Red legs and golden gasters: Batesian mimicry in australian ants

 There are numerous reports of invertebrates that are visual mimics of ants, but no formal reports of mimicry of an ant, by an ant. Two endemic Australian ants, Myrmecia fulvipes and Camponotus bendigensis are remarkably similar in colour and size; both are generally black but have red legs and golden gasters. The density and hue of the pubescence of each ant's gaster are relatively uncommon in ants, but are very rare when combined with the black forebody and red legs. The ants are similarly sized but are smaller than other species closely related to M. fulvipes. The range of C. bendigensis lies entirely within that of M. fulvipes, and both species excavate ground nests in open woodland. Finally, workers of both species are crepuscular and forage solitarily. These data suggest that the relatively benign formicine C. bendigensis is a Batesian mimic of the formidable myrmeciine M. fulvipes. Received: 9 August 1999 / Accepted in revised form: 22 December 1999     

Molecular organization of excitatory chemical synapses in the mammalian brain

 Chemical synapses are highly specialized cell–cell junctions designed for efficient signaling between nerve cells. Distinct cytoskeletal matrices are assembled at either side of the synaptic junction. The presynaptic cytomatrix at the active zone (CAZ) defines and organizes the site of neurotransmitter release from presynaptic nerve terminals. The postsynaptic density (PSD) tethers neurotransmitter receptors and the postsynaptic signal transduction machinery. Recent progress in the identification and characterization of novel CAZ and PSD components has revealed new insights into the molecular organization and assembly mechanisms of the synaptic neurotransmission apparatus. On the presynaptic side, Bassoon and Piccolo, two related giant proteins, are crucially involved in scaffolding the CAZ. On the postsynaptic side, two families of multi-domain adaptor proteins, the MAGuKs (membrane-associated guanylate kinase homologs) and the ProSAP (proline-rich synapse-associated protein, also termed Shank) family members are thought to be major organizing molecules of the PSD.     

Assessing the impact of pesticides on the environment

Pesticide use in agriculture can cause undesirable effects on humans and the natural environment. One of the objectives of integrated agriculture is the elimination or reduction of possible sources of environmental pollution such as pesticides. To achieve this objective, farmers need a method to assist them in estimating the environmental impact of pesticide use. This paper addresses a two-part question: what factors should be taken into consideration to assess pesticide environmental impact, and how can impact be quantified? As the environmental impact of a pesticide depends on its dispersion in the environment and on its toxicological properties, the literature on these topics is reviewed to address the first part of the question. To address the second part of the question, six recent approaches to assess the impact of pesticides on the environment are compared regarding choice, transformation and aggregation of input parameters. The use of simulation models to assess environmental impact is discussed.     

Extreme34S-Anreicherungen in gelöstem Sulfat von Grundwässern im Umfeld einer Altmülldeponie

Wir danken Dr. Kerndorff für die kritische Durchsicht des Manuskripts.     

Activities of alkaline phosphatase in first trimester chorion biopsy tissue

We have determined the activity of alkaline phosphatase in chorionic villous tissue obtained in the first trimester of pregnancy, in order to obtain the normal range of values as a prerequisite for application to the prenatal diagnosis of the rare bone disease hypophosphatasia. The activities found were a combination of intestinal and liver/bone/kidney types; traces of placental type were present in only one sample.