Optimization of speed and accuracy of decoding in translation

The speed and accuracy of protein synthesis are fundamental parameters for understanding the fitness of living cells, the quality control of translation, and the evolution of ribosomes. In this study, we analyse the speed and accuracy of the decoding step under conditions reproducing the high speed of translation in vivo. We show that error frequency is close to 10⁻³, consistent with the values measured in vivo. Selectivity is predominantly due to the differences in k_cat values for cognate and near-cognate reactions, whereas the intrinsic affinity differences are not used for tRNA discrimination. Thus, the ribosome seems to be optimized towards high speed of translation at the cost of fidelity. Competition with near- and non-cognate ternary complexes reduces the rate of GTP hydrolysis in the cognate ternary complex, but does not appreciably affect the rate-limiting tRNA accommodation step. The GTP hydrolysis step is crucial for the optimization of both the speed and accuracy, which explains the necessity for the trade-off between the two fundamental parameters of translation.     

Morphological embedding and phonetic reduction: the case of triconstituent compounds

In this paper we propose that the internal bracketing of a word with more than two morphemes is reflected in the phonetic implementation. We hypothesize that embedded forms show more phonetic reduction than forms at higher structural levels (‘Embedded Reduction Hypothesis’). This paper tests the prediction of the Embedded Reduction Hypothesis with triconstituent compounds. The analysis of the durational properties of almost 500 compound tokens shows that there is a lengthening effect on the non-embedded constituent, and a shortening effect on the adjacent embedded constituent. Yet, this predicted effect of embedding interacts with other lexical factors, above all the bigram frequency of the embedded compound. At a theoretical level, these effects mean that the durational properties of the cross-boundary constituents are indicative of the hierarchical structure and of the strength of the internal boundary of triconstituent compounds. Hence, morphological structure is reflected in the speech signal.     

Phytogeography of the bryophyte floras of oak forests and páramo of the Cordillera de Talamanca, Costa Rica

Aim Central America is a biogeographically interesting area because of its location between the rich and very different biota of North and South America. We aim to assess phytogeographical patterns in the bryophyte floras of oak forests and páramo of the Cordillera de Talamanca, Costa Rica. Location Tropical America, in particular the montane area of Cordillera de Talamanca, Costa Rica. Methods The analysis is based on a new critical inventory of the montane bryophyte flora of Cordillera de Talamanca. All species were assigned to phytogeographical elements on the basis of their currently known distribution. Absolute and percentage similarities were employed to evaluate floristic affinities. Results A total of 401 species [191 hepatics (liverworts), one hornwort, 209 mosses] are recorded; of these, 251 species (128 hepatics, one hornwort, 122 mosses) occur in oak forests. Ninety‐three per cent of all oak forest species are tropical in distribution, the remaining 7% are temperate (4%) and cosmopolitan (3%) species. The neotropical element includes almost 74% of the species, the wide tropical element (pantropical, amphi‐atlantic, amphi‐pacific) only 19%. A significant part of the neotropical species from oak forests are species with tropical Andean‐centred ranges (27%). As compared with bryophyte species, vascular plant genera in the study region are represented by fewer neotropical, more temperate and more amphi‐pacific taxa. Bryophyte floras of different microhabitats within the oak forest and epiphytic bryophyte floras on Quercus copeyensis in primary, early secondary and late secondary oak forest show a similar phytogeographical make‐up to the total oak forest bryophyte flora. Comparison of oak forest and páramo reveals a greater affinity of the páramo bryophyte flora to temperate regions and the great importance of the páramo element in páramo. Surprisingly, oak forests have more Central American endemics than páramo. Main conclusions (1) Providing first insights into the phytogeographical patterns of the bryophyte flora of oak forests and páramo, we are able to confirm general phytogeographical trends recorded from vascular plant genera of the study area although the latter were more rich in temperate taxa. (2) Andean‐centred species are a conspicuous element in the bryophyte flora of Cordillera de Talamanca, reflecting the close historical connection between the montane bryophyte floras of Costa Rica and South America. (3) High percentages of Central American endemics in the bryophyte flora of the oak forests suggest the importance of climatic changes associated with Pleistocene glaciations for allopatric speciation.     

A light and electron microscopic study of the quadriflagellate green algaSpermatozopsis exsultans

The green flagellateSpermatozopsis exsultans Korshikov has been studied in culture by light and electron microscopy. The organism is naked, bears four flagella and is conspicuously spirally twisted. The ultrastructure and location of cell organelles (except the flagellar apparatus) has been investigated in detail using an absolute configuration analysis. With the exception of a doubling of the flagella and of the secondary cytoskeletal microtubule system,S. exsultans has the exact same complement of organelles occupying the same relative positions as has been described forS. similis. The two species are therefore correctly placed in the same genus. The usefulness of absolute orientations of cell organelles for green algal taxonomy and phylogeny is stressed.Dedicated to Prof.M. Mix on the occasion of her 60th birthday.     

Efficient fertile plant regeneration from protoplasts of the Indica rice breeding line IR72 (Oryza sativa L.)

Protoplasts were isolated from embryogenic cell suspensions obtained from mature seed derived embryogenic callus of the advanced Indica type rice breeding line IR72 available from IRRI (International Rice Research Institute), Manila. Culture of protoplasts with the agarose bead type method without nurse culture led to sustained proliferation of protoplast derived clones. A simple culture protocol was developed which stimulated embryogenic development. Germination of somatic embryos has so far produced 277 green plants from 6 independent experiments. 117 plants have been transferred to soil and are growing in the greenhouse. A few of them have already flowered and set seeds.Abbreviations 2,4-D, 2,4 Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid - BAP Benzylaminopurine - CH Casein hydrolysate - ECS Embryogenie cell suspension - Kn Kinetin - NAA Napthaleneacetic acid; Media: - AA Muller and Grafe 1978 - MS Murashige and Skoog 1962 - N6 Chu et al. 1975 - R2 Ohira et al. 1973     

Genetic Analysis of the Epidermal Differentiation Complex (EDC) on Human Chromosome 1q21: Chromosomal Orientation, New Markers, and a 6-Mb YAC Contig

The epidermal differentiation complex (EDC) unites a remarkable number of structurally, functionally, and evolutionarily related genes that play an important role in terminal differentiation of the human epidermis. It is localized within 2.05 Mb of region q21 on human chromosome 1. We have identified and characterized 24 yeast artificial chromosome (YAC) clones by mapping individual EDC genes, sequence-tagged site (STS) markers (D1S305, D1S442, D1S498, D1S1664), and 10 new region-specific probes (D1S3619–D1S3628). Here we present a contig that covers about 6 Mb of 1q21 including the entire EDC. Fluorescencein situhybridization on metaphase chromosomes with two YACs flanking the EDC determined its chromosomal orientation and established, in conjunction with physical mapping results, the following order of genes and STSs: 1cen–D1S442–D1S498–S100A10–THH–FLG–D1S1664–IVL–SPRR3–SPRR1–SPRR2–LOR–S100A9–S100A8–S100A7–S100A6–S100A5–S100A4–S100A3–S100A2–S100A1–D1S305–1qtel. These integrated physical, cytogenetic, and genetic mapping data will be useful for linkage analyses of diseases associated with region 1q21 and for the identification of novel genes and regulatory elements in the EDC.     

IMMUNOLOCALIZATION OF CENTRIN IN OXYRRHIS MARINA (DINOPHYCEAE)1

A new polyclonal antibody was raised against centrin isolated from the flagellate green alga Spermatozopsis similis (Chlorophyta; anti-SSC). It stains by immunofluorescence and immunoelectron microscopy well-known reference systems for centrin like the nucleus–basal body connectors in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii (Chlorophyta) and the system II fibers (rhizoplasts) of Scherffelia dubia (Chlorophyta). In addition, it recognizes in immunoblots a single 20-kDa protein in isolated cytoskeletons of Spermatozopsis similis and Tetraselmis striata (Chlorophyta) as well as purified centrin isolated from Tetraselmis striata. Using this antibody, centrin was localized in whole cells and isolated cytoskeletons of Oxyrrhis marina Dujardin (Dinophyceae) by immunofluorescence and immunogold electron microscopy. In the flagellar apparatus of O. marina, five different structures were antigenic. Four short fibers (connectives 1–4) link the basal bodies to the four major fibrous flagellar roots, which do not cross-react with anti-centrin. The most prominent of the labeled structures (connective 5), a crescent-shaped fiber, extends from the flagellar canal of the transverse flagellum along the base of the tentacle to the flagellar canal of the longitudinal flagellum, interconnecting the distal parts of the microtubular roots/bands in the basal apparatus. For most of its length, it underlies and is connected to a transversely oriented subamphiesmal microtubular band. In immunoblot analyses, anti-SSC recognizes only a single 20-kDa protein in cytoskeletons of O. marina. Functional and phylogenetic aspects of centrin-containing structures in dinoflagellates are discussed.