Radioimmunoassay for brassinosteroids and its use for comparative analysis of brassinosteroids in stems and seeds ofPhaseolus vulgaris

Antiserum against the brassinosteroid (BR), castasterone, was produced by immunizing a rabbit with castasterone-carboxymethoxylamine oxime conjugated with bovine serum albumin (BSA). In a radioimmunoassay (RIA), the antiserum recognized a range of naturally occurring BRs with varying specificities. Detection limits of castasterone and brassinolide were approximately 0.3 pmol. This RIA system was successfully used for analyzing endogenous BRs in seeds and stems ofPhaseolus vulgaris L., and showed that stems are quite different from seeds in terms of the species and quantity of the endogenous BRs.     

An ultrastructural study of acid phosphatase localization in cells ofPhaseolus vulgaris phloem by the use of the azo dye method

The localization of acid phosphatase was studied in the sieve elements and companion cells in the phloem tissue of the bean, Phaseolus vulgaris L. The various organelles in the two kinds of cell showed fine granules of the azo dye as the final reaction product. The aggregated smooth endoplasmic reticulum displayed the dye particularly consistently. The dye was also present in the plasmodesmata and in the contents of the sieve plate pores. The reaction product was conspicuous in the cell walls and tended to be concentrated in the middle lamella and in the nacreous wall layer of the differentiating sieve elements.     

Isolation and characterization of brassinosteroids from algal cultures of Chlorella vulgaris Beijerinck (Trebouxiophyceae)

The brassinosteroids (BRs) occur ubiquitously in the plant kingdom. The occurrence of BRs has been demonstrated in almost every part of higher plants, such as pollen, flower buds, fruits, seeds, vascular cambium, leaves, shoots and roots. In this study, BRs were isolated and identified in the culture of wild-type Chlorella vulgaris. Seven BRs, including teasterone, typhasterol, 6-deoxoteasterone, 6-deoxotyphasterol, 6-deoxocastasterone, castasterone and brassinolide, were identified by GC–MS. All compounds belong to the BR biosynthetic pathway. The results suggest that early and late C6 oxidation pathways are operating in C. vulgaris. This study represents the first isolation of BRs from C. vulgaris cultures.     

Isolation and characterization of brassinosteroids from immature seeds of Camellia sinensis (O) Kuntze

Brassinosteroids play an important role in growth and development of plants. They have been reported universally in all the plants. The present study deals with the presence of these compounds in immature tea seeds. Five brassinosteroids, i.e. 6-deoxo-28-norcathasterone, 6-deoxo-28-norteasterone, 3-dehydro-6-deoxo-28-norteasterone, 6-deoxo-28-nortyphasterol and 6-deoxo-28-norcastasterone have been isolated and identified by GC–MS. The identified brassinosteroids and their derivatives are active constituents of late C-6 oxidation pathway, thereby suggesting the biosynthesis of brassinosteroids in tea seeds by late C-6 oxidation pathway.     

Conformation and activity ofPhaseolus coccineus var. rubronanus lectin

The conformation of native and denaturedPhaseolus coccineus var. rubronanus lectin was studied by circular dichroism (CD) and correlated to the hemagglutinating activity. The far-UV CD spectrum at 25°C showed a broad, negative band around 223 nm and a positive one at 196 nm. CD data analysis of the lectin indicated a -sheet-rich protein. At high temperatures, the spectrum was blue-shifted with increasing magnitude; these changes correlated well with the loss of the activity. The conformation of lectin betweenpH 2 and 10 remained essentially unchanged. AtpH 13 the CD spectrum resembled that of unordered form with a negative band near 200 nm and the activity was completely lost. The denatured lectin in 6 M guanidine hydrochloride would be renatured upon diluting the denaturant to 0.75 M; the changes in CD spectrum again correlated well with the loss of the activity. The effect of sodium dodecyl sulfate on the lectin was drastic; it sharply increased thea-helix at the expense of the -sheet and reduced the activity; the changes reached a plateau above 20 mM surfactant.     

The use of a fuel containing Chlorella vulgaris in a diesel engine

There is a need for sustainable fuels for diesel engines and fuels containing particles will function as a fuel in diesel engines. Some microalgae such as Chlorella vulgaris are unicellular and 5–10 μm in size, which is suitable for combining in an emulsion fuel. An emulsion consisting of transesterified rapeseed oil, a surfactant and a slurry of C. vulgaris was used as a fuel in an unmodified single cylinder diesel engine. The fuel consumption and emissions of this fuel was determined and although the carbon monoxide levels were higher the NO_x emission was lower than that of diesel.     

Homologization of storage proteins from Aquilegia vulgaris and Digitalis purpurea

The separation of the main seed proteins from Aquilegia vulgaris and Digitalis purpurea by means of Sephadex G-200 gel filtration and DEAE-Sephadex ion exchange absorption resulted in remarkably similar patterns. Using gel electrophoresis and serological techniques this phenomenon has been attributed to the predominance of two storage proteins present in each taxon: (a) one main protein in Aquilegia (= nigellin) and in Digitalis (= tubiflorin), each, being similar, but probably not homologous. (b) A secondary protein (= aquilegilin) was identified in both taxa. The distribution of only a few storage proteins in Magnoliophytina (angiosperms) with different serological reactivity (= different primary structure) has been presumed, based upon the data obtained.     

Separation and biological properties of Phaseolus vulgaris isolectins

Two isolectins (L₄E₀-PHA and L₀E₄-PHA) from red kidney beans (Phaseolus vulgaris) were isolated by affinity chromatography on immobilized thyroglobulin and by chromatography on hydroxyapatite. The L₄E₀-PHA siolectin was not retarded on the affinity column and was eluted from the hydroxyapatite column with a 0.1 M Phosphate buffer. This isolectin had no erythroagglutinating activity but had high lymphoagglutinating and lymphocyte stimulating activities. The L₀E₄-PHA isolectin was adsorbed on the affinity column and was eluted from the hydroxyapatite column with a 0.25 M Phosphate buffer. This isolectin has a high erythroagglutinating activity, a very low lymphoagglutinating activity and no lymphocyte stimulating activity. These two isolectins are shown however to be closely related with respect to their oligomeric structure and reactivity towards anti-PHA antibodies. The lack of mitogenic activity of the L₀E₄-PHA isolectin suggests that in the other isolectins, the E monomer is not responsible for their mitogenic activity and that the membrane glycoproteins, which contain the E monomer — specific oligosaccharide, are not involved in the process inducing mitosis.     

Physicochemical properties of flavodoxin from Desulfovibrio vulgaris

Various physicochemical and biochemical properties of the most potent uncoupler of oxidative phosphorylation known to date 3,5-di-tert-butyl-4-hydroxybenzylidenemalononitrile (SF 6847), such as pH dependence of the uncoupling activity and binding to mitochondria, spectral properties in the presence of different types of liposomes, biopolymers and mitochondria, and effects on model membrane systems have been investigated. From the results, it is concluded that the uncoupler most likely is localized in the phospholipid part of the membrane.     

Microclimate in communal roost sites of starlingsSturnus vulgaris

Microclimate of 10 roost sites selected by Starlings was measured with minimum thermometers during two winter months. A significative difference between urban and surrounding countryside underlines the advantage to roost in the city.

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Zusammenfassung Mit einem Minimumthermometer wurden während zweier Wintermonate die Temperaturen an 10 Starenschlafplätzen gemessen. Die Unterschiede zwischen Schlafplätzen in Städten und solchen in Landschaften der Umgebung unterstützen die Ansicht, daß Schlafplätze in Städten durch ihr Mikroklima Vorteile bieten.

     

Growth stimulation in bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) by Trichoderma

Trichoderma species are commonly used as biological control agents against phytopathogenic fungi and some strains are able to produce metabolites that enhance plant growth. In the current study we evaluated the production of potential growth-promoting metabolites, rhizosphere competence and endophytism for 101 isolates of Trichoderma from Colombia, and assessed the relationship of these factors to the enhancement of early stages of growth on bean seedlings. Twenty percent of these Trichoderma strains were able to produce soluble forms of phosphate from phosphoric rock. Only 8% of the assessed strains showed consistent ability to produce siderophores to convert ferric iron to soluble forms by chelation. Sixty percent of isolates produced indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) or auxin analogues. The production of any of these metabolites was a characteristic of specific strains, as the ability to produce these metabolites varied greatly within species. Moreover, the production of these substances did not correlate with enhanced growth on bean seedlings, measured as the combined increase in length of roots and aerial parts in the V3 stage of growth. Seven Trichoderma isolates significantly improved the growth of bean seedlings. However, metabolite production varied widely in these seven strains, and some isolates did not produce any of the assessed growth-promoting metabolites. Results indicated that growth was enhanced in the presence of rhizosphere competent and endophytic strains of Trichoderma, and these characteristics were strain-specific and not characteristic for species.     

Rhizobium tropiciteu genes involved in specific uptake of Phaseolus vulgaris bean-exudate compounds

Rhizobium tropici nodulates and fixes nitrogen in bean. In the R. tropici strain CFN299 we identified and characterized teu genes (tropiciexudate uptake) induced by bean root exudates, localized by insertion of a promoter-less Tn5-gusA1 transposon. teu genes are present on a plasmid of around 185 kb that is conserved in all R. tropici strains. Proteins encoded by teu genes show similarity to ABC transporters, specifically to ribose transport proteins. No induction of the teu genes was obtained by treatment with root exudates from any of several other plants tested, with the exception of Macroptilium atropurpureum, which is also a host plant for R. tropici. It appears that the inducing compound is characteristic of bean and closely related legumes. It is present in root exudates, but not in seeds. This compound is removed, presumably by metabolism, from the exudates by the majority of bean-nodulating rhizobia (such as R. etli, R. leguminosarum bv. phaseoli and R.␣giardinii). The principal inducing compound has not been identified, but some induction was obtained using trigonelline. The CFN299 strain seems to have an additional uptake system, as no phenotype is observed in two different mutants. R. tropici strain CIAT899, on the other hand, must have only one uptake system, since a mutant bearing an insertion in the teu genes could not remove the compound from the exudates as efficiently as the wild type, and it showed diminished nodulation competitiveness. Received: 21 November 1997 / Accepted: 18 March 1998     

Thermoregulation of water foraging wasps (Vespula vulgaris and Polistes dominulus)

A comparison of the thermoregulation of water foraging wasps (Vespula vulgaris, Polistes dominulus) under special consideration of ambient temperature and solar radiation was conducted. The body surface temperature of living and dead wasps was measured by infrared thermography under natural conditions in their environment without disturbing the insects’ behaviour. The body temperature of both of them was positively correlated with T_a and solar radiation. At moderate T_a (22–28 °C) the regression lines revealed mean thorax temperatures (T_th) of 35.5–37.5 °C in Vespula, and of 28.6–33.7 °C in Polistes. At high T_a (30–39 °C) T_th was 37.2–40.6 °C in Vespula and 37.0–40.8 °C in Polistes. The thorax temperature excess (T_th–T_a) increased at moderate T_a by 1.9 °C (Vespula) and 4.4 °C (Polistes) per kW⁻¹ m⁻². At high T_a it increased by 4.0 °C per kW⁻¹ m⁻² in both wasps. A comparison of the living water foraging Vespula and Polistes with dead wasps revealed a great difference in their thermoregulatory behaviour. At moderate T_a (22–28 °C) Vespula exhibited distinct endothermy in contrast to Polistes, which showed only a weak endothermic activity. At high T_a (30–39 °C) Vespula reduced their active heat production, and Polistes were always ectothermic. Both species exhibited an increasing cooling effort with increasing insolation and ambient temperature.     

Lateral asymmetry of eye use in Octopus vulgaris

The lateralization of sensory and motor functions has been recently demonstrated in various groups of vertebrates. We examined lateral asymmetry of eye use in Octopus vulgaris by behavioural methods. Octopus vulgaris uses monocular vision almost exclusively and can move its eyes independently. The amount of binocular vision is small because the eyes are on the sides of the head. We tested eight octopuses in two conditions (one with and one without moving stimuli) where the use of the eye for frontal vision could be determined unequivocally. Data were recorded on videotape. All animals showed a preference for one eye (five left, three right). There was no correlation between eye use and the animal's direction of movement. Pigmentation of the ventral side of the arms tended to be most intense on the side of the preferred eye and the body was most pigmented on the side of the eye currently in use. We found no sex differences for visual lateralization. Pigmentation of the ventral side of the arms was lighter in females than in males. Copyright 2002 The Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour. Published by Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.     

Ozone effects on high light-induced photoinhibition in Phaseolus vulgaris

In this study the response to photoinhibition of photosynthesis and subsequent recovery was examined in plants of Phaseolus vulgaris L. cultivar ‘Pinto’ exposed to charcoal-filtered air or to ozone (O₃) at 150 nL L⁻¹ either for 3 h, or for 5 h. The responses were analysed using chlorophyll fluorescence imaging and by conventional fluorometry. Compared to control plants maintained in charcoal-filtered air, in plants exposed for 3 h to O₃ and then subjected to high light treatment, the results show an increased tolerance to photoinhibition. Plants exposed to the same O₃ concentration but for the longer 5-h period, were not tolerant to the photoinhibition treatment and, instead showed visible symptoms of damage (chlorosis and necrosis) clearly attributable to the longer O₃ exposure. Here the detrimental effects of O₃ aggravated the effects of the high light photoinhibitory treatment. The leaves exposed to the shorter O₃ treatment (150 nL L⁻¹ for 3 h) developed an ability to counteract the negative effects of a high light exposure probably because the O₃ had activated an antioxidant system able to protect the photosynthetic machinery.     

Generation of Phaseolus vulgaris ESTs and investigation of their regulation upon Uromyces appendiculatus infection

Background  

Phaseolus vulgaris (common bean) is the second most important legume crop in the world after soybean. Consequently, yield losses due to fungal infection, like Uromyces appendiculatus (bean rust), have strong consequences. Several resistant genes were identified that confer resistance to bean rust infection. However, the downstream genes and mechanisms involved in bean resistance to infection are poorly characterized.     

Floral scent analysis in Hieracium subgenus Pilosella and its taxonomical implications

Species-rich Hieracium subgen. Pilosella is well-known for a high degree of endemism and infra-specific differentiation including many subspecies (“microspecies”) of very restricted distribution. In Hieracium subgen. Pilosella floral scents of 27 predominantly Bavarian species, mostly of Hieracium calodon, H. zizianum and H. densiflorum, are investigated here. Floral scent compositions were studied by GC-MS analysis of dynamic headspace samples. Altogether, 56 floral scent compounds were identified, mainly benzenoids, fatty acid derivatives, monoterpenes, homoterpenes and sesquiterpenes. The chemical patterns were found to be taxon-specific and are thus of taxonomical value. The data support some rearrangements at subspecific level, such as the inclusion of H. bauhini subsp. hispidissimum in H. densiflorum. These rearrangements are supported by morphological data. The traditional species concepts, however, are mostly corroborated by our scent data.