From the Schnauzenorgan to the back: Morphological comparison of mormyromast electroreceptor organs at different skin regions of Gnathonemus petersii

The nocturnally active weakly electric fish Gnathonemus petersii is known to employ active electrolocation for the detection of objects and for orientation in its environment. The fish emits pulse‐type electric signals with an electric organ and perceives these signals with more than 3,000 epidermal electroreceptor organs, the mormyromasts, which are distributed over the animal's skin surface. In this study, we measured the metric dimensions of the mormyromasts from different body regions to find structural and functional specialization of the various body parts. We focused on the two foveal regions of G. petersii, which are located at the elongated and movable chin (the Schnauzenorgan; SO) and at the nasal region (NR), the skin region between the mouth and the nares. These two foveal regions were compared to the dorsal part (back) of the fish, which contains typical nonfoveal mormyromasts. While the gross anatomy of the mormyromasts from all skin regions is similar, the metric dimensions of the main substructures differed. The mormyromasts at the SO are the smallest and contain the smallest receptor cells. In addition, the number of receptor cells per organ is lowest at the SO. In contrast, at the back the biggest receptor organs with the highest amount of receptor cells per organ occur. The mormyromasts at the NR are in several respects intermediate between those from the back and the SO. However, mormyromasts at the NR are longer than those at all other skin regions, the canal leading from the receptor pore to the inner chambers were the longest and the overlaying epidermal layers are the thickest. These results show that mormyromasts and the epidermis they are embedded in at both foveal regions differ specifically from those found on the rest of the body. The morphological specializations lead to functional specialization of the two foveae. J. Morphol., 2012. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Production of the lepidoptera-specific crystal protein by a local isolate of Bacillus thuringiensis

Summary A local isolate of Bacillus thuringiensis (B.t.81) produced crystal protein which was identified as a cry I gene of Class I. The synthesis and assembly of crystal complements were investigated at intervals throughout the growth cycle. Incubation temperature had a marked effect on toxin synthesis; production being the highest at 25°C and the lowest at 42°C. The mutants of B. t. 81, unable to synthesize crystal protein complements, have also been described.     

Iodine binding and peroxidase activity in the endostyle of Salpa fusiformis,Thalia democratica,Dolioletta gegenbauri and Doliolum nationalis (Tunicata,Thaliacea)

Summary The protothyroid region in the endostyles of four species of tunicates was examined by means of autoradiography and cytochemistry, at both the light and electronmicroscopic levels. To reveal the primary binding site for iodine, autoradiography was carried out on endostylar tissue from animals that had been incubated with high activity ¹²⁵I^- over a short period of time. The specific iodine binding enzyme, a peroxidase, was traced by its reaction with DAB. In accordance with previous findings, the iodinebinding cells proved to be the same as those containing the peroxidase. There were also strong indications of a secondary uptake of iodinated compounds and subsequent release into the body fluid. Together with the ultrastructural features, the data provided strong evidence indicating that these cells constitute a protothyroid region, which partly functions as an endocrine organ, possibly homologous with the vertebrate thyroid gland. Since the number of zones varied between the species, the numeration of the protothyroid region also varied. However, in all the examined endostyles, the protothyroid region was seen to be situated dorsolaterally to the glandular regions of the endostyle concerned with food capture.     

Kinetics of multiproduct acidogenic and solventogenic batch fermentations

Summary Large amounts of data indicated that most of the metabolic processes of the acidogenic (acid producing) and the solventogenic (solvent producing) fermentations were regulated by product accumulation. A simple unstructured model simulated microbial growth, product formation and substrate utilization in six different fermentations, where five different microorganisms produced various combinations of ten different products. Specific growth rates of these microorganisms decreased proportionally with overall product accumulation. The products were excreted in non-growth associated pattern. Excretion of some of these products were inhibited by the overall product accumulation similarly as the microbial growth. A substrate consumption model which considered the biomass and individually all the products as separate substrate sinks simulated the data satisfactorily.     

Immunocytochemistry of brain-reactive monoclonal antibodies in peripheral tissues

Among a total of 135 tissue-reactive monoclonal antibodies previously prepared, 81 were brain-selective and were classified into neuronal and non-neuronal categories. The neuronal antibodies were again subdivided into antineurofibrillar, antiperikaryonal-neurofibrillar, and antisynapse-associated groups. On the basis of morphologic, developmental, biochemical, and pathologic criteria, the antibodies in at least two of these groups were found to detect heterogeneous antigens (called "neurotypes") rather than different antigenic determinants in single antigens. On examining the distribution in peripheral organs of staining patterns of 11 antineuronal brain-reactive antibodies, we now confirm that these antibodies are, indeed, largely brain-specific. In general, non-neuronal elements in liver, lung, heart, thymus, intestine, adrenal, and spleen remained unstained. However, most of the antibodies stained peripheral neural elements. Occasional antibodies did stain selected, non-neuronal structures. Four out of five antineurofibrillar antibodies stained nerve fibers in adrenal medulla, intestine and thymus. All of three antiperikaryonal-neurofibrillar antibodies also stained nerve fibers in the adrenal medulla, but not in other organs. Two out of three antisynapse-associated antibodies stained what appear to be nerve contacts on adrenal medullary cells, but not on any other peripheral cells examined. The non-neuronal peripheral staining patterns were restricted to selective nuclear staining exhibited by two out of five antineurofibrillar antibodies and the staining of macrophage and selected cardiac muscle nuclei by two of three antisynapse-associated antibodies. However, one antineurofibrillar antibody also stained the cytoplasm of selected liver cells. Among non-neuronally reacting antibodies, two antibodies stained nuclei of all cells except neurons in brain as well as peripheral organs. An antibody staining the ciliary epithelium of choroid plexus also stained basal bodies of ciliated bronchial epithelium. The overall data suggest that the specificity of brain-reactive antibodies is high and that their cross-reactivity with epitopes in non-nervous tissue is rare. In these cases, the antibodies seem to provide specific reagents for these additional structures as well as for their specific brain antigens.     

Uraninschwellen des Protoplasmas der BraunalgeStypocaulon scoparium

Ohne Zusammenfassung     

Current perceptions of Photosystem II

In the last few years our knowledge of the structure and function of Photosystem II in oxygen-evolving organisms has increased significantly. The biochemical isolation and characterization of essential protein components and the comparative analysis from purple photosynthetic bacteria (Deisenhofer, Epp, Miki, Huber and Michel (1984) J Mol Biol 180: 385–398) have led to a more concise picture of Photosystem II organization. Thus, it is now generally accepted that the so-called D1 and D2 intrinsic proteins bind the primary reactants and the reducing-side components. Simultaneously, the nature and reaction kinetics of the major electron transfer components have been further clarified. For example, the radicals giving rise to the different forms of EPR Signal II have recently been assigned to oxidized tyrosine residues on the D1 and D2 proteins, while the so-called Q₄₀₀ component has been assigned to the ferric form of the acceptor-side iron. The primary charge-separation has been meaured to take place in about 3 ps. However, despite all recent major efforts, the location of the manganese ions and the water-oxidation mechanism still remain largely unknown. Other topics which lately have received much attention include the organization of Photosystem II in the thylakoid membrane and the role of lipids and ionic cofactors like bicarbonate, calcium and chloride. This article attempts to give an overall update in this rapidly expanding field.     

Glutamine is not an essential amino acid for Sf-9 insect cells

Summary Spodoptera frugiperda (Sf-9) insect cells are fully capable of growth and proliferation in a glutamine, glutamate and aspartate-free medium, provided that ammonium ions are supplied. S. frugiperda (Sf-21) and Mamestra brassicae cells (IZD-MB-0503) also grow in glutamine-free media but not Trichoplusia ni cells (BTI-TN 5B1-4). The yield of -galactosidase in Sf-9 cells infected with a recombinant baculovirus under glutamine-free conditions was even higher than the yield obtained in glutamine containing cultures.     

The effect of manganese-induced hypercholesterolemia on learning in rats

Since the exact mechanism of manganese (Mn)-induced learning disability is not known, we investigated the role of elevated cholesterol in rats exposed daily to 357 and 714 μg Mn/kg for 30 d. Significant Mn accumulation was accompanied by increased cholesterol content in the hippocampal region of Mn-treated rats. The learning, which is based on the time needed to reach food placed at the exit of a T-maze after a 1-d training period, was significantly slower in exposed rats than in unexposed rats. The rats receiving 357 and 714 μg Mn/kg reached the food in 104.5±13.8 and 113.3±25.7 s, respectively, on d 30, whereas their untreated counterparts reached the food in 28.7±11.4 s. This delay was completely corrected to 29.3±7.8 and 30.7±6.0 s in rats with coadministration of an inhibitor of cholesterol biosynthesis with 357 and 714 μg/kg of Mn. The correction of impaired learning was associated with the normalization of hippocampal cholesterol, but the Mn level in this region of the brain was not influenced in rats treated with a drug that inhibits cholesterol biosynthesis. These results suggested that Mn-induced hypercholesterolemia is involved in Mn-dependent learning disability.     

Flower heliotropism in an alpine population of Ranunculus acris (Ranunculaceae): effects on flower temperature,insect visitation,and seed production

Some plants in arctic and alpine habitats have heliotropic flowers that track the sun. This results in a heating of the flower's interior, which may improve the possibilities for insect pollination and seed production. Here, I examine whether flower heliotropism in an alpine population of the self-incompatible Ranunculus acris L. (Ranunculaceae) enhances pollinator visitation and seed production. Flowers of Ranunculus acris tracked the sun during the day. Tracking accuracy was greatest during the middle of the day. The temperature elevation in flowers was negatively correlated with the flower's angle of deviation from the sun. Despite the increased temperature, insects did not discriminate among flowers on the basis of their angle of deviation from the sun, or tend to stay longer in the flowers aligned closest towards the sun. A tethering experiment was conducted on three groups of plants flowering at different times in the 1993 season and on one group the following season. Manipulation plants were constrained not to track the sun, whereas control plants tracked the sun naturally. Solar tracking had no effect on seed:ovule ratio, seed mass, or abortion rate in any of the groups. There is probably a very narrow range of weather conditions (cold, sunny, and calm) where flower heliotropism may enhance visitation rate to flowers and their seed production.