ALBERT

Notes: Abstract Fowl plague virus, strain Dutch, was metabolically labeled withd-[2-3H]mannose, or withd-[6-3H]glucosamine, and the small subunit (HA2; 0.8 mg in total) of the viral hemagglutinin was isolated by preparative sodium dodecylsulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. After proteolytic digestion, the radioactive oligosaccharides were sequentially liberated from the glycopeptides by treatment with different endo-β-N-acetylglucosaminidases and with peptide:N-glycosidase or, finally, by hydrazinolysis. In this manner, four groups of glycans could be obtained by consecutive gel filtrations and were subfractionated by HPLC. The structures of the individual oligosaccharides were analyzed by micromethylation, by acetolysis or by digestion with exoglycosidases. The major species amongst the high mannose glycans at Ans-406 of the viral glycopolypeptide were found to be Manα1-2Manα1-3(Manα1-2Manα1-6)Manα1-6(Manα1-2Manα1-2Manα1-3)Manβ1-4GlcNacβ1-4GlcNAc and Manα1-3(Manα1-2Manα1-6)Manα1-6(Manα1-2Manα1-2Manα1-3)Manβ1-4GlcNAcβ1-4GlcNAc, while the complex glycans at Asn-478 are predominantly GlcNAcβ1-2Manα1-3(GlcNAcβ1-2Manα1-6)Manβ1-4GlcNAcβ1-4GlcNAc (lacking, in part, one of the outerN-acetylglucosamine residues) and GlcNAcβ1-2Manα1-3(Galβ1-4GlcNAcβ1-2Manα1-6)Manβ1-4GlcNAcβ1-4GlcNAc.

Notes: Summary The first spermatocyte division has been investigated in Rhabdophaga batatas Walsh and Wachtliella persicariae L. It was shown that the course of this division cannot be described as mitosis, either “unipolar” or “modified bipolar”. Its essential features are: complete absence of pairing and the segregation of the chromosomes into two groups composed of 4 and 30-odd chromosomes. The segregation is accomplished by a peculiar expulsion of the group of 4 chromosomes from the main nucleus followed by an unequal cytokinesis. The spindle is absent and the nuclear membrane remains present during the entire course of the division. The second spermatocyte division occurs only in the smaller cell, which contains 4 chromosomes and bears all features of normal mitosis. For the description of the course of the first spermatocyte division and chromosome distribution, which occurs in this division, the terms “segregating division” and “monocentric configuration” were proposed. The available descriptions of the first spermatocyte division in other species of Cecidomyiidae have been analyzed. The pattern of this division in all so far investigated cecidomyiid species is very uniform and the terms “unipolar” or “modified bipolar” mitoses are here also inadequate. The cases were discussed in which the peculiar chromosome arrangements arise merely as a result of positive or negative interrelations between the centriole and the chromosome parts. With this as background, the monocentric configurations in Cecidomyiidae were explained in terms of an attraction between the centriole and centromeres, operating in one group, and a repulsion between the centriole and the chromosome ends acting in the second. The other so-called unipolar mitoses have been analyzed. It was shown that under this term at least three intrinsically different configurations have been described. For the cases of Sciara, Micromalthus debilis and Cecidomyiidae, the common denominator can be found: the chromosome movements in Sciara and M. debilis can also be explained as set forth above for Cecidomyiidae, i.e. in terms of two kinds of forces operating between the centriole and the chromosomes. The several spindle fibers present in Sciara and Micromalthus do not seem to be crucial for the chromosome movements.

Notes: Summary The structure and behavior of XY bivalent in mice is discussed. The view that XY bivalent in pachytene is embedded within the sex vesicle was fully confirmed. X and Y are paired end-to-end by a nonchiasmatic connection, which is established already in pachytene and persists until first meiotic metaphase. The pachytene complement in mice consists of 19 rod-shaped autosomal bivalents and the XY bivalent embedded within the sex vesicle. A satisfactory identification of individual autosomes in male pachytene has not been found possible.

Notes: Summary The extensive genetical analysis of the T-locus in mice, carried out by Dunn and his co-workers, has revealed that the breeding pattern of t-alleles is very peculiar. The complexity of the T-locus indicates that some structural rearrangements are involved here. The purpose of the present work was to gain some informations on the structure of chromosomes in which t-alleles are present. 2. The course of spermatogenesis in the lines of mice of the following genotypes was investigated: +/+; T/+; T/t n — namely T/t 0, T/t12, T/tw1, T/tw6, T/tw18; tn/tx — namely t 0/t12, t0/tw18, t12/tw18, tw1/t12, tw1/t0, tw1/tw6, tw1/tw18, and in heterozygotes for translocations T138 and T190, both involving the fragment of linkage group IX in which some t-alleles are present and used as markers. 3. The alleles T and t w1 are not connected with structural rearrangements, as far as detectable by the methods used. The alleles t 0, tw6 and t w18 are interstitial deficiencies involving different chromosomal regions. The most complete data were obtained for t 0: in T/t 0 heterozygotes a loop corresponding to a big interstitial deficiency was present, in all t 0/tn compounds the aberrant structure of one of the bivalents indicated that an interstitial deficiency is here involved. By analysis of translocation T190 the deficiency loop is localized in the chromosome representing linkage group IX. The identification of t w6 as a small interstitial deficiency is based on the analysis of T/t w6 heterozygotes and its localization in linkage group IX on the presence of this deficiency in translocation T138. The description of tw18 as a small interstitial deficiency stems from the analysis of T/tw18 and t 0/tw18, the localization in linkage group IX is shown by its presence in t 0/tw18 in the same bivalent as t 0. The evidence obtained for t 12 indicates that it is either a big terminal deficiency or a small interstitial one inducing constant asynapsis in adjacent terminal segments of the bivalent. 4. The reasons why loops encountered in genotypes involving t 0, tw6 and t w18 are considered as deficiencies and not as duplications are based on available embryological and genetical data. The possible connections between the mode of action of the investigated t-alleles as embryonic lethals and the cytological results on their structure and localization are discussed. 5. Most of the lethal t-alleles suppress crossing-over in the region T-tf. Factors reducing the frequency of recombination in other organisms are discussed in comparison. It is concluded that the pattern of aberation in meiotic behavior of the bivalent carrying t-alleles is for almost each of the studied alleles rather specific and does not permit for suggesting any general mechanism which could account for the action of investigated lethal t-alleles as crossing-over suppressors. 6. A diagram of the presumable localisation of genetical factors in linkage group IX is presented. It is concluded that the so-called T-locus occupies the main part of the long arm of the chromosome corresponding to linkage group IX and that the investigated t-alleles are not unilocal neither with the gene T nor each with other, but scattered along the chromosome. 7. The possible modes of the origin of new t-alleles are discussed, and the hypothesis is advanced that this event might be connected with mistakes of replication of the strand on which a new t-allele arises.

Notes: Zusammenfassung In der vorliegenden Arbeit wurde die Wirkung des Ultraschalls auf die Tryptophanase in Escherichia coli untersucht. Es konnte nachgewiesen werden, daß Ultraschall das Tryptophanase-Protein angreift, während das Coenzym Pyridoxalphosphat nicht verändert wird. Weiterhin wurde die Veränderung des Pyridoxalphosphats durch Ultraschall in vitro festgestellt.

Notes: Zusammenfassung Um zu klären, ob der Tod von lebenden Zellen nach Röntgenbestrahlung auf eine Zerstörung des in der Zelle vorhandenen Pyridoxalphosphats und damit auf eine Blockierung der pyridoxalabhängigen Enzyme zurückzuführen ist, wurde in bestrahlten und unbestrahlten Escherichia coli der Pyridoxalphosphat-Gehalt bestimmt. Die Untersuchung wurde an ruhenden und wachsenden Zellen durchgeführt. Durch Bestrahlung mit 10,40 und 80 kr wird der Pyridoxalphosphat-Gehalt der Zelle nicht verändert. Alle Kulturen begannen zur gleichen Zeit am Ende der log-Phase des Wachstums mit der Neubildung von Pyridoxalphosphat.

Notes: The low frequency (500–80 cm−1) Raman spectra of gaseous methylcyclobutane, c-C4H7CH3, and methyl-d3-cyclobutane have been recorded. A series of Q branches beginning at 161 cm−1 for the light molecule and 154 cm−1 for the d3 compound with successive transitions falling to lower frequencies have been assigned to the ring puckering vibrations of both the low energy equatorial and high energy axial conformers. These data have been fitted to an asymmetric potential function of the form: V(cm−1)=(4.78±0.10)×105X4−(3.08±0.04)×104X2 +(2.18±0.1)×104X3 with an assumed reduced mass of 160 amu for the light compound. Utilizing this potential the difference between the puckering angles for the two conformers was calculated to be 4.3° with the equatorial conformer having the larger value of 20.7°. A similar potential was obtained for the d3 molecule. The energy difference between the equatorial and axial forms was found to be 247±20 cm−1 (706 cal/mol) and a barrier of 641±20 cm−1 (1.83 kcal/mol) was found for the interconversion. Experimental values for the ΔH of both the liquid (354±179 cm−1) and gas (295±75 cm−1) from relative intensities of different Raman band pairs over 85 and 37 °C temperature ranges, respectively, were found to be consistent with the value obtained from the potential function. These results are compared to the corresponding quantities for similar molecules.

Notes: In order to characterize the laser ablation process as it relates to the deposition of high Tc superconducting thin films, optical emission spectra produced during ArF excimer laser ablation of the high Tc superconductor YBa2Cu3O7 were studied. The population of excited states within the gas phase blow-off material depends strongly on excimer laser fluence at 193 nm. Ablation using relatively low excimer laser fluences produces a significant fraction of YO in the gas phase. The plasmas derived from ablation of targets made from the high Tc material are similar to plasmas observed from ablation of the individual components BaCO3, CuO, and Y2O3.