INCORPORATION OF RADIOACTIVE CARBON FROM H14CO3-INTO SUGAR CONSTITUENTS BY A BROWN ALGA, EISENIA BICYCLIS, DURING PHOTOSYNTHESIS AND ITS FATE IN THE DARK

When the fronds of Eisenia bicyclis were exposed to H¹⁴CO₃^–in the light, the radioactive carbon was rapidly incorporatedinto mannitol. Even after illumination of such a short periodas 5 min, about seventy percent of the total radioactivity incorporatedwas found in this compound, and the specific radioactivity ofthis alcohol decreased very rapidly during the subsequent darkincubation. Among various cellular polysaccharides examined,only laminaran showed a similar quick response with respectto the specific radioactivity change. On the basis of thesefindings it was concluded that mannitol and laminaran form storagesubstances in the brown alga, and they are possibly interchangeableas sucrose and starch do in higher plants. ¹This work was partly reported at the 27th Annual Meeting ofthe Botanical Society of Japan, Nagoya, 1962, and at the 28thAnnual Meeting of the Botanical Society of Japan, Okayama, 1963. ²Contribution from the Shimoda Marine Biological Station, TokyoKyoiku University, No. 149.     

Craniological differentiation between European wildcats (Felis silvestris silvestris), African wildcats (F. s. lybica) and Asian wildcats (F. s. ornata): implications for their evolution and conservation

Intraspecific diversification of the wildcat (Felis silvestris), including the European wildcat (F. s. silvestris), the Asian wildcat (F. s. ornata) and the African wildcat (F. s. lybica), was examined based on 39 cranial morphology variables. The samples of free‐ranging cats originated from Britain, Europe, Central Asia and southern Africa, consisting of both nominal wildcat specimens (referred to henceforth as ‘wildcats’) and nominal non‐wildcat specimens (‘non‐wildcats’) based on museum labels. The skull morphology of ‘wildcats’ from Britain and Europe is clearly different from that of ‘wildcats’ of Central Asia and southern Africa. The latter are characterized especially by their proportionately larger cheek teeth. On the basis of principal component, discriminant function and canonical variate analyses, the skull morphology of British ‘non‐wildcats’ is less distinct than is that of British ‘wildcats’ from the skull morphologies of ‘wildcats’ of Central Asia and southern Africa. On the other hand, the skull morphology of southern African ‘non‐wildcats’ is as distinct from those of ‘wildcats’ of Britain and Europe as is that of southern African ‘wildcats’. We suggest that the evolution of the modern wildcat probably consisted of at least three different distribution expansions punctuated by two differentiation events: the exodus from Europe during the late Pleistocene, coinciding with the emergence of the steppe wildcat lineage (phenotype of Asian–African wildcat), followed by its rapid range expansion in the Old World. The second differentiation event was the emergence of the domestic cat followed by its subsequent colonization of the entire world with human assistance. Considering the recent evolutionary history of, and morphological divergence in, the wildcat, preventing hybridization between the European wildcat and the domestic cat is a high conservation priority. © 2004 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2004, 83 , 47–63.     

Influence of urbanization on ant distribution in parks of Tokyo and Chiba City, Japan II. Analysis of species

To study the influence of urbanization on the distribution of ant species, I compared the occurrence of several ant species in urban parks of different areas and ages in Tokyo and Chiba City, Japan. Analysis of the presence or absence of 42 species revealed that the probability of occurrence in a park was significantly associated with park area for 15 species (35.7%), with park age for five (11.9%), and with region for seven (16.7%). It is likely that different species respond differently to urbanization. Species sensitive to urbanization could be good bioindicators of urban environments. Furthermore, to estimate the influence of the modification of underground environments, Messor aciculatus was selected, because this species nests in an almost vertical shaft with many chambers, to a depth of up to 4 m. The probability of occurrence of the species in a park tended to be lower in reclaimed land and banked land than in other landforms. This fact suggests that M. aciculatus could be a bioindicator of underground modification.     

Arsenic alters uptake and distribution of sulphur in Pteris vittata

Low‐molecular‐weight thiol (LMWT) synthesis has been reported to be directly induced by arsenic (As) in Pteris vittata, an As hyperaccumulator. Sulphur (S) is a critical component of LMWTs. Here, the effect of As treatment on the uptake and distribution of S in P. vittata was investigated. In P. vittata grown under low S conditions, the presence of As in the growth medium enhanced the uptake of SO₄^2?, which was used for LMWT synthesis in fronds. In contrast, As application did not affect SO₄^2? uptake in Nephrolepis exaltata, an As non‐hyperaccumulator. Moreover, the isotope microscope system revealed that S absorbed with As accumulated locally in a vacuole‐like organelle in epidermal cells, whereas S absorbed alone was distributed uniformly. These results suggest that S is involved in As transport and/or accumulation in P. vittata. X‐ray absorption near‐edge structure analysis revealed that the major As species in the fronds and roots of P. vittata were inorganic As(III) and As(V), respectively, and that As–LMWT complexes occurred as a minor species. Consequently, in case of As accumulation in P. vittata, S possibly acts as a temporary ligand for As in the form of LMWTs in intercellular and/or intracellular transport (e.g. vacuolar sequestration).     

Reconstitution of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Salmonella</Emphasis> Flagella attached to Cell Bodies

THE reconstitution in vitro of flagellar filaments from their component flagellin monomers in Salmonella has shown that the filaments have structural polarity and grow at an end distal to the cell body¹; flagella in vivo also grow from their tips^2,3. This suggests that even when flagella are attached to living cells, filaments may be reconstituted from exogenous flagellin monomers at the tips in appropriate conditions. In spite of some negative results⁴, we have been encouraged^5–10 to re-examine the question.     

Geographical diversification of the genus Cicer (Leguminosae: Papilionoideae) inferred from molecular phylogenetic analyses of chloroplast and nuclear DNA sequences

Cicer L. (Leguminosae: Papilionoideae) consists of 42 species of herbaceous or semi-shrubby annuals and perennials distributed throughout the temperate zones of the Northern Hemisphere. The origin and geographical relationships of the genus are poorly understood. We studied the geographical diversification and phylogenetic relationships of Cicer using DNA sequence data sampled from two plastid regions, trnK / matK and trnS - trnG , and two nuclear regions, the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) and external transcribed spacer (ETS) regions of nuclear ribosomal DNA, from 30 species. The results from the phylogenetic analyses of combined nuclear and chloroplast sequence data revealed four well-supported geographical groups: a Middle Eastern group, a West-Central Asian group, an Aegean–Mediterranean group, and an African group. Age estimates for Cicer based on methods that do not assume a molecular clock (for example, penalized likelihood) demonstrate that the genus has a Mediterranean origin with considerable diversification in the Miocene/Pliocene epochs. Geological events, such as mountain orogenesis and environmental changes, are major factors for the dispersal of Cicer species. The early divergence of African species and their geographically distinct region in the genus suggest a broader distribution pattern of the genus in the past than at present.  © 2007 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, 2007, 154 , 175–186.     

A LONG-BODIED LIZARD FROM THE LOWER CRETACEOUS OF JAPAN

Abstract:  Platynotan lizards underwent a dramatic Late Cretaceous radiation into marine habitats. Beginning with small-bodied forms, the lineage culminated with the mosasaurs, large predatory lizards with a world-wide distribution in the Santonian–Campanian. Moreover, the marine squamate radiations of the Cenomanian–Turonian are remarkable in having produced a range of long-bodied, reduced-limbed swimmers (dolichosaurs, adriosaurs, coniasaurs and limbed snakes) that seem to have thrived in the shallow coastal environments of the Western Tethys region. Until now, none of these long-bodied aquatic squamates has been recorded prior to the Cenomanian, none has been recovered from a non-marine locality and none is known from Asia. Here we describe a small, gracile, long-bodied mosasauroid lizard from a swampy continental deposit in the Lower Cretaceous of Japan.