Effect of isoprenaline on cells in different phases of the mitotic cycle

The effects of isoprenaline on parotid acinar cells in different phases of the mitotic cycle have been investigated. Cells in mitosis at the time of drug administration are not depleted of secretory granules whilst those in other phases are. The drug causes temporary blocks both in metaphase and in the G2 phase. The blocks are prolonged by repeated injections of the drug. Cells continue to undergo DNA synthesis during the period of secretion following the drug. The mitotic delay appears to be specific for the parotid and submaxillary glands.     

A new species of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Mentzelia</Emphasis> section <Emphasis Type="Italic">Bartonia</Emphasis> (Loasaceae) from the Grand Canyon,Arizona

Mentzelia hualapaiensis, a new species of Mentzelia sect. Bartonia, is described from the Grand Canyon region of Arizona. The new species is closely related to M. puberula, which is found west of M. hualapaiensis along the Colorado River, and to M. oreophila, M. polita, and M. tiehmii. It shares with these species a suffrutescent shoot system characterized by a subterranean, branching caudex, multiple annual branches, and similar leaves that have shallowly lobed or toothed to entire laminas. The flowers of M. hualapaiensis differ from those of its closest relatives in having cream-white, linear to narrowly spatulate petals and staminodes, characteristics that are convergent with those of the flowers of the Chihuahuan Desert species M. humilis.     

Mitochondrial DNA differentiation during the speciation process in Peromyscus

We address the problem of the possible significance of biological speciation to the magnitude and pattern of divergence of asexually transmitted characters in bisexual species. The empirical data for this report consist of restriction endonuclease site variability in maternally transmitted mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) isolated from 82 samples of Peromyscus polionotus and P. leucopus collected from major portions of the respective species' ranges. Data are analyzed together with previously published information on P. maniculatus, a sibling species to polionotus. Maps of restriction sites indicate that all of the variation observed can be reasonably attributed to base substitutions leading to loss or gain of particular recognition sites. Magnitude of mtDNA sequence divergence within polionotus (maximum approximately equal to 2%) is roughly comparable to that observed within any of five previously identified mtDNA assemblages in maniculatus. Sequence divergence within leucopus (maximum approximately equal to 4%) is somewhat greater than that within polionotus. Consideration of probable evolutionary links among mtDNA restriction site maps allowed estimation of matriarchal phylogenies within polionotus and leucopus. Clustering algorithms and qualitative Wagner procedures were used to generate phenograms and parsimony networks, respectively, for the between-species comparisons. Three simple graphical models are presented to illustrate some conceivable relationships of mtDNA differentiation to speciation. In theoretical case I, each of two reproductively defined species (A and B) is monophyletic in matriarchal genealogy; the common female ancestor of either species can either predate or postdate the speciation. In case II, neither species is monophyletic in matriarchal genotype. In case III, species B is monophyletic but forms a subclade within A which is thus paraphyletic with respect to B. The empirical results for mtDNA in maniculatus and polionotus appear to conform closely to case III. These theoretical and empirical considerations raise a number of questions about the general relationship of the speciation process to the evolution of uniparentally transmitted traits. Some of these considerations are presented, and it is suggested that the distribution patterns of mtDNA sequence variation within and among extant species should be of considerable relevance to the particular demographies of speciation.