First insights into the social organisation of Goodman's mouse lemur (Microcebus lehilahytsara)--testing predictions from socio-ecological hypotheses in the Masoala hall of Zurich Zoo.

Following current socio-ecological hypotheses, the social organisation of a species is mainly determined by resource quality and distribution. In the case of Microcebus spp., a taxon-specific socio-ecological model was formulated earlier to explain their variable social organisation.

Cloning, sequencing and expression of a 5-lipoxygenase from Syrian hamster embryo fibroblasts.

The hamster ortholog of human and rat 5-lipoxygenase (5-LO) was cloned from a Syrian hamster embryo (SHE) cell line. A combination of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and 5' and 3' RACE (rapid amplification of cDNA ends) was used to isolate the complete cDNA for this gene. The cDNA sequence demonstrates the extreme sequence conservation found in this gene family, with a deduced amino acid sequence 95% identical to the rat 5-LO, and 90% identical to the human enzyme.

Analysis and quantitation of splicing variants of the TPA-inducible PGHS-1 mRNA in rat tracheal epithelial cells.

Previously we reported that 12-myristate 13-acetate diester (TPA) and dexamethasone regulate the expression of a putative prostaglandin G/H synthase-1 (PGHS-1) gene in a transformed, immortalized rat tracheal epithelial cell line (EGV-6). Here we report the cloning and sequencing of the cDNA for this gene. Two transcripts of similar size but differing in their 5' ends were detected.

Phorbol ester and epidermal growth factor enhance the expression of two inducible prostaglandin H synthase genes in rat tracheal epithelial cells.

Previous studies from our laboratory suggested that phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (TPA) stimulates prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) production by inducing de novo synthesis of prostaglandin H synthase (PHS) in a rat tracheal cell line. We report here an extension of this work to further elucidate the mechanisms by which TPA (and epidermal growth factor) stimulates PGE2 production. We used the rat tracheal cell line EGV6, which has a lower basal level of PGE2 production and responds to TPA and EGF stimulation with a much greater increase in PGE2 synthesis than the previously used cell line, Incubation of EGV6 cultures with TPA or EGF resulted in a time- and dose-dependent increase in PGE2 synthesis up to 40-fold and 6-fold, respectively.

Assay of excised oxidative DNA lesions: isolation of 8-oxoguanine and its nucleoside derivatives from biological fluids with a monoclonal antibody column.

An immunoaffinity column is described that facilitates the analysis of oxidative damage products of DNA and RNA in urine, blood plasma, and medium isolated from cultures of Escherichia coli. In intact animals, lesions (adducts) excised from DNA are transported from the cell through the circulation and excreted in urine. In bacteria, DNA adducts are excreted directly into the medium.

Effects of pH, glucose, and chelating agents on lethality of paraquat to Escherichia coli.

Retention of paraquat by Escherichia coli B was greatest after exposure at pH 9.0 and was progressively less after exposure at pH 7.0 and 5.

Effects of paraquat on Escherichia coli: differences between B and K-12 strains.

Escherichia coli B and K-12 are equally susceptible to the bacteriostatic effects of aerobic paraquat, but they differed strikingly when the lethality of paraquat was evaluated. E. coli B suffered an apparent loss of viability when briefly exposed to paraquat, whereas E.

An activity stain for proteins containing noncovalently bound flavin adenine dinucleotide.

A procedure has been developed to allow the visualization of FAD-containing proteins on polyacrylamide gels. The technique is based on the reconstitution of apo-D-amino acid oxidase with FAD and is thus specific for this cofactor. The stain is sensitive enough to detect 5 pmol of FAD and is therefore useful for the detection of flavoproteins in systems as complex as crude tissue or bacterial extracts.

Effects of salts on the lethality of paraquat.

Escherichia coli suffered 95 to 100% lethality when exposed to 1.0 mM paraquat for 30 min at 37 degrees C in aerobic nutrient broth medium but did not lose viability when the exposure was done in Vogel Bonner or tryptic soy yeast extract medium. Paraquat was, however, bacteriostatic in all of these media.

The effects of paraquat on Escherichia coli: distinction between bacteriostasis and lethality.

Paraquat exerted a progressively more pronounced bacteriostatic effect on Escherichia coli as its concentration was raised in the range 0-1.0 microM. In contrast, concentrations of 100 microM or greater were required before significant lethality could be observed.