Wounding and the Regulation of Apoplasmic Retrieval in Source Leaf Tissue 5Spinacia oleracea L.

Kinetic studies were performed on fresh-cut and aged leaf discsof Spinacia oleracea L. in order to investigate the regulatoryprocesses involved in sugar transport across the mesophyll plasmamembrane. A comparison of the kinetic profiles for fructose,glucose, sucrose and arginine obtained on freshly-cut and ageddiscs revealed that during wound-recovery, uptake is enhanced,but that this enhancement varies considerably for the differentsubstrates tested. Variation in the saturable and first-orderkinetic components of uptake was also observed. The involvementof a phosphoinositide-signalling mechanism in the wounding processwas examined by pretreating spinach leaves with lithium. Lithiuminhibited the enhancement of uptake and this effect was reversedby the addition of miro-inositol. However, in some experimentsthe tissue appeared to be insensitive to Li⁺. Gas chromatographicanalyses performed on cut discs indicated that ethylene wasproduced in response to wounding and that the addition of cobaltto the ageing media inhibited this ethylene production. Comparativekinetic studies of control and cobalt-treated discs indicatedthat ethylene was essential for the enhancement of transportacross the plasma membrane. However, addition of ethylene touncut tissue caused only a partial increase in the uptake offructose, which indicates that some additional wound-signallingcomponent is involved. Addition of cycloheximide to the recoverymedia completely inhibited this enhancement phenomenon. Thecycloheximide-response was not due to an inhibition of ACC synthasesynthesis nor to a reduction of ATP levels. We concluded thatthe effect of cycloheximide was on protein synthesis. Our resultsare discussed in terms of possible cellular and molecular mechanismsregulating sugar transport. Key words: Sugar transport, wounding, ethylene production, spinach leaves     

Effects of algal food quality on fecundity and population growth rates of Daphnia

1. Food quality was at least as important as food quantity for both fecundity and population growth responses of the cladoceran Daphnia pulicaria fed the green alga Ankistrodesmus falcatus grown under N limitation, P limitation, or non-limited condition.
2. The fecundity of D. pulicaria was reduced under conditions of low food quality (low N or low P) compared with that for animals fed control non-limited algae regardless of ration size. The reduced fecundity of D. pulicaria fed P-limited food could be partially alleviated by increasing the ration (hence, compensation), but such was not the case for animals fed N-limited food.
3. Population growth rates of D. pulicaria ( r _max) were significantly reduced under conditions of low-quality food for both N-limited and P-limited algae. Population growth rates were unaffected by ration size, indicating no compensation.     

Subcellular Localization of Angiotensin I Converting Enzyme in Rabbit Lung

THE rapidity with which angiotensin I is converted to angiotensin II^1–5 suggests that the subcellular localization of the converting enzyme is important. Bakhle⁶ and Cushman and Cheung⁷ have demonstrated the particulate nature of this enzyme. Subcellular distribution studies and marker enzyme analysis indicate that converting enzyme activity in rabbit lung is most concentrated in the pellet sedimenting at between 1,000 and 25,000g (P₂), subsequently characterized as the light and heavy mitochondrial fraction. To identify this fraction more fully, we have resuspended P₂ and centrifuged it through a discontinuous density gradient, a procedure which separates converting enzyme activity from the mitochondria. Marker enzyme analysis and electron microscopy suggest plasma membrane as the major constituent of that fraction displaying highest specific activity of converting enzyme.     

Resistance of Calves to Reinfection with Eimeria bovis

SYNOPSIS. An immunity to reinfection with E. bovis was demonstrated in 3 experiments involving 60 calves. This immunity develops rapidly, as indicated by resistance to a challenge given 14 days after the immunizing inoculation. In 3 groups of 3 to 6 young calves each, immunity was still present to a moderate degree 2 to 3 months after inoculation; in one group of 5 animals about a year old there was apparently a high degree of immunity about 7 months after the last inoculation. In one experiment an immunizing inoculum of 10,000 oöcysts did not produce as much immunity as 50,000 oöcysts. In 2 experiments there appeared to be little difference in the immunity produced by a single inoculation of 50,000 as compared with 100,000 oöcysts, but inoculation with 100,000 oöcysts, resulted in substantially longer and more severe illness than 50,000 oöcysts. There appeared to be no appreciable difference in clinical symptoms or development of immunity between calves given a single immunizing inoculum and those given the same number of oöcysts in 5 equal inocula on successive days. Treatment with sulfamethazine and sulfamerazine (Merameth) 13 to 15 days after inoculation alleviated the clinical symptoms of coccidiosis without interfering appreciably with the development of immunity. In one experiment with 7 calves, no beneficial effect was noted from 1 or 2 transfusions of 500 ml. of plasma and leucocytes from immune calves into 4 calves 1 and 12 days or 11 days after a challenge inoculation.     

江西池江盆地上古新统一种类似偶蹄类的古有蹄类

奇蹄类和偶蹄类是现代的主要有蹄动物,它们的起源一直是古哺乳动物学界关心的课题。近年来的发现表明,在早始新世奇蹄类出现之前,亚洲已有牙齿形态与奇蹄类相近的有蹄类存在。偶蹄类的情况可能也是如此,这里记述的古新世新村里赣蹄兽就是一个明证。新村里赣蹄兽(Ganungulatum xincunliense gen.et sp.nov.)化石产于江西大余青龙镇新村里附近的晚古新世池江组滥泥坑段,化石地点编号为72035(76)。在同一地点还发现南方古对锥兽Archaeoryctes notialis Zheng,1979和滥泥坑赣脊兽Ganolophus lanikenensis Zhang,1979。赣蹄兽材料为一对不完整的下颌骨,右下颌骨保存i2-3,c和p4-m3,左下颌骨存有p3-m3(IVPP V 14154)。其特征是下齿式为3?·1·4·3;i3与颊齿列平行,i2稍有些斜;犬齿小;p3有初始的跟座,p4三角座明显,跟座小;下臼齿为丘形齿,牙齿由m1向m3增大,三角座前后收缩,下前尖位于舌侧,并靠近下后尖,下后尖较下原尖靠后,m3有一增大的跟座,跟盆向舌侧开放。新村里赣蹄兽下颊齿低冠,呈丘形齿,下臼齿三角座前后收缩和m3下次小尖增大等特征,说明了赣蹄兽与亚洲古新世地层中常见的真兽类,例如(?)兽类、裂齿类、中兽类和全齿类不同,而与Prothero et al.(1988)提出的有蹄类(Ungulata)牙齿相似,表现出与某些有蹄类密切相关。与已知的晚白垩世和古新世有蹄类比较,赣蹄兽与"踝节类"("condylarths")中的豕齿类(hyopsodontids)和眛兽类(mioclaenids)比较相近。但从其下犬齿小,p4相对较大,臼齿化程度高,以及下臼齿下前尖在舌面位置和与下后尖接近等特征来看,赣蹄兽更接近mioclaenids。修仁古亚兽(Palasiodon siurensis)是亚洲仅有的mioclaenid,产于广东南雄盆地下古新统上湖组,但在牙齿形态上容易与这里记述的赣蹄兽区别,古亚兽下颊齿短宽,m3很退化。与其他已知的mioclaenids比较,赣蹄兽在大小上和牙齿形态上与北美Torrejonian的Litaletes disjunctus最接近,两者都有小的匙状的下犬齿,相对臼齿化的p4,下臼齿下前尖向舌侧位移,前、后齿带无或很弱,m3增大。但赣蹄兽明显不同于,J.disjunctus,前者p3更小,更简单,p4下前尖更小,跟座不成盆状,下臼齿下前尖较大,更加舌位,并与下后尖靠近,下后尖在下原尖的后侧,m3下内尖不明显。由此可见,赣蹄兽下颊齿和已知的"踝节类"是可以区别的,但更重要的区别点是在下颌骨的前面部分。在与arctocyonids、hyopsodontids和phenacodontids等"踝节类"对比时,我们发现赣蹄兽和"踝节类"之间的重大差异在于下门齿的排列上。这些"踝节类"的三个下门齿密集地排列在下颌骨的前端,呈圆弧状,与颊齿列斜交,而赣蹄兽的i3与颊齿列平行,i2稍斜。赣蹄兽下门齿的排列形式与早期偶蹄类Diacodexis pakistanensis相似,在亚洲始新世的Gobiohyus robuxtus和Lophiomeryx angarae也有类似的情况。赣蹄兽与Diacodexis、Gobiohyus和Wutuhyus等早期的偶蹄类的相似之处还在于下颌骨形态,较细长,较浅,下颌骨深度向前变浅,下臼齿向后增大,下前尖在舌面位置,下后尖在下原尖的后面,m1-2下次小尖在后缘上,m3下次小尖增大,并形成第三叶。但在p3-4形态上,赣蹄兽与这些早期偶蹄类不同,赣蹄兽明显比早期偶蹄类复杂,即臼齿化程度较高。赣蹄兽保留了像某些"踝节类"(如Litaletes)的p3-4,而它的下门齿排列却与早期偶蹄类相似。赣蹄兽下臼齿形态与早期偶蹄类具有相似性,因而不能归入"踝节目"已知科,很有可能代表与偶蹄类相关的一支古有蹄类。赣蹄兽的发现也为偶蹄类起源打开了新思路。     

Character divergences and convergences in canopy-dwelling Loranthaceae

The Loranthaceae is the largest plant family with aerial branch parasites termed mistletoes. Three genera of Loranthaceae are terrestrial root parasites and the remaining 72 genera are aerial parasites. Several characters, including habit, haustorial type, germination pattern, pollen morphology, chromosome number, inflorescence morphology and flower merosity, fusion, symmetry and size, are considered to reflect evolutionary relationships within the family. Convergence is a common evolutionary pattern and can confound interpretations of evolution. We investigated character evolution by mapping character states onto a phylogenetic tree based on the nuclear ITS and chloroplast trnL–trnF regions. Convergences in form were found in several characters, including habit, haustorial type, flower symmetry and merosity. These convergences typically correspond to ecological parameters such as pollination syndrome or stresses associated with the canopy habit. Other characters such as chromosome number and germination pattern illustrate divergent evolution among clades.  © 2006 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society , 2006, 150 , 101–113.     

Seasonal changes in the biochemistry of lake seston

1. The quantity of seston was measured and the elemental carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus (C, N, P) and biochemical composition (carbohydrate, protein, lipid) of the < 53 μm size fraction in three temperate lakes during one year was analysed. The lakes differed in nutrient concentration and were characterized as oligotrophic, mesotrophic and eutrophic. Linear regression analyses defined associations between seston composition and either lake trophic status, depth or season. 2. The concentration of particulate organic seston was greatest during spring and autumn and lowest during the clear water period in early summer. Seasonal patterns in seston elemental and biochemical percentage composition (quality) were observed to be independent of differences in seston quantity. 3. Concentrations of seston C, N and P were high in most cases in the spring and autumn and low in summer. Concentrations of P were particularly high during late summer and early autumn in the metalimnion, perhaps because of recovery of P from anaerobic sediments and hypolimnetic waters. Because seston C and N did not increase as markedly as P, C : P and N : P ratios both declined in the autumn. Primary production was thought to be co-limited by N and P in all three of these lakes; however, the data suggested that N might be more important as a major limiting nutrient in the eutrophic lake as the metalimnion increased in depth in late summer and autumn. 4. Concentrations of protein, carbohydrate, polar lipid and triglyceride generally increased with lake type as expected (greatest in the eutrophic lake), but showed no relationship with water depth. As the year progressed, no significant changes were measured in protein and carbohydrate concentrations; however, the concentration of polar lipid decreased and triglyceride increased significantly with time of year. 5. The biochemical composition of seston varied during the year and among lakes; for example, in Lake Waynewood the proportion of protein composing the seston (percentage protein by weight) varied from < 10% to > 40%. No statistically significant patterns in the percentage protein or carbohydrate were found. However, the proportion of seston comprised of triglyceride decreased with lake type and increased during the year; whereas the proportion of seston as polar lipid increased with lake type and decreased during the year. Triglyceride comprised most of the lipid. Both protein : lipid and protein : carbohydrate ratios tended to be greatest in summer and lowest in the spring and autumn. 6. Relationships between samples and biochemical composition analysed by Canonical Correspondence Analysis (Canoco) indicated similar patterns in seasonal changes in seston biochemistry for the three lakes, with samples separated primarily by vectors for lake type (oligotrophic to eutrophic) and the percentage polar lipid (proportion of total lipid) and secondarily by vectors for date and water depth (epilimnion or metalimnion). 7. These seasonal biochemical changes in the seston food base were compared with biochemical changes known to occur in algae grown under N-or P-limited conditions in the laboratory, and the resultant quality of this algal food for suspension-feeding consumers (zooplankton). It was concluded that zooplankton were likely to be physiologically challenged by these distinct seasonal shifts in the quality of lake seston.