Carapace formation of the podocopid ostracode Semicytherura species (Crustacea: Ostracoda)

Details of ostracode carapace structures were examined by SEM and TEM. The podocopine ostracode Semicytherura kazahana has major ridges on the carapace surface and develops its prismatic layer inside the adult carapace. Electron microscopy at the final molt reveals that the major ridges arise from the highly dense formation of pits within the underlying swollen epidermis, and that disappearance of the epidermis in the presumptive area of the prismatic layer occurs after the calcification of the outer lamella cuticle, and just before synthesis of the membranous layer. These facts suggest that the formation of the carapace in Semicytherura takes place via a more complex process than that of the other podocopid ostracodes.     

Ultrastructural Studies on Development of the Tail Gland of a Cuttlefish, Sepiella japonica

Hatching glands in embryos of teleosts and amphibians have been reported to be indispensable for hatching of the embryos. The cephalopod has capsuled eggs, so we expected to find some exocrine organ in the embryos that functioned as a hatching gland. The tail gland (Hoyle's organ) has been suspected to be a hatching gland in the cephalopod, and therefore we examined it during the course of development of cuttlefish embryos. Cells in the tail gland appeared similar to the hatching gland cells (HGCs) of teleosts and amphibians, and contained a number of secretion granules that also resembled the hatching enzyme granules (HEGs) in HGCs of teleosts and amphibians in size, electron density and distribution in the cells. However, a few of these granules were discharged one after another from an early stages, whereas most of them were retained up to the stage just before hatching, and then discharged all at once. The former process of trickling discharge was similar to that in amphibians and the latter process of abrupt discharge resembled that in teleosts.     

Difference in nitrate reduction in "light" and "dark" stages of synchronously grown Chlorella pyrenoidosa and resultant metabolic changes

Using synchronized cells of Chlorella pyrenoidosa, the incorporationpatterns of ¹⁴C into various metabolites with and without nitrogensources were studied under steady-state and non steady-stateconditions. From the patterns it was found that the smallestcells which are divided in the dark utilize nitrate and nitritevery little, if at all. The importance of ammonia for regulation of secondary flow forChlorella is discussed and the suggested regulatory points aredescribed. ¹This work was sponsored, in part, by the U.S. Atomic EnergyCommission (Received January 26, 1970; )     

Further Evidence for the Presence of a Circadian Clock in the Prothoracic Glands of the Saturniid Moth Samia cynthia ricini: Decapitated Larvae Can Respond to Light-Dark Changes

A small peak of haemolymph ecdysteroid titre precedes the gut purge that characterizes larval-prepupal transition of the saturniid moth Samia cynthia ricini. This peak shifts its phase in parallel with the phase shifts of gut purge according to the changes in light-dark conditions preceding gut purge. Decapitated larvae responded to these light-dark changes as intact larvae did, as assessed by the phase shifts of the haemolymph ecdysteroid peak. This indicates that the brain-centred PTTH clock is not prerequisite for realization of the circadian-clock-controlled timing in the initiation of prepupal development, and supports indirectly our previous notion that the prothoracic glands of Samia possess a circadian clock dictating gut purge timing.     

Influence of Temperature on Glucose Metabolism of Round Spermatids of Rats

Glucose utilization by spermatids was found to be 17.37±0.37 nmoles/hr/10⁶ cells at 34°C and 28.94±1.12nmoles/hr/10⁶ cells at 40°C. A good parallelism was observed between the increased rate of glucose utilization and lactate production at 40°C. There was no significant change in the levels of glycolytic intermediates in the cells, except for marked accumulations of fructose-1, 6-diphosphate, dihydroxyacetone phosphate and glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate in the presence of glucose (1 mM). Glucose oxidation in the citrate cycle by spermatids was higher at 40°C than at 34°C, but was never greater than 2% of the overall rate of glucose utilization. In addition, glucose did not prevent decrease of ATP at either 34 or 40°C. The effects of temperature on the activities of 11 glycolytic enzymes were examined. The activities of aldolase and phosphoglyceromutase were similar between 30 and 34°C, but increased markedly at 40°C. The higher temperature increased the V_max values, without affecting the Kms. The activities of other glycolytic enzymes were similar at the different temperatures. These findings indicate that the increased overall rate of glucose utilization in glycolysis at higher temperature is due to increased Vmax values of aldolase and phosphoglyceromutase.     

CHANGE OF B-TYPE HAEM CONTENT IN RELATION TO PEROXIDASE BIOSYNTHESIS IN INJURED SWEET POTATO ROOTS

The methods of quantitative analysis of b-type haem in plantswere investigated. With an improved method developed was determinedthe haem content in the supernatant, mitochondrial, and microsomalfractions of sweet potato tissue. The activities of peroxidase,catalase, and cytochrome oxidase, as well as the contents ofb-type haem and acid-insoluble nitrogen in the cellular fractionswere determined at different incubation times after cuttingof sweet potato tissue. Peroxidase and catalase increased withtime in each celluler fraction, following a short lag phase.In the mitochondrial fraction, b-type haem, cytochrome oxidase,and acid insoluble nitrogen increased linearly with time. Inthe microsomal and supernatant fraction, b-type haem increasedwith time following a short lag phase. The increase in haemcontent of the supernatant fraction appeared to be associatedwith peroxidase formation. Time course analysis showed that ⁵⁹Fe-incorporation into b-typehaem of the supernatant fraction increased with time and thatincorporation was markedly inhibited by blasticidin S. The incorporationof ⁵⁹Fe into mitochondrial haem did not increase with time andwas not inhibited by blasticidin S. Blasticidin S inhibited⁵⁹Fe-incorporation into microsomal haem. Time course analysisof b-type haem content, ⁵⁹Fe-incorporation into b-type haem,and peroxidase activity suggest that in the injured tissue haemis synthesized from low molecular weight compounds and is incorporatedinto peroxidase as the haem moiety. ¹ This paper constitutes Part 57 of the Phytopathological Chemistryof Sweet Potato with Black Rot. ² Present address: Institute for Plant Virus Research, Chiba.     

PHYSIOLOGICAL RESPONSES OF LIGHT-GROWN CUCUMBER HYPOCOTYLS TO HELMINTHOSPOROL AND ITS DERIVATIVES

Helminthosporol, helminthosporic acid and dihydrohelminthosporicacid stimulated hypocotyl elongation of light-grown cucumberseedlings. The relative activities of the three compounds werein the order H₂-H-acid> H-acid> H-ol. The higher the dosage,the longer the promotion of the hypocotyl elongation lasted.The response of the hypocotyl to H-acid depended on the presenceof cotyledons. As the amount of the cotyledon attached to thehypocotyl was reduced, the response decreased. When IAA-oxidase was estimated as IAA metabolized per dry weightof the hypocotyl, there was an inverse relationship betweenIAAoxidase activity and H-ol-induced elongation of the hypocotyl.However, there was no difference between control and H-ol treatedmaterials when IAA metabolized per plant was compared. It isunlikely that the mechanism of H-ol action is closely relatedto IAA-oxidase activity of the plant. (Received April 5, 1967; )