Outer membrane proteins of gentamicin induced small colony variants of Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Small colony variants (SCVs) of Pseudomonas aeruginosa NCTC 6750 (WT) were repeatedly isolated in an in vitro kinetic model after exposure to gentamicin (GM). There were minor differences biochemically and in phage and serotyping between the wild type (WT) strain and SCVs. Changes in outer membrane protein profiles were found. SCVs were more resistant to polymixin and to a range of aminoglycosides (except kanamycin), but were more susceptible to a range of other antibiotics (hydrophilic and hydrophobic) with differing modes of action.     

Soluble carbohydrates in roots of leek (Allium porrum) plants in relation to phosphorus supply and VA mycorrhizas

Leek plants (Allium porrum L.) inoculated with Glomus mosseae were raised on sterilized soil/sand medium amended with Ca(H₂PO₄)₂.H₂O to test the hypothesis that high concentration of soil P inhibits formation of vesicular-arbuscular (VA) mycorrhizas by reducing concentration of soluble carbohydrate in the root. When P supply was increased, from either P addition or VA mycorrhizal infection, there was initially also an increase in concentration of soluble carbohydrate in the root. At the concentration of soil P at which infection was reduced, concentration of soluble carbohydrate was at its maximum. Therefore the above hypothesis is discounted. An increased delay in infection establishment and a greater number of abortive entry points would suggest that high concentration of soil P reduces VA mycorrhizal infection by changing the anatomy of the root to make it resistant to fungal penetration.     

Processing and transfer of epidermal growth factor in developing rat jejunum and ileum

Using everted sac technique we demonstrated the transfer of ¹²⁵I-mEGF across the jejunal and ileal walls of suckling, weanling and adult rats. The transfer by the suckling rat jejunum and ileum was significantly inhibited by the presence of dinitrophenol and sodium azide or by the replacement of sodium with potassium or choline. RP-HPLC analysis detected carboxy-terminal processing of ¹²⁵I-mEGF in suckling and adult rat jejunum and ileum. Suckling rat jejunum produced ¹²⁵I-des(53)mEGF and ¹²⁵I-des(49–53)mEGF, whereas ¹²⁵I-des(48–53)mEGF was detected in suckling rat ileum or adult rat jejunum and ileum. All three forms of ¹²⁵I-mEGF bound to anti-EGF antibody and EGF receptors. The receptor binding of ¹²⁵I-des(53)mEGF was higher than that of ¹²⁵I-mEGF, but those of ¹²⁵-des(49–53)mEGF and ¹²⁵I-des(48–53)mEGF were greatly diminished. Results indicate a carboxy-terminal processing of mouse EGF during uptake and transfer in the small intestine of developing and adult rats, and the resulting products showed altered receptor binding. An identical amino acid sequence of the C-terminal pentapeptide of EGF from mouse, human and possibly rat may suggest a biological significance of C-terminal processing of EGF in the small intestine.     

THE EFFECTS OF PREDATION ON THE AGE AND SIZE OF MATURITY OF PREY

The effects of nonselective predation on the optimal age and size of maturity of their prey are investigated using mathematical models of a simple life history with juvenile and adult stages. Fitness is measured by the product of survival to the adult stage and expected adult reproduction, which is usually an increasing function of size at maturity. Size is determined by both age at maturity and the value of costly traits that increase mean growth rate (growth effort). The analysis includes cases with fixed size but flexible time to maturity, fixed time but flexible size, and adaptively flexible values of both variables. In these analyses, growth effort is flexible. For comparison with previous theory, models with a fixed growth effort are analyzed. In each case, there may be indirect effects of predation on the prey's food supply. The effect of increased predation depends on (1) which variables are flexible; (2) whether increased growth effort requires increased exposure to predators; and (3) how increased predator density affects the abundance of food for juvenile prey. If there is no indirect effect of predators on prey food supply, size at maturity will generally decrease in response to increased predation. However, the indirect effect from increased food has the opposite effect, and the net result of predation is often increased size. Age at maturity may either increase or decrease, depending on functional forms and parameter values; this is true regardless of the presence of indirect effects. The results are compared with those of previous theoretical analyses. Observed shifts in life history in response to predation are reviewed, and the role of size-selective predation is reassessed.     

Controlled experiments of habitat fragmentation: a simple computer simulation and a test using small mammals

Habitat fragmentation involves a reduction in the effective area available to a population and the imposition of hard patch edges. Studies seeking to measure effects of habitat fragmentation have compared populations in fragments of different size to estimate and area effect but few have examined the effect of converting open populations to closed ones (an effect of edges). To do so requires a shift in spatial scope-from comparison of individual fragments to that of fragmented versus unfragmented landscapes. Here we note that large-scale, controlled studies of habitat fragmentation have rarely been performed and are needed. In making our case we develop a simple computer simulation model based on how individual animals with home ranges are affected by the imposition of habitat edges, and use it to predict population-level responses to habitat fragmentation. We then compare predictions of the model with results from a field experiment on Peromyscus and Microtus. Our model treats the case where home ranges/territories fall entirely within or partially overlap with that of sample areas in continuous landscapes, but are restricted to areas within habitat fragments in impacted landscapes. Results of the simulations demonstrate that the imposition of hard edges can produce different population abundances for similar-sized areas in continuous and fragmented landscapes. This edge effect is disproportionately greater in small than large fragments and for species with larger than smaller home ranges. These predictions were generally supported by our field experiment. We argue that large-scale studies of habitat fragmentation are sorely needed, and that control-experiment contrasts of fragmented and unfragmented microlandscapes provide a logical starting point.     

Wave separation versus bandpass filtering: a comparative non-linear analysis of brain α-EEG signals with and without psychotropic drug treatment

Attempts to demonstrate low-dimensional attractor behaviour in the analysis of electroencephalographic (EEG) signals meet with difficulties that in part stem from a departure from single-system dynamics. In order to address this problem, the -waves can be extracted by digital filtering or by wave separation; these two techniques are compared in order to specify the conditions in which finite impulse response (FIR) bandpass filters can be used. The comparison was made using 18 EEG records of 3 min duration under resting conditions (6 subjects, 3 records per subject: prior to apomorphine administration, then 90 min and 150 min post-treatment). No presence of low-dimensional dynamic episodes in -signals was observed without digital processing. Sixty 5 s sections showing attractor behaviour were found after filtering and twenty five 5 s sections after wave separation. The mean correlation dimension was calculated for each experimental condition and for 4 subjects, in order to observe the temporal profile of the drug. When attractors were found after wave separation, bandpass filtering then also showed attractor behaviour, with the same temporal profile. However, the reverse is not true: attractors were found after bandpass filtering that were not present after wave separation; in this case the results deserve confirmation, although the temporal profiles for all cases in which attractors were found after filtering remained comparable.     

Change in growth kinetics of hybridoma cells entrapped in collagen gel affected by alkaline supply

The growth yields for glucose and glutamine of murine hybridoma cells entrapped in collagen gel particles were examined during the growth phase. The immobilized hybridoma cells were cultivated in a fluidized bed fermenter where the medium was circulating to supply oxygen separately. Procedures to supply an alkaline solution for adjusting the pH level strongly affected the growth yields. A direct supply of the alkaline solution to the cultivation system reduced both the growth yields for glucose and glutamine, probably due to a local increase in pH level. On the other hand, when fresh medium in which the pH was adjusted to around 8.5 was added to the cultivation system, the growth yields were unchanged even at the same pH level as when direct alkaline supply was used. These results suggest that an indirect alkaline supply could be recommended to ajust the pH level when using medium-circulating-fermenters.     

Molecular characterization of rgp2, a gene encoding a small GTP-binding protein from rice

Summary We previously reported the isolation of rgp1, a gene from rice, which encodes a ras-related GTP-binding protein, and subsequently showed that the gene induces specific morphological changes in transgenic tobacco plants. Here, we report the isolation and characterization of an rgp1 homologue, rgp2, from rice. The deduced rgp2 protein sequence shows 53% identity with the rice rgp1 protein, but 63% identity with both the marine ray ora3 protein, which is closely associated with synaptic vesicles of neuronal tissue, and the mammalian rab11 protein. Conservation of particular amino acid sequence motifs places rgp2 in the rab/ypt subfamily, which has been implicated in vesicular transport. Northern blot analysis of rgp1 and rgp2 suggests that both genes show relatively high, but differential, levels of expression in leaves, stems and panicles, but low levels in roots. In addition, whereas rgp1 shows maximal expression at a particular stage of plantlet growth, rgp2 is constitutively expressed during the same period. Southern blot analysis suggests that, in addition to rgp1 and rgp2, several other homologues exist in rice and these may constitute a small multigene family.     

Effect of culture conditions on the isocitrate dehydrogenase and isocitrate lyase activities in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii

In the green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii , nitrogen staravation induced a reversible increase (2-fold) in NAD-isocitrate dehydrogenase (NAD-IDH; EC 1.1.1.41) and NADP-isocitrate dehydrogenase (NADP-IDH; EC 1.1.1.42) activities. Both enzymes were not affected by the concentration of CO₂, the dark or the nature of the nitrogen source (nitrate, nitrite, or ammonium). When cells growing autotrophically were transferred to heterotrophic conditions, a 40% reduction of the NAD-IDH activity was detected, a 2-fold increase of NADP-IDH was observed and isocitrate lyase (ICL; EC 4.1.3.1) activity was induced. The replacement of autotrophic conditions led to the initial activity levels. NAD- and NADP-IDH activities showed markedly different patterns of increase in synchronous cultures of this alga obtained by 12 h light/12 h dark transitions. While NAD-IDH increased in the last 4 h of the dark period, NADP-IDH increased during the last 4 h of the light period, remaining constant for the rest of the cycle.