7-Dehydrosterols in prothoracic glands of the silkworm,Bombyx mori

Summary Sterol analysis of prothoracic glands of the silkworm,Bombyx mori revealed the presence of 7-dehydrocampesterol and 7-dehydrositosterol together with 7-dehydrocholesterol. It was also found that the amounts of these 7-dehydrosterols were increased in proportion to the ecdysone titer.     

Sterols of the brine shrimp,Artemia salina,from Mono Kake,California

Zusammenfassung Artemia salina vom Mono-See, Kalifornien, U.S.A., enhält Cholesterin und Cholestanol als ihr hauptsächlichstes Sterin. Diese Zusammensetzung ist ähnlich wie die jenige von im Laboratorium erzeugten Salz-Krabben und zwar trotzdem das Wasser des Mono-Sees ein pH von 9.6 und einen Salzgehalt von 2.23M hat¹⁶.

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Acknowledgment. This work was supported, in part, by a grant from the Long Beach (California) Heart Association.     

Compensatory growth of the ovaries,adrenal glands and kidneys in blinded,anosmic rats

Résumé Chez les rats qui ont subi une ablation de la glande pinéale, la présence simultanée de perte de vue et d'anosmie empèchent la croissance compensatoire de l'ovaire chez la femelle et celle des glandes surrénales chez la mâle. Une hypertrophie du rein provoquée expérimentalement après une néphrectomie unilatérale n'est pas modifiée par la perte de vue et l'anosmie.

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Supported by grant No. HD-06523, U. S. P. H. S.     

Molecular cloning of a cDNA encoding alpha-glucosidase in the digestive gland of the shrimp, Litopenaeus vannamei

The complete sequence of the 3-kb cDNA and the 5' genomic structure are reported for the gene encoding the shrimp alpha-glucosidase. Alpha-glucosidase cDNA was isolated from a shrimp digestive gland cDNA library. The 2830-base pair cDNA contains an open reading frame that encodes 919 amino acids. The shrimp alpha-glucosidase cDNA shows a high level of identity with that of the human sucrase-isomaltase, human maltase-glucoamylase, and human acid lysosomal alpha-glucosidase, indicating that the protein shares the same structural domains. The similarities among these proteins are found as clusters and characterize the glycosyl hydrolase family 31. To our knowledge, this is the first report to describe a satellite sequence in the 5' genomic structure before the TATA box in an invertebrate sequence.     

Chronic hyperesthesia in rats caused by lesions in the dorsal roots of the branchial plexus]

Traumatic avulsions of the brachial plexus in Man is followed by development of hyperesthesia which is known to be reistant to pharmacological medication. We have been able to reproduce this syndrome in the Rat and have used this disturbed animal as a model. This model will give us the possibility of studying nervous mechanisms responsible for these abnormal pains and to look for effective treatments.     

Accumulation of phenylpropanoids in the rectal glands of males of the Oriental fruit fly,Dacus dorsalis

Summary Two phenylpropanoid compounds, 2-allyl-4,5-dimethoxyphenol(II) and coniferyl alcohol(III), were characterized from body tissue of wild males of the Oriental fruit fly,Dacus dorsalis. These compounds accumulated in the rectal glands only when laboratory-reared males were fed with methyl eugenol. Compound II was released into the air during dusk, which coincides with the fly courtship period. Pheromonal and allomonal effects of the phenylpropanoids were examined.     

Adrenergic nerves in the major salivary glands of the rabbit

Zusammenfassung Es ist bekannt, dass die Ausbreitung der adrenergischen Speicheldrüsennerven der Ratte in enger Verbindung mit der Sekretion bei sympathischer Reizung steht. Die Submaxillaris- und Parotisdrüsen des Kaninchens waren reichlich mit adrenergischen Nerven versorgt. Die sympathische Sekretion der Submaxillarisdrüse war indessen sehr gering, während die der Parotisdrüse beträchtlich war. Die Versuche deuten darauf hin, dass die sympathischen Nerven nicht nur eine sekretorische Funktion haben.

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J. R. Garrett on leave from the Department of Oral Pathology, Kings College Hospital, London S.E. 5, wishes to acnowledge a travel grant made by theEley-Webster Trust.     

Daily rhythms in the endocrine glands of drosophila larvae

Zusammenfassung Neurosekretorische Zellen, Corpus allatum, Prothoraxdrüsen- und Fettkörperzellen in Drosophilalarven zeigen tägliche, zweigipflige Schwankungen der Zellkerngrösse. Ein ähnliches Muster konnte auch in den Nucleoli der Prothoraxdrüsen beobachtet werden.     

Penaeidins, a family of antimicrobial peptides from penaeid shrimp (Crustacea, Decapoda)

The production of antimicrobial peptides represents a first-line host defense mechanism of innate immunity that is widespread in nature. Only recently such effectors were isolated in crustacean species, whereas numerous antimicrobial peptides have been characterized from other arthropods, both insects and chelicerates. This review presents findings on a family of antimicrobial peptides, named penaeidins, isolated from the shrimp Penaeus vannamei. Their structure and antimicrobial properties as well as their immune function will be discussed through analyses of penaeidin gene expression and peptide distribution upon microbial challenge. Received 21 January 2000; received after revision 10 March 2000; accepted 10 March 2000     

Caveolated cells observed in the duodenal glands of the white-tailed deer

Summary This study reports the presence of caveolated cells in the duodenal glands of the white-tailed deer. Caveolated cells have not been observed previously in the duodenal glands of other species studied to date.     

Ciliary action and normal movement of odorant wavefronts in garfish nasal capsule ofLepisosteus osseus

Résumé Le cours d'un courant d'eau produit par les cils dans la capsule nasale deLepisosteus osseus est décrit. Un certain volume d'eau ne passe sur l'épithelium nasal qu'une seule fois avant de sortir de la capsule, une situation différente de celle qui s'observe chez l'anguille. L'eau effectue son parcours en 2–9 sec, selon la route suivie à travers la cavité et la condition physiologique du poisson. Des cils sur des lamelles réséquées produisent à la surface un écoulement d'une vitesse moyenne de 2.2 mm par sec.

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The authors thank Dr.Don Tucker for many helpful suggestions during the course of the study, and Mr.Ron Parker for his excellent technical assistance in operation of the SEM and specimen photography. The drawing of Figure 1 was made byJosette Gourley. This research has been supported in part by a grant of the Research Fund of the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and by the following grants at The Florida State University: US PHS Nos. MH 1/218, GU 2612, NS07468, NS08943, and USPHS Predoctoral Fellowship No. GM49867. Contribution no. 30 of the Tallahassee, Sopchoppy and Gulf Coast Marine Biological Association.     

The regulatory peptide system of the large bowel in equine grass sickness

Summary In recent years, distinct changes in regulatory peptides have been found in a number of gastrointestinal diseases. Grass sickness is a fatal disease of horses for which the etiology has yet to be fully ascertained. In this study, the peptide-containing nerves and ganglionic and mucosal endocrine cells of the ileum, colon and rectum were investigated in horses with sub-acute or chronic grass sickness and compared with normal controls using immunocytochemistry, at both the light and electron microscopical levels, and radioimmunoassay. A substantial loss of both peptide-containing cells and nerves was found in all of the sick horses, particularly in the ileum. Electron microscopy revealed marked degeneration of nerves in the gut wall. fibers containing granules immunostained for substance P or VIP, using the immunogold staining technique, underwent extensive degranulation in grass sickness, with the formation of multiple vacuoles.Radioimmunoassay of peptide content also showed that the most drastic changes occurred in the ileum. For example, VIP content was significantly reduced from 109±19.8 (mean±SEM) pmoles/g in controls to 6.8±1.4 pmoles/g in grass sickness (p<0.001) and substance P from 65.9±8.1 to 31.3±9.5 (p<0.02). These results may have applications in the diagnosis and treatment of grass sickness.The authors gratefully acknowledge the financial support of the Wellcome Trust and the Grass Sickness Fund.     

Toward an understanding of cell growth and the cell division cycle of unicellular photoautotrophic cyanobacteria

The cell division cycle of Synechococcus sp. strain PCC 6301 in light is characterized by the sequential and orderly appearance of macromolecular synthesis periods. In the dark, macromolecular synthesis and cell division are severely curtailed. When dark-incubated cultures are reexposed to light, a new cell cycle is initiated. The pattern of the cell events displayed by Synechococcus in light and the absence of sustained growth in dark incubation conditions suggests that light-activated regulatory molecules control macromolecular synthesis and the cell division cycle. For example, ribosomal RNA synthesis is stimulated by a light-activated DNA binding factor in light but not in the dark. Light/dark conditions induce cell synchrony in Prochlorococcus. Distinct G1, S and G2 phases characterize cell cycles of marine Synechococcus and Prochlorococcus. Cell division in Synechococcus elongatus PCC 7942 and marine Synechococcus is controlled by circadian oscillators.