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.     

Detection of toxic metabolites in the hemolymph ofBeauveria bassiana infectedSpodoptera exigua larvae

Highly active metabolites have been detected in the hemolymph of the lepidopteranSpodoptera exigua infected with the mycopathogen,Beauveria bassiana. A combination of phenyl sepharose and CM ion exchange chromatography was utilized to extract the active metabolites from infected hemolymph samples. The active in vivo metabolites, having a molecular mass greater than 10 KDa, were thermolabile and were inactivated by proteinase K. These metabolites were characterized by their ability to disrupt metamorphosis, killing treated larvae at the wandering or pupal stage. Additionally, injection ofS. exigua larvae with active samples caused a reduction in the number of filopodial-producing hemocytes. The biological activities and biochemical properties suggest that novel compounds are produced duringB. bassiana mycosis.     

Thrombospondin co-localises with TGFβ and IGF-I in the extracellular matrix of human osteoblast-like cells and is modulated by 17β estradiol

Thrombospondin (TSP) is a multifunctional glycoprotein which is synthesised by several cell types including osteoblasts, and incorporated into the extracellular matrix (ECM) of these cells. The function and regulation of TSP in bone is not clear. In this study, using a long term culture model of human osteoblast-like cells, we examined the distribution of TSP in the ECM and its modulation by added estradiol. In this model the osteoblast-like cells form a regular multilayer which continues to increase in depth up to 50 days post confluence. In the ECM of these cultures and in 19-week fetal bone, the bone markers osteocalcin and alkaline phosphatase were diffusely distributed in the matrix. In contrast, labelling for TSP was concentrated, confined to the banded collagen and its immediately adjacent ECM. This pattern of labelling resembled that of the growth factors transforming growth factor-I (TGF), and insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I), with which TSP label co-localised. Labelling intensities were comparable between fetal bone and the in vitro material for TSP, TGF and IGF-I. TSP label was present by 10 days post confluence, reached a maximum by 20 days, and declined slowly thereafter, a time course which was similar to that of IGF-I. Incubation of osteoblast-like cell cultures with 17 estradiol resulted in an increase in multilayer depth and a maximal 3-fold increase in TSP labeling at 30 days as well as approximately 2-fold increases for TGF and IGF-I. The dose-response relationship for these responses to estradiol treatment was biphasic with maximal increases at 10^–10 M–10^–11 M of added estradiol. Treatment with 17 estradiol produced labelling intensities that were not significantly different from controls. Studies with other cell types have suggested that TSP may be involved in modulation of growth factor activity. The similarities between TSP, TGF and IGF-I, in terms of their distribution and regulation by 17 estradiol treatment, may indicate a role for TSP in modulating bone cell proliferation and function through interaction with local growth factors.     

Sex pheromone of the pine sawflyDiprion pini (Hymenoptera: Diprionidae): Chemical identification,synthesis and biological activity

The main component of the sex pheromone secretion of femaleDiprion pini L. (Hymenoptera: Diprionidae) from insects collected both in Finland and in France has been identified as athreo-3,7-dimethyl-2-tridecanol (8 ng per female) stereoisomer by GC-MS and synthesis. The secretion also contains lower and higher homologues in small amounts (1–4% of the main component). Combined gas chromatographic-electroantennographic detection showed activity in both natural and esterified extracts (acetates and propionates); the esters of the main component gave the largest responses. The acetates and propionates of the eight stereoisomers of 3,7-dimethyl-2-tridecanol were synthesized from enantiomerically highly enriched (>99% ee) building blocks. The stereochemistry of the main component was established to be (2S,3R,7R)-3,7-dimethyl-2-tridecanol by GC analysis of the natural material. It was purified by liquid chromatography prior to the GC analysis of both its pentafluorobenzoates and its isopropylcarbamates on a non-chiral polar column (ECD) and a chiral column (NPD), respectively. Field tests demonstrated that both the acetate and propionate of the main component (100 g of each applied on cotton roll dispensers) were active in attracting males, with or without the presence of several of the minor compounds. Experiments with smaller amounts of the acetate and the propionate (1 g in France and 50 g in Finland) demonstrated that the propionate was more active than the acetate, and that it also caught more males than a blend of the two compounds.     

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).     

Atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations before 2.2 billion years ago

The composition of the Earth's early atmosphere is a subject of continuing debate. In particular, it has been suggested that elevated concentrations of atmospheric carbon dioxide would have been necessary to maintain normal surface temperatures in the face of lower solar luminosity in early Earth history. Fossil weathering profiles, known as palaeosols, have provided semi-quantitative constraints on atmospheric oxygen partial pressure (pO2) before 2.2 Gyr ago. Here we use the same well studied palaeosols to constrain atmospheric pCO2 between 2.75 and 2.2 Gyr ago. The observation that iron lost from the tops of these profiles was reprecipitated lower down as iron silicate minerals, rather than as iron carbonate, indicates that atmospheric pCO2 must have been less than 10(-1.4) atm--about 100 times today's level of 360 p.p.m., and at least five times lower than that required in one-dimensional climate models to compensate for lower solar luminosity at 2.75 Gyr. Our results suggest that either the Earth's early climate was much more sensitive to increases in pCO2 than has been thought, or that one or more greenhouse gases other than CO2 contributed significantly to the atmosphere's radiative balance during the late Archaean and early Proterozoic eons.     

Symmetry perception in an insect

Symmetrical visual patterns have a salient status in human perception, as evinced by their prevalent occurrence in art, and also in animal perception, where they may be an indicator of phenotypic and genotypic quality. Symmetry perception has been demonstrated in humans, birds, dolphins and apes. Here we show that bees trained to discriminate bilaterally symmetrical from non-symmetrical patterns learn the task and transfer it appropriately to novel stimuli, thus demonstrating a capacity to detect and generalize symmetry or asymmetry. We conclude that bees, and possibly flower-visiting insects in general, can acquire a generalized preference towards symmetrical or, alternatively, asymmetrical patterns depending on experience, and that symmetry detection is preformed or can be learned as perceptual category by insects, because it can be extracted as an independent visual pattern feature. Bees show a predisposition for learning and generalized symmetry because, if trained to it, they choose it more frequently, come closer to and hover longer in front of the novel symmetrical stimuli than the bees trained for asymmetry do for the novel asymmetrical stimuli. Thus, even organisms with comparatively small nervous systems can generalize about symmetry, and favour symmetrical over asymmetrical patterns.     

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.     

Insect motion detectors matched to visual ecology

To detect motion, primates, birds and insects all use local detectors to correlate signals sampled at one location in the image with those sampled after a delay at adjacent locations. These detectors can adapt to high image velocities by shortening the delay. To investigate whether they use long delays for detecting low velocities, we compared motion-sensitive neurons in ten species of fast-flying insects, some of which encounter low velocities while hovering. Neurons of bee-flies and hawkmoths, which hover, are tuned to lower temporal frequencies than those of butterflies and bumblebees, which do not. Tuning to low frequencies indicates longer delays and extends sensitivity to lower velocities. Hoverflies retain fast temporal tuning but use their high spatial acuity for sensing low-velocity motion. Thus an unexpectedly wide range of spatio-temporal tuning matches motion detection to visual ecology.