Functional properties of Ly 11.2 lymphocytes: a role for these cells in leukemia?

Functional studies of lymphocyte subpopulations reveal that Ly 11.2, a newly defined T cell surface antigen, is present on prothymocytes and natural killer cells, but not on suppressor T cells for antigen-specific IgE antibody responses, Ly 1+, 2-, 3- helper T cells nor on tumor-specific cytotoxic effector cells. Changes in the expression of Ly 11.2 regularly accompany leukemogenesis and are quite distinct from changes of other cell surface antigens thus far observed. After intrathymic inoculation of radiation leukemia virus (RadLV), many more Ly 11.2-positive cells are found expressing viral antigens than cells expressing other cell surface phenotypes. In addition, after RadLV inoculation, significantly more Ly 11.2-positive cells can be found in the thymus of susceptible mice than in the thymus of resistant mice. The greater availability of permissive (Ly 11.2-positive) cells in susceptible vs resistant hosts at the time when infectious virus is present may account for the shorter latency period and high leukemia incidence of susceptible vs resistant mice.     

Metabolic Differences Between Two Antarctic Strains of Geomyces pannorum

The metabolic behavior of two strains of Geomyces pannorum cultured at different temperatures (4°C and 25°C) was studied by indirect calorimetry. With this method it was possible to evaluate their energy expenditure and the rate of glucose, lipid, and amino acid consumption by measuring the amount of CO₂ produced and the O₂ consumed in order to understand the strategy used to survive at low temperatures.     

Diet of the Apennine hare in a southern Italy Regional Park

In this study, we examined the annual diet composition of Lepus corsicanus in two different sites within a southern Italy Regional Park. Vegetation of site 1 was composed of a mixed scrub forest (Viburno–Quercetum ilicis s.l.), a ripisilva (Roso sempervirentis–Populetum nigrae), some thermophilous scrubs (Pruno–Rhamnetalia alaterni), and a Pinus halepensis reforested area. Site 2 comprised a mixed-oak forest (Centaureo–Quercetum pubescentis s.l.) with meadows and arable lands. Micro-histological analysis of faecal samples revealed that hares utilised 70 different species of plants during the year, indicating the capability of the Apennine hare of exploiting a wide variety of vegetation. Herbaceous plants (Hemicryptophytes, particularly graminoid grasses, and Geophytes) predominated in the diet. Brachypodium sylvaticum (9.44 %) and Allium subhirsutum (8.28 %) were the major contributors to the diet in sites 2 and 1, respectively. Other taxa found most often in the diet were Trifolium pratense (site 1: 8.19 %; site 2: 5.80 %) and Prunus spinosa (site 1: 7.03 %; site 2: 4.10 %). Significant differences were found between sites in terms of diet richness, diversity, and evenness. Nevertheless, both the similarity indices (Morisita–Horn: 0.79; Sørensen: 0.87) showed that the food composition of the hare’s diet was broadly the same in both sites. Some qualitative and quantitative differences between sites were due to the availability or consumption of some plant species and evidenced that the Apennine hare can modify its trophic niche in order to adapt its dietary requirements to the availability of food.