Susceptibility test of two Ca(2+)-ATPase conformers to denaturants and polyols to outline their structural difference.

To determine the effect of denaturants [guanidine hydrochloride (GdnHCl) and urea] and polyols [with various molecular masses (62.1-600)] on calcium binding at the two hypothesized conformers (A and B forms) of the chemically equivalent sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca(2+)-ATPase, which bind two calcium ions in different manners, we examined the effect of these reagents on the calcium dependence of ATP-supported phosphorylation of the ATPase molecules and of their calcium-activated, acetyl phosphatate hydrolytic activity. (1) GdnHCl (~0.

Ecological aspects of the Japanese eel, Anguilla japonica, collected from coastal areas of Japan.

The ecological characteristics of 597 yellow and silver-stage Japanese eels, Anguilla japonica, were examined and compared among collection sites located at three different latitudes of Japan (Amakusa Islands, Mikawa Bay, and Sanriku Coast) to provide basic data on this unusual catadromous fish species. Eels were sexed and their total length, body weight, age, and growth rate based on otolith analysis was compared among sexes, stages, and collection sites. The overall sex ratio favored females (94%), but the sex ratio differed among the three locations.