Nesting holes and food supply in relation to forest bird densities on islands and mainland

Summary Bird densities were estimated on 41 small islands and two mainland plots at a South Swedish lake both in 1976 and 1983. In the latter year, three additional plots were also censused. The ratio between combined densities of hole-nesting birds on the mainland and on islands was 3:1 both in plots without and with nest boxes. In plots with boxes combined densities of hole-nesting birds doubled compared with control plots. This increase was caused by a tenfold increase of pied flycatcher Ficedula hypoleuca. Territories of this species were on average established about a week later on the islands compared with the mainland. Furthermore, 50% of the males on the islands did not attract a female. Densities of great tit Parus major, marsh tit Parus palustris and nuthatch Sitta europaea were unaffected by increased nesthole availability. For P. major this result contrasts with those in other studies.The density of chaffinch Fringilla coelebs in habitats with similar height and vertical structure was two times higher on the islands compared to the mainland. On the islands the density was the same on islands with only one pair and on those with two or more pairs. In spring, there were no significant differences between islands and the mainland in the proportion of leaves with insect feeding traces. The proportion of Salix leaves with feeding traces increased with island size, but this was not so for Alnus and Betula leaves. In late summer, the proportion of leaves with feeding traces were halved inside a plot with nest boxes and hence increased bird densities compared to a nearby control plot. This result was the same along the lake shore and about 150 m away from the shore.The discussion centers on the effect of man on the food-and nest site-availability of hole-nesting birds, food limitation of insectivorous birds and density compensation on islands.     

Extracellular matrix components influence the survival of adult cardiac myocytes in vitro

Calcium-tolerant myocytes were isolated from adult rat hearts by collagenase perfusion and plated on various substrates in serum-free medium and their adhesion to various extracellular matrix (ECM) components was determined. The myocytes attached readily to dishes coated with collagen type IV (C-IV), laminin (LN), and to fetal bovine serum (FBS) in a manner dependent on the concentration of the components. Substantially fewer myocytes adhered to dishes coated with fibronectin (FN) or to uncoated plastic dishes. Cells adhered equally well to dishes coated with C-IV, LN and FBS within 1-4 h. However, when examined after 2 weeks in culture it was found that only C-IV and LN could support survival of the attached myocytes, and when cultured on C-IV or LN the myocytes were spread and had formed a dense monolayer. The actin filaments had at this time reorganized linearly along the long axis of the cell and the myocytes contracted spontaneously. Rabbit antibodies were raised against myocyte membranes and their ability to inhibit attachment to ECM components was studied. Purified IgG inhibited attachment to C-IV, while having only a minor effect on attachment to LN. These data are compatible with the presence of a specific cell surface component(s) that interacts with ECM substrates and influences cell shape and possibly thereby influences cellular functions.     

Dietary docosahexaenoic acid is retroconverted in man to eicosapentaenoic acid, which can be quickly transformed to prostaglandin I3

In a 24 h kinetic study docosahexaenoic acid (DCHA, C22:6n-3) or eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA, C20:5n-3) were given in a single dose to healthy male volunteers. PGI₃-M, the main urinary metabolite of prostaglandin I₃ was below the detection limit in the control periods, but was excreted already in the first 4 h after ingestion of DCHA or EPA and decreased thereafter. Excretion of PGI₂-M did not change significantly. In a second dietary trial DCHA and EPA were given cross-over to 7 healthy male volunteers for 6 days. PGI₃-M was formed after DCHA and EPA in amounts of 35 and 20 % of PGI₂-M and showed a considerable interindividual variation. The structure of PGI₃-M was verified by independant biochemical synthesis. Our data indicate that dietary DCHA is retroconverted to EPA in man, which is quickly transformed - like dietary EPA itself - to prostaglandin I₃. DCHA may therefore serve as a precursor fatty acid for EPA and its cyclooxygenated and lipoxygenated products.     

Electron-paramagnetic-resonance studies on cobalt(II) carbonic anhydrase–sulphonamide complexes

Sulphonamide adducts of three Co(II) carbonic anhydrases were investigated by e.p.r. (electron paramagnetic resonance) at helium temperatures. The highly anisotropic 9 GHz spectra exhibited only three distinct features, with g values between 6.3 and 1.5. Such spectra arise from an electronic state with effective spin S'=(1/2), indicating that the high-spin (S=3/2) ground level is split into two spin doublets differing in energy by an amount large compared with the microwave quantum, but small in relation to thermal energies at ambient temperature. This situation would occur in a tetrahedral system suffering a large rhombic distortion. Calculations based on this model accounted for apparent discrepancies in integrated spectral intensities, and yielded magnetic moments in good agreement with independent measurements, especially in the case of certain small Co(II) complexes resembling the enzyme adducts in their e.p.r. signals. Precise sets of g values, reflecting a particular co-ordination geometry, were found to be representative of each enzyme variant and the type of sulphonamide inhibitor, whether benzocyclic or heterocyclic. A series of substituted benzene sulphonamides bound to the same enzyme gave rise to closely similar spectra despite a wide range of pK(i) values. Thus benzocyclic and heterocyclic sulphonamides were evidently held in the active-site cleft in characteristic orientations irrespective of side chains that might considerably influence the total binding strength. Visible absorption spectra of various sulphonamide adducts at room temperature showed a similar pattern of inhibitor dependence to the e.p.r. spectra, suggesting a correspondence between the co-ordination structures in liquid and frozen solution. E.p.r. spectra of the sulphonamide complexes were remarkable not only for their range of g values, but also for their variations in line-width and spin-lattice relaxation behaviour. Addition of glycerol to the medium produced marked enhancement in resolution, owing to the creation of a more homogeneous frozen matrix. The non-uniform spin relaxation was probably a consequence of the large anisotropy in effective g tensor.     

Chiloplectus masleni sp. nov. and variability in populations of Plectus acuminatus Bastian 1865 (Nematoda: Plectidae) from the nunatak Basen,Vestfjella, Dronning Maud Land,East Antarctica

 A new species, Chiloplectus masleni sp. nov., and 12 populations of Plectus acuminatus are described from the nunatak Basen, Vestfjella, Dronning Maud Land, East Antarctica. C. masleni sp. nov. is distinguished from the closely related C. loricatus by a broader lip region, longer stoma, the more posterior position of amphids, a pear-shaped basal bulb, more narrow annuli, anterior annuli that are evenly rounded and a larger number of tail setae. New information is provided on internal and external morphology of specimens of P. acuminatus from Basen. Received: 20 December 1995/Accepted: 17 March 1996     

A Quantitative Microtiter Plate Nuclease Assay Based on Ethidium/DNA Fluorescence

A microtiter plate assay was developed to quantitate the nuclease activity of the extracellularSerratia marcescensendonuclease under different buffer conditions. Substrate cleavage was followed as decrease in ethidium/DNA fluorescence using a uv-transilluminator and a video documentation system. Time courses of DNA cleavage were recorded and cleavage rates determined very precisely within a factor of 1.2. The assay has a linear dynamic range covering three orders of magnitude of nuclease activity and can be carried out very quickly within a few minutes. It can also be used with RNA as substrate. With appropriate modifications it should be possible to adapt this assay for other enzymatic reactions which are accompanied by changes in absorbance or fluorescence.     

An RsaI polymorphism in the transcribed region of the neurofibromatosis (NF1)-gene

We describe an RsaI polymorphism in the transcribed region (exon 5) of the neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1)-gene     

Characterization of a quail suspension cell line for production of a fusogenic oncolytic virus

The development of efficient processes for the production of oncolytic viruses (OV) plays a crucial role regarding the clinical success of virotherapy. Although many different OV platforms are currently under investigation, manufacturing of such viruses still mainly relies on static adherent cell cultures, which bear many challenges, particularly for fusogenic OVs. Availability of GMP-compliant continuous cell lines is limited, further complicating the development of commercially viable products. BHK21, AGE1. CR and HEK293 cells were previously identified as possible cell substrates for the recombinant vesicular stomatitis virus (rVSV)-based fusogenic OV, rVSV-NDV. Now, another promising cell substrate was identified, the CCX.E10 cell line, developed by Nuvonis Technologies. This suspension cell line is considered non-GMO as no foreign genes or viral sequences were used for its development. The CCX.E10 cells were thus thoroughly investigated as a potential candidate for OV production. Cell growth in the chemically defined medium in suspension resulted in concentrations up to 8.9 × 10⁶ cells/mL with a doubling time of 26.6 h in batch mode. Cultivation and production of rVSV-NDV, was demonstrated successfully for various cultivation systems (ambr15, shake flask, stirred tank reactor, and orbitally shaken bioreactor) at vessel scales ranging from 15 mL to 10 L. High infectious virus titers of up to 4.2 × 10⁸ TCID₅₀/mL were reached in orbitally shaken bioreactors and stirred tank reactors in batch mode, respectively. Our results suggest that CCX.E10 cells are a very promising option for industrial production of OVs, particularly for fusogenic VSV-based constructs.