Effects of membrane physical parameters on hematoporphyrin-derivative binding to liposomes: A spectroscopic study

Summary Physical parameters of membrane bilayers were studied for their effect on the binding of hematoporphyrin derivative (Hpd), which is used as a sensitizer in photodynamic therapy of cancerous tissues. The purpose of this study was to clarify which parameters were relevant, under physiological conditions, to the selectivity of Hpd binding to cancer cells. Fluorescence spectroscopy was used to measure the relative partitioning of the dye between the lipid and aqueous media. Increasing the microviscosity of the liposomes' membranes by various bilayer additives results in a strong reduction of Hpd binding, to an extent independent of the specific additive. The effect of temperature near the physiological value as well as the effect of cross membrane potential are small. Surface potential does not affect the binding constant, indicating that the binding species does not carry a net electric charge.     

Influence of leaf surfaces on movements by the hymenopterous parasitoid Trichogramma exiguum

Walking speeds of female Trichogramma exiguum Pinto & Platner were fastest on maize and soybean (12 cm/min), intermediate on tomato (8 cm/min), and slowest on woolly mullein, Verbascum thapsus (3 cm/min). Similarly, rates of turning along the paths of walking T. exiguum were smallest on maize (median angle=0°±15°), intermediate on soybean and tomato, and greatest on V. thapsus (median angle=30°±15°). Leaf trichome density and morphology influenced walking behavior. Walking was slowed and flight initiation delayed for T. exiguum walking on Amaranthus hybridus leaves compared to either maize or filter paper. When inundative releases are conducted, the effects of plant surfaces on searching rates and arrestment should be considered in determining release rates of Trichogramma spp.

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Résumé La vitesse de marche a été déterminée en lâchant des individus sur chaque substrat végétal et en traçant leur parcours sur une plaque de verre placée à 9 mm au dessus du sujet. Les déviations angulaires de portions successives des tracés, longues de 1 mm, ont été utilisées pour mesurer les taux de changement de direction. Dans une deuxième expérience, des individus ont été lâchés au milieu d'une cercle de 40 mm de diamètre sur chaque substrat et les temps écoulés avant l'envol ou pour atteindre le bord du cercle à la marche ont servi à évaluer respectivement la propension au vol et la vitesse de déambulation.Les vitesses de marche ont été plus rapides sur maïs et soja (12 cm/min), moyennes sur tomate (8 cm/min) et les plus lentes sur Verbascum thapsus (Scrophulariaceae) (3 cm/min). De le même façon, les angles de changement de direction au cours des marches effectuées par T. exiguum ont été plus petits sur maïs, moyens sur soja et tomate, et plus grands sur V. thapsus. Chez T. exiguum marchant sur des feuilles d'Amaranthus hybridus L. (Amaranthaceae), la marche a été plus lente et l'envol plus tardif que sur maîs ou papier filtre.Lors de lâchers inondatifs, les effets des surfaces végétales sur les vitesses d'exploration et d'arrêt devraient être pris en compte pour déterminer les vitesses de lâcher des Trichogramma spp.

     

The relationship of calcium and parathyroid hormone in their effect on heart cells

Parathyroid hormone (PTH), the plasma concentration of which is raised in uremia, has been suggested as one of the agents responsible for the myocardial changes commonly seen in uremia. The effect of intact [1–84] PTH on rat heart cells grown in tissue culture has been studied. Addition of the hormone to the media significantly stimulated beating rate. The stimulation was directly proportional to the amount of PTH in the medium. Excessively high concentration of PTH caused immediate cessation of the beating, which was reversed by the addition of calcium to the medium. The extent of stimulation by PTH was inversely proportional to the calcium concentrations in the medium. Isoproterenol and phenylephrine at excessively high concentrations in the medium did not mimic the PTH effect either alone or together with PTH. When beating ceased due to verapamil the effect was not reversed by the addition of calcium to the medium.Calcium added to the myocytes seen after beating ceased reversed the effect and the cells started to beat again. Cells kept for a longer period in the arrested state were not revived by the addition of calcium.     

Cultivar-related differences in the distribution of cell-wall-bound thionins in compatible and incompatible interactions between barley and powdery mildew

Leaf-specific thionins of barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) have been identified as a novel class of cell-wall proteins toxic to plant-pathogenic fungi and possibly involved in the defence mechanism of plants. The distribution of these polypeptides has been studied in the host-pathogen system of barley and Erisyphe graminis DC.f.sp. hordei Marchal (powdery mildew). Immunogold-labelling of thionins in several barley cultivars indicates that resistance or susceptibility may be attributed to the presence or absence of thionins at the penetration site in walls and papillae of epidermal leaf cells.All of the leaf-specific thionin genes are confined to the distal end of the short arm of chromosome 6 of barley. None of the genes for cultivarspecific resistance to powdery mildew which have previously been mapped on barley chromosomes are found close to this locus.     

Influence of muskmelon cell wall polysaccharides on roridin E production by a pathogenic strain of Myrothecium roridum

Addition of fruit cell wall extracts from two muskmelon cultivars into liquid media affected mycotoxin production by a strain of Myrothecium roridum pathogenic to muskmelon. Cell wall extracts from a susceptible cultivar (Iroquois) significantly increased toxin production while cell wall extracts from a resistant cultivar (Hales Best) significantly inhibited toxin production. Media containing 0.1 or 1.0 mg ml^–1 stimulated toxin production more than media containing 10 or 100 mg ml^–1 of cell wall extracts. Previous studies in our laboratory suggest that roridin E may be involved in virulence or pathogenicity of M. roridum; the present study indicates that cell wall polysaccharides as well as other materials present in cell wall preparations from susceptible host tissue provide a better substrate for toxin production than cell wall preparation from resistant host tissue.     

Effects of tin and lead on organ levels of essential minerals in rabbits

The effect of tin and lead on levels of essential metals (Zn, Cu, Ca, Fe) in rabbit tissues was compared in relation to the route of administration. Animals received intraperitoneally, or per os, SnCl2 (2 mg Sn/kg) or Pb(CH3COO)2 (3.5 mg Pb/kg) every day for 5 d or for 1 mo. Copper, zinc, iron, and calcium were determined by AAS in the liver, kidneys, spleen, brain, bone marrow, and blood; lead and tin concentration were measured in the blood of animals. Tin and lead administered per os caused either no changes or the decreased concentration of endogenous metals in several tissues. The other route of administration (ip) of both metals generally contributed to the increased storage of essential elements. Blood tin levels of tin treated animals were only about less than or equal to 1/10 of blood lead concentrations of rabbits exposed to lead.     

Limited chloroplast gene transfer via recombination overcomes plastomegenome incompatibility between Nicotiana tabacum and Solanum tuberosum

Green cybrids with a new nucleus-chloroplast combination cannot be selected after protoplast fusion in the intersubfamilial Nicotiana-Solanum combination. As an approach to overcome the supposed plastomegenome incompatibility, a partial plastome transfer by genetic recombination has been considered. After fusions of protoplasts of a light-sensitive Nicotiana tabacum (tobacco) plastome mutant and lethally irradiated protoplasts of wild-type Solanum tuberosum (potato), a single green colony was recovered among 2.5×10⁴ colonies. The regenerated plants had tobacco-like (although abnormal) morphology, but were normally green, and sensitive to tentoxin, demonstrating chloroplast markers of the potato parent. Restriction enzyme analysis of the chloroplast DNA (cpDNA) revealed recombinant, nonparental patterns. A comparison with physical maps of the parental cpDNA demonstrated the presence of a considerable part of the potato plastome flanked by tobacco-specific regions. This potacco plastome proved to be stable in backcross and backfusion experiments, and normally functional in the presence solely of N. tabacum nucleus.     

Influence of cyanobacterial diet on Asplanchna predation risk in Brachionus calyciflorus

Asplanchna sylvestrii does not discriminate between groups of Brachionus calyciflorus fed either the cyanobacterium Anabaena flos-aquae or a control diet of Euglena gracilis. We based our analysis on the observed probabilities of attack, capture and ingestion during encounters between predator and prey. While A. sylvestrii was very sensitive to brachionid size, we found no significant affects of prey diet on predatory behavior. Thus, cyanobacterial diet did not influence the short-term predation risk of B. calyciflorus exposed to an effective predator. On the other hand, matched cohorts of A. sylvestrii fed B. calyciflorus cultured on the cyanobacterium reproduced more slowly than those fed the same prey cultured on the control food. With prolonged sympatry, therefore, the long-term risk of Asplanchna predation may be reduced for Brachionus by the latter's consumption of cyanobacteria.     

DoesAgapetus fuscipes cultivate algae in its case?

The presence of algae within the cases ofAgapetus fuscipes was investigated. Cases recognised as dirty or clean with the naked eye had more and less algal growth, respectively. Larvae in the former survived significantly longer when starved in the laboratory. It is suggested that the presence of algae within the cases would be of ecological advantage during periods of flood.     

Experimental pulmonary candidiasis

The initial interaction of Candida albicans with pulmonary tissue of B6D2/F₁ mice was investigated. The LD₅₀ for mice challenged intravenously (IV) was approximately 3 × 10⁵ yeasts, whereas the LD₅₀ by the intratracheal (IT) route was in excess of 10⁸ yeasts. Mice challenged IV died of progressive yeast growth in the kidneys. In contrast, mice challenged IT rapidly eliminated the entire inoculum by the first day after challenge. Resident pulmonary alveolar macrophages (PAM) killed upwards of 70% of C. albicans in an in vitro killing assay. At effector: target ratios favoring the effector cell population resident PAM were able to restrict the formation of yeast germ tubes to only 30% of the yeasts, whereas at equivalent ratios virtually all of the intracellular yeasts produced germ tubes. Evaluation of the ability of PAM, harvested from genetically different strains of inbred mice, to kill C. albicans in vitro showed that killing ability was a property of resident PAM from mice with the black 6 background. It was discovered that during the initial stages of infection in vivo, the expression of the F4/80 surface molecule was down regulated, and the expression of the Mac 1 surface molecule upregulated. There were no quantitative changes in expression of either Mac 2, Mac 3, Ly 5 or the 5C6 surface epitopes. Taken together, the data show that pulmonary tissue is quantitatively very resistant to C. albicans infection, because of the ability of resident PAM to rapidly phagocytize and kill yeasts. Killing of C. albicans by resident PAM may be a property of a subset of this mononuclear phagocyte population and was accompanied by alterations in the expression of surface molecules.Presented as part of the Everett S. Beneke Symposium in Mycology, May 27, 1988.