Electron microscopic study of bacterial development in colonies. The morphology of bacterial colonies

The morphology of colonies of some pathogenic Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria has been studied by scanning and transmitted electron microscopy. The presence of covers on the surface of cells in colonies has been revealed. The examination of colony fragments in ultrathin section has revealed that cells exist in associations and the elements of cell covers are differentiated in the form of fibrillar structures in the intracellular space. This investigation has shown that covers in the colonies of the bacteria under study should be regarded as their morphological feature playing an important role in the development of the infectious process.     

The development and vertical distribution of populations of gas-vacuolate bacteria in a eutrophic,monomictic lake

The role of gas vacuoles in the vertical stratification of planktonic bacteria is analysed. Measurements made with certain gas-vacuolate bacteria in laboratory culture suggest that only colonial forms could sink or float fast enough to form population maxima in lakes by vertical migration from other depths. It is suggested that in the case of individual cells the importance of the buoyancy provided by gas vacuoles is to minimise sinking rates and thereby to increase residence times of the organisms at depths where conditions support their growth.Changes in the vertical distribution of a number of gas-vacuolate bacteria were followed throughout the year in a monomictic, eutrophic lake (Crose Mere, Shropshire). All were restricted to the anaerobic hypolimnion which developed in summer. The various species formed maxima at different depths and times. With some of them (e.g. species of Thiopedia, Pelonema and Brachyarcus) growth was necessary to explain their development. In others (e. g. species of Pelodictyon and two colourless bacteria) vertical migrations might also have contributed to their development.     

传统豆酱发酵过程中细菌多样性动态

细菌在豆酱发酵过程中起到非常重要的作用,并与豆酱的风味和质量密切相关,因此研究豆酱中细菌的多样性具有重要意义。以自然发酵的豆酱样品为研究对象,采用细菌16S rDNA的部分可变区的PCR-DGGE技术对自然发酵豆酱样品的细菌群落组成和优势菌群进行研究。结果表明,传统豆酱发酵过程细菌群体中既有原始种群的减少和增长,也有次级种群的增多和演变。在整个发酵过程中,初期和末期以不可培养细菌为主,初期细菌群体快速演替,细菌种群多样性指数在发酵42 d和56 d达到两次高峰。     

Regularities and cellular mechanism of spontaneous mutations in enterobacteria

The regularities and a possible mechanism of the formation of spontaneous mutations in enterobacteria were studied. Possible causes and the mechanism of these processes were analyzed. It was shown that the mechanism of formation of spontaneous mutations is not related to the replication process and DNA polymerase errors. Mutations arise abruptly within 10-20 min due to a cosmophysical factor of unknown origin. It is assumed that cosmophysical radiation makes cell membranes excitable. Upon membrane pulsation, different volumes (portions) of cell substance are ejected through expanding pores. From this substance, viable heteromorphous mutant forms of colonies and cells (bio- and serum variants, L-forms, "parastrains", and new ecoforms of bacteria) are formed.     

Programmed cell death in the development of the vertebrate inner ear

Programmed cell death is known to be an essential process for accurate ontogeny during the normal development of the inner ear. The inner ear is a complex sensory organ responsible for equilibrium and sound detection in vertebrates. In all vertebrates, the inner ear develops from a single ectodermic patch on the surface of the embryo's head, which undergoes a series of morphological changes to give rise to the complex structure of the adult inner ear. Enlargement and morphogenesis of the inner ear primordium is likely to depend on cellular division, growth, migration, differentiation and apoptosis. Here we describe the regions of programmed cell death that contribute to the final morphological aspect of the adult inner ear. The few studies that focus on the molecules that control this process during inner ear development indicate that the molecules and intracellular signaling pathways activated during the apoptotic response in the inner ear are similar to the previously described for the nervous system. In this review, we will describe some of the growth factors and key pathways that regulate pro- and anti-apoptotic signals and how they cross talk to determine the apoptotic or survival fate of cells in the development of the inner ear.     

The physiological role of the carotenoid pigments of halobacterium salinarium

Summary A colorless mutant of the extremely halophilic bacterium, Halobacterium salinarium, has been isolated. In comparative experiments with the carotenoid-containing wild type, it was shown that neither type was killed upon exposure to bright sunlight under aerobic conditions. Exposure to tungsten light of an incident intensity comparable to that of bright sunlight inhibited strongly the growth of the colorless mutant; the growth of the carotenoid-containing wild type was unaffected.In their natural habitats, the extremely halophilic bacteria are usually exposed to bright sunlight. It seems likely that such light will affect the growth of these bacteria as does tungsten light. It is therefore inferred that in their natural habitats, carotenoid-containing forms will develop more freely than colorless forms, because the pigments protect the cells against an inhibitory effect of light upon growth. Carotenoid-containing forms have therefore come to dominate the population of extremely halophilic bacteria in nature.     

The effect of substrate shock on populations of starving aquatic bacteria

The effect of substrate (glucose) shock on starved mixed cultures of aquatic bacteria under conditions resembling the natural aquatic situation has been studied. The prevalent organism in the system was a Pseudomonas sp., and short-term loss of viability and long-term loss of several biochemical properties of this strain were observed. Glucose uptake rate and cell size of the population increased immediately after the shock and synchronous growth occurred subsequently. The population which became established after the shock exhibited lower glucose uptake rates at low substrate concentrations than the starved population. The relevance to similar phenomena which occur when aquatic bacteria are transferred to cultivation media is discussed.     

Individual-based models for stage structured populations: formulation of “no regression” development equations

Individual-based models describe the growth dynamics of a population by performing numerical simulations of the life histories of its individuals. The life of an individual is determined by the basic processes of development, reproduction and mortality. In this paper the model equations for the development process are stochastic difference equations with discrete time and describe the time evolution of the status of an individual, in terms of a physiological age. We address the formulation of development models, when “regression” effects (defined as negative development) on the status of an individual are forbidden; this is a natural assumption when the physiological age is defined in terms of an abstract non-decreasing indicator measuring the maturity or the percentage of development. Different stochastic models of the development process are presented, and their behaviours are analyzed by varying the stochasticity level, which takes into account the degree of intraspecific variability. Moreover, remarks on the choice of the time step are reported.     

Redox potential kinetics of the incubation medium during early development stages of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Misgurnus fossilis</Emphasis> loach

The analysis of kinetic curve of redox potential changes (ORP) of aqueous medium in the process of loach embryo population development at 17°C was conducted. The system of critical points defining periodization of the major stages of embryo development was identified on the ORP curve in the time interval up to τ₀ using novel methods for processing of nonlinear signals. It was shown that τ₀ was a natural periodization parameter of main morphological changes in an embryo known in the developmental biology.     

Gene expression during two alternative pathways of ovary development in Pisum sativum: fruit development and ovary senescence

Pea ovaries are induced to enter a fruit development pathway involving physiological and morphological changes by pollination or application of plant growth regulators. In the absence of these stimuli, overies stop growing and enter an alternative pathway of senesecence that leads to their degeneration. We have used two dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in search of molecular changes underlying fruit development and ovary senescence at the level of total accumulated proteins, newly synthesized proteins, and translatable, RNA populations. We have found changes in gene expression during the processes of ovary formation and ovary senescence. Stimuli that induce fruit set do not appreciably alter the overall patterns of synthesized proteins or translatable RNAs, indicating that fruit development is apparently a natural continuation of ovary formation. However, ovary senescence is an alternative pathway that involves the presence of new RNA messengers and proteins as well as the disappearance of others. These changes were detected earlier than any morphological or structural changes could be observed in the ovary.     

Natural variation in the degree of autonomous endosperm formation reveals independence and constraints of embryo growth during seed development in Arabidopsis thaliana

Seed development in flowering plants is a paradigm for the coordination of different tissues during organ growth. It requires a tight interplay between the two typically sexually produced structures: the embryo, developing from the fertilized egg cell, and the endosperm, originating from a fertilized central cell, along with the surrounding maternal tissues. Little is known about the presumptive signal transduction pathways administering and coordinating these different tissues during seed growth and development. Recently, a new signal has been identified emanating from the fertilization of the egg cell that triggers central cell proliferation without prior fertilization. Here, we demonstrate that there exists a large natural genetic variation with respect to the outcome of this signaling process in the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana. By using a recombinant inbred line population between the two Arabidopsis accessions Bayreuth-0 and Shahdara, we have identified two genetic components that influence the development of unfertilized endosperm. Exploiting this natural variation, we could further dissect the interdependence of embryo and endosperm growth during early seed development. Our data show an unexpectedly large degree of independence in embryo growth, but also reveal the embryo's developmental restrictions with respect to endosperm size. This work provides a genetic framework for dissection of the interplay between embryo and endosperm during seed growth in plants.     

小五台山天然青杨林雌雄群体的生长差异

通过对小五台山天然青杨种群的野外调查,并使用胸径与株高的异速生长模型来分析其雌雄群体间的生长差异,以探究雌雄异株植物青杨在性成熟条件和形态特征中是否存在性间差异。结果表明:(1)在青杨生长过程中,胸径随年龄呈指数型增长,而株高随年龄呈对数型增长;(2)雌雄植株的性成熟条件不同。雌株进入性成熟阶段的最低年龄和胸径都小于雄株;(3)青杨高径生长过程存在性别差异。雌株的异速生长指数显著大于雄株(P=0.024)。表明天然青杨种群中雌株一般性成熟较早,成熟后营养生长偏重于胸径增粗;而雄株性成熟较晚,营养生长偏重于植株增高。相对于雄株,雌株具有较高的树干机械强度。     

Electron microscopy of the infection and subsequent development of soybean nodule cells

Goodchild, D. J. (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization, Canberra, Australia), and F. J. Bergersen. Electron microscopy of the infection and subsequent development of soybean nodule cells. J. Bacteriol. 92:204-213. 1966-Electron microscopy of thin sections of the developing central tissue cells of young soybean root nodules has shown that infection is initiated by a few infection threads which penetrate cells of the young central tissue. Extension growth of the threads may be a result of pressure developed from the growth of the bacteria within the threads. Release of bacteria from a thread is preceded by the development on an infection thread of a bulge with a cellulose-free membrane-bounded extension; bacteria move from this into the host cells by an endocytotic process and remain enclosed in an infection vacuole which is bounded by a membrane of host-cell origin. Multiplication of the intracellular bacteria takes place within these vacuoles. Until the host cell becomes filled with bacteria, the vacuoles separate into discrete units at each division. Later, division of the bacteria occurs within each vacuole, thus leading to the mature structure of the central tissue cells in which several bacteria are enclosed within each membrane-bounded unit.     

The quantitative genetics of growth in a field cricket

Because of its relationship with both development time and adult size, the rate of growth in determinately growing organisms is an important aspect of their life histories. We reared sixty-nine families of Gryllus pennsylvanicus derived from a natural population and found significant genetic variation in growth rate as estimated by the slope of linearized growth trajectories. We found no evidence for a genetic tradeoff between rate of growth and survival, nor rate of growth and fecundity. In principle, adult size may be determined both by the rate of growth and the time taken by the nymphs to develop. Our data indicate that variation in adult size is explained by variation in growth rate, not by variation in development time. We conclude with a discussion of the plausible explanations for the presence of genetic variation in growth rate in this natural population.     

扇脉杓兰果实生长动态及胚胎发育过程观察

对授粉后不同发育阶段扇脉杓兰(Cypripedium japonicum Thunb.)果实的生长动态进行了观察和分析,并分别采用TrC法和常规石蜡切片法研究了种子生活力及其胚胎发育过程.观察结果湿示:扇脉杓兰果实形态成熟时间约为110 d,其中,授粉后0～20 d为第1次迅速生长期,授粉后20～30 d为第1次缓慢生长期,授粉后30～50 d为第2次迅速生长期,授粉后50～110 d为第2次缓慢生长期;果实纵径和横径的生长动态变化过程相似,但横径的生长动态曲线较纵径平缓,形态成熟时果实的纵径和横径分别为48.87和13.59 mm.成熟种子由内外2层种皮和球形胚构成,不具胚乳,内外种皮间具空气腔;败育种子只具有内种皮和外种皮而无种胚.胚胎发育类型为石竹型,种胚自受精形成合子到发育为成熟球形胚约需95 d.种胚发育时合子第1次不均衡横裂形成基细胞和顶细胞;基细胞发育为胚柄细胞,胚柄细胞高度液泡化,在胚胎发育的过程中不进行分裂并逐渐退化消失;顶细胞不参与胚柄形成,并且经过有丝分裂最终形成球形胚;内珠被在种子成熟时发育成为1层致密的紧贴胚体的内种皮.种胚纵径和横径的生长动态变化相似,成熟球形胚的纵径和横径分别为208.71和106.19 μm.扇脉杓兰种子生活力较高,有生活力的种子占56％.根据研究结果推测:自然状态下扇脉杓兰种子萌发率较低,可能与致密的种皮、种子中较小的胚体以及无胚乳导致的营养成分不足有关.     

Burkholderia BcpA mediates biofilm formation independently of interbacterial contact‐dependent growth inhibition

Contact‐dependent growth inhibition (CDI) is a phenomenon in which Gram‐negative bacteria use the toxic C‐terminus of a large surface‐exposed exoprotein to inhibit the growth of susceptible bacteria upon cell–cell contact. Little is known about when and where bacteria express the genes encoding CDI system proteins and how these systems contribute to the survival of bacteria in their natural niche. Here we establish that, in addition to mediating interbacterial competition, the Burkholderia thailandensis CDI system exoprotein BcpA is required for biofilm development. We also provide evidence that the catalytic activity of BcpA and extracellular DNA are required for the characteristic biofilm pillars to form. We show using a bcpA–gfp fusion that within the biofilm, expression of the CDI system‐encoding genes is below the limit of detection for the majority of bacteria and only a subset of cells express the genes strongly at any given time. Analysis of a strain constitutively expressing the genes indicates that native expression is critical for biofilm architecture. Although CDI systems have so far only been demonstrated to be involved in interbacterial competition, constitutive production of the system's immunity protein in the entire bacterial population did not alter biofilm formation, indicating a CDI‐independent role for BcpA in this process. We propose, therefore, that bacteria may use CDI proteins in cooperative behaviours, like building biofilm communities, and in competitive behaviours that prevent non‐self bacteria from entering the community.     

植物生长发育中程序性细胞死亡

本文简要介绍了植物细胞凋亡的一些特点以及植物在营养生长和生殖生长过程中发生的细胞凋亡现象。指出细胞凋亡是植物生长发育过程中正常的生理现象。     

The effect of cyclohexane derivatives on selection of bacterial groups forming activated sludge microflora.

The effect of cyclohexanol, cyclohekxanon and cyclohexylamine on the selection of bacteria in a model population composed of bacteria isolated from activated sludge was examined. The initial population consisted of both gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria. The latter, which accounted for 90-97% of the population, belonged mainly to three Pseudomonas groups and the Enterobacteriaceae, Vibrio-Aeromonas, Achromobacter-Alcaligenes and Flavobacterium groups. Seven day growth in medium containing cyclohexane derivatives caused pronounced qualitative changes in the population. The compounds favored the development of bacteria of the genus Pseudomonas and inhibited the growth of all other gram-negative bacteria. The direction of selection was independent of the type of cyclohexane derivative.     

A standardized method for analysis of Medicago truncatula phenotypic development

Medicago truncatula has become a model system to study legume biology. It is imperative that detailed growth characteristics of the most commonly used cultivar, line A17 cv Jemalong, be documented. Such analysis creates a basis to analyze phenotypic alterations due to genetic lesions or environmental stress and is essential to characterize gene function and its relationship to morphological development. We have documented morphological development of M. truncatula to characterize its temporal developmental growth pattern; developed a numerical nomenclature coding system that identifies stages in morphological development; tested the coding system to identify phenotypic differences under phosphorus (P) and nitrogen (N) deprivation; and created visual models using the L-system formalism. The numerical nomenclature coding system, based on a series of defined growth units, represents incremental steps in morphological development. Included is a decimal component dividing growth units into nine substages. A measurement component helps distinguish alterations that may be missed by the coding system. Growth under N and P deprivation produced morphological alterations that were distinguishable using the coding system and its measurement component. N and P deprivation resulted in delayed leaf development and expansion, delayed axillary shoot emergence and elongation, decreased leaf and shoot size, and altered root growth. Timing and frequency of flower emergence in P-deprived plants was affected. This numerical coding system may be used as a standardized method to analyze phenotypic variation in M. truncatula due to nutrient stress, genetic lesions, or other factors and should allow valid growth comparisons across geographically distant laboratories.     

Morphogenesis and molecular mechanisms involved in human kidney development

The development of the human kidney is a complex process that requires interactions between epithelial and mesenchymal cells, eventually leading to the coordinated growth and differentiation of multiple highly specialized stromal, vascular, and epithelial cell types. The application of molecular biology and immunocytochemistry to the study of cell types involved in renal morphogenesis is leading to a better understanding of nephrogenesis, which requires a fine balance of many factors that can be disturbed by various prenatal events in humans. The aim of this paper is to review human kidney organogenesis, with particular emphasis on the sequence of morphological events, on the immunohistochemical peculiarities of nephron progenitor populations and on the molecular pathways regulating the process of mesenchymal to epithelial transition. Kidney development can be subdivided into five steps: (i) the primary ureteric bud (UB); (ii) the cap mesenchyme; (iii) the mesenchymal-epithelial transition; (iv) glomerulogenesis and tubulogenesis; (v) the interstitial cells. Complex correlations between morphological and molecular events from the origin of the UB and its branching to the metanephric mesenchyme, ending with the maturation of nephrons, have been reported in different animals, including mammals. Marked differences, observed among different species in the origin and the duration of nephrogenesis, suggest that morphological and molecular events may be different in different animal species and mammals. Further studies must be carried out in humans to verify at the morphological, immunohistochemical, and molecular levels if the outcome in humans parallels that previously described in other species.