Book Review

Book reviewed in this article:
AUSTRALIAN WEEVILS. By E. C. Zimmerman. Vol. I: Primitive Weevils, Anthribidae to Attelabidae, pp. 1–741, with appendix, Nemonychidae of Australia, New Guinea and New Caledonia by G. Kuschel, 1994 ISBN 0 643 05145 7. Vol. II: Brentidae, Eurhynchidae, Apionidae, plus Introduction to Immature Stages of Australian Curculionoidea by Brenda M. May     

REVIEWS

Book reviewed in this article:
Sir Joseph Banks: the Autocrat of the Philosophers, 1744–1820. By H. C. C ameron .
Genes and Mutations. Cold Spring Harbor Symposia on Quantitative Biology, vol. xvi.
Atlas zur Bestimmung rezenter und fossiler Pollen und Sporen. By F r . J onas
Lecture Notes on the Use of the Microscope. By R. B arer .
Phylogeny and Morphogenesis. By C. W. W ardlaw .
Annual Review of Plant Physiology , Vol. 3. Ed. by D. I. A rnon and L. M achlis .     

Pollen characteristics of the tribes Calycophylleae, Cinchoneae, and Hillieae (Rubiaceae)

Pollen grains were studied on acetolysed material with the aid of the SEM. They may be classified into four types. Type I is characterized by thick (0.92.1 μm) exine with reticulate surface, by distinct colpi with acute ends, and by distinct ora. It occurs in the genera Alseis, Calycophyllum, Ferdinandusa , and Schizocalyx. Ferdinandusa is further characterized by its lumina being differentiated into two distinct size classes. Type II is characterized by a usually thin (usually 0.7–1.1 μm) exine with foveolate surface, by distinct colpi with obtuse to truncate ends, and by poorly demarcated ora. It occurs in Cinchona, Joosia, Ladenbergia , and Remijia . Pollen grains of Joosia are mostly 4–colporate. Type III is characterized by a thick (1.7–2.0 μm) exine with coarsely reticulate surface, colpi are lacking or short and the ora are clearly demarcated. It occurs only in Capirona . Type IV is characterized by a thin (0.5–0.8 μm) exine with a psilate or foveolate surface and usually indistinct colpi with obtuse ends, and by distinct ora. It occurs in Cosmibuena and Dolicholobium . Pollen grains of Balmea, Hillia, Macrocnemum, Stilpnophyllum , and Wittmackanthus , combining features of Type I and II, do not fit into either of these four groups. It is concluded that both the tribes Calycophylleae and Cinchoneae remain eurypalynous in spite of a recent emendation. It is suggested that pollen characters serve best to characterize genera and small groups of genera. It is further suggested that Type I pollen is plesiomorphic in most or all characteristics.     

REVIEWS

Book reviewed in this article:
British Mycological Society , 1896ndash;1946: Proceedings of the Jubilee Meeting held in London , 20ndash;25 October , 1946.
Vernalization and Photoperiodism. A Symposium. By A. E. M urneek , R. O. W hyte et al.
Flora Malesiana. Series 1, vol. 4, Spermatophyta , part 1. 9¾× 6½ in. Pp. i-xl (Introduction, General Considerations), 1–39 (Taxonomic Revisions), 1–24 (Sample treatment of vol. 1, special part), 1–10 (Sample treatment of vol. 2), 1–6 (Sample treatment of vol. 3); 1 plate and 71 text-figures. Batavia: Noordhoff-Kolff N.V. 1948. 1 guilder Netherlands pro 16 printed pages (averaging 240 pages per annum).     

REVIEW

Book reviews in this article:
"P flanzenphysiologie ," Vol. II., Part 2; pp. 353–986, By Dr. W. P feffer     

The structure and subunit composition of the particulate NADH-ubiquinone reductase of bovine heart mitochondria.

Preparations of NADH-ubiquinone reductase from bovine heart mitochondria (Complex I) were shown to contain at least 16 polypeptides by gel electrophoresis in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulphate. 2. High-molecular-weight soluble NADH dehydrogenase prepared from Triton X-100 extracts of submitochondrial particles [Baugh & King (1972) Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 49, 1165-1173] was similar to Complex I in its polypeptide composition. 3. Solubilization of Complex I by phospholipase A treatment and subsequent sucrose-density-gradient centrifugation did not alter the polypeptide composition. 4. Lysophosphatidylcholine treatment of Complex I caused some selective solubilization of a polypeptide of mol.wt. 33000 previosuly postulated to be the transmembrane component of Complex I in the mitochondrial membrane [Ragan (1975) in Energy Transducing Membranes: Structure, Function and Reconstitution (Bennun, Bacila & Najjar, eds.), Junk, The Hague, in the press]. 5. Chaotropic resolution of Complex I caused solubilization of polypeptides of molecular weights 75000, 53000, 29000, 26000 and 15500 and traces of others in the 10000-20000-mol.wt.range. 6. The major components of the iron-protein fraction from chaotropic resolution had molecular weights of 75000, 53000 and 29000, whereas the flavoprotein contained polypeptides of molecular weights 53000 and 26000 in a 1:1 molar ratio. 7. Iodination of Complex I by lactoperoxidase indicated that the water-soluble polypeptides released by chaotropic resolution, in particular those of the flavoprotein fraction, were largely buried in the intact Complex. 8. The polypeptides of molecular weights 75000, 53000, 42000, 39000, 33000, 29000 and 26000 were present in 1:2:1:1:1:1:1 molar proportions. The two subunits of molecular weight 53000 are probably non-identical.     

Extinctions and migrations of Devonian rugose corals in the Eastern Americas Realm

Oliver, W. A., Jr. 1990 04 15: Extinctions and migrations of Devonian rugose corals in The Eastern Americas Realm. Lethaia , Vol. 23 , pp. 167–178. Oslo. ISSN 0024–1164.
Detailed plotting of the stratigraphic ranges of Devonian rugose coral genera within the Eastern Americas Realm reveals new information about the extinctions and migrations of this largely endemic fauna. There were significant faunal turnovers in the Lochkovian, middle Eifelian and late Givetian. as well as in the often discussed late Frasnian. The late Givetian turnover was nearly as great as the Frasnian one. Inward migration was principally from western North America, and the greatest influxes were during the carly Givetian and Frasnian. It seems likely that there were several separate incursions and that some genera were introduced to the east two, or even three times.     

Review

Book reviewed in this article:
Laasimer, L., Kuusk, V., Tabaka, L., & Lekavicius, L. (eds). A. Flora of the Baltic Countries, Compendium of Vascular Plants vol. I.
Kuusk, V., Tabaka, L., &Jankeviciene, R. (eds). Flora of the Baltic Countries, Compedium of Vascular Plants vol. II.     

Book Reviews

Book reviewed in this article:
BONING, J.: The insect ovary. Ultrastructure, previtello-genic growth and evolution
ROBINSON, G. S.; NIELSEN, E. S.: Tineid Genera of Australia. Monographs on Australian Lepidoptera, Vol. 2
COMMON, I. F. B.: Oecophorine genera of Australia I. The Wingia group. Monographs on Australian Lepidoptera, Vol. 3
REAL, L. A. (ed.): Ecological genetics
KRIMBAS, C. B.: Drosophila subobscura. Biology, Genetics and Inversion Polymorphism
BENECKE, N.: Der Mensch und seine Haustiere     

Purification and characterization of two types of alkaline serine proteases produced by an alkalophilic actinomycete

T sujibo , H., M iyamoto , K., H asegawa , T. & I namori , Y. 1990. Purification and characterization of two types of alkaline serine proteases produced by an alkalophilic actinomycete. Journal of Applied Bacteriology 69 , 520–529.
Two types of alkaline serine proteases were isolated from the culture filtrate of an alkalophilic actinomycete, Nocardiopsis dassonvillei OPC-210. The enzymes (protease I and protease II) were purified by acetone precipitation, DEAE-Sephadex A-50, CM-Sepharose CL-6B, Sephadex G-75 and phenyl-Toyopearl 650 M column chromatography. The purified enzymes showed a single band on sodium dodecyl sulphate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The molecular weights of proteases I and II were 21000 and 36000, respectively. The pIs were 6.4 (protease I) and 3.8 (protease II). The optimum pH levels for the activity of two proteases were pH 10–12 (protease I) and pH 10.5 (protease II). The optimum temperature for the activity of protease I was 70°C and that for protease II was 60°C. Protease I was stable in the range of pH 4.0–8.0 up to 60°C and protease II was stable in the range of pH 6.0–12.0 up to 50°C.     

Four kilograms of information: ramdom thoughts on Histocompatibility Testing 1987

B. Dupont (ed.): Immunobiology of HLA, Vol. I, Histocompatibility Testing 1987; Vol. II, Immunogenetics and Histocompatibility, Springer, New York, 1989.     

Modeling Cretaceous-Tertiary boundary events with extant photosynthetic plankton: effects of impact-related acid rain

Griffis, K. & Chapman, D. J. 1990 10 15: Modeling Cretaceous-Tertiary boundary events with extant photosynthetic plankton: effects of impact-related acid rain. Lethaia , Vol. 23, pp. 379–383. OSIO. ISSN 0024–1164.
An acid rain phenomenon has previously been proposed as one of the consequences of a bolide impact contributing to the extinctions at the Cretaceous-Tertiary boundary. This hypothesis has been tested by observing the growth responses of four organisms under simulated acid rain conditions. Two of these phytoplankton, Ditylum (a diatom) and Thoracosphaera (a dinoflagellate). are genera that persisted through the boundary, while the other two, Coccolithus (a coccolithophorid) and Gonyaulax (a dinoflagellate), are post-boundary genera. Ditylum and Coccolithus survive the acid rain simulation. but with the loss of scales in Coccolithus . The two dinoflagellate are sensitive to acid rain simulations. with Gonyaulax unable to survive beyond seven days. The results indicate that acid rain may have contributed to the Cretaceous-Tertiary boundary extinctions. but that the changes resulting from the acid rain were not as severe as postulated or were short-lived and quickly dissipated. ▭ Acid rain, coccolithophorids. Cretaceous/Tertiary extinctions, diatons, dinoflagellates, phytoplankton .     

Book Reviews

Book reviewed in this article:
Trees of Ireland. Native and Naturalized. E. Charles Nelson and Wendy F. Walsh. 256 pp., 30 colour plates.
A man who can speak of plants. Dr Thomas Coulter (1793–1843) of Dundalk in Ireland, Mexico and Alta California. E. Charles Nelson & Alan Probert. 192 pp., 52 figures & photographs and 8 colour plates.
Siebold's Florilegium of Japanese Plants: Florilegium Plantarum Japonicarum Sieboldii. Yojiro Kimura and Valerii I. Grubov (eds.). Vol. 1, 2 parts (Colour plates); Vol. 2 (Articles and Catalogue).     

New genera of Copepoda (Poecilostomatoida) from the scleractinian coral Psammocora in New Caledonia

Three new monotypic genera of copepods (Poecilostomatoida) are associated with the hermatypic shallow-water coral Psammocora (Stephanaria) logianensis near Noumea, New Caledonia: in the Anchimolgidae, Lipochaetes extrusus (antenna 4-segmented, endopods absent in legs 3 and 4) and Dumbeana undulatipes (antenna 3-segmcntcd, endopod of leg 3 with formula 0 1; 0–2; 1,11,2; leg 4 endopod with 0 1:1); and in the Rhynchomolgidae; Emunoa proknta (leg 4 endopod with 0 1;II, antenna 4-segmented, mandible witli outer pointed process and inner row of spines). Copepoda (primarily Poecilostomatoida and Siphonostomatoida, but also relatively few Cyclopoida and Harpacticoida) are very frequent associates or parasites of Scleractinia. At present 245 species from 48 scleractinian coral genera are known. Species of these copepod associates, their host genera, and localities, described since (and those not included in) previous publications of the author are listed.     

Definition of a Sequence Unique in βII Spectrin Required for Its Axon-Specific Interaction with Fodaxin (A60)

Abstract: Spectrin isotypes segregate in neurons and are differentially distributed between axons and somatodendritic compartments. Their functions in those compartments are likely to be mediated by proteins that interact selectively with one or other isotype. Fodaxin (an axon-specific protein previously termed A60) colocalizes in CNS neurons with axonal spectrin and in vitro binds brain spectrin (a mixture of αI, βI, αII, and βII polypeptides) but not erythrocyte spectrin (αI and βI). Because αII and βII spectrin polypeptides are enriched in axons, we investigated a possible binding of fodaxin to the types of spectrin found in axons. Fodaxin did not bind to isolated brain α chains. Bacterially expressed C-terminal segments 18–19 of βII spectrin bound to fodaxin and inhibited the binding of fodaxin to whole brain spectrin. By contrast, recombinant segments 18–19 of the somatodendritic βIΣ2 spectrin showed no interaction with fodaxin. Within βII, fodaxin binding activity was localized to residues 2,087–2,198, which are unique to βII and link between the end of segment 18 and the pleckstrin homology domain in segment 19. The divergent regions of sequence in segments 19 of βII and βIΣ2 are candidates to mediate the isotype-specific functions of spectrin. Fodaxin is the first protein to be described that discriminates between the unique regions of β spectrin isoforms.     

Book Reviews

Book reviewed in this article:
Buning, J.: The insect ovary. Ultrastructure, previtello-genic growth and evolution.
Robinson, G. S. Nielsen, E. S.: Tineid Genera of Australia.
Common, I. F. B.: Oecophorine genera of Australia I. The Wingia group.
REAL, L. A. (ed.): Ecological genetics. 95–195
KRIMBAS, C. B.: Drosophila subobscura. Biology, Genetics and Inversion Polymorphism.
BENECKE, N.: Der Mensch und seine Haustiere.     

Site-specific restriction endonucleases in cyanobacteria

AIM: Planktic cyanobacteria were screened for endodeoxyribonucleases. Principal component analysis (PCA) was employed to demonstrate a potential relationship between certain enzymes and a group of cyanobacteria. The data were obtained from a data bank and this study. METHODS AND RESULTS: Enzymes were partially purified using column chromatography. Anabaena strains contained Asp83/1I (5'-TTCGAA-3'), Asp83/1II (5'-GGCC-3'), Asp90I (5'-ACRYGT-3') and five isoschizomeric enzymes (5'-ATCGAT-3'). Aphanizomenon and Microcystis strains contained ApcTR183I (5'-TGCGCA-3') and Msp199I (5'-CCGG-3'), respectively. Planktothrix strains possessed Psc2I (5'-GAANNNNTTC-3'), Psc27I and Psc28I (5'-TTCGAA-3'). PCA showed that the most common cyanobacterial endonuclease types were AvaII, AvaI and AsuII. CONCLUSIONS: All planktic cyanobacteria studied contained restriction endonucleases. The defined restriction endonucleases were isoschizomers of known enzymes. The Nostoc and the Spirulina genera had an association, while the majority of the genera had no association with certain endonuclease type(s). SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: The defined enzymes in this study and the estimated trend in the endonuclease type distribution allow more efficient avoidance of cyanobacterial restriction barriers.     

BUCHBESPRECHUNGEN

Book reviewed in this article:
reviews type of article–
M ason , J. L. (ed.): Evolution of domesticated animals . London, New York: Longman 1984.
G riffiths , G. C. D. (ed.): Flies of the Nearctic Region . Vol. VIII: Cyclorrhapha II (Schizophora: Calyptratae), Part 2 Anthomyiidae, Number 1 by G. C. D. G riffiths . Stuttgart: E. Schweitzerbart'sche Verlagsbuchhandlung 1982.
S impson , G. G.: Penguins . Past and Present, Here and There. New Haven and London: Yale University Press 1983.
G ans , E.; P ouch , F. H. (eds.): Biology of the Reptilia . Vol. 12. New York – London: Academic Press 1982. 564 S. DM 353,–. G ans , E. (ed.):
M atsuno , K.; D ose , K.; H arada , K.; R ohlfing , D. L. (eds.): Molecular Evolution and Protobiology . New York, London
F elsenstein , J. (ed.): Numerical Taxonomy . Nato AS1 Series. Series G Ecological Sciencesxs
S meets , W. J. A. J.; N ieuwenhuys , R.; R oberts , B. L.: The Central Nervous System of Cartilaginous Fishes . Structure and Functional Correlations. Berlin, Heidelberg, New York: Springer 1983
H echt , M. K.; W allace , B.; P range , G. T. (eds.): Evolutionary Biology . Vol. 18. New York and London     

BOOK REVIEW

Drug Addiction, Volumes I and II: Handbook of Experimental Pharmacology, Vol. 45/1 and II (Editor W. R. M artin )     

Book review

International Regulation of Whaling: From Conservation of Whaling to Conservation of Whales and Regulation of Whale‐Watching, by Patricia Birnie. Oceana Publications, 1985. 2 volumes: Vol. I ISBN 0–379–20602–1: Vol. II ISBN 0–379–20604–8, $100 per set.