A synopsis of the family Lissocarpaceae

A species erroneously described as aDiospyros is here transferred toLissocarpa, asL. tetramera (Rusby) P. E. Berry. This gives a total of five species currently recognized in Lissocarpaceae. A key to the species and a discussion of the individual taxa are presented.     

Seed germination,seedling inoculation and establishment ofAlnus spp. in containers in greenhouse trials

Methods for production of containerized seedlings ofAlnus species were developed which permit nitrogen-fixing nodules to form on the root systems prior to outplanting, in order to provide an early nitrogen input during seedling establishment. The methods are based on procedures for inoculating root systems with suspensions ofFrankia (Actinomycetales), applied either directly in the container cell as a soil drench at the time of seeding, or as a root dip for seedlings transplanted into the containers. Germination of dried, stored seed was enhanced by light and by presoaking for 16 h in water. Pretreatments to overcome seed dormancy or to eliminate fungal pathogens did not further enhance germination. Some loss of seedlings was recorded in the early stages of growth shortly after germination, which is a factor in calculating projected seedling yield. Nodulation and seedling growth were evaluated in terms of growth media characteristics. Seedlings performed well in peat-vermiculite, at soil pH between 5.5 and 8.0.     

Intracellular mitochondrial membrane potential as an indicator of hepatocyte energy metabolism: further evidence for thermodynamic control of metabolism

The lipophilic triphenylmethylphosphonium cation (TPMP+) has been employed to measure delta psi m, the electrical potential across the inner membrane of the mitochondria of intact hepatocytes. The present studies have examined the validity of this technique in hepatocytes exposed to graded concentrations of inhibitors of mitochondrial energy transduction. Under these conditions, TPMP+ uptake allows a reliable measure of delta psi m in intracellular mitochondria, provided that the ratio [TPMP+]i/[TPMP+]e is greater than 50:1 and that at the end of the incubation more than 80% of the hepatocytes exclude Trypan blue. Hepatocytes, staining with Trypan blue, incubated in the presence of Ca2+, do not concentrate TPMP+. The relationships between delta psi m and two other indicators of cellular energy state, delta GPc and Eh, or between delta psi m and J0, were examined in hepatocytes from fasted rats by titration with graded concentrations of inhibitors of mitochondrial energy transduction. Linear relationships were generally observed between delta psi m and delta GPc, Eh or J0 over the delta psi m range of 120-160 mV, except in the presence of carboxyatractyloside or oligomycin, where delta psi m remained constant. Both the magnitude and the direction of the slope of the observed relationships depended upon the nature of the inhibitor. Hepatocytes from fasted rats synthesized glucose from lactate or fructose, and urea from ammonia, at rates which were generally linear functions of the magnitude of delta psi m, except in the presence of oligomycin or carboxyatractyloside. Linear relationships were also observed between delta psi m and the rate of formation of lactate in cells incubated with fructose and in hepatocytes from fed rats. The linear property of these force-flow relationships is taken as evidence for the operation of thermodynamic regulatory mechanisms within hepatocytes.     

Respiratory components in acidophilic bacteria that respire on iron

Abstract

Microorganisms capable of aerobic respiration on ferrous ions are spread throughout eubacterial and archaebacterial phyla. Phylogenetically distinct organisms were shown to express spectrally distinct redox‐active biomolecules during autotrophic growth on soluble iron. A new iron‐oxidizing eubacterium, designated as strain Funis, was investigated. Strain Funis was judged to be different from other known iron‐oxidizing bacteria on the bases of comparative lipid analyses, 16S rRNA sequence analyses, and cytochrome composition studies. When grown autotrophically on ferrous ions, Funis produced conspicuous levels of a novel acid‐stable, acid‐soluble yellow cytochrome with a distinctive absorbance peak at 579 nm in the reduced state.

Stopped‐flow spectrophotometric kinetic studies were conducted on respiratory chain components isolated from cell‐free extracts of Thiobacillus ferrooxidans. Experimental results were consistent with a model where the primary oxidant of ferrous ions is a highly aggregated c‐type cytochrome that then reduces the periplasmic rusticyanin. The Fe(II)‐dependent, cytochrome c‐catalyzed reduction of the rusticyanin possessed three kinetic properties in common with corresponding intact cells that respire on iron: the same anion specificity, a similar dependence of the rate on the concentration of ferrous ions, and similar rates at saturating concentrations of ferrous ions     

Lung protein leaks in ventilated lambs: effects of gestational age

To study the protein permeability properties of the ventilated premature lung, we delivered groups of eight lambs at 122 and 135 days gestational age and ventilated the lambs equivalently. The lambs at 122 days gestational age had been treated with natural sheep surfactant at birth, and both groups of lambs had similar pH and blood gas values to 3 h of age. Three groups of lambs at 146 days gestational age also were studied for comparison; four lambs were ventilated to normalized PCO2 values, four lambs were ventilated equivalently to the premature lambs with supplemental CO2 used to normalize PCO2 values, and four lambs were treated with natural surfactant and ventilated similarly to the preterm lambs. The percent recovery into an alveolar wash and lung tissue of 131I-albumin given by intravascular injection and of 125I-albumin given into the airways was measured in each animal after killing at 3 h of age. Full-term lambs had a small bidirectional leak of albumin to and from the alveoli and lung tissue. The recovery of intravascular 131I-albumin in the alveolar wash was 5.8- and 4.1-fold higher in lambs at 122 and 135 days gestational age, respectively, than in full-term lambs. The loss of 125I-albumin from the airways and alveoli also increased as gestational age decreased. The bidirectional flux of albumin to and from the alveoli increased as gestational age decreased in the prematurely delivered and ventilated lambs.     

Synthesis and intracellular transport of protein by the colleterial gland of the cecropia silkmoth

The tubular portion of the colleterial gland of the cecropia silkmoth secretes protein which labels extensively with glycine and appears as a single peak when separated by acrylamide gel electrophoresis. The radioactive peak does not stain with protein stains or absorb at 280 nm, but is dispersed by Pronase digestion. Synthesis of the peak is sensitive to inhibition by puromycin and cycloheximide but is not sensitive to actinomycin or chloramphenicol inhibition. Amino acid analysis revealed a composition of 30% glycine, 33% aspartic acid, and insignificant amounts of aromatic amino acids; the molecular weight was calculated to be 160,000. Autoradiographic analysis revealed that nearly all the glycine incorporated is transported from the mature secretory cells, and the half-time of secretion is calculated to be 3.4 hr. The possible use of this product as a marker for biochemical differentiation is discussed.     

Presence of a small plasmid in clinical isolates of Streptococcus pneumoniae

Twenty-four of 63 enteric Gram-negative organisms (38.1%) which were isolated from 35 apparently healthy Nigerian students were found to have low trimethoprim resistance (MIC less than 1000 mg/l). These isolates were also found to be resistant to several other antibiotics and trimethoprim resistance was found to be transferable from 15 (62.5%) of the trimethoprim resistant organisms into E. coli EC 1005. It is likely that the high percentage of trimethoprim resistance encountered in this study is related to the high rate of resistance transfer which was observed.