Cytological and mapping analysis of a novel male sterile type resulting from spontaneous floral organ homeotic conversion in marigold (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Tagetes erecta</Emphasis> L.)

A male sterile line was isolated in marigold (Tagetes erecta L.) and cytological analysis determined this to be a novel genic male sterility trait (Tems). Through the use of amplified fragment length polymorphisms (AFLPs) and bulked segregant analysis (BSA), tightly linked markers of Tems were identified with a view towards a map-based cloning strategy. It was found that spontaneous homeotic conversion of floral organs was the underlying cause of the male sterility in this marigold line. Thus, petals of male sterile plants resembled sepal-like structures and the stamens were partially converted to styles, although without the full characteristics or function of the true style organs. We have constructed a fine marker-based map for the Tems gene. This is intended to provide a tool for marker assisted selection (MAS) strategies in hybrid breeding and map-based cloning strategies for the male sterility locus. We discuss the significance of this spontaneously derived genic male sterility trait relating to the homeotic conversion of floral organs in marigold.     

Taxonomic Review of the Genus Eudorylas Aczél (Diptera: Pipunculidae) in Korea

The Korean species of the genus Eudorylas Aczél have been studied. A total of 16 species are arranged herein. Among them, E. paraappendiculatus sp. nov. is new to science, and E. nomurai Morakote et Yano, 1990 is newly recorded in the Korean fauna.     

Studies on the regeneration-restore and karyotype of protoplast in Metarhizium anisopliae var. majus

Abstract:  The characteristics and regeneration-restore of protoplasts and its karyotype of an insect pathological fungus, Metarhizium anisopliae var. majus were studied. Among the protoplasts, 25.3% were without a nucleus, and 74.7% contained a nucleus. Among the nucleus protoplasts, 53.6% contained a single nucleus. The regeneration-restore of protoplasts was of three distinct shapes. Considering the frequency of regeneration and the growing speed of the colony, 0.7 mol/l glucose was the optimum as osmotic stabilizer of culture medium in the regeneration-restore of the protoplasts. The chromosomal DNA molecules of M. anisopliae var. majus have been separated into seven bands by pulsed-field gel electrophoreses. Using the Schizosaccharomyces pombe chromosomes as size standard, the size of chromosomal DNA was estimated to be 1.1–6.5 Mb and its karyotype exhibited polytypism among strains.     

Pre‐copulation intervals,copulation frequencies,and initial progeny sex ratios in two biotypes of whitefly,Bemisia tabaci

The whitefly Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius) (Homoptera: Aleyrodidae) is a species complex, and its systematic classification requires controlled crossing experiments among its genetic groups. Accurate information on pre‐copulation intervals, copulation frequencies, and initial frequency of egg fertilization of newly emerged adults is critical for designing procedures for collecting the virgin adults necessary for these experiments. In the literature, considerable variation is reported between B. tabaci populations, with respect to the length of the pre‐copulation interval and the initial frequency of egg fertilization. Here, we used a video‐recording method to observe continuously the copulation behaviour of the Mediterranean/Asia Minor/Africa (B biotype) and the Asia II (ZHJ1 biotype) groups of B. tabaci. We also recorded the initial frequency of egg fertilization, as determined by the sex of the progeny. When adults were caged in female–male pairs on leaves of cotton plants, the earliest copulation events occurred 2–6 h after emergence; at 12 h after emergence 56–84% of the females had copulated at least once, and nearly all (92–100%) had copulated at least once by 36 h after emergence. Both females and males copulated repeatedly. Approximately 80 and 20% of copulation events occurred during the photophase and scotophase, respectively. By 72 h post‐emergence, the females of the B and ZHJ1 biotypes had copulated on average 6.1 and 3.9 times, respectively. When adults were caged in groups on plants 1–13 h after emergence, 30–35% of the eggs deposited during this period were fertilized, and approximately 90% of females were fertilized by the end of the 13 h. Although timing of copulation differed in detail between the two genetic groups, the results demonstrate that B. tabaci adults can start to copulate as early as 2–6 h post‐emergence and the majority of females can become fertilized on the day that they emerge.     

Fine structural recognition specificities of IgE antibodies distinguishing amoxicilloyl and amoxicillanyl determinants in allergic subjects.

IgE antibodies in the sera of subjects allergic to beta-lactam antibiotics detect a spectrum of specificities ranging from side-chain groups to an entire penicillin or cephalosporin molecule. In addition to such structural heterogeneity of allergenic determinants, IgE antibodies in the sera of different allergic subjects show heterogeneous recognition responses. Detailed immunochemical studies were carried out on the sera of penicillin-allergic subjects that showed selective and unexpected reactions with the frequently prescribed penicillin, amoxicillin. Antibodies from one subject reacted only with the amoxicilloyl determinant while IgE from another subject showed multiple reactivity with penicilloyl and penicillanyl determinants of different penicillins but not with the amoxicilloyl determinant. Quantitative hapten inhibition studies revealed that the combining sites of the former antibodies were complementary to amoxicillin in a form that permits binding to the hydroxyaminobenzyl side-chain and the thiazolidine ring carboxyl. These conditions are satisfied with the drug in the '-oyl' but not in the '-anyl' form which involves linkage through the 2-carboxyl of the thiazolidine ring. With the second serum, adsorption studies showed that the wide-ranging reactivity of IgE was due to a single population of antibodies that detected a common specificity on the different penicillins. Combining site studies revealed clear recognition of the benzyl portion of the side-chain of benzylpenicilloyl, benzylpenicillanyl, ampicilloyl, ampicillanyl and amoxicillanyl determinants when free antibody access to the side-chain was possible but little or no recognition of the ring hydroxyl of amoxicillin. Such uninhibited access may not occur, however, when amoxicillin is conjugated in the '-oyl' form since opening the beta-lactam ring allows increased flexibility and rotation of the molecule and the possibility of close association of the hydroxyaminobenzyl side-chain of amoxicillin with the linked peptide carrier. In such close steric association, H-bonding involving the ring hydroxyl and amino acids of the carrier may prevent antibody access to the side-chain region of the amoxicilloyl determinant.     

Expression of dengue virus structural proteins and nonstructural protein NS1 by a recombinant vaccinia virus.

A recombinant vaccinia virus containing cloned DNA sequences coding for the three structural proteins and nonstructural proteins NS1 and NS2a of dengue type 4 virus was constructed. Infection of CV-1 cells with this recombinant virus produced dengue virus structural proteins as well as the nonstructural protein NS1. These proteins were precipitated by specific antisera and exhibited the same molecular size and glycosylation patterns as authentic dengue virus proteins. Infection of cotton rats with the recombinant virus induced NS1 antibodies in 1 of 11 animals. However, an immune response to the PreM and E glycoproteins was not detected. A reduced level of gene expression was probably the reason for the limited serologic response to these dengue virus antigens.     

新疆绿蟾蜍的染色体组型初步研究

近年来,有关两栖类的染色体组型已有不少报道。无尾两栖类中蜍蟾属(Bufo)的染色体数目分为两类:2n=22和2n=20(Blain,1972)。我们对采自新疆4个地区的绿蟾蜍进行了染色体组型分析,发现其二倍体细胞染色体数均为44,是四倍体。现将我们的初步研究报道如下。