Comparative Analysis of Growth and Photosynthetic Characteristics of (Populus simonii × P. nigra) × (P. nigra × P. simonii) Hybrid Clones of Different Ploidides

To evaluate differences among poplar clones of various ploidies, 12 hybrid poplar clones (P. simonii × P. nigra) × (P. nigra × P. simonii) with different ploidies were used to study phenotypic variation in growth traits and photosynthetic characteristics. Analysis of variance showed remarkable differences for each of the investigated traits among these clones (P < 0.01). Coefficients of phenotypic variation (PCV) ranged from 2.38% to 56.71%, and repeatability ranged from 0.656 to 0.987. The Pn (photosynthetic rate) photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD) curves of the 12 clones were S-shaped, but the Pn-ambient CO₂ (Ca) curves were shaped like an inverted “V”. The stomatal conductance (Gs)-PPFD and transpiration rate (Tr)-PPFD curves had an upward tendency; however, with increasing PFFD, the intercellular CO₂ concentration (Ci)-PPFD curves had a downward tendency in all of the clones. The Pn-PPFD and Pn-Ca curves followed the pattern of a quadratic equation. The average light saturation point and light compensation point of the triploid clones were the highest and lowest, respectively, among the three types of clones. For Pn-Ca curves, diploid clones had a higher average CO₂ saturation point and average CO₂ compensation point compared with triploid and tetraploid clones. Correlation analyses indicated that all investigated traits were strongly correlated with each other. In future studies, molecular methods should be used to analyze poplar clones of different ploidies to improve our understanding of the growth and development mechanisms of polyploidy.     

The identity of Polyalthia pingpienensis P. T. Li（Annonaceae）

An examination of the holotype of Polyalthia pingpienensis P. T. Li has shown that the holotype is an admixture. The branch and the flower on the sheet should be referred to P. plagioneura Diels,whereas the detached leaf belongs to another species,whose i     

Differentiation of F1 hybrids P. nigra J. F. Arnold × P. sylvestris L., P. nigra J. F. Arnold × P. densiflora Siebold et Zucc., P. nigra J. F. Arnold × P. thunbergiana Franco and their parental species by needle volatile composition

The volatile composition of needles from three F₁ hard pine hybrids produced by the controlled hybridization and their parental species were researched with gas chromatography (GC) and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) in order to explore the utility of terpenes in hybrid identification (their differentiation from the parental species) as well as confirmation of hybridity. The analysed hybrids were: 1. Pinus nigra J. F. Arnold × Pinus sylvestris L. (= nisy), 2. P. nigra × Pinus densiflora Siebold et Zucc. (= nide) and 3. P. nigra × Pinus thunbergiana Franco (= nith). A total of 55 compounds were identified. All identified compounds were terpenes, except trans-2-hexenal.Three analysed F₁ hybrids showed the same qualitative pattern of the needle volatile composition as their parental species. However, there were quantitative differences in several major terpenes. The volatile composition of the needles from the hybrids nisy were equally similar to both parents, the hybrids nide were more similar to the female parent (P. nigra), whereas the hybrids nith were more similar to the male parent (P. thunbergiana). According to the content of germacrene D, as the specific component of P. nigra (female parent of the three analysed F₁ hybrids), all hybrids were intermediary in relation to the parental species. The content of Δ-3-carene (the specific component of P. sylvestris) in the hybrids nisy was also intermediary. The hybrids nide had a higher content of thunbergol (specific component of P. densiflora) than the other analysed hybrids. In view of the content of β-pinene, the specific component of P. thunbergiana, the hybrids nith were intermediary to the parental species and that content was considerably higher than in the other analysed hybrids. The intermediary quality of F₁ hybrids for these specific components in relation to the parental species confirms their hybrid character.The needle volatile composition analysis as well as the previous morphometric analysis confirm the hybrid character of three F₁ hybrids, whose female parent is P. nigra, and male parents are P. sylvestris, P. densiflora, i.e. P. thunbergiana.     

The ability of Prunus avium× P. pseudocerasus `Colt' to form somatic embryos in vitro contrasts with the recalcitrance of P. avium

Somatic embryos were induced on roots excised from in vitro plants of Prunus avium× pseudocerasus `Colt'. On medium containing 6-benzylamino purine (BAP, 1.5 μM) and 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D, 15 μM), a mean of 25 (s.e. ± 2.0) somatic embryos were produced on intact root systems and 15 (s.e. ± 1.7) on roots systems cut into 10 mm pieces. Most somatic embryos were formed directly on intact roots and indirectly (from callus) on sectioned roots. A mean of 2.5 (s.e. ± 0.25) secondary embryos per primary embryo were formed directly on primary embryos after they were transferred to medium containing BAP (1.5 μM), indole-3-butyric acid (10 μM) and 2,4-D (5 μM). After transfer to a medium containing BAP (2 μM) and gibberellic acid (GA<sub>3</sub>, 3 μM), shoots developed in 75% (s.e. ± 7.3) of the embryos. Somatic embryos were not induced on explants of in vitro roots or shoots of P. avium, and were induced infrequently on zygotic embryos, although a wide range of media were tested. Possible reasons for the contrasting embryogenic ability of `Colt' and P. avium are discussed. This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Metabolism of 2,4,4′-Trichlorobiphenyl by Acinetobacter sp. P6

Metabolism of 2,4,4′-trichlorobiphenyl by Acinetobacter sp. strain P6 has been studied. When the incubation was carried out without shaking at 15°C, two isomeric monohydroxy compounds, a dihydrodiol compound, a dihydroxy compound, a meta-cleaved yellow compound and a dichlorobenzoic acid were detected by combined gas liquid chromatograph-mass spectrometry. As an additional metabolite, dichlorodihydroxy biphenyl, a dechlorinationhydroxylation product, was also detected. When the incubation mixture was shaken at 30°C, a meta-cleaved yellow compound was readily produced and predominantly accumulated in the reaction mixture upon further incubation. The major pathway of 2,4,4′-trichlorobiphenyl by Acinetobacter sp. P6 was considered to proceed oxidatively via 2.′3′-dihydro-2′,3′-diol compound, concomitant dehydrogenated 2′,3′-dihydroxy compound and then the 1′,2′-meta-cleaved yellow compound, i.e., 3-chloro-2-hydroxy-6-oxo-6(2,4-dichlorophenyl)hexa-2,4-dienoic acid.     

污水中草履虫P.aurelia和P.caudatum的有性过程

差不多整整一百年前,Maupus在为原生动物生物学建立的基础工作中,曾对纤毛虫的衰老问题做过大量的研究。他观察到在有控制的生长条件下培养的纤毛虫,最终衰败,即经过几百代的植物性繁殖后死亡。     

污水中草履虫P.aurelia和P.caudatum的有性过程

差不多整整一百年前,Maupus在为原生动物生物学建立的基础工作中,曾对纤毛虫的衰老问题做过大量的研究。他观察到在有控制的生长条件下培养的纤毛虫,最终衰败,即经过几百代的植物性繁殖后死亡。     

Cytogenetics of double cross hybrids between Pennisetum americanum — P. purpureum amphiploids and P. americanum x Pennisetum squamulatum interspecific hybrids

Summary Pearl millet, Pennisetum americanum L. Leeke-napiergrass, Pennisetum purpureum Schum. amphiploids (2n=42) were crossed with pearl millet X Pennisetum squamulatum Fresen. interspecific hybrids (2n=41) to study the potential of germplasm transfer from wild Pennisetum species to pearl millet. These two interspecific hybrids were highly cross-compatible and more than two thousand trispecific progenies were produced from 17 double crosses. All doublecross hybrids were perennial and showed a wide range of morphological variations intermediate to both parents in vegetative and inflorescence characteristics. Some crosses resulted in sublethal progenies. Chromosomes paired mainly as bivalents (¯x15.88) or remained as univalents. At metaphase I, trivalents, quadrivalents, an occasional hexavalent and a high frequency of bivalents indicated some homeology among the genomes of the three species. Delayed separation of bivalents, unequal segregation of multivalents, lagging chromosomes, and chromatin bridges were observed at anaphase I. Although approximately 93% of the double-cross hybrids were male-sterile, pollen stainability in male-fertile plants ranged up to 94%. Seed set ranged from 0 to 37 seed per inflorescence in 71 plants under open-pollinated conditions. Apomictic embryo sac development was observed in double-cross progenies when crosses involved a pearl millet x P. squamulatum apomictic hybrid as pollen parent. These new double-cross hybrids may serve as bridging hybrids to transfer genes controlling apomixis and other plant characteristics from the wild Pennisetum species to pearl millet.     

The British Species of the Plagiothecium denticulatum–P. silvaticum Group

Abstract

Anomodon viticulosus was subjected to several different patterns of alternating wet and dry periods, and assimilation was measured at intervals over 49 days. Short periods of desiccation intercalated between 6-day moist periods had little effect on subsequent performance. Short moist periods breaking otherwise continuous desiccation had a very pronounced effect in mitigating desiccation damage. The results provide some evidence for a fairly slight, but probably cumulative, specific deleterious effect of drying and remoistening.     

Pollen-pistil interactions in Populus: β-galactosidase activity associated with pollen-tube growth in the crosses P. nigra x P. nigra and P. nigra x P. alba

Summary In order to understand the nature of interspecific barriers in Populus, we have explored pollen/pistil interactions in intra- and interspecific crosses Populus nigra x P. nigra and P. nigra x P. alba. The kinetics of pollen-tube growth demonstrated that P. nigra and P. alba pollen tubes have distinct behavioral patterns inside P. nigra pistils. P. alba pollen tubes exhibit an unique S-shaped growth curve and an arrested growth site near the sylodium. P. nigra pollen tubes exhibit two growth phases, in the stigmatic tissues and in the ovarian cavity respectively. P. nigra and P. alba curves diverge 5 h after controlled pollination and could be related to a change in the physiology of the P. nigra pollen tube, which shifts from an autotrophic to a heterotrophic type of nutrition. Protein analysis of pollinated stigmatic extracts (0,6 and 20 h after pollination) revealed qualitative and quantitative differences that are related to the presence of either P. nigra or P. alba pollen tubes inside the stigmatic tissues. Increasing numbers of protein bands were detectable from 0 to 20 h after pollination only in intraspecific cross. Glycoproteins were detected, and the differences observed were dependent of the cross. -Galactosidase activity was found in pollinated stigmas, but an increase in its activity (one isozyme of pHi 4.2) between 6 h and 20 h after pollination was detected only in the intraspecific cross. This enzyme could play a role in heterotrophic pollen-tube nitrition, and its activity could be the final result of a series of interactions started by the initial pollen-stigma dialog.     

Successful hybridisation of normally incompatible hybrid aspen (Populus tremula?��?P. tremuloides) and eastern cottonwood (P. deltoides)

Hybrid aspen (Populus tremula × P. tremuloides) belong to the section Populus. Eastern cottonwood (P. deltoides) is a member of the section Aigeiros within the genus Populus. These poplar sections are generally considered to be incompatible. Here, we describe successful hybridisation between these parents, producing an offspring family with 27 individuals. The hybrid character of individuals was proven by genotypes at 16 nuclear microsatellite loci. One individual was suspected to have more than the diploid chromosome number of 2n = 38 due to the observation of more than two alleles at several loci. This individual is a triploid, ascertained by flow cytometry. Two distinct growth classes of tall and dwarf plants were observed in the progeny, reflecting different degrees of postzygotic incompatibility. Two loci linked to the tested microsatellites have an effect on height growth. Some fast-growing individuals were micropropagated to test them for biomass performance together with other clones in field trials.     

C.P.S.—Its Strengths and Weaknesses

The following, a supplement to the annual report of the Board of Trustees of California Physicians'' Service that was published in the March 1961 issue of California Medicine, was delivered at the 1961 Annual Session of the House of Delegates by Dr. John G. Morrison, chairman of the board.