immunocytochemical localization of urokinase-type plasminogen activator in lewis lung carcinoma

The invasively growing and metasizing Lewis lung carcinoma consistently contained urokinase-type plasminogen activator (u-PA) enzyme activity. When investigated immunocytochemically with antibodies against u-PA, different parts of individual tumors showed a pronounced heterogeneity in staining intensity. Strong staining was found in areas with invasive growth and degradation of surrounding normal tissue, while other areas were completely devoid of staining. Immunoreactivity occurred both with a perinuclear cytoplasmic localization in tumor cells and associated with apparently extracellular material. SDS PAGE of tumor extracts, under both reducing and nonreducing conditions, followed by immunoblotting, showed only one immunocytochemically stainable band with an electrophoretic mobility corresponding to that of purified proenzyme to u-PA, while no two-chain u-PA was detected. This indicates that the major part of the activator in Lewis lung carcinoma is present as one-chain pro-u-PA.     

Participation of plasmid F in the replication of the chromosome of an Hfr strain of Escherichia coli K-12

In the region of plasmid F DNA with coordinates 52,2-55,8 kb, the chr ("chromosome replication") locus has been revealed. A failure in the functioning of this locus in the integrated plasmid, which leads to a temperature-sensitive disturbance in chromosome replication of the Hfr strain and to the changes in its sensitivity to some membranotropic agents. Integration of an F segment containing the chr+ allele into the chromosome of an F-like derivative of such Hfr strain (retaining a mutant part of the F DNA), results in formation of temperature-resistant clones. In these clones, chromosomal replication is controlled by the plasmid replicon at the elevated temperature. It has been concluded that the F plasmid can control chromosome replication of the dna+ HfrC strain of Escherichia coli K-12 and that the product of the chr gene is a membrane protein involved in chromosomal replication.     

Abortive Infection of F-Plasmid-Containing Escherichia coli Cells by Bacterial Virus T7 Is Determined by the Right End of T7 Gene 1

Phage T7 infects male (F-plasmid-carrying) Escherichia coli cells abortively, whereas the closely related phage T3 grows normally. The inability or ability of phage to replicate in male host cells depends on whether the right end of gene 1 (coding for the phage-specific RNA polymerase) consists of T7 or T3 DNA base sequences.     

Chitinolytic Enterobacter agglomerans Antagonistic to Fungal Plant Pathogens

Three Enterobacter agglomerans strains which produce and excrete proteins with chitinolytic activity were found while screening soil-borne bacteria antagonistic to fungal plant pathogens. The chitinolytic activity was induced when the strains were grown in the presence of colloidal chitin as the sole carbon source. It was quantitated by using assays with chromogenic p-nitrophenyl analogs of disaccharide, trisaccharide, and tetrasaccharide derivatives of N-acetylglucosamine. A set of three fluorescent substrates with a 4-methylumbelliferyl group linked by (beta)-1,4 linkage to N-acetylglucosamine mono- or oligosaccharides were used to identify the chitinolytic activities of proteins which had been renatured following their separation by electrophoresis. This study provides the most complete evidence for the presence of a complex of chitinolytic enzymes in Enterobacter strains. Four enzymes were detected: two N-acetyl-(beta)-d-glucosaminidases of 89 and 67 kDa, an endochitinase with an apparent molecular mass of 59 kDa, and a chitobiosidase of 50 kDa. The biocontrol ability of the chitinolytic strains was demonstrated under greenhouse conditions. The bacteria decreased the incidence of disease caused by Rhizoctonia solani in cotton by 64 to 86%. Two Tn5 mutants of one of the isolates, which were deficient in chitinolytic activity, were unable to protect plants against the disease.     

Behavioral responses of Schistosoma mansoni miracidia in concentration gradients of snail-conditioned water.

Movement patterns of Schistosoma mansoni miracidia were examined in several concentrations and gradients of snail-conditioned water (SCW). Miracidia surrounded by uniform concentrations of SCW swam at the same speed and exhibited the same rate of turning (angular velocity) as did control miracidia swimming in spring water. However, miracidia in gradients of SCW exhibited a 3-fold increase in their angular velocity without altering their swimming speed. Miracidia ascending gradients of SCW did not increase their angular velocity and failed to orient to the gradient of the stimulant. In contrast, miracidia which encountered sufficiently abrupt decreases in SCW concentration, while descending the gradient, sharply increased their angular velocity. This behavior caused miracidia to remain in regions of high concentration of stimulant. The magnitude of decrease in SCW concentration needed to evoke this response depended on the absolute concentration of SCW. Thus, the miracidial response is a "boundary reaction", a form of chemoklinokinesis, and not a chemotaxis.     

Protection of foreign DNA against host-controlled restriction in bacterial cells

Summary Foreign Flac plasmid DNA which is introduced into potentially restricting E. coli recipient cells can be protected from restriction by preinfecting the recipient cells with UV-inactivated T3 or T7 bacteriophages which express the ocr gene function. The recipient cells survive and are able to replicate themselves as well as the newly acquired plasmid.     

Post-construction avian mortality monitoring at Project West Wind

Abstract

Post-construction avifauna investigations were undertaken at Project West Wind, Meridian Energy Limited's 62-turbine wind farm on the Wellington south coast. These investigations were required in accordance with the resource consent conditions to quantify the level of avian mortalities occurring at the wind farm, particularly in regard to New Zealand falcon (Falco novaeseelandiae), kākā (Nestor meridionalis) and kererū (Hemiphaga novaeseelandiae). This is the first comprehensive study at a New Zealand operating wind farm. The methods included three field components necessary to calculate annual estimates of mortalities across the wind farm site: routine turbine searches; carcass detection trials; and carcass removal trials. Results from years 1 and 2 of a three-year programme are presented. To date, mortalities have been recorded for 17 taxa at 18 of the 24 study turbines. There have been no recorded mortalities of falcon, kākā or kererū. Australasian harrier (Circus approximans) has been the species for which the most mortalities have been recorded. Overall estimated annual mortality rates for years 1 and 2 were calculated to be approximately six and five birds per turbine respectively.     

Genetic architecture of survival and fitness-related traits in two populations of Atlantic salmon

The additive genetic effects of traits can be used to predict evolutionary trajectories, such as responses to selection. Non-additive genetic and maternal environmental effects can also change evolutionary trajectories and influence phenotypes, but these effects have received less attention by researchers. We partitioned the phenotypic variance of survival and fitness-related traits into additive genetic, non-additive genetic and maternal environmental effects using a full-factorial breeding design within two allopatric populations of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar). Maternal environmental effects were large at early life stages, but decreased during development, with non-additive genetic effects being most significant at later juvenile stages (alevin and fry). Non-additive genetic effects were also, on average, larger than additive genetic effects. The populations, generally, did not differ in the trait values or inferred genetic architecture of the traits. Any differences between the populations for trait values could be explained by maternal environmental effects. We discuss whether the similarities in architectures of these populations is the result of natural selection across a common juvenile environment.     

In vitro culture of tetrathyridia of Mesocestoides corti using a gel based diphasic medium

Tetrathyridia of Mesocestoides corti were cultured in vitro in a diphasic medium consisting of a liquid medium (CMRL Sigma) and a thixotropic nutrient gel (Oxoid). Tests demonstrated that a 50% medium/gel mixture produced optimum conditions for the survival and development of tetrathyridia. Established anthelminthic drugs were inoculated into the gel which demonstrated that this system can be used for preliminary anthelminthic drug screening. The development and survival of the tetrathyridia were influenced by the addition of pepsin, trypsin and liver peptone to the culture media. The development and maturation of proglottids were observed in addition to asexual reproduction by the process of budding. Tetrathyridia maintained in vitro and reinfected into both mouse and rat hosts retained their viability.