Microgeographic distribution of immature Ixodes dammini ticks correlated with that of deer

In order to determine whether the small-scale distribution of immature Ixodes dammini Spielman et al. corresponds closely to the activity patterns of white-tailed deer, Odocoileus virginianus (Zimmerman), these relationships were examined in a site on Long Island, New York, U.S.A. We first determined the extent and temporal pattern of adult ticks feeding on deer by examining twenty-three resident deer tranquilized during September-December 1985. I. dammini adults infested deer throughout this fall period, most abundantly during October and November. With radio-telemetry collars attached to deer we determined the relative frequency that they occupied 0.25 ha quadrats of the study site. During the following summer, we examined white-footed mice, Peromyscus leucopus (Rafinesque), that inhabited these quadrats and removed immature ticks from each. 8975 larval and 163 nymphal I. dammini were removed from 208 mice trapped in forty-three such quadrats. The frequency of deer using these quadrats was positively correlated with both the number of larval and of nymphal ticks per mouse. These results suggest that risk of I. damminiborne zoonotic disease may be decreased by locally reducing deer density in sites that experience intense human activity.     

Pathology and diseases of great apes at the National Zoological Park

Knowledge of the diseases of great apes in captivity is essential for captive management of self-sustaining populations. This survey of medical and pathology records of orangutans, gorillas, and one chimpanzee at the National Zoological Park was conducted to provide a data base for improving health care of captive apes. Strongyloidiasis, balantidiasis, and entamoebiasis were recurrent problems in adult and juvenile apes of all species. Cardiac fibrosis also was prevalent in middle-aged apes and was a major cause of mortality. Bacterial infections were prevalent in perinatal orangutans and resulted in the death of two. For gorillas, rheumatoid arthritis associated with mycoplasma infections, and infertility were major problems. Because the pathogenesis of many of these lesions is unknown, survival of great ape populations in captivity may depend on future research on these problems.     

Accumulation of mansonones E and F in seedlings of Ulmus americana in response to inoculation with Ophiostoma ulmi

Summary The accumulation of mansonones E and F was investigated in Ulmus americana L. seedlings 5 weeks after inoculation with three aggressive and three non-aggressive isolates of Ophiostoma ulmi (Buism.) Nannf. The three non-aggressive isolates stimulated significantly more mansonone E and F accumulation than the three aggressive isolates of O. ulmi. Mansonone induction also varied within both the aggressive and the non-aggressive groups. Aggressive and non-aggressive isolates were recovered in equal frequencies from the inoculation wounds, whereas the aggressive isolates were recovered more frequently than the non-aggressive isolates 15 cm and 25 cm up the seedlings' stem. Vascular browning in the outer xylem of the seedlings correlated with mansonone E and F accumulation. Mansonone accumulation in U. americana seedlings is therefore associated with vascular browning and a reduction in fungal spread.     

Effects of itraconazole on the sporocysts wall of the entomopathogenic fungi Ascosphaera apis as revealed by the scanning electron microscope

The young sporocysts had a wrinkled sporocyst wall, numerous papillae on the wall surface and the wall was granular and porous. In the itraconazole-treated culture, the walls of the young sporocysts were also wrinkled, but the characteristic papillae were replaced by larger lumps which were densely packed and coated the entire surface of the sporocyst wall. The mature sporocysts walls were smooth and possessed numerous papillae. In the itraconazole-treated culture, the walls of mature sporocysts walls were also smooth but possessed densely packed larger lumps instead of papillae. At higher magnification, each of the lumps were found to consist of numerous globules. No pores were observed as they were in the normal sporocyst wall.     

Immunocytochemical investigations on the presence of neuron-specific antibodies in the CSF of Parkinson's disease cases

The CSF and sera of 7 patients with Parkinson's disease were investigated immunocytochemically, in order to see if antibodies were present which recognized DA-ergic cell bodies in glutaraldehyde fixed rat brain. In 2 patients a marked labeling of DA-ergic neurons in the substantia nigra was observed, identified by anti-DA antiserum and by 6-OHDA induced degeneration, but also other neurons in the ventral mesencephalon were recognized. The other patients were weakly positive or negative. Sera gave unspecific labelling of all neurons. In one patient the sub-classes of IgG were investigated and found to be of IgG₃ (labeling nerve terminals) and of IgG_1–2, low affinity type (recognizing perikarya). The epitopes recognized have not been identified, but are unlikely to be DA-like, since blocking experiments and ELISA-tests gave negative results. The possible clinical importance of the results are discussed.Special Issue dedicated to Prof. Holger Hydén.     

The relationship between auto-agglutination, cell surface hydrophobicity and virulence of the fish pathogen Renibacterium salmoninarum

Abstract The cell surface hydrophobicity of Renibacterium salmoninarum strains was examined using a salt aggregation method. Those strains which were virulent in the test animal were sticky, auto-agglutinating and possessed a hydrophobic cell surface. Those strains with a low virulence were non-sticky, non-agglutinating and failed to aggregate in a high molar salt. Strains could not be distinguished using biochemical tests. There was no change in hydrophobicity following re-isolation of the bacteria from experimentally infected rainbow trout, Salmo gairdneri .     

Reaction centers from three herbicide-resistant mutants of Rhodobacter sphaeroides 2.4.1: sequence analysis and preliminary characterization

Many herbicides that inhibit photosynthesis in plants also inhibit photosynthesis in bacteria. We have isolated three mutants of the photosynthetic bacterium Rhodobacter sphaeroides that were selected for increased resistance to the herbicide terbutryne. All three mutants also showed increased resistance to the known electron transfer inhibitor o-phenanthroline. The primary structures of the mutants were determined by recombinant DNA techniques. All mutations were located on the gene coding for the L-subunit resulting in these changes Ile²²⁹ Met, Ser²²³ Pro and Tyr²²² Gly. The mutations of Ser²²³ is analogous to the mutation of Ser²⁶⁴ in the D1 subunit of photosystem II in green plants, strengthening the functional analogy between D1 and the bacterial L-subunit. The changed amino acids of the mutant strains form part of the binding pocket for the secondary quinone, Q _b . This is consistent with the idea that the herbicides are competitive inhibitors for the Q _b binding site. The reaction centers of the mutants were characterized with respect to electron transfer rates, inhibition constants of terbutryne and o-phenanthroline, and binding constants of the quinone UQ₀ and the inhibitors. By correlating these results with the three-dimensional structure obtained from x-ray analysis by Allen et al. (1987a, 1987b), the likely positions of o-phenanthroline and terbutryne were deduced. These correspond to the positions deduced by Michel et al. (1986a) for Rhodopseudomonas viridis.Abbreviations ATP adenosine 5-triphosphate - Bchl bacteriochlorophyll - Bphe bacteriopheophytin - bp basepair - cyt c²⁺ reduced form of cytochrome c - DEAE diethylami-noethyl - EDTA ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid - Fe²⁺ non-heme iron atom - LDAO lauryl dimethylamine oxide - Pipes piperazine-N,N-bis-2-ethane-sulfonic acid - PSII photosystem II - RC reaction center - SDS sodium dodecylsulfate - Tris tris(hydroxy-methyl)aminomethane - UQ₀ 2,3-dimethoxy-5-methyl benzoquinone - UQ₁₀ ubiquinone 50     

In vitro expression of partial resistance toPhytophthora palmivora by shoot cultures of papaya

Shoot apices ofCarica papaya were multiplied in vitro on solidified nutrient media supplemented with -naphthyl-acetic acid and 6-benzylaminopurine. The micropropagated shoots were inoculated in vitro, through a stem wound, with a sporangial suspension (1.2×10⁴ sporangia ml^-1) ofPhytophthora palmivora. The symptoms exhibited by the shoots in vitro were similar to those described previously for infection of the whole plant in the field. The time taken for the host tissue to become brown and to wilt and the time to sporulation of the pathogen were all recorded for each shoot of four varieties of papaya challenged with each of ten isolates ofP. palmivora. Significant differences were observed between host-pathogen combinations for these variables and host-specificity was detected amongst the isolates ofP. palmivora. The time taken for the shoot to wilt was positively correlated with the time to sporulation of the isolated but both these variables were negatively correlated with the time to browning of the shoot. In vitro selection for disease resistance will be useful during breeding programmes involving papaya genotypes which are maintained through clonal propagation.     

Antibodies to Cholinergic Neurons in Alzheimer''s Disease

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is associated with degenerative changes in nuclei of the basal forebrain which provide most of the cholinergic input to the cortex and hippocampus and with a reduction in presynaptic cholinergic parameters in these areas. Although the etiology and pathogenesis of AD are not known, several reports indicate the involvement of immunological mechanisms. In the present work we examined the existence of antibodies in sera of AD patients that bind specifically to cholinergic neurons. As antigens we employed the purely cholinergic electromotor neurons of the electric fish Torpedo which are chemically homogeneous and cross-react antigenically with human and other mammalian cholinergic neurons. Our findings show that immunoglobulins from sera of AD patients bind to a specific antigen (molecular mass 200 kilodaltons) in the cell bodies and axons of Torpedo electromotor neurons and that the levels of such antibodies are significantly higher in AD patients than in controls. The possible role of these antibodies in the cholinergic dysfunction in AD and their diagnostic potential are discussed.     

Glycosaminoglycans in Cortical Autopsy Samples from Alzheimer Brain

Each of the known classes of mammalian glycosaminoglycans, with the exception of keratan sulphate, was found in cerebral cortex samples from patients with Alzheimer-type dementia and age-matched controls. These molecules were quantitated, after electrophoresis and staining with Alcian Blue dye, by scanning densitometry. No significant differences were found between the mean levels of each of the above glycosaminoglycans in frontal cortex from patients with dementia compared with controls. An increase (26%; p less than 0.05) in the mean level of hyaluronate, but not of other glycosaminoglycans, was found in temporal cortex samples. On the other hand, the uronic acid content of hyaluronate degradation products following Streptomyces hyaluronidase treatment of brain glycosaminoglycans did not reveal any statistically significant changes in Alzheimer's disease. HPLC of disaccharide products from Arthrobacter chondroitinase AC digests did not reveal any significant changes in sulphate substitution of chondroitin sulphate in Alzheimer brain.