Book Reviews

Book reviewed in this article: Australian Dreaming. 40.000 years of Aboriginal History . Edited by Jennifer Isaacs Radio Power. A History of 3ZZ Access Radio . By Joan Dugdale Department of Anthropology, University of Western Australia Introduction to Australian Society: A Sociological Perspective . By Donald Edgar The New South Wales Wheat Frontier. 1851 to 1911 . By M. E. Robinson Department of Anthropology, University of Sydney. Heroin in Australia . By David Hirst Department of Anthropology and Sociology, University of Queensland. The Quest for Gaia. A Book of Changes . By Kit Pedler Drinking Careers. Occupations, Drinking Habits, and Drinking Problems . By Martin A. Plant Northern Territory Department of Health, Darwin. Families in Former Times: Kinship, Household and Sexuality . By Jean-Louis Flandrin. Translated by Richard Southern Changing Images of the Family . Edited by Virginia Tufte and Barbara Myerhoff Department of Anthropology, Western Australian Museum. Give and Take. Exchange in Wola Society . By Paul Sillitoe Department of Prehistory and Anthropoloy, S.G.S. Caste: The Emergence of the South Asian Social System . By Morton Klass David Mearns Department of Anthropology, University of Adelaide. Anthropological Structures of Madness in Black Africa . By I. Sow. Translated by Joyce Diamenti Basic Problems of Ethnopsychiatry . By George Devereux Department of Anthropology, University of Otago. Who Should Know What? Social Science, Privacy and Ethics . By J. A. Barnes Department of Sociology, University of N.S.W. Arnold Van Gennep. The Creator of French Ethnography . By Nicole Belmont Department of Prehistory anrf Anthropology, Australian National University. Man, Mind, and Science. A History of Anthropology . By Murray J. Leaf Department of Sociology, University of N.S.W. The Conceptualisation and Explanation of Processes of Social Change . Edited by David Riches School of Behavioural Sciences, Macquarie University. Day of Shining Red. An Essay on Understanding Ritual . By Gilbert Lewis Department of Prehistory and Anthropology, Australian National University. Living Archaeology . By R. A. Gould. New Department of Prehistory and Archaeology, University of New England Experimental Determinatiou of Stone Tool Uses: A Microwear Analysis . By Lawrence H. Keeley Division of Prehistory, La Trobe University. Archaeological Constructs. An Aspect of Theoretical Archaeology . By Jean-Claude Gardin Division of Prehistory, La Trobe University. The Performing Arts. Music and Dance . Edited by John Blacking and Joann W. Kealiinohomoku Department of Sociology, University of New England.     

Book notices

A handbook of jield methods for research on rice stem-borers and their natural enemies. By T. Nishida and T. Torii Termite fauna of Rajasthan, India. By M.L. Roonwa1 and Geeta Bose. A guide to the physiology of terrestrial Arthropods. By J.L. Cloudesley-Thompson and Faysal Tageldin Abushama The cellular defence reactions of insects. By George Salt. The ecology of running waters. By H.B.N. Hynes. Annual Review of Entomology. Vol. 16. Edited by Ray F. Smith and Thomas E. Mittler.     

A sisters’ story: comparative phylogeography and taxonomy of Hierophis viridiflavus and H. gemonensis (Serpentes,Colubridae)

We used a multidisciplinary approach to infer the taxonomy and historical biogeography of Hierophis viridiflavus and H. gemonensis, performing molecular analyses of mitochondrial (16S, Cyt‐b, ND4) and nuclear markers (PRLR), a landmark‐based morphometric study and a cytogenetic analysis. Our data distinguished three main groups in the studied species, corresponding to H. gemonensis and to two monophyletic clades (E and W) within H. viridiflavus. Clades E and W display a significant genetic (about 4% for Cyt‐b and ND4) and morphological divergence and a different morphology of the W sex chromosome (submetacentric in clade E and telocentric in clade W). Taking into account the existing divergence, these clades appear to represent independent phylogenetic units, deserving elevation to species status. Specific names should be H. viridiflavus (Lacépède, 1789) and H. carbonarius (Bonaparte 1833) for clades W and E, respectively. The phylogeography of the studied species is only partially concordant with a general pattern of ‘southern richness and northern purity’ of genetic diversity, whereas H. gemonensis exhibits high genetic diversity at low latitudes (especially in the Peloponnese), H. carbonarius shows a number of different haplotypes both at low (along the southern Italian Apennines and in Sicily) and high latitudes in Italy. Furthermore, a relaxed clock model hypothesizes the differentiation between H. gemonensis and H. viridiflavus sensu lato at about 7 Mya, in the Messinian. Subsequently, the speciation involving H. viridiflavus sensu stricto and H. carbonarius took place in the Quaternary, probably as a result of Pleistocene climatic oscillations. Furthermore, our results are consistent with the existence of several ‘refugia within refugia’ in Italy and in the Balkans and depict the major cladogenesis as allopatric events, mainly driven by paleoclimatic and geographical factors.     

Notes on taxonomy of some European species of Ephemerum (Bryopsida: Pottiaceae)

Abstract

Taxonomy of some European species of Ephemerum is reviewed. As in several other recent studies, E. minutissimum Lindb. is regarded as a distinct species from E. serratum (Hedw.) Hampe; it is recorded from N. America (by the newly designated lectotype and other specimens) and Turkey, in addition to Europe. E. serratum var. angustifolium Bruch & Schimp. may be a synonym of E. minutissimum; the costate forms E. serratum var. praecox A.W.H.Walther & Molendo and E. intermedium Mitt. in Braithw. are treated as synonyms of E. serratum s.str. Type specimens of E. stellatum H.Philib. are described, a lectotype is designated and it is placed as a synonym of E. serratum s.str. E. hibernicum Holyoak & V.S.Bryan is regarded as a synonym of E. rutheanum Schimp. in Ruthe. The latter is shown to be a rare, European endemic taxon with modern records from Ireland, S. Wales, Germany and The Netherlands, and old records from France and W. Poland; a lectotype is designated. Forms intermediate between E. sessile (Bruch.) Müll.Hal. and the N. American E. crassinervium (Schwägr.) Hampe occur in several countries in W. Europe, some of them indistinguishable from some of the American plants; forms intermediate between E. sessile and E. rutheanum are recorded from S. Portugal and (rarely) Ireland. Differences between E. crassinervium, E. sessile and E. rutheanum in characters of leaves, tubers and capsules are shown to be slight, with considerable overlap. Hence all three taxa are treated as subspecies of E. crassinervium. A revised key to European Ephemerum and Micromitrium is presented.     

楼梯草属研究随记

在该文中首次给出革叶楼梯草的雄头状花序描述; 还给出樱叶楼梯草雄头状花序的修正描述和兜苞墨脱楼梯草的修正特征集要; 写出托叶楼梯草和南川楼梯草二种的分类学修订,其中包括2新变种和2新等级; 描述了小叶楼梯草组的1新种和骤尖楼梯草组的3新种; 数年前被归并为异名的兜苞墨脱楼梯草和五肋楼梯草得到恢复。     

REVIEWS

The Plant in Health and Disease. By W. A. R. D illon W eston and R. E ric T aylor
Svalof 1886–1946. History and Present Problems. Edited by A. A kerman , O. T edin and K. F roier
Gall Midges of Economic Importance. Vol. IV: Ornamental Plants and Shrubs. By H. F. B arnes
L'Hérédité. Par E. G uyénot .
Carotinoide. Von P. K arrer und E. J ucker
Mathematical Biophysics. By N. R ashevsky
Die Larvenformen der Dipteren. Von W. H ennig     

The relative importance of solitary bees and syrphid flies as pollinators of two outcrossing plant species in the New Zealand alpine

Pollinators vary in their relative contribution to the conspecific pollen deposited onto receptive stigmas, because of variation in both visitation rate and effectiveness of pollen transfer. Syrphid flies and short‐tongued solitary bees are common flower visitors in alpine New Zealand, yet their relative importance as pollinators is unknown. We measured pollinator performance of the New Zealand alpine endemics Hylaeus matamoko (Hymenoptera: Colletidae) and Allograpta spp. (Diptera: Syrphidae) on two New Zealand alpine herbs, Ourisia glandulosa (Plantaginaceae) and Wahlenbergia albomarginata (Campanulaceae). Ourisia glandulosa received visits by solitary bees and syrphid flies at equal frequencies, whereas W. albomarginata was mostly visited by H. matamoko. Based on single‐visit pollen deposition to virgin stigmas, H. matamoko was a much more effective pollinator than Allograpta spp., delivering 10 times as much pollen per visit to O. glandulosa stigmas and 3 times as much to W. albomarginata stigmas. By multiplying visitation frequency by single‐visit pollen deposition, we estimated that H. matamoko performed 90% and 95% of the pollination of O. glandulosa and W. albomarginata, respectively. Although H. matamoko bees are short‐tongued and small in size, they are critically important to plant reproductive success in the New Zealand alpine. These bees contributed most of the pollination, even to a species that received just as many visits by flies, underscoring the need to consider per‐visit effectiveness as well as visitation rate in assessing the importance of different pollinators.     

Die Ablaktions-Pfropfung,eine vielseitige Virusinfektionsmethode für Kartoffeln

Abstract

Roder, W.; Feyerabend, G.; Rogoll, H.: Landwirtschaftlicher Pflanzenschutz. 560 S., 217 Abb. Berlin: VEB Dt. Landwirtschaftsverlag, 1975. Reviewed by D. Spaar.

Libbert, E. (Hrsg.): Kompendium der allgemeinen Biologie. 1. Aufl. 474 S., 179 Abb., 12 Tab. Jena: VEB Gustav Fischer Verlag, 1976. Reviewed by J. Richter.

Kllinkowski, M.; Mühle, E.; Reinmuth, E.; Bochow, H.: Phytopathologie und Pflanzenschutz. 2., überarbeitete u. erweiterte Aufl. 3. Bd. 914 S., 523 Abb. Berlin: Akademie-Verlag, 1976. Reviewed by D. Spaar.

Börner, H.: Pflanzenkrankheiten und Pflanzenschutz. 2., überarb. Aufl., 419 S., 74 Abb. Stuttgart: Eugen Ulmer, 1975. Reviewed by W. Lehmann.     

Resonance Raman spectroscopy of cytochrome<Emphasis Type="Italic"> c</Emphasis> peroxidase variants that mimic manganese peroxidase

Cytochrome c peroxidase (CcP) variants with an engineered Mn(II) binding site, including MnCcP [CcP(MI, G41E, V45E, H181D)], MnCcP(W191F), and MnCcP(W191F, W51F), that mimic manganese peroxidase (MnP), have been characterized by resonance Raman (RR) spectroscopy. Analysis of the Raman bands in the 200–700 cm^–1 and 1300–1650 cm^–1 regions indicates that both the coordination and spin state of the heme iron in the variants differ from that of CcP(MI), the recombinant yeast CcP containing additional Met-Ile residues at the N-terminus. At neutral pH the frequencies of the ₃ mode indicate that a pure five-coordinate heme iron exists in CcP(MI) whereas a six-coordinate low-spin iron is the dominant species in the CcP variants with the engineered Mn(II) binding site. The H181D mutation, which weakens the proximal linkage to the heme iron, may be responsible for these spectral and structural changes. Raman spectra of the variants CcP(MI, W191F) and CcP(MI, W191F, W51F) were also obtained to clarify the structural and functional roles of mutations at two tryptophan sites. The W51F mutation was found to disrupt H-bonding to the distal water molecules and the resulting variants tended to form transitional or mixed coordination states that possess spectral and structural features similar to that of MnP. Such structural features, with a loosened distal water, may facilitate the binding of H₂O₂ and increase the rate constant for compound I formation. This effect, in addition to the elimination of an H-bond to ferryl oxygen by the same mutation, accounts for the increased MnP specific activity of MnCcP(W191F, W51F).Electronic Supplementary Material Supplementary material is available in the online version of this article at .Abbreviations CcP cytochrome c peroxidase - CcP(MI) recombinant yeast CcP containing Met-Ile at the N-terminus in addition to the normal wild-type CcP sequence - HRP horseradish peroxidase - MnCcP CcP(MI, G41E, V45E, H181D) - MnCcP(W191F) CcP(MI, G41E, V45E, H181D, W191F) - MnCcP(W191F, W51F) CcP(MI, G41E, V45E, H181D, W191F, W51F) - MnP manganese peroxidase - RR resonance Raman - WtCcP wild-type cytochrome c peroxidase     

Pathway engineering of Escherichia coli for α-ketoglutaric acid production

α-Ketoglutaric acid (α-KG) is a multifunctional dicarboxylic acid in the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle, but microbial engineering for α-KG production is not economically efficient, due to the intrinsic inefficiency of its biosynthetic pathway. In this study, pathway engineering was used to improve pathway efficiency for α-KG production in Escherichia coli. First, the TCA cycle was rewired for α-KG production starting from pyruvate, and the engineered strain E. coli W3110Δ4-PCAI produced 15.66 g/L α-KG. Then, the rewired TCA cycle was optimized by designing various strengths of pyruvate carboxylase and isocitrate dehydrogenase expression cassettes, resulting in a large increase in α-KG production (24.66 g/L). Furthermore, acetyl coenzyme A (acetyl-CoA) availability was improved by overexpressing acetyl-CoA synthetase, leading to α-KG production up to 28.54 g/L. Finally, the engineered strain E. coli W3110Δ4-P_(H)CAI_(H)A was able to produce 32.20 g/L α-KG in a 5-L fed-batch bioreactor. This strategy described here paves the way to the development of an efficient pathway for microbial production of α-KG.     

Taxonomic and morphological studies inHypecoum sect.Hypecoum (Papaveraceae)

Hypecoum sect.Hypecoum comprises 8 species, one with 2 additional subspecies, in the Mediterranean area and the Middle East. Five of these are recognized for the first time, viz.Hypecoum procumbens L. subsp.fragrantissimum Å. E. Dahl,H. procumbens L. subsp.atropunctatum Å. E. Dahl,H. trullatum Å. E. Dahl,H. angustilobum Å. E. Dahl andH. torulosum Å. E. Dahl. H. dimidiatum Delile andH. pseudograndiflorum Petr., which have generally been included inH. imberbe Sm., are reestablished as distinct species. Morphology and variation patterns are described and discussed with special reference to mating systems. Self-incompatibility is dominating butH. procumbens subsp.procumbens andH. torulosum are self-compatible. The broad variation ranges of the former taxon in traits presumably related to mating system (petal, anther and stigma sizes as well as pollenovule ratios) indicate varying rates of outcrossing. SEM micrographs are given of petal and stigma surfaces and of pollen grains. Chromosome counts are presented for seven taxa. All are diploid with 2n = 16.     

Interspecific competition between two parasitoids of Helicoverpa zea: Eucelatoria bryani and E. rubentis

Multiple parasitism of Helicoverpa zea (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) had differential effects on the gregarious endoparasitoids Eucelatoria bryani and E. rubentis (Diptera: Tachinidae). Both species were able to survive in multiparasitized hosts. However while the survival of E. bryani was not affected by the presence of E. rubentis, E. rubentis survival was reduced when competing with 24-h older E. bryani. The presence of E. rubentis did not result in a decrease in the size of E. bryani except when E. rubentis was 24-h older than E. bryani. The presence of E. bryani tended to result in smaller E. rubentis. The presence of similarly aged heterospecific competitors often resulted in prolonged development time for both species. Naïve females did not alter oviposition between unparasitized and heterospecifically parasitized fifth-instar larvae of H. zea, either by ovipositing less frequently in parasitized hosts than unparasitized ones, or by reducing clutch size in parasitized hosts. These results indicate that in H. zea, E. bryani is a superior competitor compared with E. rubentis. These factors should be considered in evaluating the potential of E. bryani and E. rubentis as biological control agents of H. zea.     

The value of measurements in the study of wader migration; a reply

Birds of West Central and Western Africa. Vol. 2. By C. W. Mackworth- Praed and C. H. B. Grant. Longman. 1973. 818 pp., 93 colour-plates, hundreds of distribution maps. Price £8.00., by L. A. Batten

A Guide to the Birds of Wales. David Saunders. Constable &; Co. Ltd, London. 1974. 341 pp. Many photographs and sketch maps. Price £2.50., by Chris Mead

The World of an Estuary. Heather Angel. Faber and Faber, London. 1975. 128 pp., 50 black and white photographs. Price £1.95., by A. J. Prater

Scarce Migrant Birds in Britain and Ireland. Dr J. T. R. Sharrock, with drawings by P. J. Grant. T. &; A. D. Poyser Ltd., Berkhamsted. 1974. 26 plates. Price £3.80., by D. E. Glue

The Buzzard. Colin R. Tubbs. David and Charles, Newton Abbot. 1974. 199 pp., 17 photographs and 11 figures. Price £4.75., by Chris Mead

Birds of the Yorkshire Coast. Richard Vaughan. Hendon Publishing Co. Ltd., London. 1974. 96 pp. 77 plates. Price £1.70 hardback, £1.20 paperback., by H. B. Ginn

The Naturalist in Majorca. James D. Parrack. David and Charles, Newton Abbot. 1973. 224 pp., 32 black and white plates and 15 line drawings. Price £3.95., by L. A. Batten

Feathers Plain and Fancy. Hilda Simon. Frederick Muller, London. 1973. (First published 1969.) Viking Press, New York. 126 pp., many colour and black and white illustrations by the author. Price £2.00., by H. B> Ginn

A Revised Check-List of the Maltese Islands. By C. De Lucca. E. W. Classey Ltd, Hampton, Middlesex, 1969. 95pp. Price £0.75.

Die Vögel des Bodenseegebietes. By H. Jacoby, G. Knötzsch and S. Schuster. Supplement to Vol. 67 of Der Ornithologische Beobachter, 1970. 260pp. 16 black and white plates.

Die Vogelwelt der Limmattal und Zürichseeregion. By W. Knopfli. Supplement to Vol. 68 of Der Ornithologische Beobachter, 1971. 174pp. 4 colour plates.     

Prevention of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Escherichia coli</Emphasis> O157:H7 infection in gnotobiotic mice associated with <Emphasis Type="Italic">Bifidobacterium</Emphasis> strains

Previous reports have shown that Escherichia coli O157:H7 infection is strongly modified by intestinal microbes. In this paper, we examined whether bifidobacteria protect against E. coli O157:H7 infections using gnotobiotic mice di-associated with Bifidobacterium strains (6 species, 9 strains) and E. coli O157:H7. Seven days after oral administration of each Bifidobacterium strain, the mice were orally infected with E. coli O157:H7 and their mortality was examined. Bifidobacterium longum subsp. infantis 157F-4-1 (B. infantis 157F) and B. longum subsp. longum NCC2705 (B. longum NS) protected against the lethal infection, while mice associated with all other Bifidobacterium strains, including type strains of B. longum subsp. infantis and B. longum subsp. longum, died. There were no significant differences in the numbers of E. coli O157:H7 in the faeces among the Bifidobacterium-associated mouse groups. However, the Shiga toxin concentrations in the cecal contents and sera of the GB mice associated with B. infantis 157F and B. longum NS were significantly lower than those of the other groups. However, there were no significant differences in the volatile fatty acid concentrations and histopathological lesions between these two groups. These data suggest that some strains of B. longum subsp. longum/infantis can protect against the lethal infections of E. coli O157:H7 by preventing Shiga toxin production in the cecum and/or Shiga toxin transfer from the intestinal lumen to the bloodstream.     

Light Absorption and Competition in Mixed Communities of Hordeum Leporinum-Euphorbia Scordifolia

The effect of Euphorbia scordifolia and Hordeum leporinum competition on leaf area development, radiant energy absorption, and dry matter production was evaluated in a field experiment. Profile measurements (0-0.3, 0.3-0.6, 0.6-0.9, and >0.9 m above ground) of absorbed photosynthetically active radiation (APAR) and leaf area index (LAI) by species were taken at four densities of E. scordifolia (0, 1, 4, and 12 plants per m²). APAR calculated for H. leporinum in mixed communities was 79, 77, and 49 % of the APAR in H. leporinum and LAI was reduced to 81, 65, and 37 %. LAI of H. leporinum was concentrated in the 0.3-0.6 m layer, while the taller E. scordifolia plants had the greatest LAI above 0.6 m. By absorbing radiant energy in the upper canopy, E. scordifolia reduced APAR penetrating to H. leporinum. Measurements of net photosynthetic and transpiration rates, leaf temperature, and stomatal conductance confirmed the importance of competition for PAR for plant growth and metabolism. This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Buchbesprechungen

Bond, J. (1961): Birds of the West Indies. ‐ 256 pp., 8 Farbtaf. (mit insgesamt 80 Abb.) von D. R. Eckelberry und 186 Strichzeichnungen von E. L. Poole. ‐ Houghton Mifílin Comp. Boston, The Riverside Press, Cambridge.

Herklots, G. A. C. (1961): The Birds of Trinidad and Tobago. ‐ 287 pp., 16 Farbtaf. (mit 180 Figuren) des Autors, 4 schwarzweißen Tafeln (mit 34 Figuren) von J. M. Abbott und 14 Textfiguren. ‐ Collins, St. Jame's Place, London.

Koepcke, H.‐W. &; Koepcke, M. (seit 1963): Las Aves Silvestres de Importância Económica del Peru. — Ministério de Agricultura, Servicio Forestal y de Caza, y Servicio de Pesquería, Lima. (Zu beziehen durch: Librería ?La Universidad?, Av. Nicolás de Piérola No. 639, Lima, oder durch Horst Dickudt, Librería, Casilla 1981, Lima.) Erscheint seit 1963 in Lieferungen zu je 8 Seiten.

Moynihan, M. (1962): Hostile and Sexual Behaviour Patterns of South American and Pacific Laridae. ‐Behaviour, Suppl. VIII, 365 pp., 49 Fig., 25 Tabellen, 5 Diagramme. E. J. Brill, Leiden.

Olrog, C. C. (1959): Las Aves Argentinas. Una Guia de Campo. ‐ 344 pp., 48 Farb‐taf. (mit 1216 Figuren), zahlreiche Textfiguren und Verbreitungskärtchen, 1 Übersichtskarte von Argentinien. ‐ Universidad Nacional de Tucumán, Instituto ?Miguel Lillo?, Tucumán.

Phelps, W. H. &; Phelps, W. H., jr. (1963): Lista de las Aves de Venezuela con su Distribution, Tomo 1, Parte II, Passeriformes, Segunda Edition. ‐ 479 pp.; Bol. Soc. Venezolana Ci. Naturales, Tomo XXIV, Nos. 104 y 105; Editorial Sucre, Caracas.

Steinbacher, J. (1962): Beiträge zur Kenntnis der Vögel von Paraguay. ‐ Abh. senckenb. naturf. Ges., No. 502, S. 1–106, 4 Karten.

Delamare Deboutteville, Cl. et Rapoport, E.: Biologie de l'Amérique Australe. ‐Vol. 1: Etudes sur la Faune du Sol. ‐ Éditions du Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Paris, 1962. ‐ Großformat, 657 Seiten. ‐ 120,‐ N. F.

Keast, A., Crocker, R. L. et Christian, C. S.: Biogeography and Ecology in Australia. (Monographiae Biologicae Nr. VIII.) Dr. W. Junk, Publishers, The Hague, Netherlands. ‐ 1959. 8e. IV and 640 pages with 56 figs, and 18 plates. Cloth. Dutch Guilders 65‐ (US $ 18,50).     

TESTING THE EFFECTS OF ELEVATED PCO2 ON COCCOLITHOPHORES (PRYMNESIOPHYCEAE): COMPARISON BETWEEN HAPLOID AND DIPLOID LIFE STAGES1

The response of Emiliania huxleyi (Lohmann) W. W. Hay et H. Mohler, Calcidiscus leptoporus (G. Murray et V. H. Blackman) J. Schiller, and Syracosphaera pulchra Lohmann to elevated partial pressure of carbon dioxide (pCO₂) was investigated in batch cultures. We reported on the response of both haploid and diploid life stages of these three species. Growth rate, cell size, particulate inorganic carbon (PIC), and particulate organic carbon (POC) of both life stages were measured at two different pCO₂ (400 and 760 parts per million [ppm]), and their organic and inorganic carbon production were calculated. The two life stages within the same species generally exhibited a similar response to elevated pCO₂, the response of the haploid stage being often more pronounced than that of the diploid stage. The growth rate was consistently higher at elevated pCO₂, but the response of other processes varied among species. Calcification rate of C. leptoporus and of S. pulchra did not change at elevated pCO₂, whereas it increased in E. huxleyi. POC production and cell size of both life stages of S. pulchra and of the haploid stage of E. huxleyi markedly decreased at elevated pCO₂. It remained unaltered in the diploid stage of E. huxleyi and C. leptoporus and increased in the haploid stage of the latter. The PIC:POC ratio increased in E. huxleyi and was constant in C. leptoporus and S. pulchra. Elevated pCO₂ has a significant effect on these three coccolithophore species, the haploid stage being more sensitive. This effect must be taken into account when predicting the fate of coccolithophores in the future ocean.     

Comparison of the Z and W sex chromosomal architectures in elegant crested tinamou (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Eudromia elegans</Emphasis>) and ostrich (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Struthio camelus</Emphasis>) and the process of sex chromosome differentiation in palaeognathous birds

To clarify the process of avian sex chromosome differentiation in palaeognathous birds, we performed molecular and cytogenetic characterization of W chromosome-specific repetitive DNA sequences for elegant crested tinamou (Eudromia elegans, Tinamiformes) and constructed comparative cytogenetic maps of the Z and W chromosomes with nine chicken Z-linked gene homologues for E. elegans and ostrich (Struthio camelus, Struthioniformes). A novel family of W-specific repetitive sequences isolated from E. elegans was found to be composed of guanine- and cytosine-rich 293-bp elements that were tandemly arrayed in the genome as satellite DNA. No nucleotide sequence homologies were found for the Struthioniformes and neognathous birds. The comparative cytogenetic maps of the Z and W chromosomes of E. elegans and S. camelus revealed that there are partial deletions in the proximal regions of the W chromosomes in the two species, and the W chromosome is more differentiated in E. elegans than in S. camelus. These results suggest that a deletion firstly occurred in the proximal region close to the centromere of the acrocentric proto-W chromosome and advanced toward the distal region. In E. elegans, the W-specific repeated sequence elements were amplified site-specifically after deletion of a large part of the W chromosome occurred.     

丹霞柿，广东柿属(柿科)一新组合及其一新异名

通过查阅模式标本后发现丹霞南烛(Lyonia danxiaensis R. H. MiaoW. Q. Liu)具有聚伞花序,花部为4数,雄蕊16枚且成对着生,花丝非膝曲状等特征与珍珠花属(Lyonia)不符,而与柿科(Ebenaceae)柿属(Diospyros)一致,因此提出一新组合:丹霞柿[Diospyros danxiaensis (R. H. MiaoW. Q. Liu) Y. H. TongN. H. Xia]。且经标本比对后发现,新近发表的彭华柿(Diospyros penghuae W. B. Liao, Q. FanW. Y. Zhao)与丹霞柿实为同种,在此也予以合并。     

Elimination of substrate inhibition of a β-N-acetyl-d-hexosaminidase by single site mutation

Substrate inhibition hinders chitinolytic β-N-acetyl-d-hexosaminidases in producing N-acetyl-d-glucosamine (GlcNAc), the valuable chemical widely applied in medical and food industries. Here we focused on a promising chitinolytic enzyme, OfHex1 from the insect, Ostrinia furnacalis. By structural analysis of OfHex1, five residues nearby the active pocket including V327, E328, Y471, V484 and W490 were chosen and nine mutants including V327G, E328Q, E328A, Y471V, V484R, W490A, W490H, V327G/V484R/W490A and V327G/Y471V/W490H were constructed and recombinantly expressed in Pichia pastoris. The best-performing mutant, W490A, obtained by a higher yield of 5 mg/L, did not show substrate inhibition even when 5 mM of the substrates, (GlcNAc)_2–4, were applied. The k_cat/K_m values for (GlcNAc)_2–4 are 239.8, 111.3 and 79.8 s^?1 mM^?1, respectively. Besides, the pH stability of the mutant ranges from pH 4 to 11 and the thermal stability is up to 50 °C. This work suggests the W490A mutant might be an ideal biocatalyst for GlcNAc production from chitin.