Effect of ascorbic acid on biotransformation and modification of the toxicity of mercurials in goldfish (Carassius auratus)

Summary Ascorbic acid mediated a small but significant degradation of methylmercury to inorganic mercury in goldfish (Carassius auratus) and reduced the toxicity of mercuric chloride despite its substantial conversion into organic form. This investigation was supported by a grant from the Fishing Industry Research Account of the Australian Department of Primary Industry.     

The ELF4 gene controls circadian rhythms and flowering time in Arabidopsis thaliana

Many plants use day length as an environmental cue to ensure proper timing of the switch from vegetative to reproductive growth. Day-length sensing involves an interaction between the relative length of day and night, and endogenous rhythms that are controlled by the plant circadian clock. Thus, plants with defects in circadian regulation cannot properly regulate the timing of the floral transition. Here we describe the gene EARLY FLOWERING 4 (ELF4), which is involved in photoperiod perception and circadian regulation. ELF4 promotes clock accuracy and is required for sustained rhythms in the absence of daily light/dark cycles. elf4 mutants show attenuated expression of CIRCADIAN CLOCK ASSOCIATED 1 (CCA1), a gene that is thought to function as a central oscillator component. In addition, elf4 plants transiently show output rhythms with highly variable period lengths before becoming arrhythmic. Mutations in elf4 result in early flowering in non-inductive photoperiods, which is probably caused by elevated amounts of CONSTANS (CO), a gene that promotes floral induction.     

The adult T-cell receptor delta-chain is diverse and distinct from that of fetal thymocytes

T lymphocytes recognize foreign molecules using the T-cell receptor (TCR), a disulphide-linked heterodimer closely associated with the CD3 polypeptide complex on the cell surface. The TCR alpha beta heterodimers seem largely responsible for the recognition properties of both helper (TH) and cytotoxic (TC) T cells. Recently, a second CD3-associated T-cell receptor heterodimer, gamma delta, has been described. Cells bearing the gamma delta receptor appear before those bearing alpha beta during thymic ontogeny and persist as a minor component (1-10%) of mature peripheral T cells. Their function is unknown. As there are a limited number of functional TCR V gamma gene segments, the size and potential diversity of the V delta repertoire is important for the number of different antigens that may be recognized by gamma delta heterodimers. The delta-chain locus is located 75 kilobases (kb) 5' to the TCR C alpha coding region, raising the possibility that the alpha and delta V-region repertoires may overlap. Also, analysis of rearrangements at the delta-chain locus in developing thymocytes shows distinct fetal and adult patterns indicating that there may be differences between the fetal and adult V delta repertoires. To address these questions, we have characterized a large number of delta-containing complementary DNA clones from adult double-negative thymocytes (CD4-8-), an immature population that is enriched for gamma delta-bearing cells. We find that a limited number of V delta sequences are used, showing little overlap with known adult V alpha s and differing significantly from fetal V delta s. But as two D elements may participate simultaneously in V delta gene assembly, and random nucleotides may be added at any one of three junctional points, the potential number of different delta chains that can be made in the adult thymus is very large (approximately 10(13)).     

T-cell receptor delta gene rearrangements in early thymocytes

The T-cell receptor delta-chain variable region can be assembled from as many as four distinct gene segments, V, D1, D2 and J, more than any other antigen-receptor gene. In fetal thymocytes V----D joinings are as common as D----J or VDJ rearrangements and one V gene segment predominates. Analysis of rearrangements at TCR gamma and delta loci during fetal ontogeny suggests abrupt changes and possible coordinate control in the rearrangement and expression of these loci.     

Effect of sodium chloride on female mouse peritoneal fluid cell content

Résumé Une heure après injection i.p. d'une solution de 1% de chlorure de sodium, nous avons observé un grand changement dans le pourcentage des diverses cellules du liquide péritonéal de souris femelles adultes. Nous envisageons ainsi la possibilité d'irriguer la cavité abdominale avec une solution saline tant en vue d'études cliniques qu'expérimentales pour obtenir le liquide en question.