The concepts of elasticity, invulnerability and invadability

Users of mathematical models in ecological research have emphasized mathematical elegance in elucidating the dynamics of ecosystem models with fixed collections of state variables instead of addressing the equally important question of what effects a changing ecosystem structure has on the system's dynamics. Our work addresses the effect of invasion on the species composition of communities. In the context of a linear model, we found that as communities were made more complex (in terms of the number of species they contained and the number of interactions among these species) the probability of their being stable decreased, but the probability of their being invulnerable to invasion by other species increased. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that, through time, communities approach an intermediate complexity at which the influences of environmental stochasticity (which tends to destabilize complex communities) and invasion pressure (which tends to add species to simple communities) counterbalance one another. At this intermediate complexity the average rate of change of species composition is low.     

Gs, an allele of chickens for endogenous avian leukosis viral antigens, segregates with ev 3, a genetic locus that contains structural genes for virus.

Gs is an allele of chickens for the expression of endogenous avian leukosis virus-related core (gs) and envelope (chf) antigens. Progeny of a genetic cross in which Gs was segregating were analyzed for endogenous viral DNA as well as for the expression of endogenous viral antigens. Viral genetic information was identified by cleavage of embryo DNA with restriction endonucleases, electrophoretic separation of the resulting fragments, and identification of bands containing viral sequences by hybridization of the DNA to 32P-labeled viral RNA. Four different chromosomal sites of residence of endogenous viral sequences were identified by this method. These sites were the same as those previously assigned to the endogenous viral loci ev 1, ev 3, ev 4, and ev 5. ev 1 was present in all of the progeny of the cross. ev 3, ev 4, and ev5 were present in various combinations with ev 1. ev 3 cosegregated with the gs+chf+ phenotpye. Cells which did not contain ev 3 but contained ev 1, ev 4, and/or ev 5, did not express detectable levels of viral antigens. We suggest that Gs contains the structural genes for endogenous virus which reside at ev 3 and that these structural genes code for gs and chf in gs+chf+ cells.     

Acute pulmonary hemodynamic effects of intravenous copper sulfate: role of alpha-adrenergic system

We investigated the acute pulmonary hemodynamic effects of intravenous copper sulfate (CuSO4) infusion and its mechanism of action in six groups of conscious sheep (total 40). After 300 mg CuSO4 alone, mean pulmonary artery pressure (Ppa) increased from 10.3 to 22.5 Torr and pulmonary artery wedge pressure (Ppaw) from 3.5 to 7.6 Torr, whereas systemic arterial pressure (Psa) increased from 95 to 102 Torr. Cardiac output (Qp) decreased from 4.7 to 3.3 l/min. Pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR) and systemic vascular resistance (SVR) increased to 320 and 160% of base line, respectively. The hemodynamic changes correlated well with serum copper, which increased from a base-line value of 0.12 to 3.5 mg/dl after the CuSO4. Serum dopamine beta-hydroxylase increased from 3.2 U/l before CuSO4 injection to 5.7 after its administration, signifying activation of adrenergic nervous system. H1-histamine receptor blockade with chlorpheniramine failed to prevent the effects of CuSO4. Pretreatment with methysergide, a serotonin antagonist, partially attenuated the effects of CuSO4. Phenoxybenzamine, an alpha-adrenergic receptor blocker, and 6-hydroxydopamine, a catecholamine depleting agent, completely blocked the effects of CuSO4. beta-Adrenergic receptor blockade with propranolol enhanced the effects of CuSO4. We conclude, that, in conscious sheep, acute infusion of CuSO4 caused a marked reversible increase in PVR with a slight transient increase in SVR, and this pulmonary hypertension was produced by stimulation of the alpha-adrenergic nervous system.     

Precursors of ricinine in the castor bean plant

Isotopic tracer experiments confirmed that glycerol and succinic acid are good precursors of the pyridine ring of ricinine in castor bean plants. Tritium from C-2 was lost from tritiated glycerol while tritium from C-1 was retained. Thus a derivative of dihydroxyacetone is likely to be intermediate. By simultaneous feeding of glycerol-1-(3)-[³H] and succinic acid-2(3)-[¹⁴C], it was hoped to find precursors of ricinine containing both labels, but none could be found. There was no evidence for the appearance of labeled quinolinic acid, which is presumed to be a precursor of ricinine.     

Isolation and characterization of a Saccharomyces cerevisiae mutant disrupted for the succinate dehydrogenase flavoprotein subunit

A partial genomic clone of the flavoprotein subunit of the mitochondrial enzyme, succinate dehydrogenase (EC 1.3.99.1) from Saccharomyces cerevisiae has been isolated. The partial clone was used to construct, by targeted gene disruption, a yeast mutant with a defective flavoprotein subunit gene. Submitochondrial membranes from the mutant are defective in activities requiring a functional succinate dehydrogenase but not in other respiratory chain activities. In addition, the mutant contains significantly lower levels of covalently attached flavin adenine dinucleotide cofactor than does the wild type. Disruption of the flavoprotein subunit gene results in the simultaneous loss of both the iron-sulfur and the flavoprotein subunits from mitochondrial membranes.     

Recruitment of coat proteins onto Golgi membranes in intact and permeabilized cells: effects of brefeldin A and G protein activators.

Brefeldin A (BFA) causes a rapid redistribution of coat proteins (e.g., gamma-adaptin) associated with the clathrin-coated vesicles that bud from the trans-Golgi network (TGN), while the clathrin-coated vesicles that bud from the plasma membrane are unaffected. gamma-Adaptin redistributes with the same kinetics as beta-COP, a coat protein associated with the non-clathrin-coated vesicles that bud from the Golgi complex. Upon removal of BFA, however, gamma-adaptin recovers its perinuclear distribution more rapidly. Redistribution of both proteins can be prevented by pretreating cells with AlF4-. Recruitment of adaptors from the cytosol onto the TGN membrane has been reconstituted in a permeabilized cell system and is increased by addition of GTP gamma S and blocked by addition of BFA. These results suggest a role for G proteins in the control of the clathrin-coated vesicle cycle at the TGN and further extend the similarities between clathrin-coated vesicles and non-clathrin-coated vesicles.     

Detection and quantification of triazine herbicides using algal cell fluorescence

Summary A continuous-flow system is described which, by measuring fluorescence of the unicellular alga Chlorella, is capable of measuring concentrations of the triazine herbicide, simazine, as low as 60nM (approx 12g l^-1) within 5 minutes. Further developments are suggested to achieve the desired detection limit of 0.5nM. The use of such an instrument in environmental analysis is discussed.