A novel mechanism for jumping in the indian ant<Emphasis Type="Italic">Harpegnathos saltator</Emphasis> (Jerdon) (Formicidae,Ponerinae)

The Indian antHarpegnathos saltator may be unique among insects in using its jumping capacity not only as an escape mechanism but also as a normal means of locomotion, and for catching its prey in flight. High-speed cinematography used to analyse the various phases of the jump suggests thatHarpegnathos employs a novel jumping mechanism to mediate these behaviours: namely the synchronous activation of its middle and hindlegs. Electrophysiological recordings from muscles or nerves in pairs of middle and hindlegs show remarkably synchronous activity during fictive jumping, supporting the synchronous activation hypothesis.Harpegnathos is not the only ant to jump, and a cladistic analysis suggests that jumping behaviour evolved independently three times during ant evolutionary history.     

Bovine microvascular endothelial cells of separate morphology differ in growth and response to the action of interferon-γ

Five cell types recently isolated from the bovine corpus luteum differed in their epithelioid morphology and their cytoskeleton, but shared common criteria of microvascular endothelial cells^1,2. To give strong evidence for the separate entity, the growth rate of the 5 phenotypically different cells was studied. They were seeded at low density on day 0. Most of these cells were treated with 200 to 1000 U recombinant bovine interferon- (IFN-) for 3 days. The untreated remainder served as controls. Cell counts were made for all cultures on days 4, 7, 10 and 13. morphology: 13 d after treatment with IFN- senescent cells as well as intact cells occurred in cultures of cell types 1 to 4. Cultures of cell type 5 were apparently unchanged and resembled their untreated counterparts. Desminpositive cells in cultures of cell type 2 developed cell processes. Growth rate: In the absence of IFN-, the growth rate was high for cell types 3 and 4, moderate for cell type 1, and low for cell types 2 and 5. The presence of IFN- caused anti-proliferative effects. These were higher for cell types 3 and 4 than for cell types 1 and 2. IFN- could be cytotoxic on cell type 3. In contrast, the cytokine tended to support the cell growth of cell type 5. These findings substantiate the postulate that endothelial cells exhibiting separate morphology in culture also function differently.     

Presence of hsp65 in bacterial extracts (OM-89): A possible mediator of orally-induced tolerance?

Heat shock proteins (HSP) have been implicated in rodent models of autoimmunity, particularly arthritis, and there is suggestive though inconclusive evidence that they may also play a role in human autoimmune disease. The simplest hypothesis is based on molecular mimicry due to the amino-acid sequence homology between mammalian and microbial HSP. Recently OM-89, an extract of several strains ofEscherichia coli, has shown some efficacy in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) when taken orally. Using species-specific antibodies, we show here that OM-89 contains the 65 kDa HSP (hsp65), while hsp65 was not detected in another bacterial extract containing other microorganisms, includingStaphylococcus aureus (OM-85). We suggest that if the human homologue of hsp65 is a relevant target antigen in the human disease, the efficacy of the preparation could be due to induction of oral tolerance or to switching the Th1 response towards Th2. Alternatively, even if the human hsp65 is not a target molecule in RA joints, OM-89 may evoke bystander suppression of joint inflammation via induction of TGF-secreting effector cells. These hypotheses should be tested in further studies.     

Occurrence of 3-epi-22-deoxy-20-hydroxyecdysone and its phosphoric ester in diapause eggs of the silkworm,Bombyx mori

Ecdysteroids in diapause eggs of the silkworm,Bombyx mori, were analyzed using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) combined with radioimmunoassay (RIA). A relatively large amount of an unidentified free ecdysteroid and its phosphoric ester (conjugated form) were detected. These two compounds were isolated by a combination of column chromatography on silicic acid, thin-layer chromatography (TLC), and HPLC using a reverse-phase (RP) column. The purified compounds were identified as 3-epi-22-deoxy-20-hydroxyecdysone (22d20E) and 3-epi-22-deoxy-20-hydroxyecdysone 2-phosphate (22d20E2P) by means of mass spectrometry and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. to our knowledge, this is the first report of 22d20E and 22d20E2P.     

Fibronectin peptide DRVPHSRNSIT and fibronectin receptor peptide DLYYLMDL arrest gastrulation ofRana pipiens

Gastrulation is characterized by dramatic cell migration which is thought to require the interaction of cell adhesion molecules with extracellular molecules. We have tested two novel peptides, a fibronectin peptide and a fibronectin receptor peptide, for their effects on gastrulation of the leopard frogRana pipiens. The fibronectin peptide DRVPHSRNSIT corresponds to residues 1373–1383 of the cell-binding domain of fibronectin; the receptor peptide DLYYLMDL corresponds to residues 124–131 of 1 subunit of a variety of integrins including 51. Either of these peptides significantly inhibited gastrulation after being microinjected into mid-blastulae. These results indicate that these sequences may correspond to the ligand/receptor interaction sites of fibronectin and its receptor(s).     

Determination of tectonic background for sedimentary basin from sandstone geochemistry

The chemical composition of sedimentary rocks is mainly controlled by source rocks. Through examining chemical composition of terrigenous rocks, the tectonic evolution of a sedimentary basin can be modeled. The Turpan Basin belongs to a continental sedimentary basin and its source rocks are derived from the upper continental crust.     

A massive phytoplankton bloom induced by an ecosystem-scale iron fertilization experiment in the equatorial Pacific Ocean

The seeding of an expanse of surface waters in the equatorial Pacific Ocean with low concentrations of dissolved iron triggered a massive phytoplankton bloom which consumed large quantities of carbon dioxide and nitrate that these microscopic plants cannot fully utilize under natural conditions. These and other observations provide unequivocal support for the hypothesis that phytoplankton growth in this oceanic region is limited by iron bioavailability.     

Polypeptide translocation machinery of the yeast endoplasmic reticulum

Proteins enter the secretory pathway by two general routes. In one, the complete polypeptide is made in the cytoplasm and held in an incompletely folded state by chaperoning adenosine triphosphatases (ATPases) such as hsp70. InSaccharomyces cerevisiae, fully synthesized secretory precursors engage the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) membrane by interaction with a set of Sec proteins comprising the polypeptide translocation apparatus (Sec61p, Sec62p, Sec63p, Sec71p, Sec72p). Productive interaction requires displacement of hsp70 from the precursor, a reaction that is facilitated by Ydj1p, a homologue of theEscherichia coli DnaJ protein. Both DnaJ and Ydj1p regulate chaperone activity by stimulating the ATPase activity of their respective hsp70 partners (E. coli DnaK andS. cerevisiae Ssa1p, resepectively). In the ER lumen, another hsp70 chaperone, BiP, binds ATP and interacts with the ER membrane via its contact with a peptide loop of Sec63p. This loop represents yet another DnaJ homologue in that it contains a region of 70 residue similarity to the J box, the most conserved region of the DnaJ family of proteins. In the presence of ATP, under conditions in which BiP can bind to Sec63p, the secretory precursor passes from the cytosol into the lumen through a membrane channel formed by Sec61 p. A second route to the membrane pore that is used by many other secretory precursors, particularly in mammalian cells, requires that the polypeptide engage the ER membrane as the nascent chain emerges from the ribosome. Such cotranslational translocation bypasses the need for certain Sec proteins, instead utilizing an alternate set of cytosolic and membrane factors that allows the nascent chain to be inserted directly into the Sec61p channel.