The nucleoside triphosphate–ribonucleic acid nucleotidyltransferase (EC 2.7.7.6) of Agrobacterium tumefaciens (Smith and Townsend) Conn. Purification and properties of the enzyme from the tumorigenic strain B6806

The RNA nucleotidyltransferase (RNA polymerase) of the plant-tumorigenic bacterium Agrobacterium tumefaciens was purified. The method involves the disruption of the bacterial cells with glass beads in a Waring Blendor, treatment with DEAE-cellulose, fractionation with (NH(4))(2)SO(4), protamine sulphate precipitation, DEAE-cellulose column chromatography and either glycerol-gradient centrifugation or phosphocellulose chromatography. The subunit structure of the highly purified enzyme is similar to, although not identical with, the RNA nucleotidyltransferase of Escherichia coli. It can be described as beta', beta, chi(1) and alpha (mol.wts. 160000, 150000, 98000, and 41000+/-10% respectively). chi(1) is the temporary designation for a protein subunit, which might have the same functions as the sigma subunit in E. coli. The enzyme of A. tumefaciens is rifampicin-sensitive, has a temperature optimum in vitro of 41+/-1 degrees C and a pH optimum of 8.2+/-0.1. Mg(2+) and Mn(2+) are activators. The enzyme transcribes with different efficiencies artificial, viral, bacterial, plant and animal templates.     

The expected changes in the frequency of alleles affecting the sex ratio

An equation is derived giving the changes per generation in the frequency of alleles affecting the sex ratio. The alleles considered are assumed to be those of an autosomal locus and to act only in one sex. The results indicate that alleles determining the production of more males should always be more common in males than in females.     

Effect of arterial perfusion on net water flux and active sodium transport across the isolated skin ofBufo bufo bufo (L.)

Summary A method has been developed which allows perfusion of the blood vessels in isolated pelvic skins ofB. bufo. The effect of various doses of vasotocin (AVT) on net water flux (inside medium 220 mOsM, outside medium 11 mOsM) and active sodium transport were compared in perfused and unperfused skins. The unstimulated water flux (Fig. 3) and the active sodium transport (Fig. 6) were unaffected by perfusion. The threshold for stimulation of water flux was between 0.01 and 0.1 nM vasotocin in perfused skins and between 0.1 and 1 nM in unperfused skins. The threshold for stimulation of active sodium transport was between 0.005 and 0.05 nM vasotocin in perfused skins and between 0.05 and 0.5 nM in unperfused skins. The maximal water flux through perfused skins, 4 l/cm²min, was obtained at 1 nM vasotocin. At 10 nM vasotocin the water flux was only 0.7 l/cm²min in unperfused skins. The maximal active sodium transport was approximately of the same magnitude in perfused and unperfused skins, at 0.5 mM and at 50 nM, respectively.