Juvenile hormone titre and regulation in the cockroachDiploptera punctata

Summary Titres of juvenile hormone (JH) have been determined in both hemolymph and whole body extracts of femaleDiploptera punctata during the first gonotrophic cycle using a method employing gas chromatography/mass spectrometry for qualitative and quantitative analysis. JH III is the sole JH found in both adult and last instarD. punctata. Maximum values of 1500 ng/ml (6M) were observed at the middle of the gonotrophic cycle, when basal oocyte growth rate was greatest. Changes in rates of JH release in vitro by corpora allata paralleled closely the changes in JH titre, suggesting that biosynthesis is a major regulator of titre. JH levels per animal were calculated from observed JH titres, and at certain time points in the gonotrophic cycle JH levels obtained from analysis of whole bodies were significantly greater than those predicted from hemolymph titres. These results suggest the existence of a nonhemolymph JH pool inD. punctata. Decay in JH titre after allatectomy of 5 day females has also been studied. Following a rapid initial decline, the rate of decay slowed appreciably 4 h post-operation. Thus, use of a first-order rate constant to estimate half-life of JH significantly underestimated the longevity of the hormone. The apparent persistence of JH following allatectomy may be due to the existence of a nonhemolymph JH pool.     

Quantitative genetic models of sexual selection

Summary Quantitative genetic models of sexual selection have disporven some of the central tenets of both the handicap mechanism and the sexy son hypothesis. These results suggest that the good genes approach to sexual selection may generally lead to erroneous results.Runaway sexual selection seems possible under a wide variety of circumstances. Quantittive genetic models have revealed runaway processes for sexually selected attributes expressed in both sexes and for attributes of parental care. Furthermore, the runaway could occur simultaneously in a series of populations that straddle an environmental gradient. While the models support the feasibility of runaway processes, empirical studies are needed to evaluate whether runaways actually happen. Estimates of critical genetic parameters are particularly needed, as well as measures of natural and sexual selection acting on the same population.The models also show that sexual selection has tremendous potential to produce population differentiation, particularly in epigamic traits. Differentiation is promoted by indeterminancy of evolutionary outcome, transient differences among populations during the final slow approach to equilibrium, sampling drift among equilibrium populations, and the tendency of sexual selection to amplify geographic variation arising from spatial differences in natural selection. Recent work with two- and three-locus models of sexual selection has produced results that parallel the results of the polygenic models^36–38,58. Thus the feature of indeterminate equilibria (outcome dependent on initial conditions) is common to both types of model.     

Perennial N2 supersaturation in an Antarctic lake

The dry valleys of southern Victoria Land in Antarctica contain several closed basins in which perennially ice-covered lakes are found. One of the most unusual features of these lakes is the occurrence of high O2 concentrations in the water column; values ranging from slightly more than saturation to more than four times saturation have been reported. Recently, we considered a bulk O2 budget for Lake Hoare, Antarctica, which led us to suggest that biological processes alone were not sufficient to explain the observed elevated oxygen levels. Consequently, there must be a non-biological source of O2. We suggested that this source results from the exclusion of O2 during the freezing of aerated meltstream water at the bottom of the ice cover, and predicted that this physical mechanism should also enhance the other atmospheric gases. Here we report the results of a study which, for the first time, documents the supersaturation of N2 in a lake. Dissolved N2 levels of 145% and 163% were determined from samples taken just below the ice cover and at a depth of 12 m, respectively. The relatively importance of biological and abiological sources is reflected in the ratio of N2 concentration to O2 concentration. In Lake Hoare this ratio was 1.20 at ice/water interface and 1.05 at 12 m; considerably different from the ratio in equilibrium with air (approximately 1.8). Based on these results, we have determined that about half of the net O2 production in the lake is the result of biological processes.     

Differential effects of prostaglandins and isoproterenol on cAMP content and Na,K pump activity in rat submandibular acini

Summary The -adrenergic agonist isoproterenol and prostaglandins E₁ and E₂ (but not F₂) increased the cAMP content of rat submandibular acini in vitro, but only isoproterenol enhanced ouabain-sensitive⁸⁶Rb (K) uptake. These findings suggest that cAMP is not involved in the activation of the Na, K pump in salivary cells.     

Regulation of cellulose synthesis in Acetobacter xylinum by cyclic diguanylic acid

Cellulose is the most abundant renewable carbon resource on earth and is an indispensable raw material for the wood, paper, and textile industries. A model system to study the mechanism of cellulose biogenesis is the bacterium Acetobacter xylinum which produces pure cellulose as an extracellular product. It was from this organism that in vitro preparations which possessed high levels of cellulose synthase activity were first obtained in both membranous and soluble forms. We recently demonstrated that this activity is subject to a complex multi-component regulatory system, in which the synthase is directly affected by an unusual cyclic nucleotide activator enzymatically formed from GTP, and indirectly by a Ca (2+) -sensitive phosphodiesterase which degrades the activator. The cellulose synthase activator (CSA) has now been identified as bis-(3' 5')-cyclic diguanylic acid (5'G3'p5'G3'p) on the basis of mass spectroscopic data, nuclear magnetic resonance analysis and comparison with chemically synthesized material. We also report here on intermediary steps in the synthesis and degradation of this novel circular dinucleotide, which have been integrated into a model for the regulation of cellulose synthesis.     

Eicosapentaenoic acid in tissue lipids ofPieris brassicae

Summary Larvae of the cabbage white butterfly,Pieris brassicae, have a dietary requirement for linolenic acid (C183n3) and were found to accumulate two other members of the n-3 family, C203n3 and C205n3 (eicosapentaenoic acid) especially in testicular phospholipids. Arachidonic acid was observed in trace amounts only. During diapause the relative titer of eicosapentaenoic acid increased in testicular phospholipids to about 4.2% of the fatty acids. Eicosapentaenoic acid is a possible precursor of prostaglandins, suggesting that prostaglandins of the 3-series predominate in this insect.     

Protective effect of vitamins against trichothecene toxicity towardsSaccharomyces cerevisiae

Summary Several trichothecene mycotoxins were shown to inhibit the growth ofSaccharomyces cerevisiae. This effect was most pronounced with the macrocyclic trichothecenes, especially verrucarin A. Much less growth inhibition was observed with T-2 toxin. Verrucarol, diacetoxyscirpenol, acetyl T-2 toxin, HT-2 toxin, T-2 tetraol and neosolaniol were inactive at a concentration of 75 g of toxin per disc. Incubation ofS. cerevisiae with verrucarin A together with vitamins resulted in a decrease in toxicity. Pyridoxine-HCl, Ca-pantothenate, thiamine-HCl and -tocopheryl acetate were amongst the most potent of the vitamins tested which reversed growth inhibition, overcoming the inhibitory potential of the toxins.9 December 1986The authors thank Dr J. Behrend, Makor Company, Israel, for a generous gift of verrucarin A and roridin A.     

Cell-to-cell coupling studied in isolated ventricular cell pairs

Summary Cell pairs isolated from adult rat and guinea pig ventricles were used to study the electrical properties of the nexal membrane. Each cell of a pair was connected to a voltage-clamp system so as to enable whole-cell, tight-seal recording. The current-voltage relationship of the nexal membrane was found to be linear, revealing a resistance r_n of 2–4 M. r_n was insensitive to the sarcolemmal membrane potential (range:–90 to +30 mV), and exerted no time-dependent gating behavior (range: 0.1 to 10 s). Lowering pH_i yielded a small increase in r_n. Vigorous elevations in [Ca²⁺]_i gave rise to an increase in r_n which was associated with a cell shortening. Uncoupling caused by aliphatic alcohols or halothane did not produce cell shortening. Cell pairs were also used to study action potential transfer.     

A major metabolite of Δ1-tetrahydrocannabinol reduces its cataleptic effect in mice

Summary The results described here demonstrate that THC-induced catalepsy in mice can be substantially inhibited by the prior administration of ¹-THC-7-oic acid, the major metabolite of THC in most species including humans. This raises the possibility that the intensity and duration of action of THC may depend to a large degree on the levels of this metabolite at the sites of action.We thank the National Institute on Drug Abuse for supporting this project by grants DA-02043 and DA-02052 and for supplying all of the cannabinoids. One of us (S.B.) is also the recipient of a Research Scientist Award from NIDA. We are grateful to Kristen Carlson and Thomas Honeyman for helpful suggestions in preparing this report.