Medicago truncatula,a model plant for studying the molecular genetics of theRhizobium-legume symbiosis

Medicago truncatula has all the characteristics required for a concerted analysis of nitrogen-fixing symbiosis withRhizobium using the tools of molecular biology, cellular biology and genetics.M. truncatula is a diploid and autogamous plant has a relatively small genome, and preliminary molecular analysis suggests that allelic heterozygosity is minimal compared with the cross-fertilising tetraploid alfalfa (Medicago sativa). TheM. truncatula cultivar Jemalong is nodulated by theRhizobium meliloti strain 2011, which has already served to define many of the bacterial genes involved in symbiosis with alfalfa. A genotype of Jemalong has been identified which can be regenerated after transformation byAgrobacterium, thus allowing the analysis ofin-vitro-modified genes in an homologous transgenic system. Finally, by virtue of the diploid, self-fertilising and genetically homogeneous character ofM. truncatula, it should be relatively straightforward to screen for recessive mutations in symbiotic genes, to carry out genetic analysis, and to construct an RFLP map for this plant.     

Influence of temperature and nitrogen concentration on photosynthesis ofDunaliella viridis Teodoresco

The photosynthetic behaviour ofDunaliella viridis has been studied under a combination of three variables: irradiance (0–900 mol m^–2 s^–1), temperature (15, 23, 31, 38, 42 °C) and nitrogen concentration (0.05, 0.5, 1.5, 5, 10 mM NO ₃ ^- ) at a salinity of 2 M NaCl.The highest rates of photosynthesis have been found at 31 °C and a nitrate concentration of 10 mM. There exists a synergistic effect between temperature and nitrogen availability on the photosynthesis ofD. viridis; under nitrogen deficiency oxygen evolution is low, even null at high temperature. The interaction between these two variables of control occurs in a multiplicative way. There is also a general increase in photosynthetic pigments following the increase in nitrogen concentration in the culture medium. The normalization of net photosynthesis data in relation to chlorophylla shows that nitrogen concentration makes an indirect control of the photosynthetic rate ofD. viridis through the variation of pigment concentration.     

Interrenal activity in the female lizard Lacerta vivipara J.: in vitro response to ACTH 1-39 and to [Sar1, Val5] angiotensin II (ANG II)

A perifusion system technique was developed in order to determine in vitro the respective roles of ACTH and ANG II in the regulation of adrenal steroidogenesis in the lizard Lacerta vivipara. Synthetic human ACTH 1-39, administered as 20-min pulses, stimulated corticosterone (B) and aldosterone (A) release in a dose-dependent manner. The increase in corticosterone output was higher than that in aldosterone output, leading to an enhancement of the B/A ratio. Iterative stimulations with 1 nM ACTH (20-min pulses every 120 min) led to reproducible increases in corticosterone and aldosterone release. Prolonged stimulation with 1 nM ACTH (up to 240 min) caused a sustained increase in corticosteroid release, suggesting that, in the lizard, ACTH does not induce any desensitization phenomenon. The angiotensin II analogue [Sar1, Val5] ANG II also stimulated corticosterone and aldosterone release in a dose-dependent manner; the stimulatory effects of ANG II on both steroids were very similar. These results indicate that, in lizards, ACTH plays a major role in the regulation of adrenal steroidogenesis. Since ANG II stimulates the production of gluco- and mineralocorticoids, our data raise the question of the existence of two cell types synthesizing corticosterone and aldosterone, respectively, in reptiles.     

Sib pair linkage analysis of renin gene haplotypes in human essential hypertension

Summary Although essential arterial hypertension is believed to have a strong genetic predisposition, the gene(s) responsible are unknown. The mechanisms underlying the regulation of blood pressure and experimental studies place the renin gene among the main candidate genes that need to be tested in humans. We tested the hypothesis of a linkage between the renin gene and essential hypertension using the affected sib pair method. Siblings (133 subjects, 52.1±10.9 years) from 57 families were selected for sustained hypertension (160.7 ± 22.9/99.5 ± 12.8 mmHg with 80% of patients under antihypertensive treatment), of early onset (40.7 ± 12.0 years), in the absence of obesity, diabetes mellitus, and secondary hypertension. Eight renin haplotypes were generated from three diallelic renin restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLPs) (TaqI, Hinfi, HindIII) located throughout the renin gene. The allelic concordance between the sib pairs was analyzed by identity by state relationships for 98 sib pairs (41 for 41 couples, 39 for 13 trios, 18 for 3 quartets). Allelic frequencies in the 57 hypertensive probands were similar to those observed among 102 hypertensive subjects studied previously. Six of eight possible haplotypes were observed, the informativity of the marker corresponded to 70% of heterozygosity. Allelic concordance for all sib pairs according to sibship size was not significantly different from that expected under the hypothesis of no linkage (t = 0.52, P = 0.15) reflecting only a small excess of renin alleles shared by the hypertensive sibs (1.44 ± 0.6 vs 1.36 ± 0.6). Likewise the linkage hypothesis was unsupported by weighted estimates to correct for possible bias due to large sibship size. Thus, the sib pair analysis suggests that the renin gene does not have a frequent role in the pathogenesis of essential hypertension; further more powerful linkage studies or other approaches will be needed to detect contributions at the renin locus to the heritability of essential hypertension.     

Analysis of sibling cannibalism among pike,Esox lucius,juveniles reared under semi-natural conditions

Synopsis Sibling cannibalism in pike, Esox lucius, larvae and juveniles living in outdoor rearing ponds was studied using stomach contents analysis. For the two initial densities tested (6 and 18 larvae m^–2, equivalent to 12 and 36 larvae m^–3), cannibalism was non-existent during the larval period (13 to 35 mm total length) and was observed only during the juvenile stages. Initial density of larvae influenced both the date of first detection of cannibalistic individuals and the rate of development of cannibalism in the population. At initial stocking densities of 18 larvae m^–2 (36 larvae m^–3), cannibalism was observed from 21 days after the start of exogenous feeding (mean total length: 60 mm) onwards. At a mean total length of 100 mm and for initial stocking densities of 6 and 18 larvae m^–2, (12 and 36 larvae m^–3), the average proportions of cannibals in the populations of juveniles were 7.8% and 41.3% and the cannibals accounted for 15.5% and 65.9% of the total pike biomass, respectively. In stomachs of cannibals, young pike were the dominant prey in terms of weight. Dry weights of invertebrate-prey were lower in cannibals than in non-cannibals of similar size. Cannibalism among pike juveniles was characterized by the prey being swallowed whole and head first in the vast majority of cases. There was a strong positive correlation between predator and prey size and the mouth size of a cannibal was found to be an important constraint determining maximum victim size. The overall mean ratio of pike prey length to pike cannibal length was 66.2% and the average ratio of prey head depth to predator mouth width amounted to 87.6%. Prey size selection could be demonstrated for several length-groups of cannibals. These results are compared with the characteristics of early cannibalism in other fish species.     

Distribution pattern of decapod larvae off the north-western Iberian Peninsula coast (NE Atlantic)

In October 1977 the model of general circulation of the watermasses off the coast of Galicia, and the presence of a coastalupwelling, led to a high primary productivity. This high productivityin turn favoured the development of a rich population of decapodlarvae. The abundance and distribution pattern of these organismswere closely linked (i) to the abundant presence of the correspondingadult species in the area, (ii) with the spatial distributionof phytoplanktonic populations concurrently studied by Estrada[J. Plankton Res ., 6, 417–434 (1984)] and (iii) withthe hydrodynamic pattern in the area. Fifty-two decapod larvaetaxa were identified and Solenocera membranacea, Pisidia longicornis,Pilumnushirtellus and Goneplax rhomboides were the most representativespecies It was observed that the greatest concentrations oflarvae (3387 larvae 10^–2 m^–3) were to be found nearthe mouth of the Rfas Baixas (situated in the south-west ofthe coastal area) and in some zones further out to sea (863larvae 10^–2 m^–3) (due to a process of hydrodynamictransport)     

Co-expression of the proto-oncogene fos (c-fos) and an embryonic interferon (ovine trophoblastin) by sheep conceptuses during implantation.

Expression of the c-fos proto-oncogene by ovine conceptuses was analyzed by Northern and slot blots and indirect immunohistofluorescence in relation to the expression of the embryonic interferon-alpha (oTP) during implantation. c-fos was expressed initially in the trophoblast, and then in the allantois, when this tissue began to develop (day 17). In the embryonic tissues, the c-fos proto-oncogene was weakly expressed up to day 22 and increased thereafter. In the trophoblast, the expression of c-fos proto-oncogene was transient, occurring when the oTP gene was transcribed at a maximal level at the beginning of implantation (days 14-15), and decreased thereafter, following the pattern of oTP gene expression. This decline is due essentially to the arrest of c-fos and oTP gene expression by the trophoblastic cells which established cellular contacts with the uterine epithelium during the implantation process.