The origin and structure of the secondary coat of the egg of Drosophila melanogaster

Summary The techniques of light and electron microscopy have been employed in a study of the protective coverings of the egg of Drosophila melanogaster. Data obtained during this investigation suggest the involvement of the follicle cells, in the production of one of these coverings and justify its classification as a secondary coat. The secondary coat of D. melanogaster is highly organized and has been divided into three Zones (I, II, IIII). The follicle cells enveloping the oocyte exhibit two phases of secretory activity each involving hypertrophy of the Golgi complex and rough endoplasmic reticulum, and the production of protein and polysaccharide components. The first phase concerns the elaboration of the material which gives rise to the homogeneous lamina referred to as Zone I. The second results in the release of an electron dense component which becomes organized into two laminae separated by struts or pillars; this construction is referred to as Zone II. At the completion of this secretory phase, the follicle cells assume a squamous morphology and a third Zone, composed of a homogeneous substance, appears between the follicle cells and Zone II.This investigation was supported by grant GM-08776 to one of us (EA) from the National Institutes of Health, United States Public Health Service.     

Cross-reactions between human and animal plasma proteins

Summary Cross-reactions between human plasma proteins and their homologues in primate blood were investigated systematically. From the three groups of proteins distinguished earlier [2] two have been especially examined; these findings are reported and discussed in the present communication. The Immunological Evolution Group (IEG) I, comprising IgA (-chain), IgD (-chain) and inter--trypsininhibitor, cross-reacts with pongid plasma only, IEG IIa, i.e. IgM (-chain), ₂-glycoproteins II and III and cholinesterase, does so with the pongid and cercopithecoid plasmas tested; IEG IIb, including acid _l-glycoprotein, _2HS-glycoprotein, _l-trypsininhibitor, haptoglobin and hemopexin, cross-reacts with pongid, cercopithecoid and cebus (platyrrhinian) plasma and finally IEG IIc, consisting of transferrin and Gc-globulin, does so with all primate plasmas tested, including prosimians. All the proteins named do not cross-react however with non-primate proteins as do those of IEG III. It is concluded, that the determinants reacting in the primate proteins increase in their evolutionary ages from IEG I over IEG IIa, IIb to IIc in the same way as the last common ancestors of man and the crossreacting species increase.

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Zusammenfassung Die Kreuzreaktionen zwischen menschlichen Plasmaeiweißen und ihren Homologen im Blut von subhumanen Primaten wurden systematisch untersucht. Von den drei früher voneinander abgetrennten Gruppen [2] wurden zwei für die vorliegende Versuchsreihe herausgegriffen; eine von ihnen konnte weiter unterteilt werden. Die erhobenen Befunde werden berichtet und diskutiert. Die Immunologische Evolutions-Gruppe (IEG) I, die IgA (-Kette), IgD (-Kette) und den Inter--Trypsininhibitor umfaßt, zeight Kreuzreaktionen nur mit den Plasmen von Pongiden. Die IEG IIa, zu der IgM (-Kette), die ₂ II und III und Cholinesterase gehören, kreuzreagiert mit den entsprechenden Plasmaproteinen der geprüften Pongiden und Cercopithecoidea, die IEG IIb—das sind saueres _l-Glycoprotein, _2HS-Glycoprotein, _l-Trypsininhibitor, Haptoglobin und Haemopexin — mit Pongiden, Cercopithecoidea und Cebus (Platyrrhini) und endlich die IEG IIc, die sich aus Transferrin und dem Gc-Globulin zusammensetzt, mit allen geprüften Primatenplasmen einschließlich denen von Prosimiern. Alle hier genannten Plasmaeiweiße zeigen jedoch keine Kreuzreaktionen mit Proteinen von Nichtprimaten, wie dies bei der IEG III der Fall ist.Aus den vorliegenden Befunden wird der Schluß gezogen, daß die Determinanten der Primatenproteine, die jeweils reagieren, in ihrem phylogenetischen Alter von IEG Iüber IEG IIa, IIb, IIc im gleichen Maße ansteigen, wie die letzten gemeinsamen Vorfahren von Mensch und den kreuzreagierenden Arten.

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(Chief: Prof. Dr. E. Krah)     

Cerebrovascular Occlusive Disease—Experience with Panarteriography in 300 Consecutive Cases

Three hundred patients with cerebrovascular occlusive disease have had cerebral angiographic examination at the Veterans Administration Hospital, San Francisco, in the last five years. The present technique consists of preliminary visualization of the aortic arch and the major extracranial branches, followed by selective study of the subclavian and carotid arteries as necessary for evaluation of the intracranial circulation.Nine major complications occurred (an over-all incidence of 3 per cent). Two patients died after angiography and seven had major neurologic deficits persisting for more than 24 hours. Three of these patients had permanent damage, but four recovered completely.One-third of the patients had extracranial disease and one-third had intracranial disease. No significant lesion was found in the remainder. In the 212 patients with lesions, multiple lesions were common, the average number being three. Six patients had brain tumors and five had aneurysms.The mechanism of the stroke could be ascertained readily in most of the patients, but the extent of the disease and the resulting symptoms varied considerably. Several patients with occlusion of most of the cerebral vessels had minimal symptoms, while others had catastrophic symptoms but only minimal findings at arteriography.     

Short-term action of insulin on Aplysia neurons: Generation of a possible novel modulator of ion channels

In mollusks as in other animals, peptides can act as hormones, growth factors, and neurotransmitters. The presence of insulin in vertebrate brain as well as its actions on nerve cells led us to examine the electrophysiological effects of the mammalian hormone on Aplysia neurons. Application of insulin extracellularly causes hyperpolarization of L14 and L10, identified neurons of the abdominal ganglion. This hyperpolarization is associated with a decreased membrane conductance that reverses at ?35 mV. We also injected inositol phosphate glycan (IPG) into the identified neurons. This complex sugar, which was purified from rat liver and which is a putative second messenger for insulin in nonneural vertebrate cells (Saltiel and Cuatrecasas, 1986; Saltiel, Osterman, and Darnell, 1988), causes hyperpolarization with decreased membrane conductance in L14 and L10 similar to the effects of insulin. Furthermore, exposure of isolated ganglia to insulin results in the generation of IPG with a compensating decrease in its glycosyl-phosphatidylinositol precursor. We suggest that, in addition to its other roles, insulin may function as a neuropeptide transmitter using IPG as a second messenger.     

Mating system parameters and population genetic structure in pioneer populations of Prosopis velutina (Leguminosae)

This study describes the genetic structure and provides estimates of mating system parameters in three natural populations of Prosopis velutina Woot. in southeastern Arizona. F statistics derived from isozyme data revealed the presence of both interpopulation and intrapopulation genetic differentiation. This population structure is discussed in relation to the ecological history of these populations that invaded the grasslands sites from adjacent riparian areas within the last 90 years, and possible modes of seed dispersal. The multilocus estimation program MLT of Ritland (Journal of Heredity 8: 235–237, 1990) was used to provide estimates of t_s, t_m, and the fixation index (F) of the maternal parents. Average estimates of t_s ranged from 0.591 to 0.912. Estimates of t_m ranged from 0.609 to 1.004, and averaged 0.758. The difference between t_m and t_s, which provides a measure of biparental inbreeding, averaged 0.058. This last result, together with significant heterogeneity found in pollen allele frequencies, suggests that a family structure has developed in the populations. A negative F value for one of the populations suggests selection against homozygotes between the seedling stage and maturity.     

Inoculum Density-Dependent Mortality and Colonization of the Phyllosphere by Pseudomonas syringae

Pseudomonas syringae inocula containing cell concentrations ranging from 10⁵ to 10⁹ cells per ml were applied to the primary leaves of bean plants. The plants were incubated under conditions of high temperature and illumination and low relative humidity. Bacterial mortality rates and the proportional population decline of the inoculum were lowest at the highest inoculum concentrations. Addition of a high concentration of heat-killed cells to the inoculum containing a low concentration of viable cells significantly reduced both the mortality rate and the proportional population decline of the viable cells. The mechanisms underlying this density-dependent mortality may include cooperative protective effects of extracellular factors, such as bacterial extracellular polysaccharides, and physical protection by neighboring cells. Although epiphytic populations derived from inoculum concentrations of 10⁸ or 10⁹ cells per ml tended toward 10⁶ CFU/g, the presumed carrying capacity of the leaf, populations derived from lower inoculum concentrations never achieved this carrying capacity. Assuming that epiphytic populations of P. syringae reside in discrete protected sites, our results suggest that at low inoculum concentrations, following a period of environmental stress, the number of viable cells may have dropped to zero in some sites; hence, the carrying capacity of the leaf could not be achieved.     

Pyruvate metabolism in mitochondria from cucumber cotyledons during early seedling development

Mitochondria were isolated from cucumber cotyledons during earlyseedling growth, and their capacity for pyruvate metabolisminvestigated. The rate of pyruvate oxidation was low. Evidenceis presented that suggests that this is due to low activitiesof the pyruvate transporter. Key words: Cotyledon, cucumber, germination, pyruvate oxidation