Viability of Cereal Seed for Brief and Extended Periods

Reports of viability periods in cereal seeds of a few minutesor days are discussed in relation to periods of up to 123 years.Attention is drawn to various anomalies which are apparent whenrelating these extreme periods of viability to previously discussedresults in the range of a few weeks to a few years.     

The end of the road

After some 60 years in research, a few months before my final retirement (there were a few temporary ones), the time has come to reminisce.     

A note on two uses for impedimetry in brewing microbiology

The forcing test used in the brewing industry is shortened from a few weeks to a few days using a new protocol employing impedimetry. The generation times of four different brewing yeasts growing in brewery wort were calculated from measurements obtained using impedimetry.     

Immunolocalization of the telomerase‐1 component in cells of the regenerating tail,testis, and intestine of lizards

Using an antibody against a lizard telomerase‐1 component the presence of telomerase has been detected in regenerating lizard tails where numerous cells are proliferating. Immunoblots showed telomerase positive bands at 75–80 kDa in normal tissues and at 50, 75, and 90 kDa in those regenerating. Immunofluorescence and ultrastructural immunolocalization showed telomerase‐immunoreactivity in sparCe (few/diluted) mesenchymal cells of the blastema, early regenerating muscles, perichondrium of the cartilaginous tube, ependyma of the spinal cord, and in the regenerating epidermis. Clusters of gold particles were detected in condensing chromosomes of few mesenchymal and epithelial cells in the regenerating tail, but a low to undetectable labeling in interphase cells. Telomerase‐immunoreactivity was intense in the nucleus and sparCe (few/diluted) in the cytoplasm of spermatogonia and spermatocytes and drastically decreased in early spermatids where some nuclear labeling remains. Some intense immunoreactivity was seen in few cells near the basal membrane of intestinal enterocytes or in leukocytes (likely lymphocytes) of the intestine mucosa. In spermatogonia, spermatids and in enterocytes part of the nuclear labeling formed cluster of gold particles in dense areas identified as Cajal Bodies, suggesting that telomerase is a marker for these stem cells. This therefore suggests that also the sparCe (few/diluted) telomerase positive cells detected in the regenerating tail may represent sparCe (few/diluted) stem cells localized in regenerating tissues where transit amplifying cells are instead preponderant to allow for tail growth. This observation supports previous studies indicating that few stem cells are present in the stump after tail amputation and give rise to transit amplifying cells for tail regeneration. J. Morphol. 276:748–758, 2015. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

GFP fluorescence: A few lesser-known nuggets that make it work

Use of Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP) as a marker has revolutionized biological research in the last few decades. In this brief commentary, we reflect upon the success story of GFP and highlight a few lesser-known facets about GFP that add up to its usefulness.     

Non-webbuilding spiders: prey specialists or generalists?

Summary Feeding experiments were performed with seven species of non-webbuilding spiders and a variety of prey taxa. Some species were generally polyphagous whereas other spiders restricted their prey to a few groups. At one end of the spectrum of prey specialization the thomisid Misumena vatia is limited to a few taxa of possible prey (Table 1). The literature of prey records of non-webbuilding spiders is reviewed (Table 2) with special emphasis on oligophagous or monophagous spiders. Monophagous spiders are generally rare and have specialized on only a few prey taxa: social insects (ants, bees, termites) and spiders.     

Fungal cell membrane—promising drug target for antifungal therapy

Increase in invasive fungal infections over the past few years especially in immunocompromised patients prompted the search for new antifungal agents with improved efficacy. Current antifungal armoury includes very few effective drugs like Amphotericin B; new generation azoles, including voriconazole and posaconazole; echinocandins like caspofungin and micafungin to name a few. Azole class of antifungals which target the fungal cell membrane are the first choice of treatment for many years because of their effectiveness. As the fungal cell membrane is predominantly made up of sterols, glycerophospholipids and sphingolipids, the role of lipids in pathogenesis and target identification for improved therapeutics were largely pursued by researchers during the last few years. Present review focuses on cell membrane as an antifungal target with emphasis on membrane biogenesis, structure and function of cell membrane, cell membrane inhibitors, screening assays, recent advances and future prospects.     

Genome wide AFLP markers support cryptic species in Coniophora (Boletales)

Numerous fungal morphospecies include cryptic species that routinely are detected by sequencing a few unlinked DNA loci. However, whether the patterns observed by multi-locus sequencing are compatible with genome wide data, such as amplified fragment length polymorphisms (AFLPs), is not well known for fungi. In this study we compared the ability of three DNA loci and AFLP data to discern between cryptic fungal lineages in the three morphospecies Coniophora olivacea, Coniophora arida, and Coniophora puteana. The sequences and the AFLP data were highly congruent in delimiting the morphotaxa into multiple cryptic species. However, while the DNA sequences indicated introgression or hybridization between some of the cryptic lineages the AFLP data did not. We conclude that as few as three polymorphic DNA loci was sufficient to recognize cryptic lineages within the studied Coniophora taxa. However, based on analyses of a few (three) sequenced loci the hybridization could not easily be distinguished from incomplete lineage sorting. Hence, great caution should be taken when concluding about hybridization based on data from just a few loci.     

山莨菪(茄科)的传粉生物学

茄科的多数种类具有自交不亲和的特点, 主要通过异花传粉结实; 但是, 一些物种或者物种内的部分种群或者个体却高度自交亲合, 转变为自交的繁育系统。该科植物山莨菪(Anisodus tanguticus)主要分布在青藏高原, 开花较早, 比其他晚开花的植物种类更加缺少有效的异花传粉昆虫。我们选择了位于不同海拔高度的2个种群进行比较研究, 主要目的是检验该物种的繁育系统是否在极端环境下由于传粉者的缺乏而发生了部分改变。研究发现,山莨菪的花不完全雌性先熟, 柱头和花药间的平均距离随着花开放时间的延长而不断缩小, 但两者在多数花的单花花期结束时并没有发生接触。因此, 山莨菪花主要表现为适应异花传粉的雌雄异位特征。然而, 少数花 (4.9％)的柱头和花药发生接触, 为“自动自交”的传粉解除了空间隔离。2个种群的多数个体存在自交不亲和机制, 应具有异花传粉的繁育系统; 但是部分个体具有明显的自交亲和能力, 为自交提供了生理基础。高海拔种群的传粉昆虫主要是厕蝇(Fannia sp.), 它们在不同植株间的活动能够保证异花传粉结实; 同时该种群的部分个体存在“自动自交”。低海拔种群的主要访花昆虫是蚂蚁, 它们在花内的活动导致花粉在同一朵花内传递, 而引起“协助自交”; 而异花传粉昆虫厕蝇的访花频率则较高海拔种群低。两个种群的结实均由于异花传粉者不足而受到传粉限制。因此两种不同类型的自交机制为该早期开花植物异花访花昆虫的不足提供了一定程度上的繁殖补偿。     

Effects of flue-curing and ageing on the volatile basic constituents of Virginia tobacco

Flue-curing and ageing of Virginia tobacco reduce the amounts of nicotine and several of its transformation products. In contrast, the concentrations of certain structurally simple pyridines and a few compounds, which are presumably products of sugar—amino acid interactions, are found to increase. Generation of several pyridines and a few other bases during the leaf processing is also observed.     

Clonal spread of serogroup A meningococci: a paradigm for the analysis of microevolution in bacteria

Extensive epidemiological analyses of epidemics of meningococcal meningitis have resulted in large, well-defined strain collections which represent the local diversity and global spread of serogroup A bacteria. Several genes for cell surface proteins are conserved during spread, with a few exceptions: analysis of these exceptions has revealed some of the phenomena which can lead to microevolution. Micro-evolution is so rapid with serogroup A meningococcal that several independent recombination events have been documented within the last few decades. In a few cases, the recombinant bacteria have become established by clonal replacement plus epidemic spread. Comparison with other bacteria indicates that serogroup A meningococcal provide a number of advantages for analysis of microevolution.     

藓纲植物化学成分及其生物活性研究进展

藓纲植物是天然活性产物的重要来源,在自然界分布广泛;但是对藓纲植物的化学成分及其生理活性的研究较少,国内基本属于空白。本文对近年来该领域内的研究成果进行了综述,旨在引起化学家、植物学家及其他相关科学家对此门类研究的兴趣和重视,共同开发这一重要资源。     

Mutual prodrugs containing bio-cleavable and drug releasable disulfide linkers

We report herein the design and synthesis of several representative examples of novel mutual prodrugs containing nine distinct types of self-immolative drug-releasable disulfide linkers with urethane, ester, carbonate, or imide linkages between the linker and any two amine/amide/urea (primary or secondary) or carboxyl or hydroxyl (including phenolic)-containing drugs. We also report drug release profiles of a few representative mutual prodrugs in biological fluids such as simulated gastric fluid and human plasma. We also propose plausible mechanisms of drug release from these mutual prodrugs. We have also conducted a few mechanistic studies based on suggested sulfhydryl-assisted cleavage of mutual prodrugs and characterized a few important metabolites to give support to the proposed mechanism of drug release from the reported mutual prodrugs.     

Many weak interactions and few strong; food-web feasibility depends on the combination of the strength of species’ interactions and their correct arrangement

Ecological communities consist of generalists who interact with proportionally many species, and specialists who interact with proportionally few. The strength of these interactions also varies, with communities typically exhibiting a few strong links embedded within many weak links. Historically, it has been argued that generalists should interact more weakly with their partners than specialists and, since weak interactions are thought to increase community stability, that this pattern increases the stability of diverse communities. Here, we studied model-generated predator-prey communities to explicitly investigate the validity of this argument. In feasible communities—those which were both locally stable and all species had positive biomass—we indeed found that species with many predators or prey are affected by them more weakly than species with few. This relationship, however, is only part of the story. While species with many predators (or prey) tend to be only weakly affected by each of them, these many weak interactions are balanced by a few strong interactions with prey (or predators). These few strong interactions are large enough that, when the effect of predator and prey interactions are combined, it seems that species with many interactions actually interact more strongly than species with few interactions. Though past research has tended to focus on either the arrangement of species interactions or the strength of those interactions, we show here that the two are in fact inextricably linked. This observation has implications for both the realistic design of theoretical models, and the conservation of ecological communities, especially those in which the strength and arrangement of species’ interactions are impacted by biodiversity-loss disturbances such as habitat alteration.     

An Annotated List of Protozoan Parasites,Hyperparasites, and Commensals of Decapod Crustacea*

SYNOPSIS. An approximately complete list of the known protozoan associates (exclusive of a few aberrant forms like Amallocystis) of decapods is presented. A few taxonomic changes are suggested. Host, site of infection and geographic location are mentioned. Some comments on pathogenicity are made.     

Antifungal peptides: Origin, activity, and therapeutic potential

Antifungal peptides have been identified in a wide range of life forms which include plants, mammals, and microorganisms. Their structures are as varied as their antifungal properties. Semisynthetic and fully synthetic analogs have been developed from a few of these natural peptides that are superior to the parent compound. A few of these peptides hold promise in combating fungal infections and have entered clinical trials.     

利用番茄突变体进行功能基因组学研究

利用番茄突变体进行遗传学研究和育种已有几十年的历史,然而能从分子水平上识别的番茄突变体却为数不多。目前已经获得了大量的番茄序列信息,但仅明确了少数基因的功能。应用饱和突变群体的发展方向,检测突变体和挖掘序列数据的新方法,架起了研究番茄基因和其功能之间的桥梁。