Bedeutung dieser Reaktionen für den Mechanismus der Wirtswahl der Weißen Fliege wird diskutiert.

     

Novel Rickettsiella Bacterium in the Leafhopper Orosius albicinctus (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae)

Bacteria in the genus Rickettsiella (Coxiellaceae), which are mainly known as arthropod pathogens, are emerging as excellent models to study transitions between mutualism and pathogenicity. The current report characterizes a novel Rickettsiella found in the leafhopper Orosius albicinctus (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae), a major vector of phytoplasma diseases in Europe and Asia. Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) and pyrosequencing were used to survey the main symbionts of O. albicinctus, revealing the obligate symbionts Sulcia and Nasuia, and the facultative symbionts Arsenophonus and Wolbachia, in addition to Rickettsiella. The leafhopper Rickettsiella is allied with bacteria found in ticks. Screening O. albicinctus from the field showed that Rickettsiella is highly prevalent, with over 60% of individuals infected. A stable Rickettsiella infection was maintained in a leafhopper laboratory colony for at least 10 generations, and fluorescence microscopy localized bacteria to accessory glands of the female reproductive tract, suggesting that the bacterium is vertically transmitted. Future studies will be needed to examine how Rickettsiella affects host fitess and its ability to vector phytopathogens.     

Climate and prevalence of atopic eczema in 6- to 7-year-old school children in Spain. ISAAC PhASE III

Atopic eczema (AE) is a chronic skin disease. Recent reports indicate that the worldwide prevalence of AE is increasing and that various environmental factors are implicated in its aetiology. Climatic conditions have been related with AE prevalence, and Spain has varying climatic conditions. The aim of this study is to document the possible climatic influence on the prevalence of AE in schoolchildren aged 6–7 years in three different climatic regions in Spain. We conducted a cross-sectional population-based survey of 28,394 schoolchildren aged 6–7 years from 10 Spanish centres in three different climatic regions. The mean participation rate was 76.5%. AE prevalence was assessed using the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC) questionnaire and the Spanish Academy of Dermatology criteria used in Spain to diagnose AE. The data, including annual temperature, precipitation, relative humidity and the annual number of sunny hours per climatic region, were obtained from the Spanish National Institute of Meteorology. Different AE prevalences were found in all three climatic regions studied: Atlantic, 32.9; Mediterranean 28.3; and Continental 31.2 per 100 children studied (p < 0.005). AE was positively associated with precipitation and humidity, and was negatively associated with temperature and the number of sunny hours. The results show that AE is significantly dependent on meteorological conditions.