Activation of subtilisin by luteotropic and luteinizing hormone

Zusammenfassung Die Katalysegeschwindigkeit der Hydrolyse vonN-l-Leucyl-2-naphthylamin durch Subtilisin war grösser in Gegenwart von luteotrophem Schafhormon und etwas geringer in Gegenwart von luteinisierendem Pferdehormon. Dieses Verhalten wird als kompetitive Aktivierung erklärt.     

Chemotactic and random movement of cord-blood granulocytes

Summary Chemotactic responsiveness and random movement of cord-blood granulocytes were studied with a modified Boyden's method. Cord-blood granulocytes were less active chemotactically than granulocytes from healthy children and adults, whereas the random filter movement of the cells from all three sources was about the same. In cord sera, concentrations of cell directed chemotaxis inhibitors were equal to those in sera from other age groups. Compared with the situation in healthy children and adults, the generation of chemotactic factors in cord-blood sera was impaired. This impairment was not related to an increased activity of chemotactic factor inactivators. Measurement of the cyclic nucleotide levels in granulocytes from cord-blood and from children belonging to various age groups revealed that the cord granulocytes have significantly lower concentrations of cAMP and cGMP, which could have been responsible for the decreased chemotactic responsiveness.     

Calbindin immunoreactivity alternates with cytochrome c-oxidase-rich zones in some layers of the primate visual cortex

Calcium ions have a pivotal role in many neuronal activities, but little is known about their involvement in the cortical processing of visual information. Using immunohistochemical methods, we have now detected a calcium-binding protein, calbindin-D-28K, which may confer on certain compartments of cortical area 17 the ability to modulate Ca2+ metabolism. Thus, calbindin occurs in the primate striate cortex in a pattern almost complementary to that displaying strong cytochrome c-oxidase activity. From this and other observations, we deduce that the distribution of calbindin-immunoreactive sites corresponds mainly to extra-geniculocortical connections of the primary visual cortex. This implies that the geniculocortical and extra-geniculocortical compartments of area 17 differ in an intracellular system for Ca2+ homeostasis.     

Distribution of 4-methoxy-3-indolylmethyl-glucosinolate (4-methoxy-glucobrassicin) in Brassicaceae

Summary 4-methoxy-3-indolylmethyl-glucosinolate was detectable by HPLC-methods in a representative profile of members of the brassicaceae. In many species it proved to be the main glucosinolate present in young seedlings.     

Feather position of the pigeon after intrahypothalamic injections of noradrenaline, 5-hydroxytryptamine and carbachol

Summary A slowly increasing ptiloerection was seen after the intrahypothalamic injections of NA; 5-HT was followed by preening and subsequent rapid feather fluffing, and carbachol produced an immediate sleeking of feathers. The naturally occurring complementary relationship between shivering thermogenesis and ptilomotion diminished or disappeared after the drugs, but feather position seemed to remain well related to the arousal state of the pigeon.Acknowledgment. This work was supported by the Emil Aaltonen Foundation.