Ultrastructure of erythrocytes and leucocytes of Priapulus caudatus (de Lamarck) (Priapulida)

The marine priapulid Priapulus caudatus has a voluminous body cavity filled with a blood-like fluid containing erythrocytes and leucocytes (amoebocytes). The hematocrit of animals weighing 0.5–14 gm was 2–10%. The erythrocytes contain a hemerythrin blood pigment. The structure of the coelomocytes was studied by light and electron microscopy. The erythrocytes are nucleated and contain marginal bands, vacuoles and occasionally crystals. The cytoplasm has few organelles. The leucocytes are amoeboid motile cells, the cytoplasm of which contains numerous organelles. The most conspicuous of these are oval particles, probably representing developmental stages of lysosomes. Most of these organelles contain tubules stretching from one pole to another. In the hind part of the animal, certain tissues, primarily the posterior warts contain large numbers of coelomocytes. The histological picture is complicated, showing some resemblance to the lymphoepithelial tissues of vertebrates.     

Analysis of a model for random competition

A random competition model is reformulated as an urn model and its behavior is analysed.     

Immunosuppressive activity of antamanide and some of its analogues

In connection with our discovery of a strong immunosuppressive activity of cyclolinopeptide A (CLA), we investigated immunosuppressive properties of antamanide and a number of its analogues, including symmetrical antamanide, and compared them with the activities of cyclosporin A and CLA. The peptides were investigated by using plaque forming cell (PFC), graft-versus-host (GvH), delayed type hypersensitivity (DTH), and autologous rosette formation cell (ARFC) tests. Antamanide and symmetrical antamanide exhibit an immunosuppressive activity lower than CLA. Linear antamanide fragments are also active. At higher concentrations of the latter peptides, toxic effects occur.     

Regeneration of transgenic plants of Prunus armeniaca containing the coat protein gene of Plum Pox Virus

Summary A system was developed which allows the transfer of foreign genes into apricot cultivars. We report the transformation and regeneration of Prunus armeniaca plants with Agrobacterium tumefaciens strain LBA 4404 containing various binary plasmids, pBinGUSint, carrying the marker gene ß-glucuronidase (GUS) and pBinPPVm, carrying the coat protein gene of Plum Pox Virus (PPV). The marker gene GUS was used for optical evaluation of the efficiency of the transformation system. The coat protein gene of PPV was used to introduce coat protein mediated resistance against one of the most important pathogens of stone fruit trees in Europe and the whole Mediterranean area. This is the first report of the successful integration of a viral coat protein gene into a fruit tree species, opening a new perspective on the control of the disease.Abbreviations GUS ß-glucuronidase - PPV Plum Pox Virus - BA 6-benzylaminopurine - NPTII neomycin phosphotransferase II - CP coat protein - CaMV Cauliflower Mosaic Virus - P35S 35S promoter - MS Murashige and Skoog - PCR polymerase chain reaction - P/C/I phenol/chloroform/isoamylalcohol - RNase ribonuclease - dNTP deoxyribonucleosidetriphosphate - DMSO dimethyl sulfoxide     

Sur la spécifité deMetarrhizium anisopliae (Metsch.) sorokin

Résumé Le pouvoir pathogène de 8 souches deMetarrhizium anisopliae isolées de 7 Searabeides et du Doryphore a été comparé à l’égard de 9 espèces de ColéoptèresScarabaeidae: 5Dynastidae, 3Cetoniidae et 1Melolonthidae, par incorporation de différentes doses de conidiospores au milieu d’élevage des larves. Il a été ainsi montré que la plupart des Insectes étudiés sont sensibles seulement à la souche de Champignon isolée de la même espèce. Par contre lesOryctes sont sensibles à tous lesMetarrhizium provenant d’espèces appartenant au genreOrycles.

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Summary The pathogenicity of 8 strains ofMetarrhizium anisopliae has been investigated on 9 species of ColeopteraScarabaeidae (5Dynastidae, 3Cetoniidae and 1Melolonthidae), by incorporating different doses of conidiospores in the larval rearing medium. In this way, it has been shown that most of the insects studied However, species ofOryctes are susceptible to allMetarrhizium strains derived fromOryctes species. are susceptible only to the fungus strains isolated from insects of the same species.

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Nous remercions vivement MmeA. Deotte pour sa participation à ces essais et notamment la préparation des souches deMetarrhizium.     

Étude en Laboratoire des Conditions Écologiques Favorisant le Développement de la Mycose aBeauveria tenella du Ver blanc

Sans résumé Ce travail a fait l'objet d'une thèse de 3^e Cycle en biologie animale (mention entomologie) intitulée: ≪Observations écologiques sur la mycose àBeauveria tenella (Delacr.) Siemaszko des larves du Hanneton commun,Melolontha melolontha L.≫ et soutenue le 8 décembre 1966 devant la Commission d'examen de la Faculté des Sciences de l'Université de Paris.     

Molecular mechanisms of endotoxin activity

Endotoxin (lipopolysaccharide, LPS), a constitutent of the outer membrane of the cell wall of gramnegative bacteria, exerts a wide variety of biological effects in humans. This review focuses on the molecular mechanisms underlying these activities and discusses structure-function relationships of the endotoxin molecule, its interaction with humoral and cellular receptors involved in cell activation, and transmembrane and intra-cellular signal transduction pathways.     

Mutations in neuromusculin,a gene encoding a cell adhesion molecule,cause nervous system defects

The Drosophila neuromusculin (nrm) gene encodes an immunoglobulin-like (Ig-like) cell adhesion molecule expressed in the precursors of the embryonic peripheral nervous system (PNS), in the midline precursors of the central nervous system (CNS), and in muscles. During the initial phases of CNS axonogenesis, nrm is expressed in cells involved in the development of commissures and longitudinal tracts. Mutations which alter expression of nrm mRNAs cause aberrant development of commissures and longitudinal axon pathways. Defects in the PNS and muscles of nrm mutants are also observed. In most nrm embryos, abnormal development can be detected in a subset of abdominal segments; however, in approximately 1 of 10 nrm embryos, the defects extend to all segments. Herein, we present evidence that nrm plays an important role in early morphogenesis, possibly by mediating or facilitating inductive cell contacts and movements.     

Indole alkaloids from cell suspension cultures of Rauwolfia serpentina benth

Twelve indole alkaloids belonging to the Ajmaline-, Sarpagine-, Yohimbine-, and Heteroyohimbine-type have been isolated and identified from cell suspension cultures of Rauwolfia serpentina. Ten of the alkaloids were found for the first time in cultured R. serpentina cells. The yield of the main alkaloid vomilenine was 51 times more than that of differentiated plants. Crude enzymes isolated from this cell suspension culture completely metabolize the biogenetic precursor strictosidine under formation of several alkaloidal compounds.     

Comparative Ontogeny of Behaviour in Four Species of Squirrels (Sciuridae)

The development of behaviour in four species of Sciurid rodents, having terrestrial, arboreal and gliding way of life, is quantified and compared. The studied species are: Spermophilus columbianus, Spermophilus lateralis, Tamiasciurus hudsonicus and Glaucomys sabrinus. For each behaviour pattern, the earliest and latest age of emergence is given along with a mean calculated for a series of young of each species. The development of locomotion, feeding, comfort, alertness, exploration, nest building and social behaviour and the principal events of physical development are analysed. The discussion shows that the specific differences in ontogenetic rate are controlled by a series of factors including predation pressure, hibernation and the specific complexity of locomotion.