Mesophyll conductance decreases in the wild type but not in an ABA‐deficient mutant (aba1) of Nicotiana plumbaginifolia under drought conditions

Under drought conditions, leaf photosynthesis is limited by the supply of CO₂. Drought induces production of abscisic acid (ABA), and ABA decreases stomatal conductance (g_s). Previous papers reported that the drought stress also causes the decrease in mesophyll conductance (g_m). However, the relationships between ABA content and g_m are unclear. We investigated the responses of g_m to the leaf ABA content [(ABA)_L] using an ABA‐deficient mutant, aba1, and the wild type (WT) of Nicotiana plumbaginifolia. We also measured leaf water potential (Ψ_L) because leaf hydraulics may be related to g_m. Under drought conditions, g_m decreased with the increase in (ABA)_L in WT, whereas both (ABA)_L and g_m were unchanged by the drought treatment in aba1. Exogenously applied ABA decreased g_m in both WT and aba1 in a dose‐dependent manner. Ψ_L in WT was decreased by the drought treatment to ?0.7 MPa, whereas Ψ_L in aba1 was around ?0.8 MPa even under the well‐watered conditions and unchanged by the drought treatment. From these results, we conclude that the increase in (ABA)_L is crucial for the decrease in g_m under drought conditions. We discuss possible relationships between the decrease in g_m and changes in the leaf hydraulics.     

Extreme population genetic differentiation and secondary contact in the freshwater copepod Acanthodiaptomus pacificus in the Japanese Archipelago

We investigated the sequence variation in the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (mtCOI) gene and the nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacers (ncITS) of the calanoid copepod Acanthodiaptomus pacificus in Japan. A. pacificus individuals were divided into three divergent mtCOI lineages (mt-A, -B and -C). mt-A was distributed in the northernmost part of Japan, from Hokkaido to the northern part of Honshu Island, whereas mt-C was the southernmost lineage, distributed from central Honshu to Shikoku and Kyushu Islands. mt-B was distributed between these former two lineages, resulting in parapatry with mt-C and mt-A. In all lineages, 80% of the localities were fixed for a single haplotype, and different localities tended to have different haplotypes. The degree of genetic differentiation among these lineages (15–22%) was at an interspecific level, according to the criteria of the DNA barcode technique. However, the topology of ncITS was not congruent with that of mtCOI, as the reciprocal monophyly was not observed within mt-B and mt-C. Therefore, we merged them into the Southern Lineage and separated it from the Northern Lineage (i.e. mt-A). Evidence of introgression was found within the Southern Lineage, while gene flow was not observed between the Northern and Southern Lineages, suggesting that A. pacificus is a cryptic species complex. We also argue that genetic differentiations of A. pacificus in Japan may reflect the history of separation, transgression and regression of the landmass during the formation of current Japanese Archipelago.     

EFFECT OF DNP ON ACCELERATION OF THE CLEAVAGE FOLLOWING INSUFFICIENT PARTHENOGENETIC ACTIVATION IN THE SEA URCHIN EGG*

Unfertilized eggs of sea urchins, Hemicentrotus pulcherrimus and Pseudocentrotus depressus, were treated with 4–5% butyric acid-sea water for 40–60 sec so that they were activated partheno-genetically without visible cortical changes. When these insufficiently activated eggs were inseminated 90–120 min after butyric acid-treatment, they divided much earlier than the control eggs in the first cleavage cycle. In the present paper, it becomes clear that if eggs are put into m /2,000-m /16,000 DNP-sea water at 60 min after insufficient activation and 30 min later, returned to normal sea water and then inseminated, they still show acceleration of the first cleavage in the same degree as the eggs which are not treated with DNP, while if eggs are exposed to DNP for 30 min prior to the insufficient activation or within 60 min after the activation, they do not show any acceleration of the cleavage. From these results, it may be concluded that some preparations for cleavage acceleration which are arrested by DNP become ready in the eggs at an early period in the first cleavage cycle and these preparations cannot be cancelled by DNP-treatment once they have been completed.     

ROLE OF GLUCOCORTICOIDS IN TERMINAL DIFFERENTIATION AND TISSUE-SPECIFIC FUNCTION (A REVIEW)

Glucocorticoids (GCs) are required by many kinds of organs, tissues and cells for initiation or maintenance of their specific functions in vivo and in vitro. It is noticeable that most of these GC actions can be induced at much lower levels of dosage or concentration than the well-known actions of the steroids in gluconeogenesis, immune suppression and anti-inflammation. Such "differentiation-stimulating" actions of GC are regarded as main physiological roles of the steroid.     

DNA-based analysis of planktonic methanotrophs in a stratified lake

1. The assemblage of planktonic methanotrophs in a stratified freshwater lake was investigated. Vertical patterns were analysed by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis, using the primer pair specific for 16S rRNA genes of type I methanotrophs.
2. The resulting banding patterns could be divided into three distinct groups, and sequenced bands were all related to the Methylobacter species. No amplicon was obtained with the primer pair specific for type II methanotrophs.
3. Cloning analysis of the pmoA gene was performed using samples from three water depths (epilimnion, metalimnion and hypolimnion). The compositions of the clone libraries from the three depths were distinct from each other but all three libraries were dominated by clones related to Methylobacter species.     

Macrochelid mite fauna in the eastern part of the Lesser Sunda Islands, with description of two new species

Thirteen species in four genera of mites of the family Macrochelidae phoretic on dung beetles were collected in the eastern part of the Lesser Sunda Islands, Indonesia, providing the first record of the family for that area. Of these, two species, Macrocheles entetiensis Hartini and Takaku, sp. nov. and Macrocheles sumbaensis Hartini and Takaku, sp. nov., are new to science. The remaining 11 species are Glyptholaspis fimicola, Holostaspella bifoliata, Macrocheles baliensis, Macrocheles sp. aff. glaber, M. hallidayi, M. kraepelini, M. krantzi, M. limue, M. merdarius, M. oigru and Neopodocinum sinicum.     

Cryptically dimorphic caste differences in a Neotropical, swarm-founding paper wasp genus, Parachartergus (Hymenoptera: Vespidae)

Morphological differences in body shape between females of different reproductive conditions (in terms of insemination and ovarian development) were examined in two species of the Neotropical polistine genus Parachartergus: P. smithii and P. fraternus. The present study shows, for the first time, that non‐size‐based morphological divergence between queens and workers occurs in Parachartergus, an epiponine genus once believed to have little or no morphological caste differences. In the P. smithii colony examined, queens were significantly larger than workers in five of the eight body parts measured (head width, eye width, genal width, mesosomal length, wing length, first metasomal tergum width, and width and length of the second tergum), but the mean values of wing length and first and second tergum widths were not significantly different between them. The queen : worker size ratios tended to be greater anteriorly and smaller posteriorly, although the size ratio was greatest in second tergum length. Analysis of covariance (ancova ) with mesosomal length as covariate showed that queens had proportionally wider heads and narrower first terga than did workers. In the P. fraternus colony, size differences between queens and workers were not significant, and there was little or no difference in shape, but queens had significantly proportionally wider first terga than did workers.     

The role of electrogenic xylem pumps in K+ absorption from the zylem of Vigna unguiculata: the effects of auxin and fusicoccin

Abstract We tested the hypothesis that electrogenic ion pumps, working at the parenchyma symplast/xylem interface of pea hypocotyls, provide the driving force for K⁺ uptake from the xylem. Solutions of known composition were perfused through a hypocotyl segment. The K⁺ activity of the solution flowing out of the xylem (K⁺_out) increased (i.e. K⁺ uptake decreased) when aerobic respiration was inhibited by lack of O₂, and this was preceded by a decrease in V_px (electrical potential difference between parenchyma symplast and xylem). Perfusion with auxin (1AA) and fusicoccin (FC) stimulated the electrogenic activity of the ‘xylem pumps’ (111 and 205% respectively) and stimulated uptake of K ⁺ from the xylem (with 71% and 29% respectively). The close correlation between xylem pump activity and K⁺ uptake corroborated the aforementioned hypothesis. Interestingly, inhibition of pump activity by anoxia was incomplete in the presence of FC. It is thought that FC increases the affinity of the ATP-requiring xylem pump for ATP, thus ensuring that ATP production during fermentation is sufficient to fuel the pump in the absence of O₂.