Restoration of normal stamen development and pollen formation by fusion of different cytoplasmic male-sterile cultivars of Nicotiana tabacum

Summary Fusion of two cytoplasmic male-sterile cultivars of Nicotiana tabacum, one with N. bigelovii cytoplasm and one with N. undulata cytoplasm, resulted in the restoration of male fertility in cybrid plants. All male-fertile cybrids exhibited fused corollas, which is characteristic for the cultivar with N. undulata cytoplasm, while their stamen structures varied from cybrid to cybrid, some producing stamens with anthers fused to petal-like appendages and one producing stamens of a normal appearance for N. tabacum. Restriction enzyme digestion and agarose gel electrophoresis of mitochondrial DNA showed that mitochondrial DNA of the fertile cybrids was more similar to the male-sterile cultivar with the cytoplasm of N. undulata than to the cultivar with N. bigelovii cytoplasm. Some restriction fragments were unique to the male-fertile cybrids. Comparisons between stamen structure and mitochondrial DNA for eight fertile progeny from one cybrid plant led to the identification of several restriction fragments that appeared at enhanced levels in connection with normal stamen development.     

A bacteriophage-associated glycanase cleaving beta-pyranosidic linkages of 3-deoxy-D-manno-2-octulosonic acid (KDO)

A bacteriophage growing on Escherichia coli K13, K20, and K23 strains carries a glycanase that catalyzes the hydrolytic cleavage of the beta-ketopyranosidic linkages of 3-deoxy-D-manno-2-octulosonic acid (KDO) in the respective capsular polysaccharides. The main cleavage product of the K23 polysaccharide has been identified by 1H- and 13C-n.m.r. spectroscopy as beta beta Ribfl----7 beta KDOp2----3-beta Ribfl----7KDO. Cleavage of polysaccharides containing alpha-pyranosidic, or 5-substituted beta-pyranosidic KDO is not catalyzed by the enzyme.     

A rat oocyte differentiation antigen (OA-1) detected by a monoclonal antibody

Cell surface antigenic changes associated with differentiation of the rat oocyte and early embryo have been demonstrated with a monoclonal antibody (anti-OA-1). Antigen is first detectable coincident with initiation of oocyte growth, is a constant feature of all growing oocytes and displays a redistribution during meiotic maturation. Following fertilization, antigen is detectable on the surface of the embryo through the four-cell stage. This first monospecific marker for the rat oocyte and embryo should prove useful in probing structure/function relationships in oocyte growth, meiotic maturation fertilization, and/or early embryonic development.     

Optimum utilization of sewage sludge of low and high metal content for grain production on arid lands

Summary Two municipal sludges, one from a highly industrialized city, Chicago, Il, and another from a little industrialized, highly agricultural area, Tucson, AZ are compared for winter barley production on Pima c 1 (Typic torrifluvent). Both sludges were responsible for highly significant additions of Zn, Cu, Ni, Cd and P to the soil each year when applied at the rates of 100 mt/ha singly and 20 mt/ha each year for 4 years. Nitrogen responses for barley straw and grain were observed from both sludges. Tucson sludge appears to be attractive as a potential fertilizer, not only as an NPK source, but also for its organic matter and minimal amounts of heavy metals. The Chicago sludge with relatively high levels of heavy metals, particularly Cd, appears poorly suited as a fertilizer, if used for an extended period of time, because of the plant's tendency to take up elevated levels of certain heavy metals. Some parts of barley plants proved to be a better indicator of heavy metal uptake and concentration than others. The diagnostic-tissue test promises to be a useful tool to warn against undesirable accumulation of heavy metals. Fortunately, when compared with other plant parts, the heavy metal in grain was the least altered as a result of continued sewage sludge use on arid land. The soil's neutral to slightly alkaline pH and the presence of lime throughout the soil profile appeared to be critical factors in keeping plant uptake of heavy metals relatively low as compared with soils of other climates.     

Angiotensin biosynthesis and concentrations in brain of normotensive and hypertensive rats

We report here on the extraction and characterization of angiotensin I (ANG I) and angiotensin II (ANG II) from the brain of rats. High pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) with different mobile phases combined with specific radioimmunoassays (RIA) proved to be a powerful tool for peptide characterization in biological samples; (Ile5)-ANG I, (Ile5)-ANG II and (Ile5)-ANG III could clearly be identified in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), incubated in vivo and in vitro with renin, in total brain extracts, as well as in hypothalamus (HT), medulla oblongata (MO), cerebellum (CER) and cortex (CO). Angiotensin cleaved from CSF angiotensinogen and angiotensin extracted from brain showed retention times identical to those of plasma angiotensin and synthetic standard peptides, indicating that their amino acid sequence is probably identical. ANG I and ANG II were highest in the HT and lowest in the CO. Following bilateral nephrectomy (NX) both ANG I and ANG II persisted at control levels. Young 10 week old spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRSP) showed significantly lower ANG I and ANG II concentrations in the HT compared with Wistar Kyoto rats (WKY). Intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) administration of the converting enzyme inhibitor captopril caused a significant increase in ANG 1 in nephrectomized SHRSP but not in WKY. These differences were not found in 40 week old SHRSP. The data show that ANG I and ANG II are synthetized in the brain of rats. The lower concentrations and the enhanced accumulation of ANG I after converting enzyme blockade in nephrectomized young SHRSP indicate an increased turnover of angiotensin in hypertensive rats.     

Nonvisual feeding in a visual planktivore,Xenomelaniris venezuelae

Summary Studies of the diel feeding patterns of the planktivorous fish, Xenomelaniris venezuelae, in Lake Valencia, Venezuela, revealed that, although the fish is primarily a diurnal feeder, it consumes substantial numbers of Chaoborus larvae and pupae at night. A number of fish species are known which feed on plankton at night, but these fish are filter feeders and their diets largely consist of relatively small, nonevasive prey. Chaoborus, however, is large and agile. Predation by Xenomelaniris in the dark was also studied experimentally. Captured fish were placed in completely darkened aquaria with zooplankton from Lake Valencia. After several hours the plankton was removed and examined for evidence of feeding. The fish were found to consume Chaoborus pupae and fourth instar larvae but not other types of prey. The mode of feeding by Xenomelaniris in the dark is unknown.     

High growth rate and regeneration capacity of hypocotyl protoplasts in some Brassicaceae

Protoplasts isolated from 4-day-old hypocotyls of various species of Brassica (Brassica napus, B. campestris and B. oleracea ) produced callus with high efficiency in media containing casein hydrolysate and high concentrations of the auxin 2,4-D (4.5 μM). Cell division began after 24 h and 60% of the cells had divided after 48 h. In contrast, protoplasts isolated from stem and mesophyll of plants grown in vitro or in the greenhouse began to divide after a delay of 3–5 days. In these cases 40–50% of the cells had divided after 5 days as compared to 70% for hypocotyl protoplasts. To obtain a high frequency of regeneration, rapidly growing calli were transferred to media having a high cytokinin:auxin ratio as early as possible, usually 3 weeks after protoplast isolation. The average regeneration frequency for calli obtained from mesophyll protoplasts was 50%, while as many as 70% of the calli derived from hypocotyl protoplasts of B. napus regenerated plantlets on a medium containing zeatin (9.1 μM) and IAA (0.6 μM). On the same medium regeneration of Brassica oleracea was obtained. A low percentage of calli (1%) from Brassica campestris formed shoots when cultured on a combination of zeatin (4.6 μM), BA (4.4 μM) and IAA (0.6 μM).     

Morphological changes of sensory CGRP-immunoreactive and sympathetic nerves in peripheral tissues following chronic denervation

The morphological relationship between sensory and sympathetic nerves was studied in tissues of the eye and the oral cavity following chronic sympathetic or sensory denervation. Immunoreactivities for calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) and tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) were used as indexes to assess the changes of the two nerve populations after denervation. Following surgical sympathectomy, a marked increase of CGRP-containing fibres was seen in all tissues studied, while TH-imunoreactive fibres were totally depleated. Conversely, after capsaicin treatment, an increase of TH-immunoreactive nerves was found in the same tissues, concomitant with a sharp decrease of CGRP-immunoreactive nerves. These changes were particularly evident in iridial stroma and around blood vessels in all tissue, where sensory and sympathetic nerves have a closely overlapping distribution pattern. The altered proportion of sensory peptide- and catecholamine-containing nerves following sympathetic and sensory denervation suggest that there is a reciprocal trophic influence between the two nerve subsets, possibly with the intervention of neurotrophic substances such as nerve growth factor. These results indicate a close interaction between sensory peptidergic and sympathetic nervous systems in peripheral organs.