Inheritance of plastids in interspecific hybrids of blue spruce and white spruce

Summary Chloroplast DNA (cpDNA) was purified from blue spruce (Picea pungens Engelm.) and white spruce [P. glauca (Moench) Voss], and was digested with several different restriction endonucleases. Restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLPs) were identified that differentiated the cpDNA of both species. Intraspecific conservation of the RFLPs that differentiated each species was confirmed by examining trees from across the natural range of each species. Ten F₁ hybrids were examined, and the cpDNA from each showed the banding pattern of the paternal species. Cloned Petunia cpDNA containing part of the rbcL gene hybridized to polymorphic bands, while a cloned maize mtDNA probe of the coxII gene failed to hybridize to any band.     

Distribution and conservation status of coastal sage scrub in southwestern California

Abstract. A landscape-based characterization of vegetation has been developed for southwestern California using satellite imagery, air photos, existing vegetation maps, and field data. Distribution maps of nine dominant coastal scrub species and 13 species assemblages that were identified by divisive information analysis have been analyzed to quantify spatial patterns of species co-occurrence. Three general distribution patterns are identified that suggest the Diegan, Ventaran and Riversidian Associations identified by other workers. Vegetation data have also been related to land ownership and management to assess the conservation status of upland plant communities. A large proportion of the mapped distribution of species and vegetation types is on private land, and several taxa show less than 4 % of mapped distribution in nature reserves. The analysis highlights the need to extend current conservation planning efforts into the northern part of the region to encompass areas where Salvia leucophylla is a frequent community dominant.     

Evidence for Linkage of Bipolar Disorder to Chromosome 18 with a Parent-of-Origin Effect

A susceptibility gene on chromosome 18 and a parent-of-origin effect have been suggested for bipolar affective disorder (BPAD). We have studied 28 nuclear families selected for apparent unilineal transmission of the BPAD phenotype, by using 31 polymorphic markers spanning chromosome 18. Evidence for linkage was tested with affected-sib-pair and LOD score methods under two definitions of the affected phenotype. The affected-sib-pair analyses indicated excess allele sharing for markers on 18p within the region reported previously. The greatest sharing was at D18S37: 64% in bipolar and recurrent unipolar (RUP) sib pairs (P = .0006). In addition, excess sharing of the paternally, but not maternally, transmitted alleles was observed at three markers on 18q: at D18S41, 51 bipolar and RUP sib pairs were concordant for paternally transmitted alleles, and 21 pairs were discordant (P = .0004). The evidence for linkage to loci on both 18p and 18q was strongest in the 11 paternal pedigrees, i.e., those in which the father or one of the father's sibs is affected. In these pedigrees, the greatest allele sharing (81%; P = .00002) and the highest LOD score (3.51; θ = 0.0) were observed at D18S41. Our results provide further support for linkage of BPAD to chromosome 18 and the first molecular evidence for a parent-of-origin effect operating in this disorder. The number of loci involved, and their precise location, require further study.     

The effect of AZT on in vitro lymphokine-activated killer (LAK) activity in human immunodeficiency virus type-1 (HIV-1) infected individuals

Human immunodeficiency virus type-1 (HIV-1)-infected individuals exhibit functional impairment in various forms of cell-mediated cytotoxicities (CMC) at all stages of disease. The purpose of this study was to determine (i) if peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) obtained from HIV-1-infected patients could be stimulated in vitro to yield lymphokine-activated killer (LAK) activity; (ii) if non-MHC-restricted gp120-specific CMC could be preserved; and (iii) what effect zidovudine (AZT) would have on LAK activity. Fourteen asymptomatic HIV-1 seropositive adults and five healthy seronegative adults (controls) were evaluated. PBMCs were isolated and incubated in media or supplemented with IL-2 for 4 or 72 hr. Lysis of the NK resistant target cell line, Daudi, was similar for the control and experimental group. The increase in activity after stimulation was elevated to a similar degree in both seronegative and seropositive groups (P less than 0.001). LAK activity was significantly decreased (P = 0.011) when AZT was added to LAK cultures. In addition, virus production may not have been completely inhibited by AZT in LAK cultures. Thus, PBMCs from asymptomatic HIV-1-infected patients could be stimulated to yield LAK activity. However, AZT can impair LAK generation. It is unclear if LAK activation results in virus production that cannot be inhibited by AZT in this system. Further definition in other patient populations is required prior to applying this information to clinical trials.     

Escherichia coli cells lacking methylation-blocking factor (leucine-responsive regulatory protein) have precise timing of initiation of DNA replication in the cell cycle.

A protein that is required for specific methylation inhibition of two GATC sites in the papBA pilin promoter region, known as methylation-blocking factor (Mbf) and recently shown to be identical to the leucine-responsive regulatory protein (Lrp), is not responsible for the delayed methylation at oriC implicated in an eclipse period following initiation of DNA replication. Cells containing a transposon mutation within the mbf (lrp) gene initiate DNA replication at the correct time during the cell cycle, whereas cells with increased amounts of the Dam methyltransferase initiate DNA replication randomly throughout the cell cycle.     

Evidence for Ascending and Descending Intraspinal as Well as Primary Sensory Somatostatin Projections in the Rat Spinal Cord

Somatostatin distribution was measured quantitatively in the rat spinal cord by radioimmunoassay. Rostro-caudally, somatostatin content was about 50% higher in lumbar-sacral cord than in cervical or thoracic levels. The dorso-ventral distribution is more uneven: somatostatin is highest in the dorsal horn, where the peptide is 15 times as concentrated as it is in the ventral white matter, the region of lowest concentration. However, measurable amounts of the peptide were found in all regions studied. Dorsal root ganglionectomy decreased somatostatin levels in the dorsal cord, supporting the previously proposed role for this peptide as a primary sensory neurotransmitter or modulator; but somatostatin content also was decreased both rostral and caudal to spinal transection, indicating the presence of ascending and descending somatostatin pathways within the spinal cord. Brain levels did not change. Met-enkephalin and substance P were also measured after the above surgical manipulations. Met-enkephalin content was not altered and substance P content was lowered significantly only after ganglionectomy. Although this study confirms the primary sensory neuron as the origin of a part of spinal cord somatostatin, it further indicates the presence of ascending and descending somatostatin pathways within the rat spinal cord.     

Quantifying energetic and fitness consequences of seasonal heterothermy in an Arctic ungulate

Animals have adapted behavioral and physiological strategies to conserve energy during periods of adverse conditions. Heterothermy is one such adaptation used by endotherms. While heterothermy—fluctuations in body temperature and metabolic rate—has been shown in large vertebrates, little is known of the costs and benefits of this strategy, both in terms of energy and in terms of fitness. Hence, our objective was to model the energetics of seasonal heterothermy in the largest Arctic ungulate, the muskox (Ovibos moschatus), using an individual‐based energy budget model of metabolic physiology. We found that the empirically based drop in body temperature (winter max ~−0.8°C) overwinter in adult females resulted in substantial fitness benefits in terms of reduced daily energy expenditure and body mass loss. Body mass and energy reserves were 8.98% and 14.46% greater in modeled heterotherms compared to normotherms by end of winter. Based on environmental simulations, we show that seasonal heterothermy can, to some extent, buffer the negative consequences of poor prewinter body condition or reduced winter food accessibility, leading to greater winter survival (+20%–30%) and spring energy reserves (+10%–30%), and thus increased probability of future reproductive success. These results indicate substantial adaptive short‐term benefits of seasonal heterothermy at the individual level, with potential implications for long‐term population dynamics in highly seasonal environments.     

Niche Partition of Bacteriovorax Operational Taxonomic Units Along Salinity and Temporal Gradients in the Chesapeake Bay Reveals Distinct Estuarine Strains

The predatory Bacteriovorax are Gram-negative bacteria ubiquitous in saltwater systems that prey upon other Gram-negative bacteria in a similar manner to the related genus Bdellovibrio. Among the phylogenetically defined clusters of Bacteriovorax, cluster V has only been isolated from estuaries suggesting that it may be a distinct estuarine phylotype. To assess this hypothesis, the spatial and temporal distribution of cluster V and other Bacteriovorax phylogenetic assemblages along the salinity gradient of Chesapeake Bay were determined. Cluster V was expected to be found in significantly greater numbers in low to moderate salinity waters compared to high salinity areas. The analyses of water and sediment samples from sites in the bay revealed cluster V to be present at the lower salinity and not high salinity sites, consistent with it being an estuarine phylotype. Cluster IV had a similar distribution pattern and may also be specifically adapted to estuaries. While the distribution of clusters V and IV were similar for salinity, they were distinct on temperature gradients, being found in cooler and in warmer temperatures, respectively. The differentiation of phylotype populations along the salinity and temporal gradients in Chesapeake Bay revealed distinct niches inhabited by different phylotypes of Bacteriovorax and unique estuarine phylotypes.