Ultrastructure and distribution of microbodies in leaves of grasses with and without CO2-photorespiration

Summary A comparative study was made of the ultrastructure, distribution and abundance of leaf microbodies in four species of temperate grasses with high and four tropical grasses with low CO₂-photorespiration. The temperate grasses were all festucoid; the tropical grasses included two panicoid species and two chloridoid. Comparisons of relative abundance were made by computing the average numbers of microbody profiles per cell section.Although microbodies were present in the green parenchymatous leaf cells in all grasses examined, their average number per cell was in general severalfold greater in the grasses with high CO₂-photorespiration than in those with low. Furthermore, whereas in the grasses with high CO₂-photorespiration the microbodies were distributed through the mesophyll, in those with low CO₂-photorespiration they were concentrated in the vascular-bundle-sheath cells and were smaller and relatively scarce in the mesophyll cells. The leaf microbodies of the eight grass species resembled one another in general morphology, but differed to some extent in regard to size and type of inclusion. Microbodies of all four festucoid species contained numerous fibrils with a discernible substructure. Those of the two panicoid species contained clusters of round bodies with transparent cores. The equivalence of the microbodies to peroxisomes as biochemically defined was shown cytochemically by employing 3,3-diaminobenzidine for the localization of catalase, a marker enzyme for the peroxisome. This reaction was blocked by the catalase inhibitor, aminotriazole.The observations on the relative abundance and distribution of peroxisomes in leaves of grasses with high CO₂-photorespiration versus those with low are consistent with the published biochemical data on the levels and distribution of peroxisomal enzymes in representatives of plants with high and low CO₂-photorespiration, and may help explain the differences in apparent photorespiratory levels between these two groups of plants.     

The Effects of Some Chlorinated Hydrocarbons on Certain Soil Bacteria

S ummary . Some common soil bacteria have been shown to tolerate the presence of chlorinated hydrocarbon fumigants. Several of these bacteria indicated an ability to utilize the chemicals as carbon or energy sources. The breakdown of these fumigants may yield compounds either beneficial or detrimental to plants grown in treated soil. Such information is critical to plant disease control since these chemicals are used for the control of plant pathogens, primarily nematodes. It is suggested that the side effects of soil treatment by which plants are stimulated in their growth is a direct consequence of enhanced beneficial microbial activity.     

Linkage of PGK1 to X-linked severe combined immunodeficiency (IMD4) allows predictive testing in families with no surviving male

Summary We present a linkage map of DNA probes around the X-linked severe combined immunodeficiency (IMD4) locus at Xq11-13. DXS159 and PGK1 show no cross-overs with the disease locus (Lod 3.01 at = 0.00). The order of loci is DXS1-DXS106-(DXS159-PGK1-IMD4)-DXS72-DXYS1. Members of families whose carrier status has been established by X-inactivation patterns were included in the analysis. As the probe (pSPT/PGK), which is used for investigation of X-inactivation patterns, has been shown to be linked to the disease itself, it is possible to assign phase in mothers of sporadic cases who have been shown to be carriers, even when they have no surviving male offspring.     

Perinatal Steroid Treatments Alter Alloparental and Affiliative Behavior in Prairie Voles

This experiment was designed to examine the hypothesis that perinatal manipulation of gonadal or adrenal steroids can alter the subsequent expression of juvenile parental (alloparenting) and affiliative behavior in prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster). Corticosterone (PRECORT), testosterone (PRE-TP), or oil injections (PRESES) were given on Prenatal Days 12–20 or on Postnatal Days 1–6 (CORT6, TP6, or SES6, respectively). Alloparenting was reduced significantly in females in the CORT6 group and in males in the TP6 group. Sibling affiliative preferences were increased significantly in PRE-TP females and stranger preferences were increased in TP6 and CORT6 females. The results suggest timing is a critical factor determining whether hormones have a facilitative or inhibitory effect on alloparental and affiliative behavior in prairie voles. In this species, corticosterone and testosterone have similar organizational effects on affiliative behavior in females. Alloparental behavior is inhibited by postnatal corticosterone administration in females and by postnatal testosterone administration in males, whereas prenatal steroid administration had no significant effect on alloparenting in either gender.     

EagI andNotI linking clones from human chromosomes 11 and Xp

EagI and NotI linking libraries were prepared in the lambda vector, EMBL5, from the mouse-human somatic cell hybrid 1W1LA4.9, which contains human chromosomes 11 and Xp as the only human component. Individual clones containing human DNA were isolated by their ability to hybridise with total human DNA and digested with SalI and EcoRI to identify the human insert size and single-copy fragments. The mean (± SD) insert sizes of the EagI and NotI clones were 18.3 ± 3.2 kb and 16.6 ± 3.6 kb, respectively. Regional localisation of 66 clones (52 EagI, 14 NotI) was achieved using a panel of 20 somatic cell hybrids that contained different overlapping deletions of chromosomes 11 or Xp. Thirty-nine clones (36 EagI, 3 NotI) were localised to chromosome 11; 17 of these were clustered in 11q13 and another nine were clustered in 11q14–q23.1. Twenty-seven clones (16 EagI, 11 NotI) were localised to Xp and 10 of these were clustered in Xp11. The 66 clones were assessed for seven different microsatellite repetitive sequences; restriction fragment length polymorphisms for five clones from 11q13 were also identified. These EagI and NotI clones, which supplement those previously mapped to chromosome 11 and Xp, should facilitate the generation of more detailed maps and the identification of genes that are associated with CpG-rich islands. Received: 27 December 1995 / Revised: 30 January 1996     

A consensus linkage map of barley

A consensus linkage map of the barley genome was constructed. The map is based on six doubled haploid and one F₂ population. The mapping data for three of the doubled haploid populations was obtained via the GrainGenes database. To allow merger of the maps, only RFLP markers that produce a single scorable band were included. Although this reduced the available markers by about half, the resultant map contains a total of 587 markers including 87 of known function. As expected, gene order was highly conserved between maps and all but two discrepancies were found in closely linked markers and are likely to result from the small population sizes used for some maps. The consensus map allows the rapid localisation of markers between published maps and should facilitate the selection of markers for high-density mapping in defined regions.     

Nickel-induced increases in gap junctional communication in the uterine cell line SK-UT-1

Summary Previous studies have suggested that gap junctions may have a role in various uterine functions, including parturition. Because nickel has been demonstrated to increase uterine contractility in vitro, the effect of nickel (II) chloride on gap junctional communication was assessed in a tumorigenic uterine cell line, SK-UT-1 (ATCC HTB 114). Cells were exposed in vitro to 25 and 50 μM NiCl₂ for 24 h or 100 μM NiCl₂ for 3, 12, and 24 h, then functional gap junctional communication was measured as the transfer of Lucifer yellow dye from microinjected donor cells to their primary neighbor cells. Dye transfer was significantly increased only in cell cultures exposed to 100 μM NiCl₂ for 24h, compared to untreated controls, lower doses, and shorter exposure periods. This response was inhibited by the simultaneous co-treatment of SK-UT-1 cells with magnesium by adding 100 μM MgSO₄ to the dosing medium. Possible mechanisms and implications for these findings are discussed.