Genomic factors responsible for abnormal morphology of pollen tubes in the interspecific cross Nicotiana tabacum ×N. rustica

Nicotiana tabacum shows unilateral pollen-pistil incongruity with N. rustica. If N. tabacum is pollinated with N. rustica, growth of the pollen tube is arrested in the middle of the style, and abundant callose deposition, tube swelling and tube winding are observed. An attempt was made to clarify the genomic factors responsible for this pollen-pistil incongruity. N. tabacum was pollinated with N. paniculata or N. undulata, progenitors of amphidiploid N. rustica. When pollinated with N. undulata, growth of the pollen tube was arrested in the middle of the style and showed abnormal morphology similar to that with N. rustica, but when pollinated with N. paniculata the pollen tube reached near the base of the style and was almost normal in appearance. These observations suggest that the factors responsible for the pollen tube abnormality of N. rustica are derived from the N. undulata genome.We also used N. sylvestris, N. glutinosa and N. otophora as pistilar parents and N. rustica or its progenitors as pollen parents to examine the genomic factors of the pistilate parents. The pollen tube features of these three species in the pistils of N. sylvestris were similar to those in the pistil of N. tabacum. Received: 25 October 1999 / Revision accepted: 2 February 2000     

Chemical constituents from the roots of Solanum asterophorum Mart. and their chemotaxonomic significance

Phytochemical investigation of roots from Solanum asterophorum led to the identification of 37 compounds, including 9 phenolic acid derivatives, 2 alkamides, 7 hydroxy-carboxylic acid derivatives, and 19 steroidal alkaloids. The dereplication of compounds was performed by extensive analysis by ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled with a diode array and quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry. With the exception of alkaloid isojurubidine, all compounds were reported from Solanum asterophorum for the first time. The chemotaxonomic significance of the isolated compounds was discussed.     

Glycoalkaloids of Solanum Series Megistacrolobum and related potato cultigens

Glycoalkaloids were used as evidence of the affinities of nine taxa of Solanum Series Megistacrolobum and related potato cultigens from western Bolivia. S. boliviense, S. sanctae-rosae and S. toralapanum contain the commertetraose sugar moiety and appear to represent a relatively wild group within the Series. S. megistacrolobum, S. sogarandinum and S. raphanifolium show anomolous glycoalkaloid profiles that probably reflect hybridization associated with human disturbance. Primitive forms of the S. χ ajanhuiri cultigen are indistinguishable chemicaliy from conspecific weeds that were previously classified as S. megistacrolobum. Variation in total glycoalkaloid content within Series Megistacrolobum likely reflects direct selection by humans for reduced glycoalkaloid levels during the domestication process.     

Some molecular properties of plant starch phosphorylases and the levels of activity of the multiple forms

A number of plant tissues have two phosphorylase fractions (I and II) that can be separated by DEAE-cellulose chromatography. When only one is detectable, it corresponds to enzyme II. Peas differed from other legumes in showing an increase in enzyme I during seed germination. Examination of the I type enzymes, by sodium dodecyl sulphate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, sector cell ultracentrifugation and gel filtration, indicated that these were dimers composed of similar sub-units of MW near 90 000. When phosphorylase II enzymes were examined, the sub-unit MW was found to be higher, near 110 000 and, whereas ultracentrifugation techniques indicated a dimer of similar sub-units for the native enzyme, gel filtration gave higher MW values. Phosphorylase II from Victory Freezer peas differed from the other samples, in being able to form mixtures of dimer and tetramer.     

Commersonine,a new glycoalkaloid from two Solanum species

Selected plant introduction lines of S. chacoense and S. commersonii contain two major glycoalkaloids, demissine and a new compound called commersonine. In contrast, other plant introduction lines of S. chacoense contain only solanine and chaconine as the major glycoalkaloids. The isolation and characterization of the new glycoalkaloid is described.     

Soluble and cell-wall peroxidases and auxin destruction in normal and habituated tobacco callus

Summary A comparison of the soluble and cell-wall-bound isoperoxidases of normal auxin-requiring and auxin-independent (habituated) tobacco callus revealed that normal tissues contained a higher level of isoperoxidases. There were also qualitative differences in these isoperoxidases. Partially purified soluble and ionically bound isoperoxidases of normal callus likewise exhibited higher auxin-oxidase activities. Normal tissues also were found to contain higher levels of auxin-oxidase inhibitors (auxin protectors). Overall, however, the data indicate that there is a higher rate of auxin destruction in normal tobacco callus than in habituated tissue. This presumably leads to insufficient endogenous auxin for growth. This study was supported in part by grants to T.G. from the Center IRSIA d'Etude de la Reproduction végétale and the FRFC Contract No. 2.9009. it Was carried out while T.A.T. was the holder of a senior Fellowship under the NATO senior Scientists Program.     

Adenosine cyclic monophosphate in potato tubers during storage at +10° and +2°

The levels of adenosine 3′: 5′ cyclic monophosphate in mature potato tubers (variety King Edward) stored at + 10°, for varying periods at + 2° and then after 28 days at + 2° transferred to + 10°, have been measured. The concentrations were very low (3–30 pmol/g fr. weight) and did not show marked changes with storage conditions.     

Ribonucleases in Nicotiana tabacum leaf extracts treated with phenol

When tobacco leaf extracts are treated with phenol, ca 20% of the ribonuclease (RNase) activity survives and can be measured when the phenol is removed. After purification, the resistant RNase is inactivated by phenol; this suggests that tobacco leaves contain material that protects the RNase. Phenol-resistant RNase may be one of the TMV-RNA inactivating systems present in phenol extracts of tobacco leaves.