Osservazioni sul ciclo di sviluppo delle gemme di esemplari mascbili e femminili di Ginkyo biloba L.

Abstract

Observations on the development cycle of the buds of male and female specimens of Ginkyo biloba L. – A study of the buds of long shood and short shoot of male and female Ginkyo biloba L. individuals reveals the following: 1) All the buds of the male individuals are bigger and round in shape while those of the female individuals are smaller and conical. 2) Among individuals of the same sex there are no differences between the buds of long and short shoots except that the latter are always bigger. 3) All the buds, both male and female, show a constant number of buds scales (7–14), embryonic leaves (3–7) and leaf primordia (3–4). 4) The increase in diameters is greater in the male than in the female buds. 5) When opening, the buds of the male short shoots can get as big as 11,5 mm × 11,5 mm and those of the female short shoots 5 mmx4 mm. At this time, the long shoots of both sexes show a less marked differences in size (♂ 5 mm × 5 mm; 9 4 mm × 3,5 mm). 6) The male buds of both long and short shoots are always mixed, that is they are provided with a very small apex and pollen sacs. Only on exceptional cases has sterility been observed. On the other hand female buds are mixed, that is they are provided with a shoot apex and ovules, only in the long shoots of three or more years of age and not always; while the buds of the long shoots are always sterile. 7) Opening of the buds, which in both sexes occurs from the base upwards, takes place at the middle of March in the male and in the first decade of April in the female individuals. 8) The appearence of sex, starting from the base, takes place at an earlier time in male individuals. In fact in the buds of the male short shoots it appears as early as July. In the buds of the female short shoots it appears in October. 9) Pollen cones do not appear at the same time in all the buds of the two types of shoot. They are found in the buds of the short shoots in July, in October in the lateral buds of the long shoots and in November in the terminal buds of the same type of shoots. 10) Ovules appear only in some buds of short shoots three or more year old. They are never present in the long and short shoots one or two year old buds. 11) The dates of appearance of the pollen cones and ovules in our Florentine specimens are exactly the same as those reported by SPRECHER (1907) for the Ginkyo plants growing in Geneva.     

The subcommissural organ of Lacerta s. sicula Raf.: Functional studies

Summary The secretory activity of the subcommissural organ (SCO) is affected by adrenalectomy, adrenalectomy + castration, and by an increase in ambient temperature in adrenalectomized and adrenalectomized + castrated animals. Adrenalectomy inhibits the activity of the SCO. After adrenalectomy + castration the decrease in the secretory activity of the SCO is more rapid. In contrast, an increase in the ambient temperature in adrenalectomized animals induces a recrudescence of the activity of the SCO. The increase in temperature in castrated + adrenalectomized lizards does not affect the inhibition produced by this type of surgical treatment. The histological changes are discussed on the basis of results obtained in the present study and in previous experiments.This work was presented at the First Colloquium of the European Pineal Study Group, November 20–24, 1978, in Amsterdam     

Ribosome arrangement during oogenesis of Lacerta sicula Raf

Ribosomal bodies (RB), constituted of crystalline sheets of ribosomes interposed between flat parallel cisternae, are present in the oocyte and follicular cells of Lacerta sicula during the winter rest. During spring, the RB undergo progressive transformation into rough endoplasmic reticulum and free ribosomes, so that these formations are completely lacking during summer. The mechanism underlying the formation of RB and the possible significance that they may have for protein synthesis during oogenesis are discussed.     

Osservazioni preliminari al microscopio elettronico a scansione sulle ornamentazioni delle spore di Russula

Abstract

Preliminary observations on spore ornementation of Russula, as seen in the scanning electron microscope. — The spores of 16 species of Russula have been examined in the scanning electron microscope, as a preliminary attempt to see if an accurate examination of the spore surface at the ultrastructural level could reveal details of ornamentation which might be useful for the classification of the many species of this genus. The examination, carried out both on fixed and unfixed specimens, has demonstrated that the spore shape is always round or slightly elliptic, and that the obnormal forms as previously described are probably artifacts. Five main types of ornamentation have been described: single wart-like and single finger-like Protrusion, wart- or finger-like protrusions interconnected by thin ridges, and thick, short « papillae » together with large ridges that run along large tracts of the spore circumference. The type of ornamentation was a constant character in each species.     

The hypothalamus of Lacerta sicula R.

Summary An analysis of the preoptic area of the lizard, Lacerta sicula R., with the use of the Golgi method revealed that: 1)in principle, the dendritic pattern of its neurons is relatively simple; 2) the supraoptic nucleus contains large- to medium-sized bipolar or multipolar neurons together with small, usually multipolar nerve cells; 3) the preoptic periventricular gray and the paraventricular nucleus exhibit a varied neuronal typology, including large multipolar or bipolar elements, abundant CSF-contacting neurons, and some tufted elements; and 4) the lateral regions display some conspicuous multipolar neurons.With a financial contribution from Ministero della Pubblica Istruzione     

Osservazioni Sull'embriologia di Nerine Rosea e di Amaryllis Belladonna (Amaryllidaceae)

Summary

The embryosac development in Nerine rosea Herb. has been found to occur according to the Normal type and indications of an identical development were found for Nerine curvifolia Herb., contrary to the observations of Schlimbach (1924), who reported a Lilium type for this species. Embryosacs of the Normal type also occur in Amaryllis Belladonna, to which a tetrasporic development had been erroneously ascribed by Schlimbach (1924). In Nerine rosea Herb. the formation of the microspores is of the «successive» type; the aploid cromosome number is n=12, in accordance with the describtions of Heitz.     

Ricerche ultrastrutturali sulla distribuzione del glicogeno nelle cellule dell'embrione di pollo in rapporto alla presenza delle inclusioni vitelline

Riassunto L'autore ha condotto uno studio al microscopio elettronico sulla distribuzione e sulla genesi del glicogeno nelle cellule dell'embrione di pollo nei primi stadi dello sviluppo.L'autore riscontra che nelle prime ore di incubazione il glicogeno è presente in pressochè tutte le cellule del blastoderma, dove coesiste con inclusioni vitelline. Al 2° giorno di incubazione il glicogeno scompare in tutte le cellule che hanno interamente digerito le inclusioni vitelline, rimanendo invece solo in quelle che sono ancora rieche di vitello. Fanno eccezione le cellule del miotoma che, pur essendo sprovviste di vitello, nella terza giornata di incubazione accumulano glicogeno in notevole quantità, in coincidenza con la comparsa in esse délie miofibrille.L'autore ritiene ehe il glicogeno che si trova inizialmente nelle cellule embrionali si formi in gran parte per attività neoglicogenetica, a partire dal vitello contenuto nelle cellule medesime, Egli conclude che tale attività neoglicogenetica dapprima sia propria di tutte le cellule embrionali, fino a quando hanno inclusioni vitelline, e che poi essa rimane localizzata al solo epitelio del sacco vitellino che sempre contiene vitello.

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Ultrastructural investigations on the distribution of glycogen in the cells of chick embryo in relation to the presence of yolk inclusions

Summary The distribution and genesis of glycogen in the embryonic cells of chickens in the first stages of development has been investigated electronmicroscopically.In the first hours of incubation the glycogen is present in almost all the cells of the blastoderm where it coexists with yolk inclusions. On the second day of incubation the glycogen disappears in all the cells that have completely digested the yolk inclusions and remains only in those that are still rich in yolk. The only exceptions are the myotome cells that, being that they do not have yolk in the third day of incubation, accumulate glycogen in notable quantities coincidental to the appearance of myofibrils.The author holds that the glycogen that is found initially in the embryonic cells has its origin, for the most part, from neoglycogenetic activity, starting from the yolk contained in the cells themselves. It is concluded that this neoglycogenetic activity initially is present in all the embryonic cells, while they still have inclusions, and then remains localized only in the epithelium of the yolk sac that always contains yolk.

     

Osservazioni istoanatomiche e sperimentali sulla innervazione dell'esofago di alcuni mammiferi

Zusammenfassung Die Versuche wurden ausgeführt, um weitere Beiträge zur Morphologie der Vagusfasern in der Speiseröhre zu liefern und zwecks Analyse der neurosynaptischen Verhältnisse zwischen Vagus und Sympathicus. In Speiseröhren von kleinen Säugetieren gelang es, die Verzweigungen des Vagus bis zu deren Endausbreitung zu verfolgen. Es wurden Kontrollen mit morpho-experimentellen Versuchen von Vagotomie ausgeführt.In den Ästen des Vagus der Speiseröhre befinden sich: Parasympathische präganglionäre Fasern, gemischte Fasern (heteromorphe: präganglionäre und motorische Fasern), sensitive Fasern und sehr dünne Fasern des Orthosympathicus.Viele präganglionäre Fasern breiten sich in mehr oder weniger ausgedehnten retikulären Bildungen (präneuronodales Retikulum) aus, bevor sie zu dem Ganglion, für welches sie bestimmt sind, gelangen. Im Ganglion platten sich einige präganglionäre Fasern ab und werden blattförmig. Andere wieder verbreitern sich zu fibrillären Bildungen retikulärer Struktur. In Präparaten mit feinerer Imprägnation bilden die präganglionären Fasern des Vagus keine synaptischen, perizellulären-Apparate des klassischen Typus sondern breiten sich in ein überaus dünnes Retikulum (terminalreticolo vagale pregangliare) im Ganglion aus.Dieses Retikulum umhüllt nicht bloß die nervösen Zellen, sondern breitet sich über alle Teile des Ganglions aus. Die als motorisch erkennbaren Fasern des Vagus liefern alle motorischen Endigungen, die traubenförmigen einbegriffen. Ich habe besondere, charakteristische, motorische, knäuelförmige Endapparate bemerkt. Diese und auch jene als Endbüschel (Lawrentjew) benannten Bildungen können ultraterminalen Fasern, die sich in gewöhnlichen Plättchen ausdehnen, den Ursprung geben oder das Ende traubenförmiger Ausdehnungen darstellen.Die gemischten Fasern (heteromorphe: präganglionäre und motorische) sind in überwiegender Weise motorische Vagusfasern, die einen kollateralen Ast liefern, der sich entweder auf die alleinstehenden Ganglienzellen ausdehnt oder im Ganglion sich mit den intraganglionären Fasern vermischt.Die rezeptorischen Fasern des Vagus bilden die Schlingenterritorien (Stöhr, Harting) oder die knäuelförmigen Bildungen von Greving. Manchmal schließen sich den sensitiven Vagusfasern zahlreiche, sehr dünne, wahrscheinlich metasympathische Fasern an.Ein Teil des metasympathischen Anteiles bildet einen Komplex von Fasern oder kleinen Strängen, welche die präganglionären, motorischen, gemischten und sensitiven Bestandteile des Vagus begleiten; diese metasympathischen Fasern bilden insbesondere in der Nähe der Ganglien sehr feine Retikula in enger Verbindung mit den parasympathischen Elementen.Im distalen Teil der Speiseröhre ist der sympathische Bestandteil überwiegend; es finden sich hier kleine Ringe oder kleine knöpfchenartige Bildungen, die von den motorischen Fasern des Vagus ausgehen, an dem glatten Muskelgewebe vor, es finden sich außerdem einige Nervenzellen mit perizellulären Apparaten, die jedoch von den obengenannten präganglionären Vagusendigungen verschieden und wahrscheinlich sympathischer Natur sind. Die anatomischen Eigenheiten im distalen Teil der Speiseröhre stellen wahrscheinlich die morphologische Grundlage für den Automatismus jenes Teiles der Speiseröhre dar.     

Proliferazione e Rizogenesi in Frammenti Fogliari di Cichorium Intybus L.: Osservazioni Istologiche

Abstract

Proliferation and formation of roots in leaf fragments of «Cichorium intybus» L.: histological observations. — Leaf fragments of Cichorium intybus grown in vitro, from radical stocks, are cultivated in aseptic media. They are taken from different leaf areas and planted into the substratum with their distal or proximal part, or else put down horizontally on it. The frequency of proliferation is influenced only by the position of the fragments in relation to the substratum. Histological variations connected with the arising and the development of callus and roots are studied. The proliferation of the callus as well as the formation of roots by the leaf fragments take place in the area of the veins; the callus, in its turn, may give rise to other callus or roots. The callus obtained consist either of more or less homogeneous parenchima with vascular nodules, or of untidy masses of tracheids, parenchimal cells and little dividing cells. The roots have a structure similar to that of roots directly cultivated in vitro from radical stocks of chicory and to that of the roots in the natural state.     

Osservazioni sulla secrezione delle ghiandole sottomandibolare e sottolinguale di embrione di topo,in condizioni normali e in cultura in vitro

Riassunto E' stata studiata l'istogenesi e l'istochimica della ghiandola sottomandibolare e sottolinguale di embrione di topo, in condizioni di sviluppo normale e in cultura organotipica in vitro. In condizioni normali l'attività secretrice diviene dimostrabile con mezzi istochimici al 16 giorno di gestazione, come materiale intracellulare. La secrezione presenta fino dall'inizio reazione positiva ai metodi del PAS e di Hale, ed è colorabile col blu alcian. Al 17 giorno compaiono fra le due ghiandole differenze nell'aspetto morfologico del secreto, nell'intensità delle suddette reazioni istochimiche, e nel comportamento rispetto al blu di toluidina che dopo solfatazione dà colorazione metacromatica nella sottolinguale, ma non nella sottomandibolare. Ciò indica che il componente polisaccaridico del secreto ha caratteristiche un po' diverse nelle due ghiandole.Sono state eseguite culture in vitro di ghiandole al 13 giorno di gestazione, su un coagulo di plasma e di estratto embrionale di pollo. Al momento dell'espianto, esse sono all'inizio della loro differenziazione, e sono formate ciascuna da un cordoncino epiteliale e da una gemma solida, entro una comune capsula mesenchimale. Il processo di ramificazione si svolge più lentamente che in vivo, ma la secrezione compare alla stessa età totale. Le ghiandole si sono sviluppate in vitro per 10 giorni e le loro caratteristiche istochimiche sono apparse eguali a quelle che si osservano in condizioni normali di sviluppo.

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Summary Histogenesis and histochemistry of submandibular and sublingual glands of mouse embryo were studied both during normal development and in vitro. In normal conditions secretory activity becomes detectable by histochemical methods at the 16th day of gestation as intracellular material. From the start, secretion shows a positive reaction to the PAS and Hale's method, and stains with alcian blue. At the 17th day differences may be shown between the two glands in the morphological features of the secretion, in the intensity of the above said histochemical reactions, and in the behaviour towards toluidine blue, which after sulfation gives metachromatic staining in the sublingual, but not in the submandibular gland. This indicates that the polysaccharidic component of the secretion has different characters in the two glands.Cultures in vitro were made of glands at the 13th day of gestation, on a clot of chicken plasma and embryo extract. At explantation time, they are just beginning their differentiation, and both consist of an epithelial cord and a solid bud, contained in a common mesenchymal capsule. The ramification process goes on at a slower rate in vitro than in vivo, but secretion appears at the same total age. The glands developed in vitro for 10 days and their histochemical features appeared to be comparable to those which were observed in normal developmental conditions.

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Lavoro eseguito coi mezzi forniti da contratti di ricerca dell'U.S.A.E.C. (NYO-3355-10) e dell'Euratom (043-65-1 BIO I) e con un contributo del C.N.R.     

Osservazioni sul genere Lulworthia Suth. e sui suoi rapporti con Limnoria Menzies e segnalazioni di altre specie

Abstract

Observations on the genus Lulworthia Suth., on its relationship with Limnoria Menzies and records of others species. – Near a coral-limestone before Bogliasco-Genova panels of various woods: Abies alba, Ochroma lagopus, Fagus silvatica, Olea europaea, Larix decidua, Pinus pinaster, Populus alba have been laid as a bait. When they have been fished out again, after lengths of time varying from a minimum of a month and a half to a maximum of eleven months, with intervals of about one month and a half, they have often presented, besides the normal bentonic flora and fauna, numerous long, bright, septate, brown hyphae emerging from the wood. Only after the panels have been perforated by Limnoria tripunctata the perithecia of Lulworthia sp. appear; the quantity of these seems to be inversely proportional to that of the brown hyphae, which is particularly evident in Olea and Populus. In some preparations (slides) it is possible to notice connections between the brown mycelium inside the wood and the perithecia of the ascomicete. It is believed that the brown hyphae represent the vegetative stage of the strain of Lulworthia found at Bogliasco but that only after the perforation and alteration of the wood caused by Limnoria, the fungus is able to form the perithecia. The biometric values of the above mentioned Lulworthia are given. Besides, the finding of the Papulaspora halima Anast. is reported; such species, described in California in 1963, has been found in Japan, too. It is also noticed the presence of Corollospora maritima Wender., already found in other stations of the Mediterranean, and other ubiquitous species.     

Genome composition and tandemly repetitive sequence at some centromeres in the lizard Podarcis s. sicula Raf.

A detailed study on the genome of the lizard P. sicula has been carried out using restriction enzyme analysis followed by identification and cloning of a repetitive DNA fraction. The results show that P. sicula generally possesses a quite homogeneous genome composition, with a single tandemly repetitive sequence family that is easily visualized after digestion of genomic DNA with Taq I. The cloned repeating unit of this satellite (260 bp) has been designed pLCSl. In-situ hybridisation shows that this satellite is localized in the centromeric region. Dot blot experiments show that sequences similar to pLCSl are present in other species of the same family of lizards.     

Packing of ribosomes in crystals from the lizard Lacerta sicula

The packing of ribosomes in the large crystalline sheets found in the lizard Lacerta sicula has been investigated by electron microscopy. The ribosomes in each of the two layers composing a sheet are organised as tetramers on a P4 space group lattice. The two layers face in opposite directions and tend to be related to one another crystallographically, generating a family of P422 crystals of different unit cell dimensions. The projected structure of one layer was determined from negatively stained, isolated sheets by separating the contributions from each layer in Fourier transforms computed from electron micrographs. Comparison of the projection map with other, low resolution, analyses of images of isolated eukaryotic ribosomes indicates that the large subunit- small subunit axis lies approximately parallel to the plane of the sheet.     

Uptake of labeled mammalian gonadotropins by ovary and oviduct of the lizard, Lacerta s. sicula, in vivo

The uptake of radioactivity by ovary, oviduct and thigh muscles of the lizard, Lacerta s. sicula, after administration of labeled mammalian gonadotropins has been followed. Ovary and oviduct show a significantly higher radioactivity than thigh muscles. The ovarian uptake, moreover, is decreased by the corresponding non-labeled gonadotropin. The meaning of these observations for the physiological regulation of reproductive processes in that lizard, are discussed.     

Osservazioni Su Vari Casi di Fasciazione in Vitisk Vinifera L.

Summary

The Author describes some cases of bandage of vine branchs and bunchs of grapes in a cultivated vine in the form of a bower. About various cases of natural bandage, he retains that these phenomenons cannot well habe a determined origin but various causes possibly have on influence over the manifestation of these abnormal processes about the susceptibility of some subyects towards forms of deviating development. The vine branch's bandage is for the delineated cases, in correlation to the simultaneous development of two vegetative cones from someone bud, with the following conyoined development with two increased together vine branchs, while the bandage of bunchs of grapes springs from the union of floral secondary aces and from very great activity of the productive organs.     

Osservazioni carioembriologiche in Ornithogalum di Sardegna: Nota I. - Sporogenesi e sviluppo dei gametofiti in Ornithogalum caudatum Ait

Abstract

CARYOEMBRYOLOGICAL STUDIES in ORNITHOGALUM OF SARDINIA.

I. - SPOROGENESIS AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE GAMETOPHYTES IN ÒRNITHOGALUM CAUDATUM AIT. — After a concise synthesis of the caryoembryological knowledges regarding the taxa of Ornithogalum present in Sardinia, the embryology and morphology of Ornithogalum caudatum Ait., have been investigated.

In a three-locular ovary the ovules are anatropous, epitropous with nucellus crassinucellate and only one archesporial cell evolves a mother cell.

The development of the female gametophyte tallies with the Polygonum (Normal) Type.

The homoetypical division presents an asynchronous proceeding in the cellules of the dyad with a considerable delay in the two-nucleate arrangement, especially in the chalazal cell.

Antipodal cells present a hypertrophic growing, but they present no tendency to polyantipody.

The endosperm is of the Helobiae Type.

The divisions of the pollen mother-cells are of the successive Type.

Longest axis of 1-sulcate pollen grains about 76 micron.

A true tapetal periplasmodium isn't formed in the anthers.

The chromosome number is 2n = 54.

Raphides accour in the cataphylls, in the parenchymatous tissues of the leaf and in several parts of the floral region.