云南石林石炭纪古盘虫类有孔虫及其沉积环境初探

本文报道云南石林地区石炭纪中间界线附近地层的有孔虫动物群古盘虫类4属8种。分析数据显示,这类具有独特壳壁类型和形态特征的小有孔虫类群分布,与碳酸盐岩中的亮晶、团块、海百合茎以及双壳瓣类等成分的相关系数较大。综合分析结果认为,该区古盘虫类有孔虫分布与较浅水、具中等搅动、温暖及盐度正常的潮间带环境关系密切。     

峡东地区早寒武世水井沱组古盘虫类三叶虫的再研究

对峡东和邻近地区早寒武世古盘虫类三叶虫的再研究,支持将Emeidiscus Li,1980;Mianxrindiscus S．Zhang et Zhu in Zhang et al,1980;Mianxiandiscus(Liangshandiscus)S．Zhang in Zhang et al．,1980;Hupeidiscus Chang in Lu et al．,1974;Guizhoudiscus S．Zhang in Zhang et al．,1980;Shizhudiscus S．Zhang et Zhu in Zhang et al．,1980等属作为Tsunyidiscus Chang,1966的同义名的意见。并对前人所建立的有关属的种,进行了重新研究和整理,作了大量的归并和修订。就目前所知道,峡东地区早寒武世水井沱组的古盘虫类三叶虫仅有Tsunyidiscus Chang,1966和Sinodiscus Chang in Lu et al,1974两属。Hupeidiscus经修订归入Tsunyidiscus Chang,1966后,原Hebediscus orientalis Chang,1953(即原Hupeidiscus的模式种)一种的种名与Tsunyidiscus orientalis(Walcott,1905)重名,故将前者重新命名为Tsunyidiscus pertenus nom．nov．。文中还记述了湖北宜昌、秭归等地的早寒武世古盘虫类三叶虫2属3种,包括Tsunyidiscus yanjiazhaiensis S．Zhang,Zhou et Yuan in Yin and Li,1978;Tsunyidisacutus(Sun,1983);Sinodiscus changyangensis S．Zhang in Zhou et al．,1977。     

贵州金沙寒武系牛蹄塘组的古盘虫类三叶虫

贵州金沙寒武系牛蹄塘组产出大量古盘虫类三叶虫化石,包括分离头盖、尾部和完整背甲。依据标本中具分类鉴定意义的构造特征的测量数据比值并线性拟合,结合形态学特征、个体发育趋势等特点分析,认为Tsunyidiscus armatus和Tsunyidiscus niutitangensis两个三叶虫种是有效的,支持以尾部肋区分节差异作为两个种种征判别标志。本项研究可为厘定贵州金沙地区三叶虫Tsunyidiscus序列提供可靠证据。     

The structure of a primitive kinetochore

The isolation of yeast centromeres has provided the opportunity to describe the molecular structure of chromosome attachments to the mitotic spindle. Nucleolytic probes of chromatin structure and construction of conditional mutants in centromere function have been used to study the regulation and assembly of centromeres throughout the cell cycle in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.     

The structure of epidermal feet during their development

Epidermal cells in Calpodes and other insects form basal processes or feet that at first extend axially and later shorten at the same time as the larval segment shortens to the pupal shape. The feet grow into spaces at the surfaces of other cells to make a basal interlacing meshwork of cellular extensions that are combined mechanically by their desmosomal attachments to cell bodies above and to the basal lamina below. Microtubules and microfilaments are linked to these junctions by a reticular fibrous matrix. Gap junctions on the feet may couple cells that are several cell bodies removed from one another. The meshwork is also a sieve separating the hemolymph from the spaces between cells to form an intercellular compartment. Entry to the intercellular compartment is through the sieve made by the negatively charged basolateral cell surfaces that can prevent the entry of positively charged molecules such as cationic ferritin. As the cells become columnar, coincident with the metamorphic change in segment shape, the feet shorten and pack more densely together. At this time the basal lamina buckles axially as if responding to contraction of the feet. Segment shape change involves cell rearrangement and relative cell movement, necessitating the transient loss of plasma membrane plaque attachments to the cuticle apically and the loss of junctions laterally. Gap junctions involute in characteristic vacuoles. The metamorphic reduction in cell surface area coincides with the loss of basolateral membrane in smooth tubes and vesicles and the turnover of the apical surface in multivesicular bodies. New apical plasma membrane plaques and new lateral and basal junctions stabilize the cells in their pupal positions.     

Translocation properties of primitive molecular machines and their relevance to the structure of the genetic code

We address the question, related with the origin of the genetic code, of why are there three bases per codon in the translation to protein process. As a follow-up to our previous work (Aldana et al., 1998, Martínez-Mekler et al., 1999a,b), we approach this problem by considering the translocation properties of primitive molecular machines, which capture basic features of ribosomal/messenger RNA interactions, while operating under prebiotic conditions. Our model consists of a short one-dimensional chain of charged particles (rRNA antecedent) interacting with a polymer (mRNA antecedent) via electrostatic forces. The chain is subject to external forcing that causes it to move along the polymer which is fixed in a quasi-one-dimensional geometry. Our numerical and analytic studies of statistical properties of random chain/polymer potentials suggest that, under very general conditions, a dynamics is attained in which the chain moves along the polymer in steps of three monomers. By adjusting the model in order to consider present-day genetic sequences, we show that the above property is enhanced for coding regions. Intergenic sequences display a behavior closer to the random situation. We argue that this dynamical property could be one of the underlying causes for the three-base codon structure of the genetic code