Spatial organization of transport domains and subdomain formation in the plasma membrane of Chara corallina

Pattern formation mechanisms in developing organisms determine cellular differentiation and function. However, the components that interact during the manifestation of a spatial pattern are in general unknown. Characean algae represent a model system to study pattern formation. These algae develop alternating acid and alkaline transport domains that influence the pattern of growth. In the present study, it will be demonstrated that a diffusion mechanism is implicated in acid and alkaline domain formation and this growth pattern. Experiments on the characean growth pattern were performed that resulted in pronounced, however, unpredictable modifications in the original pattern. A major component involved in this pattern-forming mechanism emerged from the nonlinear kinetics of the H⁺-ATPase that is located in the plasma membrane of these algae. Based on these kinetics, a mathematical model was developed and numerically analyzed. As a result, the contribution of a diffusional component to the characean acid/alkaline pattern appeared most likely.This work was supported by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (grant #571 1/1) to JF.     

Lactate dehydrogenase in the cyanobacterium Microcystis PCC7806

Abstract The cyanobacterium Microcystis PCC7806 was found to possess an NAD-dependent lactate dehydrogenase (EC 1.1.1.27) which catalyzes the reduction of pyruvate to l-lactate. The enzyme required fructose 1,6-bisphosphate for activity and displayed positive cooperativity towards pyruvate. Lactate was not formed during fermentation by cell suspensions, possibly due to low intracellular concentrations of fructose 1,6-bisphosphate and/or pyruvate.     

Digest: Ecology and signal structure drive the evolution of synchronous displays in fiddler crabs*

Behaviors are often influenced by both ecology and genetics. Perez et al. tested whether display patterns and the ecology of different species of fiddler crabs influence synchronous waving and whether this a phylogenetic phenomenon. They found that there was no phylogenetic signal in wave display synchronicity, and suggested that signal structure, microhabitat complexity, and different mating systems might instead be the cause. These results support the non-phylogenetic nature of synchronicity that can be observed across animal taxa.     

Evaluation of populations of fluorescent pseudomonads related to decline of take-all patch on turfgrass

Take-all on turfgrass caused by Gaeumannomyces graminis var. avenae (Gga) occurs as patches of yellowish plants. On some patches the central zone was recolonized by the same grass species, Festuca sp., previously damaged by the fungus despite the centrifugal extension of the disease. This disease remission was assimilated to decline. Rhizosphere bacterial counts showed that total population of bacteria was nearly the same in all zones across the patches. However, the ratio of fluorescent Pseudomonas spp./ total bacteria was 1/22, 1/15.4, 1/3.5 and 1/2.9 in the disease free area, the front margin of the patch, in the damaged part of the patch, and in the recolonized central part respectively. Furthermore, in this last mentioned zone, 44 to 82% of the fluorescent Pseudomonas spp. were antagonistic in vitro to Gga, whereas only 12 to 34% from the disease free area were antagonistic. So the development of take-all on turf induced quantitative and qualitative changes in populations of fluorescent pseudomonads. The remission of the disease in the center was correlated to higher amount of antagonistic fluorescent pseudomonads in this part of the patches. This typical patch with the well defined zones can provide a good model for the study of changes in bacterial populations related to the build up of take-all decline.     

Reassessment of the vocal repertoire of a nest-building gladiator frog,Boana pardalis (Anura,Hylidae, Cophomantinae): implications for its diagnosis within the B. faber species group

In this study, we re-describe the advertisement and territorial calls of Boana pardalis, carry out an acoustic comparison between the studied species and the other congeners of the B. faber group, and report for the first time the tympanic amplexus for the studied species. The advertisement call of B. pardalis can be used to supplement its diagnosis in the B. faber group based on temporal call traits, e.g. emission rate and emission pattern, as well as the call envelope.