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Cobalt-coupled neurons of a giant fibre system in Diptera.

Certain intact nerve cells in flies can be filled with cobalt from presynaptic or postsynaptic neurons. This cobalt coupling is best demonstrated in giant fibre systems where the phenomenon was originally termed 'transsynaptic staining'. Fine structural analysis of silver-intensified, cobalt-coupled neurons indicates that the passage of cobalt ions occurs at gap junctions that are accompanied by conventional chemical synapses. Cobalt-coupled systems in dipterous insects are uniquely identifiable and can always be detected between the same kinds of neurons. The visualization of cobalt-coupled neurons allows the identification of functional pathways linking the brain to motor neuropils.

Animals↗

Two transcripts of an individual Balbiani ring from the salivary gland cells of Acricotopus lucidus (Diptera, Chironomidae).

The polytene chromosomes in main lobe cells of the Acricotopus salivary gland carry two large Balbiani rings (BR1, BR2), which BR1 exhibits the higher incorporation rate of tritiated nucleosides. The size of BR1 varies in conjunction with a subterminal inversion which includes the BR1 site. BR1 in both the homozygous and heterozygous inverted arrangement (BR1A and BR1B, respectively) is consistently smaller than in the homozygous standard arrangement (BR1C). The RNA content of BR1A and BR1C (3.1 and 6.7 pg, respectively) corresponds well with their relative size.--Using the method of micromanipulation of squashed salivary gland chromosomes the RNA transcripts of BR1A and BR1C have been extracted from microdissected Balbiani rings and fractionated by electrophoresis on 1% agarose gels. In BR1A one RNA fraction with a molecular weight of about 40 x 10(6) D is transcribed. The gel electrophoretic pattern of BR1C is characterized by an additional RNA fraction of 5 x 10(6) D. The main part of BR1 RNA is bound to oligo(dT)-cellulose suggesting the adenylation at the chromosome of Balbiani ring RNA.--In the profile of poly(A)-containing cytoplasmic RNA obtained after in vivo labelling two peaks can be detected which correspond in size to the BR1 RNA. These putative BR1 transcripts accumulate to a high concentration in the cytoplasm and show a relatively low stability during in vivo chase experiments.

Animals↗

The susceptibility of the sandfly Lutzomyia longipalpis (Lutz & Neiva), diptera, phlebotomidae, to laboratory infection with bluetongue virus.

Bluetongue virus multiplied in the sandfly Lutzomyia longipalpis after intrathoracic inoculation but not after oral ingestion of virus. The level of virus multiplication was lower than that observed in similar experiments with the North American vector of bluetongue, Culicoides variipennis. Inoculated sandflies did not transmit virus after 6 to 9 days incubation at 25 degrees C. It is unlikely that L. longipalpis would be important in the maintenance of bluetongue virus in the wild.

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Differential replication of heterochromatin in polytene chromosomes of the Old World screw-worm fly, Chrysomya bezziana (Diptera: Calliphoridae), analysed by fluorescence staining.

The distribution and replication of heterochromatin in polytene trichogen chromosomes of the Old World screw-worm fly, Chrysomya bezziana, were studied using fluorescent staining techniques. Quinacrine and distamycin-DAPI, which selectively stain AT-rich DNA, and chromomycin, specific for GC-rich sequences, were used. Bright quinacrine and DA-DAPI fluorescence was found in the sex chromosome body and in all autosomal centromere regions. Chromomycin (CMA) staining results in very little bright fluorescence of the sex chromosome body and autosomal centromeric regions, but many bright bands of varying morphology are distributed in autosomal arms. The expected negative CMA staining of quinacrine and DA-DAPI bright regions was not found. The lack of reciprocal staining patterns may result from changes in the higher order chromatin structure of polytene chromosomes, or intercalation of divergent heterochromatic sequences. Comparison of the different staining techniques in mitotic and polytene cells shows that heterochromatin is differentially under-replicated, so that the proportions of the distinct fluorescent-specific chromatin changes during polytenization. CMA staining within autosomal arms suggests that repeated sequences intercalated in euchromatin are co-replicated during polytenization. The numerous fluorescent markers described also provide further morphological features for use in comparative cytological analysis of C. bezziana.

Animals↗

Molecular differentiation of the homomorphic sex chromosomes in Megaselia scalaris (Diptera) detected by random DNA probes.

Randomly cloned DNA fragments and a poly-(GATA) containing sequence were used as probes to identify sex chromosomal inheritance and to detect differences at the molecular level between the homomorphic X and Y in the phorid fly, Megaselia scalaris. Restriction fragment length differences between males and females and between two laboratory stocks of different geographic origin were used to differentiate between sex chromosomal and autosomal origin of the respective fragments. Five random probes detected X and Y chromosomal DNA loci and two others recognized autosomal DNA loci. One random probe and the poly(GATA) probe hybridized with both sex chromosomal and autosomal restriction fragments. Most of the Y chromosomal restriction fragments were conserved in length between the two stocks while most of the X chromosomal and autosomal fragments showed length polymorphism. It was concluded, therefore, that the Y chromosome contains a conserved segment in which crossover is suppressed and restriction site differences have accumulated relative to the X. These chromosomes, therefore, conform to a theoretically expected early stage of sex chromosome evolution.

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The presence of an antigen reactive with a human autoantibody in Trichosia pubescens (Diptera: Sciaridae) and its association with certain transcriptionally active regions of the genome.

The antigens in HeLa and Trichosia pubescens cells, recognized by sera from patients with rheumatic diseases containing anti-Ku antibodies, were compared by means of immunoprecipitation of labeled cell extracts. The autoantibodies present in the tested sera precipitate at least two polypeptides of approximately Mr = 70,000 and Mr = 80,000 in HeLa cell extracts and a polypeptide of approximately Mr = 72,000 in Trichosia salivary gland cell extracts. The distribution of the insect antigen in chromatin was studied in salivary gland polytene chromosomes by indirect immunofluorescent staining with sera from two different patients. Both sera react with certain transcriptionally active chromosomal sites. The presence of the antigen in polytene chromosomes is strictly dependent on transcription, as no reaction is observed in the same sites before or after gene activation. Other sites, such as the nucleolar organizing region, are very active in transcription but never reacted with the anti-Ku positive sera. These results show that the insect antigen is associated with transcription-related processes of a subset of the chromosomal loci of T. pubescens. The anti-Ku positive sera react with a highly conserved antigen, which may serve a very important and similar role in the cellular metabolism of both insect and mammalian cells.

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