Mechanism of in vitro gall induction inZizyphus jujuba Lamk.

Summary Zizyphus jujuba Lamk. stem galls incited byEriophyes cernuus Massee were induced aseptically on stem segments cultured on auxin and kinetin-free modifiedMurashige andSkoog's nutrient medium by 1. gall callus graft, 2. gall tissue extract and 3. incorporation of NAA into the medium.     

Bromothricin

Summary Streptomyces antibioticus (Waksman andWoodruff)Waksman andHenrici 1948, strain Tü 99, produced Bromothricin instead of Chlorothricin, when it was grown in a nutrient medium containing 0.5% potassium bromide. The properties of bromothricin are very close to those of chlorothricin. Its nature was elucidated by degradation to methyl 5-bromo-2-methoxy-6-methylbenzoate.     

Effects of glycolytic metabolites on preservation of high energy phosphate level and synaptic transmission in the granule cells of guinea pig hippocampal slices

The present study was undertaken to investigate whether neural activity of hippocampal slices can be preserved after replacingd-glucose with glycolytic intermediate metabolites such as lactate, pyruvate and citrate or with other sugars such as fructose, mannose, maltose, glucosamine, sucrose and galactose. As an index of neural activity, population spikes (PS) were recorded in the granule cell layers after electrical stimulation to the perforant path of guinea pig hippocampal slices. In addition, we determined the levels of ATP and creatine phosphate (CrP) in each slice after the replacement ofd-glucose with these substrates, and correlated it with the neural activity. Substrates other thand-glucose could not maintain the PS for even 20 min although the slices perfused with medium containing lactate, pyruvate, galactose, fructose and maltose maintained similar levels of ATP and CrP as in slices incubated in thed-glucose-containing medium. These results indicate thatd-glucose is essential for the preservation of synaptic activity in addition to its main role as the substrate for energy production to maintain the levels of high energy phosphates.     

Establishment of a cell line (XTC-2) from the South African clawed toad,Xenopus laevis

Résumé On décrit une méthode pour l'établissement d'une culture de cellules du crapaud a griffes sudafricain,Xenopus laevis, afin de l'infecter avec des arbovirus. Les cellules (XTC-2) ont subi une culture continue pendant 3 ans. Elles ont un nombre diploïde de chromosomes. Elles furent cultivées aux températures de 22°C et de 28°C dans un milieu de culture dilué de NCTC 109 avec 10% de sérum de veau foetal.

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We thank ProfessorD. S. Bertram, Director of the Department of Entomology at the School, for his continued interest; Mr.A. O. Langi for technical assistance and Dr.L. Hamilton, Middlesex Hospital Medical School, London, for supplying theXenopus tadpoles. We are especially grateful to the Wellcome Research Laboratories, Beckenham, for supplying medium NCTC 109, and to Mr.D. J. Richmond of the Laboratories for responding to our request for medium promptly and willingly. The work is supported in part by a grant from the Medical Research Council of Great Britain.     

Suspension culture ofNigella sativa

Summary In suspension culture 91% free cells ofNigella sativa was obtained inWhite's medium supplemented with casein hydrolysate, inositol and adenine. Ploidy distribution pattern was similar in cell clumps of different sizes and free cells. Chromosomal irregularities were more in free cells. A number of globular embryoid were formed when casein hydrolysate, inositol and adenine were added in the medium after subsequent omission of auxin and coconut milk.     

Über Struktur und Aktivität der den H2O2-Zerfall katalysierenden Cu2+-Komplexe. — VI. Differenzierung von nativer RNS und nativer DNS bzw. denaturierter DNS auf Grund der katalytischen Eigenschaften

Summary The catalysis of H₂O₂ decomposition by Cu²⁺-complexes of RNA and DNA has been investigated. It is shown that both complexes decompose H₂O₂, but only the Cu²⁺-RNA-system shows peroxidative activity too, e.g. only in this case the nucleotide bases are degraded. Thermal denaturation of DNA also leads to a Cu²⁺-complex with peroxidative activity, the latter being dependent on the degree of denaturation.

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V. Mitteilung:S. Petri, H. Sigel undH. Erlenmeyer, Helv. chim. Acta49, 1778 (1966).

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12. Mitteilung überMetallionen und H ₂ O ₂; 11. Mitteilung:H. Ch. Curtius, P. Anders, R. Zell, H. Sigel undH. Erlenmeyer, Helv. chim. Acta49, 2256 (1966).     

Teratologische Prüfung der Hydrolysenprodukte des Thalidomids

Summary N-(o-Carboxybenzoyl)-dl-glutamic acid imide anddl-glutamic acid imide · HCl did not lead to fetal malformations after i.p. administration to pregnant mice; the injected solutions contained 25% Tween 20. Thus, of the 12 hydrolysis products of thalidomide only those 3 which contain the phthalimide moiety show teratogenic activity, i.e. 2-phthalimido-dl-glutaramic acid, 4-phthalimido-dl-glutaramic acid and 2-phthalimido-dl-glutaric acid.     

Effet conidiogène sélectif de la thymine chez un mutant «serineless» deNeurospora crassa

Summary Thymine, but not uracil, induces conidiation without supplementary growth, while suboptimal serine increases mycelial mass only, in the leaky serine-1 mutant ofN. crassa grown aconidially in liquid minimal medium.

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Nous remercions MlleMarilyn Harrington de son aide technique et le Fonds national suisse de la Recherche scientifique de son appui.     

Über die Sekretion saccharosespaltender Transglukosidasen im pflanzlichen Nektar

Summary The phloem sap ofRobinia Pseud-Acacia contains only sucrose and does not possess invertase activity. A sucrase is, however, present in nectar collected fromRobinia flowers: this enzyme identified as a transglucosidase, liberates greater amounts of fructose than of glucose from sucrose. Enzymic activity apparently commences 2–5 days before the flowers are fully open.

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Die vorliegenden Untersuchungen erfolgten im Rahmen der Arbeitsgemeinschaft Prof. Dr.A. Frey-Wyssling, Zürich, und Dr.A. Maurizio, Bern, mit Unterstützung der Fritz-Hoffmann-La-Roche-Stiftung zur Förderung wissenschaftlicher Arbeitsgemeinschaften in der Schweiz.     

Changes in dopamineβ-hydroxylase activity of monkey plasma with age

Summary Plasma dopamine -hydroxylase activity of Japanese monkeys (Macaca fuscata fuscata) increased with age, and the developmental changes were similar to those of human beings. However, the adult level plasma DBH activity of various monkey species was much lower than that of human beings.We thank Dr.K. Nozawa, Dr.O. Takenaka and Mr.T. Shotake (Primate Research Institute, Kyoto University) for their help in collecting monkey blood samples.     

Trypsin activity in the midgut ofSarcophaga ruficornis andMusca domestica (Diptera: Insecta)

Summary The pH and temperature for the optimum activity of trypsin from the midgut ofSarcophaga ruficornis andMusca domestica was 7.5 and 8.0 respectively and 50°C. The enzymic activity increased with the increase in incubation period and enzyme concentration.Thanks are due to Prof.R. Rakshpal for guidance.     

R?le du ganglion frontal sur le rythme cardiaque chezLocusta migratoria L.

Summary Removal of the frontal ganglion results in a decrease of the cardiac rhythm which is more important than the one following starvation in the adults of both sexes ofLocusta migratoria. This decrease may be due in part to the reduction of protein metabolism but also, according toStrong ⁸ andClarke andAnstee ^7,9, to interruption of the normal activity of the CA brought on by frontalectomy.     

Dans quelles conditions l'amnios de l'embryon de poulet peut-il se former en culturein vitro?

Summary The amnion was never before observed to formin vitro culture. A slight modification of the classic method ofNew consists in cultivating the blastoderm in its normal position, the ventral side against the medium. In this new position, the amnion develops normally.

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Travail subventionné par le Fonds national suisse de la Recherche scientifique.     

Die durch animalische Mucoproteine verursachte Wachstumshemmung

Summary Anti-growth activity of animal mucoproteins on germinating seeds ofLupinus albus was tested; the inhibition with plasma mucoprotein was statistically significant. The inhibition with urine mucoprotein according toAnderson was the most effective.     

Action du LiCl sur de jeunes blastodermes de poulet cultivésin vitro

Summary The young blastoderms cultivatedin vitro, by the method ofNew, slightly modified, grow abnormally on a medium of albumen mixed with LiCl solution. It acts in the first place upon the morphogenesis, secondarily upon the differentiation of organs, if they are able to develop.

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Travail subventionné par le Fonds national suisse de la Recherche scientifique.     

Oxydation der Zucker durch Süssmandelemulsin (Rohferment nachHelferich)

Summary Emulsin (Rohferment ofHelferich) and similar enzyme preparations ofRosaceae-Amygdaloideae seeds have been found to exhibit a low but definite oxidizing activity towards aldohexoses in concentrated sugar solutions used for transglycosylation experiments.     

Isolation of a potent allergen from house dust mite by interaction with the lectin tridacnin

Summary Tridacnin, the lectin from the clamTridacna maxima, precipitates with house dust mite extracts and provides a simple procedure for obtaining a potent, purified mite allergen. Allergenic activity was investigated using the radioallergosorbent test (RAST).We thankKarin Williams, Jill Butler, Elizabeth Quinn andGisela Steinhausen for technical help. This work was supported by the Princess Margaret Children's Medical Research Foundation, the Asthma Foundation of Western Australia, the National Health and Medical Research Council and the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft.     

Diterpene acids as larval growth inhibitors

Summary Kaurenoic and trachylobanoic acids from sunflower inhibited larval development in several Lepidoptera species. The tricyclic resin acids were also effective in curtailing growth ofPectinophora gossypiella and either reduction to carbinol or esterification of the carboxyl group lowered activity. Partial reversal of growth inhibition in the presence of relatively large amounts of cholesterol suggests an interaction with the insects' hormonal system.Acknowledgment. We wish to thankM. Rose andJ. Baker for insect bioassays.     

Neue Totalsynthese einer razemischen Doisynolsäure

Summary A new synthesis is described of a crystalline 7-methyl-doisynolic acid showing a strong estrogenic activity. This acid is probably identical with the stereoisomer C ofAnner andMiescher. Demethylation of this methoxyacid yields a new doisynolic acid of mp. 113–117° (hemihydrate).

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XIII. MitteilungSynthetische Versuche in der Gruppe der östrogenen Hormone; XII. Mitteilung siehe Chem. listy50, 2004 (1956).     

Isolation of the insect paralyzing agent coniine fromSarracenia flava

Summary As part of a study to clarify the relationship between insects and the insectivorous plantSarracenia flava, we have observed the presence of the paralyzing agent coniine in the volatile constituents. Fire ants have been used as the test organism in bioassay studies for paralyzing activity.Acknowledgment. This work was financed in part by the National Institutes of Health (Grant No. CA 13268). Thanks go to Dr.Sidney McDaniel for collection of the plant material and to Mr.Peuman Neel for assisting in the project.