Ammonium Tolerance and Carbohydrate Status in Maize Cultivars

Four maize (Zea mays L.) hybrids were grown hydroponically for4 weeks with 20 mM ammonium or nitrate as the sole nitrogensource. Dry matter production was strongly depressed by ammoniumnutrition in the hybrid Helga relative to plants grown on nitrate,and moderately decreased in the hybrid Melina. Ammonium hadno inhibitory effect on total yield in the other two hybrids(Ramses and DK 261). The relative growth rate (RGR) of rootsand shoots of the sensitive hybrid Helga decreased significantlyunder ammonium nutrition during the first 2 weeks of the experiment,while at the end of the experiment nitrogen form had no effecton the RGR in any of the four hybrids. The strong reductionin RGR of Helga in the early seedling stage was correlated withthe accumulation of twice the concentration of free ammoniumin the shoot tissue relative to the other hybrids. Helga wastherefore unable to sufficiently detoxify ammonia in the roots.Root concentrations of water soluble carbohydrates (WSC) inHelga and Melina in the early seedling stage did not differunder ammonium and nitrate nutrition. In contrast, Ramses andDK 261 both had elevated WSC concentrations in ammonium-fedroots. It is hypothesized that a sufficient supply of carbonskeletons for ammonium assimilation in the roots is requiredfor maximum growth under high ammonium concentrations, and thatthere is genotypic variability in this physiological trait. Ammonium; carbohydrates; growth rate; maize; nitrate; roots; Zea mays L     

Characterization of heparin oligosaccharides binding specifically to antithrombin III using mass spectrometry

Heparan sulfate (HS) is a sulfated glycosaminoglycan attached to a core protein on the cell surface. Protein binding to cell surface HS is a key regulatory event for many cellular processes such as blood coagulation, cell proliferation, and migration. The concept whereby protein binding to HS is not random but requires a limited number of sulfation patterns is becoming clear. Here we describe a hydrophobic trapping assay for screening a library of heparin hexasaccharides for binders to antithrombin III (ATIII). The hexasaccharide compositions are defined with their building block content in the following format: (DeltaHexA:HexA:GlcN:SO 3:Ac). Of five initial compositions present in the library, (1:2:3:6:1), (1:2:3:7:1), (1:2:3:7:0), (1:2:3:8:0), and (1:2:3:9:0), only two are shown to bind ATIII, namely, (1:2:3:8:0) and (1:2:3:9:0). The use of amide hydrophilic interaction (HILIC) liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry permitted reproducible quantitative analysis of the composition of the initial library as well as that of the binding fraction. The specificity of the hexasaccharides binding ATIII was confirmed by assaying their ability to enhance ATIII-mediated inhibition of Factor Xa in vitro.     

Chemistry and biology for the small molecules targeting characteristics of cancer cells

Despite the marked progress of cancer research, cancer is the predominant cause of death in Japan, and therefore development of effective therapeutic drugs is expected.

Chemical biology is a research field utilizing small molecules to investigate biological phenomena. One of the most important aims of chemical biology is to find the small molecules, and natural products are ideal screening sources due to their structural diversity. Therefore, natural product screening based on the progress of chemical biology prompted us to find small molecules targeting cancer characteristics. Another contribution of chemical biology is to facilitate the target identification of small molecule. Therefore, among a variety of methods to uncover protein function, chemical biology is a remarkable approach in which small molecules are used as probes to elucidate protein functions related to cancer development.

Abbreviations: EGF: Epidermal growth factor; PDGF: Platelet-derived growth factor; CRPC: Castration-resistant prostate cancer; AR: Androgen receptor; FTase: Farnesyl transferase; 5-LOX: 5-Lipoxygenase; LT: Leukotriene; CysLT1: Cysteinyl leukotriene receptor 1; GPA: Glucopiericidin A; PA: Piericidin A; XN: Xanthohumol; VCP: Valosin-containing protein; ACACA: Acetyl-CoA carboxylase-α.     

Effects of cytokinin production under two SAG promoters on senescence and development of tomato plants

Two promoters of senescence-associated ARABIDOPSIS genes, SAG12 and SAG13, were used in tomato plants to express IPT that catalyzes the rate-limiting step in cytokinin biosynthesis. Expression of these heterologous promoters in tomato plants was analyzed using the reporter gene beta-glucuronidase. Both promoters are expressed in tomato leaves in a manner similar to their expression in ARABIDOPSIS plants. The SAG12 promoter is very specific to senescing leaves, whereas the SAG13 promoter is expressed in mature leaves prior to the onset of visible senescence and its expression increases in senescing leaves. Expression of both promoters in tomato tissues other than leaves was very low . IPT expressed under the control of SAG12 and SAG13 promoters ( PSAG12::IPT and PSAG13::IPT, respectively) resulted in suppression of leaf senescence and advanced flowering, as well as in a slight increase in fruit weight and fruit total soluble solids (TSS). However, expression of PSAG13::IPT also led to stem thickening, short internodal distances and loss of apical dominance. In contrast to the autoregulation of PSAG12::IPT, PSAG13::IPT is expressed at higher levels in mature leaves. This difference is likely due to PSAG13::IPT exhibiting two phases of expression - a senescence-independent expression prior to the onset of senescence that is not subjected to autoregulation by cytokinin, and enhanced expression throughout senescence which is autoregualted by cytokinin. This moderate different autoregulated behavior of PSAG12::IPT and PSAG13::IPT markedly influenced plant development, emphasizing the biological effects of cytokinin in addition to senescence inhibition.     

MpFAE3, a beta-ketoacyl-CoA synthase gene in the liverwort Marchantia polymorpha L., is preferentially involved in elongation of palmitic acid to stearic acid

Fatty acid chain elongation is a crucial step in the biosynthesis of long chain fatty acids. An essential reaction in the elongation process is condensation of malonyl-CoA with acyl-CoA, which is catalyzed by beta-ketoacyl-CoA synthase (KCS) in plants. We have isolated and characterized the MpFAE3 gene, one of the KCS gene family in the liverwort Marchantia polymorpha. Transgenic M. polymorpha plants overexpressing MpFAE3 accumulate fatty acids 18:0, 20:0, and 22:0. In these plants, the amount of 16:0 is reduced to 50% of wild type. In a heterologous assay, transgenic methylotrophic yeast expressing the MpFAE3 gene accumulates fatty acid 18:0 and generates several longer fatty acids which are not detectable in the control, accompanied by a decrease of 16:0. These observations indicate that the MpFAE3 protein is preferentially involved in the elongation of 16:0 to 18:0 and also in the subsequent steps of 18:0 to 20:0 and 20:0 to 22:0 in M. polymorpha.     

Hormone interactions and regulation of PsPK2::GUS compared with DR5::GUS and PID::GUS in Arabidopsis thaliana

The putative pea PINOID homolog, PsPK2, is expressed in all growing plant parts and is positively regulated by auxin, gibberellin, and cytokinin. Here, we studied hormonal regulation of PsPK2::GUS expression compared with DR5::GUS and PID::GUS in Arabidopsis. PsPK2::GUS, DR5::GUS, and PID::GUS expression in Arabidopsis shoots is mainly localized in the stipules, hydathodes, veins, developing leaves, and cotyledons. Unlike DR5::GUS, PsPK2::GUS, and PID::GUS are weakly expressed in root tips. Both DR5::GUS and PsPK2::GUS are induced by different auxins and are more sensitive to methyl indole acetic acid, 4-chloro-indole acetic acid, and α-naphthalene acetic acid than others. GA(3) has no significant effect on GUS activity in DR5::GUS-transformed seedlings compared to the control, but induction by auxin and gibberellin in combination is synergistic. Cytokinin increases auxin transport in Arabidopsis seedlings. Auxin, gibberellin, and cytokinin all increase GUS activity in shoots of PsPK2::GUS transformed plants compared to the control. However, only auxin and gibberellin increase GUS activity in PID::GUS shoots. In conclusion, auxin, gibberellin, and cytokinin positively regulate PsPK2 expression in shoots, but not in roots. Auxin and gibberellin also upregulate AtPIN1 and LEAFY expression, which is similar to PsPIN1 and Uni in pea. With minor exceptions, the orthologous genes from both species are regulated similarly.     

嘌呤生物合成调控研究：...

Report here is the isolation of adenosine deaminase deficient mutants and genetic mapping. Engineering transposon MudJ (lacZ, Kanr) was used for mutagenesis and six add:: MudJ were obtained among 20,000 Kanr transductants. Adenosine deaminase activity of these mutants were assayed and all are negative. Cotransduction analysis of add::MudJ indicated that add is 70% linked to pmi(31') and 37% linked to zxx1900::Tn10d-tet insertion which is 10% linked to purR(30'). Three points cross showed that add is located between pmi and Tn10d-tet insertion. Therefore the gene order is purR-zxx1900::Tn10d-tet-add-pmi.     

The Zellweger syndrome: deficient conversion of docosahexaenoic acid (22:6(n-3)) to eicosapentaenoic acid (20:5(n-3)) and normal delta 4-desaturase activity in cultured skin fibroblasts

The metabolism of docosahexaenoic acid (22:6(n-3)) and adrenic acid (22:4(n-6)) was studied in cultured fibroblasts from patients with the Zellweger syndrome, X-linked adrenoleukodystrophy (X-ALD) and normal controls. It was shown that [4,5- 3H]22:6(n-3) is retroconverted to labelled eicosapentaenoic acid (20:5(n-3)) in normal and X-ALD fibroblasts, while this conversion is deficient in Zellweger fibroblasts. [U- 14C]Eicosapentaenoic acid (20:5(n-3)) is elongated to docosapentaenoic acid (22:5(n-3)) in all three cell lines. With [U- 14C]20:5(n-3) as the substrate, shorter fatty acids were not detected. With [4,5- 3H]22:6(n-3) as the substrate, labelled fatty acids were esterified in the phospholipid- and triacylglycerol-fraction to approximately the same extent in all three cell lines. [2- 14C]Adrenic acid (22:4(n-6)) was desaturated to 22:5(n-6) and elongated to 24:4(n-6) in all three cell lines and to the largest extent in the Zellweger fibroblasts. This agrees with the view that the delta 4-desaturase is not a peroxisomal enzyme. The observation that the retroconversion of 22:6(n-3) to 20:5(n-3) is deficient in Zellweger fibroblasts strongly suggest that the beta-oxidation step in the retroconversion is a peroxisomal function. Peroxisomal very-long-chain (lignoceroyl) CoA ligase is probably not required for the activation of 22:6(n-3), since the retroconversion to 20:5(n-3) is normal in X-ALD fibroblasts.     

On the metabolic relationships between monogalactosyldiacylglycerol and digalactosyldiacylglycerol molecular species in Dunaliella salina

Dunaliella salina cells were pulse-labeled for 2 min with [14C]palmitic acid, [14C]oleic acid, or [14C]lauric acid in order to trace the pathway of galactolipid biosynthesis and desaturation. Through the use of high performance liquid chromatography it was possible to follow the movement of radioactivity through many individual molecular species of monogalactosyldiacylglycerol (MGDG) and digalactosyldiacylglycerol (DGDG) for periods of 24 h and, in some cases, as much as 120 h. Analysis of the fatty acid fluxes permitted us to refine current views regarding biosynthesis of the predominantly "prokaryotic" galactolipids. The initial D. salina MGDG molecular species, containing paired oleate and palmitate (18:1/16:0), can follow two metabolic routes. If the palmitoyl chain is desaturated to 16:1, the resulting 18:1/16:1 MGDG is subject to rapid further desaturation to varying degrees, and a part of these products is subsequently galactosylated to DGDG. Contrary to widely held opinions, these DGDG molecular species can themselves be further desaturated toward a 18:3/16:4 final product. In a separate series of reactions, a smaller portion of the nascent 18:1/16:0 MGDG is directly galactosylated to 18:1/16:0 DGDG. This molecular species can then be sequentially desaturated to 18:2/16:0 DGDG and 18:3/16:0 DGDG. However, there is only very limited desaturation of the palmitoyl group attached to these molecular species.     

Mass-action formulations of monovalent and divalent cation adsorption by phospholipid membranes.

An extension of a previous treatment (Cohen, J. A., and M. Cohen, 1981, Biophys. J., 36:623-651) is presented for the adsorption of monovalent and divalent cations by single-component phospholipid membranes, where monovalent cations adsorb with a cation/phospholipid stoichiometry of 1:1 and divalent cations adsorb with stoichiometries of 1:1 and 1:2. Previously the 1:1 and 1:2 binding of divalent cations were assumed to occur by independent, parallel pathways. Here a serial adsorption scheme is considered in which 1:2 binding occurs via reaction of 1:1-bound complexes with adjacent unoccupied phospholipids. This two-dimensional lattice reaction is shown to obey a law of mass action, and the mass-action equilibrium constant is used to parameterize the adsorption isotherm. This isotherm is shown to be mathematically equivalent to the previous isotherm, although the two formulations differ in the dependence of 1:2 binding on the 1:1 association constant.     

黑水鸡的繁殖生态观察

2004年5月～2008年10月,对牡丹江市人民公园内野生黑水鸡 Gallinula chloropus(Linnaeus)的繁殖行为进行观察.结果 表明,黑水鸡在觅食地的取食、休息、理羽等行为在一天中有几个高峰,取食高峰4:00～8:00和16:00～18:00,休息高峰12:00～16:00和18:00～20:00,理羽高峰12:00～14:00和18:00～20:00, 巢址选择在长有茂密植物的浅水区,筑巢期2～3 d,巢高平均为30.53 cm, 巢深平均为9.58 cm, 窝卵数4～10枚不等,平均为7.2枚,孵化期为15～17 d, 孵化率为90.7%.     

The metabolism of 7,10,13,16,19-docosapentaenoic acid to 4,7,10,13,16,19-docosahexaenoic acid in rat liver is independent of a 4-desaturase.

The hypothesis that the last step in the biosynthesis of 4,7,10,13,16,19-22:6 from linolenate is catalyzed by an acyl-CoA-dependent 4-desaturase has never been evaluated by direct experimentation. When rat liver microsomes were incubated with [1-14C]7,10,13,16,19-22:5, under conditions where linoleate was readily desaturated to 6,9,12-18:3, it was never possible to detect the product of the putative 4-desaturase. In the presence of malonyl-CoA, 7,10,13,16,19-22:5 was sequentially chain-elongated to 9,12,15,18,21-24:5, followed by its desaturation at position 6 to give 6,9,12,15,18,21-24:6. Microsomes desaturated 9,12,15,18,21-24:5 at rates similar to those observed for metabolizing linoleate to 6,9,12-18:3. Rat hepatocytes metabolize [1-14C]7,10,13,16,19-22:5 to 22:6(n-3), but in addition, it was possible to detect small amounts of esterified 24:5(n-3) and 24:6(n-3) in phospholipids, which is a finding consistent with their role as obligatory intermediates in 22:6(n-3) biosynthesis. When 3-14C-labeled 24:5(n-3) or 24:6(n-3) were incubated with hepatocytes, only a small amount of either substrate was esterified. [3-14C] 24:5(n-3) was metabolized both by beta-oxidation to 22:5(n-3) and by serving as a precursor for the biosynthesis of 24:6(n-3) and 22:6(n-3). The primary metabolic fate of [3-14C]24:6(n-3) was beta-oxidation to 22:6(n-3), followed by its acylation into membrane lipids. Our results thus document that 22:5(n-3) is the precursor for 22:6(n-3) but via a pathway that is independent of a 4-desaturase. This pathway involves the microsomal chain elongation of 22:5(n-3) to 24:5(n-3), followed by its desaturation to 24:6(n-3). This microsomal product is then metabolized, via beta-oxidation, to 22:6(n-3).     

Bio-samtools: Ruby bindings for SAMtools, a library for accessing BAM files containing high-throughput sequence alignments

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: The SAMtools utilities comprise a very useful and widely used suite of software for manipulating files and alignments in the SAM and BAM format, used in a wide range of genetic analyses. The SAMtools utilities are implemented in C and provide an API for programmatic access, to help make this functionality available to programmers wishing to develop in the high level Ruby language we have developed bio-samtools, a Ruby binding to the SAMtools library. RESULTS: The utility of SAMtools is encapsulated in 3 main classes, Bio::DB::Sam, representing the alignment files and providing access to the data in them, Bio::DB::Alignment, representing the individual read alignments inside the files and Bio::DB::Pileup, representing the summarised nucleotides of reads over a single point in the nucleotide sequence to which the reads are aligned. CONCLUSIONS: bio-samtools is a flexible and easy to use interface that programmers of many levels of experience can use to access the information in the popular and common SAM/BAM format.     

椒莪脂质体的制备及其质量标准的建立

目的:将椒莪油制成脂质体,优选制备工艺,建立质量标准。方法:采用薄膜超声法制备椒莪脂质体,通过正交实验优选处方和制备工艺,HPLC、GC建立其质量标准。结果:最佳处方为卵磷脂:胆固醇7:1,卵磷脂:油3.5:1;HPLC法测定脂质体中莪术油的含量,建立标准曲线,回归方程为Y=14958X+16795,r=0.9996;椒目仁油的测定方法同前文报道。得到的脂质体形态均一,包封率在75%左右。结论:建立的制备工艺简单,便于操作;检测方法的精密度、回收率均符合要求。     

Conformational selection by the aIF2 GTPase: a molecular dynamics study of functional pathways

Archaeal initiation factor 2 (aIF2) is a GTPase involved in protein biosynthesis. In its GTP-bound, "ON" conformation, it binds an initiator tRNA and carries it to the ribosome. In its GDP-bound, "OFF" conformation, it dissociates from tRNA. To improve our understanding of the role of each conformational state in the aIF2 "life cycle", we start from the state immediately after GTP hydrolysis, ON:GDP:P(i) (where P(i) is inorganic phosphate), and consider the possible next steps on the pathway to the OFF:GDP product. The first possibility is P(i) dissociation, leading to ON:GDP, which could then relax into OFF:GDP. We use molecular dynamics simulations to compute the P(i) dissociation free energy and show that dissociation is highly favorable. The second possibility is conformational relaxation into the OFF state before P(i) dissociation, to form OFF:GDP:P(i). We estimate the corresponding free energy approximately, 2 ± 3.5 kcal/mol, so that this is an uphill or weakly downhill process. A third possibility is relaxation into another conformation, neither ON nor OFF. Indeed, a third, "MIXED" conformation was seen recently in a crystal structure of the aIF2:GDP:P(i) complex. For this conformational state, P(i) dissociation is weakly unfavorable, in contrast to the ON and OFF states. From this, we will deduce that if the MIXED:GDP complex is not too unstable, the ON:GDP:P(i) → MIXED:GDP:P(i) transformation is a downhill process, which can occur spontaneously. This suggests that the MIXED state could be a functional intermediate.     

Congenital osteochondrodysplasia with systemic subcutaneous edema (ocd/ocd): a new lethal autosomal recessive mutant of the rat

The inheritance of a new lethal mutant rate showing congenital osteochondrodysplasia with systemic subcutaneous edema (ocd for the gene symbol) was examined by crossings between the carriers and between F1s derived from the carrier x Long-Evans crossing. The ratio of the affected to phenotypically normal was 276:89 in pups derived from the crossings between the carriers and 83:17 in those at the LE-F2 generation derived from the proven carriers of the LE-F1 animals, thus showing that the ratio is 3:1. The female:male ratio was 47:42 in the affected and 133:143 in the phenotypically normal pups, showing the sex ratio is 1:1, irrespective of the affected or phenotypically normal. The ratio of affected:carrier:noncarrier was 26:58:27 in littermates derived from the crossings between the carriers, showing the ratio is 1:2:1. The results fitted well to the hypothesis that the inheritance is a single autosomal recessive trait. Independence of the gene from linkage group I was also revealed, because the ratio of colored to albino was 14:3 and 65:18 in affected and phenotypically normal pups at the LE-F2 generation, respectively, which fitted to the ratio of 3:1.     

The probability of obtaining complex kinetic curves for enzyme mechanisms with cubic terms in the pseudo-steady state rate equations

A number of details required for the classification of 3 : 3 double reciprocal plots are provided. It is shown that the ν(S) plot for a 3 : 3 function can have at most four inflexions and at most two inflexions adjacent to a turning point. Using this information, a classification of 3 : 3 ν(S) plots into ten main varieties with several subclasses is reported. The problem of defining the probability with which a given mechanism can give rise to specific curve shape features is considered. Applying this technique, the probability with which four simple enzyme mechanisms can give rise to 3 : 3 curve shapes is computed. It is shown that a 3 : 3 saturation function can have no turning points, at most two inflexions and at most one inflexion in double reciprocal space. The probability with which the available 3 : 3 shapes can arise is also computed. It is concluded that, with realistic values for rate constants, chemically reasonable enzyme mechanisms leading to rate equations of degree n : n can generate most of the kinetic profiles available to a rational function of degree n : n with positive coefficients. The probability of obtaining specific curve shapes is not so characteristic of the particular mechanism for 3:3 rate equations as it is for 2:2 rate equations. The probability of obtaining highly complex curves with several turning points or inflexions is rather lower for the enzyme mechanisms than with general 3 : 3 rational functions. There is a high probability that 3 : 3 mechanisms will generate kinetic curves that are geometrically similar to those possible for degree 2 : 2 but this is not so for binding isotherms. Hence differentiating 3 : 3 from 2 : 2 rate equations from experimental kinetic data is more likely to be successful by non-linear regression to the whole data set than by demonstrating a specific 3 : 3 feature. Binding curves, on the other hand, for three or more sites should give Scatchard plots with inflexions, features not possible with second degree equations which are conic sections in this space.     

Arabidopsis TANGLED identifies the division plane throughout mitosis and cytokinesis

BACKGROUND: In premitotic plant cells, the future division plane is predicted by a cortical ring of microtubules and F-actin called the preprophase band (PPB). The PPB persists throughout prophase, but is disassembled upon nuclear-envelope breakdown as the mitotic spindle forms. Following nuclear division, a cytokinetic phragmoplast forms between the daughter nuclei and expands laterally to attach the new cell wall at the former PPB site. A variety of observations suggest that expanding phragmoplasts are actively guided to the former PPB site, but little is known about how plant cells "remember" this site after PPB disassembly. RESULTS: In premitotic plant cells, Arabidopsis TANGLED fused to YFP (AtTAN::YFP) colocalizes at the future division plane with PPBs. Strikingly, cortical AtTAN::YFP rings persist after PPB disassembly, marking the division plane throughout mitosis and cytokinesis. The AtTAN::YFP ring is relatively broad during preprophase/prophase and mitosis; narrows to become a sharper, more punctate ring during cytokinesis; and then rapidly disassembles upon completion of cytokinesis. The initial recruitment of AtTAN::YFP to the division plane requires microtubules and the kinesins POK1 and POK2, but subsequent maintenance of AtTAN::YFP rings appears to be microtubule independent. Consistent with the localization data, analysis of Arabidopsis tan mutants shows that AtTAN plays a role in guidance of expanding phragmoplasts to the former PPB site. CONCLUSIONS: AtTAN is implicated as a component of a cortical guidance cue that remains behind when the PPB is disassembled and directs the expanding phragmoplast to the former PPB site during cytokinesis.     

pMAA-Red: a new pPZP-derived vector for fast visual screening of transgenic Arabidopsis plants at the seed stage

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: The production of transgenic plants, either for the overproduction of the protein of interest, for promoter::reporter lines, or for the downregulation of genes is an important prerequisite in modern plant research but is also very time-consuming. RESULTS: We have produced additions to the pPZP family of vectors. Vector pPZP500 (derived from pPZP200) is devoid of NotI sites and vector pPZP600 (derived from pPZP500) contains a bacterial kanamycin resistance gene. Vector pMAA-Red contains a Pdf2.1::DsRed marker and a CaMV::GUS cassette within the T-DNA and is useful for the production of promoter::GUS lines and overexpression lines. The Pdf2.1 promoter is expressed in seeds and syncytia induced by the beet cyst nematode Heterodera schachti in Arabidopsis roots. Transgenic seeds show red fluorescence which can be used for selection and the fluorescence level is indicative of the expression level of the transgene. The advantage is that plants can be grown on soil and that expression of the marker can be directly screened at the seed stage which saves time and resources. Due to the expression of the Pdf2.1::DsRed marker in syncytia, the vector is especially useful for the expression of a gene of interest in syncytia. CONCLUSIONS: The vector pMAA-Red allows for fast and easy production of transgenic Arabidopsis plants with a strong expression level of the gene of interest.     

Leidyana phryganidiae and Leidyana berkeleyi: Two new species of gregarines from Phryganidia californica

Larvae of the California oakworm, Phryganidia californica, collected in August 1958 in Orcutt, California, were infected by two eugregarines, Leidyana phryganidiae n. sp. and L. berkeleyi n. sp. Both gregarines inhabit the intestine of larvae, and their sporonts are solitary. The maximum length of sporonts of L. phryganidiae is 633 μm; the ratio of length of protomerite to total length (LP:TL) ranges between 1:6.6 and 1:9.6, and the ratio of width of protomerite to width of deutomerite (WP:WD) ranges between 1:1.3 and 1:2.2. The protomerite is conical, longer than wide, and the deutomerite tapers sharply to a point. The maximum length of sporonts of L. berkeleyi is 422 μm; the ratio LP:TL ranges between 1:4.6 and 1:11.2 and WP:WD between 1:0.9 and 1:2.1. The protomerite is hemispherical, and the deutomerite is cylindrical. This is the first record of eugregarine infection in a phytophagous lepidopteran.