Effects of caffeine on growth and metamorphosis of moth fly Telmatoscopus albipunctatus (Diptera, Psychodidae)

Caffeine causes severe retardation of growth and development and high mortality of larvae Telmatoscopus albipunctatus. In general, sensitivity to caffeine is inversely proportional to the age of the treated larvae. Adults originating from treated larvae show lower fertility. Treatment of pupae results in elongated abdomens, abnormal wings and reduced fertility in adults. Caffeine also affects adversely polytenization of chromosomes. It is suggested that effects on larval growth and polytenization of chromosomes are due to retardation of DNA synthesis. Other possible mechanisms of action of caffeine are discussed.

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Zusammenfassung Koffein verursacht starke Verzögerung von Wachstum und Entwicklung sowie hohe Mortalität der Larven von Telmatoscopus albipunctatus. Im allgemeinen ist die Empfindlichkeit genenüber Koffein umgekehrt proportional zum Alter der behandelten Larven. Adulte, die als Larven damit behandelt wurden, zeigen verminderte Fertilität. Behandlung von Puppen ergibt Adulte mit verlängertem Abdomen, anormalen Flügeln und verminderter Fertilität. Koffein beeinflußt auch die Polytänisierung der Chromosomen ungünstig. Es wird angenommen, daß die Beeinflussung des Larvenwachstums und der Polytänisierung der Chromosomen zurückzuführen ist auf verzögerte DNS-Synthese. Es werden sodann andere mögliche Mechanismen der Wirkung des Koffeins diskutiert.

     

Estimation of the Number of Sex Alleles and Queen Matings from Diploid Male Frequencies in a Population of APIS MELLIFERA

The distribution of diploid males in a population of Apis mellifera was obtained by direct examination of the sexual phenotypes of the larvae. Using these data, estimates are derived for the number of sex alleles and the number of matings undergone by the queen. The number of sex alleles is estimated to be 18.9. The estimate is larger than previous ones, which have ranged between 10 and 12. However, the increase in the number of sex alleles can be explained by the large effective population number for our data. The best estimator of the number of matings by a queen is a maximum likelihood type that assumes a prior distribution on the number of matings. For the data presented here, this estimate is 17.3. This estimate is compared to others in the literature obtained by different approaches.     

Strand scission of DNA by bound adriamycin and daunorubicin in the presence of reducing agents.

Adriamycin and daunorubicin bound to covalently closed circular DNA nick the latter when reduced by sodium borohydride as demonstrated using an ethidium bromide fluorescence assay. The degradation, dependent on oxygen, is strongly inhibited by (i) superoxide dismutase (ii) catalase and (iii) sodium benzoate indicating the intermediacy in the cleavage of superoxide radical anion, hydrogen peroxide and hydroxyl radicals respectively. Less nicking of the DNA is observed by the reduced aglycones, so binding to the DNA by the aminosugar moiety assists the cleavage process. Adriamycin, daunorubicin and both ring C reduced forms bind intercalatively and completely relax supercoiled DNA. The results provide a possible rationale for the degradation of DNA which accompanies anthracycline administration.     

Test of the electro-ultrafiltration method's applicability in soil analysis. Reproducibility of the method

Summary The applicability of the Electro-Ultra-Filtration (EUF) method in soil analyses was studied. The reproducibilities of the amounts of soil extracts, of ion concentrations in the extracts and of the distribution of cations and anions over the cathode and anode extracts by use of fully automatic EUF equipment were tested. The degree of variability among replicates was expressed as coefficient of variation (CV) and as the highest percentual divergence of an individual analytical measurement from the mean (L). The extraction volumes of five replicates of six different soils were found to vary between 1.1–7.1% with an average of 3.8%, as CV and between 1.5–11.3% as L. The reproducibility of desorbed P in the anode extract varied between 2.7–31.7% with an average of 8.7%, as CV and between 3.2–37.9% as L. Corresponding values for CV and L of K desorbed varied between 1.3–13.9% and 1.6–23.8%, respectively. Variations among replicates of desorbed P were especially high in the first 1–2 sub-fractions of a total of seven fractions in a single extraction run. Low K concentrations in the extract had a slightly negative influence on the reproducibility of K desorption. Furthermore, it was found that a portion of the cations is collected in the anode extract and a portion of the anions in the cathode extract, especially at the beginning of an extraction run. Pooling of anode and cathode extracts before analysis is therefore recommended.     

Autolytic fragmentation of complement components C3 and C4 under denaturing conditions, a property shared with alpha 2-macroglobulin.

The alpha polypeptide chain of the complement protein C3 splits into two fragments of 74 000 and 46 000 apparent mol.wt. under certain conditions used to prepare the protein for SDS (sodium dodecyl sulphate)/polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis. The cleavage reaction occurs over a wide range of temperatures and from pH 4.6 to 10.6 in the presence of denaturants such as urea, SDS and guanidine hydrochloride. It is also induced by heat-denaturation of C3 in the absence of chemical denaturants. The reaction occurs only with haemolytically active C3, and is not observed with hydroxylamine-inactivated C3 or with C3b. A similar cleavage of the alpha-chain of complement component C4 occurs under the same conditions, forming fragments of 53 000 and 41 000 apparent mol.wt. This reaction is again specific for haemolytically active C4, and does not occur with C4b or hydroxylamine-inactivated C4. The complement component C5, although structurally similar to C3 and C4, does not undergo a reaction of this type. The characteristics of the denaturation-induced cleavage of C3 and C4 match those described for the 'heat-induced' cleavage of alpha 2-macroglobulin [Harpel, Hayes & Hugli (1979) J. Biol. Chem. 254, 8669-8678]. Cleavage of alpha 2-macroglobulin is also specific for the active form of the protein, and does not occur with chemically inactivated or proteinase-cleaved forms. The unusual conditions and specificity of the peptide-bond cleavage in all three proteins suggest that it is an autolytic process rather than being the result of trace proteinase contamination. The active forms of C3, C4 and alpha 2-macroglobulin have the transient ability to form covalent bonds after activation. The autolytic cleavage reaction is likely to be related to the covalent-bond-forming reactions of these proteins.     

The structure and enzymic activities of the C1r and C1s subcomponents of C1, the first component of human serum complement.

The subcomponents C1r and C1s and their activated forms C-1r and C-1s were each found to have mol.wts. in dissociating solvents of about 83000. The amino acid compositions of each were similar, but there were significant differences in the monosaccharide analyses of subcomponents C1r and C1s, whether activated or not. Subcomponents C1r and C1s have only one polypeptide chain, but subcomponents C-1r and C-1s each contain two peptide chains of approx. mol.wts. 56000 ("a" chain) and 27000 ("b" chain). The amino acid analyses of the "a" chains from each activated subcomponent are similar, as are those of the "b" chains. The N-terminal amino acid sequence of 29 residues of the C-1s "a" chain was determined, but the C-1r "a" chain has blocked N-terminal amino acid. The 20 N-terminal residues of both "b" chains are similar, but not identical, and both show obvious homology with other serine proteinases. The difference in polysaccharide content of the subcomponents C-1r and C-1s is most marked in the 'b' chains. When tested on synthetic amino acid esters, subcomponent C-1r hydrolysed both lysine and tyrosine ester bonds, but subcomponent C-1r did not hydrolyse any amino acid esters tested nor any protein substrate except subcomponent C1s. The lysine esterase activity of subcomponent C1s provides a rapid and sensitive assay of the subcomponent.     

Late pleistocene paleoclimates of the South Pacific based on statistical analysis of planktonic foraminifers

Statistical analysis applied to foraminiferal data from 78 South Pacific core tops enables the derivation of a transfer function that relates sea surface temperature to foraminiferal assemblages. Application of this transfer function to eight cores from the southern part of the East Pacific Rise yields estimates of the sea surface temperatures of the last glacial maximum, as well as the paleotemperature record of the past 150,000 years. Comparison of the last glacial temperature estimates with the recent sea surface temperature shows that the greatest change between glacial and present conditions (about 5°C) occurs in a climatically sensitive area near 50°S. Stratigraphic correlation of two cores from this area suggests that the last glacial started in this area with rapid cooling, and that the climate stayed generally cold until the end of the glacial. Similar general shape of the climatic record is found in the high latitudes of the North Atlantic as well as in the ice sheets of Greenland and Antarctica. In contrast to the similarity in the shape of these high-latitude records, they differ distinctly from the foraminiferal oxygen isotope record of several deep-sea cores which indicates a general gradual increase of ice volume from the beginning of the last glacial to the maximum glaciation which occurred about 18,000 years B.P.In the study area the rate of sediment accumulation during the last glacial is about two to three times less than in the last interglacial. There is no indication of increased carbonate solution during the glacial, and it is suggested that the change in the accumulation rate results from a reduction in the supply of calcareous shells to the sediment. It seems that with cooling, the environment becomes less favorable to organisms producing calcium carbonate tests, and therefore carbonate production decreases during the glacial.     

Dihydroisocoumarins and phthalide from wood samples infested by fungi

Wood samples, infested by fungi during storage, were shown to contain, besides the known 5-methyl-mellein, additional (3R)-8-hydroxy-3-methyl-3,4-dihydroisocoumarins substituted by 7-methyl, 5-formyl, 5-carboxy, 5-hydroxy, 5-methoxy, 6-methoxy-5-methyl and 6,7-dimethoxy-5-methyl groups, as well as 6-formyl-7-hydroxy-5-methoxy-4-methylphthalide. Several 2-methylchromanones were synthesized in order to show that this class of compounds can be distinguished from 3-methyl-3,4-dihydroisocoumarins by MS.     

Neoflavonoids and the cinnamylphenol kuhlmannistyrene from Machaerium kuhlmannii and M. Nictitans

The trunkwood of Machaerium kuhlmannii contains methyl palmitate, 3-O-acetyloleanolic acid and sitosterol; the benzene derivatives 2,3-dimethoxyphenol, 2,6-dimethoxyphenol, 2-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenol, 2,3-dimethoxybenzaldehyde and methyl 3-(2-hydroxy-4-methoxyphenyl)-propionate; the isoflavonoids formononetin and (6aS,11aS)-medicarpin; the neoflavonoids (R)-3,4-dimethoxydalbergione, (R)-3,4-dimethoxydalbergiquinol, kuhlmanniquinol [(R)-3-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-3-(5-hydroxy-2,3,4-trimethoxyphenyl)-propene], dalbergin, kuhlmannin (6-hydroxy-7,8-dimethoxy-4-phenylcoumarin) and kuhlmannene (6-hydroxy-7,8-dimethoxy-4-phenylchrom-3-ene), as well as the cinnamylphenol kuhlmannistyrene [Z-1-(5-hydroxy-2,3,4-trimethoxybenzyl)-2-(2-hydroxyphenyl)-ethylene]. Five of these compounds, in addition to (R)-4′-hydroxy-3,4-dimethoxydalbergione, were also isolated from a trunkwood extract of M. nictitans. Structural assignments were confirmed by chemical interconversion and by the synthesis of (±)-kuhlmanniquinol.     

Electron spin resonance and photoreaction of Mn(II) in lettuce chloroplasts.

Electron spin resonance (esr) of lettuce chloroplasts yields three types of signals: (i) a broad (~900 G) signal around g = 2.22 (apparently due to Cu²⁺ complexes); (ii) an Mn²⁺ spectrum around g = 2.003 consisting of six hyperfine lines (A = 94.5 G) of ~30 G width; and (iii) a sharp signal at g = 2.00 due to photosignals I and II. The present work is concerned with the Mn²⁺ signal and its relation to the photosynthetic process. Intensity measurements were performed by comparing the intensities of the Mn²⁺ signals of two identical chloroplast preparations, one of which was slightly acidified. The integrated intensity of the signal in the normal preparation was approximately one-fourth of that in the acidified sample, suggesting that only the?$\text{1}\text{2}\text{?}\text{1}\text{2}$ fine structure band is observed in untreated chloroplasts. This indicates that the manganese in the chloroplasts is bound in an asymmetric environment, apparently in protein complexes. The Mn²⁺ signal is light sensitive, decreasing on illumination and reappearing in the dark. Typical values for the half-lives of the light and dark processes in normal chloroplasts are 0.25 and 2.1s, respectively. The effect is interpreted in terms of the photooxidation of Mn²⁺ to higher oxidation states which are invisible to esr spectroscopy. In order to determine whether this process is related to photosynthesis the effect of certain reagents and treatments that are known to affect the photosynthetic system was studied. It was found that the oxygen evolution inhibitors 3-(3,4 dichlorophenyl)-1,1-dimethylurea (DCMU) and carbonylcyanide-p-trifluoromethoxyphenylhydrazone (FCCP) as well as the electron donors, phenylenediamine and sodium ascorbate, reduce or completely eliminate the light effect on the Mn²⁺ signal. Heat treatment and Tris washing caused deceleration of both the light and dark reactions. These effects indicate that the photooxidation of the Mn²⁺ is related to the photosynthetic cycle, the most probable site being the water splitting apparatus of photosystem II.