Structural organization of the beta-globin locus of B-haplotype sheep

Goats and some sheep synthesize a juvenile hemoglobin, Hb C (alpha 2 beta C2), at birth and produce this hemoglobin exclusively during severe anemia. Sheep that synthesize this juvenile hemoglobin are of the A haplotype. Other sheep, belonging to a separate group, the B haplotype, do not synthesize hemoglobin C and during anemia continue to produce their adult hemoglobin. To understand the basis for this difference we have determined the structural organization of the beta- globin locus of B-type sheep by constructing and isolating overlapping genomic clones. These clones have allowed us to establish the linkage map 5' epsilon I-epsilon II-psi beta I-beta B-epsilon III-epsilon IV- psi beta II-beta F3' in this haplotype. Thus, B sheep lack four genes, including the BC gene, and have only eight genes, compared with the 12 found in the goat globin locus. The goat beta-globin locus is as follows: 5' epsilon I-epsilon II-psi beta X-beta C-epsilon III-epsilon IV-psi beta Z-beta A-epsilon V-epsilon VI-psi beta Y-beta F3'. Southern blot analysis of A-type sheep reveals that these animals have a beta- globin locus similar to that of goat, i.e., 12 globin genes. Thus, the beta-globin locus of B-haplotype sheep resembles that of cows and may have retained the duplicated locus of the ancestor of cows and sheep. Alternatively, the B-sheep locus arrangement may be the result of a deletion of a four-gene set from the triplicated locus.      

Metabolic Relations between Methylxanthines and Methyluric Acids in Coffea L

Metabolism of purine alkaloids in the leaves of Coffea dewevrei De Wild et Durand var excelsa Chev, Coffea liberica Bull ex Hiern and Coffea abeokutae Cramer was studied by analyzing leaf discs collected during vegetative development and by feeding the following radioactive tracers: [¹⁴C]theobromine, [¹⁴C]caffeine, and [¹⁴C]theacrine (1,3,7,9-tetramethyluric acid). Their principal metabolites were quantitatively and qualitatively determined. All three species convert the precursors to the same radioactive products, and proceed through the same four maturity stages characterized by the alkaloid accumulation pattern and by a particular transformation potency: (stage 1) young plant accumulating caffeine, transforms theobromine to caffeine; (stage 2) caffeine is gradually replaced by theacrine, theobromine and caffeine are converted to theacrine; (stage 3) theacrine disappears whereas liberine (O(2), 1,9-thrimethyluric acid) accumulates, theacrine is metabolized to liberine; (stage 4) branched-out plant containing liberine but no theacrine, caffeine is converted rapidly to liberine via theacrine. Methylliberine (O(2),1,7,9-tetramethyluric acid), presumably the direct precursor of liberine, is occasionally found in low concentrations at stage 3 and 4.

The collective term `liberio-excelsoid' introduced by geneticists for the numerous races or species of Pachycoffea is in accordance with the phytochemical equality found in this work.

     

Relations between ion shifting, ATP depletion and lactic acid formation in human red cells during moderate calcium loading using the ionophore A 23187.

Keeping constant cellular magnesium an A 23 187 mediated moderate calcium loading of human red cells causes isoosmotic cell shrinkage, potassium efflux, slight decrease of cellular pH, ATP depletion connected with an increase of AMP, ADP and Pi and enhanced lactic acid formation. The calcium loading and accompanying effects can be abolished by EGTA or by extracellular magnesium, the latter kept more than two orders of magnitude above that of calcium which was 30 micrometer. Inhibition of the (Mg2+ + Ca2+)-dependent ATPase by ruthenium red or lanthanum decreases the calcium stimulated lactic acid formation after a lag phase. However, the ATP depletion proceeds faster and is much more pronounced under these conditions. (Mg+2 + Na+ +K+)-dependent ATPase, hexokinase, phosphofructokinase and cell shrinkage are ruled out, too, as mediators of the ATP depletion. This suggests that an unknown ATP consuming reaction, apparently not being related to the calcium pump, causes the calcium induced ATP depletion.     

Highly Efficient and Facile Synthesis of 5-Azido-2′-Deoxyuridine

Previously reported syntheses of the photoaffinity label 5-azido-2′-deoxyuridine are rather inefficient and involve the tedious preparation of a 5-nitro intermediate. To overcome these inconveniences, we have developed a new approach from the commercially available 5-bromo-2′-deoxyuridine nucleoside. Our synthetic route makes use of a benzylamination reduction sequence. Using this strategy, the 5-azido-2′-deoxyuridine photolabel is prepared in three steps and quantitative yields.     

A comparison of the strength of biodiversity effects across multiple functions

In order to predict which ecosystem functions are most at risk from biodiversity loss, meta-analyses have generalised results from biodiversity experiments over different sites and ecosystem types. In contrast, comparing the strength of biodiversity effects across a large number of ecosystem processes measured in a single experiment permits more direct comparisons. Here, we present an analysis of 418 separate measures of 38 ecosystem processes. Overall, 45 % of processes were significantly affected by plant species richness, suggesting that, while diversity affects a large number of processes not all respond to biodiversity. We therefore compared the strength of plant diversity effects between different categories of ecosystem processes, grouping processes according to the year of measurement, their biogeochemical cycle, trophic level and compartment (above- or belowground) and according to whether they were measures of biodiversity or other ecosystem processes, biotic or abiotic and static or dynamic. Overall, and for several individual processes, we found that biodiversity effects became stronger over time. Measures of the carbon cycle were also affected more strongly by plant species richness than were the measures associated with the nitrogen cycle. Further, we found greater plant species richness effects on measures of biodiversity than on other processes. The differential effects of plant diversity on the various types of ecosystem processes indicate that future research and political effort should shift from a general debate about whether biodiversity loss impairs ecosystem functions to focussing on the specific functions of interest and ways to preserve them individually or in combination.     

Patterns of population genetic variation in sympatric chiltoniid amphipods within a calcrete aquifer reveal a dynamic subterranean environment

Calcrete aquifers from the Yilgarn region of arid central Western Australia contain an assemblage of obligate groundwater invertebrate species that are each endemic to single aquifers. Fine-scale phylogeographic and population genetic analyses of three sympatric and independently derived species of amphipod (Chiltoniidae) were carried out to determine whether there were common patterns of population genetic structure or evidence for past geographic isolation of populations within a single calcrete aquifer. Genetic diversity in amphipod mitochondrial DNA (cytochrome c oxidase subunit I gene) and allozymes were examined across a 3.5 km² region of the Sturt Meadows calcrete, which contains a grid of 115 bore holes (=wells). Stygobiont amphipods were found to have high levels of mitochondrial haplotype diversity coupled with low nucleotide diversity. Mitochondrial phylogeographic structuring was found between haplogroups for one of the chiltoniid species, which also showed population structuring for nuclear markers. Signatures of population expansion in two of the three species, match previous findings for diving beetles at the same site, indicating that the system is dynamic. We propose isolation of populations in refugia within the calcrete, followed by expansion events, as the most likely source of intraspecific genetic diversity, due to changes in water level influencing gene flow across the calcrete.