Differential staining of insect neurons with nickel and cobalt

Pairs of neurons were differentially stained by intracellular injection of the divalent cations, nickel and cobalt. Pairs of neuronal tracts could be similarly labelled following immersion of their axon bundles in the markers described. Use of nickel and a 4 : 6 mixture of cobalt and nickel according to the protocols presented here revealed the morphology of cricket neuron processes as thin as 1 μm in diameter and yielded a favourable contrast between the cells marked, as well as with respect to the background of unstained tissue.     

24-hour variation in content and release of hypothalamic neuropeptides in the rat

The tissue content of up to eight neuropeptides, viz bombesin (BOM), cholecystokinin (CCK-8), neurotensin (NT), neuropeptide Y (NPY), peptide histidine isoleucine amide (PHI), somatostatin (SRIF), substance P (SP) and vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP), in rat hypothalami removed at various times of the day, was measured using specific radioimmunoassays. There was significant variation in the content of BOM, CCK-8, NT, PHI, SP and VIP across a 24-h period. The levels of BOM, CCK-8 and NT were lowest around the onset of darkness (1900 h) and rose throughout the night to reach a peak around the time of lights on. Hypothalamic content of all eight peptides fell between 0700 h and 1300 h by an average of 45 +/- 4%. Basal release of these peptides, as well as that in the presence of 48 mM potassium (K+), was measured from hypothalami removed between 0700 and 1900 h and incubated in vitro in a CSF-like medium. Basal secretion of NT significantly increased, whilst that of CCK-8 significantly decreased over the same period. There was no significant change in the basal release of the other neuropeptides. The release in the presence of 48 mM K+ of SP decreased significantly during the day, whilst that of VIP significantly increased. There was also a significant change in the stimulated release of BOM, levels falling during the morning and rising again at 1900 h. 48 mM K+ caused a significant increase in the release of SRIF and SP at all times tested. Whilst 48 mM K+ induced a significantly higher release of CCK-8 and NT in the morning, this stimulus was ineffective in the evening. The contrary was true in the case of BOM, NPY and VIP, where a significant stimulation was induced only at 1900 h. The possible implications of these findings are discussed.     

Zur Funktion der Mikrotubuli beim Wachstum der Myofibrillen von Insektenflugmuskeln

Zusammenfassung In der indirekten Flugmuskulatur von Phormia terrae-novae kann die Entwicklung der Myofibrillen deutlich in eine Anlage- und eine Wachstums-Phase unterteilt werden. Zu Beginn der Wachstumsphase wurde Puppen eine Lösung von Colchicin in die rechte Metathoraxhälfte injiziert. Als Folge dieser Behandlung lösten sich zunächst die Mikrotubuli in der Flugmuskulatur auf. In späteren Entwicklungsstadien bildeten sich atypische Verzweigungen der Myofibrillen, die zu einer partiellen Desorientierung der kontraktilen Strukturen führten. Ein Mechanismus, der solche Störungen des Orientierungmusters in der Normalentwicklung möglicherweise verhindert, wird diskutiert.

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On the function of microtubules during the growth period of myofibrils in insect flight muscles

Summary In the blowfly Phormia terrae-novae the development of myofibrils of indirect flight muscles can be divided into periods of predisposition (anlage) and of growth. At the beginning of the growth period microtubules are disrupted by injection of colchicine. This disruption is followed by the formation of atypical ramifications of myofibrils at Z-discs leading to numerous disoriented myofibrils in late developmental stages. A possible mechanism preventing these alterations during normal development is discussed.

Herrn Prof. Dr. H. Brettschneider bin ich für den in großzügiger Weise überlassenen Arbeitsplatz am Elektronenmikroskop zu Dank verpflichtet. Fräulein H. Bock danke ich für ausgezeichnete Hilfe.     

Estimation of the stage-specific survival rate in the insect population with overlapping stages

An application ofHokyo andKiritani 's method (1967) was attempted to estimate the stage specific survival rates of the population with overlapping stages. This method can be written as follows assuming a constant daily survival rate (K) throughout the life: where, and F refer respectively to the total incidence of ith instar nymphs and that of individuals after ith instar inclusive, and α_i refers to the developmental period of ith instar. Application of this model to caged and natural populations of the southern green stink bug, Nezara viridula, was made to test its validity. The estimates of the initial number of successive stages obtained from the present method were compared with those fromRichards andWaloff 's method (1954) for the caged populations of 1st, 2nd and 3rd generations. The superiority of the present method to theRichards andWaloff 's in estimating adult numbers was shown in all the generations examined. When different daily survival rates are involved in the course of population decrease, application of the revised method proposed byHokyo andKiritani (1967), gives much reliable estimate as compared with one before correction. The present method is useful in constructing life table of such species as scale insects which complete their life cycle within a defined space, but their successive stages overlap considerably.     

Natural mortality at different population densities of a pine shoot moth,Evetria cristata

A field population of Evetria cristata was studied in 10 plots in 1962 and in 6 plots in 1963. These plots were divided into 2 or 3 groups of different population levels of the shoot moth in respective years. The survival of the insect was then analysed in these different groups of plots. The survival rate of E. cristata from eggs to adults in the first generation was found always higher in the group with low population density, which indicates the existence of some factors that affect the population more severely when the insect is more abundant. Lissonota evetriae and Pediobius sp. seemed to have killed more proportion of the hosts where the shoot moth density was high. However, the total effect of the all natural enemies was not always great in the plots with high density of the moth. The survival of the second generation of the moth in 1963 was observed to be much higher at any population level than in the other generations.     

Different long-term effects of bilateral and unilateral nucleus basalis lesions on rat cerebral cortical neurotransmitter content

Young adult rats received either unilateral or bilateral ibotenic acid infusions in their nucleus basalis, destroying most of the cholinesterase-staining neurons in that region. Cerebral cortex levels of choline acetyltransferase, somatostatin, neuropeptide Y, and monoamines were then assayed 2.5 and 10 months after bilateral lesions, or, 2.5, 10, and 14 months after unilateral lesions. Entorhinal and cerebral cortex levels of several amino acid transmitters were also measured. As expected, choline acetyltransferase activity was decreased in the frontal cortex ipsilateral to the ibotenic acid infusion in unilaterally or bilaterally lesioned animals. Parietal cortex concentrations of somatostatin and neuropeptide Y were altered by lesioning in a complicated, time-dependent manner. Thus, while unilateral lesions transiently decreased or had no effect on these neuropeptide levels, bilateral lesions elevated the level of each neuropeptide by over 100% at 10 months. Other cortical transmitter systems investigated appeared to be less affected by nucleus basalis-lesions. Unilateral lesions had no effect on prefrontal cortex norepinephrine, serotonin, or dopamine content at 14 months post-lesioning. These different neurochemical effects of unilateral and bilateral nucleus basalis lesions may be important for developing a model for the trans-synaptic effects of cortical cholinergic deafferentation.     

Insect capture and growth of the insectivorous Drosera rotundifolia L.

Summary Rates of insect capture increased with leaf area in the insectivorous plant Drosera rotundifolia, and growth of new leaves was related to insect capture. However, increased leaf growth was counterbalanced by leaf abscission which was in turn related to insect capture and leaf growth. Leaf loss equaled leaf growth in plants having natural rate of insect capture. A large proportion of the nitrogen gain from prey was stored in the hypocotyl; it was estimated from feeding experiments that about 24% to 30% of the nitrogen stored in the hypocotyl after winter originated from insect capture in the previous season. The effect of insect capture is discussed in relation to the life cycle of Drosera.     

内蒙古自治区螽亚目(Tettigoniodea,Orthoptera)昆虫区系及地带性分布的研究

内蒙古自治区目前共知螽亚目昆虫5科、26属、58种(表1)。其中螽斯占总种数的74.2％,蟋蟀占17.3％,其余的占7.5％。其区系组成以古北种为主体,特别是东北中国种、东西伯利亚——蒙古种和欧洲——西伯利亚种是区系组成的核心(表2)。特有种占有一定的比例(10.3％),主要分布于该区东北部的森林草原亚带和西部的荒漠带。中部地区有部分华北种的渗入。在本区东部的草原带中,螽斯亚科昆虫最为丰富;西部的荒漠带中,硕螽亚科昆虫是最突出的代表种,并有中亚种的分布(表4)。从总的种类分布来看,东北部的森林带和草原带的昆虫种类明显比西部荒漠带要丰富,中部的干草原亚带则是上述两者的过渡区域。 文中还根据螽亚目昆虫在不同植被地区的分布情况,采用Sφgrensen系数比较了各地带之间昆虫区系的相似性(表3)。用聚类分析的方法将10个植被地带或亚带划分成6个大的地带区:森林区、草原区、荒漠区、暖温型森林草原区、暖温型典型草原区和暖温型荒漠草原区(图2)。作者详细地叙述了各个地带区中昆虫区系的组成特点和分布规律。并就前人对该区昆虫区划工作提出了若干修订意见。     

The association of proctolin with a ventral abdominal muscle of Locusta migratoria

The association of proctolin with the external ventral protractor muscle of the VIIth abdominal segment (M234) of Locusta migratoria was investigated using immunohistochemistry and RP-HPLC in conjunction with the sensitive locust oviduct bioassay. Immunohistochemistry of whole-mount tissues revealed two proctolin-like immunoreactive axons in N2B_2b1 (the nerve branch which innervates M234) as well as immunoreactive processes and varicosities on the surface of M234. Immunogold staining of M234 demonstrated that the proctolin-like immunoreactivity was present in electron-dense granules in its motor terminals. A material indistinguishable from proctolin and with proctolin-like bioactivity co-eluted with authentic proctolin on two different RP-HPLC systems. Bath application of proctolin at concentrations greater than 10^-11 M resulted in a dose-dependent increase in the neurally-evoked fast twitch amplitude and duration of M234. Concentrations greater than 10^-9 M resulted in a dose-dependent increase in basal tonus of M234. These results indicate that proctolin, or a peptide very similar to proctolin, is present in the motor innervation of M234 and acts as a cotransmitter and/or neuromodulator at this typical fast skeletal muscle.Abbreviations M234 external ventral protractor muscle of the Vllth abdominal segment - RP-HPLC reverse-phase high pressure liquid chromatography - TFA trifluoroacetic acid