Isolation of microsatellite loci in the Capricorn silvereye,Zosterops lateralis chlorocephalus (Aves: Zosteropidae)

The Capricorn silvereye (Zosterops lateralis chlorocephalus) is ideally suited to investigating the genetic basis of body size evolution. We have isolated and characterized a set of microsatellite markers for this species. Seven out of 11 loci were polymorphic. The number of alleles detected ranged from two to five and observed heterozygosities between 0.12 and 0.67. One locus, ZL49, was found to be sex‐linked. This moderate level of diversity is consistent with that expected in an isolated, island population.     

Transport of amino acids and ammonium in mycelium of Agaricus bisporus.

Mycelium of Agaricus bisporus took up methylamine (MA), glutamate, glutamine and arginine by high-affinity transport systems following Michaelis-Menten kinetics. The activities of these systems were influenced by the nitrogen source used for mycelial growth. Moreover, MA, glutamate and glutamine uptakes were derepressed by nitrogen starvation, whereas arginine uptake was repressed. The two ammonium-specific transport systems with different affinities and capacities were inhibited by NH(+)(4), with a K(i) of 3.7 microM for the high-velocity system. The K(m) values for glutamate, glutamine and arginine transport were 124, 151 and 32 microM, respectively. Inhibition of arginine uptake by lysine and histidine showed that they are competitive inhibitors. MA, glutamate and glutamine uptake was inversely proportional to the intracellular NH(+)(4) concentration. Moreover, increase of the intracellular NH(+)(4) level caused by PPT (DL-phosphinotricin) resulted in an immediate cessation of MA, glutamine and glutamate uptake. It seems that the intracellular NH(+)(4) concentration regulates its own influx by feedback-inhibition of the uptake system and probably also its efflux which becomes apparent when mycelium is grown on protein. Addition of extracellular NH(+)(4) did not inhibit glutamine uptake, suggesting that NH(+)(4) and glutamine are equally preferred nitrogen sources. The physiological importance of these uptake systems for the utilization of nitrogen compounds by A. bisporus is discussed.     

Genetic markers for identification of Patagonian toothfish and Antarctic toothfish

Fillet samples of the toothfish Dissostichus eleginoides and D. mawsoni can be distinguished readily by muscle proteins revealed by isoelectric focusing and mitochondrial DNA markers. The proteins also distinguish toothfish from other species marketed under similar trade names.     

Redox study of electron donation to P-680 in Photosystem II

Flash-induced absorption changes at 820 nm were studied as a function of redox potential in Tris-extracted Photosystem II oxygen-evolving particles and Triton subchloroplast fraction II particles. The rereduction kinetics of P-680+ in both preparations showed biphasic recovery phases with half-times of 42 and 625 microseconds at pH 4.5. The magnitude of the 42 microseconds phase of P-680+ rereduction was strongly dependent on the redox potential of the medium. This absorption transient, attributed to electron donation from D1 (the secondary electron donor in oxygen-inhibited chloroplasts), titrated as a single redox component with a midpoint potential of +240 +/- 35 mV. The experimentally determined midpoint potential was found to be independent of pH over the tested range 4.5-6.0. In contrast, the magnitude of the 625 microseconds phase of P-680+ rereduction was independent of redox potential between +350 and +100 mV. These results are interpreted in terms of a model in which an alternate electron donor with Em approximately equal to 240 mV, termed D0, serves as a rapid donor (t 1/2 less than or equal to 2 microseconds) to P-680+ in Tris-extracted and Triton-treated Photosystem-II preparations. According to this model, the slower electron donor, D1, is functional only when D0 becomes oxidized.     

Partial purification of the maturation-promoting factor MPF from unfertilized eggs of Xenopus laevis

A 200-fold purification of the maturation-promoting factor or MPF from unfertilized eggs of Xenopus laevis is reported for the first time. Purification was achieved by three successive column chromatographies on hydroxyapatite, trisacryl blue and L-arginine-agarose. The presence of MPF was assessed by the usual maturation criteria after injections of test material into immature stage VI unstimulated X. laevis oocytes: the precocious appearance of the maturation spot (within 45-120 min), the germinal vesicle breakdown, the presence of the first polar body and the second metaphase spindle. Purification was monitored by the decrease of the minimal amount of protein injected in a constant volume (50 nl) required to induce 50% frequency of germinal vesicle breakdown. This amount decreased from 500 ng in the crude extract to 2.5 ng in the 200-fold purified material. Analysis by SDS-PAGE of the crude extract showed about 40 Coomassie-blue-stained polypeptides with molecular masses ranging from 300 kDa to 20 kDa, whereas in the 200-fold purified MPF only 5 stained polypeptides were revealed, with molecular masses of 62, 53, 49, 39 and 37 kDa. In vitro phosphorylations for the detection of kinase activities for endogenous and exogenous substrates were monitored by analysis of autoradiograms of SDS-PAGE, after treatment of fractions with [gamma-32P]ATP. Only inactive fractions eluted from columns ahead of MPF, and fractions containing MPF activity were tested. Phosphorylation of numerous stained polypeptides was demonstrated in the crude MPF extract and exogenous substrates such as phosvitin, casein and histone type II-AS were also strongly phosphorylated. In the MPF fraction, purified on hydroxyapatite, a polypeptide of 53 kDa was more highly and specifically phosphorylated and the presence of kinase activities was observed for the above three exogenous substrates. In the 100-fold and 200-fold purified MPF, phosphorylation of endogenous substrates could not be shown and kinase activities for the above three substrates were drastically decreased as compared with the crude and purified MPF obtained after hydroxyapatite column chromatography. However, neither endogenous phosphorylations nor kinase activities with the above exogenous substrates could be shown in inactive fractions eluted ahead of MPF at the different purification steps. Some characteristics of the purified material are also described in this paper.