Multiple species of ornithine decarboxylase in rat tissues: Effects of dexamethasone

Several species of ornithine decarboxylase were separated by chromatography of rat thymus and kidney extracts on DEAE-Sepharose CL-6B. One major and one minor species were absent from thymus of rats two hours after hormone treatment but otherwise, the elution profile was identical to thymus from control animals. The elution patterns of ODC activity in kidneys of rats treated 2.5 or 5 hours before sacrifice with dexamethasone differ from that of control kidney and from each other. Enzyme from kidneys early after hormone treatment is eluted earlier than enzyme from control tissue, while at 5 hours, the enzyme is eluted much later than in the control. This suggests that the hormone-induced activity is subsequently modified.     

Phase Microscopy in Bacteriology

The function and use of the phase microscope is described for controlling the contrast in the image and making visible unstained, living microorganisms and cytological details within them. The miscroscope may be used to examine unstained, growing cultures in Petri dishes, even with the oil immersion lens. Flagella are shown on the living spore of Ashbya. Since microorganisms show sharp edges under the phase microscope, measurement of unstained living cells is now possible. B. megatherium was found to average 1.0μ in width and B. cereus 1.1 μ in width with very small variation. Observations on locomotion are like those reported by Pijper. Stained preparations of low contrast may be seen with considerably enhanced contrast by phase microscopy.