A new leafhopper genus of the tribe Gyponini, Dutrapona gen. nov., is proposed and described based on males of three newly described species from Central and South America: Dutrapona tenuis sp. nov. (type species) from Alajuela, Costa Rica, Dutrapona reticulata sp. nov. from Napo, Ecuador, and Dutrapona zahniseri sp. nov. from Coclé, Panama. The new genus resembles genera of the Hecalapona complex in sharing characteristics such as: body yellow without maculae and dorsoventrally flattened, crown moderately produced with anterior margin rounded and projected over anterior margins of eye, crown-face transition distinct and thin, maxillary plates narrow and not extending to clypeus apex and forewing with narrow appendix. However, Dutrapona gen. nov. can be distinguished from other Gyponini genera by the combination of the following of characteristics: ocelli positioned closer to midline and posterior margin of the crown, crown-face transition spatulate with two well defined carinae, male sternite VIII longer than wide, male pygofer with a pair of small caudal denticulated processes, subgenital plates short, and aedeagus with a pair of basilateral elongate processes.

A new species of the deep-sea ceratioid anglerfish genus Himantolophus is described from a single specimen collected off the east coast of the northern Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India, a member of the Himantolophus albinares-group, based in part on the absence of anterior escal appendages. The new species differs from other members of this group in having a unique illicial and escal morphology with a simple basimedial and a pair of basilateral filaments on the esca. The new species is compared with previously recognized members of the H. albinares-group.

The cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) plays a significant role in transepithelial salt absorption as well as secretion by a number of epithelial tissues including sweat glands, airways and intestine. Early studies suggested that in absorption significant cross talk occurs between CFTR Cl(-) channels and epithelial Na(+) channels (ENaC). Studies based primarily on cultured cells of the airways and on ex vivo expression systems suggested that activating CFTR inhibits ENaC channels so that activation of CFTR and deactivation of ENaC seem reciprocal. Lack of CFTR Cl(-) conductance (g(CFTR)) in the plasma membranes was seen to enhance ENaC conductance (g(ENaC)) and Na(+) absorption from the airway surface liquid causing airway pathology in cystic fibrosis (CF). To determine if these events hold true for a purely absorptive epithelium, we investigated the role of CFTR in regulating g(ENaC) in native human sweat gland ducts. After permeabilizing the basilateral membrane of the duct with alpha-toxin, the relative activities of ENaC and CFTR in the apical membrane were characterized by correlating the effect of activating CFTR with ENaC function. We found that in contrast to reciprocal activities, activating g(CFTR) by either cAMP, cGMP or the G-proteins plus 5 mM ATP was accompanied by a concomitant activation, not inhibition, of g(ENaC). The activation of g(ENaC) appeared to be critically dependent on CFTR Cl(-) channel function because removal of Cl(-) from the medium, blockage of CFTR with inhibitor DIDS or the absence of CFTR in the DeltaF508 CF ducts prevented activation of g(ENaC) by cAMP, GMP or G-proteins. Most significantly, g(ENaC) was dramatically reduced, not increased, in CF as compared to non-CF sweat ducts. These results showed that lack of CFTR in the plasma membranes is not characteristically coupled to elevated ENaC activity or to increased Na(+) absorption in CF epithelial cells. Not only are CFTR and ENaC activated together in duct salt absorption, but ENaC activation depends on functioning CFTR. NaCl is poorly absorbed in the CF duct because CFTR activity appears to impose a loss of ENaC activity as well.

The duck interrenal cell possesses ultrastructural characteristics common to other steroid-secreting cells. Lipid droplets and mitochondria are abundant and lie principally at the apical end of the cell. Lipid droplets are not membrane-limited. Cisternae of smooth endoplasmic reticulum that are occasionally continuous with the less abundant rough endoplasmic reticulum are a prominent feature of the interrenal cell. Tubular profiles of rough endoplasmic reticulum often lie tangentially to mitochondria and ribosomes are either free, grouped in polyribosomal clusters, or bound to the endoplasmic reticulum. Mitochondria possess tubular cristae in the inner regions of the gland and frequently contain a paracrystalline array of small 10nm (o.d.) tubules and less frequently a hexagonal array of 40 nm trilaminar rings. Other cytoplasmic components include dense bodies, residual bodies, microtubules, microfilaments and specialized single membrane-bound vesicles. Gap junctions, intermediate junctions and interdigitating processes constitute the main intercellular associations. No tight junctions were identified. The single membrane-bound vesicles which are occasionally filled with a low electron-dense, lipid-like material form septate-like "junctions" with the plasma membrane. The septa bridge an intracellular gap of 15-17 nm. The vesicles are usually located near the subendothelial space at the basal and basilateral regions of the cell. Occasionally, vesicles fuse with the plasma membrane. It is suggested that these vesicles represent morphological evidence for the exocytotic release of steroid hormones.