Hybridization between Robertsonian karyotypic races of the common shrewSorex araneus

Summary British common shrews of the Aberdeen, Oxford and Hermitage Robertsonian karyotypic races were hybridized successfully in captivity. Hybrids, both simple Robertsonian heterozygotes and double Robertsonian heterozygotes with monobrachial homology, have been identified in an area of contact between the Oxford and Hermitage races. The relative fertility of these two types of hybrid is considered.I thank Dr. C. E. Ford F. R. S., Prof. F. W. Robertson and Dr A. E. Douglas for reading earlier drafts of this paper, Prof. F. W. Robertson, Dr J. R. K. Savage and Dr J. R. Clarke for laboratory facilities, Mrs J. E. Evans for technical assistance and S.E.R.C. for financial support.     

Attraction ofScolytus scolytus (F.) to the components of Multilure,the aggregation pheromone ofS. multistriatus (Marsham) (Coleoptera: Scolytidae)

Summary The attraction ofS. scolytus to the components of Multilure is described. 4-Methyl-3-heptanol is an attractant which is synergised bya-cubebene. Multistriatin appears to be an inhibitor. A combination of 4-methyl-3-heptanol and cubeb oil is more effective as a bait forS. scolytus than Multilure.We thank Mr A. K. Hughes and Mr J. Boswell for their cooperation in allowing us to conduct experiments on Parham Estate; Mr D. Mobbs and Mr C. Thorne for the statistical analyses; Dr J. W. Peacock for samples of mixed isomers of multistriatin and distilled cubeb oil; Mrs J. Allsop and Mr N. J. Fielding for technical assistance. We are grateful to Mr D. Bevan, Dr J. H. Borden, Dr J. F. Grove and Prof. A. W. Johnson for their interest and encouragement.     

Antiparasitic agents. 4. Injectable phenylguanidine anthelmintics

Summary A series of phenylguanidine anthelminties has been discovered to be active by injection against nematode and trematode species.For the previous paper in this series, see R. D. Haugwitz, B. V. Maurer, G. A. Jacobs, V. L. Narayanan, L. R. Cruthers and J. Szanto, J. med. Chem.22, 1113 (1979).     

Allozymes and the hybrid origin of the parthenogenetic lizardCnemidophorus exsanguis

Summary Allozyme electrophoresis was used to determine the hybrid parentage of the triploid parthenogenetic speciesCnemidophorus exsanguis. 19 of 33 loci were polymorphic inC. exsanguis and/or the 7 potential bisexual progenitors. It was determined from allele distributions thatC. exsanguis containes genomes form 3 different species, probablyC. costatus, C. inornatus andC. septemvittatus.Acknowledgments. We thank R.L. Bezy, W.M. Brown, A.E. Greer, C.S. Lieb, J.L. Patton and K.L. Wright for assistance in the field; the Departments of Game and Fish of Arizona and New Mexico and the Direccion General de la Fauna Silvestre, Mexico for providing collecting permits; and R.L. Bezy, H.W. Greene and D.B. Wake for discussions and criticisms. This research was supported in part by NSF Grants DEB 76-20599 and DEB 81-05615 and by a Research Fellowship in Herpetology from the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County to DAG.     

A transmission and scanning electron microscope study of primary neural induction

Summary Normal primary neural induction has been further studied by TEM and SEM. A single mesoderm cell is usually in contact with several ectoderm cells. The mesoderm cells are also contacting other mesoderm cells. It is suggested that ectoderm cells are induced in groups and that induction is synchronized by these contacts. At the points of contact between mesoderm and ectoderm cells cytoplasmic changes are present in the induced tissue.Acknowledgments. M. A. E. would like to thank Prof.F. Beck in whose department this work was conducted. An especial acknowledgment to Mr.Jeff Smith for technical assistance.S. V. C. would like to thank Prof.R. P. Dale in whose department the SEM photographs were prepared.     

Systemic animal external parasiticidal activity of perfluoroalkylbenzimidazoles and their aminoanilide precursors

Summary In vitro and in vivo efficacy data indicate that chemical activity is optimized at the 2 carbon chain length and that these compounds have injectable potency and spectrum of activity against major animal external parasite species.Acknowledgments are due to R.O. Drummond, U.S.D.A., Kerrville, Texas; T.E. Elward, Stanford Research Institute and D.E. Weidhaas, U.S.D.A., Gainesville, Florida.     

Volatile metabolites of aspergilli in relation to spore germination of some keratinophilic fungi

Summary The effect of volatile metabolites produced by 8 Aspergilli (i.e.,Aspergillus candidus, A. chevalieri, A. flavus, A. fumigatus, A. nidulans, A. niger, A. ochraceous andA. tamarii) on spore germination were tested againstAuxarthron conjugatum, Chrysosporium pannicola, Keratinomyces ajelloi andMicrosporum gypseum. The volatile metabolites inhibited the spore germination of all the test fungi.Acknowledgment. The authors thank Professor G.P. Mishra for the use of the facilities and S.K.D. acknowledges the fellowship award by I.C.M.R. New Delhi.     

α-d-glucosidase in normal and leukemic lymphocytes

Zusammenfassung Der einfache Nachweis von -d-Glukosidase in leukämischen Lymphozyten gelang spektrophotometrisch. Dies lässt darauf schliessen, dass ein Enzymmangel nicht Ursache für die Glykogenspeicherung dieser Zellen sein kann. Es scheint sich um eine Ansammlung von glykolytischen Zwischenprodukten und nicht um einen Defekt der Glykogenolyse zu handeln.

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Supported by U.S.P.H.S. Research Grant No. CA 07000 and U.S.P.H.S. Training Grant No. 5 T1 CA5159.

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Work done as a U.S.P.H.S. Postdoctoral Research Fellow in hematology.

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Recipient of U.S.P.H.S. Career Development Award 1-K3-CA-8371.     

Growth promotion by extracts from Wilms' tumor in vitro

Zusammenfassung Anomale Komponenten, die aus Blutserum und Tumoren von Patienten mit Wilmschen Tumoren isoliert wurden, fördern das Wachstum der Nieren- und Lungenzellen-Kulturen.

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Supported by an institutional grant No. IN-21-I and IN-21-J from the American Cancer Society, N.I.H. training grant No. DE 00094-09 to L.A.B. from N.I.D.R., and N.I.H. Program Grant No. 5 POI DE 02848-02. We thank Mr.D. Beugelmans, MissP. Couture, and Mrs.Y. Takahashi for their excellent technical assistance, and Dr.Darleen Powars for the tumor samples.     

Zur Pathogenese des Urämiesyndroms1. Über den Einfluss von Tyramin auf die Acetoinsynthese aus Brenztraubensäure in Rattenleberhomogenat2

Summary Tyramine enhanced the production of acetoin from pyruvate in rat liver homogenates. A stimulation of acetoin synthesis was only observed, when tyramine was oxidized during the incubation. Tyrosol (p-hydroxyphenylethanol) stimulated acetoin synthesis whereasp-hydroxyphenylacetic acid and ammonia were ineffective.

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Mit Unterstützung des »Schweizerischen Nationalfonds» und der Firma F. Hoffmann-La Roche & Co. AG, Basel.

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8. Mitteilung. 1. Mitt.:H. Thölen, F. Bigler undH. Staub, Path. Microbiol. (Basel)24, 262 (1961). — 2. Mitt.:F. Bigler, H. Thölen undH. Staub, Helv. physiol. Acta19, C 11 (1961). — 3. Mitt.:H. Thölen, F. Bigler undH. Staub, Exper.17, 359 (1961). — 4. Mitt.:F. Bigler, H. Thölen undH. Staub, Schweiz. med. Wschr.91, 1259 (1961). — 5. Mitt.:H. Thölen, F. Bigler, A. Heusler, W. Stauffacher undH. Staub, Exper.18, 454 (1962). — 6. Mitt.:F. Bigler, H. Thölen undH. Staub, Schweiz. med. Wschr.92, 746 (1962). — 7. Mitt.:F. Bigler, H. Thölen undH. Staub, in Vorbereitung.     

Calcification of the deep zone in pig femoral head cartilage

Summary X-Ray diffraction shows an almost random arrangement of collagen fibrils in the region of uncalcified pig femoral head cartilage furthest from the articular surface. The characteristic radial orientiation of the deep zone of articular cartilage is revealed in the underlying tissue after decalcification.Research supported by an M.R.C. project grant; R.M.A. held an S.R.C. studentship.     

5-methyl-3-butyl-octahydroindolizine,a novel type of pheromone attractive to Pharaoh's ants (Monomorium pharaonis (L.)

Zusammenfassung Aus Arbeiterinnen der AmeiseMonomorium pharaonis (L.) wurde 5-Methyl-3-butyl-octahydroindolizin isoliert. Dieses Pheromon übt eine starke Lockstoffwirkung auf die Arbeiterinnen dieser Ameisenart aus. Die Struktur wurde durch Spektral-analyse und Synthese aufgeklärt. Unseres Wissens ist dies das erste Pheromon aus Insekten mit dem Indolizingerüst.

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Acknowledgment. This work was supported by the Ministry of Health and Environmental Hygiene of the Netherlands. Pharaoh's ants were supplied by Dr.A. Buschinger, Bonn, and Mr.W. R. C. M. van der Loo, Rotterdam. The spectroscopical work was done by a team includingR. Deen, P. J. F. Nooijen andS. J. Spijk andJ. M. Timmner assisted in the synthesis.     

Localization of bovine pancreatic polypeptide (BPP)-like immunoreactivity in rat pancreatic monolayer culture

Summary Antiserum to bovine pancreatic polypeptide (BPP) has been used for immunofluorescent staining in the light microscope. With this technique it is possible to detect the presence of specific cells in monolayer culture from neonatal rat pancreas which contain BPP or a closely related peptide.This work was supported by a grant (No. 3.553.75) from the Fonds National Suisse de la Recherche Scientifique. We are very grateful to Dr.R. E. Chance, Eli Lilly, for his generous gift of BPP and anti-BPP serum. We are also very obliged to Dr.R. H. Unger for providing glucagon, to Dr.J. Rivier and Dr.R. Guillemin for somatostatin, to Dr.N. Yanaihara for secretin, to Dr.W. Gepts for gastrin and to Dr.A. J. Moody for GLI.     

Isoenzymes of creatine phosphokinase in white blood cells

Summary Creatine phosphokinase activity was found in human lymphocytes. Only MM type of the enzyme was detected in lymphocytes and polymorphonuclear leukocytes.Supported by U.S.P.H.S. MH 16 127. H.Y.M. is recipient of RCSA MH 47 808.     

Studies on the Dd antigen-antibody system. I. The nature of antigen Dd and its antibodies

Summary The nature of antigen Dd, an antigen present in the extracts of human dandruff which precipitates human sera selectively, and antibodies reacting with it are reported.This work was supported through U.G.C. Grant No. F.23-230/75/SR II. H.K. participated in this study, first as J.R.F. of U.G.C. and then as S.R.F. of I.C.M.R. We are grateful to Dr Baruch S. Blumberg for his invaluable suggestions and to Professor H. Walter for the gift of IgG, IgM and IgA immune sera.     

An actin-destabilizing factor is present in human plasma

Summary Plasma and serum of humans or experimental animals contain a factor which destabilizes F-actin. The factor has no DNAse or thrombin activity and after incubation with F-actin does not modify the position of the actin band on a SDS polyacrylamide gel. Hence it probably depolymerizes F-actin.Acknowledgment. This work was supported by the Swiss National Science Foundation, grant No.3.692-0.76. We thank Drs M. Crippa and C.A. Bouvier for measuring the DNAse and thrombin activities. The technical help of Mrs M. Redard and A. De Almeida and the photographic work of Mr J.-C. Rumbeli and Mr E. Denkinger are gratefully acknowledged.     

Development of photosystem I and onset of generative phase in buckwheat

Summary The length of the generative phase and the development of photosystem I in buckwheat cotyledones were found to be correlated. Increasing days of light exposure help both of these processes. It is presumed that electron transfer during energy absorption probably serves as a prelude to further molecular events leading to the onset of the generative phase.A.N.P. is thankful to USSR Academy of Sciences and U.G.C. India for financial assistance for his visit under Cultural Exchange Programme and to Miss T.I. Vyacheslavova for helping as an interpreter during the visit. Suggestions from Acad. M.Kh. Chailakhyan during this work are duly acknowledged.     

Karyotypes of several frogs from Korea,Taiwan and the Philippines

Summary Rana amurensis coreana, R. plancyi chosenica, R. latouchii, R. narina andOoeidozyga laevis have 2n=26 chromosomes,R. kuhlii has 2n=22, andKaloula picta has 2n=28. Males ofR. narina have a conspicuous heteromorphic pair, No. 8, which might play a rôle in sex-determination.Supported in part by a grant from the Japan-American Scholarship Foundation.I wish to thank Dr H.K. Kim, Dr Y.-S. Liang, Dr V. Samson-Carino, Mr C.-S. Wang, Mr P.S. Lin and Mr B. Durusan for their aid in every aspect during the collecting trips.     

Electrical response of bat retina to spectral stimulation: comparison of four microchiropteran species

Summary Electrical responses of the retinas of 4 species of microchiropteran bats stimulated by spectrally restricted light flashes were found to diverge systematically from the rhodopsin absorption spectrum. The divergence was progressively greater across the 4 species. The results appeared explainable by assuming a second photoreceptor class and photopigment which was present in progressively greater numbers in the retinas ofEptesicus fuscus, Desmodus rotundus, Artibeus jamaicensis andCarollia perspicillata.This work was made possible by equipment provided by grant No. EY 01228 from the U.S.P.H.S., Bob Hope Fight for Sight award No. G 522 and a grant from Research to Prevent Blindness, Inc. Portions of this work were presented at the Fifth International Bat Research Conference, Albuquerque, New Mexico, August 11, 1978.The authors would like to express appreciation to Drs A.M. Potts, J. B. Longley, R. S. Crockett and T. G. Wheeler for helpful suggestions and to Drs J. H. Richardson, J. G. Cooper, L. Kundrotas, Mr B. Spoonamore and Mr W. Lopez-Forment for facilitating collection and importation of the Mexican bats.