Habitat selection in rock pool corixids: the effect of local density on dispersal

The corixid species breeding in temporary rock pools of Baltic archipelago live in a highly fragmented and unpredictable habitat. Shallow rock pools can dry out and be refilled repeatedly during a summer causing high mortality of immatures. In deeper pools, young nymphs face intense competition by older stages including cannibalism. The adult corixids move frequently between rock pools and are thus able to use currently available habitat for reproduction. In this dispersal behaviour, the ability to assess the local population density and hence select the more suitable low density patches would be advantageous. We studied the effect of local population density on the frequency of dispersive flights of Arctocorisa carinata (Sahlberg) and Callicorixa producta (Reuter) experimentally, using rock pools from which nymphs of both species were removed. The dispersal rates of marked C. producta adults were significantly lower from experimental rock pools than from normal density controls, leading to a concentration of C. producta adults in the experimental rock pools. Indications of immigration rate differences between the experimental and control pools were also observed. No clear differences were found in the superior competitor A. carinata.     

Habitat characteristics contributing to local occupancy and habitat use in rock pool <Emphasis Type="Italic">Daphnia</Emphasis> metapopulations

The effects of invasive macrophytes, water level fluctuations and predation on freshwater unionids Pyganodon grandis and Utterbackia imbecillis were studied in three small impoundments in Northeastern Texas in 2003–2005. Mussel density was sampled with quadrats. Mortality, associated with the water level fluctuations and predation, was estimated by collecting dead shells on the shore at about two month intervals. In two ponds, horizontal distribution of unionids was limited by dense beds of invasive and noxious macrophytes (mainly Eurasian watermilfoil Myriophyllum spicatum and American lotus Nelumbo lutea): mussel densities were significantly lower in these macrophyte beds (P < 0.001). In the third pond with the lowest density of macrophytes (stonewort Chara sp.), unionids were distributed more evenly, and the average unionid biomass was the highest among all ponds studied. Vertical distribution of unionids in all ponds was likely limited by low oxygen at depth >2 m. The total amount of shells found on the shore per year varied from 0.1% to 28% of the total population in the pond and was negatively correlated with water level (r = −0.72 to −0.81, P < 0.005). Mammalian predators consumed up to 19% of the total unionid population and predation was facilitated by water level fluctuations. Handling editor: K. Martens     

Subcellular Location and Neuronal Release of Diazepam Binding Inhibitor

Diazepam binding inhibitor (DBI), a peptide located in CNS neurons, blocks the binding of benzodiazepines and beta-carbolines to the allosteric modulatory sites of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABAA) receptors. Subcellular fractionation studies of rat brain indicate that DBI is compartmentalized. DBI-like immunoreactivity is highly enriched in synaptosomes obtained by differential centrifugation in isotonic sucrose followed by a Percoll gradient. In synaptosomal lysate, DBI-like immunoreactivity is primarily associated with synaptic vesicles partially purified by differential centrifugation and continuous sucrose gradient. Depolarization induced by high K+ levels (50 mM) or veratridine (50 microM) released DBI stored in neurons of superfused slices of hypothalamus, hippocampus, striatum, and cerebral cortex. The high K+ level-induced release is Ca2+ dependent, and the release induced by veratridine is blocked by 1.7 microM tetrodotoxin. Depolarization released GABA and Met5-enkephalin-Arg6-Phe7 together with DBI. DBI is also released by veratridine depolarization, in a tetrodotoxin-sensitive fashion, from primary cultures of cerebral cortical neurons, but not from cortical astrocytes. Depolarization fails to release DBI from slices of liver and other peripheral organs. These data support the view that DBI may be released as a putative neuromodulatory substance from rat brain neurons.     

Construction of linear GlcNAcβ1-6Galβ1-OR type oligosaccharides by partial cleavage of GlcNAcβ1-3(GlcNAcβ1-6)Galβ1-OR sequences with jack bean β-N-acetylhexosaminidase

Radiolabelled GlcNAc beta 1-3(GlcNAc beta 1-6)Gal (1), GlcNAc beta 1-3)GlcNAc beta 1-6)Gal beta 1-OCH3 (4), GlcNAc beta 1-3(GlcNAc beta 1-6)Gal beta 1-4Glc (7), and GlcNAc beta 1-3(GlcNAc beta 1-6)Gal beta 1-4GlcNAc (10) were cleaved partially with jack bean beta-N-acetylhexosaminidase (EC 3.2.1.30), and the digests were analysed chromatographically. All four oligosaccharides were hydrolysed faster at the (1-6) branch, than at the (1-3) branch, but a high branch specificity was observed only with the glycan 4. The saccharides 1 and 7 resembled each other in the kinetics of the enzyme-catalysed release of their two non-reducing N-acetylglucosamine units, but the glycan 10 was rather different. The partial digestions made it possible to obtain radiolabelled GlcNAc beta 1-6Gal, GlcNAc beta 1-6Gal beta 1-OCH3, GlcNAc beta 1-6Gal beta 1-4Glc, and, in particular, GlcNAc beta 1-6Gal beta 1-4GlcNAc.     

Pancreatic Duct Obstruction in the Pig: Light Microscopy of Chronic Pancreatitis

Morphological changes of pancreatic tissue in young pigs caused by surgical ligation of the main pancreatic duct are described. Nineteen animals from 6 to 7 weeks in age were operated on and necropsied 3 or 6 to 8 weeks later. Twelve pigs developed a pronounced chronic pancreatitis with complete exocrine insufficiency. Of the 7 animals failing to develop ectasia of pancreatic ducts, 2 died due to surgical complications. In addition, 3 pigs were sham-operated and served as controls. In macroscopical studies it was observed that in the pronounced pancreatitis cases the ligated duct was greatly dilated by a clear watery fluid. Only remnants of pale and firm grandular tissues were seen around the ectatic ducts. Microscopically, typical changes of chronic pancreatitis were noted. Complete disappearance of acini was followed by ductular cell proliferations. Glandular tissues were divided into lobuli by fibrotic tissues and fat cells. The wall of the main pancreatic duct was greatly thickened and fibrotic, presenting intensely proliferating ductular cells and round cell infiltrates. Furthermore, enlarged endocrine islets surrounded by connective tissue fibres were seen.     

Laminin chains in the basement membranes of human thymus

Summary In recent studies, the α2 chain of laminin (Ln) has been suggested to be the only laminin α chain expressed in mouse and human thymus. We have now used chain-specific monoclonal antibodies and indirect immunofluorescence microscopy to study the expression of laminin chains in samples of foetal and 6-year-old human thymus. The subepithelial basement membrane of the capsule of foetal 16- to 18-week thymus presented a bright immunoreactivity for Ln α1, α3, β1, β3 and γ1 chains but not for α2 chain, suggesting the expression of laminins-1 and-5. Most cortical and medullary epithelial cells, including Hassall's corpuscles, however, lacked laminin immunoreactivity. Immunoreactivity for Ln β2 chain was only seen in basal laminae of larger blood vessels. In thymic specimens from 6-year-old children, immunoreactivity for the laminin α1, α3, β1, β3 and γ1 chains was invariably found in subepithelial basement membrane of the capsule and that for laminin α2 chain was now also distinct but more heterogeneous. Furthermore, the thymic subepithelial basement membrane of the capsule at all stages showed immunore-activity for collagen type VII, forming the anchoring fibres in epithelial basement membranes. The subcapsular thymic epithelium also showed immunoreactivity for the BP 230 antigen and β₄ integrin subunit, both components of hemidesmosomes. The present results show that the thymic subepithelial basement membrane of the capsule presents properties which are commonly seen in stratified and combined epithelia, and are compatible with suggestions of the antigenic similarity of thymic epithelial cells and keratinocytes.     

Alu-Alu recombination results in a duplication of seven exons in the lysyl hydroxylase gene in a patient with the type VI variant of Ehlers-Danlos syndrome.

The type VI variant of the Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS) is a recessively inherited connective-tissue disorder. The characteristic features of the variant are muscular hypotonia, kyphoscoliosis, ocular manifestations, joint hypermobility, skin fragility and hyperextensibility, and other signs of connective-tissue involvement. The biochemical defect in most but not all patients is a deficiency in lysyl hydroxylase activity. Lysyl hydroxylase is an enzyme that catalyzes the formation of hydroxylysine in collagens and other proteins with collagen-like amino acid sequences. We have recently reported an apparently homozygous large-duplication rearrangement in the gene for lysyl hydroxylase, leading to the type VI variant of EDS in two siblings. We now report an identical, apparently homozygous large duplication in an unrelated 49-year-old female originally analyzed by Sussman et al. Our simple-sequence-repeat-polymorphism analysis does not support uniparental isodisomy inheritance for either of the two duplications. Furthermore, we indicate in this study that the duplication in the lysyl hydroxylase gene is caused by an Alu-Alu recombination in both families. Cloning of the junction fragment of the duplication has allowed synthesis of appropriate primers for rapid screening for this rearrangement in other families with the type VI variant of EDS.