Adaptive Mechanisms in the compound eye of Squilla mantis (Crustacea,Stomatopoda)

Summary Light and dark adaptations were studied in the eye of Squilla mantis. Light adaptation is characterized by (1) a proximal shift of the distal pigment sheath (DPS) surrounding the proximal portion of the crystalline cone above its zone of contact with the rhabdom; (2) flattening of the distal pigment sheath; (3) lengthening of the crystalline cone correlated with shortening of the rhabdom; (4) a migration of screening pigment granules in retinula cells in the protoplasmic bridges crossing the perirhabdomal space. In animals kept in constant darkness, longitudinal displacements of the distal pigment sheath were found to be subject to a circadian rhythm characterized by a maximal light adaptation state at about 5 p.m. and a minimal one at 5 a.m. Screening pigment granule translocation in retinula cells does not show such rhythmic activity.Abbreviations a, b maximal incidence angles in L.A., and D.A., respectively - Cc crystalline cone - Dps distal pigment sheath - I extreme incident light beam - Prs perirhabdomal space - Rh rhabdom - Rp reflecting pigment This research has been supported by grant 3.012-76 of the Swiss National Science Foundation     

NADP-dependent dehydrogenases in rat liver parenchyma

Summary The activities of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PDH), 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase (6PGDH), malic enzyme (ME) and isocitrate dehydrogenase (ICDH) were investigated with optimized histochemical methods (Rieder et al. 1978), and the activity of 3-hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase (3HBDH) and neutral fat content with conventional techniques in the liver of male rats under the following experimental dietary conditions: (A) Fasting for 0, 12 and 84 h; (B) 84-h fasting followed by refeeding with a low-fat, high-carbohydrate diet for 6 h and for 2, 3, 5, 7, 11 and 14 nights; (C) refeeding with standard diet for 5 nights; (D) low-fat, high-carbohydrate diet for 7 and 14 nights.The activities of G6PDH, 6PGDH and ME decreased slightly during fasting primarily in zone 1 and increased dramatically on refeeding with a low-fat, high-carbohydrate diet. This activity increase was confined mainly to zone 3 during the first 3 days and was accompanied by a deposition of neutral fats that began in zone 3 and progressed to zone 1. Neutral fat accumulation was maximal after 3 nights, with a uniform accumulation of large droplets in all the hepatocytes; this was followed by a release that started in zone 3 and proceeded in a periportal direction. On the other hand, G6PDH, 6PGDH and ME attained their maximum activities after 5 and 7 nights of the low-fat diet, the activities being nearly homogeneously distributed over the liver acinus in a few cases. Subsequently the activities fell mainly in zone 1, causing the activity patterns and levels to approach those of the animals in group (D). In contrast to this, the activity of ICDH increased during fasting principally in zone 1, so that the otherwise steep activity gradient in favor of zone 3 lessened. Refeeding led at first to a fall of activity below the initial value, but later the normal distribution pattern was restored. The activity of 3HBDH showed a behavior similar to that of ICDH. The findings are discussed with reference to the functional heterogeneity of the liver perenchyma, and the existence of a liponeogenic area in zone 3 is proposed.Essential parts of this study have been presented to the Medical Faculty of the University of Freiburg/Br. as an inaugural dissertationSupported by grants from the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (Sa 127/7) and SFB 46     

Studies on dissimilatory sulfate-reducing bacteria that decompose fatty acids

Three strains (2ac9, 3ac10 and 4ac11) of oval to rodshaped, Gram negative, nonsporing sulfate-reducing bacteria were isolated from brackish water and marine mud samples with acetate as sole electron donor. All three strains grew in simple defined media supplemented with biotin and 4-aminobenzoic acid as growth factors. Acetate was the only electron donor utilized by strain 2ac9, while the other two strains used in addition ethanol and/or lactate. Sulfate served as electron acceptor and was reduced to H₂S. Complete oxidation of acetate to CO₂ was shown by stoichiometric measurements with strain 2ac9 in batch cultures using sulfate, sulfite or thiosulfate as electron acceptors. With sulfate an average growth yield of 4.8 g cell dry weight was obtained per mol of acetate oxidized; with sulfite or thiosulfate the growth yield on acetate was about twice as high. None of the strains contained desulfoviridin. In strain 2ac9 cytochromes of the b- and c-type were detected. Strain 2ac9 is described as type strain of the new species and genus, Desulfobacter postgatei.     

A new anaerobic,sporing, acetate-oxidizing,sulfate-reducing bacterium,Desulfotomaculum (emend.) acetoxidans

Archives of Microbiology - A new strictly anaerobic, polarly flagellated, sporing, acetate-oxidizing, sulfate-reducing bacterium was isolated from anaerobic fresh or sea water mud samples. The...     

Preparation of asymmetric,cerebroside sulfate-containing phospholipid vesicles

A procedure is described which inserts asymmetrically cerebroside sulfate (‘sulfatide’) into the outer leaflet of bilayered phospholipid vesicles. Cerebroside sulfate is adsorbed onto a cellulose, filter-paper support and, when incubated with phosphatidylcholine vesicles is transferred to and inserted into the outer leaflet of these vesicles. This transfer occurs at, or above the transition temperature of the phospholipid and follows a similar pattern with small or larger (‘fused’) unilamellar vesicles. The transfer is linear with time for 1–2 h and is maximal after about 6 h, when the sulfatide content reaches about 6 mol% of the total quantity of phospholipid, corresponding to about 10 mol% of the phospholipids present in the outer layer. Initial rates of sulfatide transfer were somewhat increased when the vesicles contained a positively charged lipid (e.g. stearylamine) and decreased when this lipid was negatively charged (e.g. dicetyl phosphate) or hydrophobic (e.g. cholesterol). Divalent ions markedly inhibited sulfatide transfer and monovalent ions did so to a lesser degree. Once incorporated into the outer leaflet of the vesicle, the sulfatide could not be removed by washing with buffer, 1 M NaCl or 1 M urea.     

Comparative titration of arginyl residues in purified D-β-hydroxybutyrate apodehydrogenase and in the reconstituted phospholipid-enzyme complex

In order to titrate and understand the role of arginyl residues of D-β-hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase, arginyl specific reagents: butanedione, 1,2-cyclohexanedione and phenylglyoxal were incubated with three different forms of the enzyme; native enzyme (inner mitochondrial membrane bound), purified apoenzyme (phospholipid -free) and phospholipid-enzyme complex (reconstituted active form).After complete inactivation of the enzyme by [¹⁴C]-phenylglyoxal, the number of modified arginyl residues was different: one with the lipid-free apoenzyme and three with the phospholipid-enzyme complex, suggesting a conformational change of the enzyme triggered by the presence of phospholipids.After exhaustive chemical modification either of the apoenzyme or of the phospholipid-enzyme complex with [¹⁴C]-phenylglyoxal, four arginyl residues were titrated indicating that these residues are located in the hydrophilic part of the enzyme, not interacting with phospholipids.Reconstituted enzyme inactivated by butanedione could no longer bind a pseudosubstrate (succinate) which indicates that an arginyl residue is involved in the enzyme-substrate complex formation.The values of second order rate constants of D-β-hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase inactivation by butanedione and 1,2-cyclohexanedione were unchanged with the three enzyme forms, suggesting that phospholipids are not involved in the substrate binding mechanism.     

Die Rezeptoren an den ersten Antennen vonLeptestheria dahalacensis Rüppel (Crustacea,Conchostraca)

Zusammenfassung Bei dem ConchostracenLeptestheria dahalacensis kommen auf den ersten Antennen etwa 600 gleich aussehende Sinneshaare vor, die in Gruppen von jeweils 25–30 zusammengefaßt sind. Diese Sinneshaare sind in zwei Teile gegliedert, die durch das lichtmikroskopisch gut sichtbare Basalstück (basal bead) voneinander getrennt sind. Dieses bildet die Basis des Haares, dessen Wand im wesentlichen aus Epicuticula besteht. Apikal wird das Haar durch das Endkügelchen (terminal pellet) abgeschlossen. Das Basalstück wird von der untersten Lage der Epicuticula gebildet. Die 4–10 Receptorcilien, die jeweils einzeln ebensovielen Dendriten aufsitzen, ziehen aus dem inneren Teil des Rezeptors, der von insgesamt 5 Hüllzellen umgeben wird, durch das Basalstück, in dem sie stark eingeengt werden und verzweigen sich dann im äußeren Teil des Rezeptors. Sie ziehen bis zum Endkügelchen, in das sie durch einen Porus, den man als Häutungsporus ansprechen kann, eintreten. In der Häutungsvorbereitung wird der Haarbalg von der Hüllzelle 5, das Basalstück von der Hüllzelle 4, der Haarschaft dagegen von der Hüllzelle 3 gebildet. Dabei spaltet sich die Hüllzelle 3 ringspaltförmig auf, so daß in diesem Spalt der neuangelegte Haarschaft handschuhfingerförmig eingestülpt liegt. Die Hüllzelle 2 formt die Spitze des neuen Haares, während die Dendritenscheide von der Hüllzelle 1 abgegeben wird.

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The receptors on the first antennae ofLeptestheria dahalacensis Rüppel (Crustacea, Conchostraca)

Summary On the antennulae ofLeptestheria dahalacensis (Conchostraca) nearly 600 sensory setae of one type are found. They are gathered in groups of 25–30. The single sensory seta is divided into two parts by the basal bead which is easily visible in the light microscope. The basal bead is the socket of the seta, whose wall is mainly built up by the epicuticle. The terminal pellet closes the tip of the seta. The basal bead is derived from the innermost layer of the epicuticle. 4–10 dendrites each with one receptorcilium innervate the receptor. The receptorcilia stretch through the interior part of the receptor and the basal bead into the exterior part, where they branch. They enter the terminal pellet in a porus, which seems to be a moulting porus. The interior part of the receptor is surrounded by 5 sheath cells. During the premoult it becomes obvious, that the socket of the seta is built by the sheath cell 5, the basal bead by the sheath cell 4 and the shaft by the sheath cell 3. For this the sheath cell 3 is divided into two parts. Between this two parts the newly formed cuticle is invaginated. The sheath cell 2 formes the tip and the sheath cell 1 the cuticular sheath of the new bristle.