Relationship of specific granules to the natriuretic and diuretic activity of rat atria

Summary The isolation of several fractions from rat atrial homogenates, by the use of differential and sucrose gradient centrifugation, indicates that the diuretic and natriuretic activity is restricted to the fractions rich in specific granules. Our preliminary results suggest that the active substance is a small peptide which is probably different from the natriuretic substance(s) already known.Supported by a group grant given by the Medical Research Council of Canada to the Multidisciplinary Research Group on Hypertension of the Clinical Research Institute of Montreal.Acknowledgments. The authors thank Suzanne Diebold for technical assistance.     

Disappearance of different substances in contact with the external surface of the brain

Résumé La disparition de différentes substances en contact avec la surface externe du cerveau est étudiée. Les temps moyens de disparition de celles-ci suggèrent l'existence d'une barrière s'opposant au passage de ces substances du compartiment subarachnoïde crânien au tissu nerveux.

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Work supported by grants from the Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Cientificas y Técnicas (Argentine).     

The use of lytic enzymes ofMicromonospora spp. to prepare protoplasts of yeasts

Résumé On met en évidence pour la première fois l'action lytique d'une espèce deMicromonospora qui a le pouvoir de digérer la paroi cellulaire des levures, donnant lieu à la formation de structures possédant des propriétés de protoplastes. Cette enzyme que nous avons déjà partiellement purifée, montre plus d'activité que d'autres systèmes semblables quant à l'obtention de protoplastes ainsi que de meilleures propriétés.     

Platelet antiaggregating activity in the salivary secretion of the blood sucking bugRhodnius prolixus

Summary The salivary secretion ofRhodnius prolixus inhibits both ADP and collagen induced platelet aggregation in human platelet-rich plasma. Fractionation studies show that at least 3 different inhibitors are present inRhodnius saliva.     

Early effect of estradiol on ultrastructure of chromatin in the endometrium and hormone-dependent mammary tumors]

After in vivo and in vitro administration of aestradiol, the chromatin of lamb endometrium and of hormone-dependent 7,12-dimethylbenzanthracene Rat mammary tumors is rapidly transformed from a condensed into a diffuse chromatin. A stimulation of 3H leucine incorporation into protein was also observed. These modifications were specific for estrogen receptor ligands and for estrogen responsive tissues. In vitro tamoxifen induced pycnosis. These changes could be used to improve the prediction of hormone dependency of human breast and uterine cancers.     

Quality assessment of the human genome sequence

As the final sequencing of the human genome has now been completed, we present the results of the largest examination of the quality of the finished DNA sequence. The completed study covers the major contributing sequencing centres and is based on a rigorous combination of laboratory experiments and computational analysis.     

A dynamic upper atmosphere of Venus as revealed by VIRTIS on Venus Express

The upper atmosphere of a planet is a transition region in which energy is transferred between the deeper atmosphere and outer space. Molecular emissions from the upper atmosphere (90-120 km altitude) of Venus can be used to investigate the energetics and to trace the circulation of this hitherto little-studied region. Previous spacecraft and ground-based observations of infrared emission from CO2, O2 and NO have established that photochemical and dynamic activity controls the structure of the upper atmosphere of Venus. These data, however, have left unresolved the precise altitude of the emission owing to a lack of data and of an adequate observing geometry. Here we report measurements of day-side CO2 non-local thermodynamic equilibrium emission at 4.3 microm, extending from 90 to 120 km altitude, and of night-side O2 emission extending from 95 to 100 km. The CO2 emission peak occurs at approximately 115 km and varies with solar zenith angle over a range of approximately 10 km. This confirms previous modelling, and permits the beginning of a systematic study of the variability of the emission. The O2 peak emission happens at 96 km +/- 1 km, which is consistent with three-body recombination of oxygen atoms transported from the day side by a global thermospheric sub-solar to anti-solar circulation, as previously predicted.