Carmen E. Díaz

Afferent connections of the habenular complex in the lizard Gallotia galloti

Afferents to the habenular complex were studied by means of in vitro horseradish peroxidase retrograde labeling and anterograde control experiments in the lizard Gallotia galloti. The medial habenular nucleus was found to receive abundant afferent fibers from the nucleus of the posterior pallial commissure and the nucleus septalis impar. More restricted input comes from the nucleus eminentiae thalami and the nucleus of the stria medullaris. The lateral habenular nucleus is innervated by various fiber groups originating from the bed nucleus of the anterior commissure, the diagonal band nucleus, the lateral preoptic area, the anterior entopeduncular nucleus, the lateral hypothalamic and mammillary areas, the nucleus of the stria medullaris, the area tegmentalis ventralis and a scattered neuronal subpopulation in the large-celled dorsolateral nucleus of the dorsal thalamus. Habenulopetal fibers generally follow the stria medullaris, but hypothalamic, entopeduncular and dorsal thalamic afferents course through the dorsal peduncle of the lateral forebrain bundle in a transthalamic route. Mesencephalic ventral tegmental afferents ascend through the tractus retroflexus.

In vitro HRP-Labeling of the Fasciculus Retroflexus in the Lizard Gallotia galloti

In order to test the usefulness of the in vitro HRP-labeling technique in the brains of small lizards, the fasciculus retroflexus was labeled in isolated brains of young specimens of the lizard Gallotia galloti by means of HRP applied with the tip of a micropipette located approximately midway along the descending course of the tract. Cells in the medial and lateral habenular nuclei were labeled retrogradely. Anterograde transport showed the course of the fasciculus retroflexus, first dorsoventrally into the paramedian prerubral tegmentum and then longitudinally into the isthmic nucleus interpeduncularis. Some fibers spread dorsally into the mesencephalic and isthmic tegmental fields. A substantial bundle continues caudally into nucleus raphe parvocellularis. Other fibers diverge rostral-wards from the point of inflexion of the fasciculus, coursing longitudinally in the medial forebrain bundle into the basal telencephalon. Some fibers course rostrally from the nucleus habenularis lateralis in the stria medullaris and could be followed to the dorsal septum.

Transformation of ent-kaur-15-enes by Gibberella fujikuroi

Abstract The microbiological transformation of ent -kaur-15-ene and of some derivatives by Gibberella fujikuroi into the gibberell-15-ene analogues of GA 3 , GA 7 , GA 13 and GA 16 and into 7,18-dihydroxykaur-15-enolide and the Δ 15 -isomer of fujenal is described.

The microbiological transformation of some ent-15β-hydroxykaurenes by Gibberella fujikuroi

Abstract The microbiological transformation of ent -15β,19-dihydroxykaur- 16-ene into ent - 11α, 15β, 19-trihydroxy-kaur-16-ene and ent -7β,11α,15β,19-tetrahydroxy-kaur-16-ene, of ent -15β,18-dihydroxy-kaur-6,16-diene into ent -15β,18-dihydroxy-6α,7β-epoxy-kaur-16-ene, ent -11α,15β,18-trihydroxy-kaur-6,16-diene and ent -16β,17-epoxy-11α, 15β,18-trihydroxy-kaur-6-ene, and of ent-3β,15β,18-trihydroxykaur-6,16-ene into ent -6α,7α-epoxy-3β,15β, 18-trihydroxy-kaur-16-ene have been carried out using the fungus Gibberella fujikuroi . The presence of a 15α-hydroxyl group in these substrates inhibits transformations involving oxidation at C-19.

Anthraquinones from natural and transformed roots of Plocama pendula.

Five new and 15 known anthraquinones have been isolated from Plocama pendula root cultures transformed by Agrobacterium rhizogenes. The new anthraquinones were named balonone, balonone methyl ether, and plocamanones A, B, and C. Moreover, lucidin dimethyl ether was obtained for the first time as a natural compound. On the other hand, a study of P. pendula natural roots afforded another two new anthraquinones, i.e., plocamanone D and chionone. The anthraquinone isozyganein dimethyl ether has been isolated for the first time from nature. Another 19 known anthraquinones were also obtained from the natural roots.

Golgi study of the anterior dorsal ventricular ridge in a lizard. I. neuronal typology in the adult

Using Golgi techniques we have studied neuronal cell types in the anterior dorsal ventricular ridge (ADVR) of the adult lizard Gallotia galloti. Multipolar, bitufted, and juxtaependymal neuronal forms were found. The multipolar and bitufted neurons are present in both the periventricular and central ADVR zones. Multipolar neurons can be subdivided into multipolar neurons with polygonal somata and four to six main dendritic trunks and multipolar neurons with pyramidal somata and three or more dendritic trunks. The former are the cells most frequently impregnated in the ADVR. In the population of bitufted neurons, we distinguish subtypes I, II, and III according to the number of dendritic trunks that emerge from the somata. Juxtaependymal neurons are restricted to a cell‐poor zone, adjacent to ependymal cells. Their dendrites either are orientated parallel to the ventricular surface or extend into the periventricular zone. The dendrites of ADVR neurons have pedunculated spines with knob‐like tips. However, such spines do not appear on the somata or on the primary dendritic trunks. The number of spines is scarce or moderate. The periventricular neuronal clusters contain two to five cells. The morphology of these neurons is mainly multipolar, but we also found some bitufted neurons.

Phytotoxic and Nematicidal Components of Lavandula luisieri.

Several preparations were obtained from the aerial parts of predomesticated Lavandula luisieri, including the essential oil and ethanolic, hexane, and ethyl acetate extractives. Additionally, pilot plant vapor pressure extraction was carried out at a pressure range of 0.5-1.0 bar to give a vapor pressure oil and an aqueous residue. A chemical study of the hexane extract led to the isolation of six necrodane derivatives (1, 2, and 4-7), with four of these (1, 2, 5, and 7) being new, as well as camphor, a cadinane sesquiterpene (9), tormentic acid, and ursolic acid. The EtOAc and EtOH extracts contained a mixture of phenolic compounds with rosmarinic acid being the major component. Workup of the aqueous residue resulted in the isolation of the necrodane 3 and (1R*,2S*,4R*)-p-menth-5-ene-1,2,8-triol (8), both new natural compounds. The structures of the new compounds were established based on their spectroscopic data. The phytotoxic and nematicidal activities of these compounds were evaluated.

The microbiological transformation of some trachylobane diterpenoids by Gibberella fujikuroi

Abstract The microbiological transformation of ent -trachylobane, ent -7α-hydroxytrachylobane and ent -19-hydroxytrachylobane into trachylobagibberellins A 7 , A 9 , A 13 , A 25 , A 40 and A 47 by Gibberella fujikuroi is described. Whereas 7β-hydroxy- and 7β,18-dihydroxytrachylobanolides were obtained from ent -trachylobane and ent -trachyloban- 19-ol, the presence of a 7β-hydroxyl group directed metabolism exclusively into the gibberellin pathway. An 18-hydroxyl group as in ent -7α,18-dihydroxytrachylobane inhibited oxidation at C-6 affording ent -7α,18,19-trihydroxytrachylobane as the major metabolite.

Preparation of ent-3β-hydroxykaur-6,16-diene and its microbiological transformation by Gibberella fujikuroi

Abstract The microbiological transformation of ent -3β-hydroxykaur-6,16-diene into ent -6α,7,α-epoxy-3β-hydroxykaur-16-ene has been carried out. The substrate incubated was synthesized from the diterpene linearol.

Limonoids from Melia azedarach with Deterrent Activity against Insects

This work was supported by grants from Faculty of Chemistry (FQ), Uruguayan Technological Laboratory (LATU), CSIC-UR, Program for the Development of Basic Sciences (PEDECIBA) (grant PNUD- URU/06/004). Facundo Ibanez and Roberto Zoppolo from the Instituto Nacional de Investigacion Agropecuaria (INIA, Uruguay) provided de limonin standard.