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Characterisation of the kappa light chain of the brushtail possum (Trichosurus vulpecula)

Two full length cDNA sequences encoding the kappa light chain of the Australian marsupial, Trichosurus vulpecula, the brushtail possum, were isolated from a mesenteric lymph node cDNA library. The constant regions (Ckappa) of the two light chains were identical, but the variable (Vkappa) and joining (Jkappa) regions were different. At the amino acid level, possum Ckappa was most similar to Ckappa of an American marsupial, Monodelphis domestica (75%), with similarity to eutherian Ckappa ranging from 47 to 63%. The availability of molecular data will enable the development of immunological reagents for studying immune responses and disease in marsupials, thereby aiding conservation strategies and veterinary medicine.     

Fumarolic activity in marie byrd land, antarctica

Ice towers, probably formed by recent fumarolic activity, have been found around the summit calderas of two volcanoes in Marie Byrd Land. These active (?) volcanoes lie within a broad belt of Mesozoic intrusion and late Cenozoic extrusion that appears to be part of the circum-Pacific orogenic province.     

DOLBEAR ON THE NATURE AND CONSTITUTION OF MATTER

Mr. Dopp desires to make the following correction in his paper in the last issue: "In my article on page 200 of "Science", the expression and should have been and being the velocity of light.     

No evidence for avoidance of black rat scent by the presumably less competitive Natal multimammate mouse in a choice experiment

In Africa, indigenous multimammate mice (Mastomys natalensis) only appear to live commensally in houses when invasive black rats (Rattus rattus) are absent, yet little is known about the underlying mechanism. Avoidance through smell may cause the absence of M. natalensis from areas occupied by R. rattus, but this hypothesis has not yet been tested. We conducted a Y-maze choice experiment where 15 M. natalensis were offered a choice between corridors containing conspecific scent, R. rattus scent and a control scent. Residence time in the R. rattus corridor was greater than that in the control corridor but equal to that in the M. natalensis corridor, suggesting that multimammate mice do not actively avoid the scent of their invasive competitor.     

Pathological fractures secondary to metaphyseal osteopathy in a dog.

A four-month-old German Shepherd Dog (GSD) was admitted with bilateral non-weight bearing hindlimb lameness and pyrexia. A diagnosis of bilateral distal femoral fractures secondary to metaphyseal osteopathy was made on the basis of clinical signs, radiography and biopsy. The dog returned to normal function following conservative management. As far as the authors are aware there are no previous reports of pathological fractures secondary to this condition.