Differential resource utilization and co-occurrence of leaf miners on oak (Quercus dentata)

Abstract.

• 1 Spatial, temporal, and dietary differences in resource utilization and patterns of interspecific association on leaves were investigated for dominant and common leaf-mining species on an oak species, Quercus dentata Thunb., in Hokkaido, northern Japan.
• 2 Leaf miners were divided into two groups according to leaf tissues used for food: upper-layer-feeders which consume the palisade paren-chymatous layer (Stigrnella spp. and tenthredinid sp.), and full-depth-feeders which consume spongy and palisade parenchymatous layers (Phyllonorycter leucocorona (Kumata), P.similis Kumata, and Caloptilia sapporella (Matsumura)).
• 3 Differences in the position of mines on leaves were found among species: mines of P.similis were distributed more frequently in the middle section of leaves, whereas those of the remaining species were concentrated in the basal section.
• 4 Leaf size preference differed between species: C.sapporella and tenthredinid sp. tended to select larger leaves more frequently than did the other species.
• 5 Phenological differentiation was found among species: C.sapporella appeared earliest, followed by P.similis, P.leucocorona and a tenthredinid sp., and then Stigmella spp.
• 6 Each species showed a highly clumped distribution among leaves. Leaf miners of some species pairs co-occurred on leaves more frequently than expected by chance.

     

Presence of two glycolytic gene clusters in a severe pathogenic line of Candidatus Phytoplasma asteris

Phytoplasmas are plant-pathogenic bacteria that are associated with numerous plant diseases. We have previously reported the complete genomic sequence of Candidatus Phytoplasma asteris, OY strain, OY-M line, which causes mild symptoms. The phytoplasma genome lacks several important metabolic genes, implying that the consumption of metabolites by phytoplasmas in plants may cause disease symptoms. Here we show that the approximately 30-kb region including the glycolytic genes was tandemly duplicated in the genome of OY-W phytoplasma, which causes severe symptoms. Almost duplicated genes became pseudogenes by frameshift and stop-codon mutations, probably because of their functional redundancy. However, five kinds of genes, including two glycolytic genes, remained full-length ORFs, suggesting that it is advantageous for the phytoplasma to retain these genes in its lifestyle. In particular, 6-phosphofructokinase is known as a rate-limiting enzyme of glycolysis, implying that the different number of glycolytic genes between OY-W and OY-M may influence their respective glycolysis activities. We previously reported that the phytoplasma population of OY-W was higher than that of OY-M in their infected plants. Taking this result into account, the higher consumption of the carbon source may affect the growth rate of phytoplasmas and also may directly or indirectly cause more severe symptoms.     

Conserved Regulatory Mechanisms of Tyrosinase Genes in Mice and Humans

In vertebrates, melanin production is restricted to pigment cells. This cell type-specific melanogenesis is considered to involve cell type-specific expression of the tyrosinase gene. Recently, there have been several reports that sequences in the 5’ flanking region of the mouse tyrosinase gene are responsible for cell type-specific expression of the transgene in mice. As the first step in the study of the evolution of the regulatory mechanisms for tyrosinase gene function in vertebrates, we constructed a fused gene, hg-Tyrs-J which includes a 1.0-kb 5’ flanking sequence of the human tyrosinase gene fused with mouse tyrosinase cDNA. By introducing the fused gene into fertilized eggs of albino mice, we obtained two mice that exhibited pigmentation in the skin and eyes and established a transgenic line from one of them. Further analyses revealed that the transgene was expressed cell type-specifically in these transgenic mice. We conclude, therefore, that the 1.0 kb 5’ upstream region of the human tyrosinase gene contains conserved cis-elements essential for cell type-specific expression of the tyrosinase genes in mice and humans. Results of our study may provide a clue to elucidate the evolutionary process of regulatory mechanisms of the tyrosinase gene.     

Expression and Transmission of Wild-Type Pigmentation in the Skin of Transgenic Orange-Colored Variants of Medaka (Oryzias latipes) Bearing the Gene for Mouse Tyrosinase

Transgenic fish carrying a reconstructed mouse tyrosinase gene, mg-Tyrs-J, were produced by microinjecting the gene into the oocyte nucleus of an orange-colored variant of medaka (Oryzias latipes). Of 64 oocytes microinjected and subsequently inseminated, 13 embryos developed normally beyond hatching and three of them exhibited brown skin pigmentation in the adult as was commonly observed in the wild type of this species. Light and electron microscopic examination disclosed a ubiquitous distribution of typical melanophores in the skin of these transgenic fish. Judging from their population density and distribution pattern, it was presumed that melanogenesis in these fish was elicited in amelanotic melanophores that resided in the skin of the orange-colored fish of this variant. Immunofluorescence with use of the anti-mouse tyrosinase antiserum lacking reactivity to medaka tyrosinase clearly disclosed that the gene introduced was expressed in the melanophores of transgenic fish. Crosses of female transgenic fish and males from an orange-colored variant yielded offspring exhibiting wild-type or orange-colored pigmentation in a ratio of 1:1, thus implying that mg-Tyrs-J integrated into the medaka genome behaves like a dominant gene. Little melanogenesis was observed in xanthophores, leucophores and iridophores in transgenic fish, suggesting possible specificity in recognition of teleostean cell types (i.e., melanophores) by the regulatory region of the mouse tyrosinase gene.     

Branching Principles Governing the Architecture of Cornus kousa (Cornaceae)

The complex structure of the crown of Cornus kousa, generallyfive-forked in vegetative branching and two-forked in reproductivebranching, is analysed quantitatively and described by two basicbranching principles: decussate phyllotaxy and the resettingrule for planes of branching. Most Cornus species have opposite,decussate phyllotaxis. The leaf pair (with axillary buds) definesthe branching plane of a node. Because of regular phyllotaxis,the fundamental branching pattern is that every branching planealong an axis is perpendicular to the preceding one. However,the first node of a lateral horizontal shoot always has a horizontalbranching plane; we term this the resetting rule. We observedthat resetting occurs when the first nodes initiated in thevertical plane are repositioned by a twisting of their firstinternodes. All later nodes alternate directions, i.e. showusual decussate alternation. Foliage leaf nodes usually producethree-forked branchings. When vegetative winter buds are formed,a foliar node and adjacent scale leaf node produce a five-forkedbranching. When reproductive winter buds with a terminal inflorescenceare formed, the last foliar node and two adjacent scale leafnodes can produce a variety of branchings but usually producean equal two-forked branching. To understand better the architecturein C. kousa, we contrast it with C. capitata which does notproduce buds with scale leaves and whose vegetative nodes areclearly separated. Copyright 1999 Annals of Botany Company Branching pattern, Cornaceae, Cornus kousa, decussate branching, dogwood, Japanese strawberry tree, tree architecture, tree geometry.     

The Expression of Mouse Tyrosinase in Chick Cells In Vitro and In Vivo When Controlled by a Constitutive Promoter

Virally introduced mouse tyrosinase expression was checked both in vitro and in vivo in chicken cells and tissues. The results indicate that a constitutive promoter is able to express mouse tyrosinase in a variety of cells and tissues both in vitro and in vivo. Tyrosinase expression is marked by pigment production in situ, which is visible at macroscopic as well as microscopic levels without the use of substrates. It is concluded that tyrosinase can be a valuable marker for tracking gene insertion since it is spontaneously expressed. The expression of tyrosinase in some cells and tissues has a detrimental effect, however, and should be controlled by tissue-specific promoters.     

Light Actions in the Germination of Cocklebur Seeds: III. EFFECTS OF PRE-TREATMENT TEMPERATURE ON GERMINATION RESPONSES TO FAR-RED LIGHT AND ON DARK GERMINATION IN THE RED LIGHT-REQUIRING UPPER SEEDS

Esashi, Y., Oota, H., Saitoh, H. and Kodama, H. 1985. Lightactions in the germination of cocklebur seeds. III. Effectsof pre-treatment temperature on germination responses to far-redlight and on dark germination in the red light-requiring upperseeds.—J. exp. Bot. 36: 1465-1477. Red light (R) responsiveness in R-requiring upper cocklebur(Xanthium pennsylvanicum Wallr.) seeds changed in differentpatterns during a soaking period at different temperatures.At temperatures above 23°C, the responsiveness increasedand then decreased. At lower temperatures (3–18°C),however, it continued to increase throughout an experimentalperiod. The lower temperatures caused germination in the subsequentdark at 33°C, regained the R responsiveness and acquiredthe dark germinability when subsequently exposed to 8°C,to an extent proportional to the duration of the chilling. Far-red (FR) was inhibitory to germination in an earlier soakingperiod at lower temperatures, but its effect gradually decresed,and finally turned promotive. The negative FR response was repeatedlycontrolled by the following R irradiation. However, the positiveFR response was enhanced by an immediate R irradiation, andFR/R reversibility occurred after the second FR. In contrastto the R responsiveness and dark germinability, the positivegermination response to FR was not induced by soaking at 3°C,in which the growth of the axial tissue as a photoreceptivesite did not occur at all. Similarly, it was not manifestedwhen the seeds soaked at 33°C were subsequently subjectedto 8°C. Key words: Cocklebur seeds, dark germination, far-red light, low temperature, red light, seed germination, Xanthium pennsylvanicum     

Light Actions in the Germination of Cocklebur Seeds: I. DIFFERENCES IN THE LIGHT RESPONSES OF THE UPPER AND LOWER SEEDS

Germination responses to light were studied in the upper andlower seeds of cocklebur (Xanthium pennsylvanicum Wallr.). Thelower seed was dark-germinating and negatively photoblastic;the upper one had a red-light (R) requirement and was positivelyphotoblastic. Germination of the lower seeds was inhibited bya prolonged single irradiation with R, blue (B) or far-red (FR)light applied during imbibition. The maximal inhibitory effectof a single irradiation occurred 9 h and 13 h after the startof soaking at 33 °C and 23 °C, respectively. However,the inhibitory effect of R differed from that of B and FR, byonly delaying germination. A single exposure to B or FR lightcould be replaced by intermittent B or FR irradiation, and theireffects were repeatedly reversible by the following R irradiation.If the upper seeds were not exposed to R during imbibition,they failed to germinate even at 33 °C which was optimalfor germination, and the promotive effect of R increased withdelay of its application time. The photoperceptive locus incocklebur seeds was the axial tissue for all B, R and FR. Lightreceived by the cotyledonary tissue had little effect. Germinationdimorphism in response to light is discussed with respect tothe phytochrome content and the ageing of axial tissues. Key words: Blue light, Dimorphism, Far red light, Germination, Red light, Xanthium seed     

Phylogeny of Regulatory Regions of Vertebrate Tyrosinase Genes

Highly homologous DNA elements were found to be shared by the upstream regions of the mouse tyrosinase and tyrosinase related protein (TRP-1) genes. Several nuclear proteins were shown to bind to both of these upstream regions. Shared homologous DNA elements were also found in the 5’ flanking sequences of Japanese quail and snapping turtle tyrosinase genes. Shared homologous nucleotide sequences were found to be scattered like an archipelago in the 5’ upstream regions of mouse and human tyrosinase genes. Comparisons between Japanese quail and snapping turtle tyrosinase genes gave similar results. On the contrary, mammalian (mouse and human) and nonmammalian (quail and snapping turtle) tyrosinase genes did not show significant homology in their 5’ upstream regions. In contrast, coding sequences in the first exons of vertebrate tyrosinase genes and their deduced amino acid sequences were found to be highly conserved except for their putative leader sequence-coding regions.