Taxonomic status of the species of the green algal genusNeochloris

Komárek has recently reviewed the various species assigned to the green algal genusNeochloris Starr (Chlorococcales, Chlorococcaceae) and removed those with uninucleate vegetative cells to a new genus,Ettlia. Watanabe & Floyd, unaware ofKomárek's work, also reviewed the species ofNeochloris and distributed them among three genera—Neochloris, Chlorococcopsis gen. nov., andParietochloris gen. nov.—on the basis of details of the covering of the zoospore and the arrangement of the basal bodies of the flagellar apparatus. This paper reconciles these two treatments and makes additional recommendations at the ranks of genus, family, order, and class.     

Hectorella: A member of the betalain-suborderChenopodiineae of the orderCentrospermae

Roots ofHectorella caespitosa Hook. f. were induced to produce a red pigment which was shown to be a betalain and not an anthocyanin. These data indicate thatHectorella belongs to theChenopodiineae, the betalain suborder of theCentrospermae, and excludes alignment with the anthocyanin family theCaryophyllaceae.     

Succession in the southern part of the Canadian boreal forest

Forest succession following fire in a forest mosaic of northwestern Quebec has been studied in order to: (1) describe the successional pathways using communities of different ages and (2) evaluate convergence of successional pathways and possible effect of fire suppression on the establishment of steady-state communities. As a first step, ordination and classification techniques were used in order to remove changes in forest composition which are related to abiotic conditions. Then, ordinations based on tree diameter distributions were used to study shifts in species composition in relation to time since the last fire.Even under similar abiotic conditions, successional pathways are numerous. However, regardless of forest composition after fire, most stands show convergence toward dominance of Thuja occidentalis and Picea mariana on xeric sites and dominance of Abies balsamea and Thuja occidentalis on more mesic sites. Stable communities of >300 yr occur on xeric sites while on mesic sites directional succession still occurs after 224 yr. Nearly all species involved in succession are present in the first 50 yr following fire. Only Abies balsamea and Thuja occidentalis increase significantly in frequency during succession. Following initial establishment, successional processes can generally be explained by species longevity and shade tolerance. Early successional species may be abundant in the canopy for more than 200 yr while the rapid decrease of Picea glauca, a late successional species could be related to spruce budworm outbreaks. Considering the short fire rotation observed (about 150 yr), a steady-state forest is unlikely to occur under natural conditions, though it may be possible if fire is controlled.     

The purification of the three trimannosyl-N-acetylchitobiose pentasaccharides from the urine of swainsonine-intoxicated sheep

A simple method for the preparative resolution of three Man₃GlcNAc₂ isomers called Ia, Ib and II has been designed. It consists mainly of the use of concanavalin A-Sepharose which allowed the total purification of Man₃GlcNAc₂-Ia, and then of anion-exchange resin in borate buffer-gradient to separate the Ib and II isomers. The purity of each oligosaccharide was checked by two HPLC methods. The use of these oligosaccharides for different analytical and biosynthetic purposes is discussed, and the unexpected resistance of one of the Man₃GlcNAc₂ alditols to the action of endo--N-acetylglucosaminidase H is noted.     

Evaluation of the Pro-Lab ID ring system for the identification of medically important yeasts

We evaluated 151 coded isolates of medically important yeast species belonging to the genera Candida, Cryptococcus, Geotrichum, Rhodoturula, Saccharomyces and Torulopsis using the newly developed rapid Pro-Lab Identification Ring, PL 960 system (PLID-Ring). All isolates were concurrently identified by the API 20C and conventional procedures comprising macro- and micromorphology, assimilation and fermentation of various carbon and nitrogen compounds. The PLID-Ring system identified isolates of Candida albicans, C. kefyr, C. krusei, C. lusitaniae, C. parapsilosis, Rhodotorula rubra, and Torulopsis glabrata with 100% accuracy in 24 h. This system identified C guilliermondii and S. cerevisiae isolates with an accuracy of 90% and 86%, respectively, while those belonging to Cr. neoformans, T. candida (= C. famata), C. rugosa and C. tropicalis were identified with 38.4%, 50%, 12.5% and 50% accuracy, respectively. Three isolates of Cr. laurentii were not identified by the PLID-Ring system. The overall accuracy of the PLID-Ring system was 81.45% (123 of 151 isolates). However, the system does not include species such as Cr. laurentii in its data base. When these three Cr. laurentii isolates were excluded from the evaluation, the accuracy of the PLID-Ring system increased from 81.45% to 83.1%.     

Comparative analysis of the Kekkon molecules,related members of the LIG superfamily

Leucine-rich repeats (LRRs) and immunoglobulin (Ig) domains represent two of the most abundant sequence elements in metazoan proteomes. Despite this prevalence, comparatively few molecules containing both LRR and Ig (LIG) modules exist, and fewer still have been functionally defined. One LIG whose function has been investigated is the Drosophila protein Kekkon1 (Kek1). In vivo studies have demonstrated a role for Kek1 in Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR) signaling and have suggested a role in neuronal pathfinding. Kek1 is the founding member of the Kek family, a group of six Drosophila transmembrane proteins that contain seven LRRs and a single Ig in their extracellular domains. While this arrangement of domains predicts a possible role as cell adhesion molecules (CAMs), to date little is known about the function or evolutionary relationship of these additional Kek molecules. Here we report that orthologs of Kek1, Kek2, Kek5, and Kek6 exist in the mosquito, Anopheles gambiae, and the honeybee, Apis mellifera, indicating that this family has been conserved for ~300 million years of evolutionary time. Comparative sequence analyses reveal remarkable identity among these orthologs, primarily in their extracellular regions. In contrast, the intracellular regions are more divergent, exhibiting only small pockets of conservation. In addition, we provide support for the general notion that these molecules may share common functions as CAMs, by demonstrating that Kek family members can form homotypic and heterotypic complexes.Edited by D. TautzChristina M. MacLaren, Timothy A. Evans and Diego Alvarado contributed equally to this work     

Analysis of the genes of the OEE1 and OEE3 proteins of the photosystem II complex from Chlamydomonas reinhardtii

The sequences of the nuclear genes of the 33 kDa (OEE1) and the 16 kDa (OEE3) polypeptides of the oxygen evolving complex of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii have been established. Comparison between the OEE1 protein sequences of C. reinhardtii and higher plants and cyanobacteria reveals 67 and 47% homology. In contrast, C. reinhardtii and higher plants have only 28% overall homology for OEE3 which is mostly limited to the central portion of the protein. The transit peptides of the C. reinhardtii proteins consist of 52 (OEE1) and, most likely, 51 (OEE1) amino acids. They have a basic amino terminal region and, at least in the case of OEE1, a hydrophobic segment at their carboxy terminal end typical of thylakoid lumen proteins. Comparison of the genomic and cDNA clones indicates that the OEE1 and OEE3 genes contain five and four introns, respectively, some of which are located within the coding sequences of the transit peptides.     

Evaluation of antiprotozoal and antimycobacterial activities of the resin glycosides and the other metabolites of Scrophularia cryptophila

Resin glycosides are secondary metabolites exclusive to the convolvulaceous plants. In this study, crypthophilic acids A–C (1–3), the first resin glycosides occurring in another family (Scrophulariaceae), and the other constituents of Scrophularia cryptophila were examined for in vitro antiprotozoal and antimycobacterial potentials. Except for crypthophilic acid B (2), all tested compounds exhibited growth-inhibitory effect against Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense, with l-tryptophan (6) and buddlejasaponin III (7) being the most potent ones (IC₅₀'s 4.1 and 9.7 μg/ml). In contrast, the activity towards Trypanosoma cruzi was poor, and only crypthophilic acid C (3), 6 and 7 were trypanocidal at concentrations above 40 μg/ml. With the exception of 2 and 6, all compounds were active against Leishmania donovani. Harpagide (4) and 3 emerged as the best leishmanicidal agents (IC₅₀'s 2.0 and 5.8 μg/ml). Only compounds 3, 6 and 7 showed antimalarial activity against Plasmodium falciparum with IC₅₀ values of 4.2, 16.6 and 22.4 μg/ml. Overall the best and broadest spectrum activity was presented by compounds 3 and 7, as they inhibited all four parasitic protozoa. None of the isolates had significant activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MICs >100 μg/ml) or were toxic towards mammalian (L6) cells. This is the first report of antiprotozoal activity for natural resin glycosides, as well as for harpagide (4), acetylharpagide (5), tryptophan (6) and buddlejasaponin III (7).     

The history of the genusHomo

The genusHomo was established by Carolus Linnaeus in 1758. During the course of the past 150 years, the addition of fossil species to the genusHomo has resulted in a genus that, according to the taxonomic interpretation, could span as much time as 2.5 Myr, and include as many as ten species. This paper reviews the fossil evidence for each of the species involved, and sets out the case for their inclusion inHomo. It suggests that while the case for the inclusion of some species in the genus (e.g.Homo erectus) is well-supported, in the case of two of the species,Homo habilis andHomo rudolfensis, the case for their inclusion is much weaker. Neither the cladistic evidence, nor evidence about adaptation suggest a particularly close relationship with laterHomo.     

Progress on the genetics of the N2-fixing actinorhizal symbiont Frankia

The actinomycete Frankia is of fundamental and ecological interests for several reasons including its wide distribution, its ability to fix nitrogen, differentiate into sporangium and vesicle (specialized cell for nitrogen-fixation), and to nodulate plants from about 24 genera. Here, we present a review on the genetics performed so far on Frankia. At the end of July 2001, 293 kbp of Frankia DNA sequences were found in the databases. Thirty five percent of these sequences corresponded to full gene or gene cluster sequences. These genes could be divided according to their role into 6 key activities: gene translation (rrnA and tRNA ^pro gene), proteolysis (pcr genes), assimilation of ammonium (glnA and glnII), protection against superoxide ions (sodF), nitrogen fixation (nif cluster), and plasmid replication. We present a review of these genetic islands; their function, expression, localization and particular properties are discussed. A comparative analysis of Frankia nif genes from various strains and species is presented. An improved nomenclature for some of these genes is suggested to avoid conflicts. Frankia plasmids DNA sequences are also presented. The novel trends in Frankia genetics are described.     

New and old problems in the taxonomy of the Gelidiales (Rhodophyta)

The order Gelidiales includes over 140 agar-producing taxa. Many species are taxonomically confused; the boundaries of one family and all but four genera recently have been contested, and the controversy over ordinal status has lasted for over 25 years. This study reviews recent developments in the taxonomy of the group and suggests future areas for studies. The order cannot be defined by a few exclusive characters, as intended in the past, but it shows a unique combination of characters. Additional studies on Gelidiella and Acanthopeltis seem advisable to clarify family limits. The segregation of Onikusa and Pterocladiastrum is doubtful. Only three of six characters discriminate Gelidium from Pterocladia. None allows complete generic segregation and all need variability studies. Analysis of nomenclatural types in the light of morphological variation would permit an understanding of species limits in Gelidium and Pterocladia. Similar studies are needed in Gelidiella and Ptilophora.     

Comparison of the Influence of Carbon Substrates on the Fibrolytic Activities of Anaerobic Rumen Fungi

Cellulolytic and xylanolytic activities among genera of anaerobic fungi when grown on glucose, xylan and the cellulosic substrates, filter paper and Avicel were compared. All the fungi had basal extracellular fibrolytic activities that could be enhanced by growth on xylan or the cellulosic substrates. However,Piromyces communisstrain 22 andNeocallimastix patriciarumstrain 27 had substantially greater levels of fibrolytic activity thanOrpinomyces joyoniistrain 19-2 orNeocallimastix frontalisstrain RE1. Zymogram analysis suggested both structural and regulatory differences amongst the enzyme systems of the fungi. Numerous and varied enzyme bands were evidenced for all the fungi, with substantial substrate influences seen in the xylanase activities. Most commonly the smaller molecular weight bands, found exclusively extracellularly, appeared under the greatest regulatory control. Endoglucanase activities ofP. communisandO. joyoniidemonstrated similar regulatory control, while those of the twoNeocallimastixstrains did not appear to exert such control. These results suggest that while the enzymatic activities are functionally similar, there are likely significant variations in the enzyme systems of the anaerobic fungi.     

Diversity of the Carbohydrate Composition of the Antigenic Polysaccharides of Proteobacteria of the Genera Pseudoalteromonasand Marinomonas

The sugar analysis of the glycans of the type strains of marine proteobacteria of the genera Pseudoalteromonasand Marinomonas—Pseudoalteromonas atlanticaIAM12927^T, P. aurantiaNCIMB 2033^T, P. citreaATCC 29719^T, P. elyakoviiKMM 162^T, P. espejianaATCC 29659^T, P. piscicidaNCIMB 645^T, P. tetraodonisIAM 14160^T, Marinomonas communisATCC 27118^T, and M. vagaATCC 27119^T—showed that they contain glucose, galactose, galactosamine, glucosamine, fucose, rhamnose, mannose, heptose, 2-keto-3-deoxyoctonate (KDO), uronic acids, colitose (3,6-dideoxy-L-xylo-hexose), and 6-deoxy-L-talose. The carbohydrate composition of the antigenic polysaccharides (PSs) of P. elyakoviiKMM 162^Tand P. espejianaATCC 29659^Tdepended on the type and the concentration of carbohydrate substrates in the nutrient media. The molar proportion between rhamnose, glucose, and galactose (ca. 1 : 0.3 : 2) in the PS of P. elyakoviiKMM 162^Twas almost the same in the media lacking carbohydrates or containing glucose or galactose at a concentration of 1 g/l. At the same time, the molar proportion between fucose, glucose, galactose, galactosamine, and glucosamine (ca. 1 : 1 : 1 : 2 : 0.5) in the PS of P. espejianaATCC 29659^Tdepended on the presence and the concentration of carbohydrate substrates in the medium. A high concentration of glucose in the medium (30 g/l) brought about a rise in the content of glucose in PSs (9-fold for the PS of P. elyakoviiKMM 162^Tand 4.6-fold for the PS of P. espejianaATCC 29659^T) and led to a decrease in the content of other carbohydrates. The cultivation of these two strains at a lactose concentration of 30 g/l resulted in their PSs containing glucose and galactose in about equal proportions (ca. 1 : 1 in the case of P. espejianaATCC 29659^Tand ca. 2.1 : 1.7 in the case of P. elyakoviiKMM 162^T).     

Anatomy and affinities of the petrified plants from the tertiary of chile V

Four species of dicotyledonous woods including three new species,Aextoxicoxylon harambouri sp. nov.,Myrceugenellites maytenoides sp. nov.,Laurelites doroteaensis sp. nov. andLaurinoxylon uniseriatum Gothan, were described from the Tertiary of Cerro Dorotea, Ultima Esperanza and Fuego Island, Chile. It was elucidated thatNothofagoxylon boureaui Salard from Cerro Dorotea is synonymous withLaurinoxylon uniseriatum from Antarctica. Consecutive number from the previous paper (Nishida, 1984). Contributions from the Laboratory of Phylogenetic Botany, Chiba University No. 118 and contributions from Chiba University Botanical Expedition to the Andes No. 17. Supported by a Grant in-Aid for Overseas Scientific Survey from the Ministry of Education, Science and Culture Nos. 7405, 404114 and 62043014.     

Isolation and characterization of free glycans of the oligomannoside type from the extracellular medium of a plant cell suspension

The oligosaccharides Man₅GlcNAc and Man₃(Xyl)GlcNAc(Fuc)GlcNAc presumed to originate fromN-glycosyl proteins have been purified from an extracellular medium (concentration: 2–5 mg/l of 14 day cultures) of white campion (Silene alba) suspension culture. Their primary structures have been determined by¹H-400-MHz NMR spectroscopy and FAB-MS spectrometry. They are probably the result of an autophagic process including protein catabolism due to sucrose starvation. Additional identification of digalactosylglycerol (galactolipid breakdown) argues for this hypothesis.Abbreviations Fuc l-fucose - Man d-mannose - Xyl d-xylose - GlcNAc N-acetyl-d-glucosamine - Gal d-galactose - Glc d-glucose - FAB-MS fast atom bombardment mass spectrometry - NMR nuclear magnetic resonance     

Evolution of the Australian flora through the Tertiary

The evolution of the Australian flora through the Tertiary has not been reviewed by a megafossil palaeobotanist for almost a century. Based on material available and published studies, the Australian Tertiary can be considered in three units: Eocene, Oligo-Miocene, and Pliocene. Key taxa in the Eocene includeCasuarinaceae, Proteaceae, Fagaceae, Podocarpaceae, andLauraceae. Many known Eocene deposits are interpreted as warm, humid rainforests.Oligo-Miocene floras reflect a climatic deterioration, with greater occurrence of sclerophylly and xerophylly. A reduction of tropical taxa is seen with an increase ofMyrtaceae and earliest records ofMimosaceae, Chenopodiaceae, andPoaceae. These trends continue into the Pliocene, which is not well represented in Australia.Problems needing to be addressed include the discrepancy between the pollen and megafossil records ofNothofagus, the origins of Australia's wet tropical taxa, and the role of fire in the early evolution of the Australian flora.     

Structures of the carbohydrate units of polysialoglycoproteins isolated from the eggs of four species of salmonid fishes

Fish egg polysialoglycoprotein (PSGP) is a novel type of 200 kDa-glycoprotein containing more than 50% sialic acid by weight and about 90O-glycosidically-linked sialoglycan units per molecule. Of about 100 different molecular species assumed to be present in a sialoglycan mixture obtained by alkaline borohydride treatment ofSalvelinus leucomaenis pluvius PSGP, 23 mono- to tetrasialylglycans were isolated by anion-exchange chromatography and preparative column chromatography on porous silica, and their structures were determined. Core asialo-oligosaccharides were obtained from PSGP of four species of salmonid fishes by exhaustive enzymatic desialylation of sialoglycan mixtures and the structures of purified compounds were determined. Two complete types of asialopentasaccharide core structures, Fuc1-3GalNAc1-3Gal1-4 Gal1-3GalNAcOL, and GalNAc1-4GalNAc1-3Gal1-4Gal1-3GalNAcOL, and all of the possible biosynthetic precursors of these pentasaccharide cores were found in every PSGP examined. All types of oligosaccharide chains, both complete and incomplete, were found to occur in highly sialylated forms in PSGP.Abbreviations NeuAc N-acetylneuraminic acid - NeuGc N-glycolylneuraminic acid - GalNAcOL N-acetylgalactosaminitol - PSGP polysialoglycoprotein - SRO sialidase-resistant oligosaccharide     

Effects of varying sex pheromone component ratios on the zigzagging flight movements of the oriental fruit moth,Grapholita molesta

As the ratio of (E)-8-dodecenyl acetate (E8–12Ac) to (Z)-8-dodecenyl acetate (Z8–12Ac) increased past optimal low levels in the pheromone blend, fewer males were able to fly 2.5 m upwind to the source. The tracks of males that flew in plumes of such high-(E)off-blends were slower and narrower than those of males flying to lower-(E)blends. The tracks were narrower, first of all, because as the proportion of E8–12Ac increased, the males steered more into the wind. More of their thrust was directed upwind and therefore their groundspeed to either side of the windline was reduced. In addition, males also reduced their airspeeds to high-(E)blends, which contributed to the decreased groundspeeds and narrower tracks. No significant changes in the frequency of counterturning were found in response to increasing proportions of E8–12Ac. The inability to continue upwind flight in a plume of an off ratio was indicated by in-flight arrestment in the plume. Arrestment resulted from changes in the course angles steered by the males and the airspeeds flown.     

Cloning of the trp genes from the archaebacterium Methanococcus voltae: nucleotide sequence of the trpBA genes

Summary A cosmid bank of Methanococcus voltae DNA was obtained in Escherichia coli after ligation of partially HindIII-digested M. voltae DNA in the HindIII site of the transferable cosmid pVK100. The bank was used to perform complementation experiments with E. coli auxotrophic mutants. Five cosmids complementing trpA shared three adjacent HindIII fragments of 2.1, 2.3 and 14 kb. Two of these cosmids also complemented trpD and carried an additional 4.2 kb HindIII fragment. The trpA- and trpD-complementing regions were more precisely localized using Tn5 mutagenesis. A 1.7 kb PstI fragment, cloned into pUC9 in both orientations, was responsible for the trpA complementation. This fragment was sequenced and an open reading frame (ORF) of 852 nucleotides (ORFtrpA) encoding a 284 amino acid polypeptide of mol. wt. 31938 was found. The amino acid sequence was compared with that of the subunit of tryptophan synthase (trpA gene product) from nine eubacterial species and to the N-terminal part of the tryptophan synthase of Saccharomyces cerevisiae (TRP5 gene product). Similarity varied from 24% (Brevibacterium lactofermentum) to 35% (S. cerevisiae). The nucleotide sequence of the region upstream from M. voltae ORFtrpA was determined and revealed the presence of an ORF of 1227 nucleotides (ORFtrpB) encoding a 409 amino acid polypeptide of mol. wt. 44634. The polypeptide sequence was similar to the subunit of tryptophan synthase (trpB gene product) from six eubacterial species and to the C-terminal part of the tryptophan synthase of S. cerevisiae. Similarity varied from 49% (S. cerevisiae, B. lactofermentum) to 58% (Pseudomonas aeruginosa). This high conservation supports the hypothesis of a common ancestor for the trpA and trpB genes of archaebacteria, eubacteria and eucaryotes. M. voltae ORFtrpA and ORFtrpB, which are transcribed in the same direction, are separated by a 37 bp AT-rich region. Immediately upstream from ORFtrpB, the 3 end of an ORF homologous to E. coli and Bacillus subtilis trpF was found. As the trpD-complementing region was located upstream from the trpFBA sequenced region, the organization of trp genes in the archaebacterium might thus be trpDFBA. Such an organization resembles that of enteric eubacteria, in which the trpEDCFBA genes are grouped in a single operon. However, M. voltae ORFtrpA and ORFtrpB do not overlap, in contrast with what is found in most eubacteria.