Pharyngeal cavity and the gills are the target organ for the repellent action of pardaxin in shark

Summary Pardaxin, an active principle of the repellent secretion of the Red Sea flatfish,Pardachirus marmoratus, elicited severe struggling, mouth paralysis, and transient increase in urea leakage from the gills only when administered to the medium bathing the shark's pharyngeal cavity and gills. An apparatus was constructed which prevents a mixing of the outflow from shark's gills with water bathing its surface skin. It is concluded that in sharks the gills and/or the pharyngeal cavity are the target organ for the repellent action of pardaxin.     

Chemical crypsis in predatory ants

Summary The repellent responses of worker termites to ants are determined by the exocrine gland secretions of the latter. Specialized termite predators produce non-repellent aliphatic alcohols as the major components of their mandibular glands, whereas unspecialized con-generics usually produce repellent ketones and aldehydes.Acknowledgment. A C.A.S.E. Award (C.L.) from S.R.C. and the Centre for Overseas Pest Research is gratefully acknowledged as are facilities provided by the Ahmadu Bello University, Nigeria at Mokwa.     

Ciliary structures in the branchial unicellular glands of the grass shrimp,Palaemonetes pugio

Summary A unicellular exocrine gland possessing an epicuticular ductule occurs in grass shrimp gills. This gland displays ultrastructural changes in relation to the molt cycle. These changes include an increase in the quantity of secretory granules during late premolt, and the development of ciliary axonemes in relation to ductule formation.This investigation was supported in part by grant CR-807417 from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.     

Effect of different bathing media on the short-circuit current across the intestine of the rat and guinea-pig.

The changes in short-circuit current occurring when one or both solutions bathing the intestine of rat or guinea-pig mounted in flux chambers were recorded. The results with the guinea-pig can be explained in terms of diffusion potentials arising from the ionic replacements, and an electrogenic sodium pump, sensitive to ouabain, in the contraluminal membrane of the cell. In the rat, the situation is more complicated, and the enterocyte probably possesses an electrogenic sodium pump in the brush-border membrane.     

Effect of different bathing media on the short-circuit current across the intestine of the rat and guinea-pig

Summary The changes in short-circuit current occurring when one or both solutions bathing the intestine of rat or guinea-pig mounted in flux chambers were recorded. The results with the guinea-pig can be explained in terms of diffusion potentials arising from the ionic replacements, and an electrogenic sodium pump, sensitive to ouabain, in the contraluminal membrane of the cell. In the rat, the situation is more complicated, and the enterocyte probably possesses an electrogenic sodium pump in the brush-border membrane.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Anopheles gambiae</Emphasis> odorant binding protein crystal complex with the synthetic repellent DEET: implications for structure-based design of novel mosquito repellents

Insect odorant binding proteins (OBPs) are the first components of the olfactory system to encounter and bind attractant and repellent odors emanating from various sources for presentation to olfactory receptors, which trigger relevant signal transduction cascades culminating in specific physiological and behavioral responses. For disease vectors, particularly hematophagous mosquitoes, repellents represent important defenses against parasitic diseases because they effect a reduction in the rate of contact between the vectors and humans. OBPs are targets for structure-based rational approaches for the discovery of new repellent or other olfaction inhibitory compounds with desirable features. Thus, a study was conducted to characterize the high resolution crystal structure of an OBP of Anopheles gambiae, the African malaria mosquito vector, in complex with N,N-diethyl-m-toluamide (DEET), one of the most effective repellents that has been in worldwide use for six decades. We found that DEET binds at the edge of a long hydrophobic tunnel by exploiting numerous non-polar interactions and one hydrogen bond, which is perceived to be critical for DEET’s recognition. Based on the experimentally determined affinity of AgamOBP1 for DEET (K _d of 31.3 μΜ) and our structural data, we modeled the interactions for this protein with 29 promising leads reported in the literature to have significant repellent activities, and carried out fluorescence binding studies with four highly ranked ligands. Our experimental results confirmed the modeling predictions indicating that structure-based modeling could facilitate the design of novel repellents with enhanced binding affinity and selectivity.     

Sidedness of the inhibitory effects of diamide on Na and water transport in amphibian skin

Summary Diamide, a thiol-oxidizing agent, blocks cAMP-mediated stimulation of Na and water transport when added to the outer solution bathing frog skin. No inhibition was found with diamide in the inner solution. These effects may be due to a perturbation of the thiol-disulfide status of specific components of the outer membrane of the epithelium.This work was supported by grants No. 3.1300.73 and 3.043-0.76 from the Swiss National Science Foundation.     

Androgen receptors in the cytosol of normal mucosa and of pharyngo-laryngeal epitheliomas in humans]

Specific binding for 5 alpha dihydrotestosterone has been characterized in cytosol fraction from human pharyngeal and laryngeal mucosae. The high binding affinity of the protein receptor (Kd 2 x 10(-10)M) and its low capacity are similar in both sexes, and similar in both normal mucosa and epithelioma.     

Axon guidance at the central nervous system midline

A key feature of the central nervous system of most higher organisms is their bilateral symmetry about the midline. The specialised cells that lie at the midline have an essential role in regulating the axon guidance decisions of both neurons that project axons across the midline and those that project on one side. The midline cells produce both attractive and repellent short- and long-range signals to guide axonal growth. The axons themselves express specific receptors that can be dynamically regulated in response to midline-derived signals. In this way, axons extend toward or away from the midline and those that do cross change their behaviour to respond to longitudinal signals on the contralateral side.     

Effect of furosemide on the permeability to Cl of the isolated skin of Leptodactylus ocellatus.

Furosemide added to the Ringer solution bathing the external side of the isolated skin of Leptodactylus ocellatus increased the PD and SCC and inhibited both active chloride influx and passive chloride efflux. The action on chloride permeability is thought to contribute to the diuretic effect of the drug.     

ATPase activity in mercury intoxicated eels

Summary Eels intoxicated by lethal doses of HgCl₂ accumulate mercury in their gills. Mercury inhibits the ouabainsensitive Na+K+ATPase activity of gills involving the rupture of the fish NaCl balance.The author wishes to express his sincere gratitude to Professor A. Disteche and Professor E. Schoffeniels for discussions during the investigation. This research was carried out in participation in the Belgian National Research and Development Program on the Environment-Water-Sea Project-Office of the Prime Minister-Interministerial Commission for Science Policy and Programmation.     

Catfish blood chemistry under environmental stress

Summary Blood chemistry ofHeteropneustes fossilis exposed to sewage, fertilizers and inseticides showed signs of anemia, dehydration and disturbance in the pituitary-interrenal endocrine axis and the excretory function of gills. Hepatic and renal tissue damage was also indicated.Financial grant from U.P. State Counc. Sci. Technol., India, is acknowledged.     

Gill lesions in Cichlid fishes after intoxication with the insecticide Fenthion.

The toxic effects of Fenthion on the gills of Cichlid fishes were investigated. In Herotilapia multispinosa hyperplasia and separation of the respiratory epithelium, lamellar telangiectasis and thrombosis occurred. The lamellar epithelium of surviving fish regenerated in all cases. In Tilapia leucosticta no telangiectasis was found, but all the secondary lamellae were fused due to the severe hyperplasia of the gill epithelium.     

Protein digestion in the sea gooseberryPleurobranchia bachei A. Agassiz (Ctenophora: Tentaculata)

Summary Peaks of proteolytic activity of pharyngeal juice occur at pH 5.75 and pH 7.5. The proteases responsible for digestion include a tryptic alkaline protease and a thiol-activated acid protease which is probably cathepsin B. Levels of proteolytic activity parallel those of other carnivorous invertebrates which feed on zooplankton.This study was supported by operating grants from the National Research Council of Canada.We are grateful to Betsy Sweeney for her technical assistance.     

The effect of temperature on the ouabain-sensitivity of Na+−K+-activated ATPase and fluid secretion by the Malpighian tubules ofLocusta

Summary Temperature markedly affected the ouabain-sensitivity of both the Na⁺–K⁺-activated ATPase activity and the secretion of fluid by the Malpighian tubules ofLocusta. Varying the K⁺ concentration in the bathing medium did not affect the ouabain-sensitivity of the fluid secretory process.     

Effects of temperature on the bioaccumulation of cadmium by the crayfish Ponstacus leptodactylus. Microanalysis by X-ray spectrography and secondary ion emission

Low temperatures (10 +/- 1 degrees C) induce a rapid entry of cadmium into the body across the gills and gut; higher temperatures (20 +/- 1 degrees C) induce a medium and long term absorption and storage of the metal in the digestive gland and its long term accumulation in the exoskeleton. From a methodical point of view, electron microprobe appears more suitable than secondary ion emission microanalysis for the detection of cadmium.     

Effects of corpora cardiaca extract,furosemide and ion substitution on sodium and chloride flux in perfused Malpighian tubules ofLocusta

Treatment with the co-transport inhibitor, furosemide decreased³⁶Cl^– flux across perfused Malpighian tubules ofLocusta. However, exclusion of³⁶Cl^– from the bathing medium had not effect on²²Na⁺ flux whereas substitution of bathing medium Na⁺ by K⁺ increased³⁶Cl^– flux. Diuretic extract of corpora cardiaca increased²²Na⁺ (by 106%) and³⁶Cl^– (by 335%) fluxes differentially.     

Catfish blood chemistry under environmental stress

Blood chemistry of Heteropneustes fossilis exposed to sewage, fertilizers and insecticides showed signs of anemia, dehydration and disturbance in the pituitary-interrenal endocrine axis and the excretory function of gills. Hepatic and renal tissue damage was also indicated.     

Gill lesions in Cichlid fishes after intoxication with the insecticide Fenthion

Summary The toxic effects of Fenthion on the gills of Cichlid fishes were investigated. In Herotilapia multispinosa hyperplasia and separation of the respiratory epithelium, lamellar telangiectasis and thrombosis occurred. The lamellar epithelium of surviving fish regenerated in all cases. In Tilapia leucosticta no telangiectasis was found, but all the secondary lamellae were fused due to the severe hyperplasia of the gill epithelium.This work was undertaken with the aid of Prof. Dr. E. Kulzer.     

Der Einfluss von Acetylcholin auf die42Kalium-Abgabe postnataler,denervierter und reinnervierter Skeletmuskulatur

Summary The loss of⁴²K from the isolated rat diaphragm into the bathing solution is increased by acetylcholine, (a) 3 to 4 days after birth, (b) 7 to 14 days after sectioning of the phrenic nerve. The⁴²K loss is not altered by acetylcholine in the diaphragm of adult rats and after the denervated diaphragm has become reinnervated.