Sequential estimation of nuclear DNA and silver staining of nucleoli in plant cells

A method for sequential estimation of nuclear DNA and silver staining of nucleoli in plant cells is described. Feulgen staining is done first and nuclear DNA estimated by absorption cytophotometry. Following this, the slides are stained with AgNO3. The method has been used to study the process of nucleolar fusion in garlic (Allium sativum L.) meristem root tip cells. It was found that during interphase nucleoli rarely fused, thus most fusion must have occurred before the G1 phase of the cell cycle.     

Methodologic aspects of digital subtraction angiography

The paper is concerned with retrospective analysis of investigations of 1000 patients for standardization of the methodology of computerized subtraction angiography (CSA). Intravenous injection of a contrast medium for visualization of various parts of the arterial system was performed in 374 patients, a selective contrast study of the arteries and veins--in 626. Optimum regimens of injections of a contrast medium, the rate of injection with respect to the site of drug administration, the internal section and length of a catheter were determined. Correlation between a single dose of injection of a contrast medium and the patient's body mass during i. v. CSA was determined. Shortcomings of the method and possibilities for their elimination were mentioned. Some methodological procedures for CSA optimization (a possibility of correlation of the detected changes with anatomical structures and the determination of their actual sizes irrespective of the size of an image obtained) were proposed.     

The ultrastructure and argentophilic properties of the nucleolus organizer and centromeric regions of the chromosomes in early mouse embryogenesis

The Ag-staining of metaphase chromosomes in one-cell mouse embryos shows that the nucleolus organizer regions (NORs) are Ag-negative, whereas centromeric regions (CRs) are Ag-positive. Starting from 8-16-cell embryos, NORs stained by AgNO3 constantly, CRs remaining argentophobic. On the ultrathin sections of multicell embryos, Ag(+)-NORs differ from the chromosomal arms: they consist of loosely filaments about 6-8 nm in diameter, characterized by a low electron density. On the contrary, at one-cell stage Ag(-)-NORs are not morphologically identified: chromosomal bodies consist of uniform DNP-fibrils about 20 nm in diameter. These data permit to suppose that extended rDNA may form supranucleosomal and nucleosomal DNP-fibrils in the absence of Ag-proteins. The Ag(+)- and Ag(-)-CRs contain 10-20 nm DNP-fibrils mainly, although their density at multicell stages is higher than in one-cell mouse embryos.     

Effect of mitogenic stimulation and heat shock on protein syntheses in human T cells

Effects of moderate (42 degrees C, 1 hour) and strong (44 degrees C, 1 hour) heat shocks on resting (TR) and phytohemagglutinin stimulated human T-cells (TP) were studied. Both treatments were shown to cause in the latter considerable fall of the level of protein synthesis, as compared to resting cells. Mitogen-stimulated cells stopped their proliferation irreversibly and part of them (approx: 40%) died after even mild shock (at 42 degrees C). Following heat treatment in both the cell types the synthesis of heat shock 70 and 90 kDa proteins was induced which was much more pronounced in TR. These and earlier results of the authors allow a conclusion that involvement of cells in active proliferation may decrease their resistance to stress, and that this phenomenon coincides with the diminishing in synthesis and accumulation of stress proteins.     

Localization of the α2-macroglobulin gene and Lpm gene family on mink chromosome 9

Summary Using cloned cDNA for human ₂-macroglobulin (A2M) as a probe, mink-Chinese hamster hybrid cells were analysed. The results allowed us to assign a gene for A2M to mink chromosome 9. Breeding tests demonstrated that the Lpm-locus coding for other related -macroglobulin protein and the gene for peptidase B (PEPB) are linked 11±3 cm apart. The PEPB gene is located on mink chromosome 9, and hence, the Lpw-locus is on the same mink chromosome. The relationship of the genetic systems controlling the isotypically different -macroglobulins in mink serum are discussed.     

Predicted and realized grain yield responses to full-sib family selection in CIMMYT maize (Zea mays L.) populations

Summary The maize (Zea mays L.) improvement program of the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) develops broad-based maize populations and, until recently, improved all of them through full-sib family selection with international testing. The purpose of this study was to estimate the genetic and genetic × environment variance components for ten of those populations and to measure expected yield improvement from full-sib selection. Mean yield ranged from 3.35–6.81 t ha^–1. For five populations the average yield in the last cycle was higher than in the initial cycles. Several populations showed no improvement or yielded less in the final cycle of selection, either because selection intensity was low or because strong selection pressure was applied simultaneously for several traits. Variation resulting from differences among family means within cycles and from interaction between families and locations within cycles were significant in all populations and cycles. Results indicate that variability among full-sib families was maintained throughout the cycles for all populations. The large _ge ² / _g ² ratio shown by most populations suggests that yield response per cycle could be maximized if the environments in which progenies are tested were subdivided and classified into similar subsets. The proportion of the predicted response realized in improved yield varied for each population.Journal Paper No. 8640, Nebraska Agric. Res. Div. Project No. 12-159. Research was supported in part by USAID/USDA/ CSRS Research Grant No. 86-CRSR-2-2789     

Inheritance of resistance to bacterial blight in common bean

Summary Inheritance of resistance to common bacterial blight in the trifoliate leaf, plant canopy, and pods was controlled by a single major gene. Additive followed by dominance effects were more important than epistatic interactions. Narrow-sense heritability values ranged from 0.18 to 0.87 for trifoliate leaf, from 0.26 to 0.76 for canopy, and from 0.11 to 0.36 for pods. Observed gains from selection for resistance were higher than expected gains. Implications of these results in breeding for resistance are discussed.     

Incorporation of hygromycin resistance in Brassica nigra and its transfer to B. napus through asymmetric protoplast fusion

Summary With the idea to develop a selection system for asymmetric somatic hybrids between oilseed rape (Brassica napus) and black mustard (B. nigra), the marker gene hygromycin resistance was introduced in this last species by protoplast transformation with the disarmed Agrobacterium tumefaciens strain C58 pGV 3850 HPT. The B. nigra lines used for transformation had been previously selected for resistance to two important rape pathogens (Phoma lingam, Plasmodiophora brassicae). Asymmetric somatic hybrids were obtained through fusion of X-ray irradiated (mitotically inactivated) B. nigra protoplasts from transformed lines as donor with intact protoplasts of B. napus, using the hygromycin resistance as selection marker for fusion products. The somatic hybrids hitherto obtained expressed both hygromycin phosphotransferase and nopaline synthase genes. Previous experience with other plant species had demonstrated that besides the T-DNA, other genes of the donor genome can be co-transferred. In this way, the produced hybrids constitute a valuable material for studying the possibility to transfer agronomically relevant characters — in our case, diseases resistances — through asymmetric protoplast fusion.     

The effect of picolinic acid and iron ions on the proliferation of SPEV cells

The effect of picolinic acid (PA) on SPEV cell proliferation is found to be different from that on normal and virus transformed NRC cells, and on spontaneously transformed CHO cells. It is shown that SPEV cells are arrested by PA at the end of G1-phase and at the beginning of S-phase and probably in G2-phase of the cell cycle. Ferrous ions remove the G1/S block induced by PA to permit the cell transfer through S-phase. On the one hand, PA chelates ferrous ions from the cells, and on the other one it inhibits the replicative DNA synthesis. It can be suggested that PA may arrest the SPEV cell growth affecting the iron-depend stable radical formation which is introduced into the active centre of ribonucleotiDE reduCTase. This results in the lower enzyme activity.     

The invariance of subjective time scales

Organization of subjective time scales was studied by various methods of duration scaling (reproduction, fractionation, multiplication, evaluation, measuring and cross-model selection). Computation of linear correlation coefficients between physical time and its subjective expression for various methods of scaling in different coordinate systems allows to make a conclusion about a degree form of psychophysical dependence. The value of function degree index varies in the range of 0.80-0.88 for verbal evaluation and 0.93-1.07 for other methods. The concept is suggested about the "active" and "passive" time.