Differences in cardiac myosin light chain LC1 among human, monkey and sheep

The atrial and ventricular myosin light chains of human, monkey and sheep hearts were compared by dodecylsulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The atrial light chain 2 and ventricular light chain 2 are similar among these mammals. However, the atrial light chain 1 of monkey has different electrophoretic mobility from those of human and sheep. The monkey ventricular light chain 1 has same mobility as that of sheep but different from that of human.     

The effect of two forms of light on the development of the neonatal rat retina

Summary The effects of red and far red light on the development of the retinas were studied in the neonatal rat models. Red light appeared to be stimulatory and far red light appeared to be inhibitory.     

Differences in cardiac myosin light chain LC1 among human,monkey and sheep

Summary The atrial and ventricular myosin light chains of human, monkey and sheep hearts were compared by dodecylsulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The atrial light chain 2 and ventricular light chain 2 are similar among these mammals. However, the atrial light chain 1 of monkey has different electrophoretic mobility from those of human and sheep. The monkey ventricular light chain 1 has same mobility as that of sheep but different from that of human.Acknowledgments. This work was supported by MRC of Canada No. MA-8559. Dr G. Jackowski is a scholar of the Medical Research Council of Canada, and is the author to whom all correspondence should be addressed.     

Night pineal N-acetyltransferase activity in rats exposed to white or red light pulses of various intensity and duration

Summary Night N-acetyltransferase activity is suppressed by red and white light; the red light intensity, however, must be 10 times higher. Short light pulses also suppress night N-acetyltransferase; the higher the light intensity, the shorter the pulse is effective.The authors are grateful to Mrs Marie Svobodová for her skillful technical assistance.     

Entrainment of human circadian rhythms by artificial bright light cycles

Artificial bright light cycles (LD 8:16) of about 5000 lux during the light period were applied to two subjects in a temporal isolation unit, who had shown free-running circadian rhythms in sleep-wakefulness and rectal temperature. The circadian rhythms were successfully entrained by the artificial light cycle, but the phase relation of the rhythms to the light cycle was substantially different between the two subjects. The result indicated that the artificial bright lights are able to reset human circadian rhythms.     

Effect of light adaptation on electrical responses of the retinas of four species of bats.

The levels of light adaptation at which the retinas of 4 species of microchiropteran bats became unable to generate electroretinograms were progressively ordered. The order correlated well with light preferences based on activity patterns of the 4 species. These results suggest that the ability of the retina to function in ambient light may govern some natural behaviors of these bats.     

Muscle fluorometry: A determination of the depth of penetration

Summary Fluorometric recordings of NADH (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide) were made on rabbit papillary muscles. The specimens were placed between the UV light source and a small window of the detection stage. As the muscle was moved over the window in a transverse direction, simultaneous measurement could be taken of transmitted UV light and fluorescent light for various thicknesses of tissue. It is concluded that a muscle thinckness of 0.65 mm, is optimal before absorption of the incident light decreases the fluorescence signal.     

Effects of sham-pinealectomy,performed under white and red light,on the melatonin content of rat pineal glands

Summary Sham-pinealectomy, performed under different light conditions in newborn and adult rats, is followed by changes of pineal activity resulting in variations of melatonin content. The pineal glands of rats sham-operated under white light produce significantly less melatonin. In contrast, glands of rats operated on under red light show a melatonin content corresponding to that of intact rats. This result implies that normal white light causes a disturbance in melatonin production by a non-retinal pathway.     

Muscle fluorometry: a determination of the depth of penetration

Fluorometric recordings of NADH (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide) were made on rabbit papillary muscles. The specimens were placed between the UV light source and a small window of the detection stage. As the muscle was moved over the window in a transverse direction, simultaneous measurements could be taken of transmitted UV light and fluorescent light for various thicknesses of tissue. It is concluded that a muscle thickness of 0.65 mm is optimal before absorption of the incident light decreases the fluorescence signal.     

Further studies on the effect of red and far red light on rat retinal development

Summary The influence on the development of the outer segments of the rat retina of far red and red light in different sequences was investigated. The far red treatment appeared to be dominating, and for animals treated with far red light first, further treatment of red light could not bring the outer segment growth back to normal. The treatments also initiated different dopamine uptakes in the retinas.     

Phase-dependent shift of free-running human circadian rhythms in response to a single bright light pulse

Responsiveness of free-running human circadian rhythms to a single pulse of bright light was examined in a temporal isolation unit. Bright light (5000 lx) of either 3 or 6 h duration, applied during the early subjective day, produced phase-advance shifts in both the sleep-wake cycle and the rhythm of rectal temperature; the light pulse had essentially no effect on the phase of the circadian rhythms, when it was introduced during the late subjective day or the early subjective night. The results indicate that bright light can reset the human circadian pacemaker.     

Entrainment of human circadian rhythms by artificial bright light cycles

Summary Artificial bright light cycles (LD 816) of about 5000 lux during the light period were applied to two subjects in a temporal isolation unit, who had shown free-running circadian rhythms in sleep-wakefulness and rectal temperature. The circadian rhythms were successfully entrained by the artificial light cycle, but the phase relation of the rhythms to the light cycle was substantially different between the two subjects. The result indicated that the artificial bright lights are able to reset human circadian rhythms.     

Dose-effects of 8-methoxypsoralen and long wave UV-light in 3T3 cells: evaluation of phototoxic index.

3T3 cells were cultured until confluency and treated with various doses of 8-methoxypsoralen followed by long wave UV light irradiation. The inhibition of 3H-thymidine incorporation was dose-dependent for both, psoralen and light. A phototoxic index (PTI) was established demonstrating that a constant correlation between psoralen and UVA light exists for the photoinactivation in living cells.     

Über die Lageorientierung von Salinenkrebsen (Crustacea,Anostraca)

Summary Between 2 sources of light, free-swimmingArtemia salina turn their ventral side towards the brighter one. The ratio of the 2 light intensities at the threshold for this reaction is independent of the direction of gravity. This shows, together with other observations, that the body orientation is exclusively controlled by the direction of the impinging light.     

Lichthemmung der Oxydation von Krebscyclus-Säuren durch Blumenkohl-Mitochondrien

Summary The oxidation of succinic-, malic-, and -ketoglutaric acid by cauliflower mitochondria is slowed down by strong visible light. The cytochrome-c-oxidase activity is also inhibited by light and the pigment is completely reduced in time. It is concluded that the Krebscycle is inhibited by light.     

Fragmentation of myosin A-1 light chain of fast muscle by trypsin]

Limited proteolysis of myosin by such proteolytic enzymes as trypsin, chymotrypsin or papain produces typical fragmentation of its heavy chain. Presently evidence is given that trypsin treatment cleaves the alkali light chain A-1 (20,700 dalton) to a shorter (ca 20,000 dalton) chain. The two "essential" thiols (SH-1 and 2) of moysin were alkylated with 17-C-N-ethylmaleimide and a non-negligible amount of radioactivity was also found in the two alkali light chains. Using the specific radioactivity of alkali light chain A-1 it was possible to identify it among heavy chain fragmentation products. The molecular weight of the newly formed A-1 indicates that limited tryptic cleavage of this A-1 confers on it a closer similarity with alkali light chain A-2.     

A method for the measurement of transmitted and reflected light from the same biological sample

Summary An apparatus is described for the measurement of transmission and reflection of visible light through biological materials. The accuracy of the apparatus is independent of any fluctuations of intensity in the light source.     

Luciferase a light source for the silica-based optical waveguides (spicules) in the demosponge Suberites domuncula

Two classes of sponges (animal phylum Porifera) possess a siliceous skeleton which is composed of spicules. Studying the optical fiber-mechanical properties of large spicules from hexactinellid sponges (> 5 cm) it was demonstrated that they are effective light-collecting optical fibers. Here, we report that the demosponge Suberites domuncula is provided with a biosensor system composed of the (organic) light producing luciferase and the (inorganic) light transducing silica spicules. The light transmission feature of these smaller spicules (200 μm) has been demonstrated and the ability of sponge tissue to generate light has been proven. Screening for a luciferase gene in S. domuncula was successful; the recombinant luciferase was prepared and shown to be bioactive. The luciferase protein is abundantly present in the close neighborhood of the spicules. The expression of the luciferase gene is under the control of light. Received 14 August 2008; received after revision 09 November 2008; accepted 26 November 2008     

A further proof of polarization vision ofNotonecta glauca and a note on threshold intensity for eliciting the plunge reaction

Summary Polarized UV light from a platform on the ground can attract backswimmers and elicit plunge reactions. Threshold intensity is independent of the overall UV-intensity in the surrounding space. Unpolarized UV light attracts the animals only when the intensity is higher than that of the surroundings. These results show that polarized UV light can be discriminated from unpolarized UV light independently of intensity.