Neuronal background of positioning of the posterior tentacles in the snail Helix pomatia

The location of cerebral neurons innervating the three recently described flexor muscles involved in the orientation of the posterior tentacles as well as their innervation patterns were investigated, applying parallel retrograde Co- and Ni-lysine as well as anterograde neurobiotin tracings via the olfactory and the peritentacular nerves. The neurons are clustered in eight groups in the cerebral ganglion and they send a common innervation pathway via the olfactory nerve to the flexor and the tegumental muscles as well as the tentacular retractor muscle and distinct pathways via the internal and the external peritentacular nerves to these muscles except the retractor muscle. The three anchoring points of the three flexor muscles at the base of the tentacle outline the directions of three force vectors generated by the contraction of the muscles along which they can pull or move the protracted tentacle which enable the protracted tentacle to bend around a basal pivot. In the light of earlier physiological and the present anatomical findings we suggest that the common innervation pathway to the muscles is required to the tentacle withdrawal mechanism whereas the distinct pathways serve first of all the bending of the protracted posterior tentacles during foraging

EXTREMOPHILIC HOMOCETOGENIC BACTERIA: PHYSIOLOGY, METABOLISM AND BIO-TECHNOLOGICAL POTENTIAL

The work covers the homoacetogenic bacteria of the extremophilic inhabitation places. The aim is to study the special features of the physiology and metabolism, regularities of their existence in the thermophilic and halophilic associations, to study the possibilities of their application in the bio-technology as acetate producers. It has been determined that the special physiological-biochemical features of the homoacetogenic bacteria determine their key role in the extremophilic microbic associations. The factors regulating the growth and activity of the key matabolism enzymes have been revealed. It has been specified that the catalytic properties of the hydrogenases determine their ability to the hygrogen metabolism. The role of the natrium energetics as a procedure of providing energy among extreme-halophilic bacteria has been specified. The biocatalytic system of creating acetate at the expense of conversing gas substrates on base of the immobilized cells of the thermophilic acetogenes has been developed that is a supposition for creation of the new bio-technologies.Available from VNTIC / VNTIC - Scientific & Technical Information Centre of RussiaSIGLERURussian Federatio