Induction of bacteriophage and colicin by means of acridine orange

Zusammenfassung Es wird über Ergebnisse bei der Induktion der Phage- und Colicinsynthese inE. coli (Stamm 18) durch photodynamische Wirkung des Acridinorange berichtet. Der Phagentiter wurde 11mal, der Colicintiter kaum 2mal erhöht. Acridinorange zeigte ohne Belichtung keinen deutlichen Effekt.     

Early detection of cell damage by supravital acridine orange staining

Summary Cell damage can be detected in living cells by acridine orange fluorescence earlier than with phase contrast microscopy or with conventional histological methods. The change in the acridine orange fluorescence from green to red indicates that the secondary structure of the DNA is altered very early during the cell death.Acknowledgments. We thank Miss Pirjo Vuori for excellent technical assistance, Engineer Charles Vane-Tempest for providing the necessary microscope equipment and the Finnish Academy for financial support.     

Evaluation of the ability of intact platelets to accumulate acridine orange

A new approach to the evaluation of the uptake of fluorescent probes by intact cells is described. Acridine orange (AO) was used because it can be selectively accumulated by serotonin-containing granules of platelets. Analysis of the fluorescence signal allows the estimation of the relative volume of the granules and the equilibrium coefficients for AO transport across the cytoplasm and granule membranes. The following results were obtained for human and rabbit platelets: the relative volumes of the granules were 14 +/- 1% and 29 +/- 2%, the ratios of intragranular-extracellular probe concentration were 2260 +/- 382 and 30,000 +/- 5550, and the cytoplasm-extracellular medium concentration ratios were 375 +/- 60 and 225 +/- 60, respectively.     

Fluorescence response of acridine orange to changes in pH gradients across liposome membranes

Summary The influence that changes in proton distribution have on the fluorescence of acridine orange was examined using negatively charged liposomes. Our results indicate that at least two mechanisms are involved: distribution of the probe between the internal aqueous phase of the liposomes and the outside medium, and binding of the probe to the liposome membranes.     

Fluorescence response of acridine orange to changes in pH gradients across liposome membranes

The influence that changes in proton distribution have on the fluorescence of acridine orange was examined using negatively charged liposomes. Our results indicate that at least two mechanisms are involved: distribution of the probe between the internal aqueous phase of the liposomes and the outside medium, and binding of the probe to the liposome membranes.     

Vital staining of neurosecretory material with acridine orange in the insect,Periplaneta americana

Résumé On expose une méthode rapide de la coloration vitale à l'acridine orange des produits de neurosécrétion dans le tissu nerveux des insectes. Irradiés avec la lumière bleue, tout les types connus de produits de neurosécrétions entrent en fluorescence en prenant une teinte métachromique rouge.

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I am indebted to Prof.B. Johnson for helpful suggestions and criticisms. This study was supported by a University of Tasmania Research Grant and the author has received financial support from I.C.I.A.N.Z. and University of Tasmania Post-Graduate Scholarships.     

Enhancement of fluorescence of pyrene-containing lipids by polar media,detergents and phospholipids

Summary The fluorescence intensities of a medium-chain fatty acid and of several amphiphilic lipids, each containing pyrene in covalent linkage, were enhanced considerably by: 1) Dissolving in mixtures of a polar solvent (e.g. methanol, ethanol, tetrahydrofuran or dimethylsulfoxide) and water; for each individual compound, a certain ratio of solvent to water provided maximal fluorescence intensity. 2) Incorporating into micelles of reduced Triton X-100; an excess of detergent was used so that, statistically, only one molecule of lipid resided in one micelle of the Triton X-100. 3) Incorporating into liposomes of egg phosphatidylcholine; maximal fluorescence was observed using a large excess of phosphatidylcholine. When related to the fluorescence intensities in chloroform/methanol (21, by vol.) or water, the enhancement of fluorescence in the above three systems was about 2-6-fold or up to 60-fold, respectively.     

Enhancement of fluorescence of pyrene-containing lipids by polar media, detergents and phospholipids

The fluorescence intensities of a medium-chain fatty acid and of several amphiphilic lipids, each containing pyrene in covalent linkage, were enhanced considerably by: 1) Dissolving in mixtures of a polar solvent (e.g. methanol, ethanol, tetrahydrofuran or dimethylsulfoxide) and water; for each individual compound, a certain ratio of solvent to water provided maximal fluorescence intensity. 2) Incorporating into micelles of reduced Triton X-100; an excess of detergent was used so that, statistically, only one molecule of lipid resided in one micelle of the Triton X-100. 3) Incorporating into liposomes of egg phosphatidylcholine; maximal fluorescence was observed using a large excess of phosphatidylcholine. When related to the fluorescence intensities in chloroform/methanol (2:1, by vol.) or water, the enhancement of fluorescence in the above three systems was about 2-6-fold or up to 60-fold, respectively.     

Inhibition of the fluorescence of acridine, 9-aminoacridine, and 9-amino-6-chloroacridine by human serum albumin]

Study of fluorescence quenching of acridine and some 9 amino acridines upon human serum albumin additions reveals a single protein fixation site. Characteristic values of thermodynamic functions are obtained from experiments at different temperatures.     

Differences between drosophila melanogaster and its sibling species D. simulans in sensitivity to acridine orange treatment

Larvae and adults of D. melanogaster and D. simulans were fed with acridine orange, in order to test sensitivity differences between the species. Our results show that, of the two species, D. simulans is more resistant in the larval stages, and D. melanogaster is more resistant in the adult stage. Furthermore, adult males of both species are more sensitive than adult females.     

The incorporation of labelled nucleosides by mouse morulae

Résumé L'incorporation de précurseurs marqués des acides nucléiques dans les morulae de souris, suit un cours différent de celui qui est connu pour les ufs en segmentation d'Echinodermes et d'Amphibiens; ceci pourrait se rapporter à leur contrôle génétique différent.