Sporophytic-gametophytic herbicide tolerance in sugarbeet

Summary In vitro selection procedures for herbicide tolerance were initially developed in the sporophytic generation of sugarbeet (Beta vulgaris L.), and then tested in the gametophytic generation. The primary objective of our study was to develop and evaluate in vitro techniques for identifying genotypes within heterogeneous seedling populations tolerant to specific herbicides, and to use meristematic cloning procedures to synthesize clones genetically tolerant to the herbicide. Seed from cloned selections tolerant to the herbicide ethofumesate were obtained and compared to plants from seed of the original population (using germination, central bud development, and root dry weight). Verification for in vitro selection accuracy was accomplished by pollen germination studies in the gametophyte. The results indicate that in vitro selection of germinated seedlings in the presence of the proper concentration of challenging agent can be effective in identifying genotypes tolerant to ethofumesate. Such identification was accomplished in fully differentiated tissue, but without the necessity of mature plants. Gametophytic studies, via pollen germination, indicated an association between genes operating in the sprophyte and those in the gametophyte. Cloning the seedlings identified as tolerant genotypes, and subsequent intercrossing of these clones provided a convenient method of synthesizing populations with gene frequencies shifted in the direction desired.Joint contribution of the Agricultural Research Service, USDA, and the Colorado State University Experiment Station. Published with the approval of the Director of the Colorado State University Experiment Station as Scientific Series Paper No. 2952     

The Yucatan miniature pig: characterization and utilization in biomedical research

Yucatan miniature swine have a variety of applications in biomedical research. Sublines developed from the primary population at Colorado State University have been characterized genetically with special attributes. This report describes this unique laboratory animal, genetic selection programs, and its utilization in biomedical research.     

Cooperative coordination as a social behavior

Coordinating behavior is widespread in contexts that include courtship, aggression, and cooperation for shared outcomes. The social significance of cooperative coordination (CC) is usually downplayed by learning theorists, evolutionary biologists, and game theorists in favor of an individual behavior → outcome perspective predicated on maximizing payoffs for all participants. To more closely model CC as it occurs under free-ranging conditions, pairs of rats were rewarded for coordinated shuttling within a shared chamber with unrestricted social interaction. Results show that animals learned to work together with sensitivity to the task and type of partner. Moreover, social interaction and coordination influenced both consumption of the reward solution immediately following a session and preference for cooperation, suggesting that affective states and incentives related to cooperation extend beyond the outcomes obtained. These results support field studies by showing not only how cooperation is performed but also the importance of considering how the behavior of cooperating affects outcomes and preference for cooperating. This article and some of the research described here were supported in part by Grant 96-00293 from the United States-Israel Binational Science Foundation to the author and Peter R. Killeen of Arizona State University. Richard Schuster (Ph.D. in Psychology, Harvard University 1968) has been a Lecturer in Psychology at the University of Zambia (1971–1977), with field research on antelopes, and a Lecturer at the Department of Psychology, University of Haifa, Israel (1977-present). His main research focus is on laboratory models of social behavior.     

T-W-DIamond,a Stone Ring Site in Northern Colorado

Abstract

The T-W-Diamond Site, 4LR200, is a large teepee ring village on the? edge of the High Plains in northern Colorado. Seventeen out of the 47 remaining stone ring areas were excavated or tested by the Colorado State University Archae-ological Field School in 1971. Artifacts, fire hearths and midden materials were scarce but indicated the domestic nature of the structures. Stone and ceramic artifacts indicate cultural affiliations with the Late Prehistoric period as reported at Birdshead Cave, and the Piney Creek sites in Wyoming; and at the Agate Bluff Rock Shelters, and the Dipper Gap site in northern Colorado. Carbon-14 dates of A. D. 1020±230 years and A.D. 1170±220 years support the time of the occupation. A third date of A.D. 400±340 seems improbably early. It is hypothesized that the village was occupied seasonally for a short time by a small group of people, perhaps of Shoshonean affiliation, exploiting a mixedbase subsistence economy.     

Okadaic acid causes breakdown of self-incompatibility in Brassica oleracea: evidence for the involvement of protein phosphatases in the incompatible response

Summary Detached pistils from inbred lines of Brassica oleracea L. var alboglabra were fed with okadaic acid (OA), an inhibitor of serine/threonine protein phosphatases, via the transpiration stream. Following self-pollination, pollen tubes were observed to have grown into or through the styles of pistils treated with OA, but not those of untreated controls. Treatment with 1 M OA was sufficient to completely overcome self-incompatibility (SI) in an inbred line homozygous for the S63 allele, though an OA concentration of 5 M was required to cause breakdown of SI in an inbred line homozygous for the S29 allele. At the higher concentration used, pollen tube growth was arrested before the pollen tubes reached the ovary, but this effect was also noted in cross-pollinated styles treated in the same manner. These data provide evidence for the involvement of type 1 and/or type 2A protein phosphatases in the Brassica SI signal transduction mechanism. Present address after November 1993: Department of Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA     

Cytogenetic studies in barley chromosome 1 by means of telotrisomic,acrotrisomic and conventional analysis

Summary Genetic and cytogenetic techniques were applied to linkage analysis of chromosome 1. Eight marker genes, including five on the short arm and three on the long arm, were analyzed with two telotrisomic lines, Triplo 1S and 1L, and one acrotrisomic line, Triplo 1L^1S. Telotrisomic analysis confirmed the position of a _c 2, gs3, f3, br, f5, and f8 on the short arm, and 1k2 and n on the long arm of the linkage map of chromosome 1. Conventional three-point tests with two triple genetic marker stocks showed that f _c is located between br and gs3, and n is located in the middle of f8 and 1k2. Acrotrisomic for 1L^1S was used for cytogenetic linkage mapping. Giemsa N-banding technique showed that the long (1L) and short (1S) arm had deficiencies of 37.5% and 73%, respectively. Genes f5, br, f _c, gs3 and f8 in 1S and 1k2 in 1L were located in the deficient segments of 1L^1S. A trisomic ratio obtained with n indicated an association of this gene with the long arm of the acrocentric chromosome. Cytological behavior, morphological characteristics, fertility, and transmission in the acrotrisomic 1L^1S are also reported.Contribution from Department of Agronomy and published with the approval of the Director of Colorado State University Agricultural Experiment Station. Series No. 2984. Supported by USDA Competitive Research Grant No. 82-CRCR-1-1020, USDA-CSU Cooperative Research Grant No. 58-9AHZ-2-265 and Colorado State University Hatch project     

Retrospective study of morbidity and mortality of raptors admitted to Colorado State University Veterinary Teaching Hospital during 1995 to 1998

A retrospective study was conducted to identify causes of morbidity and mortality of free-living raptors in northeast Colorado and the surrounding areas of Nebraska and Wyoming. The study included 409 raptors, representing 23 species, admitted to the Colorado State University Veterinary Teaching Hospital, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA, from 1995 to 1998. Causes of morbidity and mortality were identified as trauma (66.3%), orphaned young (15.6%), unknown (9.0%), infectious disease (4.4%), metabolic and nutritional disease (2.2%), toxicosis (2.0%), and degenerative disease (0.5%). Trauma was the most frequent cause of morbidity and mortality for all species and during all seasons.     

Unexpected progeny obtained from glasshouse study of soil pH influence onAcaulospora laevis inoculum

Summary Potential growth stimulation of two hosts by acid-tolerantAcaulospora laevis was tested in a soil adjusted to 5 pH levels from 5.0 to 7.7. By wet-sieving methods, the field-source inoculum was essentially a pure culture ofA. laevis spores. Upon harvest of sweetgum a completely different spore-type was found in large quantities;A. laevis spores were relatively few to non-existent. The results dramatically underscore the need for caution against relying solely on pre-trial identifications of inoculum spores or presuming that apparently single-species cultures/inoculum will remain pure throughout an experiment.Contribution of the Oregon State University Agricultural Experiment Station in cooperation with the US Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, technical paper #7366 of the former.     

Limit theorems for the population size of a birth and death process allowing catastrophes

The linear birth and death process with catastrophes is formulated as a right continuous random walk on the non-negative integers which evolves in continuous time with an instantaneous jump rate proportional to the current value of the process. It is shown that distributions of the population size can be represented in terms of those of a certain Markov branching process. The ergodic theory of Markov branching process transition probabilities is then used to develop a fairly complete understanding of the behaviour of the population size of the birth-death-catastrophe process.Research done while on leave at Colorado State University from the University of Western Australia and partially supported by N.S.F. grant DMS-8501763     

Toxin production by a rhizobacterialPseudomonas sp. that inhibits wheat root growth

We studied the production of a toxin inhibitory to both winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) root growth andEscherichia coli that was produced by a rhizobacterial pseudomonad. Of several carbon sources tested, the most rapid growth and highest toxin concentrations were obtained with glucose, glycerol, or trehalose. Toxin production was repressed with L-cysteine as the nitrogen source. Toxin was produced during the late exponential and early stationary phase of growth by the bacterium and, contrary to studies with other toxins, was unaffected by Fe and P concentrations in the growth medium. Toxin production by the bacterium was the same at growth temperatures of 25 and 15°C while it produced less at 5°C. If the bacterium was able to grow, it produced toxin. No compound tested induced an increase in toxin production indicating toxin production is constitutive.Contribution from the Agric. Res. Serv., U.S. Dept. of Agriculture in cooperation with the College of Agric. and Home Econ., Res. Ctr., Washington State University, Pullman, Washington 99164.     

Mitochondrial oxygenation of carbon monoxide.

A variety of mitochondria have been observed to oxidize 13CO to 13CO2 in the presence of dioxygen, and on the basis of earlier studies [Young & Caughey (1986) Biochemistry 25, 152-161; Young (1981) Ph.D. Dissertation, Colorado State University] this activity is attributed to cytochrome c oxidase. Implications of these findings in respect of some aspects of the pathological biochemistry of CO poisoning are discussed.     

Biotechnology training at California State University, Hayward: a model program

The Biotechnology Certificate Program (BCP) at California State University, Hayward was initiated in 1986 in response to industry demands for qualified employees in the molecular life sciences. This 9-month post-baccalaureate program includes laboratory courses in recombinant DNA techniques, protein chemistry, PCR, DNA sequencing, animal cell culture as well as two lecture courses in molecular biology. Rigorous selection at both entry and exit stages of the program ensures knowledgeable graduates with a greater than 90% employment placement. Corporate participation has been a cornerstone of the BCP and we anticipate continued cooperation in the future as the program evolves to meet the expanding needs of the biotechnology industry. Journal of Industrial Microbiology & Biotechnology (2000) 24, 364–366. Received 19 April 1999/ Accepted in revised form 09 November 1999     

A barley RFLP map: alignment of three barley maps and comparisons to Gramineae species

Several gene linkage maps have been produced for cultivated barley. We have produced a new linkage map for barley, based on a cross between Hordeum vulgare subsp. spontaneum and Hordeum vulgare subsp. vulgare (Hvs x Hvv), having a higher level of polymorphism than most of the previous barley crosses used for RFLP mapping. Of 133 markers mapped in the Hvs x Hvv F₂ population, 69 were previously mapped on other barley maps, and 26 were mapped in rice, maize, or wheat. Two known gene clones were mapped as well as two morphological markers. The distributions of previously mapped markers were compared with their respective barley maps to align the different maps into one consensus map. The distributions of common markers among barley, wheat, rice and maize were also compared, indicating colinear linkage groups among these species.To be considered dual first authorsPublished with the approval of the Director of the Colorado State University/Agricultural Experiment Station.     

Effect of root competition and shading on growth of suppressed western hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla)

Factors suppressing the growth of Tsuga heterophylla, western hemlock, (40–200 cm tall) were separated into aboveground and belowground components. Canopy manipulation by creating gaps produced approximately a 30–34% increase in the overall amount of light available. Growth of the previously suppressed T. heterophylla was increased by minimizing root competition by trenching around individuals and to a much lesser degree by altering the canopy. The combination of the two manipulations did now show a strong synergistic effect.I thank Greg Helve and Randy Kelley for digging trenches. R. Mack, J. Thompson, J. Franklin, and A. McKee provided useful suggestions throughout the study. I appreciate the comments from the Ecological Discussion Group at Washington State University. This study was supported partially with funds to Oregon State University from the National Science Foundation, as well as the Society of Sigma Xi, and Washington State University.     

Pregerminative leaching losses from seeds

Summary Leaching losses from seeds of several species were found to vary with incubation temperature, duration of imbibition up to 24 hours, scarification treatment, and flooding of the substrate. A portion of the total amount leached was lost readily to the external medium. The bulk of the total solids leached was adsorbable on charcoal; minerals, ninhydrin-positive substances, and sugars were found also in appreciable concentrations. Stationed in Logan, Utah 84321, at Forestry Sciences Laboratory, maintained in cooperation with Utah State University.     

The supercritical birth,death and catastrophe process: Limit theorems on the set of non-extinction

The skip-free property of the super-critical linear birth and death process with a linear catastrophe component is exploited to obtain an almost sure convergence theorem for the population size without any extra moment assumptions. This completes some earlier work of the author. A proof is sketched of a central limit theorem for the logarithm of the population size. Identification of the form of the norming constants for this result requires estimates of the extinction probabilities as functions of the initial population size. This is related to moment conditions on the decrement distribution.Most of this research was carried out at Colorado State University with the partial support of N.S.F. grant DMS-8501763.     

Detection of high-phosphorus tolerant VAM-fungi colonizing hops and peppermint

Summary In a continuing search for field sources of endomycorrhizal fungi that tolerate high levels of available phosphorus in soil, samples were obtained from long-established liberally fertilized hops (Humulus lupulus L.) and peppermint (Mentha piperita L.) fields. In hops fields, where extractable P (Bray) levels ranged from 21–196 ppm, spores of twoAcaulospora spp. and sixGlomus spp. were isolated. From peppermint fields with P levels of 44 to 244 ppm, spores of oneAcaulospora sp., fourGlomus spp. and oneGigaspora sp. were obtained. Vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizal (VAM) fungi were found colonizing most roots to some extent, despite the very high fertility of several sites. Although percentages of colonization in hops tended to be low, ranging from 0 to 9.3%, colonizations in peppermint roots were considerably higher averaging 26.5% between the sampled fields, notwithstanding P levels as high as 244 ppm. Curiously, considerable external VAM hyphae were found adherent to or entangling roots in many cases, even where percentage of root length with internal VAM structures was low. The functional benefit, neutrality, or detriment to plants of such high-P tolerant species remains to be determined.Contribution from the USDA-ARS, Horticultural Crops Research Laboratory and the Dept. of Soil Science, Oregon State University, in cooperation with the Oregon State University Agricultural Experiment Station, Corvallis, OR 97331. Technical paper no. 6979 of the latter     

Inhibition of growth of Sclerotinia minor and other pathogens by citrinin in the filtrate of Penicillium citrinum

Penicillium citrinum Thom, isolated from the sclerotia of Sderotinia minor, was cultured in a broth of Czapek-Dox for 4 to 8 weeks. The filtrate obtained was incorporated into potato dextrose agar or Czapek-Dox agar at different concentrations (v/v). The amended media were tested for mycelial growth of S. minor and other pathogens. Mycelial growth of S. minor was completely inhibited on media amended with 20% (v/v) filtrate of P. citrinum, and considerable inhibition of S. minor occurred at 10 and 15% concentrations. Mycelial growth of S. major, Sclerotium rolfsii, Rhizoctonia solani (AG-4) was inhibited by similar concentrations of filtrate of P. citrinum. Inhibitor(s) in the filtrate were extracted with ethyl acetate and tentatively identified as citrinin. Citrinin was shown to be an active component in the filtrate against mycelial growth of S. minor, S. major and Sclerotium rolfsii.Cooperative investigation of U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agriculture Research Service and Oklahoma State University. Journal Article No. 4989, Oklahoma Agricultural Experiment Station, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater.Mention of a trademark, proprietary product, or vendor does not constitute a guarantee or warranty of the product by USDA or by Oklahoma State University, or imply their approval to the exclusion of other products or vendors that may also be suitable.     

Evidence that local land use practices influence regional climate, vegetation, and stream flow patterns in adjacent natural areas

We present evidence that land use practices in the plains of Colorado influence regional climate and vegetation in adjacent natural areas in the Rocky Mountains in predictable ways. Mesoscale climate model simulations using the Colorado State University Regional Atmospheric Modelling System (RAMS) projected that modifications to natural vegetation in the plains, primarily due to agriculture and urbanization, could produce lower summer temperatures in the mountains. We corroborate the RAMS simulations with three independent sets of data: (i) climate records from 16 weather stations, which showed significant trends of decreasing July temperatures in recent decades; (ii) the distribution of seedlings of five dominant conifer species in Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado, which suggested that cooler, wetter conditions occurred over roughly the same time period; and (iii) increased stream flow, normalized for changes in precipitation, during the summer months in four river basins, which also indicates cooler summer temperatures and lower transpiration at landscape scales. Combined, the mesoscale atmospheric/land-surface model, short-term trends in regional temperatures, forest distribution changes, and hydrology data indicate that the effects of land use practices on regional climate may overshadow larger-scale temperature changes commonly associated with observed increases in CO₂ and other greenhouse gases.     

Characterization of a toxin produced by a rhizobacterialPseudomonas sp. that inhibits wheat growth

A toxin produced by a deleterious rhizobacterial pseudomonad that inhibits both winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) root andEscherichia coli growth was characterized. The toxin was rapidly deactivated at pH 2 and 12 and by autoclaving (121°C, 15 minutes). Less toxin was destroyed as the temperature and time of exposure decreased, and at 40°C it was stable for at least 24 hours. The toxin was extremely polar and could not be extracted from culture filtrates with organic solvents. The compound eluted after the void volume from a Sephadex G-10 column indicating a molecular weight of less than 700. The toxin adsorbed to Dowex 50W strong cation exchange resin and eluted with 2M NH₄OH. Numerous thin layer chromatography solvent systems were unsuccessful at purifying the toxin. The partially purified toxin inhibited several different microorganisms while the producing strains were resistant. The toxin appears unique to toxins produced by recognized plant pathogenic bacteria.Contribution from the Agric. Res. Serv., U.S. Dept. of Agriculture in cooperation with the College of Agric. and Home Econ., Res. Ctr., Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164, USA