Sulphydryl and Disulphide Levels in Protein Fractions from Hydrated and Dry Leaves of Resurrection Plants

Significant changes in sulphydryl (‘SH’) and disulphide(‘SS’) levels during air-drying in leaves of ‘resurrection’plants (whose protoplasm survives dehydration) stemmed mainlyfrom protein turnover effects. No significant changes were foundin the SH, SS levels in leaves of the desiccation sensitivespecies Sporobolus pyramidalis following air-drying. The three tolerant species studied differed in the directionof change. Some data were consistent with Levitt's SH, SS hypothesis:increases in protein-SS levels in Sporobolus stapfianus (desiccationtolerant) were consistent with a stabilization of new proteinby SS bonds; lower reactivity of protein-SH in the tolerantspecies Talbotia elegans (which on the other hand has decreasedprotein-SS) is consistent with a second mechanism of decreasingprotein denaturation proposed in Levitt's hypothesis. Evidence of some conversion of SH to SS in the soluble proteinsof Xerophyta viscosa (a tolerant species) would on Levitt'shypothesis indicate an injurious process. Some degree of proteindenaturation might be indicated by partial inactivation of thesoluble enzyme ribulose bisphosphate carboxylase in this species,and loss of some soluble isoenzymes (peroxidase and alkalinephosphatase). An apparent lack of SH conversion to SS in thesensitive species Sporobolus pyramidalis was not consistentwith the SH, SS hypothesis. Resurrection plants, Sporobolus pyramidalis, Sporobolus stapfianus, Talbotia elegans, Xerophyta viscosa, drought resistance, desiccation tolerance, protein turnover, sulphydryl groups     

Effects of logging,fire and drought on three species of lizards in Mumbulla State Forest on the south coast of New South Wales

The effects of logging on three species of common skinks were estimated from censuses in four age classes of forest: unlogged, just logged, 1-year logged and 10–15 year regrowth. The effects of topography (ridge and gully) were examined in each age class. Afire in November 1980 occurred fust after the initial census was completed. Another census was taken in December 1980 to assess its immediate effects. Further censuses were carried out each December from 1981 to 1984. An intense drought overlapped from 1980 to 1983 with the census period. Lampropholis guichenoti occurred in about equal numbers in unlogged and recently logged forest, but its numbers were reduced in the 10–15 year regrowth forest. This was attributed to changes in the amount and pattern of sunlight reaching the ground. A similar pattern of response was found for Lampropholis delicata. The numbers of Eulamprus heatwolei, a gully species requiring partial shade, were lowest in the exposed, recently-logged forest, but had increased in the 10–15 year regrowth class to about equal their numbers in unlogged forest. Fire reduced the numbers ofL. guichenoti on ridges but had no immediate impact on numbers of tire other species, while drought markedly depressed numbers of all species. Lampropholis guichenoti recovered more quickly from the drought than did L. delicata, but the numbers of E. heatwolei were still declining 19 months after the drought broke. The drought also revealed a habitat (ridge/gully) difference between the two Lampropholis species. The management of these species in commercial forests requires that some areas, particularly gullies, be reserved and the logging sequence modified to prevent the creation of widespread stands of uniform regrowth.     

Teratocytes growth pattern reflects host suitability in a host–parasitoid assemblage

Abstract.  In some parasitoid species, the serosa membrane breaks apart at hatching and produces teratocyte cells that assume various functions (immunossupression, secretion and nutrition) mediating host–parasitoid relationships. Teratocyte growth pattern may thus reflect the host suitability for a parasitoid. The teratocyte growth pattern (increase in size and number of teratocytes as a function of time) is studied and used as an indirect measure of fitness to compare the development of the endoparasitoid Dinocampus coccinellae in a marginal host, the coccinellid Harmonia axyridis , and in a suitable host, Coleomegilla maculata . Indirect measures of fitness recorded in both host species confirm that C. maculata is a suitable host for D. coccinellae contrary to the marginal host H. axyridis. According to regression analysis, teratocyte numbers decrease linearly whereas teratocyte size increases linearly with time in the suitable host C. maculata (larvae or adults). In the marginal host, parasitism occurs only in the larval stage where a delay in the parasitoid larval development is observed. Increase in teratocyte size is also highly variable. The teratocyte growth pattern of the parasitoid in the marginal host does not follow the linear model found in the suitable host. Teratocyte growth pattern may be a useful criterion to evaluate host-suitability and host range of parasitoids.     

Zoraptera wing structures: evidence for new genera and relationship with the blattoid orders (Insecta: Blattoneoptera)

Abstract. The order Zoraptera has traditionally been thought to contain only one family (Zorotypidae) and one genus ( Zorotypus Silvestri). An analysis of known zorapteran wings shows that the wing venation contains character sets indicative of the existence of seven genera: Zorotypus, Brazilozoros gen.n., Centrozoros gen.n., Floridazoros gen.n., Latinozoros gen.n., Meridozoros gen.n. and Usazoros gen.n. The wing venation of Meridozoros leleupi (Weidner) from the Galapagos Islands, Ecuador and Venezuela is described here for the first time.
The major wing structures show that Zoraptera belong to the blattoid lineage. Head and abdomen characters indicate that Zoraptera probably diverged from the Blattoneoptera stock early, almost certainly before the (Protelytroptera + Dermaptera) line, and much before the (Isoptera + (Blattodea + Mantodea)) line. A homologized wing vein system is proposed for the Isoptera.
The homologized wing vein system is based on the hypothesis that the Pterygota originated with the development of protowings, which then diverged through separate but characteristic adaptations for flapping flight. Therefore the basic wing venation pattern is monophyletic, but the changes in wing musculature, articulation and basic braces between main veins are different in the major (super-ordinal) pterygote lineages (Pleconeoptera, Orthoneoptera, Blattoneoptera, Hemineoptera and Endoneoptera). Thus, these characters provide an extremely useful, almost untapped, source of data for higher-level systematics. Both higher-level and lower-level wing characters have been applied here to the phylogeny of Zoraptera and are discussed.     

Topography and tectonics of the Taconic outer trench slope as revealed through gradient analysis of fossil assemblages

Similarities in stratigraphic sequence, syndepositional topography and tectonics, and regional tectonic setting between the Mohawk Valley, New York, in the Middle Ordovician and the Australian flank of the Timor Trough today support the idea that the Taconic Foreland Basin orginated in an arc-continent collision. The Trenton Group strata studied - a roughly four million year long sequence correlated by bentonite beds along an 83 km downslope transect in the central Mohawk Valley - represent the continental shelf and outer trench slope. Bank limestones pass upward and downslope into deep water black shales in a manner reminiscent of the lateral and vertical sedimentary sequence on the Sahul Shelf and Australian flank of the Timor Trough. In studying topography, relative depth was measured through reciprocal averaging ordination of benthic macroinvertebrate fossil assemblages. Downslope bathymetric profiles show the development of a horst and graben topography coincident with regional tilting and transgression - a pattern associated with downward flexure of the Australian Plate approaching Timor. The net rate of transgression corresponds to an arc-continent convergence rate on the order of 2 cm per year.     

Uptake of DOM by Nemertean Worms: Association of Worms with Arthrodial Membranes

SYNOPSIS. Carcinonemertes errans is a nemertean worm, the juvenilesof which are found as epibionts on the Dungeness crab, Cancermagister, in close association with the arthrodial membranesof the crabs. The juvenile nemerteans appear to have no meansof taking in particulate food but survive for many months onthe surface of the host. We show that the juvenile C. erransare capable of removing amino acids from dilute solution insea water, that the water near the arthrodial membranes wherethe worms are found contains high concentrations of primaryamines, and that there is a low resistance pathway for low molecularweight amino acids across the arthrodial membrane examined invitro.     

THE RATIO OF CALCAREOUS AND ORGANIC SHELL COMPONENTS OF FRESHWATER SPHAERIID CLAMS IN RELATION TO WATER HARDNESS AND TROPHIC CONDITIONS

Shells from 14 populations of sphaeriid clams including Sphaeriumstriatinum, S. simile, Pisidium walkeri, Musculim partumeiumand M. iransversum were analyzed for organic carbon (µgCmg^–1 shell), nitrogen (µg,N mg^–1 shell) andCaCO_s (%CaCO₃ of total clam dry weight). Habitat waters wereassessed for total hardness (expressed as ppm CaCo₃), ppm Ca,ppm Mg, conductivity (µmho) and suspended organic Carbon(µgCl^–1). For all populations, shell organic C andN are positively correlated and there is an inverse relationshipbetween the amounts of shell CaCO₃ and shell organic carbon.Trophic considerations give the best correlation with shelltype at the generic level of consideration since species ofMusculium are found at the opposite end of the trophic scale(eutrophic) from all other populations studied. For S. striatinum,the most extensively studied species, the amount of shell CaCO₃is inversely related to water hardness. The selection of shellsin the Sphaeriidae is discussed in relation to structural-functionalneeds and habitat conditions ¹ Present Address: Department of Biology, Syracuse University,Syracuse, New York 13210, U.S.A. ² Present Address: Department of Zoology, Miami University,Oxford, Ohio 45056, U.S.A. (Received 5 December 1978;