Presence and development of populations of the introduced brown alga Sargassum muticum in the southwest Netherlands

Of the three Brachionus species used in aquaculture, Brachionus rubens, B. calycilorus and B. plicatilis, the latter is most widely used in raising marine fish and shrimp larvae due to its tolerance to the marine environment. In freshwater aquaculture the use of B. rubens and B. calycilorus is limited, probably because inert food products are readily available as feed for freshwater larvae.The rotifer Brachionus plicatilis is used in large numbers as the first food organism in intensive cultures of marine fish and shrimp larvae. An adequate supply of these rotifers relies on mass cultures. The reproductive rate of rotifers in these cultures depends on food quality and quantity, salinity, temperature and pH of the medium. Removal of waste products from culture tanks leads to higher and more efficient production of rotifers over extended periods of time. Rotifers have to be enriched with polyunsaturated fatty acids, which are essential for proper development and survival of marine fish and shrimp larvae.The future use of preserved rotifers and their resting eggs may help to overcome unforeseen failures of live cultures and may lead to more efficient use of these organisms in raising freshwater and marine fish and shrimp larvae.     

Aquatic Oligochaeta in some tributaries of the Río de La Plata,Buenos Aires,Argentina

The Oligochaeta of some streams flowing into the Rio de La Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina, were investigated. Twenty nine taxa (twenty four naidids, five tubificids) were identified. Most species are cosmopolitan, but Dero evelinae, Pristina leidyi, Slavina isochaeta and Bothrioneurum sp. are neotropical. Bratislavia unidentata, Haemonais waldvogeli and Nais pardalis are reported for the first time in Argentina. Variants occurr in the shape of the distal end of the penial sheaths of Limnodrilus hoffmeisteri. The dominant Naidid genera are Dero and Pristina. In the polluted El Gato stream only L. hoffmeisteri and L. claparedeianus were found.     

Effect of Hirschmanniella caudacrena on the Submersed Aquatic Plants Ceratophyllum demersum and Hydrilla verticillata

In vitro pathogenicity tests demonstrated that Hirschmanniella caudacrena is pathogenic to Ceratophyllum demersum (coontail). Symptoms were chlorotic tissue, deformed stems, and, finally, death of the plant. Inoculum densities of 500 nematodes per 5-cm-long cutting in a test tube containing 50 ml of water resulted in death and decay of some of the cuttings within 8 weeks; 100 nematodes killed the plants in 12 weeks, and 50 and 25 nematodes killed them in 16 weeks. The lowest inoculum level of 10 nematodes did not seriously affect the plants at 16 weeks when the experiment was terminated. A second test conducted outdoors in glass jars containing 3 liters of water and two cuttings weighing a total of 15 g fresh weight showed damage, but results were not statistically significant. Hydrilla verticillata inoculated with H. caudacrena was not affected seriously.     

Cauliflower mosaic virus gene VI causes growth suppression, development of necrotic spots and expression of defence-related genes in transgenic tobacco plants

Summary In order to study possible functions of the inclusion body matrix protein (IBMP) encoded by gene VI of cauliflower mosaic virus (CaMV), the XbaI fragment containing the gene VI of a Japanese strain of CaMV (CaMV S-Japan) was transferred to tobacco plants by Ti mediated transformation. Eight out of 18 kanamycin resistant plants (40%) expressed detectable levels of IBMP. Those transgenic plants expressing IBMP produced leaves with light green color, and their growth was suppressed as compared with control plants. Symptom-like necrotic spots also appeared on the leaves and stems of the mature transgenic plants. Furthermore, in these transgenic plants, pathogenesis-related proteins 1a, 1b and 1c were highly expressed and the activity of 1,3--glucanase was increased up to eightfold. From these results, we concluded that expression of the IBMP is associated with symptom development.     

Ectomycorrhizal colonization on black spruce and jack pine seedlings outplanted in reforestation sites

Six-week-old, mycorrhiza-free, bareroot jack pine and black spruce seedlings were outplanted in ten reforestation sites, situated between 45–48° latitude N and 69–74° longitude W, within the province of Quebec, representing diverse operational forestry disturbances and ecological conditions. Two months after outplanting, root systems of black spruce seedlings had fewer mycorrhizae than those of jack pine seedlings. Ectomycorrhizal colonization on black spruce seedlings did not vary significantly with the reforestation site. Percent mycorrhizal colonization for these seedlings was positively correlated with seedling dry weight while with the jack pine seedlings, mycorrhizal colonization varied significantly with the outplanting site and there was no correlation between mycorrhizal formation and seedling dry weight. Multiple linear regressions showed pH to be a determinant soil factor for mycorrhizal colonization for the two species. Drainage was the other influential factor affecting colonization of black spruce while organic matter accumulation was more important for jack pine. Inoculation with selected ectomycorrhizal fungi could be more important for black spruce than for jack pine seedlings.     

DNA structures associated with autonomously replicating sequences from plants

DNA fragments capable of conferring autonomous replicating ability to plasmids inSaccharomyces cerevisiae were isolated from four different plant genomes and from the Ti plasmid ofAgrobacterium tumefaciens. The DNA structure of these autonomously replicating sequences (ARSs) as well as two from yeast were studied using retardation during polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and computer analysis as measures of sequence-dependent DNA structures. Bent DNA was found to be associated with the ARS elements. An 11 bp ARS consensus sequence required for ARS function was also identified in the elements examined and was flanked by unusually straight structures which were rich in A+T content. These results show that the ARS elements from genomes of higher plants have structural and sequence features in common with ARS elements from yeast and higher animals.Supported by Grant 1RO1-GM41708-O1 from the National Institute of Health.     

Performance of nymphal and adult Nezara viridula on selected alternate host plants

Laboratory studies with the southern green stink bug, Nezara viridula (L.) (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae), feeding on seeds or fruits of some alternate host plants, demonstrated differences in nymphal survival and development time, and body weight at adult emergence. Lowest mortalities (25%) were observed for nymphs on fruits of dakota mustard [Brassica kaber (DC.)] and siberian motherwort (Leonurus sibiricus L.). On fruits of castor bean (Ricinus communis L.) nymph mortality was ca. 60%, and on mature seeds of L. sibiricus ca. 75%. Total development time from second instar to adult ranged from ca. 26 days on B. kaber to ca. 42 days on R. communis. Fresh body weight at adult emergence was greatest for nymphs on L. sibiricus and lowest on R. communis. Adult survival after 30 days and mean longevity was greater on L. sibiricus than on the remaining foods, being drastically reduced on R. communis. In general, reproductive performance on all foods was similar, except R. communis, on which no female reproduced. Female weight gain of N. viridula was generally greater on L. sibiricus On R. communis, adults lost weight during their first week and showed the lowest weight gain at the end of day 29. Field observations coupled with these laboratory studies suggest that in the Warta area (northern Paraná state, Brazil, 23° 11 S), L. sibiricus and B. kaber are important alternate food plants in the seasonal phenology of N. viridula. R. communis, however, is of poor nutritional quality, serving primarily as a refuge.

---

Résumé L'alimentation au laboratoire de N. viridula avec les graines et les fruits de diverses plantes a entraîné différentes mortalités larvaires, différentes vitesses de développement et des différences dans les poids des adultes à l'émergence. Les mortalités les plus faibles (25%) on été observées avec les fruits de Brassica kaber DC. et de Leonurus sibiricus L.Avec les fruits de Ricinus communis L., la mortalité larvaire était de 60%; sur graines mûres de L. sibiricus, elle était de 75%. La durée du développement du second stade à l'adulte a varié de 26 jours sur B. kaber à 42 jours sur R. communis. Le poids frais des adultes à l'émergence était le plus élevé avec L. sibiricus et le plus faible avec de R. communis. La longévité des adultes au-delà de 30 jours était la plus élevée avec L. sibiricus, et était fortement réduite avec R. communis. Dans l'ensemble, la reproduction était de même importance avec les différents aliments, à l'exception de R. communis avec lequel les femelles ne se reproduisaient pas. Le gain de poids des femelles était généralement supérieur avec L. sibiricus; avec R. communis les adultes ont perdu du poids pendant la première semaine et ont présenté le plus faible gain à la fin du 29ème jour.Des observations dans la nature, associées à ces expériences de laboratoire, laissent supposer que dans la zone de Warta (au Nord de l'état de Paraná, 23° 11 S, au Bresil), L. sibiricus et B. kaber sont des plantes hôtes alternatives importantes dans la phénologie saisonnière de N. viridula. Cependant, R. communis, de faible valeur alimentaire, sert avant tout de refuge.

     

Upstream-downstream movements of aquatic invertebrates in a Rocky Mountain stream

Simultaneous collections of drift and organisms moving either upstream or downstream in association with the substrate were made using a specially designed sampler. Samples were taken in a diel series along a transect across the study riffle of a Colorado foothills stream on six dates over an annual cycle. In addition to longitudinal movements, taxonomic composition and diel periodicity were evaluated. The insect-dominated fauna showed a net downstream displacement. Only the caddisflies Helicopsyche borealis and Hesperophylax occidentalis exhibited net upstream movement, primarily a result of low drift frequencies. The taxonomic composition of moving invertebrates differed from that of the benthos. Drift resembled downstream moving substrate-associated invertebrates in composition, but differed from that of the upstream directed fauna. Taxa collectively exhibited four types of diel patterns: 1) similar downstream (drift and substrate-associated movements) patterns, which generally differed from the upstream pattern; 2) similar benthic (upstream and downstream) patterns, which differed from that of drift; 3) aperiodic patterns; and 4) independent patterns for each type of directional movement. Analysis of size classes based on head capsule width for the mayfly Baetis tricaudatus showed significantly smaller size in stationary individuals compared with moving individuals in the population and revealed that nymphs moving during the day were smaller than those moving at night.     

Chromium in plants

Chromium is an essential trace element and is associated with some biological pathways, especially with glucose tolerance. For these reasons, we decided to determine the concentration of chromium in two sets of Brazilian medicinal plants. The first group consisted of plants that are considered as antidiabetic, whereas the second included plants that do not have this therapeutic property. The concentration of chromium was determined by flameless atomic absorption. All the plants analyzed contain chromium in the normal range for this element, but the hypoglycemic plants contain more chromium than the others (1–4 μg/g compared to 0.5–1.5 μg/g).