TWO NEW GENERA OF BRAZILIAN BAMBOOS RELATED TO GUADUA (POACEAE: BAMBUSOIDEAE: BAMBUSEAE)

Of all the genera of woody bamboos described from America, only three have pseudospikelets—Atractantha, Elytrostachys, and Guadua. The former two have pseudospikelets with an elongated rachilla internode that precedes the floret, making it pedicellate; they also share a type of leaf anatomy that separates them from the latter. The two new genera herein described, Criciuma and Eremocaulon, show most similarity to species of Guadua, both in spikelet morphology and in leaf anatomy. The study of these new taxa has helped to clarify the limits of New World genera with pseudospikelets and strengthened the case for maintaining Guadua as a genus distinct from its Old World counterpart, Bambusa. We are now able to discern a New World line of bamboos that includes Criciuma, Eremocaulon, and Guadua, separate from an Old World line that includes Bambusa, Dendrocalamus, and several other genera.     

Cyanide-resistant respiration in photosynthetic organs of freshwater aquatic plants

The rate and sensitivity to inhibitors (KCN and salicylhydroxamic acid[SHAM]) of respiratory oxygen uptake has been investigated in photosynthetic organs of several freshwater aquatic plant species: six angiosperms, two bryophytes, and an alga. The oxygen uptake rates on a dry weight basis of angiosperm leaves were generally higher than those of the corresponding stems. Leaves also had a higher chlorophyll content than stems. Respiration of leaves and stems of aquatic angiosperms was generally cyanide-resistant, the percentage of resistance being higher than 50% with very few exceptions. The cyanide resistance of respiration of whole shoots of two aquatic bryophytes and an alga was lower and ranged between 25 and 50%. These results suggested that the photosynthetic tissues of aquatic plants have a considerable alternative pathway capacity. The angiosperm leaves generally showed the largest alternative path capacity. In all cases, the respiration rate of the aquatic plants studied was inhibited by SHAM alone by about 13 to 31%. These results were used for calculating the actual activities of the cytochrome and alternative pathways. These activities were generally higher in the leaves of angiosperms. The basal oxygen uptake rate of Myriophyllum spicatum leaves was not stimulated by sucrose, malate or glycine in the absence of the uncoupler carbonylcyanide-m-chlorophenylhydrazone (CCCP), but was greatly increased by CCCP, either in the presence or in the absence of substrates. These results suggest that respiration was limited by the adenylate system, and not by substrate availability. The increase in the respiratory rate by CCCP was due to a large increase in the activities of both the cytochrome and alternative pathways. The respiration rate of M. spicatum leaves in the presence of substrates was little inhibited by SHAM alone, but the SHAM-resistant rate (that is, the cytochrome path) was greatly stimulated by the further addition of CCCP. Similarly, the cyanide-resistant rate of O₂ uptake was also increased by the uncoupler.     

C-banding polymorphism and the analysis of nucleolar activity in Dasypyrum villosum (L.) Candargy,its added chromosomes to hexaploid wheat and the amphiploid Triticum dicoccum — D. villosum

Summary C-banding patterns and nucleolar activity were analyzed in Dasypyrum villosum, its added chromosomes to hexaploid wheat and the hexaploid amphiploid Triticum dicoccum-D. villosum. Two different populations of the allogamous species D. villosum (2n= 14, VV) from Greece and Italy were analyzed showing a similar polymorphism for C-banding pattern. Six of the seven addition lines were identified by their characteristic C-banding pattern. No polymorphism between both members of each added alien chromosome was found. Furthermore, nucleolar activity and competition were studied by using silver staining procedure. In D. villosum only one chromosome pair, A, was found to be responsible for organizing nucleoli. The results obtained in the amphiploid and in the addition lines demonstrate that nucleolar activity is restricted to SAT-chromosomes 1B and 6B of wheat, while those of D. villosum remain inactive.     

Studies on evolutionary and selective properties of hypercycles using a Monte Carlo method

Summary The most relevant properties of hypercycles were previously studied mainly from a theoretical point of view. We have developed a Monte Carlo method simulating hypercyclic organization to obtain information about the dynamics of this prebiotic organization. Nucleation, growth, and selective properties have been tested and the results obtained are in good agreement with those of the theoretical predictions. The influence of hypercyclic organization of the error threshold has also been studied. As a consequence of the emergence of a hypercycle, the value of this threshold decreases. The amount of this decrease depends on the population size. Moreover, for some interval of quality factor values, either the hypercycle organization or an error catastrophe can be produced, depending on the initial conditions. The influence of these phenomena on both the dynamic behavior and evolutionary advantages of the hypercycle, as well as their decisive roles on genome size, are discussed.Presented at the FEBS Symposium on Genome Organization and Evolution, held in Crete, Greece, September 1–5, 1986     

感染环形泰勒焦虫(Theileria annulata)的牛外周血白细胞的形态观察

用光镜及扫描电镜观察了体外高代培养的含牛焦虫颗粒的牛外周血白细胞的形态及在细胞周期中细胞表面的特征性变化。这种经多年传代的含虫的牛外周血白细胞恢复了分裂和繁殖的能力,目前已成为较稳定的细胞系。细胞表面具多种伪足突起,如叶状、丝状及绒毛状。细胞周期中备期细胞表面的主要特征是:S期:细胞平扁,边缘具薄的时状伪足及丝状伪足;G_2期:细胞中部隆起,表面具少量绒毛状伪足;G_1期:绒毛状结构少或无,而出现丝状及小的叶状伪足,细胞仍保持球形;M期:细胞球形,表面密被以绒毛。作者根据扫描电镜的观察认为光镜下所观察的两类细胞,实际上是反映了一种细胞处于不同发育阶段时的特征。     

下丘脑外侧区注射TRH对大鼠胃酸分泌的影响

本文采用连续收集胃腔灌流法,观察下丘脑外侧区(LHA)注射促甲状腺激素释放激素(TRH)对大鼠胃酸分泌的影响,并分析TRH在LHA促进胃酸分泌的作用机制。结果表明:(1)LHA注射TRH(1μg)明显地刺激胃酸分泌;(2)预先向LHA注射酚妥拉明(10μg)、美多心安(5μg)及胃泌素抗体1μl(1:640)并不影响TRH的泌酸作用,如预先向LHA注射阿托品(5μg)则可消除TRH的泌酸效应;(3)垂体摘除及肾上腺切除均不影响TRH的泌酸作用;(4)隔下迷走神经切断后,LHA注入TRH的泌酸效应仍然出现,但持续时间显著缩短;腹腔交感神经节摘除后,TRH仍能促进胃酸分泌,但分泌量少而平稳。以上结果提示:LHA是TRH中枢泌酸效应的有关结构之一,其中枢机制是通过胆碱能M受体中介的,腹腔交感神经节和膈下迷走神经是TRH泌酸效应的传出途径。前者引起的泌酸反应出现较早且引起泌酸高峰,但持续时间短;后者则引起低平的持续分泌。     

电刺激兔脑干中缝背核引起呼吸易化效应的观察

本文在30只全麻、制动、断双侧迷走神经的家兔上,记录一侧膈神经放电,观察了电刺激脑干中缝背核(Nucleus Raphe Dorsalis,NRD)所诱发出的呼吸效应。1.施以6—10s 长串电脉冲刺激(波宽0.3ms,频率100Hz,波幅4—6V),诱发出了强的呼吸易化效应,使呼吸加深加快。2.吸气相给予0.4s 短串电脉冲刺激可以明显的延长吸气相,用0.15mA 强度刺激,落位在吸气相的2/3时效应最明显。3.呼气相短串电脉串刺激可规律地使呼气时程缩短,促进呼气向吸气的位相转换,诱发此效应出现的强度阈值在呼气相中逐渐降低。     

肌苷对缺氧心肌跨膜电位和收缩强度的影响

本工作在正常和缺氧情况下,观察肌苷对豚鼠心室乳头肌跨膜电位和收缩强度的影响。结果表明肌苷使正常心肌细胞动作电位时间(APD_(10)、APD_(50)延长。在缺氧心肌,肌苷使细胞静息电位增大,动作电位去极化幅度增高,零期最大去极化速度加快和动作电位时间延长。肌苷增加正常心肌收缩力,使缺氧心肌收缩的衰减显著缓和,亦即使收缩功能改善,且表现剂量-依从性。肌苷对心肌细胞跨膜电位的影响提示它很可能有抗心律失常作用,特别是在缺氧心脏。肌苷对离休乳头肌收缩的影响,证明其对心肌有直接的强心作用。     

Salinity and germination of annual Melilotus from the Guadalquivir delta (SW Spain)

The germination response to NaCl treatments has been studied in Melilotus seed populations collected from saline and non-saline soils in the Guadalquivir delta. The rank orders for salt tolerance and seed weight were the same in the threeMelilotus species living in this area:Melilotus messanensis>M. segetalis>M. indica. Within the species, differences in germination response to salinity were found inM. indica (6 populations) andM. segetalis (8 populations). The relationship between salt tolerance during germination and salinity of maternal habitat is discussed.     

Leghemoglobin in Lupin Plants (Lupinus albus cv Multolupa)

Leghemoglobin was localized by immunogold techniques in nodules of Lupinus albus cv Multolupa inoculated with Bradyrhizobium sp. (Lupinus) strain ISLU 16. The protein localization was performed in nodules embedded in Spurr's and Araldite epoxy resins and Lowycryl K4M. A very good preservation of both the ultrastructure and antigenicity was obtained with the tissues embedded in Araldite following glutaraldehyde fixation and unpostfixed in osmium tetroxide. Lupin leghemoglobin is a stable and abundant protein which allows a conventional method to be safely used for localization of leghemoglobin. Labeling of leghemoglobin was specifically confined to the cytosol matrix and nuclei. Gold particles were never observed in the peribacteroidal spaces nor in the cytoplasmic organelles of the infected cells. Decrease of leghemoglobin was observed when the plants were grown with 10.7 micromolar and 21.4 micromolar of nitrate.