A contractile ring and cortical changes found in the dividing Tetrahymena pyriformis

A contractile ring consisting mainly of microfilaments was found in the fission zone of dividing Tetrahymena pyriformis. Diameters of the microfilaments were widely distributed from 2.5 to 15 nm. Ring-associated structures such as lateral stripes, linkers and beads with siender tails were recognized. Lateral stripes arranged at regular intervals of about 84 nm on some parts of microfilament bundles were found in both tangential and transverse sections, suggesting that they correspond to bands fastening the contractile ring microfilaments. Linkers that connect individual lateral stripes to the epiplasmic layer were present. Beads or beads with slender tails were found to be arranged on some microfilaments.The results of the present paper also indicate that drastic morphological changes occur in the cortex of the fission zone, especially in the epiplasmic layer, accompanying contraction of the division furrow. The epiplasmic layer which was proved to be a compact filamentous network in this study has been known to exist at the periphery of cytoplasm in immediate contact with one of the cell surface membranes, the inner alveolar membrane; however, in the fission zone of the dividing ceil, it was frequently separated from the membrane and subsided into the cytoplasm. The subsided epiplasmic layer was then loosened and dispersed. The subsidence of the epipiasmic layer appears to be caused by the force generated by the contraction of the contractile ring and transmitted with the linkers to the epiplasmic layer. The changes observed in the epiplasmic layer are presumably indispensable for the rigid cortical layer contraction involved in cytokinesis of Tetrahymena.     

Inhibition of the synthesis of microbial cellulose by coumarin

Coumarin, a specific inhibitor of the biosynthesis of celluloseof higher plant cell walls, inhibited the cellulose formationof Acetobacter xylinum. The degree of inhibition reached 55%in the presence of 1 mM coumarin, which causes 70% inhibitionin the case of plant cellulose. (Received April 12, 1976; )     

Presence of a xyloglucan in the cell wall of Phaseolus aureus hypocotyls

The non-cellulosic ß-glucan₁ in the cell wall of Phaseolusaureus hypocotyb was studied. Evidence that xyloglucan is presentin a hemicellulose fraction was obtained by its isolation fromcell wall preparations. This polysaccharide was homogeneouson zone electrophoresis and ultracentrifugation. On acid hydrolysis,it gave glucose, xylose, galactose, and fucose in the approximatemolar ratio of 10 : 7 : 2.5 : 1. Its solution gave a reddishviolet color with iodine-staining solution. The results of partialacid hydrolysis and cellulase treatment suggest a structurein which xylose, galactose, and fucose attached as side chainsto a sequenceof ß-l,4-linked glucose. The xyloglucanisolated accounted for 13.9% of the total non-cellulosic fractions. (Received May 10, 1976; )     

Light-dependent development of thermoluminescence, delayed emission and fluorescence variation in dark-grown spruce leaves

Thermoluminescence profiles of spruce leaves grown under various light or dark conditions were measured after excitation at a low temperature (−70 to −20 °C) by 1-min illumination with red light, and the following results were obtained. Mature spruce leaves showed five thermoluminescence bands at −30, −5, +20, +40 (or +35) and +70 °C (denoted as Z_v, A, B₁, B₂ and C bands, respectively), but dark-grown spruce leaves with a similar chlorophyll content showed only two bands, at −30 and +70 °C (the Z_v and C bands) and were devoid of the three other bands (the A, B₁ and B₂ bands). On exposure of the dark-grown leaves to continuous red light, the A, B₁ and B₂ bands were rapidly developed, and the development was accompanied by enhancement of delayed emission, fluorescence variation and the Hill activity (photoreduction of 2,6-dichlorophenolindophenol with water as electron donor). It was demonstrated that the dark-grown spruce leaves are devoid of the water-splitting system in Photosystem II, and that the latent water-splitting activity is rapidly photoactivated by exposure of the leaves to continuous red light. These results on the gymnosperm spruce leaves, in which greening proceeds in complete darkness, being independent of the development of the water-splitting system in light, were discussed in relation to previous observations on angiosperm leaves, in which both greening and the activity generation proceed in the light.     

Electric field-induced conformational change of poly(L-lysine) studied by transient electric birefringence

Transient electric birefringence measurements on poly(L -lysine hydrobromide) in methanol–water mixtures have been carried out at various solvent compositions in the vicinity of the helix–coil transition region (from 87 to 98 vol % methanol). Anomalous birefringence transients were observed between 90 and 95 vol % methanol above a threshold field strength. A distinct difference between the responses to weak and strong electric fields was noticed over a narrow range of the solvent composition. The effects of polymer concentration and temperature on the field-strength dependence of the birefringence were studied at a solvent composition of 90 vol % methanol where the anomalous transients appeared most clearly. The double logarithmic plots of the steady-state specific birefringence versus the square of field strength for different concentrations and temperatures could be superimposed by shifting them horizontally along the abscissa. The threshold field strength which was determined from the shift factor decreased with decreasing concentration. The results provide further evidence that strong electric fields can cause a helix–coil transition in this system under favorable conditions.     

An improved method for the syntheses of p-aminophenyl 1-thio-β-d-glycosides

The condensation of the appropriate acetylglycosyl bromides with p-amino-benzenethiol in the presence of sodium methoxide afforded p-aminophenyl 1-thio-β-d-glucopyranoside, 1-thio-β-d-galactopyranoside, 1-thio-β-d-xylopyranoside, and 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-1-thio-β-d-glucopyranoside. p-Aminophenyl 1-thio-β-d-glucopyranosiduronic acid was synthesized by condensation of methyl (2,3,4-tri-o-acetyl-β-d-glucopyranosyl bromide)uronate with p-aminobenzenethiol, followed by saponification with sodium hydroxide.     

Multiple-flash development of thermoluminescence bands in dark-grown spruce leaves

Spruce leaves greened in darkness were devoid of three of the five thermoluminescence bands found for mature leaves. These bands were developed rapidly by exposure of the dark-grown leaves to continuous light. The development of these bands was studied by illumination with repetitive flashes at varied intervals. Flashes at intervals of 1 s were the most effective in inducing these bands. Those at shorter or longer intervals were less effective. It was deduced from these data that the development of these bands is a multiquantum process which involves at least two photo-events with a dark reaction between them.     

Remarkable retardation of the senecence of tobacco leaf disks by cordycepin, an inhibitor of RNA polyadenylation

The antibiotic cordycepin (3'-deoxyadenosine), a known specificinhibitor of nucleic acid synthesis and polyadenylation of RNA,remarkably retarded decrease in the chlorophyll and proteincontents of senescing tobacco leaf disks. The effectivenessof cordycepin, at its optimum concentration (ca. 4 x 10^–5M), was 53% as effective as a cytokinin, benzyladenine at 10^–6M. Adenosine and 2'-deoxyadenosine had no anti-senescence action. (Received May 29, 1975; )