Daphnia size structure,vertical migration,and phosphorus redistribution

The timing and magnitude of diel migration in two daphnid assemblages were determined from a series of vertical profiles of daphnid size distribution. Animals were collected concurrently for gut fullness determination. Only large daphnids (> 1.4 mm) migrated, but these animals could account for substantial vertical and diel differences in phosphorus excretion rate. Gut fullness measurements and time courses of diel vertical migration suggested that large Daphnia can cause a net downward flux of phosphorus during summer in thermally stratified lakes.     

Molecular homology and incompatibility relationships between F and IncH1 plasmids

IncH1 plasmids and the F plasmid of Escherichia coli display one-way compatibility. An entering IncH1 plasmid is incompatible with a resident F plasmid, but is compatible when it is the resident plasmid. There is little molecular homology between IncH1 plasmids and the F plasmid. A single 5 MDal EcoRI restriction enzyme fragment from digests of several IncH1 plasmids hybridizes with probes constructed from the primary replication region of F. Homology can be demonstrated only with the gene for the essential replication protein of F (gene E), but the expression of incompatibility behaviour appears to be associated with the presence of the secondary replicon of the F plasmid. Thus R27 and F are compatible under growth conditions allowing replication and maintenance of F by the secondary replicon. However, a mutant F plasmid which lacks the secondary replicon of F is incompatible with R27 in both directions, irrespective of the growth conditions used.     

The interaction of cadmium with calcium and cisplatin with chloride

Changes in the locomotor rate of the ciliateTetrahymena pyriformis were used to quantitatively evaluate chemical interactions produced by: cadmium in combination with varying amounts of calcium, andcis-dichlorodiammineplatinum (II) (cisplatin) with varying amounts of sodium chloride. Cadmium (as CdCl₂) produces a measurable decline in the locomotor rate of the cells. Cadmium's detrimental effect can be reduced by the addition of calcium (as CaCl₂) in combination with cadmium. At a ratio of 30∶1 (calcium: cadmium), cadmium's negative effect upon motility is essentially nullified. It is suggested that the “protective” action afforded by calcium stems from the chemical similarity of the two cations and their involvement/competition for molecular sites responsible for the energy release and/or delivery of ciliary activity. Cisplatin will also effect a reduction in ciliary activity. However, the interaction between cisplatin, sodium chloride, and the cell appears more complex than that found with cadmium-calcium. At the lower range of chloride (as NaCl) used in this study, increased chloride concentration produces an increase in cisplatin's action against ciliary activity. At the higher levels, the chloride reduced cisplatin's negative effects. It is suggested that the increases in cisplatin's effects are caused by mass chemical action of increased chloride, which increases the concentration of the nonpolar cisplatin. The reduced effects found with the higher concentrations of sodium chloride may be because of the presence and action of elevated NaCl in/on the cell. This study clearly demonstrates differences in biologically relevant chemical interactions occurring with the two sets: cadmium-calcium and cisplatin-chloride.     

Cloning, sequence analysis, and expression of genes encoding xylan-degrading enzymes from the thermophile "Caldocellum saccharolyticum"

A lambda recombinant bacteriophage coding for xylanase and beta-xylosidase activity has been isolated from a genomic library of the extremely thermophilic anaerobe "Caldocellum saccharolyticum." Partial Sau3AI fragments of the lambda recombinant DNA were ligated into pBR322. A recombinant plasmid with an insertion of ca. 7 kilobases of thermophilic DNA expressing both enzymatic activities was isolated. The location of the genes has been established by analyzing deletion derivatives, and the DNA sequence of 6.067 kilobases of the insert has been determined. Five open reading frames (ORFs) were found, one of which (ORF1; Mr 40,455) appears to code for a xylanase (XynA) which also acts on o-nitrophenyl-beta-D-xylopyranoside. Another, ORF5 (Mr 56,365), codes for a beta-xylosidase (XynB). The xynA gene product shows significant homology with the xylanases from the alkalophilic Bacillus sp. strain C125 and Clostridium thermocellum.     

Correction of the beta-mannanase domain of the celC pseudogene from Caldocellulosiruptor saccharolyticus and activity of the gene product on kraft pulp.

The celA, manA, and celB genes from Caldocellulosiruptor saccharolyticus compose a cellulase-hemicellulase gene cluster and are arranged on a 12-kb C. saccharolyticus genomic fragment of the recombinant lambda bacteriophage NZP lambda 2. The beginning of a fourth open reading frame (celC) which was homologous to the C. saccharolyticus manA and celA genes was located at the 3' end of the 12-kb NZP lambda 2 genomic fragment. Genome-walking PCR was used to isolate DNA fragments downstream of the C. saccharolyticus celB gene, and the entire nucleotide sequence of celC was obtained. From the preliminary nucleotide sequence, celC appeared to encode yet another multidomain bifunctional enzyme (CelC) consisting of an N-terminal endo-1,4-beta-D-glucanase domain (75% similar to CelA domain 1), two central cellulose-binding domains, and a C-terminal endo-1,4-beta-D-mannanase domain (98% similar to ManA domain 1). However, upon completion of the celC sequencing, two -1 frameshifts were identified in the region encoding the putative CelC mannanase domain. The isolated CelC mannanase domain exhibited no beta-mannanase activity, which supported this observation. Recombinant PCR was used to correct the celC frameshifts by inserting the appropriate nucleotides into the gene. The repaired celC fragment containing the base insertions (manB) expressed strong beta-mannanase activity on soluble mannan substrates and showed significant activity on kraft pulp as judged by the release of reducing sugars.     

Characterization of plasmids from antibiotic-resistant Shigella isolates by agarose gell electrophoresis.

Gel electrophoresis of DNA from 95 clinical isolates of Shigella sonnei and Shigella flexneri resistant to antibiotics revealed a heterogeneous plasmid population. Most of the plasmids were smaller than 6 megadaltons (Mdal). Six S. sonnei isolates with the most common antibiotic resistance pattern were characterized. They had two plasmids in common: one was a self-transmissible Fi+ plasmid of 46 Mdal encoding resistance to streptomycin and sulphafurazole. In addition, several cryptic plasmids ranging in size from 1.0 to 24.5 Mdal were present. Mobilization of the 5.5 Mdal SuSm plasmid and a 1.0 Mdal cryptic plasmid was demonstrated with all six S. sonnei isolates during conjugation. This mobilization was mediated by the 46 Mdal self-transmissible Fi+ R plasmid and also by a 24.5 Mdal Fi- plasmid carrying no known drug resistance determinants.     

The first steps of the light-induced biradical and zwitterion formation from the clusters [Os3(CO)10(α-diimine)] studied with ultrafast time-resolved absorption spectroscopy

The (sub)picosecond time-resolved transient absorption spectra of two triangular [Os₃(CO)₁₀(α-diimine)] clusters have been studied to establish the primary photoprocesses responsible for the formation of biradicals and zwitterions. The TA spectra of [Os₃(CO)₁₀(ⁱPrAcPy)] obtained by excitation into its visible absorption band, show a bleach due to the disappearance of the parent cluster and a new absorption with a maximum at 630 nm. In a non-coordinating solvent the bleach and absorption decay with a lifetime of 25±2 ps but do not disappear completely. The bleach decays to approximately 30% of the initial signal and the transient absorption changes into a much broader absorption without a distinct maximum. The initial transient absorption is assigned to the excited state of the cluster having predominant σ(OsOs)→π*(ⁱPrAcPy) character. From the relaxed excited state the cluster partially decays to the ground state and partially produces biradicals. The lifetime of the excited state does not depend on the solvent as long as it is non-coordinating, but it depends on the energy of this ³σπ* excited state, as observed for [Os₃(CO)₁₀(dmb)]. This effect is attributed to a lowering of the barrier for the reaction from the ³σπ* state. In coordinating acetonitrile (MeCN) the excited state of [Os₃(CO)₁₀(ⁱPrAcPy)] decays double-exponentially. The longer lifetime (τ=21.4 ps) matches that observed in non-coordinating solvents and is assigned to biradical formation. In agreement with previous observations that zwitterion formation in coordinating solvents must occur in the picosecond time domain, the second and faster process (τ=2.9 ps) is assigned for zwitterion formation. These zwitterions are formed by heterolytic splitting of an OsOs bond induced by coordination of MeCN to the Os(CO)₂(ⁱPrAcPy) moiety in the excited state of the cluster. Time-resolved absorption studies in the microsecond time domain showed that the MeCN-coordinated biradicals convert with a lifetime of 13.7 μs into zwitterions. The unique result of this study is that coordinating solvents such as MeCN may induce both homolytic and heterolytic cleavage of a metalmetal bond in such clusters.     

Degradation of missense mutant beta-galactosidase proteins in Escherichia coli K-12.

Summary Ten out of 43 missense mutations in the lacZ gene of Escherichia coli gave rise to polypeptide chains that were degraded in vivo. While many of the mutants appeared to be fully or partially CRM^–, there appeared to be no obvious correlation between degradation, map position, altered subunit association and the half-life of the mutant proteins.     

Development of bis-locked nucleic acid (bisLNA) oligonucleotides for efficient invasion of supercoiled duplex DNA

In spite of the many developments in synthetic oligonucleotide (ON) chemistry and design, invasion into double-stranded DNA (DSI) under physiological salt and pH conditions remains a challenge. In this work, we provide a new ON tool based on locked nucleic acids (LNAs), designed for strand invasion into duplex DNA (DSI). We thus report on the development of a clamp type of LNA ON—bisLNA—with capacity to bind and invade into supercoiled double-stranded DNA. The bisLNA links a triplex-forming, Hoogsteen-binding, targeting arm with a strand-invading Watson–Crick binding arm. Optimization was carried out by varying the number and location of LNA nucleotides and the length of the triplex-forming versus strand-invading arms. Single-strand regions in target duplex DNA were mapped using chemical probing. By combining design and increase in LNA content, it was possible to achieve a 100-fold increase in potency with 30% DSI at 450 nM using a bisLNA to plasmid ratio of only 21:1. Although this first conceptual report does not address the utility of bisLNA for the targeting of DNA in a chromosomal context, it shows bisLNA as a promising candidate for interfering also with cellular genes.     

The impact of nandrolone decanoate and growth hormone on biosynthesis of steroids in rats

Growth hormone (GH) and anabolic androgenic steroids (AAS) are commonly used in sports communities. Several studies have suggested an association between GH and AAS. We have investigated the impact of GH in rats treated with nandrolone decanoate (ND). Male Wistar rats received ND (15 mg/kg) every third day during three weeks and were subsequently treated with recombinant human GH (1.0 IU/kg) for ten consecutive days. Plasma samples were collected and peripheral organs (i.e. heart, liver, testis and thymus) were dissected and weighed. Concentration of thirteen endogenous steroids was measured in the rat plasma samples using high specificity LC–MS/MS methods. Seven steroids were detected and quantified, and concentrations of estrone, testosterone, and androstenedione were significantly different among the groups, while concentrations of pregnenolone, DHEA, 17-hydroxyprogesterone and corticosterone were not altered. Administration of rhGH alone altered the plasma steroid distribution, and the results demonstrated significantly increased concentrations of plasma estrone as well as decreased concentrations of testosterone and androstenedione in the ND-treated rats. Administration of rhGH to ND-pretreated rats did not reverse the alteration of the steroid distribution induced by ND. Administration of ND decreased the weight of the thymus, and addition of rhGH did not reverse this reduction. However, rhGH administration induced an enlargement of thymus. Taken together, the plasma steroid profile differed in the four groups, i.e. control, AAS, rhGH and the combination of AAS and rhGH treatment.