Protein variation,taxonomy and differentiation in five species of marmosets (genusCallithrix Erxleben, 1777)

The electrophoretic patterns of 15 protein systems codified for 20 genetic loci were investigated using horizontal electrophoresis. A total of 150 blood samples, from five species of the genusCallithrix were analyzed. Polymorphic variation was observed in 10 out 20 loci analyzed. The genotypic distributions are in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. The average heterozygosity (H) varied from 1% to 5%, similar to those observed for other Neotropical primates. The genetic distance coefficients revealed a phylogenetic separation of these species into two groups: (1) “argentata” (C. humeralifer andC. emiliae); (2) “jacchus” (C. jacchus, C. penicillata, andC. geoffroyi). This arrangement is according to the taxonomic arrangement proposed byHershkovitz (1977),de Vivo (1988), andMittermeier et al. (1988). The results in each group are compatible with the subspecies values recorded for the Platyrrhini. These values showed that:C. humeralifer andC. emiliae are subspecies ofC. argentata;C. jacchus, C. penicillata, andC. geoffroyi are subspecies ofC. jacchus. These results also suggest thatC. j. geoffroyi is the “jacchus” group taxon, most similar genetically to the “argentata” group.     

Chemotaxonomic studies onArachniodes (dryopteridaceae) III. Phloroglucinol derivatives of putative hybrids

Phenetic variation found in JapaneseArachniodes was compared with phloroglucinol composition. The differences in this chemotaxonomic feature were not found very useful in defining the taxa inArachniodes. The phloroglucinol compositions of the putative hybrids were determined and compared with those of the presumed parent species. It was concluded that, in general, the hybrids combine the phloroglucinols found in their parent species. Hybridization among the Japanese species ofArachniodes should, however, be confirmed by cytological investigations. Five species of Kalimantan (Bornean) ferns were also studied for their phloroglucinol contents.Arachniodes tripinnata was compared with Philippine materials of the same species with the result that they differed to some extent. In addition, four species belonging to Tectarioideae were examined:Heterogonium is devoid of phloroglucinols, andPleocnemia irregularis contains a great deal of a “yellow compound” of unknown structure.     

Flavonoid chemistry ofWeigela (Caprifoliaceae) in Korea

Fifteen flavonoids were isolated from flowers and leaves of four species ofWeigela [W. florida (Bunge) A. DC.,W. praecox (Lemoine) Bailey,W. hortensis (Sieb. et Zucc.) K. Koch, andW. subsessilis (Nakai) Bailey] of Korea and one species (W. coraeensis Thunb.) of Japan. The flavonoid data indicated the presence of two distinct chemical groups: the “yellow flower” type producing flavonols and the “red flower” type producing flavonols and flavones. Two cyanidin 3-O-glycosides (glucoside and glucose-xylose) also occurred in all examined taxa. In the floral color-changing species,W. subsessilis, only quercetin glycosides predominated in floral tissue at first, decreasing in number and quantity with time. Instead, cyanidin 3-O-glycosides became present predominantly in flower color changing tissue from yellow to mauve.Weigela florida produced apigenin and luteolin glycosides, along with cyanidin 3-O-glycosides, which were also found inW. subsessilis. Within a relatively limited number of individuals (five),W. hortensis was unique in its production of all flavonols, flavones, and anthocyanins, although two individuals lacked flavone compounds but possessed all flavonols and anthocyanins. In effect, the putative hybrid,W. hortensis of Korea showed additive profiles of the parental marker compounds ofW. subsessilis andW. florida. Pollinator (andrenid bees) non-discrimination betweenWeigela flower-color morphs leading to non-assortive mating was a common, which indicated no breeding barrier among species. This flavonoid study indicated that species of both sections,Weigela andCalysphyrum appeared in each chemical grouping and it was obvious that the arrangement based on flavonoids cut across the sectional treatment of Hara. Floral tissues may be directly involved in the evolutionary strategy of pollination mechanisms and hence, their inherent flavonoids may no longer support taxonomic relationships. The presence of flavone glycosides inWeigela would support that tribe Dievilleae have a closer affinity to tribe Lonicereae within the Family Caprifoliaceae.     

Agave rzedowskiana, a new species in subgenus Littaea (Agavaceae) from western Mexico

Agave rzedowskiana is described and illustrated from the states of Sinaloa and Jalisco, Mexico. This species is a member of subgenusLittaea (Tagliabue) Baker “groupStriatae” of Baker. It is compared withA. petrophila García-Mend. & E. Martínez andA. dasylirioides Jacobi & Bouché.

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Resumen  Se describe e ilustraAgave rzedowskiana de los estados de Sinaloa y Jalisco, México. La especie pertenece al subgéneroLittaea (Tagliabue) Baker “Grupo Striatae” de Baker. Se le compara conA. petrophila García-Mend. & E. Martínez yA. dasylirioides Jacobi & Bouché.

     

High-frequency generation of transgenic tobacco plants after modified leaf disk cocultivation withAgrobacterium tumefaciens

A modified protocol for theAgrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation of tobacco (Nicotina tabacum L.) leaf disks was developed for greater recovery of transgenic plants. Modifications include transformation ofAgrobacterium by a freeze-thaw procedure, initial cocultivation of leaf disks andAgrobacterium under vacuum, subsequent growth with nurse cells for one week, rooting of shoots in medium lacking carbenicillin, longer, growth in rooting medium, and a shortened “hardening” step. By this procedure, an average of 1.3 kanamycin-resistant calli were obtained per leaf disk, and 38% of, the callus cultures used were regenerated to produce 133 independently transformed tobacco plants.     

Tremella occultifuroidea sp. nov., a new mycoparasite ofDacrymyces

Tremella occultifuroidea, a new parasite of dacrymycetaceous fungi is described. It differs from knownTremella parasites in dacrymycetaceous hosts by thick-walled dikaryotic conidia, terminally and repeatedly originating from conidiogenous cells, thus resembling those ofT. polyporina by Koske,T. obscura by Christiansen andOccultifur internus. Part of 167 of a series “Studies in Heterobasidiomycetes” of Tübingen University.     

Sulcal patterns of fossilTheropithecus baboons: Phylogenetic and functional implications

Sulcal patterns were determined from endocasts of fossilTheropithecus (T. oswaldi andT. darti) and compared to the sulcal pattern of extant geladas (T. gelada). A comparison of the configurations of central and arcuate sulci suggests that the cortical motor face representation is relatively enlarged in extantTheropithecus, whereas the cortical motor and sensory face representations were enlarged inT. oswaldi. A relatively expanded sensory and/or motor cortical face representation may be related to masticatory (e.g., “seed-eating”) and gestural (e.g., “lipflip”) functions. SinceT. oswaidi is more derived (expanded) in sensory face representation thanT. gelada, it seems unlikely that it was a direct ancestor of modern geladas. Rather, the two groups were separate by 1.8 million years ago and may have had a most recent common ancestor similar toT. darti from the Hadar Formation of Ethiopia between 2 and 3 million years ago.     

Pigment dichotomy and DNA-RNA hybridization data for centrospermous families

The structural types, biogenesis and distribution of betalains and anthocyanins in centrospermous families are reviewed. The implications of the pigment and DNA-RNA hybridization data, along with other evidence, are discussed with respect to the view that the evolutionary line of centrospermous families contains eleven basic or core families of which nine produce betalains and two, theCaryophyllaceae andMolluginaceae, produce anthocyanins; it is suggested that the betalain and anthocyanin families developed from a common ancestor at a time prior to the widespread occurrence of floral pigments in angiosperms.Presented in the Symposium Evolution of Centrospermous Families, during the XIIth International Botanical Congress, Leningrad, July 8, 1975.     

Dung beetle distribution patterns in the Iberian peninsula

A canonical variate analysis was used to summarize the distribution pattern of 30 species of dung beetles (Scarabaeinae) from 162 sites in the Iberian peninsula (Spain and Portugal) in relation to 4 site variables. The best separation of beetle species, obtained using a xerothermic climatic index, was into 3 groups called “mediterranean”, “unrestricted” and “temperate”. Little further separation was achieved using altitude, dung type or soil type. These data are used to select dung beetles for introduction to south-western Australia for bush fly control.

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Résumé On a fait appel à l'analyse de variables canoniques pour résumer le plan de distribution, relatif à 4 variables de localité, de 30 espèces de bousiers (Scarabaeinae) de 162 localités de la Péninsule ibérique (l'Espagne et le Portugal). La meilleure division des espèces, obtenue à l'aide d'un indice xérothermique climatique, se faisait en 3 groupes désignés respectivement comme “méditerranéen”, “ubiquiste” et “tempéré”. Peu de séparation supplémentaire a été obtenue en ayant recours à des facteurs d'altitude, de nature de la bouse ou de type de sol. Ces données ont été employées pour aider à la sélection de bousiers destinés à être introduits en Australie Occidentale pour y combattreMusca vetustissima Walker[Diptera].

     

New target for rice lodging resistance and its effect in a typhoon

We demonstrated the new target for lodging resistance in rice (Oryza sativa L.) by the analysis of physiological function of a locus for lodging resistance in a typhoon (lrt5) with the near isogenic line under rice “Koshihikari” genetic background (tentatively named S1). The higher lodging resistance of S1 was observed during a typhoon in September 2004 (28 days after heading), when most other plants in “Koshihikari” became lodged. Visual observations showed that bending of the upper stems triggered lodging during the typhoon; the upper stem of “Koshihikari” buckled completely, whereas that of S1 remained straight. In addition to the strong rain and winds during the typhoon, the weight of the buckled upper plant parts increased the pressure on adjacent plants and caused a domino effect in “Koshihikari”. Young’s modulus, an indicator of the rigidity of the culm, was significantly higher in S1 than in “Koshihikari”. In the upper culm, the starch content in S1 was 4.8 times the value in “Koshihikari”, and senescence was delayed in the upper leaves of S1. These results suggest that the rigidity of the upper culm by the higher starch content (as a result of delayed senescence in the upper leaves) may be responsible for the higher lodging resistance during a typhoon in rice. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

Upper limits of temperature for growth inChlorella (Chlorophyceae)

The upper limit of temperature for growth is a species-specific character in the genusChlorella. The limits of 14Chlorella species range from 26–30°C (C. saccharophila) to 38–42°C (C. sorokiniana), withC. fusca var.vacuolata (34°C) andC. kessleri (34–36°C) assuming an intermediate position. Thus, there is no wide gap in the temperature limits between the normal (“low-temperature”) species ofChlorella and the “high-temperature” species,C. sorokiniana.     

Variability and structure of natural populations of Elymus caninus (L.) L. and their possible relationship with Hordelymus europaeus (L.) Jess. ex Harz as revealed by AFLP analysis

The AFLP method was used to study the inter-population variability of eight populations of Elymus caninus (L.) L. as well as three populations of Hordelymus europaeus (L.) Jess. ex Harz. In these studies a clear distinction was found between two phenotypes of E. caninus collected in the same locality. It also appeared that two populations of E. caninus representing the “pauciflorum” morphotype were clustered together, similarly as two populations of E. caninus exhibiting morphotype “caninus”. Additionally, the populations of the “pauciflorum” type were clustered together with all samples of H. europaeus. Furthermore, the same approach was applied to analyze the intra-population variability of E. caninus. The populations ranged from nearly uniform to as diverse as the samples collected from different localities. In some populations of this species the presence of off-type plants was revealed. Our data indicate the predominantly self-pollinating character of E. caninus and the possible genetic relationship between of E. caninus and H. europaeus. It is the second paper from the series: Biodiversity of wild Triticeae (Poaceae) in Poland, the first is: Mizianty M. 2005. Variability and structure of natural populations of Elymus caninus (l.) L. based on morphology. Pl. Syst. Evol. 251: 199–216.     

Mechanoreceptive function of pectines in the Brazilian yellow scorpion Tityus serrulatus: perception of substrate-borne vibrations and prey detection

Environment perception by scorpions is an issue of great interest, and there is controversy about the use of pectines in this function. This paper investigates the mechanoreceptive function of pectines of the yellow scorpion Tityus serrulatus. The study was conducted in laboratory conditions from July 2003 to July 2004. Ninety females were maintained in six terraria (N = 15). Three of them were named “control” group (intact pectines) and the others “treatment” group (pectines covered with paraffin). Three experimental tests (an ethogram, a test of prey detection and a test of perception of substrate-borne vibrations) were performed to compare skills of animals with and without blocked pectines. The ethogram showed that treated individuals significantly reduced their exploratory activities, spent more time resting, and aggregated more than the control ones. Prey detection tests showed that the blocking of pectines made the yellow scorpions inefficient to detect and capture prey. Vibration tests showed that animals with blocked pectines also did not respond to the vibrations produced in the substrate, whereas the opposite occurred with the control group. These results suggest a mechanoreceptive function for T. serrulatus pectines, and show that the detection of ground vibrations by these structures is important for prey perception and orientation in the Brazilian yellow scorpion.     

Hedges as potential sources ofTyphlodromus pyri,the most important predatory mite in vineyards of Northern Switzerland

This paper presents the results of an acarological survey started in 1984 in hedges bordering vineyards in Northern Switzerland where natural populations of the economically important predatory miteTyphlodromus pyri occur. The objective of these investigations was to identify those plant species in the hedges and forest margins adjacent to vineyards that carry high populations of this important predator, and to evaluate the potential role of hedges as ecological refuges and sources ofT. pyri. We found high and consistent densities ofT. pyri onRubus fruticosus, and less regularly onCornus sanguinea, Corylus avellana andLonicara xylosteum. We conclude that hedges can provide ecological refuges and sources of this economically important predatory mite where earlier applications of inappropriate pesticides have eliminated these important antagonists. However, the inoculative release ofT. pyri along with the increase of the internal ecological diversity of the vineyard achieved by proper management of the green over plants (“weed”) will have a strong influence on predator densities within the vineyards.      

Traditional Knowledge and Management of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Feijoa (Acca sellowiana)</Emphasis> in Southern Brazil

Traditional Knowledge and Management of Feijoa (Acca sellowiana) in Southern Brazil. This paper investigates traditional knowledge of the use and management of Acca sellowiana in southern Brazil. Fifty-six informants from three rural communities were assigned to one of four subgroups (“maintainers,” “managers,” “cultivators,” or “users”) based on their responses regarding management and use of A. sellowiana. Traditional knowledge related to use of this species is widespread among rural residents, but traditional knowledge related to management is fragmented depending on whether one uses, manages, or cultivates the species. Knowledge held in rural communities suggests that A. sellowiana could play an expanded role in local economies as well as biodiversity conservation. We suggest that participatory research could stimulate greater local use as well as on-farm conservation of A. sellowiana.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">In vitro</Emphasis>–<Emphasis Type="Italic">ex vitro</Emphasis> salt (NaCl) tolerance of cassava (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Manihot esculenta</Emphasis> Crantz) plants

Three cassava clones (SOM-1, “05”, and “50”) were cultured in vitro on MS medium plus sucrose (30 g L⁻¹) and myo-inositol (100 mg L⁻¹) without plant growth regulators and with additions of 0 (control), 0.5, 1, 1.5, 2, 2.5, and 3 g L⁻¹ NaCl to test their salt tolerance. The same cassava clones were cultivated in greenhouse conditions on a sandy soil substratum and irrigated with 20% strength Hoagland solution, and additions of 0, 4, and 8 g L⁻¹ of NaCl. Salinity negatively affected the survival, development, leaf water content, and mineral composition (mainly by accumulation of Cl and Na) of both in vitro and ex vitro plants, but with different intensity in each clone. In both conditions of culture (in vitro and ex vitro) clone SOM-1, from a desert arid saline zone of Somalia, was the most tolerant and clone “05”, from a rainy region of Ivory Coast, the most sensitive. Clone “50” tolerance to in vitro salt treatments, although lower, was not significantly different from that of SOM-1 but the ex vitro response was similar to “05”. In general, there was a correlation between in vitro and ex vitro behavior of the cassava plant regarding salt tolerance, which would allow the in vitro culture method to be used for selection of salt-tolerant plants of this crop.     

The effects of external potassium and magnesium concentrations on the magnesium and potassium inflow rates and growth of micropropagated cherry rootstocks, “F.12/1” (Prunus avium L.) and “Colt” (Prunus avium L.) × Prunus pseudocerasus L.)

The effects (and interaction) of two solution concentrations of Mg (50, 500, μM) and two of K (250, 4250 μM) on the growth of micropropagated plants of “F. 12/1” and “Colt” were investigated using a flowing solution culture system. Magnesium inflow and growth of “Colt” and “F. 12/1” were inhibited to a similar extent by an increased concentration of K in the nutrient solution. However, the consequences of this inhibition were different. Reduced inflow of Mg in “F. 12/1” caused Mg deficiency symptoms at high and low concentrations of K, whereas this only occurred with a combination of high K concentration and low Mg concentration in “Colt”. The distribution of dry matter within the plant was significant in determining susceptibility to Mg deficiency. Since “F. 12/1” has a smaller root:shoot ratio than Colt it is unable to sustain the same concentration of Mg in leaves as “Colt” irrespective of external K concentration. The molar ratio of K:Mg in soil solutions should remain <8.5:1 in order to ensure maximum growth of “F. 12/1” and “Colt”. This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.