THE OCCURRENCE AND PHYLOGENETIC SIGNIFICANCE OF A MULTILAYERED STRUCTURE IN COLEOCHAETE SPERMATOZOIDS

Spermatozoid-forming cells of Coleochaete scutata were found in packets of four arranged in concentric internal bands. Spermatozoids, which occur singly in antheridial cells, are spherical to ovoid, approximately 7 μm long by about 3.9 μm wide. As compared to relatively unspecialized zoospores, male gametes undergo a number of specialized cellular changes during development. The spherical nuclei and cytoplasm of mature spermatozoids are increased in density. Posterior plastids are reduced and contain large starch grains. Many small mitochondria are clustered near the cell anterior. The plasmalemma is covered with a layer of flattened, diamond-shaped scales, while body scales of zoospores are pyramidal. The two flagella of both zoospores and spermatozoids are covered with flattened, diamond-shaped scales and hairs. The spermatozoids contain an anterior multilayered structure (MLS) structurally similar to, though smaller than, the MLS observed in zoospores. An asymmetrical cytoskeleton consisting of a band of 30–45 microtubules extends from the MLS down one side of the spermatozoid close to the plasmalemma. An immature MLS was observed in an early stage of spermatozoid development. The finding of an MLS and asymmetrical cytoskeleton in specialized male gametes as well as relatively unspecialized zoospores of Coleochaete strengthens assumptions of homology between MLSs of green algal reproductive cells and those found in flagellated spermatozoids of archegoniate plants. The structure of the spermatozoid of Coleochaete supports the hypothesis that this alga may be relatively close to the phylogenetic line which led directly to archegoniates.     

THE OCCURRENCE AND SIGNIFICANCE OF ENDOSYMBIOTIC CHLOROPLASTS IN THE DIGESTIVE GLANDS OF HERBIVOROUS OPISTHOBRANCHS1

Intact algal chloroplasts have been found in the digestive glands of 5 species of Opisthobranchia belonging to the order Saccoglossa. Preliminary studies on 3 of these confirm their endosymbiotic nature. It is suggested that the occurrence of these endosymbiotic organelles may be widespread among related species of Saccoglossa. Their independent functional existence supports the view that chloroplasts possess a system of nonchromosomal inheritance.     

THE OCCURRENCE AND PHYLOGENETIC SIGNIFICANCE OF PUTATIVE PLACENTAL TRANSFER CELLS IN THE GREEN ALGA COLEOCHAETE

Following fertilization, zygotes of the green alga Coleochaete orbicularis, which are retained on the haploid thallus, first enlarge, then become covered with a layer of vegetative cells. Light microscopy and high-voltage electron microscopy revealed the presence of localized wall ingrowths in vegetative cells adjacent to zygotes. These covering cells resemble the gametophytic placental transfer cells of embryophytes in their morphology, location, and time of development. If Coleochaete cells with wall protuberances function as do placental transfer cells of embryophytes, their presence is evidence that photosynthates may be transported between haploid thallus cells and zygotes. Thus, a nutritional relationship between different phases of the life cycle, similar to that which occurs in embryophytes, may also have evolved in green algae. This first report of putative placental transfer cells in a green alga supports Bower's (1908) ideas concerning the origin of land plant sporophytes and alternation of generations. The presence or absence of cells with wall ingrowths in several species of Coleochaete was correlated with estimates of zygote-plant area ratios.     

THE OCCURRENCE AND SIGNIFICANCE OF EPISTATIC VARIANCE FOR QUANTITATIVE CHARACTERS AND ITS MEASUREMENT IN HAPLOIDS

Epistatic genetic variance for quantitative traits may play an important role in evolution, but detecting epistasis in diploid organisms is difficult and requires complex breeding programs and very large sample sizes. We develop a model for detecting epistasis in organisms with a free-living haploid stage in their life cycles. We show that epistasis is indicated by greater variance among families of haploid progeny derived from individual diploids than among clonally replicated haploid sibs from the same sporophyte. Simulations show that the power to detect epistasis is linearly related to the number of sporophytes and the number of haploids per sporophyte in the dataset. We illustrate the model with data from growth variation among gametophytes of the moss, Ceratodon purpureus. The experiment failed to detect epistatic variance for biomass production, although there was evidence of additive variance.     

ADAPTIVE SIGNIFICANCE OF IPOMOPSIS AGGREGATA NECTAR PRODUCTION: OBSERVATION AND EXPERIMENT IN THE FIELD

Production of floral nectar is generally thought to be an adaptation that increases plant fitness by altering pollinator behavior, and therefore pollination success. To test this hypothesis, I investigated the effects of floral nectar production rate on pollination success of the hermaphroditic plant Ipomopsis aggregata (Polemoniaceae). Success through male function (estimated by the export of fluorescent dyes) was significantly greater for plants with naturally high nectar production rates than for nearby plants with low nectar production rates, whereas success through female function (receipt of fluorescent dye) was unrelated to nectar production rate. Experimental addition of artificial nectar also produced a significant increase in male function success and no increase in several estimates of female function success. Observations confirmed that hummingbirds probed a larger proportion of flowers on plants that received supplemental nectar, as they do in response to natural variation in nectar production. The concordance of results across these observational and experimental studies indicates that nectar production acts primarily to increase pollination success through male function for this species.     

朝鲜南部的Pseudogl yptagnostus(三叶虫)并论朝鲜寒武纪斜坡相的意义

朝鲜南部Ｍａｃｈａｒｉ组Ｏｌｅｎｏｉｄｅｓ带的Ａｇｎｏｓｔｕｓ（Ｐｔｙｃｈａｇｎｏｓｔｕｓ？）ｏｒｉｅｎｔａｌｉｓ Ｋｏｂａｙａｓｂｈｉ一种应归于Ａｇｎｏｓ－ｔｏｔｅｓ（Ｐｓｅｕｄｏｇｌｙｐｔａｇｎｏｓｔｕｓ）Ｌｕ,１９６４一属,时代是晚寒武世长山期,不是早期中寒琥世,小林贞一的Ｏｌｅｎｏｉｄｅｓ带是中及晚寒武三叶虫混杂在一起的一个化石带。他建立的该组５个化石带也有问题。Ｃｏｒｅｏｌｅｎｕｓ,Ｃｈ     

'BITTY' CREAM: THE OCCURRENCE AND SIGNIFICANCE OF BACILLUS CEREUS SPORES IN RAW MILK SUPPLIES

SUMMARY: Methods for determining the Bacillus cereus content of milks and of rinses of dairy equipment are described and their limitations discussed. Milk samples from various sources were examined throughout the year for 'bittiness' as well as for B. cereus. The organism was not detected in all samples showing bittiness. There was a marked seasonal variation in the B. cereus index of raw milk supplies; maximum numbers were obtained from July to September and minimum numbers in April and May. Rinses of farm dairy equipment yielded few B. cereus spores but milk cans not uncommonly contained large numbers, especially in the summer months, when 10·5% of cans showed more than 5 × 10³/can. Preliminary observations on other sources of B. cereus are described and some of the problems of the control of this organism in raw milk supplies are discussed.     

银鱼的幼态持续及其在天演上的意义

幼态持续现象(Neoteny)在无脊椎动物的昆虫纲和甲壳纲以及脊椎动物的两栖类是比较常见的。       

THE OCCURRENCE AND POSSIBLE SIGNIFICANCE OF HAEMOGLOBIN IN THE CHROMOSOMAL REGIONS OF MATURE ERYTHROCYTE NUCLEI OF THE NEWT TRITURUS CRISTATUS CRISTATUS

Absorption measurements in violet light (λ 4047 A) of thin sections of mature newt erythrocytes have indicated the presence of a haem compound, probably haemoglobin, within the chromosomal regions of the nucleus. The amount is about 45 per cent of that in the cytoplasm. The possible significance of this nuclear haemoglobin in determining nuclear structure is discussed in terms of the electrostatic interaction of haemoglobin and nucleohistone.     

雌雄异位和花部行为适应意义的研究进展

雌雄异位和花部行为影响植物的传粉和交配格局。二者的适应意义一直是植物生殖生态学和进化生物学研究的热点之一。该文概述了近年来雌雄异位和花部行为适应意义的研究进展,包括对雌雄异位适应意义的最早期、最传统的认识——避免自交和当前的主流观点——避免雌雄干扰;花内性别干扰的形式及其例证;花部行为在避免雌雄功能干扰、避免自交、实现延迟自交、应对不良环境等方面的适应意义。讨论了使雌雄异位程度减小的锦葵科一些植物中的单体雄蕊柱头运动可能涉及到的适应意义。针对目前在雌雄异位和花部行为适应意义研究上存在的不足,结合国际上研究二者适应意义的发展趋势正在从前期以描述性的研究为主转变到应用现代分子生物学手段(尤其是分子标记,如SSR、SNP、AFLP等)和传统方法相结合,以及随着田间实验和控制条件能力的发展正由经典的野外调查、观察为主过渡到包括花操纵在内的人工试验和野外试验相结合,提出了今后研究中应注意的问题。有必要借用多学科的手段,以可作为研究雌雄异位和花部行为的有着研究基础的植物为材料,设计和操纵不同的对比试验,系统而深入地探讨雌雄异位和花部行为的适应意义。     

ON THE DARWINIAN HYPOTHESIS OF THE ADAPTIVE SIGNIFICANCE OF TRISTYLY

Darwin proposed that the function of the stamen-style polymorphism in heterostylous plants is to increase the probability of legitimate (compatible) pollinations among the floral morphs. Conspicuous pollen trimorphism in tristylous Pontederia cordata enables a test of the hypothesis. Comparison of the composition of pollen loads in naturally pollinated stigmas of intact and emasculated flowers were made at a population in Paugh Lake, Ontario, which was visited primarily by bumblebees. The magnitude of legitimate pollination was analyzed by ANOVA. In intact flowers, significant legitimate pollination was detected in the long-styled morph only. Following emasculation legitimate pollination was evident in the long- and short-styled morphs, with the mid-styled morph just short of displaying significant legitimate pollination. Similar results were obtained by chi-square analysis. It has been suggested that heterostyly may reduce mutual interference between maternal and paternal reproductive function. Two aspects of pollen-stigma interference were investigated in P. cordata. The potential importance of stigmatic or stylar clogging by incompatible pollen was examined by controlled field pollinations and measurements of seed set. The results indicate that prior application of large amounts of incompatible pollen has no significant effect on the seed set of open-pollinated inflorescences. Comparison of legitimate pollen capture in intact and emasculated flowers provided no evidence that the presence of stamens within flowers of the floral morphs interferes with the receipt of legitimate pollen. Pollen-stigma interference remains to be demonstrated in heterostylous plants.