Stomatal Movement and Sucrose Uptake by Guard Cell Protoplasts of Commelina benghalensis L.

Sucrose concentration in guard cells of epidermal strips ofCommelina benghalensis increased with stomatal opening. Sucroseuptake patterns were investigated using guard cell protoplastsof C. benghalensis. Sucrose (0.5 mM) uptake into these protoplastswas sensitive to pH, with an optimum at pH 6. Uptake of sucroseinto guard cell protoplasts was inhibited by 2,4-dinitrophenol(DNP), diethylstilbestrol (DES) and (ptrifluoromethoxy)carbonylcyanide phenylhydrozone (FCCP), while DCMU and o-phenanthrolinehad no effect on the uptake of sucrose. Fusicoccin (FC) stimulatedsucrose influx. The influence of pH and the effect of the metabolicinhibitors on the sucrose uptake into the guard cell protoplastsare consistent with an energy dependent membrane-function. (Received July 7, 1986; Accepted September 26, 1986)     

Stimulation of Escherichia coli adenylate cyclase activity by elongation factor Tu, a GTP-binding protein essential for protein synthesis

A unique feature of eucaryotic adenylate cyclases is their interaction with GTP-binding proteins that mediate hormonal responses. Until now, there has been no evidence for regulation of Escherichia coli adenylate cyclase by a GTP-binding protein. We describe here that the most abundant protein in E. coli, the GTP-binding protein EF-Tu, which is important as an elongation factor in protein synthesis, also serves as a stimulator of adenylate cyclase activity. Homogeneous EF-Tu specifically increased the activity of purified adenylate cyclase as much as 70%; other E. coli GTP-binding proteins had no effect on enzyme activity. A study of the guanine nucleotide specificity for EF-Tu-mediated stimulation of adenylate cyclase activity suggested that the preferred activator is EF-Tu X GDP. To account for the GTP-specific stimulation of adenylate cyclase activity observed in intact cells, we propose that the nucleotide specificity for EF-Tu-dependent activation of adenylate cyclase is governed by other factors in the cell.     

Ontogeny of cells containing insulin, glucagon, pancreatic polypeptide hormone and somatostatin in the bovine pancreas

Antibodies to insulin, glucagon, pancreatic polypeptide hormone (PP) and somatostatin were used in the immunofluorescence histochemical procedure to study the ontogeny of pancreatic endocrine cells containing the four hormones in the bovine fetus of approximately 100 days gestation to term. Pancreatic sections from the bovine neonate and adult were also examined for the cellular distribution of the four hormones. Immunoreactive cells staining for insulin, glucagon, PP and somatostatin were present in the pancreas of all fetuses studied. Each endocrine cell type displayed a characteristic distribution within the developing pancreas and in the neonate and adult. The presence of the four islet hormones relatively early in bovine fetal life suggests that they may be important in intra- and extra-islet metabolism in the fetus.     

Hormonal sex reversal of wild-spawned tilapia in India

The effectiveness of methyltestosterone (MT) for sex reversal and growth promotion in Oreochromis mossambicus was studied in culture experiments in India. Wild-spawned fry were treated with 30 μg MT g⁻¹ diet for 30 or 60 days at two feeding levels (initially 20% or 10% of body weight daily). The fish were grown on for 66–96 days after the hormone treatment period in fertilized cement ponds without supplementary feeding. Tilapia treated with MT for 60 days attained an average weight of 29.0 g compared to 18.8 g for untreated fish reared under similar conditions. The percentage of males among the untreated tilapia was 58%, MT treatment for 30 days significantly increased this percentage at the higher feeding level (79% male), but not at the lower feeding level (51%). More than 90% of the tilapia in both 60 day MT treatment groups were male; 3% of all the fish reared showed an intersex condition. The experiments demonstrated that the anabolic and sex reversal effects of MT on tilapia are proportional to the duration of treatment and quantity of hormone administered. The possible application of monosex tilapia culture in tropical countries is noted.     

Nucleotide sequence analysis of the BALB/c murine sarcoma virus transforming gene.

We determined the nucleotide sequence of the v-H-ras-related oncogene of BALB/c murine sarcoma virus. This oncogene contains an open reading frame of 189 amino acids that initiates and terminates entirely within the mouse cell-derived ras sequence. The protein encoded by this open reading frame matches the sequence predicted for the T24 human bladder carcinoma oncogene product, p21, in all but two positions. The presence of a lysine residue in position 12 of BALB/c murine sarcoma virus p21 likely accounts for its oncogenic properties.     

Spm and I element changes with the a-m2 8004 allele in maize

Summary Among the mobile element systems in maize, the En (Spm) system (En — the regulatory element and I the receptive element — a nonfunctional En) has several interesting aspects of control of gene expression (En and Spm are homologous in structure and activity). One of the alleles arising from the Spm group included the a-m2 8004 allele that has a low spotting pattern and unique ringed areas. The interest in this allele is that Spm or En will induce it to co-express the A phenotype and mutability. Several exceptions of the allele were analyzed. Two are Spm changes and two are I changes. The analysis shows that the heritable changes include I changes that are co-expressed in various grades of color and different degrees of mutability. All these changes occur with I at the locus. The Spm changes also include changes in mutability patterns and a mottling pattern.Journal Paper No., J-11792 of the Iowa Agriculture and Home Economics Experiment Station, Ames, Iowa, Project No. 2381     

Effect of Light and Benzyladenine on Dark-Treated Growing Rice (Oryza sativa) Leaves II. Changes in Peroxidase Activity

Changes in peroxidase activity were studied in the attachedfirst leaf of dark-treated Oryza sativa L. cv. Bala seedlingsin response to benzyladenine and light treatments during laterperiods of leaf growth, prior to maturation. Darkness causeda mild decrease in peroxidase activity; but in illuminated leaves,the enzyme activity was stable at all times. There was a sharprise in peroxidase activity in dark-treated leaves upon lightor benzyladenine application, irrespective of the time of treatment.Benzyladenine treatment to illuminated leaves also caused arise in peroxidase activity. Exogenous hydrogen peroxide, glycolateand amizol resulted in a rise in peroxidase activity, whichwas further enhanced by benzyladenine treatment in both lightand dark incubated leaves. Proline maintained chlorophyll levels,whereas hydroxyproline caused chlorophyll degradation. Benzyladenineenhanced the proline effect and counteracted the hydroxyprolineeffect on chlorophyll. Both proline and hydroxyproline increasedperoxidase activity in the leaves of light and dark incubatedseedlings, and the enzyme activity further increased after benzyladeninetreatment. (Received December 7, 1984; Accepted May 8, 1985)     

Distribution of N,P, K,Ca, Mg,S, Zn,Fe, Mn and Cu in groundnut

Summary Concentration of N, P, K, Ca, Mg and S in summer groundnut crop was higher than in kharif while Zn, Fe, Mn and Cu contents were higher in summer crop. Kernel's N, P and Zn; Leaflet's Ca and Mn; Stem's K and Fe; Root's S and Cu and Petiole's Mg contents were highest. Shell's N, P, K, Mg, S, Zn and Cu; Kernel's Ca, Fe and Mn contents were the least. N, P, K, S, Zn and Cu concentrations decreased linearly as the crop grew. Ca, Mg, Fe and Mn concentrations did not display any distinct pattern. Ca concentration was positively correlated with pod yield in both the seasons.     

HTLV-III env gene products synthesized in E. coli are recognized by antibodies present in the sera of AIDS patients

The envelope gene of HTLV-III, the retrovirus directly linked to AIDS, encodes a protein of 856 amino acids. Our sequence analysis of the cloned HTLV-III (HXB-3) env gene and its comparison with other isolates reveal significant divergence, especially in the external portion of this protein. A large segment of the env gene (1800 bp) was inserted into the expression vector pEV-vrf3, and a corresponding 68 kd protein, which encompasses both the extracellular and the membrane-associated regions of the native protein, was produced in E. coli. Several smaller polypeptides, which appear to be internal initiation products, were also produced. All 50 AIDS patient sera obtained from different locations in the United States specifically recognized the bacterially synthesized envelope proteins, as judged by Western blots. This suggests that these proteins will be useful for the diagnosis of HTLV-III infection and possibly as a vaccine against AIDS.