Establishment of cellulolytic bacteria in the digestive tract of conventionally reared young mice: effect of the dietary cellulose content in the adult

Cellulolytic bacteria became established 12 days after birth in the caecum and colon of conventionally-reared mice fed a diet containing 5 p. 100 crude cellulose (Weende). Their population reached a level between 10(6) and 10(7) bacteria per gram of digestive contents in 25-day-old animals. However, variations between animals were very large; 20 to 50% of the individuals were free of cellulolytic bacteria. A low cellulolytic population was observed in adult mice fed a cellulose-free diet. The amount of cellulose in the diet and its nature (crude or pure cellulose) affected the number of cellulolytic bacteria: the higher the percentage of cellulose in the diet, the higher the number of cellulolytic bacteria, in particular with crude cellulose-containing diet.     

Comparative studies on the degradation of guanidino and ureido compounds by Pseudomonas

The utilization of guanidino and ureido compounds was studied in several Pseudomonas species. Multiple routes of agmatine catabolism were found. All members of the homology group I of Pseudomonas use the initial deamination of agmatine to carbamoylputrescine which is subsequently converted to putrescine. In Pseudomonas indigofera, the catabolism of agmatine can also occur via an initial hydrolysis of the amidino group to putrescine catalyzed by an agmatine amidinohydrolase. A third pathway was found in Pseudomonas cepacia, namely oxidative deamination producing guanidinobutyraldehyde catalyzed by agmatine dehydrogenase, followed by formation of guanidinobutyrate and removal of urea by guanidinobutyrate amidinohydrolase to produce 4-aminobutyrate. Novel amidino-hydrolases were characterized in P. putida for the utilization of arcaine and audouine, and in P. cepacia for arcaine, homoarginine and guanidinovalerate. Guanidinovalerate amidinohydrolase was also detected in P. doudoroffii. Some of these amidinohydrolases accept more than one substrate, e.g., guanidinobutyrate and guanidinovalerate utilization by P. doudoroffii and P. cepacia, the catabolism of arcaine and audouine by P. putida, and the degradation of arcaine and homoarginine by P. cepacia.     

Bionomies comparées de deux souches (Marocaine et Américaine) d’Ooencyrtus kuvanae [Hym.: Encyrtidae], parasite oophage deLymantria dispar [Lep.: Lymantriidae]

Résumé Des adultes d’Ooencyrtus kuvanae (Howard) sortis d’œufs deLymantria dispar (L.) récoltés au Maroc et aux états-Unis ont été élevés séparément mais simultanément dans les mêmes conditions abiotiques. On a évalué chez ces adultes des caractéristiques bionomiques telles que la longévité, la proportion de ♀ fécondes, la fécondité réelle moyenne, la durée de la période de ponte et le pourcentage d’œufs viables développés par parthénogenèse. Chez la progéniture, on a évalué la survie des larves et la proportion de ♀. Aucune différence significative entre les 2 souches n’est apparue. Des croisements entre les 2 souches ont donné une descendance comportant des proportions équivalentes de ♀.O. kuvanae avait été introduit au Maroc en 1926 depuis les états-Unis. Ainsi, 50 années d’acclimatation de ce parasite au Maroc (soit près de 500 générations) n’ont pas modifié ses potentialités et n’ont pas suffi à induire chez lui une nouvelle race géographique.

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Summary Adults ofOoencyrtus kuvanae (Howard) were recovered from eggs ofLymantria dispar (L.) collected in Morocco and in the U.S.A. They were reared separately and simultaneously under identical laboratory conditions. Various biological characteristics of adults from both sources were compared including longevity, proportion of fertilized versus unfertilized females, fecundity, duration of the oviposition period, and the percentage of viable eggs produced by virgin females. Also the survival of the larvae and the sex ratio of the 2 cultures were evaluated. Crossbreeding individuals of the 2 cultures resulted in a similar proportion of females in the progeny. In general there were no significan differences found between the 2 cultures.O. kuvanae had been introduced in Morocco in 1926 from the U.S.A. The adaptation of this parasite to conditions in Morocco during the ensuring 50 years since its establishment (about 500 generations) did not appear to modify the biotic potential of this species nor was it sufficient to induce the development of a new geographic race.

     

Distal trisomy 14q

Summary Two cases of chromosome 14 rearrangements with partial duplication which occurred de novo were analyzed by Southern blot analysis using IGH, D14S1 and PI probes. In the first case, with a 46,XX,14p+ karyotype, our study confirms that the additional material on chromosome 14p+ results from a duplication of the 14q region containing the IGH, D14S1 and PI loci. In the second case, our study reveals only one 14q32 locus per chromosome 14 indicating that the extra material does not contain the 14q32 region. Our results demonstrate that molecular probes of the 14q32 region are valuable tools for the characterisation of chromosome 14 abnormalities appearing de novo.     

Isolation and partial characterization of the messenger RNA encoding the B880 holochrome protein of Rhodospirillum rubrum

The B880 holochrome messenger RNA was extracted from cultures of the photosynthetic bacterium Rhodospirillum rubrum. It was purified by chromatography on Sepharose 4B followed by sucrose density gradient centrifugation. The purified fractions were shown to program an Escherichia coli cell-free system into synthesizing both the alpha and the beta polypeptides of the holochrome. The translation products were identified by immunoprecipitation with specific antibodies raised against these polypeptides. The latter are effective competitors with the translation products for antigen-antibody complex formation. The purest mRNA preparations contained approximately 33% holochrome messenger RNA activity. Its most probable size, as determined by agarose gel electrophoresis in the presence of 6 M urea or methylmercuric hydroxide, is approximately 620 nucleotides. Since the combined sizes of the alpha and beta polypeptides add up to only 106 amino acid residues, we conclude that the holochrome mRNA is most probably polycistronic.     

Laryngeal papillomas: local cellular immune response,keratinization and viral antigen

Virchows Archiv B Cell Pathology - Various parameters of the local cellular response have been studied in 16 laryngeal papillomas from ten patients with recurrent papillomas as well as normal...     

Evidence for probenecid-sensitive organic anion transporters on polarized thyroid cells in culture

Epithelial thyroid cells in primary cultures loaded with BCECF/AM rapidly released the impermeant fluorescent dye BCECF (bis(carboxyethyl)carboxyfluorescein) in the incubation medium. Cells organized into follicles rapidly cleared BCECF (80% within 10 min) whereas fluorescence microscopy did not show any fluorescence in the follicular cavity. Cells organized into monolayers on plastic exported BCECF into the medium (70% within 40 min) whereas fluorescence microscopy showed intense fluorescence under the domes. BCECF efflux was blocked by probenecid, one of the known inhibitors of organic anion transporters, with similar efficiency in both structures. Maximal and half-maximal effects were respectively observed for 5 mM and 0.4 mM probenecid. The polarity of BCECF efflux was studied by using monolayers on collagen-coated Nuclepore filters: 85% of BCECF released was found in the basal compartment and 15% in the apical compartment. These findings suggested that thyroid cells in culture expressed a transport mechanism for the anionic form of BCECF. Furthermore, the observed activation of the Na+/H+ exchanger by probenecid suggested that the presence of this blocker did not overcome problems arising in the use of BCECF as intracellular pH indicator for thyroid cells.     

Transgenic Analysis of a PotentialHoxd-11Limb Regulatory Element Present in Tetrapods and Fish

Genes of theHoxDcomplex related to theDrosophila Abd-Bgene are involved in the morphogenesis of vertebrate paired appendages.Hoxd-11,for instance, is necessary in combination with otherHoxgenes for the proper development of different parts of the tetrapod limbs. Sequence comparisons between the mouse, chicken, and zebrafishHoxd-11loci have revealed the conservation of several blocks of DNA sequence which may be of importance for the regulation ofHoxd-11expression. We have used transgenic mice to show that one of these conserved elements specifically drives expression in a proximal-posterior part of developing forelimbs. Production of mice transgenic for a full fishHoxd-11construct as well as for mouse–fishHoxd-11chimeric constructs shows that the fish counterpart of this sequence is able to elicit expression in mouse forelimbs as well, though in a slightly different domain. However, this fish element requires the presence of the mouse promoter and does not work in its own context. These results are discussed in light of both the control ofHoxdgene expression during limb development and the use of a comparative interspecies approach to understand the regulation of genes involved in vertebrate development.