Effects of Indole-3-acetic Acid and Gibberellin on Synchronous Cultures of Chlorella fusca

The applicability of synchronous cultures of Chlorella fusca as a reproducible experimental system for the study of growth regulators has been investigated using indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) and gibberellin.

• 1 None of these compounds stimulated growth or sporulation.
• 2 IAA inhibited growth and sporulation at concentrations higher than 6 × 10^?5M, the effect increasing with increasing acidity. Gibberellin had no effect.

     

Discrepancy in laboratory and field attraction of apple fruit moth Argyresthia conjugella to host plant volatiles

Abstract.  Apple fruit moth Argyresthia conjugella is a specialist seed predator of rowan Sorbus aucuparia . Large-scale synchronous fluctuation of seed production in rowan (i.e. named masting) drives the apple fruit moth to seek alternative host plants such as apple, during years when rowan berries are not available for oviposition. The role of plant volatile compounds in the attraction of gravid apple fruit moth females is studied in a laboratory wind tunnel. Volatiles from rowan branches with green berries stimulate female moths to fly upwind and to land at the odour source. By contrast, females are not attracted to rowan branches without green berries, and they are not attracted to apple, demonstrating that the chemical stimulus from rowan berries is required for attraction. Attraction to synthetic compounds identified from rowan, anethole and 2-phenyl ethanol confirms the role of plant volatiles in host finding. These two compounds, however, show a discrepant behavioural effect in wind tunnel and field tests. Field traps baited with 2-phenyl ethanol capture female moths but anethole does not produce significant captures. Wind tunnel tests produce the opposite results: moths fly upwind towards the anethole lure, whereas 2-phenyl ethanol is not attractive at all. Wind tunnel attraction to 2-phenyl ethanol is achieved by adding odour from a rowan branch without berries, which is not attractive on its own. This finding demonstrates that interaction with the background odour contributes to the behavioural effect of plant volatile stimuli in the field.     

Blow fly responses to semiochemicals produced by decaying carcasses

Volatiles from mouse carcasses in decay stages ranging from fresh to 33 days old were used to investigate oriented flight and landings in male and female blow flies of Calliphora vicina Robineau‐Desvoidy (Diptera: Calliphoridae). Oriented flight increased significantly from 36% towards fresh carcasses to 68%, 61% and 65% towards carcasses aged 3 days, 6 days and 9 days, respectively. Carcasses aged 20 days and 33 days were significantly less attractive, achieving 51% and 41% attraction, respectively. No differences emerged between the sexes in oriented flight, but a significant increase in female landings at the most attractive carcasses was observed. Headspace collections from the different stages of decay showed a succession in the volatile profile emitted from the carcasses and identified nine chemicals which peak in quantity in concurrence with the most attractive stages of decay. Three of these chemicals also showed dose–response effects as indicated by a significant correlation between the amount present and the proportion of flies responding. Blow flies are important pests and efficient traps are needed. The significant interaction between fly sex and carcass age highlights behavioural differences between male and female blow flies which can be exploited in blow fly trapping. Three new volatile chemicals, butylated hydroxyl toluene, 3‐hydroxy‐2‐butanone and nonanal, emitted from dead mice are suggested as potential attractants.     

Floral scent in bat-pollinated plants: a case of convergent evolution

The chemical composition of floral scent in eight bat-pollinated species belonging to six different plant families was investigated. Floral scent was collected by headspace trapping using porous adsorbents and the chemical composition determined by coupled gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. In all species except one the floral scent was found to include sulphur-containing compounds, of which several are reported for the first time in floral scents. Three species contained mushroom-like smelling fatty acid derivatives with a C₈-skeleton. Such flowers may be recognized by pollinators as humid environments in otherwise dry surroundings. The presence of similar or chemically closely related sulphur containing compounds in floral scent of bat-pollinated plant species from differing families may represent a case of convergent evolution in scent composition and an adaptation to attract this specific group of pollinators with similar sensory preferences.     

Higher and lower‐level relationships of the deep‐sea fish order Alepocephaliformes (Teleostei: Otocephala) inferred from whole mitogenome sequences

Fishes of the order Alepocephaliformes, slickheads and tubeshoulders, constitute a group of deep‐sea fishes poorly known in respect to most areas of their biology and systematics. Morphological studies have found alepocephaliform fishes to display a mosaic of synapomorphic and symplesiomorphic characters, resulting in great difficulties when attempting to resolve intra‐ and interrelationships. Molecular data recently added to the confusion by removing Alepocephaliformes from the Euteleostei and placed them as incertae sedis within the Otocephala. In the present study we attempt to further clarify relationships of Alepocephaliformes by adding newly determined whole mitogenome sequences from 19 alepocephaliforms in order to address 1) phylogenetic position of Alepocephaliformes within the Otocephala; and 2) intrarelationships of Alepocephaliformes. The present study includes 96 taxa of which 30 are alepocephaliforms and unambiguously aligned sequences were subjected to partitioned maximum likelihood and Bayesian analyses. Results from the present study support Alepocephaliformes as a genetically distinct otocephalan order as sister clade to Ostariophysi (mostly freshwater fishes comprising Gonorynchiformes, Cypriniformes, Characiformes, Siluriformes and Gymnotiformes). The disputed family Bathylaconidae was found to be an artificial assemblage of the two genera Bathylaco and Herwigia, with the former as the sister group of the family Alepocephalidae and the latter nested within Alepocephalidae. Platytroctidae was found to be monophyletic as sister clade to the rest of Alepocephaliformes. Previously unrecognized clades within the family Alepocephalidae are presented and a clade comprising Alepocephalus, Conocara and Leptoderma was recovered as the most derived. As long as the current classification is being followed, the genera Alepocephalus, Bathytroctes, Conocara and Narcetes were all found non‐monophyletic. © 2009 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2009, 98 , 923–936.     

Trends in floral scent chemistry in pollination syndromes: floral scent composition in moth-pollinated taxa

KNUDSEN, J. T. & TOLLSTEN, L., Trends in floral scent chemistry in pollination syndromes: floral scent composition in moth-pollinated taxa. Floral scent from 15 moth-pollinated species in nine families was collected by head-space adsorption. The chemical composition was determined by coupled gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The typical floral scent of moth-pollinated flowers contains some acyclic terpene alcohols, their corresponding hydrocarbons, benzenoid alcohols and esters and small amounts of some nitrogen compounds. The floral scent composition of sphingophilous flowers can be distinguished from that of phalaenophilous flowers by the presence of oxygenated sesquiterpenes. The flowers of three of the studied species had the general appearance and floral scent composition of moth-pollinated flowers, but contained no nectar reward. These species probably rely on deceptive pollination by naive visitors, which are deceived by the similarity of the flowers' morphological and scent chemistry to that of rewarding moth flowers. The finding of similar or structurally closely related floral scent compounds in both temperate and tropical species from both the Old and New worlds suggests that floral scent composition has been selected by a specific group of pollinators, moths that have similar sensory preferences. The functions of floral scent in moth-pollinated flowers are discussed in relation to an often observed over-representation of male moth visitors.     

The After-Effect of Water Stress on Chlorophyll Formation during Greening and the Levels of Abscisic Acid and Proline in Dark Grown Wheat Seedlings

Cut seedlings of wheat plants (Triticum aestivum L. cv. Starke II Weibull) between 6 and 7 days old were water stressed in darkness by exposing them to air of 35% relative humidity 2.5 to 20 h. This treatment resulted in a water potential of -11 bars in the leaves after 20 h. The leaves were then rewatered and irradiated. The chlorophyll formation that took place in fully turgid leaves during the greening was markedly decreased in the case of the water-stress pretreatmet. and especially the lag phase was prolonged. The longer the stress pretreatment the more evident was the subsequent effect on chlorophyll formation. However, no linear relationship was found between the amount of stress and the chlorophyll content. Protochlorophyllide regeneration from endogenously formed δ-aminolevulinic acid was markedly decreased even after the shortest water-stress period. However, protochlorophyllide accumulation from exogenously supplied δ-aminolevulinic acid was only slightly decreased following the water-stress pretreatment. Further more, the ratio of protochlorophyllide₆₅₀ to protochlorophyllide₆₂₈ was slightly reduced by the same conditions. During the stress period both abscisic acid and proline were accumulated in the leaves. The content of abscisic acid increased up to six times the normal level during water stress lasting for 20 h. The increase of proline was about three-fold for similar treatment. After rewatering the leaves the levels of both abscisic acid and proline rapidly declined and reached. 10 h later, the levels found in unstressed seedlings. The increase in abscisic acid during water stress associated with impaired chlorophyll metabolism suggested that the after-effect of water stress might be linked to chlorophyll metabolism through abscisic acid or some of its metabolites. The changes in proline content open the possibility that this substance could function as a reserve substance for the formation of chlorophyll after the discon tinuation of the stress.     

Wind tunnel behavioural response and field trapping of the blowfly Calliphora vicina

The attraction of the blowfly Calliphora vicina Robineau‐Desvoidy, 1830 (Diptera: Calliphoridae) to single synthetic compounds, blends and authentic odours was investigated in a wind tunnel. A total of 1850 C. vicina (1750 females and 100 males) were tested. A comparison of male and female responses showed significant differences in attraction between the sexes. Females were more attracted than males to liver odour. The attraction of females lay in the ranges of 0–22% for single compounds, 26–64% for synthetic blends and 58–88% for authentic odours. Dimethyl trisulphide was the most attractive single compound. Significant improvement in attraction was achieved with blends and a three‐component lure, consisting of dimethyl trisulphide, mercaptoethanol and o‐cresol, was found to be the best solution for field trapping of C. vicina. Authentic odours from dead fish and mice were significantly more attractive than liver and the three‐component blend, and the blend and liver were similarly effective as attractants. Field tests support the results of the wind tunnel study and a high number of C. vicina were caught in funnel traps. Overall, 99.1% of the specimens caught were females.