Sequential polymerization of flagellin A and flagellin B into Caulobacter flagella

The mode of polymerization of two species of flagellins, flagellin A and flagellin B, in polar flagella of Caulobacter crescentus was examined. By immunological staining we found that 1 to 1.2 μm of the portion of the flagellar filament proximal to the cell was composed of flagellin B, whereas about 5 μm of the distal portion was composed of flagellin A. This result, together with the previous observation that a flagellin B-less mutant cannot form normal flagella but instead forms stubs in spite of their high level of flagellin A synthesis, indicates that flagellin B is very important for the formation of complete flagella and/or for the initiation of filament formation from the hook.     

Enhanced responsiveness to parathyroid hormone and induction of functional differentiation of cultured rabbit costal chondrocytes by a pulsed electromagnetic field

Pulsed electromagnetic fields promote healing of delayed united and ununited fractures by triggering a series of events in fibrocartilage. We examined the effects of a pulsed electromagnetic field (recurrent bursts, 15.4 Hz, of shorter pulses of an average of 2 gauss) on rabbit costal chondrocytes in culture. A pulsed electromagnetic field slightly reduced the intracellular cyclic adenosine 3',5'-monophosphate (cAMP) level in the culture. However, it significantly enhanced cAMP accumulation in response to parathyroid hormone (PTH) to 140% of that induced by PTH in its absence, while it did not affect cAMP accumulation in response to prostaglandin E1 or prostaglandin I2. The effect on cAMP accumulation in response to PTH became evident after exposure of the cultures to the pulsed electromagnetic field for 48 h, and was dependent upon the field strength. cAMP accumulation in response to PTH is followed by induction of ornithine decarboxylase, a good marker of differentiated chondrocytes, after PTH treatment for 4 h. Consistent with the enhanced cAMP accumulation, ornithine decarboxylase activity induced by PTH was also increased by the pulsed electromagnetic field to 170% of that in cells not exposed to a pulsed electromagnetic field. Furthermore, stimulation of glycosaminoglycan synthesis, a differentiated phenotype, in response to PTH was significantly enhanced by a pulsed electromagnetic field. Thus, a pulsed electromagnetic field enhanced a series of events in rabbit costal chondrocytes in response to PTH. These findings show that exposure of chondrocytes to a pulsed electromagnetic field resulted in functional differentiation of the cells.     

Spacing and kinship in the Formosan squirrel living in different habitats

Summary Spacing and kinship of the Formosan squirrel, Callosciurus erythraeus thaiwanensis, were studied in two different habitats. One, native habitat in the woods of Kenting, southern Formosa, was rich in available food throughout the year and had several species of predators. The other, a site in Kamakura, central Japan where squirrels had been introduced, had relatively scanty food and few potential predators. 1. Home ranges among males and between sexes overlapped extensively in both habitats. 2. Females occupied exclusive home ranges in Kamakura but had small overlapping home ranges in Ken-ting. 3. Most males disappeared from their natal areas at 1 year old in both habitats (86% in Kamakura and 93% in Ken-ting), but less females disappeared (36% in Kamakura and 35% in Ken-ting). 4. In Kamakura, daughters settled adjacent to the mother or inherited the home range of the mother, but never shared the mother's home range. In Ken-ting, 35% of daughters shared the home range with their mothers. 5. Tolerance among female kin in Ken-ting was probably facilitated by the richness of available food throughout the year, and functioned to reduce predation risk via alarm calling and mobbing.     

The polymerase chain reaction for Mycoplasma pulmonis

In vitro DNA amplification by polymerase chain reaction was examined to detect Mycoplasma pulmonis. A pair of synthetic oligonucleotide primers was constructed, and used to amplify a unique sequence of M. pulmonis DNA. Amplified products were detected by agarose gel electrophoresis and verified by blot hybridization with a synthetic oligonucleotide probe. This system detected cellular DNA of M. pulmonis but not M. arthritidis or M. neurolyticum, and thus appears to be useful for M. pulmonis diagnosis.     

Ultrastructure of poplar cortical cells during the transition from growing to wintering stages and vice versa

Summary Electron microscopic studies revealed that major cytological changes in the cortical cells of poplar (Populus euramericana cv. gelrica) began to occur in early September in conjunction with the metabolic transition from the growing to the wintering stage. During this transition, the cells became temporarily rich in endoplasmic reticulum, polysomes and vesicles. As the conspicuous formation of organelles progressed, the large vacuoles became smaller and filled with osmiophilic materials. Undefined organelles (protein-lipid bodies) also increased in number. From late October until March, organelles involved in protein synthesis were sparsely distributed in the cells, indicating that the number of these organelles is probably linked to the seasonal cycle of protein synthesis. In early February, after release from dormancy, fusion of vacuoles proceeded in the cells. The inclusion of organelles and a gradual decrease in the amount of osmiophilic materials in the vacuoles occurred at this stage. Subsequently, the structure of the cells continued to undergo changes to accommodate growth, which occurred in early May.     

Cloning and sequencing of a ligninase gene from a lignindegrading basidiomycete,Phanerochaete chrysosporium

Summary A ligninase gene has been cloned from a Phanerochaete chrysosporium genomic DNA library. Nucleotide sequencing of the gene has revealed that the ligninase structural gene contains 1116 bp of the protein-encoding sequence, of which 84 bp encode the signal peptide. The protein-encoding sequence is interrupted by eight introns which conform to the universal G-T/A-G splicing rule observed for the 3 and 5 intron boundaries. The putative eukaryotic regulatory sequences, i.e. CAAT and TATA box-like sequences, are present in the 5 flanking region.     

Cellular and Vacuolar Fusion of Protoplasts Electrofused Using Platinum Microelectrodes

Protoplasts isolated from cultured cells of Coptis japonicaand Euphorbia millii were electrically fused using platinummicroelectrodes. The process involved two stages, cellular andvacuolar fusion, which are characterized respectively by transientwrinkling of the membrane and the formation of a dark-red precipitate. (Received June 12, 1987; Accepted October 13, 1987)