Mitotic cell cycle time in root meristems of tetraploid and related diploid pearl millet

Summary Mitotic cell cycle time was estimated from root meristems of tetraploid and related diploid stock (IP 1475) of pearl millet (Pennisetum typhoides). There is 38% increase in cell cycle time in tetraploid meristems compared of their related diploid stocks.Acknowledgment. The authors thank Dr. M. Krishna Rao for useful suggestions and UGC for financial assistance.     

Potentiation of the biological activities of daunomycin and adriamycin by ascorbic acid and dimethylsulfoxide

Summary L-Ascorbic acid (0.57 mM) and dimethylsulfoxide (14.1 mM) were found to potentiate four times the antibacterial activities of daunomycin and adriamycin in theStaphylococcus aureus test. This effect, however, could not be demonstrated against eukaryotic cells and leukemia P388 in mice. The authors thank Dr A. Maráz, Department of Microbiology, J.A. University, Szeged, and Dr Zs. Somfai, Institute of Oncology, Budapest, for collaboration in the experiments with yeast and tumor cells.     

Effect of acrylonitrile on trehalase,phosphorylase and acetylcholinesterase activities inTribolium castaneum Herbst andTrogoderma granarium Everts

Summary Acrylonitrile inhibited trehalase and phosphorylases in larvae and adults ofTribolium castaneum. InTrogoderma granarium larvae phosphorylases alone were inhibited. Acetylcholinesterase was not affected.Acknowledgments. We thank Dr R. Radhakrishnamurthy for his suggestions.     

Cortisol resistant RPMI-1788 lymphocytes become sensitive to cortisol subsequent to a 24-h incubation period in medium containing purified human transcortin

Summary RPMI-1788 lymphocytes (a human cell line) are resistant to cortisol in vitro. Prior incubation for a minimum of 24 h a medium which contains purified human transcortin at a concentration of 50 g/ml renders these cells sensitive to the inhibitory action of cortisol as regards the synthesis of DNA. Only the transcortin-exposed cells contain a cortisol binding species whose sedimentation behavior in a sucrose gradient is identical to that of transcortin.This work was supported in part by grant ET-47 from the American Cancer Society. I thank Mr D. Pina and Dr R. Khaund for their excellent technical assistance.     

Correlation between ovarian growth,vitellogenin titer,and yolk polypeptide pattern in the haemolymph ofCalliphora vicina

Summary During the first egg maturation cycle ofCalliphora vicina changes in the vitellogenin titer and yolk polypeptide pattern of the haemolymph are correlated with the intensity of follicular growth, and the rate of yolk deposition.Acknowledgments. Support from The Danish Natural Science Research Council (grant: 11-0423) and access to facilities at the laboratory of Dr Bente L. Hansen (Institute of Medical Microbiology) is gratefully acknowledged.     

The effect of L-cysteine on presoaked barley seeds treated with methyl methanesulfonate

Summary Experiments were performed to analyse the effect of L-cysteine on barley seeds treated with methyl methanesulfonate (MMS) at a critical stage of the cellular cycle. Contrary to expectation, L-cysteine did not protect the barley seeds against MMS damage except for a slight protection at high doses (0.5, 0.7%).Acknowledgments. The author is thankful to Dr K. Kartha, Prairie Regional Laboratory, National Research Council of Canada, Saskatoon, Canada, and Dr D. Lorence, Washington University, St. Louis, for linguistic revision of the paper.     

In vivo inactivation of denervated corpora allata by precocene II in the bug,Oncopeltus fasciatus

Summary Transection of the nervous connections between the brain and the corpus allatum (CA) inOncopeltus fasciatus does not alter the susceptibility of the CA to precocene II in vivo.The authors wish to thank Patricia Ferugia for rearing the insects; Dr D. Soderlund, Department of Entomology, New York State Agricultural Experiment Station for helpful discussions; and Dr A.O. Lea, Department of Entomology, University of Georgia for technical advice. To whom reprint requests should be addressed     

Plasma thyrotrophin concentration in the foetal calf

Résumé On a mesuré le taux de thyrotrophine (TSH), thyroxine et cortisol dans le plasma du foetus du veau pendant les 18 jours précédant la naissance. La diminution du TSH a précédé de 6 jours et s'est poursuivie en même temps que celle du taux de thyroxine.

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We are grateful to the Medical Research Council and the Milk Marketing Board for financial support.

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The TSH preparation used for iodination in these studies was kindly provided by Dr.J. Pierce, and the antiserum to Pierce bovine TSH was provided by Dr.G. D. Thorburn. Synacthen was kindly provided by Dr.D. M. Burley, CIBA Laboratories, Horsham, Sussex and Efcortelan by Dr.E. S. Snell, Glaxo Laboratories, Middx.     

Effect of hormones on adenyl cyclase activity of rabbit mammary gland in vitro

Summary Ovarian hormones namely-estradiol and progesterone were observed to stimulate the activity of adenyl cyclase of the mammary gland from pregnant rabbit in vitro, unlike the lactating tissue where it was inhibited. On the other hand, non-ovarian hormones like hydrocortisone, prolactin and insulin did not have a similar effect on this enzyme.Acknowledgement. We are indebted to Dr D. Sundaresan, for his kind encouragement in this study.     

Mutagenicity and toxicity of chloroethylene oxide and chloroacetaldehyde

Summary Exposure of severaltrp-auxotrophicEscherichia coli strains, carrying base0pair substitutions, to chloroethylene oxide or chloroacetaldehyde (two metabolites of vinyl chloride) increased the mutation frequency to tryptophan prototrophy. Strong cytotoxic and mutagenic effects were observed with 2.5 mM chloroethylene oxide, while a higher concentration of chloroacetaldehyde (100 mM) exhibited a mutagenic effect which was 400 times lower.I am grateful to Prof. G. Michel, Laboratoire de Biochimie Microbienne, and to Dr H. Bartsch, International Agency for Research on Cancer, for the support of this work. I wish to thank Dr F. Besson-Simien and Dr A. Barbin for their collaboration.     

Attraction of the male house fly to cuticular hydrocarbons and feces of several other dipteran species

Zusammenfassung Männchen vonMusca domestica werden von Kohlenwasserstoffextrakten aus der Cuticula weiblicherMusca domestica, M. autumnalis undHaematobia irritan angelockt (gleiche oder ähnliche Pheromone), nicht aber von entsprechenden Extrakten ausStomoxys calitrans, Glossina morsitans, G. austeni, Fannia canicularis undCochliomyia hominivorax.

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The authors thankDr. P. A. Langley, University of Bristol, for his geneous aid in providing cuticular washes and feces of tsetse flies;Dr. C. M. Jones, USDA, for face fly samples;Dr. R. L. Harris, USDA, for horn fly samples;Dr. B. G. Hightower and R. R. Grabbe, USDA, for screwworm samples andDr. W. M. Rogoff, USDA, for little house fly samples.     

Comparison of sterols from a phytophagous and predacious species of the family coccinellidae

Summary The sterols of a phytophagous and a predacious species of the family Coccinellidae were found to be quite different from each other, indicating that adaptation to different diet regimens is reflected in the utilization and metabolism of dietary sterols.We thank Dr George Angalet, USDA Beneficial Insects Research Laboratory, Federal Research, SEA, Newark, DE, for providing us with the adultCoccinella septempunctata used in this study.     

Antiviral substances in starfish

Zusammenfassung Eine Gruppe von teilweise chemisch charakterisierten Verbindungen, welche die Vermehrung des Influenza-Virus in Huhnembryo-Test verhindern, wurde aus den SeesternenAsterias forbesi, Asterias pectinifera undAcanthaster planci isoliert.

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This research was supported by the N.S.F. Sea-Grant Program. The author thanks Dr.H. W. Younken Jr. and Dr.L. R. Worthen for their encouragement and suggestions throughout this work. Thanks are also due to Dr.Hashimoto, Tokyo University, and Dr.Yasumoto, Tohoku University, for the specimen ofAsterina pectinifera, and Dr.B. M. Branham, University of Hawaii, forAcanthaster planci sample. The antiviral test was carried out by Dr.O. Liu, Northeast Shellfish Sanitation Research Center, D. H. E. W., Narragansett, Rhode Island, to whome the author expresses his sincere gratitude.     

Effect of fungal staling growth products on colony interaction amongRhizoctonia solani Kuhn and some potential rhizosphere fungi

Summary Colony interactions betweenRhizoctonia solani Kuhn: a root pathogen ofLycopersicon esculentum Mill and some dominant rhizosphere fungi were assessed in vitro in virgin and staled agar to examine their antagonistic ability and tolerance to antagonism. The range of inhibition ofR. solani varied widely in competition with some of the antagonists.Acknowledgments. I would like to express my appreciation to Dr R. S. Dwivedi for encouragement and CSIR for financial assistance.Address for reprint request: Dr D.K. Arora, Old G/14, Jodhpur Colony, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi 221005, India.     

Distribution ofγ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) in the ganglia ofAplysia kurodai

Summary The concentration of GABA was determined in each ganglion ofAplysia kurodai by microassay. Highest concentration was observed in buccal ganglia.The authors are indebted to Miss C. Shimada for her skillful assistance and are also grateful to Dr. H. Koike in our institute for his advice to handleAplysia, to Dr. S. Ameniya, Misaki Marine Biology Station, University of Tokyo, for his support to get the animals.     

A fungitoxic principle from the leaves ofLawsonia inermis Lam.

Summary During antifungal screening of higher plants, the leaves ofLawsonia inermis were found to exhibit strong fungitoxicity. On chemical investigation, the antifungal factor was found to be 2-hydroxy-1,4-naphthoquinone (Lawsone). The minimum effective dose against test organism was found to be 1000 ppm. Lawsone was found to exhibit fungicidal activity, wide fungitoxic spectrum and nonphytotoxicity.Acknowledgment. Authors are thankful to Dr Nitya Nand, Central Drug Research Institute, Lucknow, for providing facilities to carry out chemical investigations. Our thanks are particularly due to Dr R. S. Kapil, Dr Geeta Devi Tripathi and Dr S. C. Tripathi for their help rendered in various ways.     

Corticosteroidogenesis by isolated human adrenal cells: Effect of serotonin and serotonin antagonists

Summary The direct effect of serotonin and antiserotonin agents on adrenal steroid biosynthesis was studied in isolated adrenal cells derived from patients with Cushing's syndrome. The results indicate that serotonin increases corticosterone production, while the serotonin antagonists cyproheptadine and methysergide depress adrenal steroid-particularly cortisol and aldosterone-biosynthesis.The authors are indebted to Dr. M. Kárteszi, Institute of Experimental Medicine, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest, for the determination of plasma ACTH by radioimmunoassay in our patients, and to Prof. P. Vecsei, Department of Pharmacology, University of Heidelberg, providing us with highly specific antisera for corticosteroids RIA-s.     

Allantoinase in the marine polychaeteEudistylia vancouveri

Summary Allantoinase, an enzyme in the purine-urea cycle, was found inEudistylia vancouveri (Polychaeta). The enzyme had a pH optimum at 7.6 TheK _m was 0.012M allantoin, and the Arrhenius energy of activation was 12.6 to 14.6 kcal/mol.Supported by the U. S. National Science Foundation (Institutional Grant) and by the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency Grant No. T-900204 (WP-175). Publication No. 10 of the Laboratory of Biochemical Ecology; College of Fisheries Contribution No. 458. We thank Dr.Robert L. Fernald for generously making available to us the facilities of the Friday Harbor Laboratories, Friday Harbor, Washington.     

Sterility in tsetse flies (Glossina morsitans Westwood) caused by loss of symbionts

Summary Tsetse flies fed on blood containing oxytetracycline, sulphaquinoxaline or lysozyme do not reproduce. It could be proved that primarily the symbionts in flies are damaged, which secondarily leads to sterility.I thank Dr.A. M. Jordan, Tsetse Research Laboratory at Bristol, for providing me with pupae ofG. morsitans, Dr.H. Wetzel, International Atomic Energy Authority, Vienna, for providing antibiotictreated flies and the Gesellschaft für Strahlen und Umweltforschung, München, for financial support.     

Chromsome aberrations in cattle raised on bracken fern pasture

Summary Thirteen cows maintained on natural bracken fern (Pteridium aquilinum) were analyzed cytogenetically. The frequency of structural chromosome aberrations detected in peripheral blood cells was significantly higher when compared to that detected in animals raised on pasture containing no bracken fern. We discuss the clastogenic action of fern and its synergistic action with infection by type 2 and 4 papilloma virus in the same animals.Acknowledgments. We are grateful to Dr F. J. Benesi, Dr J. L. Guerra and Dr I. L. Sinhorini for performing some of the clinical and pathological analyses; O. P. Ferraz, L. A. Tadeu Dias, L. F. Feitosa and A. M. N. Paiva for technical assistance; and to Dr N. H. C. Castro and Dr C. de Araujo Peres for critical and statistics review, respectively. Research was supported by CNPq FAPESP and CAPES.