Polymorphism of the serum proteins of wild pigs

One hunderd and ninety five wild pigs from two different regions of Poland were investigated for transferrin, amylase and ceruloplasmin polymorphism. A new transferrin phenotype Tf PB was detected. This phenotype differed from Tf AB in the electrophoretic mobility of the more anodal transferrin. Tf P is assumed to be the product of a new allele Tf P at the Tf locus. Two amylase phenotypes Am 1–2 and Am 2 were observed. The Am 1 allele was absent from the pigs in the Poznan region. Only one ceruloplasmin phenotype, Cp B, was found.     

Studies on solvatochromic properties of aminophenylstyryl-quinolinum dye, LDS 798, and its application in studying submicron lipid based structure

The styryl group of dyes has been used in cellular studies for over 20 years because of their solvatochromic and/or electrochromic properties. Here we report characterization of solubility and solvatochromic properties of a near infra-red styryl dye, styryl 11 or LDS 798. We have extended our studies to small unilamellar vesicles and lipid based nanoparticles and found that solvatochromic properties of this dye used in tandem with fluorescence correlation spectroscopy can be used to efficiently determine the diffusion coefficient and hence the size of the submicron lipid based particles. This technique has the potential to provide essential information about liposomal and vesicular structures and their movement in vitro and in situ.     

Radiative decay engineering. 2. Effects of Silver Island films on fluorescence intensity, lifetimes, and resonance energy transfer

Metallic surfaces can have unusual effects on fluorophores such as increasing or decreasing the rates of radiative decay and the rates of resonance energy transfer (RET). In the present article we describe the effects of metallic silver island films on the emission spectra, lifetimes, and energy transfer for several fluorophores. The fluorophores are not covalently coupled to the silver islands so that there are a range of fluorophore-to-metal distances. We show that proximity of fluorophores to the silver islands results in increased fluorescence intensity, with the largest enhancement for the lowest-quantum-yield fluorophores. Importantly, the metal-induced increases in intensity are accompanied by decreased lifetimes and increased photostability. These effects demonstrate that the silver islands have increased the radiative decay rates of the fluorophore. For solvent-sensitive fluorophores the emission spectra shifted to shorted wavelengths in the presence of the silver islands, which is consistent with a decrease of the apparent lifetime for fluorophores near the metal islands. We also observed an increased intensity and blue spectral shift for the protein human glyoxalase, which displays a low quantum yield for its intrinsic tryptophan emission. In this case the blue shift is thought to be due to increased emission from a buried low-quantum-yield tryptophan residue. Increased intensities were also observed for the intrinsic emission of the nucleic acid bases adenine and thymine and for single-stranded 15-mers poly(T) and poly(C). And finally, we observed increased RET for donors and acceptors in solution and when bound to double-helical DNA. These results demonstrate that metallic particles can be used to modify the emission from intrinsic and extrinsic fluorophores in biochemical systems.     

Orientation and spectral properties of two stilbazolium merocyanine dyes in stretched and unstretched polyvinyl alcohol films

Spectral properties (anisotropy coefficients calculated for absorption, emission and fluorescence decay time) of two stilbazolium merocyanine dyes have been determined to evaluate the applicability of these dyes as sensitizers in photodynamic therapy. The dyes were embedded in an anisotropic polymer matrix. Analysis of the emission decay components measured in polarized light provides information on the interactions of the dye molecules with the polymer matrix being a model of an anisotropic biological system. Different values of the emission anisotropies obtained from various polarized components of fluorescence decays have shown that the orientations of the dye molecules influence their interactions with the polymer. This means that differently oriented dye molecules located in biological systems should exhibit different interactions with membranes. The chain length and type of side groups attached as well as the salt form of the dye molecule were shown to influence the dye-polymer interactions and should be taken into account before the application of merocyanine dyes in medicine. These dyes seem to be promising optical sensors with spectral properties, including the calculated anisotropy coefficients, sensitive to the molecular environment, useful to study orientation and interaction with neighbouring molecules in biological membranes.     

Play behaviour and active training of Montagu’s harrier (Circus pygargus) offspring in the post-fledging period

Play bouts and active training of juveniles by Montagus harrier (Circus pygargus) adults in the post-fledging period were observed. Fledglings often played with prey and with a variety of inanimate objects such as bits of moss, regurgitated pellets, sticks and a wad of hay. Inanimate objects selected for play were, in length, very similar to the common vole (Microtus arvalis), which is the most common prey of the species during their breeding period. Some recently fledged individuals were trained to capture invertebrate prey by adults demonstrating techniques for the fledglings and thus develop their hunting skills. Training sessions took place only in the foraging areas of the adult birds.