Dimeric chromenes and mixed dimers of a chromene with euparin from Encelia canescens

The investigation of Encelia canescens afforded, in addition to several known compounds, four new dimeric p-hydroxyacetophenone derivatives, two epimeric chromene dimers and two epimeric mixed dimers of euparin and encecalin. Furthermore, derivatives of tremetone and of encecalin were present. The structures were elucidated hy high field ¹H NMR spectroscopy.     

Detection of a C-insertion polymorphism within the human tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFA) gene

We have identified a C-insertion polymorphism in the 5'UTR of the first exon of the human tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFA) gene. TNFA is a cytokine that plays an important role in the inflammatory response.     

Depicting the Spatial Distribution of Proteins in Human Tumor Tissue Combining SELDI and MALDI Imaging and Immunohistochemistry

Carcinoma tissue consists of not only tumor cells but also fibroblasts, endothelial cells or vascular structures, and inflammatory cells forming the supportive tumor stroma. Therefore, the spatial distribution of proteins that promote growth and proliferation in these complex functional units is of high interest. Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization imaging mass spectrometry is a newly developed technique that generates spatially resolved profiles of protein signals directly from thin tissue sections. Surface-enhanced laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (MS)combined with tissue microdissection allows analysis of defined parts of the tissue with a higher sensitivity and a broader mass range. Nevertheless, both MS-based techniques have a limited spatial resolution. IHC is a technique that allows a resolution down to the subcellular level. However, the detection and measurement of a specific protein expression level is possible only by semiquantitative methods. Moreover, prior knowledge about the identity of the proteins of interest is necessary. In this study, we combined all three techniques to gain highest spatial resolution, sensitivity, and quantitative information. We used frozen tissue from head and neck tumors and chose two exemplary proteins (HNP1–3 and S100A8) to highlight the advantages and disadvantages of each technique. It could be shown that the combination of these three techniques results in congruent but also synergetic data. (J Histochem Cytochem 58:929–937, 2010)     

Endemische Phytoassoziationen aus den Rumänischen Karpaten

The importance of endemic species for plant communities in the Roumanian Carpathians Mts. has been studied and discussed. Associations of the classAsplenietea trichomanis endemic in the South Carpathians were surveyed; they were classified into some endemic alliances (Gypsophilion petraeae, Micromerion pulegii, andSilenion lerchenfeldianae). Their locus classicus, nomenclatoric type and present distribution were also given.     

Structure,development and function of the branchial sieve of the common bream,Abramis brama,white bream,Blicca bjoerkna and roach,Rutilus rutilus

Synopsis The filter feeding organ of cyprinid fishes is the branchial sieve, which consists of a mesh formed by gill rakers and tiny channels on the gill arches. In order to establish its possible role during growth we measured the following morphological gill raker parameters over a range of sizes in three cyprinid fishes, bream, white bream and roach: inter raker distance, bony raker length, raker width, cushion length and channel width. At any given standard length common bream has the largest inter raker distance, roach the lowest and white bream is intermediate. In the comb model of filter feeding the inter raker distance is considered to be a direct measure of the mesh size and retention ability (= minimal size of prey that can be retained) of a filter. For the three species under study there is a conflict between the comb model and experimental data on particle retention. Lammens et al. (1987) found that common bream has a large retention ability whereas roach and white bream have a much smaller one. A new model, the channel model (Hoogenboezem et al. 1991) has been developed for common bream; in this model the lateral gill rakers can regulate the mesh size of the medial channels on the other side of the gill slit. The present data indicate that this model is not appropriate for white bream and roach. At any given standard length white bream and roach only reach 70% of the raker length of common bream, which means that in this model the gill slits should to be very narrow during filter feeding. The gill rakers consist of a bony raker and a fleshy cushion. The bony rakers have a rather long needle-like part outside the cushion in bream, but not in white bream and roach which have blunt gill rakers. Blunt gill rakers are not suited to reduce the diameter of the medial channels. The comb model seems more appropriate for white bream and roach, but doubts about the validity of this simple model remain. The sum of the areas of the medial channels is an approximation of the area through which water flows in the filter. This channel area therefore gives an impression of the capacity or flow rate of the filter. With this capacity estimation and an estimation of energy consumption we calculated an energy ratio of filter feeding. The energy ratio decreases with increasing standard length with an exponent close to the expected exponent of -0.40. The energy ratio is highest in bream, intermediate in white bream and lowest in roach.     

Further glaucolides from south african Vernonia species

The investigation of three South African Vernonia species afforded minute amounts of five new glaucolides, two monoepoxides and three diepoxides. The structures were elucidated by ¹H NMR spectroscopy. The roots of Vernonia sutherlandii contain, in addition to vernonataloide, bergamotene and santalene, minute amounts of the corresponding acetoxy derivatives.     

Umwandlungen der submikroskopischen Chloroplastenstruktur parallel zur Veränderung der stoffwechselphysiologischen Leistung von Chlamydobotrys stellata

Zusammenfassung In Fortsetzung unserer Untersuchungen über den Zusammenhang von Chloroplastenstruktur und-funktion wurde die Veränderung der Chloroplastenstruktur bei der Adaptation photo-heterotroph kultivierter Organismen an photo-autotrophe Ernährungsbedingungen untersucht. Die Bildung von Partitions aus zuvor isolierten Thylakoiden erfolgt parallel zum Anstieg der photosynthetischen CO₂-Assimilation.

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Conformational changes of the submicroscopic chloroplast structure and physiological activity of Chlamydobotrys stellata

Summary Our investigation of the connection between the submicroscopic structure and the function of chloroplasts has been continued. It could be demonstrated that the formation of partitions from isolated thylakoids takes place parallel to the increase of photosynthetic activity.

     

Beziehungen zwischen submikroskopischer Chloroplastenstruktur und Art der Kohlenstoffquelle unter phototrophen Ernährungsbedingungen bei Chlamydobotrys stellata

Zusammenfassung Die Chloroplasten von photo-autotroph (Licht + CO₂) oder photo-heterotroph (Licht + Acetat) gewachsenen Chlamydobotrys stellata werden elektronenmikroskopisch untersucht. Es wird eine nahe Beziehung zwischen der Chloroplasten-Feinstruktur und der Ernährungsart gefunden. Die Thylakoide der Chloroplasten photo-heterotroph kultivierter Algen sind im allgemeinen durch Stroma voneinander getrennt und nur zu wenigen gestapelt. In photo-autotrophen Organismen kommt es durch Bildung einer charakteristischen Faltungsstruktur von Thylakoidmembranen zur Bildung von Grana (Pseudo-Grana).Die Ergebnisse werden im Hinblick auf die Photosynthese und Photoassimilation von Acetat bei Chlamydobotrys stellata diskutiert.

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Relationship between submicroscopic chloroplast structure and type of carbon nutrition of Chlamydobotrys stellata

Summary Chloroplasts from Chlamydobotrys stellata grown photo-autotrophically (light + CO₂) or photo-heterotrophically (light + acetate) have been investigated by means of electronmicroscopy. A close relationship between chloroplast fine structure and type of nutrition could be observed. Thylakoids in chloroplasts from photo-heterotrophically cultivated algae are generally separated from each other by stroma and only few thylakoid packages are present. In photo-autotrophic organisms, however, characteristic folding structure of thylakoid membranes results in the formation of grana (pseudo-grana).These results are discussed in respect to chloroplast function in photosynthesis and photoassimilation of acetate in Chlamydobotrys stellata.