EFFECTS OF DIFFERENTIAL POLLEN-TUBE GROWTH ON HYBRIDIZATION IN THE LOUISIANA IRISES

To elucidate the importance of hybridization in evolution, it is necessary to understand the processes that affect hybridization frequency in nature. Here we focus on postpollination, prefertilization isolating mechanisms using two hybridizing species of Louisiana iris as a study system. We compared the effects of differential pollen-tube growth on the frequency of F₁ hybrid formation in experimental crosses between Iris fulva and Iris hexagona. Analyses of seed production in fruits from pure conspecific and heterospecific pollinations revealed that more seeds were produced in the top half than the bottom half of fruits for all four crosses. Heterospecific pollen was applied to flowers of each species at zero to 24 h prior to conspecific pollen, thereby giving a head start to the foreign pollen. Using diagnostic isozyme markers, the frequency of hybrid progeny was examined at the level of the whole fruit and separately for the top and bottom halves of fruits. In both species, the proportion of hybrid seeds per fruit increased significantly with increasing head starts, suggesting that differences in pollen-tube growth rates affect the frequency of hybridization. In I. fulva fruits, the increase in hybrid seeds occurred in both halves of the fruits, but in I. hexagona an increase was only detected in the top half of fruits. These findings are consistent with a model that assumes attrition of pollen tubes due to the greater length of I. hexagona styles. While pollen-tube growth rate appears to be the most important factor affecting hybridization frequency in I. fulva, both pollen-tube growth rate and pollen-tube attrition appear to be important in I. hexagona.     

POLLEN-TUBE COMPETITION AND MALE FITNESS IN HIBISCUS MOSCHEUTOS

The stigmas of animal-pollinated flowers often capture more pollen than is needed to fertilize all available ovules, and mixed-donor pollen loads are probably common. When this is the case, variation in average pollen-tube growth rates can potentially affect the number of seeds sired by a given plant. Despite considerable interest in effects of postpollination processes on male fitness, little is known about the extent of variation in pollen performance among plants from natural populations. To examine this question in Hibiscus moscheutos (rose mallow), we conducted mixed-donor hand-pollination experiments with 39 pollen donors bearing distinctive isozyme markers. Pairs of competing donors were compared on sets of 11 to 15 recipient plants per pair. These donors often differed in the proportions of seeds they sired, with the maximum deviation from an expected ratio of 50:50 being 68:32. Furthermore, three intensively studied plants exhibited consistent trends in relative pollen performance when each was tested against (1) the same three competitors, and (2) groups of 14 competitors chosen at random from the study population. In a separate experiment, we investigated the effects of salinity stress and high soil nutrients on pollen performance. These environmental factors had anticipated effects on leaf production, flower production, and petal length, but style length and (most importantly) the number of seeds sired relative to a standard pollen donor were not affected. In summary, this study provides the strongest evidence to date that pollen-tube competitive ability varies among coexisting plants and may be an important component of male fitness in plants.     

原尾目昆虫的研究

从1907年意大利昆虫学家F.Silvestri教授发表世界上第一种原尾虫以来,到现在已经记载的种类达159种,有效的种类为127种。由Conde记载的30种;Womersley记载的17种;Bonet 13种;Ewing 12种;Ionescu 11种;Berlese 10种;Cunha 6种;Silve-stri及Imadate各5种;Tuxen 4种;Gisin 3种;Hilton 2种;Imadate及Yosii 2种;Bagnall Glance,Prell,Price,Stach,Tillyard,Yosii各1种。其中64种都经过Tuxen的重新研究与核对过。     

STUDIES ON TOXICITY

With yeast subjected to the action of phenol or of phenol and alcohol the curves of survivors as measured by resistance to staining with methylene blue when plotted against time do not in general prove to be logarithmic. It is believed that such resemblances as have been found between such curves and monomolecular reaction or logarithmic curves are superficial and fortuitous. Any method therefore of evaluating disinfecting power based upon such a concept must prove misleading. Variations in resistance of individual cells and the distribution of such variations must be regarded as of fundamental importance in accounting for rates of death of microorganisms.     

STUDIES ON LYMPHOCYTES

Continuous extracorporeal irradiation of the circulating blood (ECIB) of from 3 to 501/2 hr duration was used to study in the calf the differential depletion of lymphocytes from spleen, lymph nodes and thymus as compared to blood and thoracic duct lymph. The cell content of tissues was measured by planimetry and/or test point analysis. Lymphocyte depletion by ECIB from various lymphoreticular organs, and from different areas within a given organ, was less than in the circulating blood or the thoracic duct lymph and varied from one site of a lymphoreticular organ to another. The degree of depletion with time followed an exponential function with at least two components. The first component corresponded to a relatively rapid fall and the second to a very slow reduction in lymphocyte content. The former is related to the elimination of an easily mobilizable pool of lymphocytes while the latter corresponds to a more sessile mass of lymphocytes which exchange with blood lymphocytes very slowly. Elimination of the easily mobilizable pool of lymphocytes by ECIB from all tissues studied was observed within 10–15 hr, indicating that the rate of exchange with blood is similar for this group of cells in various lymphoreticular tissues. The size, however, of the easily mobilizable vs the more sessile pools of lymphocytes may vary considerably, the best estimates for the former being as follows (in per cent of total lymphocyte mass): lymph node medulla, less than 10%; lymph node cortex plus paracortical zone, 18% (depletion mainly paracortical); red pulp of the spleen, 37%; densely populated white pulp of the spleen, 55%; and loosely populated white pulp of the spleen, 60%. In comparison, the approximate fractions of lymphocytes originating fromthe easily mobilizable pools in various lymphoreticular tissues plus the cells already circulating a t the onset of EClB correspond to 64% for the thoracic duct lymph and 78% for the circulating blood respectively. These findings are discussed in relation to production, recirculation and life span of lymphocytes, and immune reactions.     

STUDIES ON LYMPHOCYTES

Tritiated thymidine was administered to calves continually for 2 to 8 days via the thymic artery in an attempt to label intensively thymic lymphocytes. Heavily labeled cells which had migrated from the thymus were observed in the spleen, lymph nodes and Peyer's patches. Cell maps were made for the various lymphoid tissues and in all cases the majority of labeled thymic cells were found in the ‘thymus dependent areas’of the spleen and lymph nodes. The number of labeled thymic cells per thousand lymphocytes was highest in the ‘thymus dependent areas’. A few labeled thymic cells were seen in or near the post capillary venules. The labeling pattern in the Peyer's patches was different from that in the spleen and lymph nodes. Labeled thymic cells were not observed in the bone marrow. Heavily labeled cells were not detected in any of the lymphoid tissues of those calves which received continuous intravenous infusion of comparable amounts of tritiated thymidine.     

双歧杆菌的辐照育种研究

对生产活菌微生态制剂的双歧杆菌东方101号(df101)菌株进行了60CO辐照育种研究。通过4000～6000rad钴原2次24h循环辐照,选育出df104和df106两个菌株。鉴定结果表明,该两个菌株除在生化反应上略有改变外,其他特性未见任何改变。但选育株在液态培养物中,活存时间与存活率较原株有非常显著的提高。其培养物在室温(20～37℃)保存27个月,df104与df106尚有5.47×10     

STUDIES ON LYMPHOCYTES

Some of the time parameters of the cell cycle in bovine thoracic duct lymphocytes have been estimated by analysing labeled mitoses curves, and by double labeling. The two methods gave similar estimates of T_s. Thus, T_s measured directly from labeled mitoses curves varied from 4 to 6 hr, while the estimates from double labeling were 4.8 and 4.5 hr. T _G measured directly from labeled mitoses curves was 5 hr, and estimates of T_G from the values of T_s ranged from 6.3 to 7.7 hr. The present data confirm the short generative cycle of large thoracic duct lymphocytes. Extracorporeal irradiation of the lymph (ECIL) had no detectable effect on the cell cycle or the fractional production rate of the lymphocytes. However, the calculated absolute production was reduced following ECIL, due to a decrease in the absolute number of cells present. The grain count over mitoses after ECIL was approximately one-half that found before ECIL.     

黄精属细胞分类学研究Ⅱ.四川金佛山地区黄精属植物核型

本文对四川金佛山地区4种黄精属植物的核型进行了研究,其结果为:滇黄精:2n=26=6m+12sm(2SAT)+8st(2SAT);距药黄精:2n=26=10m+4sm+12st;垂叶黄精:2n=30=14m(2SAT)+4sm+10st+2t、2n=28=14m+6sm+6st+2t;湖北黄精:2n=30=12m+8sm+10st、2n=28=6m+10sm+10st+2t、2n=22=2m+12sm 8st。通过与其它地区黄精属植物染色体数目与形态的比较,发现本地区所有种类的染色体数目普遍偏高,无论在染色体基数或染色体形态上都比较接近喜马拉雅山地区分布的种类。从实验结果进一步看出了黄精属的染色体变异是相当明显的,并主要表现为非整倍性变异;在有些情况下,染色体数目与结构的变异能与某些形态学特征相联系。     

壳聚糖固定化木聚糖酶的研究

从青霉菌m8提取出木聚糖酶,将其固定在用戊二醛交联的壳聚糖载体上。1．0g壳聚糖与4％的二醛结合固定3．5mg蛋白,酶活回收率为46．6％。在酶的最适pH为4．6,固定化酶为pH3．8。原酶的最适温度为55℃,固定化酶在60－75℃都具有较高活性。固定化酶的耐热性优于原酶,固定化酶的表现Km值略低于原酶,前者为5．0×10－2g／L,后者为3．58×10－2g／L。