Guinea pig complement: two active forms of first component

By solubility chromatography at pH 7.5 and low ionic strength, a partially purified preparation of the first component of guinea pig complement was separated into two fractions of different solubility under these conditions. On rechromatography, each fraction emerged in the same position as it had originally.     

Tongue cooling: a new reward for thirsty rodents

Thirsty rodents will persistently lick a stream of dry air pumped through a standard drinking tube. This air-licking is attenuated by experimental manipulations which reduce the evaporative cooling of the tongue and mouth produced by the airstream. This suggests that such cooling is itself an effective reward for thirstry rodents. We tested this hypothesis by presenting thirsty rodents with a piece of cold, dry metal. Different species spent from 9 to 40 percent of their session time licking the cold metal. When deprived of water hamsters reared from birth without access to drinking water licked cold metal in preference to metal maintained at room or body temperature. This preference was approximately equal to that of littermates reared normally. We conclude that tongue cooling is a primary reward for thirsty rodents.     

X-linked hypoxanthine-guanine phosphoribosyl transferase deficiency: heterozygote has two clonal populations

Clones of skin fibroblasts cultured from the mother of two sons with X-linked hypoxanthine-guanine phosphoribosyl transferase deficiency (Lesch-Nyhan syndrome) were assayed for activity of this enzyme by measurement of the incorporation of (3)H-guanine into guanylic acid as counts per minute per microgram of protein and by autoradiography. The demonstration of two populations of clones, wild-type clones with normal enzyme activity and mutant clones unable to incorporate (3)H-guanine, is evidence that the locus for hypoxanthineguanine phosphoribosyl transferase on one of the X chromosomes is inactive.     

Alzheimer's disease: a disorder of cortical cholinergic innervation

Great emphasis is being placed on identification of neurotransmitter systems involved in the symptomatic manifestations of neurological and psychiatric disorders. In the case of Alzheimer's disease, which now seems to be one of the most common causes of mental deterioration in the elderly, compelling evidence has been developed that acetylcholine-releasing neurons, whose cell bodies lie in the basal forebrain, selectively degenerate. These cholinergic neurons provide widespread innervation of the cerebral cortex and related structures and appear to play an important role in cognitive functions, especially memory. These advances reflect a close interaction between experimental and clinical neuroscientists in which information derived from basic neurobiology is rapidly utilized to analyze disorders of the human brain.     

Acetylcholine sensitivity of muscle fiber membranes: mechanism of regulation by motoneurons

Inhibitors of RNA and protein synthesis prevent the development of acetylcholine supersensitivity in organ-cultured rat diaphragm muscle but do not affect established acetylcholine sensitivity. The restriction of this sensitivity in innervated muscle apparently involves muscle fibers.     

Allergenic component of a liverwort: a sesquiterpene lactone

Frullania spp. (Hepaticae, Jungermanniales) are agents of allergies. Extraction and fractionation of Frullania tamarisci has given, as the only allergenic component isolated, a levorotatory crystalline sutbstance, the structure of which is demonstrated. It is a sesquiterpene lactone. The racemic (+/-) form is isolated from a mixed sample of Frullania tamarisci and Frullania dilatata; the dextrorotatory form, from Frullania dilatata. The observed allergenic properties are shared by some other-sesquiterpene lactones.     

CCAAT-enhancer binding protein: a component of a differentiation switch

The CCAAT-enhancer binding protein (C/EBP) has now been found to promote the terminal differentiation of adipocytes. During the normal course of adipogenesis, C/EBP expression is restricted to a terminal phase wherein proliferative growth is arrested, and specialized cell phenotype is first manifested. A conditional form of C/EBP was developed, making it feasible to test its capacity to regulate the differentiation of cultured adipocytes. Premature expression of C/EBP in adipoblasts caused a direct cessation of mitotic growth. Moreover, when abetted by the effects of three adipogenic hormones, C/EBP promoted terminal cell differentiation. Since C/EBP is expressed in a variety of tissues, it may have a fundamental role in regulating the balance between cell growth and differentiation in higher animals.     

Tay-Sachs disease: generalized absence of a beta-D-N-acetylhexosaminidase component

Two hexosaminidase components, separable by starch-gel electrophoresis and possessing both beta-D-N-acetylglucosaminidase and beta-D-N-acetylgalactosaminidase activity, are present in human tissues. One of these, hexosaminidase component A, is absent in brain, liver, kidney, skin, cultured skin fibroblasts, blood plasma, and leukocytes from nine patients with Tay-Sachs disease. Hexosaminidase assay may facilitate the early diagnosis of individuals homozygous for Tay-Sachs disease.     

Human synovial fluid: detection of a new component

A new component has been detected in synovial fluid by the agar double-diffusion technique. This component is closely related immunologically to the proteinpolysaccharides of cartilage, and is the first probable degradation product of the cartilage matrix to be consistently identified in human synovial fluid.     

Martian ionosphere: a component due to solar protons

The small magnetic field strength observed near Mars by Mariner IV suggests that protons from the solar wind may enter the Martian atmosphere and produce ionization in addition to that produced by ultraviolet light and x-rays. It is found that solar protons produce a thin ionized layer at a rate of the order of 3 x 10(3) per cubic centimeter per second at a depth corresponding to the F(1) region in the terrestrial atmosphere. Unless the effective recombinative coefficient is very large (greater than 10(-5) centimeter cubed per second) or unless unusual diffusion effects are present, this layer should have been detected by Mariner IV, and therefore must be present in one of the observed ionized regions. Because of its very compact shape, the subsidiary maximum near 95 kilometers discovered in the Mariner-IV occultation experiment may be the proton ionization peak. If so, the major 120-kilometer maximum is an F(2) layer. Distinction between photon and proton ionization regions can be made by microwave occultation experiments aboard planetary orbiters.     

Selenium: biochemical role as a component of glutathione peroxidase

When hemolyzates from erythrocytes of selenium-deficient rats were incubated in vitro in the presence of ascorbate or H(2)O(2), added glutathione failed to protect the hemoglobin from oxidative damage. This occurred because the erythrocytes were practically devoid of glutathione-peroxidase activity. Extensively purified preparations of glutathione peroxidase contained a large part of the (75)Se of erythrocytes labeled in vivo. Many of the nutritional effects of selenium can be explained by its role in glutathione peroxidase.     

入侵生态学最新研究动态

目的揭示紫茎泽兰和飞机草入侵对茶园昆虫群落结构和功能的影响,为深入研究植物入侵后茶园昆虫群落的演变机制及茶园生态管理措施选择提供科学参考。方法采用田间样地调查法,选取紫茎泽兰(Ageratina adenophora)和飞机草(Chromolaena odorata)入侵程度不同(未入侵、轻度入侵和重度入侵)的茶园群落作为研究样地,采用巴氏罐法(陷阱法)和黄板法采集各类型茶园群落地表昆虫,通过计算、比较Shannon-Wiener多样性指数、Simpson优势度指数、Pielou均匀度指数、Margalef丰富度指数和Jaccard相似性指数分析紫茎泽兰和飞机草入侵对茶园群落昆虫多样性的影响。结果在紫茎泽兰和飞机草不同入侵程度的3种类型茶园群落中共采集到昆虫标本8 033个,隶属于11目37科38种;其中,膜翅目(67.19%)、双翅目(15.25%)、弹尾目(5.39%)和同翅目(4.68%) 4个昆虫类群为优势类群,占昆虫标本总数的92.51%。随着紫茎泽兰和飞机草入侵的加剧,茶园群落中的昆虫种类和所属种的个体数都出现了不同程度的变化;茶园群落间昆虫的Shannon-Wiener多样性指数、Margalef丰富度指数以及Pielou均度指数显著降低(P<0.05), Simpson优势度指数显著升高(P<0.05);茶园群落间昆虫群落物种组成的相似性不断减小。结论紫茎泽兰和飞机草入侵对茶园群落昆虫群落结构和功能具有显著影响,使茶园的昆虫群落组成和结构发生改变,茶园群落中的昆虫多样性降低,茶园群落间昆虫群落物种组成的相似性不断减小。     

Epsilon carbide: a low-temperature component of interplanetary dust particles

Transmission electron microscope study of a chondritic interplanetary dust particle has revealed the presence of epsilon iron-nickel carbide, a low- temperature carbide previously encountered only in metallurgical studies. In these studies in-carbide was synthesized by carburization of iron or nickel grains in a stream of carbon monoxide or carbon monoxide plus hydrogen. Similar carburization of an iron-nickel metal in situ may have produced in-carbide during particle heating on atmospheric entry or in solar orbit. Alternatively, the epsilon-carbide may be a by-product of Fischer-Tropsch reactions in the solar nebula. Such reactions have been proposed as the mechanism of hydrocarbon formation in the early solar system.     

Rhapidosomes: absence of a highly 2'-O-methylated RNA component

Rhapidosomes of Saprospira grandis do not contain RNA that is highly methylated at the 2'-oxygen of the sugar residues. Neither is such an RNA associated with the particles as a contaminant. A cursory examination of the rhapidosomes of two other marine organisms gave similar results.     

Probing the component structure of a maize gene with transposable elements

Three instances of R gene instability were found in maize stocks carrying the controlling elements Dissociation (Ds) and Modulator (Mp). In each, Ds or a Ds-like element had transposed to R, inhibiting kernel pigmentation irregularly. When Mp was removed from the genome, R expression stabilized at lowt to intermediate levels. Strong pigmenting action was restored through recombination in heterozygotes of the three new forms with an R allele that specifies only plant pigmentation. The sites of Ds insertion mapped distal to the region that specifies seed versus plant expression. The evidence suggests that an R functional unit consists of one component that both governs tissue-specific expression and another that is common to alleles of different tissue-specific activities.     

Sympatric speciation based on allelic changes at three Loci: evidence from natural populations in two habitats

Allelic changes at three loci largely explain Chrysopa downesi's sympatric speciation from a Chrysopa carnea-like ancestor. Disruptive selection first produced a stable polymorphism based on a single pair of alleles that adapted individuals to two habitats, and second, it established seasonal asynchrony in reproduction through allelic substitutions at two loci.     

KOI-126: a triply eclipsing hierarchical triple with two low-mass stars

The Kepler spacecraft has been monitoring the light from 150,000 stars in its primary quest to detect transiting exoplanets. Here, we report on the detection of an eclipsing stellar hierarchical triple, identified in the Kepler photometry. KOI-126 [A, (B, C)], is composed of a low-mass binary [masses M(B) = 0.2413 ± 0.0030 solar mass (M(⊙)), M(C) = 0.2127 ± 0.0026 M(⊙); radii R(B) = 0.2543 ± 0.0014 solar radius (R(⊙)), R(C) = 0.2318 ± 0.0013 R(⊙); orbital period P(1) = 1.76713 ± 0.00019 days] on an eccentric orbit about a third star (mass M(A) = 1.347 ± 0.032 M(⊙); radius R(A) = 2.0254 ± 0.0098 R(⊙); period of orbit around the low-mass binary P(2) = 33.9214 ± 0.0013 days; eccentricity of that orbit e(2) = 0.3043 ± 0.0024). The low-mass pair probe the poorly sampled fully convective stellar domain offering a crucial benchmark for theoretical stellar models.