Control and virus-transformed baby hamster kidney cells resistant to ethidium bromide. II. Membrane properties

Aspects of membrane stucture and functions were studied in ethidium bromide resistant cells. Submitochondrial particles were solubilized and electrophoresed. The gel patterns, representing mitochondiral membrane proteins, demonstrated qualitative and quantitative alterations in mitochondrial preparations derived from virus-transformed cells and ethidium bromide resistant cells as compared to the control cells. The plasma membrane glycoproteins were labelled by the sodium borohydride method. The glycoporteins were released with Triton X-100 and electrophoresed. Fluorograms of the gels demonstratred some marked differences between the ethidium bromide resistant cells and their parental strain. The observed alterations in the membrane glycoproteins did not result in altered glucose transport properties or in the elution patterns of plasma membrane glycopeptides as analyzed by Sephadex G-50 chromatography. Dye uptake and binding studies with intact parental and drug resistant cells and their isolated mitochondria demonstrated no alteration of the membrane permeability or the number of binding sites for ethidium bromide. Similar results were also obtained with a cyanine dye. This latter finding was significant in that it permitted one to exclude dye exclusion as a mechanism for ethidium bromide resistance.     

Interaction of phlorizin and sodium with the renal brush-border membraned-glucose transporter: Stoichiometry and order of binding

Summary The order and stoichiometry of the binding of phlorizin and sodium to the renal brush-border membraned-glucose transporter are studied. The experimental results are consistent with a random-binding sites is one-to-one. When the kinetics of phlorizin binding are measured as a function of increasing sodium concentration no significant variation is found in the apparent number of binding sites; however, the apparent binding constant for phlorizin decreases rapidly from approximately 16 m at [Na]=0 to 0.1 m at [Na]=100mm and approaches 0.05 m as [Na]. The experimental data are fit to a random carrier-type model of the coupled transport of sodium andd-glucose. A complete parameterization of the phlorizin binding properties of this model under sodium equilibrium conditions is given.     

ISOLATION AND PARTIAL CHARACTERIZATION OF NITRATE ASSIMILATION MUTANTS OF DUNALIELLA TERTIOLECTA (CHLOROPHYCEAE)1

Fifteen nitrate assimilation-deficient mutants of the euryhaline green alga, Dunaliella tertiolecta Butcher were selected by their chlorate resistance. Ten mutants, unable to grow on NO₃^? but able to grow on NO₂^?, had no detectable nitrate reductase activity. Five mutants, unable to grow on either NO₃^? or NO₂^?, had depressed levels of both nitrate and nitrite reductase. A method for assaying methyl viologen-nitrate reductase in the presence of nitrite reductase is described.     

Potentiation of arginine-induced glucagon secretion by adenosine

Adenosine and the synthetic adenosine agonists 2-chloroadenosine and N⁶-(L-2-phenylisopropyl)-adenosine were tested for effects on hormone secretion from the rat isolated perfused pancreas. These nucleosides, at concentrations of 5 μM, markedly potentiated both phases of arginine-induced glucagon release; the two synthetic agonists were more effective than adenosine. In the absence of arginine, each of the nucleosides induced a transient burst of glucagon. In contrast, adenosine and both synthetic agonists inhibited arginine-induced insulin secretion to varying degrees and caused only negligible insulin release when perfused without arginine. The adenosine antagonist 8-($\text{p}$-sulfophenyl)-theophylline prevented the actions of adenosine on hormone release from the pancreas. Our data suggest that adenosine potentiation of arginine-induced glucagon release may be mediated via adenosine receptors on alpha cell membranes; such a mechanism could provide an important endogenous control over glucagon secretion.     

Genetic analysis of X-linked mutagen-sensitive mutants of Drosophila melanogaster

Mutants at 2 new loci which control mutagen-sensitivity are described. Mutants at both loci are female-sterile and are hypersensitive to killing by MMS; neither increases the frequency of sex-linked recessive lethals. A screen of previously described female-sterile and meotic mutants has revealed that a number of these are also sensitive to mutagens. In addition, several new mutants have been identified on the basis of sensitivity to either HN2 or MMS. An anlysis of complementation data suggests that all of the X-linked genes controlling sensitivity to MMS may now have been identified. Among the new mei-41 alleles are mutants which show verly little meiotic nondisjunction or loss. Cytogenetic mapping of previously known mutants is also described. The mutants mus(1)104^D1 and mei-41^D5 are located in th eregion 14B13±?14D1,2 on the polytene chromosome map, and they map very close to each other genetically. Cytogenetically mus(1)101^D1 is between salivary chromosome bands 12A6,7 and 12D3, mus(1)103^D1 is between bands 12A1,2 and 12A6,7, and mus(1)-109^A1 is in section 8F3-9A2.     

Field experiments on interactions between vertebrate predators and larval midges (Diptera: Chironomidae) in the littoral zone of a reservoir

Summary A field experiment was designed to test a frequent assumption in the literature that vertebrate predators (in this case, fish and turtles) are capable of regulating the seasonal abundance and diversity of benthic communities in the littoral zone of lentic environments. Effects of thermal effluents from a nuclear reactor on predator-prey relationships were also examined. Benthic samples were removed after each of three, 3-month test periods from 36 predator exclusion cages (4m²) and 36 control plots located along a thermal gradient in Par Pond, an 1,100 ha freshwater reservoir in the southeastern United States.Results of our field experiments provide little evidence to suggest that either a single keystone species or vertebrate predators as a group were capable of regulating the abundance, diversity or productivity of chironomids in Par Pond. The relationship between predator treatment and community response (changes in density and species richness) was generally unaffected by either plot location or temperature fluctuations. When data from caged and control plots were pooled, however, both location and water temperature individually had significant impacts on the chironomid community. Alternative hypotheses are proposed to explain the lack of regulatory control of the benthic community by individual species or guilds of predators.     

Flight and dispersal of periodical cicadas

Summary Periodical cicadas (Magicicada spp.) rarely flew distances greater than 50 m across an open field or along a forest edge. Most cicadas caught after flying 50 m or more were females and all of these females had mated. Flights were most common when adults were 2 to 3 weeks old. Among insects in general, most dispersing individuals are barely post-teneral or extremely young. Cicadas are discussed as an exception to this generality. Both sexes of cicadas are attracted by the male song to chorusing centers for mating (Alexander and Moore 1958). Trees which were chorusing centers had more eggnests than those which were not, suggesting a lack of postmating dispersal from the chorusing trees.     

Depsidone constituents from the quintaria group of Nephroma species

A new lichen depsidone was isolated, in the form of its triacetate derivative from the acetylated extracts of Nephroma antarcticum and has been demonstrated to be hypoconstictic acid-triacetate. Two related depsidones, hypostictic acid hyposalazinic acid, were isolated from N. australe.