Yohimbine increases plasma insulin concentrations of dogs

Recent evidence suggests that catecholamines inhibit insulin release by stimulating alpha 2-adrenoreceptors in beta-cells of the pancreatic islets. In the present study, iv injections of 0.1 and 0.3 mg/kg of yohimbine, an alpha 2-adrenoreceptor antagonist, resulted in increased plasma insulin and decreased plasma glucose concentrations in the dog. The use of alpha 2-adrenoreceptor antagonists may be of value in non-insulin-dependent diabetic patients by counteracting the inhibitory influence of endogenous catecholamines.     

Evidence for retrograde flow of spermatozoa into the urinary bladder of bulls during electroejaculation

Spermatozoa were not found in the urine collected from 12 bulls before electroejaculation, whereas spermatozoa were found in the urine collected after electroejaculation. The concentration of spermatozoa in four consecutive samples of urine collected during the first postelectroejaculation micturition did not differ (P > 0.80) within bulls, suggesting that the spermatozoa found in the urine were those that had flowed into the urinary bladder during electroejaculation. The mean percentage of retrograde flow was 21% and ranged from 1 to 50% for the 12 bulls. These findings demonstrate that there was a significant urinary loss of spermatozoa during electroejaculation.     

Purification and characterization of tomatinase from Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici.

The antifungal compound alpha-tomatine, present in tomato plants, has been reported to provide a preformed chemical barrier against phytopathogenic fungi. Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici, a tomato pathogen, produces an extracellular enzyme inducible by alpha-tomatine. This enzyme, known as tomatinase, catalyzes the hydrolysis of alpha-tomatine into its nonfungitoxic forms, tomatidine and beta-lycotetraose. The maximal tomatinase activity in the fungal culture medium was observed after 48 h of incubation of germinated conidia at an alpha-tomatine concentration of 20 micrograms/ml. The enzymatic activity in the supernatant was concentrated against polyethylene glycol 35,000, and the enzyme was then purified to electrophoretic homogeneity by a procedure that includes preparative isoelectric focusing and preparative gel electrophoresis as main steps. The purification procedure had a yield of 18%, and the protein was purified about 40-fold. Tomatinase was found to be a monomer of 50 kDa by both native gel electrophoresis and sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The analytical isoelectric focusing of the native tomatinase showed at least five isoforms with pIs ranging from 4.8 to 5.8. Treatment with N-glycosidase F gave a single protein band of 45 kDa, indicating that the 50-kDa protein was N glycosylated. Tomatinase activity was optimum at 45 to 50 degrees C and at pH 5.5 to 7. The enzyme was stable at acidic pH and temperatures below 50 degrees C. The enzyme had no apparent requirement for cofactors, although Co2+ and Mn2+ produced a slight stimulating effect on tomatinase activity. Kinetic experiments at 30 degrees C gave a K(m) of 1.1 mM for alpha-tomatine and a Vmax of 118 mumol/min/mg. An activation energy of 88 kJ/mol was calculated.     

QTL analysis of trichome-mediated insect resistance in potato

Genetic mapping of several components of a complex type of insect resistance has been undertaken as a means toward more efficient use of the valuable characteristics of a wild relative of potato. RFLP maps constructed on interspecific diploid progenies of Solanum tuberosum × S. berthaultii were used in conjunction with morphological, biochemical and biological phenotyping to identify quantitative trait loci (QTLs) contributing to trichome-mediated insect resistance. By superimposing QTL data for a wide range of phenotypes including biochemical assays, correlative and direct screens for insect resistance, and adaptation to the target environment on the genetic maps, we have addressed the organization, action and interaction of genes controlling the resistance mechanism. The outcome contributes to an understanding of the association between component traits and between desirable and undesirable features of the donor species generated in an applied breeding program. Research is proceeding toward the development of selectable markers for the introgression and transfer of this resistance among potato gene pools.     

Retrograde flow of spermatozoa into the urinary bladder of boars during collection of semen by electroejaculation

Boars that had a catheter implanted in the urinary bladder (n = 11) were used to determine the magnitude of retrograde flow of spermatozoa into the urinary bladder during electroejaculation. The overall mean (+/- SD) number of spermatozoa in the electroejaculate of boars was 22 +/- 20 x 10(9), with a mean range for individual boars of 3 +/- 3 to 48 +/- 13 x 10(9). The overall mean adjusted total number of spermatozoa in the post-electroejaculation urine was 1.038 +/- 2.656 x 10(9), and the mean percentage of retrograde flow of spermatozoa into the urinary bladder among boars ranged from 0% to 32.69%, with an overall mean percentage of retrograde flow of 7.51 +/- 17.82%. These findings indicate that in boars electroejaculation is associated with retrograde flow of spermatozoa into the bladder.     

Characterization of urease from the phototrophic bacteriumRhodobacter capsulatus E1F1

Rhodobacter capsulatus E1F1 showed high cytosolic urease activity when growing on urea, purines, and purine metabolites as nitrogen source. Molecular mass ofR. capsulatus enzyme is similar to that of other bacteria and greatly differs from that of jack bean. Kinetic parameters of partially purifiedR. capsulatus enzyme resemble those described in other bacterial ureases. The activity was inhibited by metal-chelating agents and by mercurials. Urease fromR. capsulatus E1F1 was negligible in nitrogen-starved cells or in cells cultured with nitrate, ammonium, or amino acids. Moreover, ammonium inhibited both the urea uptake and the urease activity expression inR. capsulatus cells.     

Xanthine accumulation and vacuolization inChlamydomonas reinhardtii cells

Summary Utilization of xanthine as the sole nitrogen source for growth byChlamydomonas reinhardtii cells involved the formation of a transient, intracellular pool of xanthine. Up to 20% of the total xanthine supplied to the medium was not assimilated after uptake but stored in the cells at concentrations that exceeded xanthine solubility in water. At the subcellular level, a massive accumulation of starch grains in the chloroplast and the appearance of many vacuoles in the cytoplasm distinguished xanthine-grown from ammonium-grown cells. Starch accumulation, but not development of vacuoles, was also observed in N-starved cells. Uptake experiments with radio-labelled xanthine showed that this accumulates only in the cytoplasm, most probably inside vacuoles. The electron-dense material observed in vacuoles of xanthine-grown cells suggests that the intracellular xanthine is in part solid xanthine.     

Succession,diversité et amplitude de niche dans les påturages du centre de la péninsule ibérique

Some diversity and niche amplitude parameters were applied to rangeland pastures of the Central Iberian Peninsula and to their succession stages after the periodical ploughing typical of the traditional management of these areas. Four different slopes within a large area of undulating terrain were selected for the monitoring of succession as they contained the characteristical geomorphological pattern of the area (denudation, transport and accumulation sectors).If we consider the total entropy theorem, H (E.P.)=H(E)+H(P/E), the total entropy of the slope H(E.P) and the entropy of species H(E) increase as succession progresses. As the value of the entropy of the sampling plots conditioned by the species H(P/E) is affected by the number of plots utilized, we employed the expression A=H(P/E)/log₂ number of plots, similar to Pielou's index for niche amplitude, W=H(P/E)/H(P).This values decreases with succession, indicating that plant species tend to occupy more definite sectors along the slope. The number of low entropy species H(P/E) _i or specialist species, confined to narrow sectors also increases. When computed separately within the different sectors niche amplitude results in small values for the low slope regions (accumulation sector). This effect becomes more pronounced when succession advances.

Nous remercions le Conseil d'Administration de La Paranza, propriétaire du Castillo de Vañuelas, et particulièrement Mrs. C. Hernandez-Ros et J. A. Léon-Vrquijò, pour les faeilités qu'ils ont données à cette équipe durant la réalisation de ce travail.     

Respiration of the air breathing fishPiabucina festae

Summary Piabucina festae, a Central American stream fish, breathes air frequently, even in air saturated water, however, is not an obligate air breather. Without access to air, it can maintain routine by aquatic respiration down to aP _wO₂ of about 70 Torr which is its critical O₂ tension (P _cO₂, Fig. 5). Aerial respiration averages 10% of total in air saturated water and 70% in hypoxic water (Fig. 4). At lowP _wO₂ air breathing is more frequent (Fig. 1), and more O₂ is utilized from each air breath (Table 3), and tidal volume may increase (Fig. 7). Vascularized respiratory compartments or cells (Fig. 6), located in the second chamber of the physostomus gas bladder, function for aerial respiration. In ventilation air is gulped and forced through a large pneumatic duct into the gas bladder, excess gas is then released through opercula. Inspiration always precedes expiration and tidal volume is small, keeping gas bladderP _{O 2} low (Table 4). Major differences in the air breathing physiology ofP. festae and other species are its higherP _cO₂, a low aerial in normoxic water, even though air gulps are frequent, and its pattern of inhalation prior to expiration. The interrelationship and optimization of the three gas bladder functions (buoyancy, sound reception, and air breathing) inP. festae is discussed. Aerial respiration may have evolved secondarily to the gas bladder's function in buoyancy control.