Evidence of the absence of Y fluorescent material in XX men

Summary Using buccal mucosal smears from 4 men with Klinefelter's syndrome and 46,XX chromosome complement it was discovered that there was no brightly fluorescent material either in the nuclei or in Barr's body. The small acrocentric chromosomes had a typical G-group fluorescence pattern whilst the C-group chromosomes revealed no brightly fluorescent material.

---

Zusammenfassung Bei keinem von 4 Männern mit Klinefelter-Syndrom und 46,XX-Chromosomenberund wurde das stark fluorescierende Material bei Mundschleimhautabstrichen in Zellkernen oder in Chromatinkörperchen festgestellt. Die kleinen akrozentrischen Chromosomen hatten das typische fluorescienrende Kennzeichen der Gruppe G, und auch bei den Chromosomen aus der Gruppe C wurde das stark fluorescierende Material nicht gefunden.

---

---

(Director: Prof. MUDr. Vladimír Pacovský, DrSc)

---

(Director: Prof. MUDr. Josef Hynie, DrSc)     

Thlaspi finitimum,eine neue Art aus dem Verwandtschaftskreis vonThlaspi jankae

Auf Grund der taxonomisch-chorologischen Analyse des Pflanzenmaterials vonThlaspi jankae A. Kern. erwies sich als berechtigt, im Verwandtschaftskreis desselben eine neue, Art,Thlaspi finitimum sp. n., zu unterscheiden. Die in den nordungarischen Hügelländern und Gebirgen wachsenden Pflanzen gehören zumT. jankae A. Kern., während das Vorkommen der neu aufgestellten ArtT. finitimum auf das Gebiet der südslowakischen Zobor-Berge (NÖ von Nitra) und des Südslowakischen Karstes beschränkt ist.     

Rearing of germfree rabbits

The present work describes in detail experimental procedures and conditions required for rearing of germfree rabbits. Newborn germfree rabbits were obtained using the “wet” hysterectomy technique. The animals were successfully maintained under germfree conditions up to four months after delivery in flexible plastic isolators. Infant rabbits were first fed a sterile VA2-b diet and after weaning, a modifled diet L-478 according to Reddyet al. (1965). Both diets were shown to be suitable as the development of megacoecum was significantly reduced. The infant germfree rabbits were characterized by a good general clinical condition and body weights were comparable to those found in their conventional counterparts fed mother’s milk.     

Physical properties of microbial suspensions

A way of characterizing cell size distribution in suspensions of single-cell microorganisms is suggested, based on the first and second moments around origin. Suspension density may be predicted on the basis of the mixing law and the density of microbial dry matter, for suspensions ofSaccharomyces cerevisiae, Candida lipolytica, andAspergillus niger. Newtonian viscosities were correlated using regression analysis by η=Aexp(BC _m)exp(D/t); another correlation is presented for the calculation of surface tension in single-cell microbial suspensions. All the relations are valid in the range of concentrations up to 15% (w/v) and for temperatures between 15° and 35°C. The formulae presented may be used in other hydraulic studies.     

Joined suppression of rough phenotype and of red colour ofade2-1 mutants inSaccharomyces cerevisiae

A reciprocal suppression of rough phenotype was found in rough mutants of two prototrophic strains ofSaccharomyces cerevisiae on medium containing 1 % glucose. Suppression affects at least three independent rough loci and is strongly influenced by the genetic background. It is accompanied by suppression of red pigmentation inade2-1 mutants, and this too responds similarly to the genetic background. There is evidence for at least two independent loci that modify the action of the suppressor of both rough and red. The suppressor segregates regularly and is linked to one of the tested rough loci. It is not a super-suppressor and probably is not involved in the regulatory mechanism of purine biosynthesis either. An involvement of glucose metabolism in the suppression can be assumed from the lifting of the suppression of rough phenotype on lactate medium.     

Serotonin and its metabolites reduce oxidative stress in murine RAW264.7 macrophages and prevent inflammation

In this study, we focused on comparing the effects of serotonin and its metabolites on the functions of RAW264.7 cells (emphasis on oxidative burst and production of nitric oxide and cytokines), thereby expanding the scope of existing knowledge with advent of novel findings in this field. Changes in production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) by RAW264.7 cells after treatment with serotonin, N-acetylserotonin and melatonin were determined using the chemiluminescence (CL) assay. To exclude the direct scavenging effects of the studied compounds on the CL response, the antioxidant properties of all respective compounds were measured using TRAP and amperometrical method. Nitric oxide (NO) production was measured by Griess reagent and inducible NO synthase (iNOS) expression by Western blot. Cytokine production was assessed using the Mouse Cytokine Panel A Array kit and ELISA. We showed that all tested compounds were able to reduce oxidative stress, as well as inhibit production of inflammatory cytokines by macrophages. Of the tested compounds, serotonin and N-acetylserotonin were markedly better antioxidants than melatonin. In comparison, other effects of tested compounds were very similar. It can be concluded that antioxidant capacity of tested compounds is a major advantage in the early stages of inflammation. Since plasma concentrations of N-acetylserotonin and melatonin are lower than serotonin, it can be deduced that serotonin plays a key role in modulation of inflammation and the regulatory functions of immune cells, while also protecting cells against oxidative stress.     

Influence of Auxin-Like Herbicides on Tobacco Mosaic Virus Multiplication

Tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L., cv. Samsun) leaf discs inoculated with tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) were treated with auxin-like herbicides 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D), 2-methyl-4-chlorophenoxyacetic acid (MCPA), 3-amino-1,2,4-triazol (Amitrol) and 6-chloro-2-ethylamino-4-isopropylamino-1,3,5-triazine (Atrazin). All herbicides in the concentration of 10^–7 M enhanced the virus content (MCPA to 227.4 %, Amitrol to 218.1 % and Atrazin to 257.3 % of values found in TMV-infected, herbicide untreated discs). The 2,4-D alone did not affect the activity of the glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase and ribonucleases, but the 2,4-D treatment together with TMV infection raised their activities twice as high as in the untreated control discs. Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of acidic extracellular proteins washed from leaf discs treated with 2,4-D did not prove the induction of PR-proteins.