The anatomy of Lower Devonian Gosslingia breconensis Heard based on pyritized axes, with some comments on the permineralization process

Xylem and peripheral support tissues are described in axes of Gosslingia breconensis preserved as iron sulphide permineralizations. The distribution of coalified (organic) material and the various textures of pyrite are explained in terms of the relative decay rates of cell contents, cellulose and lignin, and the microbial anaerobic production of iron sulphide. It is suggested that coalified layers mainly represent regions of lignification. The xylem, described using Bierhorst's terminology, comprises indirectly attached both spiral and annular elements and is considered similar to that in many other zosterophylls, in plants of more controversial affinity, e.g. Baragwanathia and Drepanophycus , and in some extant pteridophytes.     

Structure of a T = 1 aggregate of alfalfa mosaic virus coat protein seen at 4.5 A resolution

A T = 1 empty aggregate of alfalfa mosaic virus coat protein had been crystallized in a hexagonal unit cell and its orientation was determined with the rotation function. A single heavy-atom derivative has now been prepared and the position of the two Hg atoms per protein subunit were determined using a systematic Patterson search procedure, given the particle orientation. Phases, initially determined by single isomorphous replacement, were refined by six cycles of electron density averaging and solvent leveling to produce a 4.5 A resolution electron density map. The protein coat is confined between 95 and 58 A radius. The subunit boundary could be delineated easily. It has a central cavity reminiscent of the beta-barrel in other spherical plant viruses, but its topology could not be determined unambiguously. The spherical particle has large holes at the 5-fold axes, consistent with previous observations. The subunits have substantial interactions at the 2 and 3-fold axes. The structure of the elongated particles is discussed in relation to these results.     

A reconsideration of cf. Psilophyton princeps (Croft & Lang, 1942), a zosterophyll widespread in the Lower Old Red Sandstone of South Wales

EE WARDS, D., KENRICK, P. & CARLUCCIO, L. M., 1988. A reconsideration of cf. P lophyton princeps (Croft & Lang, 1942), a zosterophyll widespread in the Lower Old Rt 1 Sandstone of South Wales. The Lower Devonian plant from Llanover Quarry, Gwent, cal ed cf. Psilophyton princeps , is shown to be a zosterophyll and placed in a new genus. It comprises an ere t planar pseudomonopodial and isotomously branching system of spiny axes with subaxillary pre ections (axillary tubercles) with circinate tips, sometimes replaced by a downwardly directed, spiring, branching axis. Its xylem, strap-shaped in cross-section and exarch, is composed of directly and ndirectly connected annular thickenings. An extended distal fertile zone consists of axes with spot ingia in two opposite or sub-opposite rows. Each sporangium comprises two equal valves, ellip'ical to reniform in face view, and is held upright on a short curved stalk. Dehiscence is around the convex margin which is bordered by a narrow strip of thickening. The Welsh plants are comp ired with other zosterophylls and appear closest to Sawdonia ornata except that they possess sub-axillay branches and lack the characteristic dark-tipped spines. Detailed analysis of coalified mater: and the distribution and fabric of pyrite in permineralizations shows that the original structure of the tracheids was similar to that in Gosslingia and most other zosterophylls, and that the taphonomic processes, with lignified walls preserved as coalified layers and softer tissues replaced by pyrite, were also broadly the same. Permineralizations in pyrite and limonite allow an evaluation of the effects of oxidation of pyrite on original cell structure.     

Reinvestigation of Nystroemia pectiniformis Halle, an enigmatic seed plant from the Upper Permian of China

Reinvestigation of Nystroemia pectiniformis Halle from the Upper Shihhotze Formation of Shanxi Province, China, has led to the identification of new and important features of this enigmatic Late Permian seed plant, permitting its typification and diagnosis. After reassembling several of the previously studied specimens to form a single articulated branching system comprising at least four orders of branching, previously unknown features of its branching pattern and morphology have been characterized. First–order axes are wide and branch to one side only, bearing second–order branches either singly or in pairs and of two kinds: one fertile and bearing characteristic ovulate branching systems and the other presumably vegetative. Ovulate second–order axes are narrow and branch to one side only, producing numerous, closely spaced lateral branches in two alternate to sub–opposite rows. Lateral branches are slender and produce numerous ovulate branching systems to one side of the axis only. Ovulate branching systems divide unequally to produce 3–15 ultimate axes of different lengths that are planated. Each ultimate axis bears a single terminal ovule with 180 degree rotational symmetry and two horn–like integumentary projections distally. The other kind of second–order axes are distinct from those bearing ovules; they are wider and longer and branches occur on both sides of the secondary axis, lacking divisions in close proximity to the first–order axis. These have only been observed incomplete although their distinct morphology indicates they are unlikely to be ovulate branches from which ovules/seeds have been shed. Additional organs of the Nystroemia plant are considered, including pollen organs previously assigned by Halle to the same species (displaying its characteristic branching style), and also leaves of Chiropteris reniformis Halle that were probably borne on the larger kind of second–order branches. Implications of Nystroemia on seed plant evolution and distribution are discussed, and it is concluded that this most likely represents a late stratigraphic occurrence of a plesiomorphic hydrasperman–type seed plant with affinities closely allied to members of the Lyginopteridales.     

Huia Recurvata --- A New Plant from Lower Devonian of Southeastern Yunnan China,

A new genus and species Hula recurvata is described from the Posong-chong Formation (Siegenian) of Lower Devonian in Wenshan district, Yunnan, China.This plant possesses pseudomonopodial and dichotomous axes with terminal spikes andit sometimes has single sporangia below the branching point within the fertile regions.Sporangia with stalks are ovate, adaxially recurved and downwards and spirally arrangedon the axis of the spike. Protostele is centrarch. The characteristics stated above showthe new plant has close affinity to Taeniocrada decheniana, but it differes from the members of any other rhyniophytes as well as zosterophyllophytes. A new family——Taeniocradaceae can be established and is provisionally assigned to Rhyniophytina. Evolutionary line of early land-plants, from Rhyniaceae to Taeniocradaceae and then to Bari-nophytaceae is discussed in this paper.     

Effect of benzyl adenine on the DNA synthesis during early germination of maize embryo axes

The nature of the DNA synthesized during maize germination has been investigated making use of BND-cellulose chromatography, defining early germination as the first 3 h of imbibition; axes have been pulse-labelled for the last 30 min of the incubation period. The pattern of labelled DNA obtained for γ-irradiated axes is typical of a repair-type synthesis whereas that of non-irradiated axes would be defined as a replicative-type synthesis except that it is insensitive to abscisic acid. However, when benzyl adenine is added to these two types of tissues (irradiated and non-irradiated axes) from the beginning of the incubation period, the result is an increase in the label incorporated, enhancing the repair-type pattern in irradiated axes but most important, switching the “replicative patter” of non-irradiated axes to an unambiguous repair-type pattern. This occurs irrespective of whether the pulse-label is given 10, 20 or 30 min bofore the ent of the incubation period. The role of benzyl adenine on early germination and repair synthesis is discussed.     

Aglaophyton major, a non-vascular land-plant from the Devonian Rhynie Chert

EDWARDS, D. S., 1986. Aglaophyton major , a non-vascular land-plant from the Devonian Rhynie Chert. The genus Aglaophyton is described to accommodate the plant formerly known as Rhynia major , re-examined using new material and techniques. The plant, which is a sporophyte, is suggested to have been shorter than originally supposed and to have formed extensive stands of decumbent axes. These features, with information on the angle of dichotomous branching and the frequency of sporangia, are incorporated into a new reconstruction of the plant. The conducting strand within the axes consists of three zones, a central region of thin-walled cells, a middle region of thick-walled cells and an outer region of thin-walled cells. There is no indication of differential wall thickenings in the cells of any of these zones and the strand is interpreted in terms of a bryophytic conducting strand, the inner two regions being comparable to hydroids and the outer region comparable to the leptoids found in polytrichaceous moss gametophytes and sporophyles. The plant thus exhibits characters intermediate between tracheophytes and some mosses and cannot be considered a member of either group; at the present time it is not assigned to a higher category. A rediagnosis of Rhynia gwynne-vaughanii , based on published results and new data, is also included.     

A new genus of Early Devonian plants with novel strobilar structures and vegetative appendages from the Posongchong Formation of Yunnan,China

A new plant, Dibracophyton acrovatum gen. et sp. nov., is described from the Lower Devonian (Pragian) Posongchong Formation of Wenshan District, southeastern Yunnan, China. The plant has creeping axes from which arise vegetative and fertile axes. The vegetative axes helically bear lateral dichotomous appendages with curved or round tips. The fertile axes possess terminal strobili with numerous fertile units arranged in irregular helices. Each fertile unit consists of a stalked long-elliptical sporangium, with dehiscence into two equal valves, and two discrete long-ovate bracts covering sporangium from above–below directions. A new genus and species is thus established based on these characters and is temporarily regarded as incertae sedis of Tracheophyta, although it perhaps closes to the barinophytes in affinity. Detailed comparisons with other plants having a similar architecture, i.e., sporangia closely associated with modified vegetative structures, are made. The discovery of D. acrovatum further enriches the composition of the Posongchong flora and demonstrates great morphological disparity of the Early Devonian vascular plants.     

Towards an objective method of assessing welfare in domestic fowl

Some of the criteria which have been used for assessing the welfare of farm animals are briefly reviewed. A relatively new method employing techniques of animal learning is discussed. A prerequisite for this is knowledge of the preferences of the animals themselves for different environments. The measure of preference used in the present study was how quickly hens moved from a starting box into a given environment. Experimental data are presented which show that battery-kept hens move more quickly into a battery cage than into an open run in the garden. For both these environments, the presence of other birds increased their preference for the hens. In a second experiment, the previous experience of the birds was shown to be crucial: although battery-kept birds again moved more quickly into a cage, hens used to living outside moved more quickly into a hen run. When hens were familiar with both environments, they showed no significant preference for one environment over the other.     

Visualization of conformational distribution of short to medium size segments in globular proteins and identification of local structural motifs

Analysis of the conformational distribution of polypeptide segments in a conformational space is the first step for understanding a principle of structural diversity of proteins. Here, we present a statistical analysis of protein local structures based on interatomic C(alpha) distances. Using principal component analysis (PCA) on the intrasegment C(alpha)-C(alpha) atomic distances, the conformational space of protein segments, which we call the protein segment universe, has been visualized, and three essential coordinate axes, suitable for describing the universe, have been identified. Three essential axes specified radius of gyration, structural symmetry, and separation of hairpin structures from other structures. Among the segments of arbitrary length, 6-22 residues long, the conservation of those axes was uncovered. Further application of PCA to the two largest clusters in the universe revealed local structural motifs. Although some of motifs have already been reported, we identified a possibly novel strand motif. We also showed that a capping box, which is one of the helix capping motifs, was separated into independent subclusters based on the C(alpha) geometry. Implications of the strand motif, which may play a role for protein-protein interaction, are discussed. The currently proposed method is useful for not only mapping the immense universe of protein structures but also identification of structural motifs.     

Chloroplast DNA phylogeography of Alnus glutinosa (L.) Gaertn.

Traditionally, information on the postglacial history of plant species has been gained from the analysis of fossil pollen data. More recently, surveys of present patterns of genetic variation have given valuable insights into species phylogeography. The genus Alnus , based on fossil data, is known to have had at least four glacial refugia. A survey of chloroplast DNA (cpDNA) diversity in populations of black alder ( A. glutinosa ) was undertaken in order to gain more insight into its postglacial history. This revealed a high degree of structuring of 13 cpDNA haplotypes on a European scale which indicated that most of northern and central Europe was colonized from a refuge in the Carpathian Mountains. Based on the distribution of two common cpDNA haplotypes, colonization routes from this refuge can be determined. The locations of other previously identified refugia are confirmed and two formerly unconfirmed refugial areas for alder (southern Spain and Turkey) are proposed.     

New evidence for laurasian corystosperms: Umkomasia from the Upper Triassic of Northern China

Recent finds of remarkable fossil plants from the Upper Triassic Yangcaogou Formation in Liaoning Province, PR China include branched, cupule-bearing structures referable to the corystosperm ovulate organ Umkomasia. This material is described and assigned to the proposed new species Umkomasia asiatica. The collection includes numerous isolated cupules and fragments of ultimate cupule-bearing axes. Two specimens consisting of portions of the main axis with attached, cupulate lateral axes have also been found. The main axis was at least 6.5 cm long, with each lateral axis bearing one to at least three pairs of stalked, ovoid cupules. The new Umkomasia is similar to U. franconica from the Jurassic of Germany, which is the only other known laurasian species, but the cupules are smaller and more elongated. It is also similar to many gondwanan forms, including the type species U. macleanii. Leaves associated with the Chinese Umkomasia species are tentatively referred to Thinnfeldia, and may have been produced by the same plant. Associated ovoid seeds with elongated, curved micropyles are similar to those of gondwanan species of Umkomasia. The fossils described here are, therefore, significant in representing the first report of corystosperm reproductive structures from Asia, and only the second report of Umkomasia from the entire northern hemisphere. The new Chinese fossils also support leaf-based evidence that the Corystospermales were present in Laurasia as early as the Late Triassic.     

The Chitinase A from the baculovirus AcMNPV enhances resistance to both fungi and herbivorous pests in tobacco

Biotechnology has allowed the development of novel strategies to obtain plants that are more resistant to pests, fungal pathogens and other agents of biotic stress. The obvious advantages of having genotypes with multiple beneficial traits have recently fostered the development of gene pyramiding strategies, but less attention has been given to the study of genes that can increase resistance to different types of harmful organisms. Here we report that a recombinant Chitinase A protein of the Autographa californica nuclear polyhedrosis virus (AcMNPV) has both antifungal and insecticide properties in vitro. Transgenic tobacco plants expressing an active ChiA protein showed reduced damages caused by fungal pathogens and lepidopteran larvae, while did not have an effect on aphid populations. To our knowledge, this is the first report on the characterisation and expression in plants of a single gene that increases resistance against herbivorous pests and fungal pathogens and not affecting non-target insects. The implications and the potential of the ChiA gene for plant molecular breeding and biotechnology are discussed.     

A novel lycopsid from the Upper Devonian of Jiangsu, China

A new lycopsid, Monilistrobus yixingensis gen. et sp. nov., is described from the Wutung Formation (Famennian, Upper Devonian) of Jiangsu, China. The plant has many features typical of other Upper Devonian lycopsids, including dichotomous branching, helically arranged obovate expanded leaf bases, linear leaves with spiny appendages along the lateral margins, sporophylls widened proximally, and one elliptical sporangium attached to the adaxial surface. The most distinctive novel feature of the plant is that the modified sporophylls are arranged tightly into fertile zones or cone-like structures that are separated by lengths of axes with more lax sterile microphylls only: therefore the cone-like structures are strung along the branches like beads on a necklace.     

The relationship between chromosomes and axes in the chiasmatic XY pair of the Armenian hamster (Cricetulus migratorius)

The XY pair of the Armenian hamster has been studied in spreads and in three-dimensional reconstructions during the main stages of first meiotic prophase and metaphase I. The general pattern of the axes is similar to that of other mammals. There is a differential and a common region. In the latter a synaptonemal complex (SC) is formed by the pairing of the axes. This SC is longer than in other mammals. Heteropycnosis in the differential region is mirrored by differential chromatin packing at the ultrastructural level. The differential regions of the X and Y chromosomes can be identified both at the light and at the electron microscope level. The location of the axes at the interchromatid space in the differential region has been established. The visualization of the axes with the light microscope is facilitated by their bulgings at the beginning of mid-pachytene. These intermittent deformities change into a coiled and thinner axis during mid-pachytene. A chiasma originates in the common region of the XY body and it is seen near the ends of the sex chromosomes at diakinesis and metaphase I. The ultrastructure of this chiasmatic region is similar to that of autosomal chiasmata in the mouse. The axes separate from each other and leave a remaining piece of SC in which the central space is replaced by dense fibrillar material. During metaphase I the ultrastructure of this chiasmatic region cannot be identified because of the partial loss of the marker axes.     

Plant species endemism in savanna vegetation on table mountains (Campo Rupestre) in Brazil

A new theory about the origin of endemism in the campo rupestre vegetation type is proposed and discussed, based on the studies of endemic species which have been conducted in several campo rupestre areas. Data on endemic plant species of the studied mountain ranges are provided. New localities are reported for some rare and endemic plants of Minas Gerais, Brazil. The present knowledge of their distribution is briefly discussed. Vegetation characteristics were studied in their stands by means of vegetation relevés, and a synthetic constancy table is provided. The main phytogeographical characteristics of the studied sites are given.     

排序轴分类法及其应用

排序轴分类法及其应用张金屯（山西大学生物系,太原０３０００６）ＯｒｄｉｎａｔｉｏｎＡｘｅｓＰａｒｔｉｔｉｏｎｉｎｇａｎｄＩｔｓＡｐｐｌｉｃａｔｉｏｎ．　￥ＺｈａｎｇＪｉｎｔｕｎ（ＤｅｐｏｒｔｍｅｎｔｏｆＢｉｏｌｏｇｙ,ＳｈａｎｘｉＵｎｉｖｅｒｓｉ－ｔ...