SMITHSONIELLA GEN. NOV., A POSSIBLE EVOLUTIONARY LINK BETWEEN THE MULTICELLULAR AND SIPHONOUS HABITS IN THE ULVOPHYCEAE,CHLOROPHYTA

A low relief, green turf-forming alga of a heterotrichous habit was discovered in the coral reef microcosm, Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution. Erect filaments bore lateral, specialized sporangia and together with basal filaments possessed septal plugs between adjacent cells, grossly similar to the “pit connections” of red algae. Data are presented which: 1) establish the identity of our plant with a plant recently described as Pilinia earleae Gallagher et Humm from the Florida Gulf coast; 2) support our establishment of the new genus Smithsoniella and our transfer of P. earleae to this new taxon. Additional data on pigmentation and cytology are related to the fine structure of other selected green algae to develop and test three hypotheses, viz. Smithsoniella earleae represents either: 1) a symbiotic association between a green and a red alga; 2) an alga which belongs to either the Ulotrichales, Chaetophorales or the Chroolepidales; or 3) an alga representing an evolutionary link between filamentous forms of the Ulvophyceae and members of the coenocytic siphonalean complex (e.g., Codiales or Caulerpales) of the Chlorophyta. Data refute hypotheses 1 and 2 but do lend support to the third hypothesis.     

Parallel usage of medicinal plants by africans and their caribbean descendants

Cultivated plants are cited by anthropologists as important indicators of man’s past. Medicinal species, to a large extent, have been overlooked even though in some cases these plants represent some of the social and cultural traditions of the people who use them. A number of cultivated plants have been traced from the Old World to the New World and are generally believed to have been carried there by European explorers and early settlers. However, some evidence has been accumulating to indicate that there may have been contacts other than by European colonists. One trade route that has been neglected is that of the slave trade from west Africa to the Caribbean. Three plant species,Citrus aurantifolia, Ricinus communis andAbrus precatorius, may exemplify the role and use of this route. They also indicate the migration and assimilation of west African Fulani, Hausa, and Mandingo cultures and Obeah religion into Caribbean society.     

The lysis of Gram-negative Alcaligenes eutrophus by enzymes from Cytophaga

Summary The use of Cytophaga lysing enzymes was investigated for the liberation of poly--hydroxybutyrate (PHB) granules from the Gram-negative bacterium Alcaligenes eutrophus. Complete cell lysis was approached within a 60 minute period. Contrary to previous findings for the lysis of Gram-negative bacteria, prior removal of the outer membrane was not essential for enzymic lysis. The destabilisation of the outer membrane by the removal of divalent cations resulted in no significant improvement in the disruption process.     

How do floater male eastern bluebirds benefit by filling vacancies on territories where females already have young?

When male eastern bluebirds (Sialia sialis) are killed or deserttheir mates, replacement males usually take over the territory.We captured 25 eastern bluebird males and held them in captivityto study the behavior of replacement males and their responseto young already present in the nest. Of 17 replacement males,most courted the females, and 23% of experimental females renested,a proportion not different from that of control females. Noreplacement males were infanticidal, and none fully adoptedthe young. Replacement males spent significantly less time onthe territory and defended it significantly less than controlmales. We discuss breeding options available to a floater maleeastern bluebird and conclude that (1) floater male bluebirdsthat fill territory vacancies benefit by gaining breeding opportunitiesin the current breeding season, and (2) indifference to theyoung is the least costly option for replacement male easternbluebirds.     

Factors affecting recurrent shoot multiplication in in vitro cultures of 17- to 20-year-old douglas fir trees

Summary The effects of sucrose concentration, addition of ammonium nitrate, and exposure to N⁶-benzyl-adenine (BA) on multiplication potential with shoots derived from shoot cultures of 17- to 20-yr-old Douglas fir trees [Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb.) Franco] were compared. Each of these conditions, when compared independently, affected recurrent shoot multiplication and influenced shoot development, as measured by the abundance of shoot apices. Sucrose concentration was influential, the use of 25 g · liter⁻¹ providing twice the multiplication obtained with 20 g · liter⁻¹, and 14 × that obtained with the 30 g · liter⁻¹ concentration routinely used (tree 11). Ammonium nitrate usage also improved multiplication, a 2.5 times improvement being obtained after incorporation of 100 mg · liter⁻¹ NH₄NO₃ into the medium (tree 33). Shoot cultures were responsive but relatively sensitive to addition of BA, the best improvement in multiplication (5 times) being obtained with brief exposures to 3 mg · liter⁻¹ BA (tree 11). Although shoot cultures were responsive to the conditions investigated, differences in shoot multiplication and development were not displayed for several weeks. It was not possible therefore to repeat all the treatments with more than one genotype; however, when this was possible a genotype-dependent variation in response was evident.     

ISOLATION AND PARTIAL CHARACTERIZATION OF NITRATE ASSIMILATION MUTANTS OF DUNALIELLA TERTIOLECTA (CHLOROPHYCEAE)1

Fifteen nitrate assimilation-deficient mutants of the euryhaline green alga, Dunaliella tertiolecta Butcher were selected by their chlorate resistance. Ten mutants, unable to grow on NO₃^? but able to grow on NO₂^?, had no detectable nitrate reductase activity. Five mutants, unable to grow on either NO₃^? or NO₂^?, had depressed levels of both nitrate and nitrite reductase. A method for assaying methyl viologen-nitrate reductase in the presence of nitrite reductase is described.     

Rearrangement of lactose on sterilization

Summary Thermal sterilisation of a lactose-based medium resulted in rearrangement of substantial amounts of lactose to lactulose which was not fermented.     

Orcein,collastin and pseudo-elastica: a re-investigation of Unna's concepts

Summary Orcein has been recommended for identification of elastin. Since other traditional elastica stains proved to be unspecific, it was deemed of interest to determine the selectivity of orcein and to review pertinent literature.Orcein was employed as a textile dye in ancient Egypt and was used for dyeing of wool and silk until the early 20th century. It was introduced into histological technic in 1878 as a stain for cytoplasm. Unna recommended it for demonstration of elastic tissue in 1890 and retracted claims for its specifity in 1894 because orcein colored also certain collagen fibers. Unna suggested the term collastin for collagen fibers which share the affinity of elastin for acid orcein. Other orcein solutions were used as selective stains for collagen.In histochemical studies, the staining properties of resorcin-fuchsin and orcein were very similar; elastin and various collagen fibers were strongly colored. Unna's collastin is apparently identical with the pseudo-elastica described in sections stained with resorcin-fuchsin. Both dyes react with meshworks of fine fibers, embryonic, experimentally or pathologically altered collagens. It is suggested to use the term collastin, instead of pseudo-elastica, for collagenous fibers which bind the traditional elastica stains.