Clonal Variation in Paramecium II. a Comparison of Stable and Unstable Clones of the Same Serotype

Paramecium generally expresses only one antigen on its surface from among an array of antigens. This mutual exclusion of antigens now has been shown in certain instances to be illusory. Unstable clones which will give rise to subclones with new serotypes possess several antigens. Unstable clones, even though they manifest only one serotype, continually manufacture an antigen other than the surface antigen characteristic of the serotype.     

Temperature-Sensitive Mutations in DROSOPHILA MELANOGASTER Xii. the Genetic and Developmental Effects of Dominant Lethals on Chromosome 3

Out of 25,000 EMS-treated third chromosomes examined, ten dominant temperature-sensitive (DTS) lethal mutations which are lethal when heterozygous at 29 degrees C but survive at 22 degrees C were recovered. Seven of the eight mutations mapped were tested for complementation; these mutants probably define eight loci. Only DTS-2 survived in homozygous condition at 22 degrees C; homozygous DTS-2 females expressed a maternal effect on embryonic viability. Two of the mutant-bearing chromosomes, DTS-1 and DTS-6, exhibited dominant phenotypes similar to those associated with Minutes. Each of the seven mutants examined exhibited a characteristic phenotype with respect to the time of death at 29 degrees C and the temperature-sensitive period during development. Only DTS-4 exhibited dominant lethality in triploid females.     

Studies on Nuclei of Paramecium aurelia. II. Amino Acid Composition and Electrophoretic Properties of the Chromosomal Basic Proteins*

SYNOPSIS. The basic proteins of Paramecium aurelia nucleus were extracted from isolated nuclei and deoxyribonucleoprotein (DNP) of such nuclei. About 35–40% of the nuclear protein, predominantly a lysine-rich histone, is acid soluble. Five major components of the histone can be distinguished by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Some components of Paramecium histone are similar to those of mammalian histones in their electrophoretic mobility, but they differ from the latter in the electrophoretic velocity and relative levels. The basic to acidic amino acid ratio of the histone from the ciliate is ～1.1–1.5, and its amino acid composition resembles closely that of yeast histone. Through the use of Sephadex G-200 gel filtration for purification of the histones extracted directly from isolated nuclei 2 basic proteins were resolved—component I, with an elution volume of 1.4, constitutes ～20% and component II, with an elution volume of 1.9, ～80%.     

In Vitro Induction of Haploid, Diploid, and Triploid Androgenic Embryoids and Plantlets in Datura metal L.

Pollen plantlets of Datura metel L. have been successfully rearedin vitro through anther culture on a nutrient medium supplementedwith coconut milk (15 per cent v/v) The early segmentation patternof the proembryos and their subsequent differentiation intoheart, torpedo, and cotyledonary stages were traced. More than100 plantlets were grown to maturity on soil. They grew normallyand produced flowers. Root-tip and leaf-squash preparationsshowed variable numbers of chromosomes in their cells, and thisindicated the occurrence of ploidy plants among the population.Frequency determinations showed the predominant types to bediploid (70 per cent), triploid (24 per cent), and haploid (6per cent). Differences in the morphology of mature plants inregard to floral size, meiotic irregularities in PMCs, formationof giant pollen grains, differential fruitset, somatic mosaicismin respect of chromosome number, and aneuploidy of cells, wererecorded. The origin of diploid and triploid plants is discussed.     

Studies on the Sex-Specific Lethals of DROSOPHILA MELANOGASTER . II. Further Studies on a Male-Specific Lethal Gene, Maleless

Effects of a second chromosome male-specific lethal gene, maleless (mle), of Drosophila melanogaster were further studied. It was shown that, although no maternal effect was seen with respect to the male-specific lethality, the lethal stage was influenced by whether parental females were homozygous or heterozygous for mle. Thus, in the former mle/mle males died mostly in the late third instar larval stage, while in the latter practically all males survived to the pupal stage. In the dying mle/mle male pupae complete differentiation of adult external head and thorax structures was often observed but that of abdominal structures was incomplete forming only a few segments in most cases. Imaginal discs from third instar mle/mle male larvae which were produced by mle/mle mothers and were destined to die as larvae were able to differentiate into adult structures upon transplantation into normal third instar larval hosts.——A somewhat elaborated version of the previously presented hypothesis (Fukunaga, Tanaka and Oishi 1975) was discussed as to the possible presence of a class of sex-specific lethals which are not related to the process of primary sex differentiation.     

The Action of the Notch Locus in DROSOPHILA MELANOGASTER. II. Biochemical Effects of Recessive Lethals on Mitochondrial Enzymes

We show that six mapped recessive lethal point mutations of the Notch locus affect mitochondrial enzyme activities: NADH oxidase, NADH dehydrogenase, succinate dehydrogenase and α-glycerophosphate dehydrogenase. The mutant N^264-40, which has the same morphological and embryological effects as the Notch⁸ deletion, demonstrates the same biochemical effects and dosage relations as Notch⁸. The other five mapped recessive lethals also affect four enzymic activities. They show specific patterns of activity that depend in several cases on the wild-type chromosome in the heterozygous females. That effect occurs with mutants located in the extreme right part of the Notch locus where some mutations, according to other authors, show temperature-sensitive expression.     

Mutations with Dominant Effects on the Behavior and Morphology of the Nematode CAENORHABDITIS ELEGANS

We have analyzed 31 mutations that have dominant effects on the behavior or morphology of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. These mutations appear to define 15 genes. We have studied ten of these genes in some detail and have been led to two notable conclusions. First, loss of gene function for four of these ten genes results in a wild-type phenotype; if these genes represent a random sample from the genome, then we would estimate that null mutations in about half of the genes in C. elegans would result in a nonmutant phenotype. Second, the dominant effects of mutations in nine of these ten genes are caused by novel gene functions, and in all nine cases the novel function is antagonized by the wild-type function.     

盐度对不同温度下海月水母螅状体存活和无性繁殖的影响

海月水母是全球近岸海域的主要致灾水母种类之一,其螅状体的繁殖情况与种群数量是影响水母暴发的重要因素.采用实验生态学的方法分别研究了高温(21 ℃)和低温(12 ℃)条件下,不同盐度梯度对螅状体存活与无性繁殖的影响.结果表明: 高温条件下,盐度15～40时螅状体存活率均大于90%,适合出芽生殖盐度范围为20～32,其中28为最适盐度;在低盐(≤15)或高盐(≥36)环境下,螅状体会进行足囊生殖以度过不良环境条件. 低温条件下,20～40盐度组螅状体存活率均大于90%,20～32盐度组适于螅状体出芽生殖,其中28盐度组出芽生殖效率最高;20～40盐度适于横裂生殖,其中28～32盐度组最利于螅状体横裂生殖. 说明海月水母螅状体有较强的盐度耐受性,一定范围内盐度对螅状体无性生殖影响不显著.     

The ontogeny of swimming behavior in the scyphozoan, Aurelia aurita. II. The effects of ions and drugs.

1. The responses of Aurelia medusae to pharmacological agents and ionic variation were classified into four response types: Type I, no response; Type II, inhibition of pacemaker activity; Type III, inhibition of both pacemakers and swimming muscles; and Type IV, increase in pacemaker output. 2. The swimming pacemakers of Aurelia medusae become hyperactive in Mg+2-free solutions (Type IV). This response appears to be general in swimming scyphozoa. 3. The response pattern to pharmacologically-active compounds indicates that the coelenterate neuromuscular system is quite different than those in other phyla. In fact, the response spectrum is not consistent within the Cnidaria. 4. Similarly, the responses of adult medusae to ionic variation show no consistent pattern within various scyphomedusae. 5. Test solutions from each response type established with medusae were selected and tested on the scyphistoma and strobila stages. The comparison of the responses to the test solutions between the medusa, scyphistoma, and strobila showed that the neuromuscular systems are physiologically different. The strobila, specificially the ephyra, is a mixture of both polypoid and medusoid response types. The strobila, therefore, is physiologically an intermediate stage in the development of the adult medusa.