Action of some compounds on the adenosine triphosphate pool ofStreptococcus faecalis

Résumé Les auteurs étudient le contenu en ATP chez leStreptococcus faecalis, après l'addition de glucose et en présence de diverses substances. Les effets les plus évidents ont été ceux du dicumarol augmentant la valeur de la constante d'entrée et la quantité de l'ATP; du 2,4-dinitrophénol augmentant les 2 constantes (d'entrée et de décomposition); de l'arsénate réduisant la quantité de l'ATP; de l'azide augmentant la constante de décomposition; et de Ja gramicidine qui augmente non seulement la constante de décomposition mais réduit aussi la quantité de l'ATP dans le «pool».     

Effects of sleep and arousal on the processing of visual information in the cat

Single units in the cat lateral geniculate nucleus and primary visual cortex show changes in both spontaneous and visually evoked firing as a function of the state of wakefulness. On arousal spontaneous firing is smoother and often reduced, whereas evoked responses are usually enhanced; the result is an increase in the signal-to-noise ratio. Single- and double-label 2-deoxyglucose autoradiographs show further that slow-wave sleep differentially depresses visually evoked activity in the deeper layers of the visual cortex.     

Decrease of mast cells in regional lymph nodes in response to allogeneic antigens and syngeneic tumor antigens

Summary The absolute number of mast cells in regional lymph nodes decreases on the 5th day after stimulation by allogeneic lymphocytes and semisyngeneic leukaemic cells, despite the enlargement of stimulated lymph nodes. It is postulated that the reaction of lymphatic mast cells could be a sensitive test for tissue incompatibility, and probably also for the presence of tumor associated antigens.     

Bacillus thuringiensis delta-endotoxin: evidence that toxin acts at the surface of susceptible cells

Enzymically activated delta-endotoxin of Bacillus thuringiensis covalently bound to Sephadex beads, has the same effect on insect cells in tissue culture as free toxin. The effect is prevented by antitoxin antibody and heat denaturation and is not due to a nonspecific protein effect, the beads, or toxin released from the beads. The toxin, therefore, probably acts at the cell surface.     

On the formation of the myotomes in avian embryos. An experimental and scanning electron microscope study

Summary The formation of the myotomes to chick embryos was studied by using experimental and scanning electron microscope techniques. With the aid of the quail-chick marker system, it was demonstrated that the dermatome gives rise to the myotome plate. SEM studies support the conclusion that the myotome cells originate only from the edges of the dermatome.Supported by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (Ch 44/2).