Quantitative analysis of development of mitochondrial ultrastructure in differentiating mouse hepatocytes during postnatal period

Between birth and 10 days of age, the volume density (volume/unit cytoplasmic volume) of the matrix, and the surface density (area/unit cytoplasmic volume) of the inner membrane and cristae increased in both periportal and perihepatic hepatocytes, and did not differ significantly between the cells of the two zones. After 10 days of age, however, the volume density of the matrix decreased in perihepatic cells and remained unchanged in periportal cells, and, therefore, it became greater in periportal cells than in perihepatic cells in 20-day-old and adult animals. The surface density of the inner membrane and cristae decreased in the cells of both zones. Further, the hepatocyte volume increased markedly, especially in perihepatic zones between 20 days of age and the adult. The results show that, in postnatally differentiating hepatocytes, mitochondria are likely to develop during early postnatal period, then the structural heterogeneity of mitochondria arises, and hepatocyte volume increases markedly during late postnatal period after weaning. Thus, the process of postnatal hepatocyte differentiation includes such several phases of development.     

Alkaloids from the leaves of Strychnos wallichiana

The leaves of Strychnos wallichiana Steud. ex. DC. from Bangladesh contain icajine and novacine as their major alkaloids. Smaller amounts of strychnine, brucine, pseudostrychnine, pseudobrucine, N-methyl-sec.-pseudo-β-colubrine, 14-hydroxyicajine, strychnine N-oxide, and brucine N-oxide are also present. The new bases 14 hydroxynovacine and icajine N-oxide have been isolated.     

Structural Properties and Features of Parasitic Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus

The structure of five parasitic strains of Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus was studied by electron microscope after negative staining and in shadow-case and etched freeze-fractured preparations. Special attention was paid to the cell wall and the flagellar sheath which is continuous with the wall or part of it. These structural components reveal distinct features which are induced by certain staining substances; they are exceedingly susceptible to disruption by physical treatments, and in old cells often appear impaired. In freeze-fractured cells the wall shows characteristic fracturing tendencies not known in other microorganisms. These structural properties and features are distinct to Bdellovibrio wall and flagellar sheath, the structural integrity of which is a fundamental requirement for the infectivity and survival of this organism. The anterior end of Bdellovibrio is differentiated: 6 to 12 ring-like structures (9 to 12 nm, outer diameter) are built into its wall and several fibers (7 to 10 nm wide, up to 1.5 μm long) emerge from it. Intracellular structures, which are revealed as compact oval bodies bulging from the cell border and have internal laminated organization, are characteristic of Bdellovibrio after negative staining with certain compounds. These findings on the structure of parasitic Bdellovibrio substantiate previous observations indicating the uniqueness of this organism and add criteria for the identification of this genus.     

Mitotic spindle damage induced by 2-chlorobenzylidene malonitrile (CS) in V79 Chinese hamster cells examined by differential staining of the spindle apparatus and chromosomes.

A 3-h exposure of V79 Chinese hamster cells with the sensory irritant 2-chlorobenzylidene malonitrile (CS) caused apolar mitoses in a dose-dependent manner. With a preparation and staining technique that allows for the visualization of the spindle apparatus and the chromosomes it was found that unlike in Colcemid-induced c-metaphases residual spindle fibers or microtubule material were present in the majority of CS-induced c-metaphases. The observation suggests different mechanisms for the induction of the c-mitotic effect by the two spindle poisons.     

Laboratory investigations on the survival of marine bacteriophages in raw and treated seawater

Laboratory investigations were performed to gain insight into the mechanisms which govern the survival of marine bacteriophages in nature. Samples collected in 1988 to 1990 at station “Kabeltonne” near Helgoland were used raw, membrane-filtered (0.15μm), and/or after inverse filtration through 10 μm-mesh gauze to reduce or increase live and dead particles. The development of natural or artificial bacterial populations and the survival of 2 to 10 distinguishable strains of test phage were followed during incubation at 20°C. The results obtained with most test phages point to the predominant role of indigenous bacteria for marine phage inactivation which was generally enhanced by sample managements leading to improved growth of bacteria. The virucidal properties of the samples differed greatly in total strength as well as in the changes taking place during incubation, the latter resulting in conspicuously differing inactivation curves. Generally, phage inactivation was slow during the first 2 to 3 days of incubation, followed by a period of very rapid inactivation which usually coincided with the die-away of colony-forming bacteria. This period lasted either only a few days or until the concentration of test phage was reduced to (near) zero. While the inactivation of most test phage is assumedly caused by proteolytic enzymes released during the die-away of bacteria, the survivability of one test phage (H7/2) was also markedly influenced by the bacteria sensitive to it. Survival rates of the test phages in the laboratory tests were generally of the same order of magnitude as those recently observed with natural phage populations.     

Application of a photosystem II model for analysis of fluorescence induction curves in the 100 ns to 10 s time domain after excitation with a saturating light pulse

A mathematical model of photosystem II (PSII) events was used to analyze chlorophyll fluorescence transients in the time domain from 100 ns to 10 s after excitation with a saturating 10-ns flash, applied as a part of specialized illumination protocol, using preparations of a thermophilic strain of the unicellular green alga, Chlorella pyrenoidosa Chick (using both intact and diuron-treated cells). Analysis of simulation results has proven that particular attention should be given to flash-induced recombination processes, including nonradiative recombination in PSII, while subsequent charge transfer along the electron transport chain of thylakoid membrane can be adequately described by a single reaction of quinone reoxidation. The PSII model was extended by taking inhibition by diuron of the electron transport in the acceptor side of PSII into account, which allowed simulation of fluorescence induction curves observed in the presence of this inhibitor. The model parameters were determined (stromal pH, rate constants of nonradiative recombination, and the initial reduction state of the quinone pool) which provided adequate simulation of experimentally observed ratios of the maximal and initial fluorescence levels (F _m/F ₀).