Contribution to the ecology ofMarsilea quadrifolia L.

Data are presented on the aboveground and underground biomass of the speciesMarsilea quadrifolia and on the water regime and soil conditions in a habitat of this species in Central Europe (Czechoslovakia).     

Lysosomal enzyme activities in polymorphonuclear leukocytes,macrophages, serum,and spleen of conventional,germ-free,and antigen-free minnesota miniature swine

The activities of lysozyme, myeloperoxidase, and elastase were lower in PMNs and AMs from GF and AF Minnesota miniature piglets than in the leukocytes from their CONV counterparts. In the spleen and serum of gnotobiotic piglets only the levels of lysozyme were slightly reduced. Substantially depressed activities of these LEs were found also in PMNs from precolostral piglets in comparison with PMNs from their CONV mother. The bisassociation of GF piglets with Enterococcus liquefaciens and Escherichia coli caused an increase of LE activities in their AMs, spleens, and sera. Fewer LEs were released after phygocytic stimulation with zymosan from PMNs of GF, AF, and precolostral piglets than from PMNs of CONV animals of the same age. These data suggest that the antigenic-microbial stimulation is important for the development of normal lysosomal enzyme activities in PMNs and AMs from gnotobiotic animals.     

Interaction of high mobility group proteins HMG 1 and HMG 2 with nucleosomes studied by gel electrophoresis

The binding of isolated high mobility group proteins HMG (1+2) with nucleosomes was studied using gel electrophoresis. The interaction of HMG (1+2) with mononucleosomes could be detected as a new discrete electrophoretic band with a decreased mobility only after cross-linking of HMG (1+2)-nucleosome complex by formaldehyde. Approximately two molecules of the large HMG proteins were bound per nucleosomal particle of a DNA length of 185 base pairs, lacking histones H1 and H5. Using the same techniques, no binding was observed with core particles of a DNA length of 145 base pairs.     

Mathematical model of honeycomb construction

We developed a mathematical model and an algorithm for numerical treatment of a model of honeycomb construction in a beehive. The model contains essential features of the bee-bee and bee-wax interactions, and in a qualitative way captures the dynamics of parallel comb construction. The construction is represented by a set of dynamical coupled partial differential equations for the density of bees situated on the hive ceiling, and the quantity of wax distributed by the bees. A spectral algorithm is invented for treatment of these equations, based on a modified thin-sheet gain scheme and a fast Fourier transform technique.Work at City College supported in part by the Army Research Office and the Department of Energy     

Effect of the polysaccharide ofAgrobacterium radiobacter on the growth of plants and occurrence of damping-off in sugar beet

Agrobacterium radiobacter, strain B6 (a strain isolated in this laboratory, which limited the occurrence of damping-off of sugar beet and influenced growth of plants in hot-house and field experiments) was found to produce an acidic exopolysaccharide in a mineral medium with various carbon sources. Hydrolyzates of the polysaccharide contained glucose, galactose, glycerol, succinic acid and pyruvic acid, whose quantitative content varied according to the carbon source used. The polysaccharide isolated from the medium containing glucose exhibited the highest physiological activity. Seeds germinated best and sugar beet roots were found to grow most rapidly in a medium containing 0.2 % (W/W) of the polysaccharide. The roots exposed for 3 d in this medium grew 2.7-fold as compared with non-treated plants. Higher sumbers of microorganisms were detected on the surface of roots treated with the polysaccharide. Growth of roots was also stimulated when immersing the seeds (30 min) in a 0.2 –0.4 % solution of this polysaccharide. After a two-fold treatment the roots were less damaged by the fungusPythium ultimum. Plants from seeds treated with the polysaccharide grew in the field soil more rapidly than the non-treated plants but worse than after bacterization of the seeds byA. radiobacter B6 and were only partially protected against the damping-off of sugar beet.     

Passage of foreign proteins across the intestinal wall of newborn rabbits

Foreign proteins penetrate across the wall of rabbit jejunum takes place within the first eight hours after birth. Sensitization by foreign protein (cow's milk protein) during early postnatal ontogeny is the cause of death of artificially fed germfree rabbits at the age of 21-23 d.     

The comparison of seed protein patterns within the genusArachis by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis

The seed protein patterns of 12Arachis species were compared by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE), similarities between patterns were measured by the Jaccard index. Results obtained confirm the close relationships established between members of the genus on morphological grounds and support the more recent classification schemes.A. villosa andA. correntina could well be regarded as distinct species on grounds of protein differences whileA. macedoi andA. villosulicarpa (although members of the same section, Extranervosae) show considerable differentiation of their protein patterns. Surprisingly, the formA. ×batizogaea showed less similarity in protein pattern to those of its parental species than might have been expected. The principle value of seed protein pattern data appears to be in distinguishing species within sections.     

Corticosteroid-induced abnormality in fetal mice and H-2 haplotype: Evidence of a cytoplasmic effect

Different strains of H-2 congenic mice have different susceptibilities to corticosteroid-induced fetal loss and cleft palate. Applying this knowledge, we tested the null hypothesis, which assumes that there are no statistically significant differences in the frequency of abnormality among various types of treated backcross offspring and, thus, no evidence of a cytoplasmic effect. In the present study this null hypothesis was frequently, but not consistently, rejected. Therefore, there was some evidence of a cytoplasmic effect. One possible explanation of these results is seen when one considers the phenotypic effects of “gene-gene interaction” between variant H-2 genotypes and an invariant mitochondrial genotype.