Uptake of microperoxidase by segmenting rat ova in vitro

Summary Uptake and incidence of microperoxidase (Sigma) in the rat ova during cleavage at the 1-, 2-, 8-cell and blastocyst stages were studied after 30 min incubation with the enzyme (molecular weight of 1,900 and size of molecule of 2 nm).Evidence was furnished of the presence of a small amount of reaction product of microperoxidase in the zona pellucida and its local concentration in some parts of the perivitelline space. The larger part of surface of the ovum, however, was free of microperoxidase. In the cytoplasm microperoxidase was found in pinocytotic vesicles, less frequently in large vacuoles and starting with the eight-cell stage in secondary lysosomes. The largest amount of microperoxidase was ascertained at the stage of blastocyst, chiefly in the cells of the trophoblast. In the cells of the embryoblast, on the contrary, microperoxidase was found but occasionally. The reaction product of microperoxidase was also present in the intercellular space of ova in negligible amount, and likewise on the side of blastocysts' cavity. In comparison with the ingestion of horseradish peroxidase the incidence of microperoxidase in the segmenting rat ova was less frequent.     

Sulfite formation by wine yeasts

The enzyme catalyzing the reduction of sulfite by reduced benzyl viologen (BVH) was partially purified and characterized from two strains of wine yeasts, a sulfite-producing strain and a non-producing strain.Both enzymes showed corresponding features in pH-optima, optima of buffer and benzyl viologen concentrations.The enzymes did not catalyze the reduction of nitrite by reduced viologen dyes, but the reduction of sulfite was uncompetitively inhibited by nitrite. Compounds of sulfur metabolism such as sulfate, thiosulfate, cysteine, serine and methionine did not influence the activity of either of the enzymes. The main differences between the two enzymes exist in the specific activities in crude extracts, the K _m -values for sulfite, substrate inhibition rates, and localization in different fractions during (NH₄)₂SO₄ precipitation. The specific activity in crude extracts of the sulfite-producing strain (0.052 moles S^2- x min^-1 x mg^-1) was about three fold higher than that of the non-producing strain (0.0179 moles S^2- x min^-1 x mg^-1). On the other hand the sulfite-producing strain had a higher K _m -value for sulfite (2×10^-3 M) and was more strongly inhibited by the substrate than the non-producing strain (6×10^-3 M).     

Human electromagnetic and haemodynamic networks systematically converge in unimodal cortex and diverge in transmodal cortex

Whole-brain neural communication is typically estimated from statistical associations among electromagnetic or haemodynamic time-series. The relationship between functional network architectures recovered from these 2 types of neural activity remains unknown. Here, we map electromagnetic networks (measured using magnetoencephalography (MEG)) to haemodynamic networks (measured using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI)). We find that the relationship between the 2 modalities is regionally heterogeneous and systematically follows the cortical hierarchy, with close correspondence in unimodal cortex and poor correspondence in transmodal cortex. Comparison with the BigBrain histological atlas reveals that electromagnetic–haemodynamic coupling is driven by laminar differentiation and neuron density, suggesting that the mapping between the 2 modalities can be explained by cytoarchitectural variation. Importantly, haemodynamic connectivity cannot be explained by electromagnetic activity in a single frequency band, but rather arises from the mixing of multiple neurophysiological rhythms. Correspondence between the two is largely driven by MEG functional connectivity at the beta (15 to 29 Hz) frequency band. Collectively, these findings demonstrate highly organized but only partly overlapping patterns of connectivity in MEG and fMRI functional networks, opening fundamentally new avenues for studying the relationship between cortical microarchitecture and multimodal connectivity patterns.

What is the relationship between functional network architectures inferred from electromagnetic and haemodynamic data? This study shows that superposition of electromagnetic networks at canonical frequency bands manifests as highly structured patterns of haemodynamic functional connectivity in the human brain, reflecting systematic variation in cytoarchitecture.     

FEMALE AND MALE GENETIC EFFECTS ON OFFSPRING PATERNITY: ADDITIVE GENETIC (CO)VARIANCES IN FEMALE EXTRA‐PAIR REPRODUCTION AND MALE PATERNITY SUCCESS IN SONG SPARROWS (MELOSPIZA MELODIA)

Ongoing evolution of polyandry, and consequent extra‐pair reproduction in socially monogamous systems, is hypothesized to be facilitated by indirect selection stemming from cross‐sex genetic covariances with components of male fitness. Specifically, polyandry is hypothesized to create positive genetic covariance with male paternity success due to inevitable assortative reproduction, driving ongoing coevolution. However, it remains unclear whether such covariances could or do emerge within complex polyandrous systems. First, we illustrate that genetic covariances between female extra‐pair reproduction and male within‐pair paternity success might be constrained in socially monogamous systems where female and male additive genetic effects can have opposing impacts on the paternity of jointly reared offspring. Second, we demonstrate nonzero additive genetic variance in female liability for extra‐pair reproduction and male liability for within‐pair paternity success, modeled as direct and associative genetic effects on offspring paternity, respectively, in free‐living song sparrows (Melospiza melodia). The posterior mean additive genetic covariance between these liabilities was slightly positive, but the credible interval was wide and overlapped zero. Therefore, although substantial total additive genetic variance exists, the hypothesis that ongoing evolution of female extra‐pair reproduction is facilitated by genetic covariance with male within‐pair paternity success cannot yet be definitively supported or rejected either conceptually or empirically.     

Modular bioreactor for primary human hepatocyte culture: medium flow stimulates expression and activity of detoxification genes

Down-regulation of detoxification genes, notably cytochrome P450 (CYPs), in primary hepatocyte cultures is a long-standing and major concern. We evaluated the influence of medium flow in this model. Hepatocytes isolated from 12 different liver donors were cultured either in a multichamber modular bioreactor (MCmB, flow rate 250-500 μL/min) or under standard/static conditions, and the expression of 32 genes, enzyme activities and biological parameters were measured 7-21 days later. mRNA expression of genes involved in xenobiotic/drug metabolism and transport, including CYP1A1, 1A2, 2B6, 2C9, 3A4 (and activities for some of them), UDP-glucuronosyltransferase (UGT) 1A1, UGT2B4, UGT2B7, glutathione S-transferase (GSTα), and multidrug resistance protein 1 (MDR1) and MRP2, were specifically up-regulated by medium flow as compared with static controls in all cultures tested. In 2-week-old cultures, expression of detoxification genes reached levels close to or higher than those measured in freshly isolated hepatocytes. In contrast, CYP2D6 and most of other tested genes were not affected by medium flow. We conclude that medium flow specifically interferes with, and up-regulates, the activity of xenosensors and/or the expression of detoxification genes in primary human hepatocytes. Down-regulation of detoxification genes in conventional (static) cultures is therefore partly a consequence of the absence of medium circulation.     

Estimation of the quantity of bacteria encapsulated in Lentikats Biocatalyst via phospholipid fatty acids content: a preliminary study

The content of phospholipid fatty acids (PLFA) was determined in samples of polyvinyl alcohol lenses (Lentikats Biocatalyst, LB) with encapsulated Paracoccus denitrificans withdrawn during long-term denitrification experiments. The total PLFA content correlated highly with specific denitrification activities of LB as well as biomass estimation based on image analyses of microscopic photos. The results confirmed the applicability of PLFA determination for estimation of the amount of living encapsulated microbial biomass during biotechnological applications.