Inositol- and Galactose-Binding Lectins of Chicken Brain Fractions Enriched with Glial Cells

Galactose- and inositol-binding proteins with lectin activity (GL-GAL and GL-I, respectively) were isolated from membranes enriched with cells of chicken brain fractions. Both lectins are glycoproteins of molecular mass 13.5 and 11.5 kDa, respectively; they show a high affinity to EDTA (GL-I) and EGTA (GL-GAL, GL-I), which indicates an important role of Ca⁺² in molecular organization of these lectins. In brain glial cells of chick embryos, unlike adult chickens, a soluble form of lectins has been revealed; it is easily extracted with 2 mM EDTA and shows sensitivity to L-lactose, D-galactose, and N-acetyl-D-galactosamine. It is suggested that in the course of embryonal and postembryonal development of the chicken brain, a transformation and qualitative changes of the lectin spectrum occur due to a change of function of glial cells.     

Carotenoid synthesis in Streptomyces setonii ISP5395 is induced by the gene crtS, whose product is similar to a sigma factor

In many species of actinomycetes, carotenogenesis can be photoinduced. The capacity to respond to photoinduction is, however unstable and, in various strains of Streptomyces, is lost at a relatively high frequency. In Streptomyces setonii ISP5395, which normally produces no carotenoids, carotenoid-producing mutants can be obtained following protoplast regeneration. We report here the characterization of a gene, crtS, which was isolated from one such mutant and can confer on wild-type S. setonii ISP5395 cells the capacity to synthesize carotenoids. Sequence analysis of crtS reveals an open reading frame, which shows homology to genes that encode alternative sigma factors in Bacillus subtilis. We propose that crtS encodes a sigma factor which is necessary for the expression of a cryptic gene(s) for carotenoid biosynthesis in S. setonii ISP5395.     

Thickness of renal glomerular capillary basement membrane in the offspring of diabetic rats fed a regular or high-sucrose diet

Numerous animal model studies of diabetes mellitus have been reported. Diabetes-induced vascular damage is a common cause of systemic organ damage in humans and animals. Many investigations have been made of human and animal offspring of diabetic mothers. The present report documents the sequential glomerular basement membrane (GBM) thickness in fetuses and infants of diabetic rats. The postnatal increase in GBM thickness was similar in the offspring of control and diabetic rats, and was not related to the sucrose concentration in the diet.     

Determination of oxalyl thiolesters, N-oxalylcysteine and N-oxalylcysteamine in biological materials

A convenient method is described for the quantitative analysis of oxalyl thiolesters (OTEs), a newly discovered class of mammalian metabolites, in biological samples. By this particular technique the total concentration of all OTEs in the sample is determined. The method involves first reacting the biological material with cysteamine (2-aminoethanethiol) or cysteine under conditions that convert OTEs quantitatively to N-oxalylcysteamine (or N-oxalylcysteine), followed by reaction with monobromobimane to give a highly fluorescent derivative that is analyzed by reversed-phase ion-pair chromatography, with tetrabutylammonium ion as the counterion and N-(2-mercaptopropionyl)glycine as an internal standard. The method is capable of detecting as little as 0.6 pmol of the bimane derivative of the N-oxalyl compound in a single HPLC injection. The application of this method has led to the discovery that not only OTEs but also N-oxalylcysteine and N-oxalylcysteamine are normal mammalian metabolites. In various rat tissues the OTE concentration ranges up to 65 nmol/g (wet wt), the N-oxalylcysteine concentration is approximately 10 nmol/g, and the N-oxalylcysteamine concentration is 0-3 nmol/g.     

The pre-Columbian dog from Arica,Chile

Burials and mummies of dogs from the Arica, Chile, area are described. It is concluded that these dogs were brought to this area 2500 years ago by shepherds from the highlands and are still present, relatively unchanged.     

Tool-use by a rook (Corvus frugilegus), and its causation

A young captive rook, Corvus frugilegus, inserted a plug into a plug-hole in its aviary floor so that a pool of water formed, which was used by all four rooks in the aviary for drinking and bathing. The bird was selective about which, of six holes, it chose for insertion of the tool, choosing the appropriate one with respect to the water source. Days on which attempted or successful tool-use occurred were drier than other days, and days of successful tool-uses were also warmer. Availability of fresh water to the birds did not influence the occurrence of tool-use.