Self or Non--self Recognition in Compound Ascidians

SYNOPSIS. Certain species of compound ascidians have an abilityto distinguish self colonies from non—self colonies withinthe same species. This ability, called colony specificity, ismanifested by the fusibility between colonies. The fusibilityamong colonies of Japanese Botryllus is genetically controlledby a series of multiple alleles at a single locus. The fusibilityis determined by a factor(s) in blood, so that the fusibilitycan be altered by the exchange of blood. It is suggested thatrejection, called "nonfusion" reaction, may occur from the interactionbetween blood cells and blood humoral factor(s).     

Embryology of Hortonioideae and Monimioideae (Monimiaceae,Laurales): characteristics of the ‘lower’ monimioids

We investigated the embryology of the ‘lower’ monimioids, i.e. Monimioideae (Monimia, Palmeria and Peumus) and Hortonioideae (Hortonia), which are poorly described embryologically. Our results show that, contrary to what has been reported in the literature, ‘lower’ monimioids show very little variation in their embryological characters. Comparisons with Mollinedioideae (a large derived subfamily in Monimiaceae) and other families in Laurales show that the ‘lower’ monimioids are relatively consistent in sharing predominantly isobilateral tetrads of microspores and megaspores, a non‐specialized chalaza, and a mesotestal–endotestal seed coat (with tracheoidal cells of the meso‐ and endotesta). It is likely that, while the shared successive cytokinesis during meiosis of microspore mother cells supports the Monimiaceae–Hernandiaceae–Lauraceae clade obtained by molecular evidence, no synapomorphies exist to support a sister‐group relationship of Monimiaceae with Hernandiaceae or Lauraceae. Instead, the lack of hypostase in ovules and/or young seeds, the lack of endosperm in mature seeds and the amoeboid tapetum in the anther are likely synapomorphies of Hernandiaceae and Lauraceae. © 2008 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, 2008, 158 , 228–241.     

Acceleration of the Cleavage in Sea Urchin Eggs by Treatments with Local Anesthetics (II) Treatments with Some Other Local Anesthetics than Procaine*

Unfertilized sea urchin eggs were exposed to sea water solutions of local anesthetics, such as caffeine, tetracaine and ethyl urethane, and the herbicide, isopropyl N-phenyl carbamate (IPC) for 10min and returned to normal sea water. Then they were inseminated 5min later. When eggs were pre-treated with 1–2 mM caffeine, 0.02–0.05 mM tetracaine, 50–100 mM ethyl urethane and 2% saturated sea water of IPC, respectively, they could cleave and hatch earlier than the control eggs. However, when fertilized eggs were continuously post-treated with solutions of the agents except IPC at the same concentrations as those in the case of the pre-treatments, the fertilized eggs could not cleave or were retarded in development. The possible mechanisms of the cleavage acceleration by pre-treatments with local anesthetics were discussed.     

New gammaroid family, genera and species from subterranean waters of Japan, and their phylogenetic relationships (Crustacea: Amphipoda)

Luciobliviidae, a new family in the superfamily Gammaroidea (Amphipoda: Crustacea), is described on the basis of species in the genus Lucioblivio gen. nov. from subterranean waters of Japan. Mesogammaridae Bousfield, 1977 is rediagnosed; Octopupilla gen. nov. from subterranean waters of Japan is described and Eoniphargus (Uéno, 1955) from subterranean waters of Japan and Korea is included. The members of Lucioblivio , Octopupilla and Eoniphargus share several characters, including reduced eyes, a setose body, reduced coxae, feeble appendages and pedunculate coxal gills. To elucidate the phylogeny of the three genera among others, a sequence analysis of the 28S rRNA gene was conducted for 14 species in six families, including the three genera, from the superfamilies, Gammaroidea, Crangonyctoidea and Hadzioidea. The tree from a neighbour-joining analysis and the strict consensus tree from a maximum-parsimony analysis indicate monophyly of Mesogammaridae. Luciobliviidae is embedded within a clade of taxa belonging to the superfamily Gammaroidea. These results and the occurrence of gammarid-type calceoli in species of the new family indicate that Luciobliviidae should be placed within the superfamily Gammaroidea. © 2007 The Linnean Society of London, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society , 2007, 149 , 643–670.     

Reactions of photosystems I and II in spinach chloroplast fragments treated with ethylene glycol

Photochemical reactions of chloroplast fragments isolated fromspinach leaves were measured in the presence of ethylene glycolor were measured after washing with an ethylene glycol-containingmedium. 2,6-Dichlorophenolindophenol (DPIP) photoreduction,oxygen evolution and oxygen uptake (a photosystem I reaction)were investigated in ethylene glycol-treated chloroplast fragments.By washing with ethylene glycol, oxygen evolution was stronglyinhibited, but oxygen uptake was not much affected by ethyleneglycol washing. Chloroplast fragments in 50% ethylene glycolmaintained a high rate of DPIP photoreduction (85% of the controlactivity in an ethylene glycol-less medium). In 67% ethyleneglycol, DPIP photoreduction mediated by photosystem II was eliminatedand only a small rapid reduction mediated by photosystem I wasobserved. Chloroplast fragments inhibited by ethylene glycolphotoreduced DPIP in the presence of p-aminophenol added asan artificial electron donor to photosystem II. The restoredactivity of DPIP photoreduction was inhibited by 3-(3',4'- dichlorophenyl)-1,1-dimethylurea. (Received September 8, 1970; )     

Cladistic analysis of morphological characters in the eulophine tribe Cirrospilini (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae)

A total of 56 morphological characters were analyzed for 53 cirrospiline species that represent all of the 17 described genera of the tribe. The other taxa of the Eulophinae included in the analysis were six species of six representative genera in the tribe Eulophini, a species of Elasmus (the only genus comprising the tribe Elasmini), and a species of Trichospilus (unplaced). Trichospilus and two of the six genera of Eulophini examined were placed within Cirrospilini. Monophyly of Cirrospilini (when these two genera of Eulophini and Trichospilus are included) and of the cirrospiline genera for which more than one species were examined was supported, but the relationships between the genera were poorly resolved. An exception was Cirrospilus, the largest genus in the Cirrospilini, monophyly of which was not supported to any extent.     

SYNCHRONOUS MASS-CULTURE OF CHLORELLA

A new culture apparatus was constructed to obtain large quantitiesof synchronized cells of Chlorella ellipsoidea. Two flat culturechambers made of lucid acrylate resin (each 20 liters in capacity)were placed in a water thermostat together with a bank of 17daylight fluorescent lamps, and the culture was run by the methodstarting from a homogeneous population of D_s-cells accordingto TAMIYA et al. It was demonstrated that with this apparatusone can obtain as much as 200–400 mg (dry weight) eachof algal material at 8 or 9 different stages in one cell cycle.Completely synchronized cell cycles could be repeated as manyas 10 times in one series of experiment, indicating that theapparatus can produce 2–4g (dry weight) each of algalcells of different developmental stages. (Received April 2, 1964; )