Circadian Motile Activity of Erythrophores in the Red Abdominal Skin of Tetra Fishes and Its Possible Significance in Chromatic Adaptation

The red abdominal skin of the neon tetra Paracheirodon innesi and the cardinal tetra P. axelrodi was found to blanch at night or in the dark. Melatonin added to the bathing medium caused blanching of the red skin. Microscopic observations of the erythrophores indicated that the erythrosomes aggregated in response to norepinephrine, melanin-concentrating hormone (MCH), and melatonin. Of these compounds, melatonin was the most effective. By contrast, many erythrophores were refractory to MCH. Alpha-melanophore-stimulating hormone, isoproterenol, adenosine, and ATP each caused dispersal of the pigment to some extent. Isoproterenol dispersed the pigment only when an alpha-adrenergic blocker, tolazoline, was present. It appears that the change in color of the abdominal skin is primarily due to increased secretion during the night of the pineal hormone melatonin, while other hormonal and nervous factors may modify the distribution of the pigment in the erythrophores.     

Short-Term Nitrate Effects on Hydroponically-Grown Soybean cv. Bragg and its Supernodulating Mutant: II. DISTRIBUTION AND RESPIRATION OF RECENTLY-FIXED 13C-LABELLED PHOTOSYNTHATE

Fully symbiotic or nitrate treated (3 d, 4·0 mol m^–3)soybean (Glycine max [L.] Merr.) cv. Bragg and a nitrate tolerantsupernodulating soybean mutant nts 1007 were exposed to ¹³Cenriched CO₂ for a period of 10 h. During this period and forthe subsequent 24 h, continuous measurements of ¹³CO₂ and ¹²CO₂evolution of their root systems were undertaken. Three harvestsduring the experiment allowed determinations of the distributionof recently fixed carbon in different plant organs. These measurementsindicated higher dependence of N₂ fixation in nts 1007 on recentlyfixed carbon (RFC) by showing elevated RFC concentrations innodules as well as their augmented respiration. Root respirationof both genotypes was generally more reliant on stored carbon. Nitrate induced in all measured parameters a clear responsein the mutant analogous to the wild type, but quantitative differencesremained throughout. Nodule respiratory activity, the relativespecific activity (RSA), and the utilization of RFC were substantiallyreduced, but remained higher in nts 1007 than in Bragg, whilethe demand of roots for RFC increased in Bragg more than inthe supernodulator. The elevated carbon requirement of the nodulecomplement of the mutant and a high dependence on recently fixedcarbon could be attributed to higher nodule growth and maintenancecosts of the supernodulating genotype and were not associatedwith augmented nitrogen fixation activity. This less efficientutilization of carbon and the associated almost parasitic characterof the nodule complement of nts 1007 is considered to be thecause of reduced growth of the mutant. No evidence was foundfor a physiologically based nitrate tolerance in terms of nitrogenfixation. Key words: Glycine max, nitrate, N₂fixation, respiration, carbon partitioning, steady-state labelling     

Ecological distribution and phenology of an invasive species, Cardamine hirsuta L., and its native counterpart, Cardamine flexuosa With., in central Japan

Cardamine hirsuta is a European species that was recently introduced into Japan and its wide distribution has been confirmed in the Kanto district. To understand mechanisms of the recent spread of C. hirsuta in Japan, a comparative study of the alien species and its native congeneric species, C. flexuosa, was conducted. Habitat preferences, phenology and seed germination were examined. Cardamine hirsuta and C. flexuosa showed distinctive habitat-preferences; the former was most common in open habitats created by recent man-made constructions, and the latter was common in rice paddy fields and surrounding areas. The results indicate that C. flexuosa is a year-long annual, with a mixed phenology of summer and winter germination and growth. Seed dormancy during summer was relatively weak for C. flexuosa, and some plants that germinated early in summer reproduced during the same summer–autumn period. Plants that germinated in late summer and autumn behaved as winter annuals. In rice paddy fields, C. flexuosa is a winter annual because germination is prevented by submergence during summer. Plants flower during the following spring and complete their life cycle before the fields are flooded for rice cultivation. Cardamine hirsuta showed strong seed dormancy during summer and behaved as a typical winter annual. Seeds of C. hirsuta were intolerant to submergence in water, a condition that breaks seed dormancy of C. flexuosa. The results explain the absence of C. hirsuta from rice paddy fields. It was concluded that the spread of C. hirsuta is attributable to the recent expansion of urban habitats created by human activity and has occurred without direct competition with C. flexuosa. Considering recent urbanization in many areas, it is suggested that C. hirsuta has been spreading rapidly in Japan.     

A new method in growth-electrophysiology: Pressurized intra-organ perfusion

Abstract A new experimental system was devised for the simultaneous measurement of elongation rate and the activity of the spatially separate electrogenic ion pumps of a hypocotyl segment excised from a seedling of Vigna unguiculata L. Walp. under enforced intra-organ perfusion by artificial solutions. The pathway of the perfusion medium was apoplastic space, including xylem vessels as main routes. The elongation rate of the segment was highly dependent on the perfusion pressure applied. It was possible to increase the growth rate under pressurized perfusion by 10-30 times as much as that without perfusion. Elongation rate was also dependent on respiration under perfusion, being retarded reversibly by anoxia a few minutes after the activities of the electrogenic ion pumps were stopped. Perfusion pressure had a little influence on the membrane potential (V_px) below a breakdown level (c. 130 kPa). Perfusion of mannitol or sorbitol solution of appropriate concentration reduced the elongation rate reversibly.     

Melittin, a Component of Bee Venom, Activates Unfertilized Sea Urchin Eggs

Melittin, which is known to stimulate phospholipase A , in many cells, caused as much elevation of fertilization membranes and increase in respiration of unfertilized eggs of the sea urchins Anthocidaris crassispina and Hemicentrotus pulcherrimus as normal fertilization.
In melittin-activated eggs, amino acid transport was decreased to less than that of unfertilized eggs, nucleoside transport was only slightly, activated, protein synthesis was rather inhibited and neither DNA synthesis nor cleavage was observed. It is concluded that although melittin induces the cortical reaction and activation of respiration in unfertilized eggs, its cytotoxicity prevents any "late changes".     

Characterization and Regulatory Properties of Glucose-6-Phosphate Dehydrogenase from Black Gram (Phaseolus mungo)

Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (E.C. 1.1.1.49) was partially purified by fractionation with ammonium sulfate and phosphocellulose chromatography. The K_m value for glucose-6-phosphate is 1.6 × 10^?4 and 6.3 × 10^?4M at low (1.0–6.0 × 10^?4M) and high (6.0–30.0 × 10^?4M) concentrations of the substrate, respectively. The K_m value for NADP⁺ is 1.4 × 10^?5M. The enzyme is inhibited by NADPH, 5-phosphoribosyl-1-pyrophosphate, and ATP, and it is activated by Mg²⁺, and Mn²⁺. In the presence of NADPH, the plot of activity vs. NADP⁺ concentration gave a sigmoidal curve. Inhibition of 5-phosphoribosyl-1-pyrophosphate and ATP is reversed by Mg²⁺ or a high pH. It is suggested that black gram glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase is a regulatory enzyme of the pentose phosphate pathway.     

ROLE OF GLUCOCORTICOIDS IN TERMINAL DIFFERENTIATION AND TISSUE-SPECIFIC FUNCTION (A REVIEW)

Glucocorticoids (GCs) are required by many kinds of organs, tissues and cells for initiation or maintenance of their specific functions in vivo and in vitro. It is noticeable that most of these GC actions can be induced at much lower levels of dosage or concentration than the well-known actions of the steroids in gluconeogenesis, immune suppression and anti-inflammation. Such "differentiation-stimulating" actions of GC are regarded as main physiological roles of the steroid.     

EFFECT OF DNP ON ACCELERATION OF THE CLEAVAGE FOLLOWING INSUFFICIENT PARTHENOGENETIC ACTIVATION IN THE SEA URCHIN EGG*

Unfertilized eggs of sea urchins, Hemicentrotus pulcherrimus and Pseudocentrotus depressus, were treated with 4–5% butyric acid-sea water for 40–60 sec so that they were activated partheno-genetically without visible cortical changes. When these insufficiently activated eggs were inseminated 90–120 min after butyric acid-treatment, they divided much earlier than the control eggs in the first cleavage cycle. In the present paper, it becomes clear that if eggs are put into m /2,000-m /16,000 DNP-sea water at 60 min after insufficient activation and 30 min later, returned to normal sea water and then inseminated, they still show acceleration of the first cleavage in the same degree as the eggs which are not treated with DNP, while if eggs are exposed to DNP for 30 min prior to the insufficient activation or within 60 min after the activation, they do not show any acceleration of the cleavage. From these results, it may be concluded that some preparations for cleavage acceleration which are arrested by DNP become ready in the eggs at an early period in the first cleavage cycle and these preparations cannot be cancelled by DNP-treatment once they have been completed.     

Spontaneous Membrane Potential Changes Associated With the Zooid and Vacuolar Contractions In Vorticella Convallaria

SYNOPSIS Interacellular membrane potential and spontaneous changes associated with motile responses in the zooid of Vorticella convallaria Linnaeus were recorded by conventional electrophysiological technics. an all-or-none large transient depolarization (large pulse) occurs in association with a spontaneous contraction of the zooid. A small transient potential change (small pulse) was observed in association with periodic contraction of the contractile vacuole.