Interspecific crosses inHordeum (Poaceae)

A crossing programme including 30 species and 40 cytotypes within the genusHordeum was undertaken. Viable hybrids were obtained in 302 combinations, 15 of which were intraspecific. Differences in seed set and in germination were observed in crosses between different groups of species. Obtaining crosses between different taxonomic groups was generally more difficult when diploid material was used. Some species, e.g.,H. lechleri, H. jubatum, andH. brachyantherum showed a higher crossability than others. The chromosome numbers of the hybrids were usually those expected from the parental numbers but aneuploid series around the expected numbers were rather frequent. Three cases of unreduced gametes were found. Selective chromosome elimination was restricted to combinations including eitherH. vulgare orH. bulbosum.—Despite a very diverse morphology, all South American diploid species together with the two North American diploidsH. intercedens andH. pusillum appear to be closely related. The hexaploid American speciesH. procerum, H. lechleri, andH. arizonicum are also related. The two North American tetraploid speciesH. jubatum andH. brachyantherum sometimes form semifertile hybrids. The Asiatic speciesH. roshevitzii appears to be related to both North and South American taxa.     

Experimentally induced true hermaphroditism in genetically female fowl

Summary Two types of hermaphroditism were experimentally induced in genetically female fowls by grafting of embryonic testes in embryos. Of the 27 hermaphrodites observed during the 8 months after hatching, 20 possessed a right testis and a left ovary and 7 a right testis and a left ovotestis. The testes and ovotestes contained seminiferous tubules with a more or less developed germ cell complement, attaining in many cases the early spermatid stage. The interstitial tissue was poorly functional, as shown by the absence of male secondary sex characters. The ovary or ovarian part of the ovotestes possessed numerous small ovarian follicles. The female arrangement of the plumage and the absence of spurs demonstrated the secretion of oestrogens. A mechanism is proposed for explaining this partial masculinization of genetically female gonads, a phenomenon which occurs during the period of embryonic sex differentiation, and is responsible for this experimental true hermaphroditism.     

Structural studies of an acidic polysaccharide from the mucin secreted by Drosera capensis

The polysaccharide of the mucin secreted by the leaves of Drosera capensis is composed of l-arabinose, d-xylose, d-galactose, d-mannose, and d-glucuronic acid in the molar ratio of 3.6:1.0:4.9:8.4:8.2. For structural elucidation, methylation analysis using g.l.c. and g.l.c.-m.s. was performed on the native, the carboxyl-reduced, and the degraded polysaccharides. Partial hydrolysis, periodate oxidation, chromium trioxide oxidation, and uronic acid degradation were also performed on the native and carboxyl-reduced polysaccharides. Partial hydrolysis of the native and carboxyl-reduced polysaccharides gave various oligosaccharides that were characterized and suggest a structure containing a d-glucurono-d-mannan backbone having a repeating unit → 4)-β-d-GlcpA-(1 → 2)-α-d-Manp-(1 →. l-Arabinose and d-xylose are present as nonreducing furanosyl and pyranosyl end-groups, respectively, both attached to O-3 of d-glucuronic acid residues of the backbone. d-Galactose is present as non-reducing pyranosyl end-group linked to O-3 of d-mannose residues.     

Low density lipoprotein cytotoxicity induced by free radical peroxidation of lipid

Low density lipoprotein (LDL) has been reported to be injurious or toxic to cells in vitro. This injurious effect is, in some instances, due to oxidation of the lipid moiety of the lipoprotein. The objectives of this study were to determine if the oxidation rendering the lipoprotein toxic to human skin fibroblasts occurred by free radical mechanisms, and if so, which of the common free radical oxygen species were involved. The selective free radical blockers or scavengers employed included superoxide dismutase for superoxide, catalase for hydrogen peroxide, dimethylfuran for singlet molecular oxygen, and mannitol for hydroxyl radical. The presence during lipoprotein preparation of general free radical scavengers (vitamin E, butylated hydroxytoluene) or the divalent cation chelator ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid prevented the formation of cytotoxic low density lipoprotein, while the simultaneous presence of superoxide dismutase and catalase partially inhibited its formation. The results indicate that superoxide and/or hydrogen peroxide are involved in the formation of the toxic LDL lipid. The toxic action of oxidized LDL could not be prevented by inclusion of antioxidants in the culture medium, indicating that an oxidized lipid was responsible for cell injury rather than free radicals generated in culture by the action of oxidized LDL. Three separate assays for cell injury (enumeration of attached cells, cell loss of lactate dehydrogenase into the culture medium, and trypan blue uptake) indicated a sequence of events in which the fibroblasts are injured, die, and then detach.     

Chain length-dependent association of distamycin-type oligopeptides with A·T and G·C pairs in polydeoxynucleotide duplexes

Different binding affinities of various distamycin analogs including the deformylated derivative with poly(dA-dC)·poly(dG-dT) were investigated using CD measurements. The inhibitory effect of distamycins on the DNAase I cleavage activity of DNA duplexes strongly supports the binding data. The base specificity of the ligand interaction with duplex DNA depends on the chain length of distamycin analogs. Netropsin, distamycin-2 and the deformylated distamycin-3 show no binding to dG·dC containing sequences at moderate ionic strength and are classified as highly dA·dT specific. In contrast distamycin having three, four or five methylpyrrolecarboxamide groups also forms more or less stable complexes with dG·dC-containing duplexes. These ligands possess a lower basepair specificity. The correlation between binding behavior and oligopeptide structure shows that presence of the number of hydrogen acceptor and donor sites determines the basepair and sequence specificity. The additional interaction with dG·dC pairs becomes essential when the number of hydrogen acceptor sites exceeds n = 3.     

Lack of orthogonal particle assemblies and presence of tight junctions in astrocytes of the goldfish (Carassius auratus)

Summary Specific antibodies raised against a human 28 000 dalton cerebellar calcium-binding protein (CaBP) were used in an immunocytochemical study during development of the rat cerebellum. Both light and electron microscopy showed (1) that labelling was entirely restricted to the Purkinje cells, (2) that it appeared very early in Purkinje cell development, (3) that the entire cell was labelled from the tip of the smallest dendrites to the axonal terminals, and (4) that with increasing age, the immunoreaction appeared to be progressively restricted to the cell and organelle membranes.     

Spermiogenesis in the rainbow trout (Salmo gairdneri)

In an ultrastructural study on the spermiogenesis of the rainbow trout (Salmo gairdneri R.) four spermatogenetic stages were identified. In young round spermatids, the nuclear chromatin was first heterogeneous (euchromatin and heterochromatin). Subsequently, it became more homogeneous and started to condense in the form of coarse granules and fibers and then into fibrils associated in ribbon-like elements which eventually partly fused together. During early spermiogenesis, a juxtanuclear vacuole appeared in the area where the nuclear envelope was specialized due to condensation of material between the two envelopes and a slight accumulation of nuclear material. This area was finally located in the anterior part of spermatids and spermatozoa; it probably plays a role during fertilization. A flagellar rootlet appeared early in spermiogenesis; it may play a role in the attachment of the flagellum to the nucleus since it persisted until the centriolar complex was definitively fixed in the implantation fossa. The flagellum did not display a plasma membrane and was first located in the cytoplasm, but when it was later extruded from the cell, it acquired a membrane. The cytoplasm was rich in ribosomes (free or in small groups) but poor in membranous organelles. The few mitochondria polarized around the centriolar complex were finally organized into an annular mid-piece. The spermatids remained connected by intercellular bridges until the end of spermiogenesis. The complexity of trout spermiogenesis is intermediate between that in poecilids and that in carp and pike, which have very simple spermatozoa. The role of the material from the nucleus and the cytoplasm reaching the Sertoli cell in the control of spermatogenesis has been discussed.     

Acridine Sensitivity of Bacteriophage T2H in Escherichia coli

Normally acridine-sensitive, Escherichia coli-T2H complexes are rendered acridine-resistant if the infecting bacteriophage mutant is either pr or q. If these pr or q mutants are treated to produce sensitive revertants, one obtains a mutation at any of several dye-sensitizing (ds) sites in the early enzyme region of the T2 map. The ds mutants are nonspecific suppressors because they reduce the resistance of complexes containing either pr or q to proflavine. The ds mutants are not identical in action, since some make pr or q sensitive to proflavine and quinacrine, and others, to proflavine alone. Two ds mutants have r to r(+) mutation patterns which differ, depending upon whether or not the ds is coupled with r7 (an rII mutant). The mutation patterns of r(+) to r are the same for both ds mutants and for wild type. We suggest that dye sensitization may consist of alterations of early enzymes so as to produce slightly different forms of deoxyribonucleic acid which are in turn dyesensitive.