Aliphatic compounds from Costus speciosus roots

Two new compounds G and H isolated from the roots of Costus speciosus have been characterized as 8-hydroxytriacontan-25-one and Me tritriacontanoat     

Characterization and Translation of Poly(A)+RNA from Wounded and Crown Gall Tissues of Potato Tubers

Poly(A)⁺ and poly(A)^–RNA from wounded potato tuber tissuesand crown gall tumors were separated from total RNA by oligodeoxythymidylicacid-cellulose affinity chromatography. The poly(A)⁺RNA wascharacterized by sucrose density gradient centrifugation, hybridizationwith ³(H)polyuridylic acid [Poly(U)] and in vitro translationin a rabbit reticulocyte lysate system. The tumor poly(A)⁺RNAwas a heterodisperse mixture from 3.5S to 35S. Upon poly(U)hybridization of the gradient fractions two major hybridizationpeaks at 7S and 21S and two peaks at 11S and 16S appeared. Inan in vitro translation system the poly(A)⁺RNA programmed thesynthesis of 23 different polypeptides of 9,000 to 79,800 daltonsmolecular weight as determined by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis.The 21S poly(A)+RNA was about 5 times more active in in vitroprotein synthesis than the 7S poly(A)⁺RNA. The poly(A)⁺RNA from wounded tissues was also heterodisperse(from 4.5S to 31S) with a modal peak at 18S. This RNA codedfor at least 28 polypeptides, which were different from thoseof crown gall tumor tissues. On a per unit poly(A)⁺RNA basis the tumor RNA was slightly moreactive in translation than that from wounded tissues. The translationof tumor poly(A)⁺RNA was completely blocked by 0.5 mM 7-methylguanosine5'-phosphate, but not by 7-methylguanosine, suggesting the presenceof a 5'-cap structure. (Received May 15, 1982; Accepted June 30, 1982)     

The B-chromosome system of the grasshopper Eyprepocnemis plorans subsp. plorans (Charpentier)

Supernumerary chromosomes of two types have been observed in the grasshopper Eyprepocnemis plorans subsp. plorans. One of these (the B-type) is similar in size to an S autosome; the other is smaller (B-type). Both are telocentric and mitotically stable. The frequencies of individuals with the B-type supernumeraries in five natural populations were 56, 56, 70, 71 and 30 per cent respectively. The equivalent levels of the B-type supernumerary were 0, 0, 13, 3 and 0 per cent respectively. Because of the relative infrequency of the B-type only the B-type has been studied in detail. In males with 1B, anaphase I segregation of X and B was random in four populations but non-random in that from Otivar. Here the B was distinctive in having a secondary constriction near the centromere. A study of chiasma frequency among A-chromosomes revealed that the B-type supernumerary increases significantly both the mean chiasma frequency and the between-cell variance. A comparison of body morphometrics failed to reveal any effect of these B-chromosomes on the exophenotype.     

Four new species of Penicillium isolated from the air

Four new species of Penicillium Link ex Fries are described and illustrated. All of them but one have been isolated from the atmosphere in Madrid, Spain. They clearly differ from all species of the genus described so far and are, therefore, described and proposed as new taxa: Penicillium aurantio-flammiferum sp. nov., Penicillium gallaicum sp. nov., Penicillium granatense sp. nov., and Penicillium ilerdanum sp. nov.     

Morphological changes in strains of Aspergillus flavus link ex fries and Aspergillus parasiticus speare related with aflatoxin production

Two strains ofAspergillus flavus Linkex Fr. and two strains ofA. parasiticus Speare were cultured on crushed moist wheat (Triticum durum var. Pané no. 247) for aflatoxin production studies in correlation with morphological changes. The toxicogenic strains were adapted to the substratum by means of successive transfers at regular intervals (72 h.)The amount aflatoxins synthesized by the toxicogenic strains decreased gradually after succesive subculturing. The decrease was accompanied by marked morphological changes. One of the strains studied,A. flavus NRRL 3251, lost completly the capacity of aflatoxin synthesis after several subcultures, presenting at the same time strong morphological variations.A. flavus CBS 120.62 also lost its toxicogenicity after six subcultures.     

Muscle fibrillation caused by cytochalasin-B applied to the motor nerve.

Cytochalasin-B, a drug known to interfere with axoplasmic transport, evoked fibrillary potentials in the geniohyoid muscle when applied to its motor nerve. Despite this denervation-like effect, neuromuscular transmission remained normal. Some contractile characteristics of the muscle were studied. It was found that contraction time, isometric twitch tension, and half-relaxation time were not altered by the drug treatment. The present findings show that neurogenic molecular factors conveyed by axoplasmic transport to the nerve terminal are involved in the regulation of some muscle membrane characteristics but do not modify the muscle contractile features.     

Retinoblastoma,gross internal malformations,and deletion 13q14→q31

Summary A male patient with an interstitial deletion 13q14q31 is described. Our necropsy findings included a left retinoblastoma and several gross internal malformations. In this paper we reaffirm that band 13q14 is involved in cases of retinoblastoma and we propose, after studying accompanying cases of total or partial long arm trisomies 13, that the loss of specific 13q bands, from 13q14 to 13q31 is responsible for the congenital defects we are describing.     

Rhodotorula matritense sp. nov., isolated from powdered red pepper (Capsicum frutescens L.)

A new species of Rhodotorula Harrison was recovered in May 1978 from Spanish powdered red pepper (Capsicum frutescens L.) in Madrid, Spain. It could not be identified with any hitherto described species of yeast and it was assigned to the genus Rhodotorula Harrison as representative of a new species on the bases of both its morphological and physiological characteristics, for which the name of Rhodotorula matritense is proposed.     

Size variation polymorphisms of the short arm of human acrocentric chromosomes determined by R-banding by fluorescence using acridine orange (RFA)

Summary One hundred normal Caucasians were studied by the RFA technique to estimate the frequencies of size variation of the short arm of acrocentric chromosomes. Each size variation was classified into one of five levels. The most frequent size level (code) was 3; therefore, this was regarded as the average size. If one excludes the average size, the frequencies of size variation by RFA for chromosome 13, 14, 15, 21, and 22 were 22.5, 19.5, 14.5, 19, and 17% respectively. There was no significant difference for the overall frequencies of size variation between sexes. Furthermore, the RFA technique detects more variation in the size of human acrocentric chromosomes than any other method.     

Social interactions between adult male and infant rhesus monkeys in Nepal

In 1,506 hours of field observations on free-ranging rhesus monkeys in Kathmandu Valley, Nepal, in 1974 and 1975 18 cases of favorable social interactions between adult males and infants were observed. Eleven of these were brief encounters of play or grooming; seven were more extended cases of male care. One of the latter was a complete adoption of a neonatal orphan by a dominant male. This adoption was possessive and restrictive and it resulted in the death of the infant by starvation within three days. A similar adoption involving the same male occurred in 1976 and it also resulted in the death of the infant. Most of the favorable male-infant interactions occurred during the winter and spring when the infants were 6 to 12 months of age. These favorable social interactions involved eight males in six different troops, out of a total of about 48 males in 12 troops in our study population of approximately 600 monkeys. These observations are discussed in light of current sociobiological theories.