Effects of Chicken-excrement Amendments on Meloidogyne arenaria

The effects of chicken litter on Meloidogyne arenaria in tomato plants cv. Rutgers were determined in the greenhouse. Tomato seedlings were transplanted into a sandy soil amended with five rates of chicken litter and inoculated with 2,000 M. arenaria eggs. After 10 days, total numbers of nematodes in the roots decreased with increasing rates of chicken litter. After 46 days, egg numbers also decreased with increasing litter rates. In another experiment, soil was amended with two litter types, N-P-K fertilizer, and the two primary constituents of chicken litter (manure and pine-shaving bedding). After 10 days, numbers of nematodes in roots were smaller in chicken-excrement treatments as compared to nonexcrement treatments. At 46 days, there were fewer nematode eggs in chicken-excrement treatments compared to nonexcrement treatments. Egg numbers also were smaller for fertilizer and pine-shaving amendments as compared to nonamended controls. Chicken litter and manure amendments suppressed plant growth by 10 days after inoculation but enhanced root weights at 46 days after inoculation. Amendment of soil with chicken litter suppressed M. arenaria and may provide practical control of root-knot nematodes as part of an integrated management system.     

Recombination of a 3-chlorobenzoate catabolic plasmid from Alcaligenes eutrophus NH9 mediated by direct repeat elements.

Alcaligenes eutrophus NH9 was isolated from soil. This strain can utilize 3-chlorobenzoate (3-CB) as a sole source of carbon and energy. Most of the 3-CB-negative segregants had lost one of the plasmids present in the parent strain. The genes for catabolism of 3-CB were located within a 9.2-kb SacI fragment of this plasmid (pENH91). The genes were found to hybridize with genes for components of the modified ortho cleavage pathway from Pseudomonas putida. In one of the 3-CB-negative segregants, the plasmid had undergone the deletion of a segment with a size of about 12.5 kb that covered the catabolic genes. The deletion event seemed to be the result of reciprocal recombination between two highly homologous sequences with sizes of 2.5 kb that were present as a direct repeat at the two ends of the region that included the catabolic genes. Nucleotide sequence analysis of homologous fragments revealed a structure that resembled an insertion sequence and relatedness to IS21. During repeated subculturing of NH9 on liquid media with 3-CB, the culture was taken over by a derivative strain (designated NH9A) in which the degradative plasmid carried a duplicate copy of the 12.5-kb region that contained the catabolic genes. The duplication of these genes seemed again to have been mediated by recombination between the direct repeat sequences.     

GABA concentrations in the striatum following repetitive cerebral ischemia

GABAergic neurons in the striatum are very sensitive to the effects of ischemia. The progressive decline in striatal GABA following transient forebrain ischemia in gerbils may be secondary to either a decreased production or an increase in reuptake mechanisms or both. The current experiment was designed to evaluate release of GABA by stimulation with K+ or inhibition of its uptake with nipecotic acid or their combination (K+ nipecotic) after repetitive forebrain ischemia in gerbils by in-vivo microdialysis on Days 1, 3, 5, and 14 following the insult. Infusion of nipecotic acid or potassium chloride, resulted in a significant increase in extracellular GABA. This response was significantly decreased in the post-ischemic animals. The synergistic effect of increased GABA concentrations by the infusion of nipecotic acid+potassium chloride seen in the controls was not evident in the post-ischemic animals. In conclusion, though there is a reduction in the extracellular GABA concentrations in the first week following an ischemic insult, restorative mechanisms are operative in the second week as seen by the increasing GABA concentrations.     

Resolution of 4-chlorobenzoate dehalogenase from Pseudomonas sp. strain CBS3 into three components.

Extracts of Pseudomonas sp. strain CBS3 grown with 4-chlorobenzoate as sole carbon source contained an enzyme that converted 4-chlorobenzoate to 4-hydroxybenzoate. This enzyme was shown to consist of three components, all necessary for the reaction. Component I, which had a molecular weight of about 3,000, was highly unstable. Components II and III were stable proteins with molecular weights of about 86,000 and 92,000.     

Simple in vivo bioassay without radioisotopes for recombinant human erythropoietins.

A simple in vivo bioassay suitable for routine testing of quality control of recombinant human erythropoietin (rHuEPO) analogues was developed. The assay took four days, normal mice were used and radioactive compounds were not needed. EPO activity was measured by the increased number of some part of reticulocytes which increased specifically and dose-dependently by the injection of rHuEPO. They were considered to be mostly immature reticulocytes and were counted as the residual particles from blood cells after treatment with a hemolysing reagent. These particles could be counted by conventional automated microcell counters. The assay procedure was simple and easy. The sensitivity, reliability and reproducibility of this method were acceptable for routine in vivo bioassay of rHuEPOs. This method was economical, and can be used instead of the existing bioassays for rHuEPOs.     

Molecular and Phenotypic Variation of the Zw Locus Region in Drosophila Melanogaster

Restriction map polymorphism in a 13-kb region of the Zw locus in Drosophila melanogaster was investigated for 64 X chromosome lines with seven 6-cutter and ten 4-cutter restriction enzymes. A total of 203 restriction sites were scored, of which 20 were found to be polymorphic. The estimated nucleotide variation for this region for overall data (pi = 0.003 and 0.001, and theta = 0.003 and 0.002, for 4-cutter and 6-cutter studies, respectively) was smaller than that reported for most regions studied in D. melanogaster. It was found that the Slow allozyme has a larger nucleotide variation and haplotype diversity than the Fast allozyme. Results suggest the relatively recent divergence of the Fast allozyme from the Slow allozyme. Glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) activity was measured as a phenotype of the Zw locus. A significant difference in G6PD activity between allozymes was detected. The between-line effect was highly significant within the Slow allozyme, but was not significant within the Fast allozyme. Although a direct causative link could not be established, these results suggest an association between the amounts of quantitative and molecular genetic variation at the Zw locus region.     

Origins of laboratory mice deduced from restriction patterns of mitochondrial DNA

To determine the origins of laboratory mice, the restriction patterns of mitochondrial DNAs (mtDNAs) from various strains were compared with those of relevant subspecies and/or races of Mus musculus. In most strains and substrains of laboratory mice examined (50/55), the cleavage patterns were identical to those of the European subspecies M. m. domesticus. Those that varied include two sublines of NZB, the strain NZC, and the Japanese strain RR. The NZB and NZC patterns were identical to that of the European subspecies M. m. brevirostris, which itself has restriction patterns similar to M. m. domesticus. On the other hand, the RR pattern was identical to M. m. molossinus-like mice trapped in Western China and slightly different from Japanese M. m. molossinus. These findings suggest that the strains NZB and NZC stemmed from a European founder stock which differed from the ancestral stocks of other laboratory strains and that the ancestral mice of the RR strain had been transported from China to Japan. Therefore, most laboratory strains of mice are derived from the European subspecies M. m. domesticus while M. m. brevirostris and M. m. molossinus have made minor contributions. M. m. musculus does not appear to have made any contribution.     

Postrhinoplasty "red nose": differential diagnosis and treatment by laser

Prior to anticipated nasal surgery, the nasal and facial skin should be examined for any vascular lesions. The skin type should be ascertained. A history of any prior nasal surgery, particularly on the nasal dorsum, should be noted. If rosacea is a clinical possibility, a trial of 1.5 to 2.0 gm q.d. of tetracycline for 6 to 8 weeks is warranted. If, after rhinoplasty, a diffuse "redness" on the nasal dorsum results and one can exclude other diagnoses, then argon laser therapy should be considered. A 3-mm punch biopsy should be obtained to see whether superficial ectatic vessels are present, a finding that would be indicative of a good result from laser therapy.