Release of secondary sporidia ofNeovossia indica from inoculated wheat spikes

Wheat-spikes inoculated withN. indica at the boot-leaf stage produced secondary sporidia when later incubated (intact/detached) under moist conditions in the laboratory. Sporidia were also released from inoculated spikes in the field where sporidial release exhibited diurnal periodicity. More sporidia were trapped between 5–6 o'clock than during the later parts of the day but no sporidia were trapped between 14–18 o'clock. However, they could be trapped at any time of the day from the detached spikes incubated under moist conditions in the laboratory. Sporidia trapped in different experiments were invariably of the allantoid type and they proved viable and infective. Maximum sporidia developed on the outer glumes of florets, and this observation was supported by scanning electron microcope studies. Sporidia developed at 15 and 20°C but not at 30°C. These findings indicated that repeated cycles of sporidial production in spikes provided more inoculum than expected from soil-borne teliospores ofN. indica.     

Synthesis and evaluation of Triticum durum — T. monococcum amphiploids

Summary Nine Triticum durum — T. monococcum amphiploids (AABBA^mA^m) were synthesized by chromosome doubling of sterile triploid F₁ hybrids involving nine T. durum (AABB) cultivars and a T. monococcum (A^mA^m) line. The triploid F₁ hybrids had a range of 4–7 bivalents and 7–13 univalents per PMC. The synthetic amphiploids, however, showed a high degree of preferential pairing of chromosomes of the A genomes of diploid and tetraploid wheats. The amphiploids were meiotically stable and fully fertile. Superiority of four amphiploids for tiller number per plant, 100-grain weight, protein content and resistance to Karnal bunt demonstrated that these could either be commercially exploited as such after overcoming certain inherent defects or used to introgress desirable genes into durum and bread wheat cultivars. Methods for improvement of these amphiploids are discussed.     

Impedimetric evaluation of the efficiency of disinfectants against biofilms

An impedimetric evaluation of disinfectant efficacy has shown that biofilms of Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Salmonella enteritidis and Listeria mono-cytogenes attached to polyvinyl chloride (PVC), Teflon, Plexiglass, wood, rubber and stainless steel are more resistant than the same bacteria in suspension. Based on the activity against the test-organisms after 1, 3 and 5 min with exposures to 0.5, 1 and 2% of each disinfectant, the resistance towards disinfection was related to the type of hard-surface to which biofilms were attached.     

Attempted Transformation of Wheat (Triticum aestivum) and Tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) by Plasmid DNA Uptake Via the Pollen-tube Pathway

Plasmid DNA (CaMVGUS, containing β-glucuronldase gene) was used to transform developing seed of wheat and tobacco through pollen-tube pathway. The DNA was applied on the ovule end of excised styles and stigmas of wheat and tobacco after pollination. None of the 272 wheat and 13,567 tobacco plants obtained after application of the isolated DNA showed β-glucuronidase activity suggesting that the pollen-tube pathway may not be effective for transformation of plants.     

Genetics of yellow berry in wheat (Triticum aestivum)

Summary The inheritance of yellow berry, a grain disorder in durum and bread wheats, was studied in six intervarietal crosses in bread wheat. The trait was found to be controlled by either two or three dominant genes. Monosomic analysis using Chinese Spring monosomic series showed the presence of two major dominant genes on chromosomes 1A and 7A, and four modifiers on 4A, 4B, 6A and 6D, which influence the expression of yellow berry in bread wheat.     

Developmentally regulated rearrangement and expression of genes encoding the T cell receptor-T3 complex

Human leukemic cells corresponding to the earliest identifiable stages of intrathymic T cell differentiation lack cell surface expression of the T cell receptor(TCR alpha/beta)-T3 complex but transcribe TCR beta mRNA from either germ-line configuration (1/13) or partially (DJ) or fully (VDJ) rearranged (12/13) genes. These cells do not produce TCR alpha mRNA, but do contain T3 delta and T3 epsilon mRNA and accumulate T3 polypeptides, primarily in the perinuclear envelope. Equivalent normal T cells isolated from thymus have a predominantly germ-line configuration of TCR beta but contain intracellular T3 proteins. T3 gene expression is therefore a very early event in T cell differentiation. TCR alpha chain production appears to be the limiting maturation-linked event in the transport, assembly, and cell surface membrane insertion of the TCR alpha/beta-T3 complex.     

Genetic variability and improvement of seed proteins in wheat

Summary Albumins, globulins, gliadins and glutenins presumably comprising 100 percent of the wheat seed proteins were sequentially extracted and electrophoresed on SDS-polyacrylamide gels. The SDS-electrophoretic patterns within each of the four fractions from T. boeotiaum, T. urartu, T. turgidum, T. timopheevii, T. aestivum, Ae. speltoides and Ae. squawosa were similar. They differed from one species to another only in a few minor components or density of certain components. Similarity in MW's of components, as indicated by the SDS-electrophoretic patterns, suggests that the wheats and Aegilops exhibit no variability for structural genes coding seed proteins. A minimum of 60 to 70 and a maximum of 360 to 420 structural genes with major or minor effects control the total seed protein in T. aestivum. Presumably, only one or the other homoeoallele was expressed in the polyploids. Different components of albumins and globulins presumably had distinct MW's and amino acid composition, while the components of gliadins and glutenins could be classified into a few groups each containing one or more components with the same MW and nearly identical amino acid composition. The genes for components with similar MW's and amino acid composition arose through multiplication of a single original gene and perhaps share the same regulatory mechanism. Seed protein content and quality in wheat might be improved through the incorporation of structural genes, coding for polypeptides with distinct MW's, from distantly related species, rather than by manipulation of the structural genes within the Triticum-Aegilops group. Regulatory mutants similar to opaque-2 of corn could be used to alter the proportion of gliadins in relation to albumins and globulins, to improve amino acid composition of wheat proteins.     

Genetics of glucosephosphate isomerase in Aedes togoi (Diptera: Culicidae)

The genetics of glucosephosphate isomerase (E.C. 5.3.1.9) in two strains (Malaysian and Taiwan) of Aedes togoi is reported. Three electrophoretic phenotypes were present in both sexes. The zymogram patterns were identical in both strains of A. togoi. The phenotypes were governed by a pair of codominant alleles. The allele frequency of the slow-moving band was 0.63 in the Malaysian strain and was 0.86 and 0.82 in F161 and F169 generations, respectively, of the Taiwan strain. The sample studied was in good accord with Hardy-Weinberg expectations.     

Biochemical selection of immature,haploid embryos of Zea mays L.

Summary A method was devised for the biochemical selection of immature, haploid Zea mays embryos using Adh1 ^– and either the Stock 6 or indeterminate gametophyte (ig in W23) high haploid-inducing systems. Haploid (Adh1 ^–) embryos survived exposure to levels of allyl alcohol which killed diploid (Adh1 ⁺/Adh1 ^–) embryos. Of the total surviving embryos which were examined cytologically 15% (using ig) and 22% (using Stock 6) were haploid. In two experiments with Stock 6, 100% of the surviving embryos were haploid. To obtain maximum effectiveness of Stock 6 and ig, Adh1 ^– was transferred to stock 6 and W23 backgrounds. Immature, haploid embryos are being used to develop haploid, morphogenic tissue cultures of Zea mays.     

REPRODUCTIVE ISOLATION OF TRITICUM BOEOTICUM AND TRITICUM URARTU AND THE ORIGIN OF THE TETRAPLOID WHEATS

The diploid wheats Triticum boeoticum and T. urartu are sympatric with one another throughout the geographic range of the wild tetraploids. Reciprocal crosses between ecogeographic types within each diploid species gave viable seed, but interspecific crosses consistently gave viable seed only when T. boeoticum was the female parent. Apparently urartu cytoplasm in combination with the boeoticum genome resulted in nonviable seed. The endosperm failed to develop normally despite regular endosperm fertilization. The F₁ plants obtained were completely self sterile although they showed regular intergenomic pairing (7II) at meiosis. Presumably the accumulation of cryptic differences between the two closely related genomes under reproductive isolation accounts for this sterility. The same accumulated cryptic differences could largely account for the preferential diploid pairing in the tetrapolid wheats which presumably were derived from such hybrids by chromosome doubling. The behavior of reciprocal crosses between the diploids and tetraploids suggested that T. boeoticum contributed the cytoplasm to both of the wild tetraploid species.