Phosphorus-containing Compounds at Comparable Germination Stages of Caryopses of Avena Species

A number of the phosphorus transformations accompanying imbibitionand initial germination in caryopses of wild oats (A vena fatuaL.) differ in nature and kind from those accompanying seedlingdevelopment. Even in non-dormant lines of wild oat germinationis extended and seedling development uneven. The significanceof early phosphorus transformations can be obscured. Proceduresto synchronize germination stages were developed by (i) usingseeds which had been exposed to room temperature for extendedperiods of dry storage, (ii) inducing germination of imbibedseeds by dehulling, piercing and/or gibberellin A3 treatments,or (iii) constructing artificial seed groupings of known germinationpercentage by appropriate selection of seeds from an unevenlygerminating seed source. All three procedures were effectivein identifying those processes associated with initial germination.The best synchronization was obtained with method (i). Germination,in contrast to imbibition, was signalled by a significant dropin inorganic phosphate levels, followed by a later rise as seedreserves of phytate were mobilized for seedling development.Differences in the rates of mobilization of acid-soluble phosphoruscompounds were apparent between cultivated oats and geneticallynon-dormant wild oats. Key words: Avena sp, Phosphorus compounds, Seeds, Germination     

ATP Synthesis during Water Imbibition in Caryopses of Genetically Dormant and Non-dormant Lines of Wild Oat (Avena fatua L.)

Levels of ATP in dry caryopses of wild oats (Avena fatua L.)were much lower than in imbibed seeds of the seven geneticallypure lines surveyed. The ATP content of the lines with highgenetic dormancy was consistently lower than the ATP contentof genetically non-dormant lines, but no significant correlationwith depth of dormancy was found apart from this. Massive increasesin ATP content occurred within 30 min of water uptake by caryopsesof both dormant and non-dormant lines. The synthetic pathwaystudied utilized inorganic phosphate with great avidity to formATP. The ability to form ATP upon imbibition was present inboth embryo and de-embryonated caryopsis. The ATP levels attainedin imbibing caryopses appeared sufficient to support considerablesynthetic activity, and this reduced the possibility that adeficiency in ATP was responsible for the maintenance of dormancyin such imbibed seeds. The low levels of inorganic phosphatein the embryos of genetically dormant lines of wild oat couldrepresent a limiting factor, if the active formation of ATPupon water imbibition resulted in a scarcity of phosphate forother reactions essential to germination. Key words: Avena fatua, ATP synthesis, Inorganic phosphorus, Seed dormancy, Germination, Water uptake     

Patterns of sequence variation in the mitochondrial D-loop region of shrews

Direct sequencing of the mitochondrial displacement loop (D-loop) of shrews (genus Sorex) for the region between the tRNA(Pro) and the conserved sequence block-F revealed variable numbers of 79-bp tandem repeats. These repeats were found in all 19 individuals sequenced, representing three subspecies and one closely related species of the masked shrew group (Sorex cinereus cinereus, S. c. miscix, S. c. acadicus, and S. haydeni) and an outgroup, the pygmy shrew (S. hoyi). Each specimen also possessed an adjacent 76-bp imperfect copy of the tandem repeats. One individual was heteroplasmic for length variants consisting of five and seven copies of the 79-bp tandem repeat. The sequence of the repeats is conducive to the formation of secondary structure. A termination-associated sequence is present in each of the repeats and in a unique sequence region 5' to the tandem array as well. Mean genetic distance between the masked shrew taxa and the pygmy shrew was calculated separately for the unique sequence region, one of the tandem repeats, the imperfect repeat, and these three regions combined. The unique sequence region evolved more rapidly than the tandem repeats or the imperfect repeat. The small genetic distance between pairs of tandem repeats within an individual is consistent with a model of concerted evolution. Repeats are apparently duplicated and lost at a high rate, which tends to homogenize the tandem array. The rate of D- loop sequence divergence between the masked and pygmy shrews is estimated to be 15%-20%/Myr, the highest rate observed in D-loops of mammals. Rapid sequence evolution in shrews may be due either to their high metabolic rate and short generation time or to the presence of variable numbers of tandem repeats.      

大鼠胼胝体内神经肽Y免疫反应阳性纤维的发育

本实验用免疫组织化学ＡＢＣ法研究了大鼠胼胝体内神经肽Ｙ免疫反应阳性（ＮＰＹ－ＩＲ）纤维的生后发育。结果发现,许多ＮＰＹ－ＩＲ纤维在大鼠出生时便存在于胼胝体内。ＮＰＹ－ＩＲ胼胝体纤维的密度在生后１周内继续逐渐增高,在第２周内达到最高峰。之后,ＮＰＹ－ＩＲ胼胝体纤维的密度逐渐下降,至第３周末时接近成年时的水平,即仅有少量ＮＰＹ－ＩＲ纤维存在于胼胝体内。这些结果提示在大鼠早期生后发育过程中许多ＮＰＹ－ＩＲ胼胝体纤维是暂时性的,其作用可能与大脑皮质的机能发育有关。     

An association between the acute phase response and patterns of antigen induced T cell proliferation in juvenile idiopathic arthritis

The aim of this research was to determine whether all memory T cells have the same propensity to migrate to the joint in patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis. Paired synovial fluid and peripheral blood mononuclear cell proliferative responses to a panel of antigens were measured and the results correlated with a detailed set of laboratory and clinical data from 39 patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis. Two distinct patterns of proliferative response were found in the majority of patients: a diverse pattern, in which synovial fluid responses were greater than peripheral blood responses for all antigens tested; and a restricted pattern, in which peripheral blood responses to some antigens were more vigorous than those in the synovial fluid compartment. The diverse pattern was generally found in patients with a high acute phase response, whereas patients without elevated acute phase proteins were more likely to demonstrate a restricted pattern. We propose that an association between the synovial fluid T cell repertoire and the acute phase response suggests that proinflammatory cytokines may influence recruitment of memory T cells to an inflammatory site, independent of their antigen specificity. Additionally, increased responses to enteric bacteria and the presence of αEβ7 T cells in synovial fluid may reflect accumulation of gut associated T cells in the synovial compartment, even in the absence of an elevated acute phase response. This is the first report of an association between the acute phase response and the T cell population recruited to an inflammatory site.     

Rates and patterns of mitochondrial DNA sequence evolution in fringilline finches (fringilla spp.) and the greenfinch (Carduelis chloris)

Rates and patterns of evolution in partial sequences of five mitochondrial genes (cytochrome b, ATPase 6, NADH dehydrogenase subunit 5, tRNA(Glu), and the control region) were compared among taxa in the passerine bird genera Fringilla and Carduelis. Rates of divergence do not vary significantly among genes, even in comparisons with the control region. Rate variation among lineages is significant only for the control region and NADH dehydrogenase subunit 5, and patterns of variation are consistent with the expectations of neutral theory. Base composition is biased in all genes but is stationary among lineages, and there is evidence for directional mutation pressure only in the control region. Despite these similarities, patterns of substitution differ among genes, consistent with alternative regimes of selective constraint. Rates of nonsynonymous substitution are higher in NADH dehydrogenase subunit 5 than in other protein-coding genes, and transitions exist in elevated proportions relative to transversions. Transitions appear to accumulate linearly with time in tRNA(Glu), and despite exhibiting the highest overall rate of divergence among species, there are no transversional changes in this gene. Finally, for resolving phylogenetic relationships among Fringilla taxa, the combined protein-coding data are broadly similar to those of the control region in terms of phylogenetic informativeness and statistical support.