Degradation of 3-chlorobiphenyl by in vivo constructed hybrid pseudomonads

Abstract 3-Chlorobiphenyl-degrading bacteria were obtained from the mating between Pseudomonas putida strain BN10 and Pseudomonas sp. strain B13. Strains such as BN210 resulted from the transfer of the genes coding the enzyme sequence for the degradation of chlorocatechols from B13 into BN10, whereas B13 derivatives such as B131 have acquired the biphenyl degradation sequence from BN10. During growth of the hybrid strains on 3-chlorobiphenyl 90% chloride was released. Activities of phenylcatechol 2,3-dioxygenase, benzoate dioxygenase, catechol 1,2-dioxygenase, chloromuconate cyloisomerase and 4-carboxymethyl-enebut-2-en-4-olide hydrolase were found in 3-chlorobiphenyl-grown cells. The hybrid strains were found to convert some congeners of the Aroclor 1221 mixture such as mono- and dichloro-substituted biphenyls.     

The control of root, vegetative shoot and flower morphogenesis in tobacco thin cell-layer explants (TCLs)

Thin cell-layer explants (TCLs) have been proposed as favorable tissues for the study of root, vegetative shoot and flower formation. We tested the effects of pH, light quality, light quantity, and IBA and kinetin concentrations on the morphogenesis of TCLs cultured individually on a liquid medium. Alterations of the amounts of exogenously supplied IBA and kinetin were sufficient to induce the formation of roots, vegetative shoots and flowers on TCLs cultured on otherwise identical media. The type and number of organs formed were sensitive to the intensity of light (55, 75, 100 and 120 muEinsteins m-2 sec-1) under which TCLs were grown. Evidence was obtained that the effects of light on TCL morphogenesis were associated with photochemical degradation of IBA in the medium. Evaluation of the organogenesis that occurred in TCLs cultured on a medium containing a range of IBA and kinetin concentrations showed that the number and type of organs formed, and overall growth, were dependent upon the initial concentrations of auxin and cytokinin. We have developed the TCL culture system into a sensitive and reproducible bioassay for the study of morphogenesis. The advantages of using the TCL morphogenesis bioassay for the identification and study of molecules (e.g. cell wall oligosaccharides) that may regulate morphogenesis are discussed.     

Bioconversion of 3-chlorobenzoate to 2-chloromuconate controlled by on line HPLC

Summary Strain RD330 a transposon mutant of Alcaligenes eutrophus JMP134 was considered to be dienelactone hydrolase defective (Don et al. 1985). During a bioconversion experiment with 3CB (3-chlorobenzoate) 2CMA (2-chloro-cis,cis-muconate) was accumulated by RD330 with an overall amount of 31%, but no dienelactone could be detected. Enzyme tests revealed that both enzymes 2CMA-cycloisomerase and dienelactone-hydrolase were induced at low levels in RD330 by 3CB and its metabolites.The control of 3CB addition during the bioconversion experiment was performed by on line HPLC (high pressure liquid chromatography).     

Induction of transverse polarity by blue light: An all-or-none response

Phototropic stimulation induces a spatial memory. This was inferred from experiments with maize (Zea mays L.) coleoptiles involving opposing blue-light pulses, separated by variable time intervals, and rotation on a horizontal clinostat (Nick and Schafer, 1988b, Planta 175, 380-388). In those experiments, individual seedlings either curved towards the first or towards the second pulse, or they remained straight. Bending, if it occurred, seemed to be an all-or-none response. Intermediates, i.e. plants, bending only weakly, were not observed. In the first part of the present study it was attempted to create such intermediates. For this purpose the strength of the first, inducing, and the second, opposing, pulse was varied. The result was complex: (i) Individual seedlings maintained the all-or-none expression of spatial memory. (ii) However, on the level of the whole population, the time intervals at which a given response type dominated depended on the fluence ratio. (iii) Furthermore, the final curvature was determined by the fluence ratio. These results are discussed in terms of a blue-light-induced transverse polarity. This polarity initiates from a labile precursor, which can be reoriented by an opposing stimulation (indicated by the strong bending towards the second pulse). The strong curvatures towards the first pulse over long time intervals reveal that, eventually, the blue-light-induced transverse polarity becomes stabilised and thus immune to the counterpulse. In the second part of the study, the relation between phototropic transduction and transverse polarity was characterised by a phenomenological approach involving the following points: (i) Sensory adaptation for induction of transverse polarity disappears with a time course similar to that for phototropic sensory adaptatation. (ii) The fluence response for induction of transverse polarity is a saturation curve and not bell-shaped like the curve for phototropism (iii) For strong counterpulses and long time intervals the clinostat-elicited nastic response (Nick and Schafer 1989, Planta 179, 123-131) becomes manifest and causes an "aiming error" towards the caryopsis. (iv) Temperature-sensitivity of polarity induction was high in the first 20 min after induction, then dropped sharply and rose again with the approach of polarity fixation. (v) Stimulus-summation experiments indicated that, for different inducing fluences, the actual fixation of polarity happened at about 2 h after induction. These experiments point towards an early separation of the transduction chains mediating phototropism and transverse polarity, possibly before phototrophic asymmetry is formed.     

Inhibin-like and gonadotropin-like immunoreactivity in pituitary cells of male monkeys (Macaca fascicularis,Macaca mulatta)

Summary Inhibin-like immunoreactivity was detected by immunocytochemistry in the pituitaries of untreated male crab-eating macaques (cynomolgus monkey) and rhesus monkeys, in rhesus monkeys actively immunized against FSH, and in one orchidectomized crab-cating macaque. Localizations were performed by the immunogold-silver staining with 5-nm colloidal gold-conjugated second or third antibodies and by the alkaline phosphatase-anti-alkaline-phosphatase technique. Two different inhibin-specific antisera, raised against the -subunit or the entire inhibin molecule, provided identical staining patterns. Positive label was confined to the pars distalis of the pituitary and occurred exclusively in the cytoplasm of morphologically different cell types throughout the pars distalis in all pituitaries. Staining was most prominent in clusters of chromophobic cells. The presence of inhibin-like activity in the pituitary of an orchidectomized monkey with undetectable serum inhibin levels suggests that inhibin is produced within the pituitary gland. Co-localization studies for the -subunits of the gonadotropic hormones revealed that on average 82% of the gonadotropes were bihormonal. Using the same protocol, co-localization of inhibin-like activity with gonadotropin-like immunoreactivity revealed only a small degree of common distribution (<15%). Inhibinpositive cells were frequently in close proximity to gonadotropic cells and, thus, paracrine effects of inhibin on gonadotropin-synthesizing cells are conceivable.     

Die Bestandsentwicklung von Kleinv?geln in Mitteleuropa: Analyse von Fangzahlen

Zusammenfassung Im Mettnau-Reit-Illmitz-Programm (MRI-Programm) der Vogelwarte Radolfzell wurden von 1974–1983 auf drei Fangstationen in Süddeutschland, Norddeutschland und Ostösterreich (Abb. 1) 184 939 Vögel von 37 Kleinvogelarten gefangen. Die Fänge erfolgten jährlich während der gesamten Wegzugperiode von Ende Juni bis Anfang November an Durchzüglern in Japannetzen unter strikter und umfassender Standardisierung aller Fang- und Arbeitsmethoden. Die Fangzahlen (Tab. 1, Abb. 2–6) werden in fünf Regressionsanalysen (Tab. 2–9) auf systematische Änderungen untersucht.Von insgesamt 496 errechenbaren Koeffizienten waren 317 oder 63,9% negativ und nur 179 oder 38,1 % positiv. Bei 34 der 37 untersuchten Arten ließen sich signifikante Trends errechnen. Sie sind für 20 oder 54 % dieser Arten ausschließlich oder überwiegend negativ. 14 Arten zeigten mindestens auf zwei Stationen negative Trends. Nur für insgesamt 10 Arten ließen sich überwiegend positive Trends errechnen. Faßt man negative Trends und Tendenzen (Vorzeichen) zusammen, so ergibt sich für 26 oder 70 % der untersuchten Arten ein negatives Bild. Dieses stark negative Gewicht ist im statistischen Sinne keine zufällige Erscheinung. Da die Bestandszunahmen die Abnahmen nicht aufwiegen konnten, zeigten auch die jährlichen Gesamtfangzahlen aller drei Stationen negative Trends. Die mittlere jährliche Abnahme betrug auf den Stationen Mettnau, Reit und Illmitz etwa 1,6 %. Die Tendenzen und Trends der einzelnen Arten stimmen auf den drei Stationen weitgehend überein. Sie lassen für ihr Zustandekommen auf weitgehend gleichförmige Ursachen bei den durch Mitteleuropa wandernden Populationen schließen.Die Fangzahlen und Literaturdaten zeigen, daß beträchtliche Teile unserer Kleinvogelwelt von Rückgangserscheinungen betroffen sind, wie wir sie von vielen Großvogelarten seit langem kennen. Bei einer Reihe von Arten sind die Abnahmen gravierend und die jährlichen Fangzahlen inzwischen so niedrig, daß sich bei ihnen mit den in den 70er Jahren konzipierten Fanganlagen eine Reihe von Fragestellungen nicht mehr untersuchen lassen. Wir können der weiteren Entwicklung der Bestände unserer derzeit noch artenreichen Kleinvogelwelt — wie der vieler Großvögel — nur mit größter Sorge entgegensehen. Die Ursachen der Rückgänge sind weitgehend unbekannt, und demzufolge mangelt es fast vollständig an geeigneten Gegenmaßnahmen. Bisherige Schutzmaßnahmen haben die Rückgänge nicht aufhalten können. Künftiger Vogelschutz wird sich folglich weitergehender Maßnahmen bedienen müssen.

---

The development of songbird populations in central Europe: Analysis of trapping data

Summary In the Mettnau-Reit-Illmitz-Program (MRI-Program) of the Vogelwarte Radolfzell 184 939 birds of 37 songbird species were caught in the period 1974–1983 on three trapping stations in S. and N. Germany and E. Austria (Fig. 1). Trapping of passage migrants in mist nets occurred annually from the end of June to the beginning of November, the entire autumn migratory period. All trapping and working methods were strictly and comprehensively standardized. The trapping figures (Tab. 1, Fig. 2–6) were analyzed with respect to systematic alterations to gain information about changes in the population levels of species migrating through central Europe. The investigation is based above all on five regression analyses (Tab. 2–9).The most important individual results are: out of a total of 496 coefficients which could be calculated 317 or 63.9 % were negative and only 179 or 38.1 % positive. For 34 of the 37 investigated species significant trends could be calculated. In 20 or 54 % of these species they were (exclusively or predominately) negative. 14 species showed negative trends at least at two stations. Mainly positive trends could be found in only 10 species. Taking negative trends and tendencies (negative signs) together, 26 or 70 % of the species were included. This strongly negative bias is not accidental in a statistical sense. Since the increases could not balance the declines, the annual trapping totals of all three stations also showed negative trends. The mean annual decline in the stations Mettnau, Reit and Illmitz was about 1.6 %. Trends and tendencies of the species show a high degree of agreement for the three stations. This suggests that in the species migrating through central Europe rather uniform factors control the population levels. From the most recent literature results, it appears that most of the species with declining trapping figures in the MRI-Program demonstrate decreases elsewhere.The trapping figures of the MRI-Program and data from the literature together clearly indicate that considerable parts of our small birds are affected by declines as have been known in many large bird species for long time. In a number of species the decreases have been quite dramatic and their annual trapping totals are now so low that a number of problems can no longer be studied. We should be alarmed when considering this negative development among our small birds as we must be with respect to many large bird species. The reasons for the declines are almost unkown and thus there is lack of appropriate counter-measures. Hitherto existing efforts for conservation which are briefly discussed have not been able to prevent the decline. Consequently, bird conservation in the future has to be based on more effective methods. Proposals, briefly raised, will be discussed in a forthcoming paper.

---

---

Mit Unterstützung der Deutschen Forschungsgemeinschaft und gefördert mit Hilfe von Forschungsmitteln des Landes Niedersachsen. 15. Mitteilung aus dem MRI-Programm     

Habitatwahl beim Neunt?terLanius collurio

Zusammenfassung Im Bereich des Meßtischblattes Bad Wildungen (MTB 4820; grundlegende DatenMann 1983,Lübcke &Mann 1984) bevorzugt der Neuntöter Viehweiden (Abb. 3). Reviere an Viehweiden zeigen eine längere kontinuierliche Besetzungszeit (Abb. 4) im Vergleich zu anderen Nutzungsformen. Die Anzahl flügger Jungvögel ist in Viehweiderevieren größer im Gegensatz zu Revieren an Mähwiesen oder Brachflächen (Abb. 5). Dieser Unterschied des Reproduktionserfolges liegt nicht an unterschiedlichen Nahrungsdichten (Abb. 6), sondern an der besseren Zugänglichkeit.

---

Habitat selection in the Red-backed ShrikeLanius collurio

Summary In the area of Bad Wildungen (FRG; Hessia; MTB 4820; basic data inMann 1983,Lübcke &Mann 1984) the Red-backed Shrike selects for pastures (Abb. 3). Territories at pastures show a longer continual occupation in comparison to other land use systems (Abb. 4). The number of fledgelings is higher at pastures in comparison to meadows or fallow land (Abb. 5). This difference is not caused by higher insect densities (Abb. 6) but by better accessible prey due to permanent low vegetation at pastures.

---

---

Reihenfolge alphabetisch und umgekehrt proportional zur geleisteten Arbeit: R. B. Auswertung, W. L. & W. M. Kartierung, W. M. Brut- und Nahrungsbiologie. Sonderdruckanforderungen an R. B.