Adoptive transfer of the entire gld (generalized lymphoproliferative disease) syndrome in nude beige mice by a single gld thymocyte graft.

C57BL/6 nude beige mice (B6 nubq; no T cell, no NK activity) were used as recipients for the adoptive transfer of thymocytes from B6 gld mice (generalized lymphoproliferative disease) which are a model of systemic lupus erythematous. The [gld----nubg] chimeras showed several similarities with gld control mice including the T cell disorders (lymphoproliferation and Con A-response deficiency of splenocytes) and B cell disorders (hyperglobulinemia and elevated anti-single-stranded DNA antibody titers). This suggests that the gld lymphoproliferative disorder has a thymic origin (and does not result from an abnormally extrathymic T cell development) and that the gld T cells have an essential role for the emergence of the disorders of both the T and B cells.     

The impact of tick parasites on the behaviour of the lizard Tiliqua rugosa

Populations of the Australian sleepy lizard, Tiliqua rugosa, near Mt. Mary, South Australia carry natural infestations of two tick species Aponomma hydrosauri and Amblyomma limbatum. In field experiments at two sites, 18 km apart, lizards with experimentally increased tick loads had smaller home ranges, moved shorter distances in a day, and were found basking more but moving less often than lizards from which ticks were experimentally removed. The results were consistent for adult lizards in two years, and for sub-adults in a third year. Laboratory trials showed that juvenile lizards that had tick infestations had lower sprint speeds than uninfested siblings, and that adults with tick infestations had less endurance than those that were uninfested. The results contrast with those of a previous survey that showed that lizards with high tick loads had greater body size and remained longer at a site, but indicate that there may be a balance, for lizards, between the fitness advantages in occupying habitats with high-quality resources, and the costs from parasites that also prefer those habitats. Received: 02 March 1999 / Accepted: 07 October 1999     

Interaction of phytotropins with the NPA receptor

The chemical and stereochemical properties of phytotropins are described in terms of a receptor model, based on their ability to bind to a receptor isolated from maize coleoptiles. Their root gravitropic properties are correlated with their ability to bind to the receptor. It is suggested that their ability to inhibit auxin transport, without more, may not be enough to explain their physiological effects.     

Aggression persists after ovariectomy in female rats

Aggression occurs not only in males but also in females, however, under different sex-specific stimulus and endocrine conditions. After being housed with males, female rats exhibit frequent and intense aggressive behavior toward unfamiliar rats. However, the female residents primarily attack female intruder rats, while the male residents attack males and not females. Altering the hormonal condition of the intruders can modify the behavior that they provoke from the residents. Castration of the male intruders reduces aggression from male residents, but ovariectomy of the female intruders does not alter the behavior of the female residents. Treatment of the gonadectomized intruders with gonadal steroids significantly alters the response of the male residents. Resident-intruder aggressive behavior depends on the presence of the testes in the male residents but not on the ovaries or on lactation in the female residents. Even 7 weeks after ovariectomy the female residents continue to show aggressive behavior toward female intruders. In the same time period the castrated male residents show a marked decrease in aggressive and sexual behavior.     

Hymenolepis diminuta: Worm loss and worm weight loss in long-term infections of the rat

Infections of one and two Hymenolepis diminuta established in newly weaned rats continued to grow for the duration of the experiment (238 days), whereas infections of 5 worms per rat became asymptotic around Day 55 postinfection and remained at or below this level thereafter as shown by biomass and mean weight per worm measurements. Infections of 50 worms established in newly weaned rats became asymptotic around Day 28 postinfection and thereafter worms were lost from the rats. Initially the biomass fell with the loss of worms, but by Day 56 a new lower biomass persisted for the remainder of the infection period. This level was maintained, despite diminishing numbers of worms, due to the growth of surviving individuals to a weight exceeding the original weight at maturity by a factor of more than 2. Experiments using rats that were mature at the time of infection demonstrated that the same response occurred, but approximately 3 weeks earlier.     

An improved purification method for cytosolic malate dehydrogenase from several sources

A new purification method for cytosolic malate dehydrogenases from several sources has been developed. The procedure, employing chromatographies on 5'AMP-Sepharose, DEAE-Sephacel and Blue-Sepharose, allows for a rapid isolation of the enzyme (approximately 40 hours), in large quantities, with good yields (45-54%). The specific activity of final preparations were around 1300 I.U./mg and were judged homogeneous by polyacrylamide gradient gel and sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, high performance size exclusion chromatography and isoelectric focusing.     

K+(Rb+) and Ca2+ fluxes in young winter wheat plants exposed to sub-zero temperatures

Ice crystal formation temperature was determined in the region of the crown in one group of 7-day-old intact unhardened high-salt plants of winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L. cv. Weibulls Starke II) with TA (Thermal Analysis) and DTA (Differential Thermal Analysis) methods. After exposure of another group of plants, grown for the first 7 days in the same way as the first group, to various sub-zero temperatures (-1 to 5°C), influx in roots of Rb⁺(⁸⁶Rb⁺) and Ca²⁺(⁴⁵Ca²⁺) and contents of K⁺ and Ca²⁺ were determined at intervals during 7 days of recovery. Ice crystal formation in the crown tissue was probably extracellular and took place at about -4°C. There was a large loss of K⁺ from the roots after treatment at sub-zero temperatures. This loss increased as the temperature of the sub-zero treatment decreased. During recovery, roots of plants exposed to -1, -2 and -3°C gradually reabsorbed K⁺. Reabsorption of K⁺ in roots of plants exposed to -4°C was greatly impaired. Rb⁺ influx decreased and Ca²⁺ influx increased after sub-zero temperature treatments of the plants. Active Rb⁺ influx mechanisms and active extrusion of Ca²⁺ were impaired or irreversibly damaged by the exposure. While Rb⁺ influx mechanisms were apparently repaired during recovery in plants exposed to temperatures down to -3°C, Ca²⁺ extrusion mechanisms were not. The temperature for ice crystal formation in the region of the crown tissue coincides with the temperature at which the plants lost the ability to reabsorb K⁺ and to repair Rb⁺ influx mechanisms during the recovery period. Plants were lethally damaged at temperatures below ?4°C.