Cytochemical Localization of Certain Phosphatases in Escherichia coli

Cytochemical studies of Escherichia coli at the light and electron microscopic levels have revealed alkaline phosphatase, hexose monophosphatase, and cyclic phosphodiesterase reaction products in the periplasmic space and at the cell surface. In preparations for both light and electron microscopy, reaction product filled polar caplike enlargements of the periplasmic space, such as those described in plasmolyzed cells, indicating significant terminal concentrations of these enzymes; dense substance was often seen within these polar caps in morphological specimens. Staining of the bacterial surface was commonly encountered, but could represent artifactual accumulation of precipitate along the cell wall. Alkaline phosphatase was demonstrated with several substrates (ethanolamine phosphate, glycerophosphate, p-nitrophenylphosphate, and glucose-6-phosphate) over a wide pH range in a bacterial strain (C-90) known to be constitutive for this enzyme, whereas strains deficient in this enzyme (U-7, repressed K-37), showed no activity with these substrates. Hexose monophosphatase and cyclic phosphodiesterase activities were characterized by reaction-product deposition with specific substrates at acid or neutral, but not at alkaline, pH in strains of E. coli lacking alkaline phosphatase (U-7 and repressed K-37). Fixation in Formalin or the use of calcium as a capture reagent seemed to interfere with periplasmic staining in cells prepared for electron microscopy. Formalin fixation had little effect on biochemical assays of the phosphatase activity of intact cells in suspension, but partially reduced the activity evident in sonically treated extracts or in suspensions of dispersed cryostat sections. Glutaraldehyde treatment impaired enzyme activity more drastically.     

Optical anisotropy of oriented deoxyribonucleic acid films of different water content

Ultraviolet absorption and dichroism measurements on oriented films of calf thymus deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) at varying degrees of hydration show a structural hysteresis which occurs within a relative humidity of 0 to 65% RH. This hysteresis is interpreted on the basis of a model which assumes the existence of structure-stabilizing hydrogen water bridges in the DNA double helix.     

Linearer Dichroismus bei Riesenchromosomen von Chironomus

Zusammenfassung Es wird über Messungen des linearen Dichroismus in den Chromomerenscheiben der Riesenchromosomen von Chironomus thummi mit einem Mikrospektralphotometer für Messungen mit polarisiertem Licht berichtet.Die Meßfläche betrug etwa 2 m im Durchmesser. Die Ergebnisse zeigen, daß eine einheitliche Orientierung der DNS in den Chromomerenscheiben nicht vorhanden ist.Die Ergebnisse werden im Zusammenhang mit den in der Literatur erhobenen Befunden über die Orientierung der DNS-Moleküle in den Chromomerenscheiben diskutiert.

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Linear dichroism of giant chromosomes of chironomus

Measurements of linear dichroism in the chromomeric bands of giant chromosomes of Chironomus thummi are reported. The measurements were performed by means of a microspectrophotometer specially designed for measuring with polarized light. The diameter of the measuring area was about 2 m. As was revealed by the results there exists no uniform orientation of the nucleic acid molecules within the chromomeric disks. The results are discussed in connection with the findings stated in literature on the orientation of the nucleic acid molecules in the chromomeric bands.

     

Partial purification and characterization of a factor from a cloned thymic epithelium cell line

The culture supernatant from a cloned line of thymic epithelium (TEPI) is shown to enhance the response of thymocytes to alloantigen as measured by cell-mediated lympholysis. The supernatant has no effect on the spleen cell response to alloantigen as measured by cell-mediated lysis and does not contain interleukin 1, interleukin 2, interleukin 3, or interferon-gamma activity. The activity is shown to have an apparent m.w. of 160,000 by Sephacryl S-200 gel permeation chromatography, to have an isoelectric point of 6.5, and to elute from DEAE-Sepharose at 0.07 M NaCl.     

The role of cysteine oxidation in the thermal inactivation of T4 lysozyme

Wild-type T4 lysozyme contains unpaired cysteine residues at positions 54 and 97. To investigate the role these residues play in the thermal inactivation of the wild-type, we constructed a double mutant with these cysteines replaced with valine and serine. This molecule, T4 lysozyme (C54V/C97S), is more stable than the wild-type to inactivation at 70 degrees C at pH 6.5 and 8.0. Guanidine hydrochloride reactivation experiments and SDS-PAGE on the inactivated products show that the wild-type is susceptible to varying degrees of oxidative damage, depending on buffer conditions, while the cysteine-minus mutant inactivates only by other pathways. The products of thermal, oxidative inactivation of the wild-type are disulfide-linked oligomers. The dependence of inactivation rate on temperature suggests that the formation of these aggregates depends on prior thermal unfolding of the T4 lysozyme molecule.     

Lucky rugose corals on crinoid stems: unusual examples of subepidermal epizoans from the Devonian of Morocco

Berkowski, B & Klug, C. 2011: Lucky rugose corals on crinoid stems: unusual examples of subepidermal epizoans from the Devonian of Morocco. Lethaia, Vol. 45, pp. 24–33. In the fossil record, evidence for true epizoans, i.e. living animals inhabiting other living host‐animals, is rather rare. A host reaction is usually needed to proof the syn vivo‐settling of the epizoan. Herein, we provide a first report of such an epizoan biocoenosis from various strata of the Early Devonian of Hamar Laghdad, the world‐renowned Moroccan mud‐mound locality. In this case, solitary rugose corals settled as larvae on crinoid stems, perhaps at a spot where the epidermis was missing for some reason (injury, disease). Both the crinoid and the coral began to grow around each other. By doing so, the affected crinoid columnals formed a swelling, where ultimately only an opening slightly larger than the coral orifice remained. We discuss both macroecological and small‐scale synecological aspects of this biocoenosis. The coral profited from its elevated home because it reached into more rapid currents providing the polyp with more food than at the densely populated seafloor, which was probably covered by a coral‐meadow around the mounds and hydrothermal vents. □Corals, crinoids, Early Devonian, epizoans, Morocco, Rugosa.     

Odorant-stimulated phosphoinositide signaling in mammalian olfactory receptor neurons

Recent evidence has revived interest in the idea that phosphoinositides (PIs) may play a role in signal transduction in mammalian olfactory receptor neurons (ORNs). To provide direct evidence that odorants indeed activate PI signaling in ORNs, we used adenoviral vectors carrying two different fluorescently tagged probes, the pleckstrin homology (PH) domains of phospholipase Cδ1 (PLCδ1) and the general receptor of phosphoinositides (GRP1), to monitor PI activity in the dendritic knobs of ORNs in vivo. Odorants mobilized PI(4,5)P₂/IP₃ and PI(3,4,5)P₃, the substrates and products of PLC and PI3K. We then measured odorant activation of PLC and PI3K in olfactory ciliary-enriched membranes in vitro using a phospholipid overlay assay and ELISAs. Odorants activated both PLC and PI3K in the olfactory cilia within 2 s of odorant stimulation. Odorant-dependent activation of PLC and PI3K in the olfactory epithelium could be blocked by enzyme-specific inhibitors. Odorants activated PLC and PI3K with partially overlapping specificity. These results provide direct evidence that odorants indeed activate PI signaling in mammalian ORNs in a manner that is consistent with the idea that PI signaling plays a role in olfactory transduction.     

Biophysical Underpinnings of the Repeat Length Dependence of Polyglutamine Amyloid Formation

There are now 10 expanded CAG repeat diseases in which both disease risk and age of onset are strongly dependent on the repeat length of the polyglutamine (polyQ) sequence in the disease protein. Large, polyQ-rich inclusions in patient brains and in cell and animal models are consistent with the involvement of polyQ aggregation in the disease mechanism. This possibility is reinforced by studies showing strong repeat length dependence to the aggregation process, qualitatively mirroring the repeat length dependence of disease risk. Our understanding of the underlying biophysical principles that mediate the repeat length dependence of aggregation, however, is far from complete. A previous study of simple polyQ peptides showed that N*, the size of the critical nucleus that controls onset of aggregation, decreases from unfavorable tetramer to favorable monomer over the range Q₂₃ to Q₂₆. These data, however, do not explain why, for all peptides exhibiting N* ∼ 1, spontaneous aggregation rates continue to increase with increasing repeat length. Here we describe a novel kinetics analyses that maps out the nonlinear dependence with repeat length of a nucleation efficiency term that is likely related to aspects of nucleus structure. This trend accounts for why nucleus size increases to tetrameric at repeat lengths of Q₂₃ or below. Intriguingly, both aggregation and age of onset trend with repeat length in similar ways, exhibiting large changes per added Gln at low repeat lengths and small changes per added Gln at relatively long repeat lengths. Fibril stability also increases with repeat length in a nonlinear fashion.     

Kontrolle der Eiablage der Brachfliege (Leptohylemyia coarctata Fallén) als Voraussetzung für die Befallsprognose und Bekämpfung

Study of bean plants infected by tabacco mosaic virus and potato X virus was performed. Virus infection of bean plants induced the injury of structural state of photosynthetic apparatus, viz., the a/b chlorophyll ratio decreased and the main photosynthetic membrane lipid monogalactosyl diacylglycerol degradation took place with parallel accumulation of intermediate compound suggested to perform a signal function. Phospholipid and free sterol content increase pointed out on the changes of the membrane fluidity and permeability. Accumulation of sulphoquinovosyl diacylglycerol in infected plants evidences the probability of latter to play important roles in adaptive reactions of photosynthetic apparatus.