Effects of ablation of the pars intercerebralis on ecdysteroid quantities and yolk protein expression in the blowfly Protophormia terraenovae

Quantities of ecdysteroid are compared in the haemolymph and ovaries of the blowfly Protophormia terraenovae Robineau‐Desvoidy (Diptera: Calliphoridae) under reproductive (LD 18 : 6 h at 25 °C) and diapause (LD 12 : 12 h at 20 °C) conditions. The effects of ablation of the pars intercerebralis or ovaries on ecdysteroid quantities and of ablation of the pars intercerebralis on yolk protein expression are examined. Under reproductive conditions, the levels of ecdysteroid in vitellogenic females are high, although the levels in previtellogenic females and females with mature ovaries are low. Under diapause conditions, there are low quantities of ecdysteroid in both the haemolymph and ovaries. Ecdysteroid titres in the haemolymph are not significantly affected by the removal of the ovaries, suggesting that tissues other than the ovaries are also involved in the production of ecdysteroids. Reproductive females in which the pars intercerebralis of the brain is experimentally ablated have ecdysteroid levels that are not significantly different from sham‐operated or intact females. However, yolk protein expression in the fat body is suppressed after removal of the pars intercerebralis. These results suggest that the suppression of ecdysteroid levels in the haemolymph and ovaries is associated with reproductive diapause, and that the pars intercerebralis could play a role in yolk protein synthesis without mediating ecdysteroid production.     

STUDIES ON PROTEIN METABOLISM IN HIGHER PLANTS. III. CHANGES IN THE SOLUBLE PROTEIN COMPONENTS WITH LEAF GROWTH

Water soluble protein was extracted from tobacco leaves (BrightYellow) and fractionated through chromatographic and immunochemicalprocedures. Six different UV-absorbing components, 7 antigeniccomponents, and 4 enzyme activities (phosphatase, protease,peroxidase and RNase) were detected on the Sephadex chromatogramsof leaf extracts. An UV-absorbing fraction, Fr. I-2, (immunochemicallydesignated as Pr. Imm-I) corresponded to the known "FractionI " of S. G. WILDMAN. The contents of the three antigenic components,Imm-a, Imm-b and Imm-c, having estimated molecular weights of1 to 2 10⁵, showed significant fluctuations during growthof the leaves. Peroxidase and another antigenic component (Imm-f)of smaller molecular weight showed increase with age of theleaves. Properties of the protein components thus detected wereinvestigated. (Received May 11, 1967; )     

Diurnal and seasonal variations in stomatal conductance of rice at elevated atmospheric CO2 under fully open‐air conditions

Understanding of leaf stomatal responses to the atmospheric CO₂ concentration, [CO₂], is essential for accurate prediction of plant water use under future climates. However, limited information is available for the diurnal and seasonal changes in stomatal conductance (g_s) under elevated [CO₂]. We examined the factors responsible for variations in g_s under elevated [CO₂] with three rice cultivars grown in an open‐field environment under flooded conditions during two growing seasons (a total of 2140 individual measurements). Conductance of all cultivars was generally higher in the morning and around noon than in the afternoon, and elevated [CO₂] decreased g_s by up to 64% over the 2 years (significantly on 26 out of 38 measurement days), with a mean g_s decrease of 23%. We plotted the g_s variations against three parameters from the Ball‐Berry model and two revised versions of the model, and all parameters explained the g_s variations well at each [CO₂] in the morning and around noon (R² > 0.68), but could not explain these variations in the afternoon (R² < 0.33). The present results provide an important basis for modelling future water use in rice production.     

STUDIES ON PROTEIN METABOLISM IN HIGHER PLANTS IV. CHANGES IN PROTEIN COMPONENTS IN DETACHED LEAVES OF TOBACCO

Soluble protein fractions from tobacco leaves before and aftercuring were compared. The results of Sephadex G-200 or G-75chromatography and immunological experiments showed that theamount of larger molecular weight proteins diminished or greatlydecreased and that smaller molecular weight proteins accumulatedduring 3 days at 40 and 90% humidity after excision of theleaves from the stem. Fraction I, which was the largest proteinin the leaf extract and occupied about one-half of the solubleprotein before curing, was not found in the proteins after curing.On the contrary, the proteins contained in II-4 fraction, whichwere supposed to have smaller molecular weights, increased three-foldduring the curing. The origin of the smaller proteins was discussed. (Received May 11, 1967; )     

Intracellular localization of enzymes related to photorespiration in green leaves

Localization in green leaves of glycine decarboxylase and serinehydroxymethyltransferase (EC 2.1.2.1 [EC] ) was investigated. Subcellularpreparations of green leaves were fractionated by non-linearsucrose isopicnic centrifugation of 2.5 to 1.3 M at 74,700 xor 1.8 to 0.6M at 11,800xg and by centrifugation in non-aqueousmedia. Glycine decarboxylase was located in mitochondria andserine hydroxymethyltransferase was principally located in mitochondriaand partly in chloroplasts. Chloroplastic serine hydroxymethyltransferaseis thought to be responsible for glycine formation from serinederived from photosynthesized 3-phosphoglycerate. A scheme forglycolate metabolism and photorespiration is presented. ¹ A part of this work was presented at the Annual Meeding (April,1969) of the Japanese Society of Plant Physiologists, Kanazawa. ² Department of Biochemistry, Michigan State University, EastLansing, Michigan 48823, U.S.A. (Received August 3, 1970; )