Host-plant pyrrolizidine alkaloids inNyctemera annulata Boisduval: Their persistence through the life-cycle and transfer to a parasite

Summary Larvae ofNyctemera annulata Boisduval ingest pyrrolizidine alkaloids fromSenecio spathulatus A. Rich. which subsequently appear in the adult months and their eggs; the acquisition of the alkaloids by a parasite of theN. annulata larvae provides a further illustration of their ability to persist in insects.Acknowledgments. We thank Dr R. Yamdagni of the Chemistry Department, University of Calgary, Canada, and Dr O. Madsen of the Organic Chemistry Department, The Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby, Denmark, for much help with the MS data collection. We are also very grateful to Dr C.C.J. Culvenor, CSIRO Animal Health Lab., Parkville, Victoria, Australia, who most generously provided us with authentic reference specimens of pyrrolizidine alkaloids.     

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     

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.     

Karyomorphology of two species ofTor (Pisces; Cyprinidae) with a high number of chromosomes

Summary The karyotypes ofTor khudree andTor tor, occurring in the Himalayan streams in India, are described. As reported earlier forT. putitora, the diploid complements in these 2 congeneric species also comprise 100 chromosomes. The modal number being 2n=50 in this family,Tor appears to be of tetraploid origin.The author is greatly indebted to Prof. G.K. Manna, and Prof. A.K. Bose, Department of Zoology, University of Kalyani, for encouragements and laboratory facilities. Financial aid from the University of Kalyani is gratefully acknowledged. Sincere thanks are also due to Dr M.K. Jyoti and Miss Anu Agarwal of the Department of Biosciences, Jammu University for their cordiality and help in various ways during my stay at Jammu.     

The legs ofMusca domestica andGlossina morsitans females as the site of sex pheromone release

Summary The site of sex pheromone release inMusca domestica andGlossina morsitans is the legs. Unicellular glands restricted to the tarsi and to the tibia are proposed as the source of the pheromone. The structure of the glands is described.Acknowledgments. TheMusca domestica stock, obtained from Dr H. Penner at the Department of Health, Jerusalem, was the insecticide-susceptible strain of the WHO Centre, The Zoological Institute, University of Pavia, Italy. Dr A.M. Jordan of the Tsetse Research Laboratory at Bristol suppliedGlossina morsitans pupae.     

Nuclear blebs in oocytes of the fishClarias batrachus

Summary Large nuclear blebs have been observed in oocytes of the fish,Clarias batrachus. The bleb, which contains nucleoplasm, is finally extruded from the nucleus. The extruded body is DNase-sensitive, and it implies that some amount of DNA is extruded from the nucleus of these oocytes.Acknowledgments. We are thankful to Dr. R.K. Sharan, Department of Zoology, Patna University, for providing laboratory facilities, and to Dr V.G. Jhingran and Dr P.V. Dehadrai of ICAR for their keen interest in the work.     

A high number of chromosomes in the hillstream cyprinid,Tor putitora (Pisces)

Summary The karyotype of a cyprinid fish occurring in India,Tor putitora is described. The diploid complement comprises 100 chromosomes. The modal number in this family being 2n=50,T. putitora appears to be another case of tetraploidy.The author is highly indebted to Prof. G.K. Manna, and Prof. A.K. Bose, Department of Zoology, University of Kalyani, for encouragement and laboratory facilities. Sincere thanks are due to Dr Raj Tilak, ZSI, Government of India, for identification of the specimens. Financial aid from the University of Kalyani is gratefully acknowledged.     

Characterization of the host-specific toxins produced byHelminthosporium sacchari,the causal organism of eyespot disease of sugarcane

Summary Investigation of the host-specific toxin complex fromH. sacchari has led to the isolation of 3 isomeric glycosidic components C₃₉H₆₄O₂₂, each active at 2×10^–11 moles. The 3 isomers consist of 4 galactose units linked to an aglycone residue C₁₅H₂₄O₂.Acknowledgments. The Boyce Thompson-Cornell group thanks J.F. Rissler, University of Maryland, A.K. Bose, Stevens Institute of Technology, R. Barker and A. Serriani, Cornell University, and C. Grinnalds and J. Golay, Boyce Thompson Institute for help with various aspects of this work. Supported in part by a grant to V.M. from the US Department of Agriculture (8100720). The Zürich group thanks Dr G.A. Strobel, Department of Botany and Microbiology, Montana State University, Bozeman, for supplying a potent toxin-producing strain (M 36), a susceptible clone of sugarcane (51 NG 97), and a reference sample of helminthosporoside, Dr. K. Hostettmann and Mme M. Hostettmann-Kaldas, Pharmazeutisches Institut ETH Zürich, for assistance in developing the DCC separation and Sandoz A.G., Basel, for financial support.     

Defensive substances from stink bugs of Cydnidae

Summary The odorous and physiologically active substances of the secretions of Japanese stink bugs (Cydnidae) were investigated. The main components of the secretions ofM. japonensis andA. nigritus aren-tridecane andn-pentadecane together with 2-octenal and 2-decenal, while 2-hexenal is the main components in the secretion ofA. magna.The authors are indepted to Dr.Nakayama and MissEguchi (Department of Chemistry, Hiroshima University) for measurement of the mass spectra.     

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.     

The occurrence of arachidonic acid in the venom duct of the marine snailConus textile

Summary A crude extract of the venom of the marine snailConus textile Linné caused a powerful contraction in the guinea-pig isolated ileum. The extract of the venom has been fractionated, and the fractions monitored by the contractile effect. Arachidonic acid was shown to be present as an active substance.Acknowledgment. We are grateful to Mr Z. Nagahama of Okinawa island for suppling specimens ofC. textile and to Dr T. Higashijima and Prof. T. Miyazawa (Department of Biophysics and Biochemistry, Tokyo University) for 270 MHz¹H-NMR-measurements.     

DNA and its precursors might interact with the food preservatives,sodium sulphite and sodium benzoate

Summary The interaction of sodium sulphite and sodium benzoate with nucleosides and DNA has been studied in vitro. Reduction in UV-absorbance was consistently noticed. However, no new products result from such interaction. It is likely that our previous observations of the effects of the 2 food preservatives on DNA synthesis and mitotis inVicia faba root meristems is not due to direct action of the chemicals at the level of genetic material.We are grateful to Professor P.A. Robbins and Dr. A.S. Herbin of the Department of Chemistry, University of Nairobi for their help.     

Endocrine basis of wing casting and flight muscle histolysis in the fire antSolenopsis invicta

Summary In the imported fire antSolenopsis invicta, wing casting and flight muscle histolysis are blocked by allatectomy. Treatment of alate allatectomized females with a synthetic mixture with high juvenile hormone activity induced wing casting and flight muscle histolysis. Apparently, wing casting and flight muscle histolysis in the fire ant are part of postemergence developmental program regulated, directly or indirectly, by the corpora allata.The author thanks the Entomology Department of the University of Georgia for postdoctoral support and Dr A.O. Lea for the use of his facilities.     

Aminotransferase study ofNeurospora crassa ser-3 versus wild type ST4A

Summary TheNeurospora crassa serine auxotrophser-3 and the wild type ST4A were compared with respect to their phosphoserine and serine aminotransferase activities. The results obtained indicate no deficiency of either of these enzymes in the mutant strain.This work was supported in part by a grant to D.G. from the California Foundation for Biochemical Research. The authors also wish to thank Dr Robert G. Wolcott, formerly of the Department of Chemistry, California State University, Northridge, for his valuable advice and for the use of his department's liquid scintillation counting system. We acknowledge with appreciation the skilled technical assistance of Mr Tom Harper.     

Jungermanool,a new labdane diol from the liverwort,Jungermannia torticalyx steph

Summary A new diterpenoid named jungermanool was isolated fromJungermannia torticalyx and the structure was found to be labda-8 (17), 14-dien-9, 13-diol by chemical and spectroscopical methods.Chemical constituents fromHepaticae, Part XXIV: Part XXIII,A. Matsuo, H. Nozaki, M. Nakayama, Y. Kushi, S. Hayashi andN. Kamijo, Tetrahedron Lett.1975, 241.The authors wish to express their gratitude to Dr.T. Seki, Department of Botany, Hiroshima University, for the collection and identification of the liverwort.     

Purification of 20α-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase from human erythrocytes

Summary 20-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase was found in the supernatant after hemolysis of human erythrocytes, and the enzyme was isolated from the membrane-free hemolysate on a DEAE-cellulose column. The NADPH-generating system was essential for the reaction.Acknowledgments. We wish to thank Dr A. Tomoda, Department of Biochemistry, Kanazawa University School of Medicine, and Dr T. Yubisui, Department of Biochemistry, Medical College of Oita, for their advice and useful discussions.     

The invasion and growth ofBabesia bovis in tick tissue culture

Summary Erythrocytic forms ofBabesia bovis inoculated into cell cultures of the tickBoophilus microplus invaded the tick cells and showed multiplication for up to 48 h after inoculation.Acknowledgment. We thank Mr. G.B. Mirre and Mrs M. Steinhoffer for able technical assistance during the course of the work. We also thank Dr. H.M.D. Hoyte, Parasitology Department, University of Queensland, for the use of an electron microscope. The work was supported by funds from the Australian Meat Research Committee.     

Collagen synthesis of cultured fibroblast from Werner's syndromes of premature aging

Summary The difference of collagen producibility between 2 groups of skin fibroblasts from patients with Werner's syndrome with skin change and with normal skin, and the difference of collagen accumulation to cell layer between skin fibroblast from Werner's syndrome and controls were studied.Acknowledgments. We are grateful to Dr M. Ohkido and Dr I. Matsuo of the Department of Dermatology of Tokai University for their supply of materials and generous advice and Mr K. Takeichi of the Department of Pathology of Tokai University for his technical assistance.     

Evidence of an essential histidyl residue in arylsulphatase B

Summary Diazotization and carbethoxylation studies of arylsulphatase B have indicated that a histidine residue is essential for arylsulphatase B activity.The work was done at the Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh (U. P.), India.The author is grateful to Dr.A. N. Khan of Department of Zoology for useful discussion.     

Toxicity of Dithane M-45 onDrosophila melanogaster

Summary The toxicity of different concentrations of Dithane M-45 onDrosophila melanogaster was determined. The chemical was administered by larval feeding. It has been estimated that the LC₅₀ is 17.5 mg/100 ml food medium. The studies have suggested that Dithane M-45 has a pronounced effect on the rate of development and viability.Acknowledgments. The authors are grateful to Dr M.R. Rajasekarasetty, F.N.A., Professor and Head of the Department of Postgraduate Studies and Research in Zoology, Manasa Gangotri, University of Mysore, Mysore, for his constant encouragement and valuable suggestions. One of us (V.V.) is thankful to the UGC for the financial assistance.