Divalent cation distribution in dinoflagellate chromosomes imaged by high-resolution ion probe mass spectrometry.

From a variety of analytical electron microscopy experiments, the chromosomes of dinoflagellates are known to contain sizeable amounts of cations, the latter thought to contribute to the neutralization of the negative charge carried by the phosphate groups in the DNA backbone. From previous Ca and Mg chelation experiments, it is also known that these cations are necessary for the compaction and preservation of the chromosome architecture. Similar conclusions have been recently presented by our group concerning mammalian mitotic chromosomes, in studies based on secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) carried out with the University of Chicago high-resolution scanning ion microprobe (UC-SIM).

The effect of non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus on uncontrolled hemorrhage in a rodent model.

Objective: Diabetes mellitus (DM) is an independent risk factor for higher morbidity and mortality rates from trauma. We tested the null hypothesis that there would be no difference in the hemorrhage volumes and hemodynamic responses to uncontrolled hemorrhage between Zucker Diabetic Fat rats (ZDF) and euglycemic Sprague-Dawley rats (SD).

Methods: Twenty-four adult male rats (12 ZDF and 12 SD) were anesthetized with althesin via the intraperitoneal route.

Those amazing dinoflagellate chromosomes.

Dinoflagellates are a very large and diverse group of eukaryotic algae that play a major role in aquatic food webs of both fresh water and marine habitats. Moreover, the toxic members of this group pose a health threat in the form of red tides. Finally, dinoflagellates are of great evolutionary importance, because of their taxonomic position, and their unusual chromosome structure and composition.

CHARACTERIZATION OF GYMNODINIUM MIKIMOTOI (DINOPHYCEAE) NUCLEI AND IDENTIFICATION OF THE MAJOR HISTONE-LIKE PROTEIN, HGm.

A simple and rapid method for isolation of nuclei from Gymnodinium mikimotoi Miyake et Kominami ex Oda is described along with chemical characterization of the nuclei. The isolated nuclei were completely free of whole cells, 99.96% free of cytoplasmic contamination, and were collected with a yield of 40% from harvested whole cells.