High neuroticism and depressive temperament are associated with dysfunctional regulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical system in healthy volunteers

OBJECTIVE

Elevated neuroticism, depressive temperament and dysfunctional regulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical (HPA) system are considered as risk factors for unipolar depression. An interaction of these vulnerability factors was suggested, but controversially discussed. In absence of other informative studies we set out for a replication test and for elucidation of the underlying mechanism.

METHOD

Ninety-two subjects recruited in the community-performed assessments of personality and temperament as well as measurement of HPA function with the dexamethasone/corticotropin-releasing hormone (Dex/CRH) test.

RESULTS

Cortisol levels subsequent to Dex/CRH challenge were associated with neuroticism; high-neuroticism subjects revealed a higher HPA activation. This difference was mainly because of male subjects >/=25 years. A similar relationship was observed for depressive temperament.

CONCLUSION

This constellation may propose that HPA dysregulation is the endocrinological basis for neuroticism and depressive temperament; this result supports the view that distinct personality factors and HPA vulnerability interact in mediating depression.

Organ donation and neuroscience nursing: your role in the process

The death of a patient is seen by many nurses as the end of their interaction with the patient and family. However, the option of organ donation may extend that interaction and present another opportunity to serve as an advocate for the family, as well as for patients whom the nurse has never met. Patients who have been declared brain dead or from whom life support is going to be withdrawn following a neurological injury are potential organ donors. Although these patients and their families are frequently under the care of neuroscience nurses, all nurses need a thorough understanding of their responsibilities regarding identification and referral of potential organ donors to the designated Organ Procurement Organization (OPO). In addition, it is essential for nurses to understand the clinical presentation and determination of brain death in order to provide patient care and family education. Understanding how consent for organ donation should be obtained from families and how the organ recovery process works enables the nurse to collaborate with OPO staff and support the family in their decision regarding organ donation.

[Effect of iron oxide addition on hydrogen, carbon dioxide and methane geneses in paddy soil]

Paddy soil is an important contributor for atmospheric methane. The methanogenesis is related to the production of acetate, hydrogen and carbon dioxide during the decomposition of organic matter under anaerobic conditions. As electron acceptors, iron (III) oxides can effectively compete with electrons in the transformation of organic matter into methane. Its mechanism maybe relates to the consumption of H2 and CO2. After added ferrihydrite and lepidocrocite, the H2, CO2 and CH4 were determined during the anaerobic incubation of slurries at 25 degrees C for 105 days. The results indicated that the addition of ferrihydrite and lepidocrocite could greatly decrease the concentration of H2, CO2 and CH4, and ferrihydrite had a stronger effect than lepidocrocite. In this system, the balance of organic-C was disturbed, CH4-C and CO2-C were reduced, but the CO3(2-)-C fixed by slurry was greatly increased.

A fast method to estimate kinetic constants for enzyme inhibitors

We present a method to determine the reaction type and kinetic constants for enzyme inhibitors that decreases the number of experimental assays by at least a factor of five. It is based on a new theoretical formalism in terms of concentrations that dismisses the requirement of estimating initial velocities. Expressions for the time evolution of the concentrations of all the reactants are also given.

[Microbial reduction ability of various iron oxides in pure culture experiment]

The microbial reduction of ferrihydrite, lepidocrocite, hematite, goethite and aluminum-substituted iron oxides were examined by iron-reducer GS-15 under anaerobic pure culture condition. The results indicated that the ferrihydrite and lepidocrocite can be rapidly reduced by iron-reducer, and the percentage of microbial reduction are respectively 95.4% and 95.8% after 4 days incubation at 25 degrees C. The other iron oxides like hematite, Al-hematite, goethite and Al-goethite are very difficult to reduce during short-term incubation. The amounts of Fe(III)-reducing, Fe(II)-producing and Fe-reducing calculated by acetate consumption are identical under the conditions of lower concentration iron oxides addition.

Nitrate-dependent iron(II) oxidation in paddy soil

Iron(III) profiles of flooded paddy soil incubated in the greenhouse indicated oxidation of iron(II) in the upper 6 mm soil layer. Measurement of oxygen with a Clark-type microelectrode showed that oxygen was only responsible for the oxidation of iron(II) in the upper 3 mm. In the soil beneath, nitrate could be used as electron acceptor instead of oxygen for the oxidation of the iron(II). Nitrate was still available 3 mm below the soil surface, and denitrifying activity was indicated by higher concentrations of nitrite between 3 and 6 mm soil depth. Nitrate was generated by nitrification from ammonium. Ammonium concentrations increased beneath 6 mm soil depth, indicating ammonium release and diffusion from deeper soil layers. High concentrations of ammonium were also found at the surface, probably resulting from N2 fixation by cyanobacteria. Experimental adjustment of the nitrate concentration in the flooding water to 200 microM stimulated nitrate-dependent iron(II) oxidation, which was indicated by significantly lower iron(II) concentrations in soil layers in which nitrate-dependent iron(II) oxidation was proposed. Soil incubated in the dark showed high iron(III) concentrations only in the layer where oxygen was still available. In this soil, the nitrogen pool was depleted because of the lack of N2 fixation by cyanobacteria. In contrast, soil incubated in the dark with 500 microM nitrate in the flooding water showed significantly higher iron(II) and significantly lower iron(II) concentrations in the anoxic soil layers, indicating nitrate-dependent iron(II) oxidation. Anoxic incubations of soil with nitrate in the flooding water also showed high concentrations of iron(II) and low concentrations of iron(II) in the upper 3 mm. As oxygen was excluded in anoxic incubations, the high iron(III) concentrations are a sign of the activity of nitrate-dependent iron(II) oxidizers. The presence of these bacteria in non-amended soil was also indicated by the most probable number (MPN) counts of nitrate-dependent iron(II) oxidizers in the layer of 3-4 mm soil depth, which revealed 1.6 x 10(6) bacteria g(-1) dry weight.

Lentivirus-transduced human monocyte-derived dendritic cells efficiently stimulate antigen-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes

Dendritic cells (DCs) are professional antigen-presenting cells that are highly effective adjuvants for immunizing against pathogens and tumor antigens. The potential merit of genetic approaches to loading DCs with antigens is to express high and sustained levels of proteins that can be subsequently processed and presented to T lymphocytes. Replication-defective oncoretroviruses are able to efficiently transduce CD34(+) progenitor-derived DCs but not monocyte-derived DCs. Here, it is shown that efficient gene transfer is obtained using a human immunodeficiency virus-1-derived lentiviral vector deleted of all structural and accessory genes. Infection of immature DCs with the lentiviral vector at a multiplicity of infection of 20 resulted in stable gene expression in 30% to 40% of the matured DCs. Proviral DNA was detectable by Alu polymerase chain reaction for the lentiviral but not the oncoretroviral vector. Most importantly, it is demonstrated that lentivirus-transduced DCs were fully functional and effectively activated autologous HLA A2.1(+) peripheral blood cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs). DCs expressing lentiviral vector-encoded Flu peptide were at least as efficient as DCs pulsed with the same peptide in stimulating specific CTLs. The efficacy of the lentivirus-transduced DCs was further demonstrated by their ability to directly activate freshly harvested peripheral blood Flu-specific CTLs in the absence of CD4(+) T-cell help and exogenous cytokines. The availability of a stable gene delivery system based on a multiply attenuated lentivirus that does not encode any viral protein and that allows sustained antigen presentation by DCs derived from blood monocytes will be very useful for the biologic investigation of DCs and the improvement of immunotherapeutic strategies involving DCs.

A cell cycle model for somitogenesis: mathematical formulation and numerical simulation

After many years of research, the mechanisms that generate a periodic pattern of repeated elements (somites) along the length of the embryonic body axis is still one of the major unresolved problems in developmental biology. Here we present a mathematical formulation of the cell cycle model for somitogenesis proposed in Development105 (1989), 119-130. Somite precursor cells in the node are asynchronous, and therefore, as a population, generate continuously pre-somite cells which enter the segmental plate. The model makes the hypothesis that there exists a time window within the cell cycle, making up one-seventh of the cycle, which gates the pre-somite cells so that they make somites discretely, seven per cycle. We show that the model can indeed account for the spatiotemporal patterning of somite formation during normal development as well as the periodic abnormalities produced by heat shock treatment. We also relate the model to recent molecular data on the process of somite formation.

Microbiology of flooded rice paddies

Flooded rice paddies are one of the major biogenic sources of atmospheric methane. Apart from this contribution to the 'greenhouse' effect, rice paddy soil represents a suitable model system to study fundamental aspects of microbial ecology, such as diversity, structure, and dynamics of microbial communities as well as structure-function relationships between microbial groups. Flooded rice paddy soil can be considered as a system with three compartments (oxic surface soil, anoxic bulk soil, and rhizosphere) characterized by different physio-chemical conditions. After flooding, oxygen is rapidly depleted in the bulk soil. Anaerobic microorganisms, such as fermentative bacteria and methanogenic archaea, predominate within the microbial community, and thus methane is the final product of anaerobic degradation of organic matter. In the surface soil and the rhizosphere well-defined microscale chemical gradients can be measured. The oxygen profile seems to govern gradients of other electron acceptors (e.g., nitrate, iron(III), and sulfate) and reduced compounds (e.g., ammonium, iron(II), and sulfide). These gradients provide information about the activity and spatial distribution of functional groups of microorganisms. This review presents the current knowledge about the highly complex microbiology of flooded rice paddies. In Section 2 we describe the predominant microbial groups and their function with particular regard to bacterial populations utilizing polysaccharides and simple sugars, and to the methanogenic archaea. Section 3 describes the spatial and temporal development of microscale chemical gradients measured in experimentally defined model systems, including gradients of oxygen and dissolved and solid-phase iron(III) and iron(II). In Section 4, the results of measurements of microscale gradients of oxygen, pH, nitrate-nitrite, and methane in natural rice fields and natural rice soil cores taken to the laboratory will be presented. Finally, perspectives of future research are discussed (Section 5).

Molecular analyses of novel methanotrophic communities in forest soil that oxidize atmospheric methane

Forest and other upland soils are important sinks for atmospheric CH(4), consuming 20 to 60 Tg of CH(4) per year. Consumption of atmospheric CH(4) by soil is a microbiological process. However, little is known about the methanotrophic bacterial community in forest soils. We measured vertical profiles of atmospheric CH(4) oxidation rates in a German forest soil and characterized the methanotrophic populations by PCR and denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) with primer sets targeting the pmoA gene, coding for the alpha subunit of the particulate methane monooxygenase, and the small-subunit rRNA gene (SSU rDNA) of all life. The forest soil was a sink for atmospheric CH(4) in situ and in vitro at all times. In winter, atmospheric CH(4) was oxidized in a well-defined subsurface soil layer (6 to 14 cm deep), whereas in summer, the complete soil core was active (0 cm to 26 cm deep). The content of total extractable DNA was about 10-fold higher in summer than in winter. It decreased with soil depth (0 to 28 cm deep) from about 40 to 1 microg DNA per g (dry weight) of soil. The PCR product concentration of SSU rDNA of all life was constant both in winter and in summer. However, the PCR product concentration of pmoA changed with depth and season. pmoA was detected only in soil layers with active CH(4) oxidation, i.e., 6 to 16 cm deep in winter and throughout the soil core in summer. The same methanotrophic populations were present in winter and summer. Layers with high CH(4) consumption rates also exhibited more bands of pmoA in DGGE, indicating that high CH(4) oxidation activity was positively correlated with the number of methanotrophic populations present. The pmoA sequences derived from excised DGGE bands were only distantly related to those of known methanotrophs, indicating the existence of unknown methanotrophs involved in atmospheric CH(4) consumption.

Enzyme kinetics at high enzyme concentration

We re-visit previous analyses of the classical Michaelis-Menten substrate-enzyme reaction and, with the aid of the reverse quasi-steady-state assumption, we challenge the approximation d[C]/dt approximately 0 for the basic enzyme reaction at high enzyme concentration. For the first time, an approximate solution for the concentrations of the reactants uniformly valid in time is reported. Numerical simulations are presented to verify this solution. We show that an analytical approximation can be found for the reactants for each initial condition using the appropriate quasi-steady-state assumption. An advantage of the present formalism is that it provides a new procedure for fitting experimental data to determine reaction constants. Finally, a new necessary criterion is found that ensures the validity of the reverse quasi-steady-state assumption. This is verified numerically.

Clock and induction model for somitogenesis

After many years of research, somitogenesis is still one of the major unresolved problems in developmental biology. Recent experimental findings show a novel type of pattern formation in which a signal sweeps along the presomitic mesoderm and narrows simultaneously as a new somite is formed. The signal then residues in the posterior half of the new somite, and another wave begins to sweep up from the caudal end. This behaviour is not easily explained by the existing theoretical models. We present a new model for somitogenesis that can account for this behaviour and is consistent with previous experimental observations.

Time-dependent closed form solutions for fully competitive enzyme reactions

An analytic formalism developed earlier to describe the time evolution of the basic enzyme reaction is extended to fully competitive systems. Time-dependent closed form solutions are derived for the three nominal cases of competition: even, slow and fast inhibitors, allowing for the first time the complete characterization of the reactions. In agreement with previous work, the time-independent Michaelis-Menten approach is shown to be inaccurate when a fast inhibitor is present. The validity of the quasi-steady-state approximation on which the present framework is based is also revised.

Retrovirally transduced mouse dendritic cells require CD4+ T cell help to elicit antitumor immunity: implications for the clinical use of dendritic cells

Presentation of MHC class I-restricted peptides by dendritic cells (DCs) can elicit vigorous antigen-specific CTL responses in vivo. It is well established, however, that T cell help can augment CTL function, raising the question of how best to present tumor-associated MHC class I epitopes to induce effective tumor immunity. To this end, we have examined the role of MHC class II peptide-complexes present on the immunizing DCs in a murine melanoma model. To present MHC class I- and II-restricted Ags reliably on the same cell, we retrovirally transduced bone marrow-derived DCs with the model Ag OVA encoding well-defined class I- and II-restricted epitopes. The importance of CD4+ T cells activated by the immunizing DCs in this model is demonstrated by the following findings: 1) transduced DCs presenting class I and class II epitopes are more efficient than class I peptide-pulsed DCs; 2) MHC class II-deficient DCs fail to induce tumor protection; 3) CD4+ T cell depletion abolishes induction of tumor protection; and 4) DCs presenting bovine serum Ags are more effective in establishing tumor immunity than DCs cultured in syngeneic serum. When MHC class II-deficient DCs were directly activated via their CD40 receptor, we indeed observed a moderate elevation of OVA-specific CTL activity. However, this increase in CTL activity was not sufficient to induce in vivo tumor rejection. Thus, our results demonstrate the potency of genetically modified DCs that express both MHC class I and II epitopes, but caution against the use of DCs presenting only the former.

Anatomy of the central nervous system

OBJECTIVES

To provide an overview of central nervous system anatomy.

DATA SOURCES

Published books and articles.

CONCLUSIONS

Classification of tumors, location of primary and metastatic tumors, and initial and progressive symptoms are best understood within a solid knowledge base of neuroanatomy.

IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING PRACTICE

It is essential for nurses caring for neuro-oncology patients to be familiar with normal central nervous system anatomy. This knowledge will enable them to anticipate symptoms, response to treatment, and prognosis for recovery. Understanding of the effects of central nervous system tumors on the function of the central nervous system will help nurses provide holistic care to both patients and significant others.

Tumors of the spine and spinal cord

OBJECTIVES

To provide an overview of spinal cord neoplasms with a focus on location, histology, pathophysiology, diagnosis, treatment and nursing assessment and management.

DATA SOURCES

Published books and peer-reviewed articles.

CONCLUSIONS

Tumors of the spine and spinal cord are rare, and they can have grave implications for the patient. The key in the management of spinal cord tumors is their timely diagnosis and treatment to preserve function.

IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING PRACTICE

A thorough nursing assessment and timely intervention can have a positive impact on the outcome of patients with tumors of the spine and spinal cord.

Effects of Ammonium and Non-Ammonium Salt Additions on Methane Oxidation by Methylosinus trichosporium OB3b and Maine Forest Soils

Additions of ammonium and non-ammonium salts inhibit atmospheric methane consumption by soil at salt concentrations that do not significantly affect the soil water potential. The response of soils to non-ammonium salts has previously raised questions about the mechanism of ammonium inhibition. Results presented here show that inhibition of methane consumption by non-ammonium salts can be explained in part by ion-exchange reactions: cations desorb ammonium, with the level of desorption varying as a function of both the cation and anion added; differential desorption results in differential inhibition levels. Differences in the extent of inhibition among ammonium salts can also be explained in part by the effects of anions on ammonium exchange. In contrast, only minimal effects of cations and anions are observed in liquid cultures of Methylosinus trichosporium OB3b. The comparable level of inhibition by equinormal concentrations of NH 4 Cl and (NH 4 ) 2 SO 4 and the insensitivity of salt inhibition to increasing methane concentrations (from 10 to 100 ppm) are of particular interest, since both of these patterns are in contrast to results for soils. The greater inhibition of methane consumption for NH 4 Cl than (NH 4 ) 2 SO 4 in soils can be attributed to increased ammonium adsorption by sulfate; increasing inhibition by non-ammonium salts with increasing methane concentrations can be attributed to desorbed ammonium and a physiological mechanism proposed previously for pure cultures.

Theoretical description of the polymerase chain reaction

Taking into account expressions for the efficiency of the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) recently deduced from enzymological considerations, and making use of a continuous model based on the law of mass action, closed form solutions are derived that enable a complete description of the standard and quantitative competitive PCR methods. The resulting behaviour is in reasonable agreement with that from a previous, empirical, discrete approach; but the latter is nonetheless shown to overestimate the amplification yield by as much as 30% due to the weak assumption of a constant efficiency during the cycle duration. The present formalism will facilitate the implementation of accurate fitting procedures of experimental data to manage quantification.

Enzymological considerations for a theoretical description of the quantitative competitive polymerase chain reaction (QC-PCR)

The enzymological principles of the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and of the quantitative competitive PCR (QC-PCR) are developed, proposing a theoretical framework that will facilitate quantification in experimental methodologies. It is demonstrated that the specificity of the QC-PCR, i.e. the ratio of the target initial velocity to that of the competitor template, remains constant not only during a particular amplification but also for increasing initial competitor concentrations. Linear fitting procedures are thus recommended that will enable a quantitative estimate of the initial target concentration. Finally, expressions for the efficiency of the PCR and QC-PCR are derived that are in agreement with previous experimental inferences.

Complete assimilation of cysteine by a newly isolated non-sulfur purple bacterium resembling Rhodovulum sulfidophilum (Rhodobacter sulfidophilus)

A rod-shaped, motile, phototrophic bacterium, strain SiCys, was enriched and isolated from a marine microbial mat, with cysteine as sole substrate. During phototrophic anaerobic growth with cysteine, sulfide was produced as an intermediate, which was subsequently oxidized to sulfate. The molar growth yield with cysteine was 103 g mol-1, in accordance with complete assimilation of electrons from the carbon and the sulfur moiety into cell material. Growth yields with alanine and serine were proportionally lower. Thiosulfate, sulfide, hydrogen, and several organic compounds were used as electron donors in the light, whereas cystine, sulfite, or elemental sulfur did not support phototrophic anaerobic growth. Aerobic growth in the dark was possible with fructose as substrate. Cultures of strain SiCys were yellowish-brown in color and contained bacteriochlorophyll a, spheroidene, spheroidenone, and OH-spheroidene as major photosynthetic pigments. Taking the morphology, photosynthetic pigments, aerobic growth in the dark, and utilization of sulfide for phototrophic growth into account, strain SiCys was assigned to the genus Rhodovulum (formerly Rhodobacter) and tentatively classified as a strain of R. sulfidophilum. In cell-free extracts in the presence of pyridoxal phosphate, cysteine was converted to pyruvate and sulfide, which is characteristic for cysteine desulfhydrase activity (l-cystathionine gamma-lyase, EC 4.4. 1.1).

Comparison of fluorescence in situ hybridization, cytogenetic analysis, and DNA index analysis to detect chromosomes 4 and 10 aneuploidy in pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia: a Pediatric Oncology Group study

PURPOSE

Chromosome abnormalities are an important prognostic factor in childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Recently, a subset of patients with hyperdiploid ALL and trisomy of chromosomes 4 and 10 has been reported to have a very favorable event-free survival. Rapid and accurate detection of these patients will allow them to be treated with highly effective and relatively nontoxic antimetabolite therapy. Because of inherent problems associated with conventional cancer cytogenetics, we examined the efficacy of fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) to identify this ALL subgroup.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Fifty uncultured bone marrow specimens from children with newly diagnosed ALL were examined for chromosomes 4 and 10 aneuploidy with FISH. These results were compared with routine cytogenetics and DNA Index (DI).

RESULTS

Interphase FISH cytogenetics identified the abnormal cell line(s) in all cases in which cytogenetics showed aneuploidy of chromosomes 4 and 10. In cases in which cytogenetics was not informative, FISH identified the presence of an aneuploid chromosome 4 and/or 10 cell line in concordance with the DI.

CONCLUSIONS

FISH interphase cytogenetics can accurately detect chromosome 4 and 10 aneuploidy in leukemic cells. It is a rapid and clinically applicable technique that can reliably identify childhood ALL cases who have trisomy of chromosomes 4 and 10 and who have very favorable event-free survival.

Function and stationary-phase induction of periplasmic copper-zinc superoxide dismutase and catalase/peroxidase in Caulobacter crescentus

Although cytosolic superoxide dismutases (SODs) are widely distributed among bacteria, only a small number of species contain a periplasmic SOD. One of these is Caulobacter crescentus, which has a copper-zinc SOD (CuZnSOD) in the periplasm and an iron SOD (FeSOD) in the cytosol. The function of periplasmic CuZnSOD was studied by characterizing a mutant of C. crescentus with an insertionally inactivated CuZnSOD gene. Wild-type and mutant strains showed identical tolerance to intracellular superoxide. However, in response to extracellular superoxide, the presence of periplasmic CuZnSOD increased survival by as much as 20-fold. This is the first demonstration that periplasmic SOD defends against external superoxide of environmental origin. This result has implications for those bacterial pathogens that contain a CuZnSOD. C. crescentus was shown to contain a single catalase/peroxidase which, like Escherichia coli KatG catalase/peroxidase, is present in both the periplasmic and cytoplasmic fractions. The growth stage dependence of C. crescentus catalase/peroxidase and SOD activity was studied. Although FeSOD activity was identical in exponential- and stationary-phase cultures, CuZnSOD was induced nearly 4-fold in stationary phase and the catalase/peroxidase was induced nearly 100-fold. Induction of antioxidant enzymes in the periplasm of C. crescentus appears to be an important attribute of the stationary-phase response and may be a useful tool for studying its regulation.

Gender identification of dried human bloodstains using fluorescence in situ hybridization

Identification of the gender of an individual(s) from whom a bloodstain is derived represents important evidence in medicolegal cases. The efficacy of fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) using chromosome X and Y centromeric probes was tested to determine its ability to identify correctly the gender of extracted dried bloodstains. In this preliminary study, FISH correctly identified the gender of 2-week-old dried bloodstains in prepared mixtures of male-to-female blood as low as 1%. The technique is accurate, rapid, sensitive, easily performed and readily available. This application of FISH as a forensic laboratory technique holds great promise.

Identification of male epithelial cells in routine postcoital cervicovaginal smears using fluorescence in situ hybridization. Application in sexual assault and molestation

In a prospective blinded controlled study, the efficacy of fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) to detect non-sperm male cells verifying sexual contact was examined. Cervicovaginal smears (CVS) from 40 women with reported post-coital intervals were examined for sperm by cytology and for sperm and non-sperm male cells by FISH using X and Y chromosome specific DNA probes. Fluorescence in situ hybridization identified sperm and/or non-sperm male cells in all specimens from women with positive coital histories, including when the partner had a vasectomy. Male cells were also detectable by FISH in CVS up to 3 weeks after coitus. In comparison, cytology identified sperm in 41% of the positive coital history cases, and none beyond 2 weeks. Fluorescence in situ hybridization is highly sensitive and specific in detecting male cells, and can be performed rapidly on routine CVS. Application of this technique can provide new and additional evidence of sexual contact when current tests are inconclusive.

Identification of sperm and non-sperm male cells in cervicovaginal smears using fluorescence in situ hybridization: applications in alleged sexual assault cases

The identification of spermatozoa or constituents of seminal fluid is critical in the evaluation of alleged sexual assault victims. However, failure to identify sperm and/or elevated levels of acid phosphatase can occur for a variety of reasons. Molecular techniques, such as molecular cytogenetic analysis offers new approaches to improve on the identification of male cells in alleged sexual assault cases. Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) with a Y chromosome specific DNA probe was applied to archival cervicovaginal smears from 41 alleged sexual assault cases to identify Y-bearing (male) cells. FISH identified Y-bearing sperm and non-sperm cells in 78% of the cases previously confirmed to have sperm. FISH also identified Y-bearing non-sperm male cells in 39% of the cases in which cytology did not detect spermatozoa; in one of these instances, it also detected sperm. Cervicovaginal acid phosphatase levels, determined at the time of the cervicovaginal smears, were also compared with the presence or absence of Y-positive cells. Application of this technique can detect non-spermatozoic male cells in routine cervicovaginal smears of sexual assault victims.

Mechanistic Analysis of Ammonium Inhibition of Atmospheric Methane Consumption in Forest Soils

Methane consumption by forest soil was studied in situ and in vitro with respect to responses to nitrogen additions at atmospheric and elevated methane concentrations. Methane concentrations in intact soil decreased continuously from atmospheric levels at the surface to 0.5 ppm at a depth of 14 cm. The consumption rate of atmospheric methane in soils, however, was highest in the 4- to 8-cm depth interval (2.9 nmol per g of dry soil per day), with much lower activities below and above this zone. In contrast, extractable ammonium and nitrate concentrations were highest in the surface layer (0 to 2 cm; 22 and 1.6 μmol per g of dry soil, respectively), as was potential ammonium-oxidizing activity (19 nmol per g of dry soil per day). The difference in zonation between ammonium oxidation and methane consumption suggested that ammonia-oxidizing bacteria did not contribute significantly to atmospheric methane consumption. Exogenous ammonium inhibited methane consumption in situ and in vitro, but the pattern of inhibition did not conform to expectations based on simple competition between ammonia and methane for methane monooxygenase. The extent of ammonium inhibition increased with increasing methane concentration. Inhibition by a single ammonium addition remained constant over a period of 39 days. In addition, nitrite, the end product of methanotrophic ammonia oxidation, was a more effective inhibitor of methane consumption than ammonium. Factors that stimulated ammonium oxidation in soil, e.g., elevated methane concentrations and the availability of cosubstrates such as formate, methanol, or β-hydroxybutyrate, enhanced ammonium inhibition of methane oxidation, probably as a result of enhanced nitrite production.

Ammonium and Nitrite Inhibition of Methane Oxidation by Methylobacter albus BG8 and Methylosinus trichosporium OB3b at Low Methane Concentrations

Methane oxidation by pure cultures of the methanotrophs Methylobacter albus BG8 and Methylosinus trichosporium OB3b was inhibited by ammonium choride and sodium nitrite relative to that in cultures assayed in either nitrate-containing or nitrate-free medium. M. albus was generally more sensitive to ammonium and nitrite than M. trichosporium . Both species produced nitrite from ammonium; the concentrations of nitrite produced increased with increasing methane concentrations in the culture headspaces. Inhibition of methane oxidation by nitrite was inversely proportional to headspace methane concentrations, with only minimal effects observed at concentrations of>500 ppm in the presence of 250 μM nitrite. Inhibition increased with increasing ammonium at methane concentrations of 100 ppm. In the presence of 500 μM ammonium, inhibition increased initially with increasing methane concentrations from 1.7 to 100 ppm; the extent of inhibition decreased with methane concentrations of > 100 ppm. The results of this study provide new insights that explain some of the previously observed interactions among ammonium, nitrite, methane, and methane oxidation in soils and aquatic systems.

Expression of sodium channels with different saxitoxin affinity during rat forebrain development

This work characterizes the development of the saxitoxin (STX)-sensitive Na+ channels from rat whole forebrain between embryonic day 15 (E15) and postnatal day 90 (P90), both with binding studies and with single channel studies. The Na+ channel total mRNA and the individual mRNAs encoding Na+ channels I, II and III were also determined. The total STX binding rose about 40-fold from E15 to reach a plateau at P30 and its temporal course correlated with the expression of Na+ channel total mRNA. Low affinity and high-affinity STX binding sites, predominant in embryonic and postnatal forebrains, respectively, were found. The single channel studies of batrachotoxin-modified channels also revealed two main populations. In E15 only low-affinity channels (KD = 32.7 nM; 200 mM NaCl) and in P30 only high affinity ones (KD = 1.6 nM) were present. At P0 channels with intermediate affinity (KD range 3-34 nM) were observed. The increase in affinity was due to a gradual increase in the STX association rate.

Sequential Transhydroxylations Converting Hydroxyhydroquinone to Phloroglucinol in the Strictly Anaerobic, Fermentative Bacterium Pelobacter massiliensis

The recently isolated fermenting bacterium Pelobacter massiliensis is the only strict anaerobe known to grow on hydroxyhydroquinone (1,2,4-trihydroxybenzene) as the sole source of carbon and energy, converting it to stoichiometric amounts of acetate. In this paper, we report on the enzymatic reactions involved in the conversion of hydroxyhydroquinone and pyrogallol (1,2,3-trihydroxybenzene) to phloroglucinol (1,3,5-trihydroxybenzene). Cell extracts of P. massiliensis transhydroxylate pyrogallol to phloroglucinol after addition of 1,2,3,5-tetrahydroxybenzene (1,2,3,5-TTHB) as cosubstrate in a reaction identical to that found earlier with Pelobacter acidigallici (A. Brune and B. Schink, J. Bacteriol. 172:1070-1076, 1990). Hydroxyhydroquinone conversion to phloroglucinol is initiated in cell extracts without an external addition of cosubstrates. It involves a minimum of three consecutive transhydroxylation reactions characterized by the transient accumulation of two different TTHB isomers. Chemical synthesis of the TTHB intermediates allowed the resolution of the distinct transhydroxylation steps in this sequence. In an initial transhydroxylation, the hydroxyl group in the 1-position of a molecule of hydroxyhydroquinone is transferred to the 5-position of another molecule of hydroxyhydroquinone to give 1,2,4,5-TTHB and resorcinol (1,3-dihydroxybenzene) as products. Following this disproportionation of hydroxyhydroquinone, the 1,2,4,5-isomer is converted to 1,2,3,5-TTHB, an enzymatic activity present only in hydroxyhydroquinone-grown cells. Finally, phloroglucinol is formed from 1,2,3,5-TTHB by transfer of the 2-hydroxyl group to either hydroxyhydroquinone or resorcinol. The resulting coproducts are again cosubstrates in earlier reactions of this sequence. From the spectrum of hydroxybenzenes transhydroxylated by the cell extracts, the minimum structural prerequisites that render a hydroxybenzene a hydroxyl donor or acceptor are deduced.

Anaerobic degradation of sorbic acid by sulfate-reducing and fermenting bacteria: pentanone-2 and isopentanone-2 as byproducts

Strictly anaerobic bacteria were enriched and isolated from freshwater sediment sources in the presence and absence of sulfate with sorbic acid as sole source of carbon and energy. Strain WoSo1, a Gram-negative vibrioid sulfate-reducing bacterium which was assigned to the species Desulfoarculus (formerly Desulfovibrio) baarsii oxidized sorbic acid completely to CO2 with concomitant stoichiometric reduction of sulfate to sulfide. This strain also oxidized a wide variety of fatty acids and other organic compounds. A Gram-negative rod-shaped fermenting bacterium, strain AmSo1, fermented sorbic acid stoichiometrically to about equal amounts of acetate and butyrate. At concentrations higher than 10 mM, sorbic acid fermentation led to the production of pentanone-2 and isopentanone-2 (3-methyl-2-butanone) as byproducts. Strain AmSo1 fermented also crotonate and 3-hydroxybutyrate to acetate and butyrate, and hexoses to acetate, ethanol, hydrogen, and formate. The guanine-plus-cytosine content of the DNA was 41.8 +/- 1.0 mol%. Sorbic acid at concentrations higher than 5 mM inhibited growth of this strain while strain WoSo1 tolerated sorbic acid up to 10 mM concentration.

Anaerobic degradation of aniline and dihydroxybenzenes by newly isolated sulfate-reducing bacteria and description of Desulfobacterium anilini

A new, rod-shaped, Gram-negative, non-sporing sulfate reducer (strain Ani1) was enriched and isolated from marine sediment with aniline as sole electron donor and carbon source. The strain degraded aniline completely to CO2 and NH3 with stoichiometric reduction of sulfate to sulfide. Strain Ani1 also degraded aminobenzoates and further aromatic and aliphatic compounds. The strain grew in sulfide-reduced mineral medium supplemented only with vitamin B12 and thiamine. Cells contained cytochromes, carbon monoxide dehydrogenase, and sulfite reductase P582, but no desulfoviridin. Strain Ani1 is described as a new species of the genus Desulfobacterium D. anilini. Marine enrichments with the three dihydroxybenzene isomers led to three different strains of sulfate-reducing bacteria; each of them could grow only with the isomer used for enrichment. Two strains isolated with catechol (strain Cat2) or resorcinol (strain Re10) were studied in detail. Both strains oxidized their substrates completely to CO2, and contained cytochromes, carbon monoxide dehydrogenase, and sulfite reductase P 582. Desulfoviridin was not present. Whereas the rod-shaped catechol oxidizer (strain Cat2) was able to grow on 18 aromatic compounds and several aliphatic substrates, the coccoid resorcinol-degrading bacterium (strain Re10) utilized only resorcinol, 2,4-dihydroxybenzoate and 1,3-cyclohexanedion. These strains could not be affiliated with existing species of sulfate-reducing bacteria. A further coccoid sulfate-reducing bacterium (strain Hy5) was isolated with hydroquinone and identified as a subspecies of Desulfococcus multivorans. Most-probable-number enumerations with catechol, phenol, and resorcinol showed relatively large numbers (10(4)-10(6) per ml) of aryl compound-degrading sulfate reducers in marine sediment samples.

Genomic organization and primary structure of five homologous pairs of intron-less genes encoding secretory globins from the insect Chironomus thummi thummi

From a Chironomus thummi thummi genomic library we have isolated two distinct recombinant phages, CttG-1 and CttG-3, each carrying a cluster of five homologous globin genes. In addition to the previously reported nucleotide sequence of globin gene D (Antoine and Niessing, 1984) we present the chromosomal arrangement, primary structure and predicted amino acid sequence of nine globin genes. The divergently transcribed globin genes all lack introns, they encode secretory preglobins each containing a highly conserved signal peptide. The amino acid sequences deduced from the globin genes correspond to globin III and variants thereof, to globin IV, and to a novel globin, whose direct amino acid sequence has not yet been reported.

Stability of activating systems for in vitro mutagenesis assays: enzyme activity and activating ability following long-term storage at - 85 degrees C

Activating systems for in vitro mutagenesis assays are commonly prepared and stored at low temperature until required. The objective of the studies reported here was to determine the long-term stability of activating systems stored at - 85 degrees C. A broad range of microsomal enzymes in the postmitochondrial supernatant (PMS) and the microsomal fraction of livers from Aroclor 1254 treated rats were studied in conjunction with the ability of these fractions to catalyse the conversion of dimethylnitrosamine (DMN) and benzo(a)pyrene (B(a)P) to products mutagenic to Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells and Salmonella typhimurium TM677. Biphenyl-2- and biphenyl-4-hydroxylase showed a rapid decline in activity on storage, epoxide hydratase activity increased with storage and other enzyme activities studied were relatively stable for up to 32 weeks. No consistent trends in the ability of either the microsomes or the PMS to catalyze DMN or B(a)P induced mutation were observed for up to 12 weeks with CHO cells and 24 weeks with bacteria. It is concluded that low temperature storage of activating systems is an acceptable procedure. However, the results also indicate that certain enzyme activities change during storage, suggesting that aberrant results may be obtained when stored activating systems are used in in vitro tests to screen for mutagens.