A first report of water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) soil seed banks in South Africa

We investigated water hyacinth seed banks in several aquatic systems in South Africa. Fifteen sites, mainly in the Eastern and Western Cape provinces, were surveyed from August to October 2009. Soil seed density varied between 0 and 2534 seeds/m² but did not differ significantly between the type of waterbody (impoundment vs. river) or the history of control carried out at a site. Average germination was 54.17% with very fast velocities (Vigour Index = 36.66) and maximum germination around three days. Although we demonstrated the existence of an important reservoir of seeds, results from this study indicated that a combination of factors such as water fluctuation, eutrophication and seed decomposition might have had a great influence on dispersal and persistence of seeds.     

Water hyacinth,Eichhornia crassipes (Pontederiaceae), reduces benthic macroinvertebrate diversity in a protected subtropical lake in South Africa

The socio-economic impacts of the free-floating aquatic plant water hyacinth, Eichhornia crassipes (Pontederiaceae), on aquatic systems are well documented, yet the impacts on aquatic biodiversity, particularly invertebrate biodiversity, are less well understood. This study aimed to determine whether the presence of water hyacinth altered the diversity and assemblage structure of benthic macroinvertebrates in a conservation area. The benthic macroinvertebrate assemblage was sampled over 1 year at five sites under water hyacinth mats and at five sites without water hyacinth at Lake Nsezi—Nseleni River in the vicinity of Richards Bay, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Artificial substrates were placed beneath water hyacinth mats or in the open water to allow for colonization by freshwater macroinvertebrates, and left for a period of 6 weeks, repeated on seven occasions. Twenty nine families comprising 18,797 individuals were collected, 817 (13 families) individuals were from under water hyacinth mat sites compared to 17,980 (27 families) individuals from open water sites. Ninety-eight percent of individuals collected were, however, the invasive snail, Tarebia granifera. Open water samples were separated from samples beneath the water hyacinth mat by non-metric Multidimensional Scaling, indicating reduced biodiversity associated with the presence of water hyacinth. Exclusion of the dominant Thiaridae from the analysis did not alter the groupings. Family richness(s) and abundance (N) were significantly higher in open water communities(S: H₃ = 21.09; P = 0.0001; N: H₃ = 22.58; P = 0.00001), while evenness (J’) was higher under water hyacinth mats (H₃ = 20.13; P = 0.0002). The presence of water hyacinth had a significantly negative impact on aquatic macroinvertebrate biodiversity in a conservation area, and therefore the control of this invasive aquatic plant must play a major role in catchment management.     

New records of Acari from the sub-Antarctic Prince Edward Islands

Sixty species of Acari are recorded from the sub-Antarctic Marion and Prince Edward Islands (the Prince Edward archipelago). Twenty of the 45 species collected on recent expeditions are new and currently undescribed. Other new taxa include a family of Mesostigmata, four new genera, and the first sub-Antarctic records of Cillibidae (Mesostigmata) and Eryngiopus (Prostigmata). Fifteen of the 31 species previously reported from the islands are confirmed, although eight of the previous accounts remain doubtful. The fauna, which shows a distinction between the shoreline and terrestrial components, comprises endemic, South Indian Ocean Province and sub-Antarctic mite species. Accepted: 18 July 1998     

Patterns of mobilization of the Proteus mirabilis chromosome by R plasmids.

R plasmids R40a, Rip69, R447b, R769 belonging to incompatibility groups A-C, M, N, V, respectively, were investigated for chromosomal mobilizing ability in Proteus mirabilis. Plasmids R40a, Rip69 and R447b mediated polarized transfer of markers in a clockwise direction from origins near tyr-1, metF and ser-2, respectively, on the linkage map. The recovery frequency per donor cell of proximal markers approached 1 x 10(-4) for these three plasmids and the efficiency of chromosomal transfer was higher than that of the previously studied plasmid D. The plasmid-guided chromosomal trajectories overlap and it was possible to complement results obtained with plasmid D to assemble a time-of-entry chromosomal map and directly establish the circularity of the linkage group. The map comprises a length of 93 min in terms of transfer time. Plasmid R769 had a different pattern of chromosome transfer. This plasmid produced recombinants for all markers at frequencies of about 4 x 10(-6) per donor. It effected multiple and more or less simultaneous entry of markers and produced recombination over lengths of chromosome rarely corresponding to more than 10 min on the linkage map.     

Glucocorticoids inhibit developmental stage-specific osteoblast cell cycle. Dissociation of cyclin A-cyclin-dependent kinase 2 from E2F4-p130 complexes

Unique cell cycle control is instituted in confluent osteoblast cultures, driving growth to high density. The postconfluent dividing cells share features with cells that normally exit the cell cycle; p27(kip1) is increased, p21(waf1/cip1) is decreased, free E2F DNA binding activity is reduced, and E2F4 is primarily nuclear. E2F4-p130 becomes the predominant E2F-pocket complex formed on E2F sites, but, unlike the complex that typifies resting cells, cyclin A and CDK2 are also present. Administration of dexamethasone at this, but not earlier stages, results in reduction of cyclin A and CDK2 levels with a parallel decrease in the associated kinase activity, dissociation of cyclin A-CDK2 from the E2F4-p130 complexes, and inhibition of G(1)/S transition. The glucocorticoid-mediated cell cycle attenuation is also accompanied by, but not attributable to, increased p27(kip1) and decreased p21(waf1/cip1) levels. The attenuation of osteoblast growth to high density by dexamethasone is associated with severe impairment of mineralized extracellular matrix formation, unless treatment commences in cultures that have already grown to high density. Both the antimitotic and the antiphenotypic effects are reversible, and both are antagonized by RU486. Thus, glucocorticoids induce premature attenuation of the osteoblast cell cycle, possibly contributing to the osteoporosis induced by these drugs in vivo.     

Specificity of the myotubularin family of phosphatidylinositol-3-phosphatase is determined by the PH/GRAM domain

Myotubularins (MTM) are a large subfamily of lipid phosphatases that specifically dephosphorylate at the D3 position of phosphatidylinositol 3-phosphate (PI(3)P) in PI(3)P and PI(3,5)P2. We recently found that MTMR6 specifically inhibits the Ca2+-activated K+ channel, KCa3.1, by dephosphorylating PI(3)P. We now show that inhibition is specific for MTMR6 and other MTMs do not inhibit KCa3.1. By replacing either or both of the coiled-coil (CC) and pleckstrin homology/GRAM (PH/G) domains of MTMs that failed to inhibit KCa3.1 with the CC and PH/G domains of MTMR6, we found that chimeric MTMs containing both the MTMR6 CC and PH/G domains functioned like MTMR6 to inhibit KCa3.1 channel activity, whereas chimeric MTMs containing either domain alone did not. Immunofluorescent microscopy demonstrated that both the MTMR6 CC and PH/G domains are required to co-localize MTMR6 to the plasma membrane with KCa3.1. These findings support a model in which two specific low affinity interactions are required to co-localize MTMR6 with KCa3.1: 1) between the CC domains on MTMR6 and KCa3.1 and (2) between the PH/G domain and a component of the plasma membrane. Our inability to detect significant interaction of the MTMR6 G/PH domain with phosphoinositides suggests that this domain may bind a protein. Identifying the specific binding partners of the CC and PH/G domains on other MTMs will provide important clues to the specific functions regulated by other MTMs as well as the mechanism(s) whereby loss of some MTMs lead to disease.     

Cross-cultural effects of color,but not morphological masculinity,on perceived attractiveness of men's faces

Much attractiveness research has focused on face shape. The role of masculinity (which for adults is thought to be a relatively stable shape cue to developmental testosterone levels) in male facial attractiveness has been examined, with mixed results. Recent work on the perception of skin color (a more variable cue to current health status) indicates that increased skin redness, yellowness, and lightness enhance apparent health. It has been suggested that stable cues such as masculinity may be less important to attractiveness judgments than short-term, more variable health cues. We examined associations between male facial attractiveness, masculinity, and skin color in African and Caucasian populations. Masculinity was not found to be associated with attractiveness in either ethnic group. However, skin color was found to be an important predictor of attractiveness judgments, particularly for own-ethnicity faces. Our results suggest that more plastic health cues, such as skin color, are more important than developmental cues such as masculinity. Further, unfamiliarity with natural skin color variation in other ethnic groups may limit observers' ability to utilize these color cues.     

A common Lithuanian mutation causing familial hypercholesterolemia in Ashkenazi Jews.

Familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) is an autosomal dominant disease caused by mutations in the low-density-lipoprotein (LDL) receptor. Here we characterize an LDL-receptor founder mutation that is associated with a distinct LDL-receptor haplotype and is responsible for FH in 35% of 71 Jewish-Ashkenazi FH families in Israel. Sixty four percent (16/25) of the Ashkenazi patients who carry this mutant allele were of Lithuanian origin. The mutation was not found in 47 non-Ashkenazi FH families. This mutation was prevalent (8/10 FH cases) in the Jewish community in South Africa, which originated mainly from Lithuania. The mutation, a 3-bp in-frame deletion that would result in the elimination of Gly197, has been previously designated FH-Piscataway. PCR amplification of a DNA fragment that includes the mutation in heterozygous individuals results in the formation of a heteroduplex that can be demonstrated by PAGE and used for molecular diagnosis.     

A novel oxylipin-associated ‘ghosting’ phenomenon in yeast flocculation

Research on the distribution of oxylipins (3-hydroxy fatty acids) in flocculant strains of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae led to the uncovering of a novel ghosting phenomenon observed during assumed lectin-mediated aggregation. We found that intracellular oxylipin-containing osmiophilic layers migrate through yeast cell walls in a ghostlike fashion without visually affecting the cell wall structure or the layers. This migration resulted in the binding of these layers to cell walls of adjacent cells. Consequently, ghosting seems a prerequisite for flocculation to occur. However, ghosting alone may not be sufficient to ensure flocculation.     

Genetic circularity of the Proteus mirabilis linkage map.

The T incompatibility group plasmid R394 can mobilize the chromosome of Proteus mirabilis strain PM5006. It transferred relatively large segments, corresponding to at least 20 min on the D plasmid chromosomal map of the organism. The frequency of recombination for a large number of selected markers was nearly constant at 5 X 10(-6) per donor cell and it is concluded that mobilization takes place from a number of chromosomal sites. All recombinants were R+ and displayed all properties of the plasmid. By analysing crosses for co-inheritance frequencies of unselected markers, a number of chromosomal loci were assembled in linear array. Linkage between markers at the ends of this linkage group was established to markers at the respective termini of the existing D plasmid linkage group. This established a composite circular linkage map of genes of the P. mirabilis strain PM5006 chromosome.