Repressible alkaline phosphotase inAspergillus niger

Summary ALP fromA. niger is a) P_i repressible enzyme; b) stimulated by addition of Zn⁺⁺ to the growth medium, and c) that EDTA inhibits the enzyme reversibly, which could be restored by addition of Zn⁺⁺ and perhaps Mg⁺⁺. This property is in contrast to the enzyme fromN. crassa, which is independent of any metal requirement.     

Chemical and tactile communication between the root aphid parasitoidParalipsis enervis and trophobiotic ants: consequences for parasitoid survival

Females of the aphid parasitoidParalipsis enervis received liquid food by regurgitation (trophallaxis) from workers of the ant speciesLasius niger, but were not fed by workers ofMyrmica laevinodis andTetramorium caespitum. WhileP. enervis was not treated aggressively by workers of any of these species,Lasius flavus workers killed the parasitoid. This different ant behaviour resulted in a different parasitoid longevity. WhileP. enervis survived for only 10 min in the presence ofL. flavus (due to ant aggression) or for approximately one day in the presence ofT. caespitum andM. laevinodis (due to lack of trophallaxis), survival increased significantly to more than five days in the presence ofL. niger, which provided food regularly to the parasitoids. Our study suggests thatP. enervis mimics behavioural signals ofL. niger, as well as odor cues of its host aphidAnoecia corni, to avoid aggression byL. niger.     

Experimentelle Feststellung dualer Potentiale an intra-nicht-permutierenden Membranen

Summary It has been shown experimentally that two different potentials appear across an intra-nonpermutating membrane³ when two different solutions (e.g., solution I: 0.1n NaCl+0.0001n KCl; and, solution II: 0.1n KCl + 0.0001n NaCl) are separated by such a membrane, and when the pores of the intra-nonpermutating membrane are supplied with ions from either solution I or solution II (in this case: essentially with Na⁺ ions from solution I, or essentially with K⁺ ions from solution II). The theoretical background, and other considerations, for these experiments will be found in reference.     

A new type of interaction between spore colour mutants ofAspergillus niger

Summary A new white-spored mutant of the imperfect fungusA. niger is described. Behind the heterokaryotic heads formed with non-allelic spore colour mutants, it shows as a result of crossfeeding a uniform change of colour of the conidial heads in a band up to 4–5 mm deep. This mutation with pleiotropic effects on colour and crossfeeding occurs relatively frequently inA. niger, although it has not been reported previously.Acknowledgment. Thanks are due to Dr A. J. Clutterbuck (Department of Genetics, University of Glasgow, Glasgow) for helpful comments on this work.     

Selectivity of alterations in skeletal fibers in chronic Chagas' disease of the mouse

Summary In mice chronically infected withTrypanosoma cruzi, the masseter muscle (rich in type II fibers) was devoid of inflammatory infiltrates and parasites. In contrast, other muscles, composed of type I and II fibers, showed a decrease of type I fibers, parasites and lesions, suggesting that inT. cruzi infection type I muscle fibers are selectively damaged.     

Early man in east Africa: New discoveries

Zusammenfassung In Olduway wurden in Bed I und unteren Schichten von Bed II neue Hominidenfunde geborgen, die alsHomo habilis benannt wurden. Sie zeigen, dass in Ostafrika zur gleichen unterpleistozänen Zeit zwei Hominidentypen lebten undZinjanthropus nicht länger als Träger der Olduwan-Kultur angesehen werden muss. Die Funde können zwei verschiedenen zeitlich aufeinander folgenden Formen zugeordnet werden, von denen der Typusunterkiefer aus Bed I enge Beziehungen zuMeganthropus palaeojavanicus zeigt, Maxillae und Mandibel von MNK II aus Bed II aber ausserordentlich starkPithecanthropus modjokertensis ähneln.     

Sulla biochimica della fermentazione citrica da parte dell'Aspergillus niger

Summary In a strain ofAspergillus niger grown in Bernhauer medium, oxalacetic decarboxylase activity increased, while citric acid accumulated in the medium. The mechanism of citric acid accumulation is discussed.     

Insect anti-juvenile hormone and juvenile hormone activity from plants in the genusNama

Summary The insect anti-juvenile hormones precocene I and II (7-methoxy-2,2-dimethyl-2H-1-benzopyran and 6,7-dimethoxy-2,2-dimethyl-2H-1-benzopyran) were identified in three of nineNama (Hydrophyllaceae) species. Precocene I occurred inN. lobbii while precocene II occurred inN. hispidum, N. lobbii andN. sandwicense. N. hispidum contained the highest concentration (ca 0.5% dry weight) of precocene II, which was found in the leaves, stems, seed capsules, corolla, glandular trichomes, and seeds. In addition to the anti-juvenile hormone, insect juvenile hormone activity was detected in the organosoluble extracts ofN. rothrockii andN. sandwicense. N. sandwicense is the first plant discovered to contain compounds with both anti- and juvenile hormone activity.     

Sulla biochimica della fermentazione citrica da parte dell'Aspergillus niger

Summary In a strain ofAsp. niger grown inBernhauer medium, succinic-dehydrogenase activity decreased and asparticglutamic transaminase activity remained practically constant, while citric acid accumulated in the medium.     

Class I and class II ribonuclease H activities inCrithidia fasciculata (protozoa)

Summary The protozoanCrithidia fasciculata contains two different ribonuclease H activities. These enzymes display similar physical and biochemical characteristics to their homologues in higher eukaryotes, for instance calf thymus class I and class II ribonuclease H. Class I ribonuclease H of lower and higher eukaryotes can be activated by Mg²⁺- and Mn²⁺- ions. However, the presence of Mn²⁺-ions is inhibitory for the Mg²⁺-dependent class II ribonuclease H activity ofCrithidia fasciculata and calf thymus. The protozoan class I-homologue enzyme appears to be serologically related to the class I ribonuclease H of calf thymus.     

Notable diversity in hemoglobin expression patterns among species of the deep-sea clam, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Calyptogena</Emphasis>

The deep-sea clams Calyptogena nautilei and C. tsubasa, which live in the cold-seep area at a depth of 3570 m in the Nankai Trough, Japan, have abundant hemoglobins (Hbs) in erythrocytes, similar to other Calyptogena species. We determined the cDNA-derived amino acid sequences of Hbs from two Calyptogena species. C. tsubasa was found to contain two dimeric Hbs, Hb I consisting of 145 amino acid residues and Hb II with 137 residues, similar to known Hbs from C. soyoae and C. kaikoi. Sequence identity was over 90% among the orthologous chains of Calyptogena Hbs. On the other hand, surprisingly, C. nautilei contained two monomeric Hbs, Hb III containing 141 residues and Hb IV with 134 residues. In addition, Hbs III and IV showed only 33–42% sequence identity with Hbs I and II from other Calyptogena species. The distal (E7) histidine, one of the functionally important residues of the heme protein, is replaced by glutamine in all Hb chains of Calyptogena species. A phylogenetic analysis indicated that C. nautilei Hb III is closer to Hb I from other Calyptogena species. We suppose that a Hb gene was duplicated at least three times in an immediate ancestor of Calyptogena and, presumably depending on physiological conditions different Hb sets are being expressed: dimeric Hbs I and II in C. soyoae, C. kaikoi and C. tsubasa, and monomeric Hbs III and IV in C. nautilei. Received 13 May 2003; received after revision 5 June 2003; accepted 12 June 2003     

Effects of a crystalline proteinase fromBacillus subtilis (Nagarse) on angiotensins I and II

Zusammenfassung Nagarse, eine vomBacillus subtilis gewonnene kristalline Proteinase, bewirkte eine intensive Inaktivation von Angiotensin II, wobei keine Umwand-lung von Angiotensin I in Angiotensin II festzustellen war. Die mögliche Identität zwischen einem aus einer menschlichen Plasmafraktion gewonnenen Polypeptid nach Nagarse-Impfung mit Angiotensin II wird geprüft.     

Über die Isolierung von Pyrenophorol

Summary The isolation of patulin I and pyrenophorol II from submerse cultures ofByssochlamys nivea Westling is described.     

A new strain ofAspergillus niger producing citric acid

Zusammenfassung Durch Behandlung eines Zitronensäure produzierenden Stammes vonAspergillus niger mit-Strahlen, N-Lost und UV-Strahlen konnte die Zitronensäureausbeute um ungefähr das Vierfache gesteigert werden.     

Experimentelle Untersuchungen zum Wirkungsmechanismus der beiden entwicklungsphysiologisch aktiven Fraktionen des «Gehirnhormons» der Insekten (Aktivationsfaktor I und II) auf die Prothoracaldrüse

Summary 2 prothoracotropical factors (activation factor I and II) have been obtained by gel filtration techniques from brains and corpora cardiaca of the cockroachPeriplaneta americana. In contrast to activation factor II, activation factor I caused significant influence of RNA synthesis. The RNA pattern of prothoracic glands stimulated by activation factor I as demonstrated by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis consists of different kinds of RNA. Short time incubation revealed effects on sRNA synthesis, while long time incubation demonstrated predominantly increase of ribosomal RNA synthesis. Measurements of the membrane potential of the prothoracic gland cells of the wax mothGalleria mellonella indicated an increase by activation factor II; activation factor I was without any visible effect. Our results demonstrate for the first time that the two activation factors induce different effects at cellular level.

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Für technische Unterstützung danken wir FräuleinA. Zinsser und FrauR. Meissner.

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Durchgeführt mit Mitteln des Ministeriums für Wissenschaft und Technik und mit Unterstützung durch die Sächsische Akademie der Wissenschaften zu Leipzig.     

Steroids. LXVI. Microbiological hydroxylation of steroids in position 21

Zusammenfassung Die Einführung einer Hydroxylgruppe in die 21-Stellung gewisser Pregnanderivate mittelsAspergillus niger ATCC 9142 wird beschrieben.

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Paper LXV,J. Iriarte, G. Rosenkranz, andF. Sondheimer, J. Org. Chem. (in press).     

Juvenile hormone I is the principal juvenile hormone in a hemipteran insect,Riptortus clavatus

Juvenile hormone I (JH I) was identified by combined gas chromatography/mass spectrometry as the predominant JH in the hemolymph of female adults of the bean bug,Riptortus clavatus (Thunberg) (Hemiptera: Alydidae). Among JH I, II, and III, JH I was the most effective hormone for inducing the synthesis of yolk proteins in diapause adults.     

Embryonic diapause in annual fishes: Evaporative water loss and survival

Summary The effects of partial desiccation on the survival of diapause I, diapause II, and pre-hatching embryos of the annual fishN. guentheri were investigated. Embryos at diapause II were found to be the most resistant stage. Prolonged exposure of diapause II embryos to 92 and 95% relative humidities retarded the termination of diapause II.     

Na-pump sites in the oviduct ofSalamandra salamandra (L.) (Amphibia,Urodela)

Summary Using³H-ouabain autoradiography, Na⁺–K⁺-ATPase has been localized on the basolateral membranes of ciliated and nonciliated cells in the oviduct (pars recta, p. convoluta I, II, III) of the European fire salamander,Salamandra salamandra. The mucous and seromucous gland cells of the p.convoluta I, II, III, however, do not show any significant labelling. An asymmetrical distribution of ouabain binding sites is a main feature of transporting epithelia.     

Morphogenetic effect of precocene I and II onSchistocerca gregaria (Forsk)

Summary 4th instar nymphs ofSchistocerca gregaria exposed to precocene I and II by topical application metamorphosed precociously. The ED₅₀ of both compounds were evaluated and, unexpectedly, precocene I was found to be more active than precocene II. All adultiforms were identical and in an advanced form.Acknowledgments. This work was supported by grants from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada and the Ministère de l'Education du Québec. We are grateful to Gaston Grégoire for rearing the insects.