Apios americana,a fly-pollinated papilionaceous flower?

In the flowers ofApios americana the vexillum remains ± in its bud position. In this way, a dark cavity is formed displaying a bright window at its base. Insect visitors are attracted to the hidden inflorescences by scent. In their attempt to reach the window they trigger an explosive release of stigma and pollen. Stigmatic fluid glues pollen to the visitor. All characters of the flower fit well into the myiophilous syndrome and thus flies are expected to be the proper pollinators.Apios americana seems to be the only myiophilous exception within the predominantly melittophilousFabaceae.     

Functional cis-element sequence requirements for suppression of gene expression by the TNPA protein of the Zea mays transposon En/Spm

TNPA, one of the two transposition proteins encoded by the En/Spm transposable elements of Zea mays, suppresses the expression of genes that contain an appropriate cis element. Suppression can be monitored in tobacco protoplasts in a transient expression assay as follows. The plant promoter-driven expression of the Escherichia coli-glucuronidase (GUS)-encoding gene, uidA, is repressed in the presence of TNPA if the GUS gene contains a functional cis element in the untranslated RNA leader sequence. Earlier, we found that the minimal cis element is composed of two 12 by sequences in a tail-to-tail inverted orientation. Each 12 by sequence is sufficient to bind TNPA in vitro and can be thought of as a half-site in the cis element. Here, we investigated the sequence requirements of the minimal cis element. Our observations support our expectations that a functional cis element must provide a template to which two TNPA molecules can bind in the correct orientation. Sequences within the half-sites can be altered as long as the eight bases that make up the consensus binding sites are not changed. However, we found the following unexpected sequence specificities. Firstly, some changes to the consensus binding sequence can be tolerated in one half-site, as long as the other site matches the consensus. Secondly, although the region between the half-sites can vary in sequence and in length between two and four bases, a thymidine residue is not tolerated directly 5′ preceding the second half-site. Since many variants of the cis element sequence remain functional, the suppressor response element provides a flexible tool for artificially manipulating the expression of genes.     

Biotransformation of diphenyl ether by the yeastTrichosporon beigelii SBUG 752

Trichosporon beigelii SBUG 752 was able to transform diphenyl ether. By TLC, HPLC, GC, GC-MS, NMR- and UV-spectroscopy, several oxidation products were identified. The primary attack was initiated by a monooxygenation step, resulting in the formation of 4-hydroxydiphenyl ether, 2-hydroxydiphenyl ether and 3-hydroxydiphenyl ether (48:47:5). Further oxidation led to 3,4-dihydroxydiphenyl ether. As a characteristic product resulting from the cleavage of an aromatic ring, the lactone of 2-hydroxy-4-phenoxymuconic acid was identified. The possible mechanism of ring cleavage to yield this metabolite is discussed.     

A severe and a mild potato spindle tuber viroid isolate differ in three nucleotide exchanges only

Fingerprint analyses of two potato spindle tuber viroid (PSTV) isolates causing severe and mild symptoms~ respectively, in tomato exhibited defined differences in the RNase T₁ and RNase A fingerprints. The complete sequencing of the mild isolate and the comparison of its primary structure with the previously established one of the pathogenic type strain revealed that oligonucleotides CAAAAAAG, CUUUUUCUCUAUCUUACUUG, and AAAAAAGGAC in the severe strain are replaced by CAAUAAG, CUUUUUCUCUAUCUUUCUUUG, AAU, and AAGGAC in the 'mild' strain. Thus, three nucleotide exchanges at different sites of the molecule may change a pathogenic viroid to a practically non-pathogenic isolate. The possible correlation between the secondary structure in a defined region of the PSTV molecule and its pathogenicity for tomato is discussed.     

Immunocytochemical identification of proctolinlike immunoreactivity in the terminal ganglion and hindgut of the cockroach Periplaneta americana (L.)

Summary In the American cockroach, the distribution and connections of neuronal elements of the terminal ganglion-proctodeal nerve-hindgut system were investigated by means of immunohistochemical methods and axonal CoCl₂ iontophoresis. Proctolinlike immunoreactivity was localized within neurons of the terminal ganglion projecting into the proctodeal nerve on the one hand, and in nerve cells without a direct connection to this system on the other. Immunohistochemically, in whole mount preparations fibres of the proctodeal nerve and terminal structures in the hindgut musculature exhibit strong proctolinlike immunoreactivity. At the light- and electron-microscopic levels the pathways of about 30 somata of the proctodeal neural system were characterized by cobalt chloride iontophoresis. The relationships of cobalt filled and immunoreactive neuronal structures are discussed.For the preparation of tritiated proctolin we thank Dr. S. Reißmann, WB Biochemie, Sektion Biologie, FSU JenaThe authors wish to thank G. Schörlitz, Film- und Bildstelle, FSU Jena, for photographs of whole mount preparations and Ms. A. Zinßer and Mrs. B. Cosack for excellent technical assistance.     

Ontogenetische Verhaltens?nderungen bei der Brandente (Tadorna tadorna): Schlafen, Tauchen, Nahrungserwerb

Zusammenfassung Brandentenküken verfügen über drei verschiedene Taucharten, die sich nach Ausführung und Tauchdauer deutlich unterscheiden lassen. Während das Nahrungstauchen in der 6. Lebenswoche eingestellt wird, bleiben Tauchbaden und Fluchttauchen lebenslang erhalten. Neben dem Nahrungstauchen werden weitere Techniken des Nahrungserwerbs in Abhängigkeit vom Nahrungsangebot und dem Entwicklungsstand unterschiedlich häufig angewendet. Der zeitliche Aufwand für die Nahrungsaufnahme ist in den ersten 2 Lebenswochen maximal. Anschließend nimmt er, bei schneller als bei kontinuierlich ab. Kälteperioden führen zu einer weiteren Reduzierung. Die Schlafhäufigkeit sinkt nach einer anfänglichen Zunahme (bis 10. Lebenswoche) ab. Kälteperioden bewirken eine Zunahme. Unter 3 verschiedenen Schlafhaltungen wird bis zur 12. Lebenswoche das Schlafen im Liegen bevorzugt. Danach nimmt es zugunsten des einbeinigen Schlafens im Stehen, das erstmals in der 7. Lebenswoche auftritt, ab. Kälteperioden stellen die ursprünglichen Häufigkeitsverhältnisse zwischen beiden Schlafhaltungen wieder her. Brandentenküken bilden in den ersten Lebenswochen Schlafhaufen. Ihre Häufigkeit sinkt bis zur 12. Lebenswoche kontinuierlich auf Null ab.

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Ontogenetic changes in sleeping, diving and foraging behaviour in Shelduck (Tadorna tadorna) ducklings

Summary Shelduck ducklings show different types of diving behaviour: diving for food, flight-diving and dashing and diving in comfort situations. These types differ by diving duration and the behaviour of the ducks. In diving for food diving duration and frequency decrease during the first 6 weeks. After this, no food diving was observed. Other feeding methods include sieving, upending, pecking on the surface of water, feeding on plants and foot-trampling. Except for feeding on plants, which was first observed in the 10th week, all feeding methods are present in one day old ducklings. The share of foraging time is highest during the first 2 weeks of life. Afterwards it decreases (in females faster than in males) from about 50 to 20 %. During cold weather, it was still lower whereas resting and sleeping behaviour increased. After an increase during the first 10 weeks of life, the share of resting decreases to 25–40 % of observation time. Shelduck ducklings have 3 different sleeping postures: lying, standing on one leg, standing on two legs. During the first weeks of life ducklings only sleep standing on two legs or lying on the ground, the latter is being clearly preferred. Standing on one leg appeared in the 7th week. Its frequency increased and it became the most prominent resting pattern. Only during cold spells shelducks do return to sleep by lying on the ground. Under such conditions also sleeping in contact with one another reoccurs, which is typical for ducklings during their first weeks of life.