Development of Sink Capacity of the "Storage Root" in a Radish Variety with a Low Ratio of "Storage Root" to Shoot

Controling mechanisms of sink capacity are poorly understood.Previously we suggested that sucrose synthase (SuSy), but notinvertase, plays an important role for sink capacity of theradish "storage root" in a variety, Raphanus sativus L. (cv.White Cherish) [plant Cell Physiol. (1999) 40: 369]. With thisvariety about 50% of the total dry weight (DW) was in the "storageroot" at 21 d after sowing (DAS). We investigated the sink capacityof another radish variety, R. sativus L. (cv. Kosena) with alow ratio of "storage root" to shoot. With the latter varietyonly 3% of the total DW was in the "storage root" at 21 DAS.Sink activity (increase in DW of the "storage root" per unitof DW present per unit of time) of the "storage root" in Kosenaas well as White Cherish was strongly related to the level andactivity of SuSy but not to the activity of invertase. Theseresults confirmed that SuSy rather than invertase may be criticalfor the development of the sink activity of the radish "storageroot" and that the reaction products of UDP-glucose and fructoseare utilized for sink growth including biosynthesis of the cellwall. In Kosena photosynthates seemed to be partitioned mainlyinto developing leaves and fibrous roots. Differences in partitioningof photosynthates among various sinks with these two varietiesare discussed including anatomical considerations. (Received July 19, 1999; Accepted September 30, 1999)     

The "Lost Year" Question in Young Sea Turtles

An adequate understanding of young sea turtle dispersal patternsis necessary for effective management of threatened or endangeredspecies. Such patterns are poorly understood, and the term "lostyear" has been adopted to emphasize this gap in sea turtle lifehistory information. Tag returns from pen-reared yearling seaturtles indicate ocean current dispersal. Evidence indicateshatchlings would be similarly dispersed by ocean currents. Feedingstudies with tank-held animals suggest that food resources areavailable in ocean currents for long-term sea turtle survival.Green turtle (Chelonia mydas) growth appears slow in nature.     

Statistical Studies Using AIC Method to Decide the Question of "Break" or "Straight" in Arrhenius Plots of Water Proton NMR Relaxation Times in Chilling-Sensitive Vigna and Insensitive Pisum Seedlings

The question of "break" or "straight" in Arrhenius plots forthe temperature dependency of NMR relaxation times (T₁) of waterprotons in etiolated intact seedlings for chilling-sensitivetwo Vigna species and chilling-insensitive Pisum was statisticallystudied using the Akaike's Information Criterion (AIC), a versatileprocedure for statistical model identification. Among sevenmodels, the most appropriate was based on the following assumptions:individual k (preparation numbers) two-half lines connectingat the break point (TCB) and imposing no restrictions for thegradient and the break point (Model 7). The worst two modelswere one straight line or one TCB (Model 1 or 4). Thus, thedata obtained from replicated preparations should not be treatedas a whole but as individual in each sample case. Break pointsdetermined with Model 7 ranged around 11-5°C for V. radiataand 17-10°C for V. mungo. The implication of the occurrenceof "break" for Pisum clearly differed from Vigna judging bythe model fitness based on the AIC values. The question of "break"or "straight" in Arrhenius plots is therefore fairly dependenton the validity of the model selection in the statistical analysis,and the AIC method is a useful procedure for the resolutionof the problem of the "use" or "misuse" of Arrhenius plots inplant physiology. (Received November 2, 1988; Accepted January 17, 1989)     

"GIGANTISM" OF CHLORELLA VULGARIS I. MECHANISM OF INDUCTION OF CIGANTISM

1. Based on the microscopic observations, two stages, "giant cellstage" and the subsequent "palmelloid body stage", were distinguishedin the process of formation of giant Chlorella induced by theaddition of sugars. The "giant cell" is much larger in sizethan the control cell, but the other morphological featuresare the same as those of the latter. The "palmelloid body" isa form composed of many conjoined autospores.
2. When a highconcentration of glucose was maintained in the medium,gigantismwas also maintained. Under this condition, the algashows acyclic transformation between "giant cell" and "palmelloidbody"without returning to the small single cells.
3. Large amountsof carbohydrate composed of hexose were foundto be accumulatedin the giant algal cells, and it was inferredthat this carbohydrateaccumulation causes greater enlargementof cell volume as comparedwith control cells.
4. Uronic acids, which were found to be absentin the control cells,were formed and lost in the cells culturedin the glucose mediumin parallel with the appearance and disappearanceof gigantism.
5. Pectic substances, from which uronic acids areconsidered tobe derived during the extraction procedure, werefound to bepresent only in giant Chlorella.
6. The conjoinedautospores in giant Chlorella (at the palmelloidbody stage)were separated to some extent by the addition ofEDTA, and theresulting cells were similar to control Chlorellacells.
7. Basedon these results it was inferred that inductive formationofthe pectic substances is causally related with the appearanceof "palmelloid body".

¹ Present address: Department of Chemistry, College of GeneralEducation, Osaka University, Toyonaka, Osaka.     

A Kv channel with an altered activation gate sequence displays both "fast" and "slow" activation kinetics

The Kv1–4 families of K⁺ channels contain a tandem proline motif (PXP) in the S6 helix that is crucial for channel gating. In human Kv1.5, replacing the first proline by an alanine resulted in a nonfunctional channel. This mutant was rescued by introducing another proline at a nearby position, changing the sequence into AVPP. This resulted in a channel that activated quickly (ms range) upon the first depolarization. However, thereafter, the channel became trapped in another gating mode that was characterized by slow activation kinetics (s range) with a shallow voltage dependence. The switch in gating mode was observed even with very short depolarization steps, but recovery to the initial "fast" mode was extremely slow. Computational modeling suggested that switching occurred during channel deactivation. To test the effect of the altered PXP sequence on the mobility of the S6 helix, we used molecular dynamics simulations of the isolated S6 domain of wild type (WT) and mutants starting from either a closed or open conformation. The WT S6 helix displayed movements around the PXP region with simulations starting from either state. However, the S6 with a AVPP sequence displayed flexibility only when started from the closed conformation and was rigid when started from the open state. These results indicate that the region around the PXP motif may serve as a "hinge" and that changing the sequence to AVPP results in channels that deactivate to a state with an alternate configuration that renders them "reluctant" to open subsequently. voltage-gated potassium channel     

METABOLISM OF GLUCOSE IN THE PROCESS OF "GLUCOSE-BLEACHING" OF CHLORELLA PROTOTHECOIDES

1. As previously demonstrated, normal cells of Chlorella protothecoidesare bleached with degeneration of chloroplasts when they areincubated, under aerobic conditions—either in the lightor in darkness—, in a glucose-containing medium withoutadded nitrogen source ("glucose-bleaching"). It was found inthe present study that under the atmosphere of N₂, neither bleachingnor growth of algal cells occurs in the dark, while in the lighta significant growth of cells takes place with formation ofa certain amount of chlorophyll.
2. Studies on the effects ofvarious inhibitors (ammonium ion,DNP, CMU, -hydroxysulphonates,arsenate, cyanide, azide, andantimycin A) under different conditionsshowed that oxidativephosphorylation is a necessary processfor the occurrence ofthe glucosebleaching as well as the assimilationof glucose(cellular growth). Under light-anaerobic conditionsin the presenceof glucose, assimilation of glucose (cellulargrowth) takesplace being supported by photophosphorylation,but no bleachingoccurs.
3. When the algal cells in the courseof bleaching were transferredto the glucose-free mineral medium,the cell growth ceased immediatelybut the cell bleaching proceededfor several hours before itscessation. The respiratory activity,which was high in the glucose-containingmedium, became loweron transferring the algal cells into theglucose-free medium.The lowered level of respiration was maintained,for more than8 hr after the transfer of cells to the glucose-freemedium.
4. When the cells in the course of bleaching were placed underthe atmosphere of N₂, the cell bleaching ceased almost instantaneously.
5. Based on these observations and other inhibition experiments,it was inferred that a certain intermediate(s) produced by theaerobic respiration of glucose is closely associated with theoccurrence of cell bleaching, and that an O₂-requiring stepmay be involved in the process of chlorophyll degradation.

(Received September 9, 1965; )     

Effect of inhibitors of nucleic acid and protein synthesis on the reappearance of "light interruption rhythm" in a long-day duckweed, Lemna gibba G 3

Effects of several inhibitors of DNA, RNA and protein synthesison the reappearance of a once faded-out light interruption rhythmin a long-day duckweed, Lemna gibba G 3, were studied. The reappearancewas not affected by inhibitors of RNA and protein synthesis;i.e., 2-thiouracil, 8-azaguanine, ethionine and chloramphenicol,but was suppressed by inhibitors of DNA synthesis; i. e., 5-fluorodeoxyuridine,5-fluorouracil and mitomycin C only when these were appliedduring the light period for perturbation. We concluded that synthesis of a new DNA species during thelight period was required for the recurrence of this rhythm. (Received September 25, 1968; )     

Growth of grana from "primary" thylakoids in Phaseolus vulgaris

The plastids of young dark-grown bean leaves, exposed to periodiclight are agranal, devoid of chlorophyll b and contain primarythylakoids and chlorophyll a. Transfer of these plants to continuousillumination results in synthesis of new chlorophyll a, chlorophyllb and grana. This study was done in order to study whether andhow the grana are formed from preexisting primary thylakoids.¹⁴C--aminolevulinic acid was used to label the chlorophyll aof the primary thylakoids, and its fate was studied after transferof the plants to continuous light. It was found that chlorophyll b and grana become ¹⁴C-labelled.The total radioactivity of chlorophyll b per bean increasedwith the parallel decrease of that of chlorophyll a. All subchloroplastfractions, obtained after digitonin disruption of chloroplasts,contained chlorophyll a of equal specific radioactivity. Thespecific radioactivity of chlorophyll b was lower than thatof chlorophyll a, and, in addition, it was lower in the granathan in the stroma lamellae fraction. The data suggest that chlorophyll b is formed from chlorophylla; the grana are formed by stacking of preexisting primary thylakoids;chlorophyll b is synthesized faster in the grana than the stromalamellae; the newly formed chlorophyll a molecules are distributedat random throughout the developing photosynthetic membraneand not on specific growing sites. (Received April 24, 1976; )     

The role of photosynthesis and respiration in the light-induced recovery of "giant" cells of the Emerson strain of Chlorella

The light-induced recovery of cell division and chloroplastdevelopment in "giant", "bleached" cells of the Emerson strainof Chlorella is unaffected by treatments (atrazine. CMU, incubationin a CO₂-free atmosphere) which interfere with photosynthesis.Anaerobic conditions or the presence of respiratory inhibitors(DNP, KCN, NaN₃) markedly suppress recovery. Recovery is accompaniedby a mobilization of the reserve starch which follows a linearcourse over the first 9 hr. Chloramphenicol (50 µg/ml),which inhibits chlorophyll synthesis and the development ofa photosynthetic capacity, is without effect on the early rateof starch mobilization. Evidence is presented that the contributionof photosynthesis towards recovery is only significant whenthe reserve starch has been depleted. Recovery does not requirecontinuous light; the critical light-stimulated processes apparentlytaking place during the first 9 hr. The possible nature of thelight stimulation of recovery is discussed. (Received June 18, 1973; )     

The contrasting effects of chloramphenicol and cycloheximide on the recovery of cell division and chlorophyll synthesis in "giant" cells of Chlorella vulgaris (Emerson strain)

The simultaneous recovery of cell division and chlorophyll synthesisin "giant", "bleached" cells of the Emerson strain of Chlorellavulgaris which occurs upon exposure to light has been investigatedusing the two inhibitors of protein synthesis, chloramphenicoland cycloheximide. With both antibiotics, it has been foundpossible, under suitable conditions, to separate cell divisionand chlorophyll synthesis. The best separation is obtained withthose chloramphenicol treatments which severely inhibit chlorophyllsynthesis and the development of a photosynthetic capacity butwithout affecting cell division. The separation achieved withcycloheximide is less clear-cut. The significance of these resultsis discussed with particular reference to the relationship betweenchloroplast development and other events occurring in the cytoplasm. (Received October 12, 1970; )     

Behavioral Thermoregulation and the "Final Preferendum" Paradigm

Wider attention to Fry's (1947) "final preferendum" paradigmwould facilitate comparative studies of temperature preference(behavioral thermoregulation) among different animal groups.According to Fry's bipartite definition, the final preferendumis that temperature at which preference and acclimation areequal, and to which an animal in a thermal gradient will finallygravitate regardless of its prior thermal experience (acclimation).This paradigm is helpful in distinguishing between acute thermalpreferenda (measured within 2 hr or less after placing an animalin a thermal gradient), which are influenced by acclimationtemperature, and the species-specific final preferendum (measured24–96 hr after placement in the gradient), which is essentiallyindependent of prior acclimation because reacclimation occursduring the gravitation process. The paradigm does not take intoaccount non-thermal acclimatization influences (e.g., season,photoperiod, age, light intensity, salinity, disease, nutrition,pollutants, biotic interactions) which can also affect temperaturepreference. However, a graph of acutely preferred temperaturesversus acclimation temperatures can be employed to determinean equivalent acclimation temperature for any given acclimatizationstate, as a simple means of quantifying acclimatization statesresulting from interactions of many influences. This paradigm,developed for use with fishes, can also be applied to otherectothermic taxa, although it is most easily employed with aquaticorganisms because of the simplicity of specifying aquatic thermalenvironments in terms of water temperature alone. Methodologiesused in studies of behavioral thermoregulation should take theparadigm into account (especially with respect to length oftests) to enhance the comparative value of data across taxa.     

Seed germination and growth in Triticum I. Biological activity of extracts from T. durum endosperms

The nature of germination inhibitors in seeds of Triticum durumwas investigated. From a methanol extract of isolated endospermsof "Cappelli" wheat, two fractionations were carried out andfractions were tested for their influence on mitotic processesand growth of Triticum "Cappelli" plantlets. One of the sub-fractionsdepressed root growth, caused accumulation of metaphases, andinduced chromosome aberrations. The biological activity of thissub-fraction closely resembles that of the germinations inhibitorsof wheat seeds. ¹ This work was supported by a grant from the Consiglio Nazionaledelle Ricerche. (Received October 19, 1971; )     

Feeding of freshwater filter-feeders at very low food concentrations: Poor evidence for "threshold feeding" and "optimal foraging" in Daphnia longispina and Eudiaptomus gracilis

The feeding behaviour of two freshwater zooplankton species,the calanoid copepod Eudiaptomus gracilis and the cladoceranDaphnia longispina, at extremely low food concentrations hasbeen studied in order to test whether the animals react as predictedby the models of optimal foraging. Three different sized algae were offered in concentrations downto 1µg C/litre at 7°C during winter and 19°C duringsummer. Ingestion rates were measured by use of a flow-through¹⁴C-technique In contrast to the findings of several authors working withmarine copepods a threshold concentration where the animalsceased filtering could be detected only in one experiment byregression analysis (Daphnia, 19°C, food: Stichococcus).A depression of the filtering rate at low concentrations wasobserved only in Daphnia at 19°C with Stichococcus and Scenedesmusas food. It is supposed that in this case the reduction of thefiltering rate is not a direct response of the filtrator, butis caused by exhaustion due to the experimental conditions. As freshwater zooplankton is very rarely exposed to food abundancesas low as in the marine environment, there seems to be no selectionpressure favouring the evolution of an "optimal forager" behaviour. ⁽¹⁾Supported by Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft     

"Living high-training low": effect of moderate-altitude acclimatization with low-altitude training on performance

Levine, Benjamin D., and James Stray-Gundersen."Living high-training low": effect of moderate-altitudeacclimatization with low-altitude training on performance.J. Appl. Physiol. 83(1): 102-112, 1997.The principal objective of this study was to test the hypothesisthat acclimatization to moderate altitude (2,500 m) plus training atlow altitude (1,250 m), "living high-training low," improvessea-level performance in well-trained runners more than an equivalentsea-level or altitude control. Thirty-nine competitive runners (27 men,12 women) completed 1) a 2-wklead-in phase, followed by 2) 4 wkof supervised training at sea level; and3) 4 wk of field training camprandomized to three groups: "high-low"(n = 13), living at moderate altitude(2,500 m) and training at low altitude (1,250 m); "high-high"(n = 13), living and training atmoderate altitude (2,500 m); or "low-low"(n = 13), living and training in amountain environment at sea level (150 m). A 5,000-m time trial was theprimary measure of performance; laboratory outcomes included maximalO₂ uptake(O_{2 max}), anaerobic capacity (accumulated O₂ deficit),maximal steady state (MSS; ventilatory threshold), running economy,velocity at O_{2 max}, and blood compartment volumes. Both altitude groups significantly increased O_{2 max}(5%) in direct proportion to an increase in red cell mass volume(9%; r = 0.37, P < 0.05), neither of which changedin the control. Five-kilometer time was improved by the field trainingcamp only in the high-low group (13.4 ± 10 s), in directproportion to the increase inO_{2 max}(r = 0.65, P < 0.01). Velocity atO_{2 max} andMSS also improved only in the high-low group. Four weeks of livinghigh-training low improves sea-level running performance in trainedrunners due to altitude acclimatization (increase in red cell massvolume and O_{2 max}) and maintenance of sea-level training velocities, mostlikely accounting for the increase in velocity atO_{2 max} and MSS.

     

Physiological changes accompanying the recovery of cell division in "giant" cells of Chlorella vulgaris (EMERSON strain)

A homogeneous population of "giant" cells of the EMERSON strainof Chlorella vulgaris, produced following culture under carefullycontrolled conditions in a glucose medium in the dark, recoversits capacity to undergo cell division when returned to autotrophicconditions. A similar recovery also occurs after a prolongedperiod of culture in the dark. The division of the giant cellsis accompanied, in each case, by marked pigment synthesis anda consequent recovery of photosynthetic capacity. Under autotrophicconditions the recovery of cell division and restoration ofthe full pigment concentration are complete within a 24 hr period.The recovery which takes place in a glucose medium in the darkoccurs only after a period of 10–14 days growth. (Received May 9, 1970; )     

"GIGANTISM" OF CHLORELLA VULGARIS I. RELATION OF GIGANTISM TO CELL GROWTH AND DIVISION

1. The sugars which induced gigantism of Chlorella cells wereglucose,fructose, galactose, mannose, xylose and arabinose.These sugarswere utilized as respiratory substrates by thealgal cells.
2. The cellular division of Chlorella was stimulatedby glucoseand galactose, but suppressed by fructose, mannose,xylose andarabinose, while all these sugars evoked gigantism.No correlationwas found between cellular division and gigantism,
3. The photosynthetic activity of giant Chlorella varied withthesorts of sugars added. It was decreased by glucose, fructoseand mannose, but was unaffected by other sugars such as galactose,xylose and arabinose.
4. The respiratory activity of giant Chlorellacells as much higherthan that of control cells.
5. The amountsof protein-N and dry weight per unit volume of giantChlorellawere much less than those of control cells.

¹ Present address: Department of Chemistry, College of GeneralEducation, Osaka University, Toyonaka, Osaka.     

Juvenile Hormone: The Status of "Status Quo"

SYNOPSIS. Cuticular proteins show specificity for stage, age,and anatomical region. Analysis of the cuticular proteins ofsecond pupae created by application of juvenile hormone demonstratesthat the hormone prevents the onset of new sequences of synthesesand favors repetition of the region-specific, temporal patternof syntheses used in the previous stage. The argument made isthat juvenile hormone might exert this "status quo" action bypreventing alterations in chromatin configuration. Evidencefrom a wide variety of systems shows that polyamines might beinvolved in reprogramming chromatin. Ecdysterone induces ornithinedecarboxylase, the rate limiting enzyme in animal polyaminesynthesis. I suggest that juvenile hormone might be exertingits status quo action by inhibiting this induction. Preliminarystudies of ornithine decarboxylase induction support this specifichypothesis; experiments with an inhibitor of this enzyme, -difluoromethylornithine, however, do not show the expected juvenile hormonemimicry. Further studies are needed to define the control ofpolyamine biosynthesis in insects and to discover whether juvenilehormone plays a role in this control.     

Acetate metabolism in the process of "acetate-bleaching" of Chlorella protothecoides

Green cells of Chlorella protothecoides when incubated in amedium containing acetate but no nitrogen source, have beenshown to be bleached as strongly as in glucose-induced bleaching.Using U-¹⁴C-acetate as tracer, the acetate metabolism of algalcells during the process of acetate-induced bleaching was investigated.Changes in algal cell activities for respiration and assimilationof added ¹⁴C-acetate were followed during bleaching processesin "acetate-adapted" and "non-adapted" green cells. As in glucose-inducedbleaching of algal cells, algal cell activity for incorporating¹⁴C into lipids showed the most characteristic change, suggestingthat lipogenesis is causally related to the occurrence of bleachingin algal cells. (Received March 5, 1969; )     

DE- AND RE-GENERATION OF CHLOROPLASTS IN THE CELLS OF CHLORELLA PROTOTHECOIDES: II. EFFECTS OF ACTINOMYCIN ON GREENING OF "GLUCOSE-BLEACHED" AND "ETIOLATED" ALGAL CELLS

The "glucose-bleached" and "etiolated" cells of Chlorella protothecoideshaving plastids of different degrees of degeneration were preparedby the methods previously reported, and the effects of actinomycin(C complex) upon the processes of greening of these cells wereinvestigated under various experimental conditions. As has beenshown previously, these cells formed normal chloroplasts onbeing incubated in the light with provision of nitrogen source(urea), but without glucose. The greening process of the glucose-bleachedcells has been found to differ from that of the etiolated cellsin the point that it involves a light-independent phase precedinga light-requiring phase. It was revealed that the greening ofglucose-bleached cells is inhibited by actinomycin much morestrongly than that of etiolated cells. On applying the antibioticat different times during the chloroplast development in glucose-bleachedcells, it was found that the inhibitory effect was remarkablyreduced with the progress of the developmental process. Thisindicated that the antibiotic attacked more strongly the light-independentphase than the light-requiring phase in question. Based on theseobservations it was inferred that, in the process of chloroplastdevelopment in glucose-bleached cells, DNA and RNA are playingimportant roles, especially during the early light-independentphase of chloroplast development. (Received September 18, 1964; )     

Image-analysis-based assessment of the effects of the "Ca2+-jump" technique on sarcomere uniformity

A new imageanalysis-based technique was used to quantitatively examine the effectsof the "Ca²⁺-jump"activation protocol on the maintenance of fiber quality in skinnedrabbit psoas muscle fiber segments. Specifically, contractions in pCa4.6 were preceded by short-duration "preactivation" soaks in asolution in which EGTA was replaced with thelow-Ca²⁺ buffering capacity analoghexamethylenediamine-N, N, N', N'-tetraacetate, which facilitated rapid Ca²⁺equilibration within the fiber segments. Fiber quality was assessed byexamining the Fourier spectra of the muscle fiber images before, during, and after activation. Segment lengths were typically below 500 µm, thus allowing the majority of the sarcomeres to be visualized inthe field of view (×200 and ×400 magnification). Thepreactivation protocol resulted in less deterioration of fiber qualitywith repetitive activation. In addition, there was also a significant reduction in the time required to reach the 50% level of maximum tension, with no significant change in the maximum tension level.