血管紧张素Ⅱ、心房钠尿肽和血管升压素对大鼠脑片穹窿下器神经元活动的影响

在31个脑片观察了血管紧张素Ⅱ(AGⅡ)、心房钠尿肽(ANP)和血管升压素(AVP)三种多肽对87个穹窿下器(SFO)神经元单位电活动的影响。脑片灌流AGⅡ(10~(-7)mol/L,3min)后,40/55个单应(72.73％)放电频率明显增加,3/55个单位(5.45％)放电频率降低,12/55个单位(21.82％)无明显反应。AGⅡ对SFO放电单位的兴奋作用可被AGⅡ受体阻断剂saralasin(10~(-6)mol/L)完全阻断。脑片灌流心房肽Ⅲ(APⅢ)(10~(-7)mol/L,3min)后,7/17个单位(41.18％)放电频率明显降低,2/17个单位(11.76％)放电频率增加,8/17个单位(47.06％)无明显反应。脑片灌流AVP(10~(-7)mol/L,3min)后,8/15个单位(53.33％)放电频率明显增加,3/15个单位(20.00％)放电频率降低,4/15个单位(26.67％)无明显反应。在观察这三种多肽对同一SFO神经元的作用时,1个单位对AGⅡ和AVP均产生兴奋反应;3个单位对AGⅡ呈兴奋和被APⅢ所抑制;1个单位对AVP呈兴奋,而对APⅢ为抑制,未见到既对AGⅡ和AVP呈兴奋,又为APⅢ所抑制的单位。结果提示:AGⅡ,ANP和AVP三种多肽都能影响SFO神经元的自发电活动,SFO可能也是三者调节机体水盐平衡和血压的中枢部位之一。     

Phylogenetic and taxonomic relationships of the Polypedates leucomystax complex (Amphibia)

Kuraishi, N., Matsui, M., Hamidy, A., Belabut, D. M., Ahmad, N., Panha, S., Sudin, A., Yong, H. S., Jiang, J.‐P., Ota, H., Thong, H. T. & Nishikawa, K. (2012). Phylogenetic and taxonomic relationships of the Polypedates leucomystax complex (Amphibia). —Zoologica Scripta, 42, 54–70. We investigated the phylogenetic and taxonomic relationships and estimated the history of species diversification and biogeography in the Asian rhacophorid genus Polypedates, focusing on the Polypedates leucomystax complex, whose members are notoriously difficult to classify. We first estimated phylogenetic relationships within the complex using 2005‐bp sequences of the mitochondrial 12S rRNA, tRNA^val and 16S rRNA genes with maximum parsimony, maximum likelihood (ML) and Bayesian methods of inference. Polypedates exhibits well‐supported monophyly, with distinct clades for P. otilophus, P. colletti, P. maculatus and the P. leucomystax complex, consisting of P. macrotis, and the Malay (Polypedates sp. from Malay Peninsula), North China (P. braueri), South China (Polypedates cf. mutus 1), Indochina (P. megacephalus), Sunda (P. leucomystax) and Laos (Polypedates cf. mutus 2) clades. In a subsequent phylogenetic analysis of 4696‐bp sequences of the nuclear brain‐derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), sodium/calcium exchanger 1 (NCX), POMC, Rag‐1, Rhod and Tyr genes using Bayesian methods of inference, all of these clades were recovered. Some clades of the P. leucomystax complex occur sympatrically and show high genetic diversity or morphological and acoustic differences. Similar tendencies were observed between some allopatric clades. Therefore, we consider each of these groups to be distinct specifically. We also estimated absolute divergence times within the genus using Bayesian methods. Divergence in Polypedates began with the divergence of a primarily South Asian Clade from the common ancestor of secondarily South‐East Asia P. maculatus and South‐East Asian members. The divergence between the latter occurred much later. The P. leucomystax complex diverged in the Pliocene, much later than other congeners, and seems to have been greatly affected by human‐related dispersal after the Pleistocene.     

Somatic Embryogenesis in Sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum L.): Growth and Plant Regeneration from Embryogenic Cell Suspension Cultures

Embryogenic cell suspension cultures were established from calliderived from young leaves of sugarcane (Saccharum officinarumL.) by placing them in liquid medium containing 5 per cent coconutwater (CW), 2–3 mg 1^–1 2, 4-D and 500 mg 1^–1casein hydrolysate (CH). The cultures were maintained by transferring2.5–5.0 ml of the suspension to 35 ml of fresh mediumevery 4–5 days. Organized structures resembling the earlystages of embryogeny were formed when 2, 4-D in the medium waslowered (0.1–1.0 mg 1^–1) but these did not developbeyond the globular or early scutellar stages. High levels ofsucrose (6–10 per cent) promoted the formation of proembryoids.Plating of the suspension on MS agar medium supplemented with0.25–2.0 mg 1^–1 2, 4-D, 5 per cent CW, 500 mg 1^–1CH, with or without activated charcoal, resulted in the formationof embryogenic calli. A large number of embryoids were formedin media containing lower 2, 4-D concentrations. Transfer ofembryoids to half-strength MS medium with 6 per cent sucroseestablished plantlets which were successfully transferred tosoil. Saccharum officinarumL, sugarcane, suspension culture, embryogenesis, regeneration     

Source--sink Relationships and Carbon Metabolism in Tomato Leaves 1. 14C Assimilate Compartmentation

Effects of the interaction between assimilate availability andsink demand on the metabolism of ¹⁴C assimilates in tomato leaveshave been examined in plants where the source—sink relationshipof assimilates was simplified to one leaf and one fruit truss. During experimentation the source leaf was exposed to either80 or 20 W m^–2 (PAR), while the truss was either retainedor removed. Under these four source-sink conditions, a timecourse study was made on ¹⁴C assimilate distribution in thesource leaf over a period of 23 h after pulse feeding with ¹⁴CO₂. While truss removal caused a temporary increase of ¹⁴C sucrosein leaves under both irradiances, the principal assimilatesaccumulated were starch and hexoses. Decreased ¹⁴C export followingtruss removal was observed within a day in well-illuminatedleaves but after 3 days in leaves under low light. The accumulationof ¹⁴C sucrose at the end of the light period was affected bytruss removal in high light leaves only 3 days later. These observations suggest that while the compartmentation ofnewly fixed assimilate was affected rapidly by the change ofsource—sink relationship, carbon export, as measured by¹⁴C loss, was affected only gradually. The possible effect of sucrose accumulation on photosynthesisis discussed.     

Effects of Osmotic Potential in Nutrient Solution on Diurnal Growth of Tomato Fruit

Tomato fruit on plants grown in circulating nutrient solutionexhibited a diurnal cycle in growth rate, measured as a changein diameter, with a maximum during thc day. The diurnal growthcycle was less evident in those fruit grown at high electricalconductivity (17 mS), or on days of reduced irradiance. Girdledfruit of low conductivity plants grew at a much reduced ratewith a diurnal cycle in reverse to that of ungirdled fruit,while girdled fruit of high conductivity plants showed no diurnalgrowth. The evidence suggests that phloem and xylem water transportinto fruit operate on opposite diurnal cycles. Partitioning of available xylem water in detached fruit betweenthe calyx and berry, as well as within the berry, was determinedby berry size and relative humidity in the air. Although berrytranspiration rate was unaffected by conductivity treatmentduring plant growth, water uptake capacity was greatly reducedin the berry from high conductivity plants, suggesting an increasedresistance in the xylem transport system within the fruit. Key words: Salinity, electrical conductivity, tomato fruit, xylem transport, transpiration     

The Chemical Composition of Cucurbit Vascular Exudates

The organic and inorganic solute content of phloem and rootpressure exudate from cucurbits was determined. The range ofvalues obtained for the solutes in phloem sap indicated thatcucurbit phloem sap was dissimilar in a number of respects fromthe phloem saps of other species. It has a high protein contentand low total sugar content, and also contains a high proportionof the sugar as monosaccharides. The phloem exudate also hasfeatures typical of other phloem saps, e.g. high pH and K⁺ concentration.These data provide an indication of which solutes are translocated,providing a quantitative basis for further studies on photoassimilateloading and translocation in cucurbits.     

SEXUAL DIMORPHISM OF NUCELLA LAPILLUS (GASTROPODA: MURICIDAE) IN NORTH WALES, UK

Multivariate statistical methods were employed to examine sexualdimorphism in size and shape of Nucella lapillus collected from 16sheltered sites along coasts of Anglesey and the Lleyn Peninsula, NorthWales, UK. Females were significantly larger than males in overallsize; among 12 relative measures of shell shape, two ratios (shellwidth/shell length and aperture length/shell length) were significantlydifferent between males and females, but these differences usuallydecreased with increasing age (shell length). The observed hypoallometricdimorphism could be a result of selection on increased femalefecundity, which may be positively correlated with shell sizein N. lapillus as in other gastropod species. (Received 22 November 1999; accepted 10 April 2000)     

The effects of Pythium sylvaticum, seed-borne pathogens and seed treatments on the emergence of brassica seedlots of high vigour

The emergence from brassica seedlots designated by seed merchants as being of high vigour was measured in sterilised soil and in sterilised soil re-inoculated with Pythium sylvaticum. The mean emergence level of 93·9% in the former compared favourably with the known mean total viability of the seedlots (97·7%). However, P. sylvaticum reduced emergence of 10 out of 16 untreated seedlots. The majority of seedlots gave > 75% emergence but in three cases emergence was reduced by 32·5–40·0%. The effects were not related directly to time taken to emerge, nor were the seedlots most affected those with high levels of infection. A compound seed treatment containing metalaxyl, fenpropimorph and gamma-HCH restored high emergence levels.     

Carbon Economy and Translocation of 14C in Leaflets of the Seventh Leaf of Tomato During Leaf Expansion

The growth pattern (leaf expansion, carbon metabolite accumulation)and the assimilation and translocation of leaf assimilate inthe leaflets of the seventh leaf of tomato were examined onsix occasions during a period of 35 days beginning 10 days afterthe leaf was first visible. Leaf expansion progressed basipetally within the leaf. The primarypartitioning of the currently-fixed ¹⁴C and the 24 h incorporationof both self-fixed and imported ¹⁴C were closely related tothe degree of leaf expansion. Therefore, leaflets of up to halffinal size within the same leaf, were markedly different inphysiological function. Maximum import of ¹⁴C-leaf assimilate from the six basal leavesinto the seventh leaf was recorded at 15 per cent expansion.The terminal and top-pair of leaflets reached one quarter fullsize first and exported ¹⁴C leaf assimilate to the basal-pairof leaflets and to the rest of the plant when the seventh leaf,as a whole, was only one tenth expanded. The transition fromimport to export in a given leaflet was gradual and overlapping. During the early part of leaflet expansion, more imported ¹⁴C-leafassimilate was used for protein synthesis than for the synthesisof sugars and starch. Meanwhile, the capacity for sucrose synthesisfrom the self-fixed carbon increased significantly precedingthe onset of export. Each leaflet resembles a whole leaf in functional development.