Muscle fibrillation caused by cytochalasin-B applied to the motor nerve.

Cytochalasin-B, a drug known to interfere with axoplasmic transport, evoked fibrillary potentials in the geniohyoid muscle when applied to its motor nerve. Despite this denervation-like effect, neuromuscular transmission remained normal. Some contractile characteristics of the muscle were studied. It was found that contraction time, isometric twitch tension, and half-relaxation time were not altered by the drug treatment. The present findings show that neurogenic molecular factors conveyed by axoplasmic transport to the nerve terminal are involved in the regulation of some muscle membrane characteristics but do not modify the muscle contractile features.     

Requirement for the C-terminal region of middle T-antigen in cellular transformation by polyoma virus

Deletions of polyoma virus DNA around the region that codes for the C-terminus of the viral middle T-antigen were created using a transforming fragment (BamH I/EcoR I) of viral DNA cloned in the plasmid vector pAT153. These species were recloned and assayed for their ability to transform Rat-1 cells in culture. Our results showed that whereas the DNA sequence between the presumed translational termination codon for the viral middle T-antigen and the single viral EcoR I site could be removed with no apparent effect on transformation, the removal of the termination codon itself or any amino acid coding sequences of this protein caused a drastic decrease in the transforming ability of the DNA. Transfection of Rat-1 cells with plasmids that contained viral DNA with deletions which corresponded to the last fourteen or more amino acids of the middle T-antigen never gave rise to cellular transformation.     

Frequency response characteristics of a multi-loop representation of the segmental muscle stretch reflex

This paper continues the investigation of a three-loop representation of the segmental muscle stretch reflex system introduced in a preceding communication. Frequency response characteristics were computed for open-loop conditions, control and disturbance signal inputs under a variety of conditions: (i) in parallel and in series peripheral arrangements of muscle compartments, (ii) various patterns of central connectivity, (iii) various recruitment levels of motor units, (iv) various overall reflex gains, (v) absence or presence of muscle spindle accleration sensitivity. These computations disclosed a number of mechanisms by which the nervous system might improve system stability and behaviour. These mechanisms are discussed with regard to physiological data.     

Neuropeptides in the pineal gland?

Summary In an attempt to localize components of the renin angiotensinsystem in the pineal gland of rats, immunocytochemical studies using the PAP-technique were performed with antisera against angiotensin I, angiotensin II and angiotensinogen. The staining pattern thus obtained was not only the same for the three antisera, but was also identical to that shown for many other peptide-antisera in the literature. In those studies, the immunocytochemical staining had been ascribed to a distinct pineal cell population or to cell processes. However, by examining adjacent semithin and ultrathin sections by immunocytochemistry and electron microscopy, respectively, we could identify the extracellular perivascular compartment and its flocculent material as the site of staining.This unexpected localization and the observation of immunoreactivity of some preimmunsera in the same compartment as well as several additional findings and arguments are taken to suggest the likelihood of pseudopositive immunostaining, typical for the pineal gland.These studies were supported by the German Research Foundation within the SFB 90 Cardivasculäres System     

Requirement of the human chromosome 11 long arm for replication of herpes simplex virus type 1 in nonpermissive Chinese hamster x human diploid fibroblast hybrids

Somatic cell hybrids between Chinese hamster (CH) lung cells (V79/380-6), nonpermissive for productive infection by herpes simplex type 1 (HSV-1), and permissive human diploid cells support productive HSV-1 infection as long as they retain human chromosome 11. Human chromosome 3 has been reported to complement nonpermissivity in (CH) Don cells (1). Intraspecies hybrids between Don/a3 and V79/380-6 cells, however, did not support HSV-1 replication, indicating lack of complementation. The block in both nonpermissive CH cell lines was determined to involve a step beyond replication of the parental viral DNA. In cell hybrids between nonpermissive Don/a23 cells and human fibroblasts containing a t(11;15) (p11;p12) translocation, HSV-1 production was dependent solely on the presence of either human chromosome 11 or the der(11) (p11 leads to qter) translocation product containing the long arm of chromosome 11. Chromosome 3 was excluded by a discordancy rate of 59%. We conclude that the long arm of human chromosome 11 carries one or more genes coding for host functions necessary for the production of progeny HSV-1 DNA.     

Ethanol production from sugar cane segments in a high solids drum fermentor

Summary A successful yeast fermentation for the production of relatively high concentration of ethanol (9% w/v) was carried out using sugar cane segments. Extraction of sugar from segments occurred simultaneously with ethanol formation. The beer produced was transferred to a fresh batch of sugar cane segments and the fermentation cycle was repeated successively three times with the same beer. A high cane to water ratio was obtained in a rotating drum fermentor which allowed for a minimal amount of liquid to be used during the fermentation process.     

Quantitative topography of organelles in the liver

Summary After seven days of feeding fructose the liver of Wistar rats showed enormous accumulations of glycogen, which completely altered the original pattern of distribution of organelles. A quantitative morphological method was used to analyze these changes.The cytoplasm was mapped into arbitrary distance classes corresponding to concentric rings beginning at the outer nuclear membrane. This allowed the density of organelles in a given zone to be estimated.In cells filled with glycogen as a result of the fructose feeding, the following rearrangements were found: in the intermediate zone of both cellular poles (i.e., bile canalicular pole and sinusoidal pole) the mitochondria disappeared, being replaced by glycogen.The endoplasmic reticulum was accumulated in the perinuclear zone of both cellular poles, as in control animals, but was reduced throughout the rest of cytoplasm. It showed a peripheral density maximum at the biliary canalicular pole, in contrast to the cells of control animals.These changes in the distribution of the organelles and cellular compartments correspond to histochemical findings and demonstrate an adaptive reaction in the liver parenchyma to fructose ingestion, the organelles arranging themselves in cytoplasmic regions which still show a metabolic activity.Supported by a grant from the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft Az Ri 271/6-5