Detection of Petunia Asteroid Mosaic, Carnation Ringspot and Tobacco Necrosis Viruses in Ditches and Drainage Canals in a Grapevine-Growing Area in West Germany

A number of virus isolates were obtained from ditches and drainage canals in the Palatinate grapevine-growing area (‘Rheinpfalz’) in West Germany. By means of the immunoelectron microscopical decoration and the agar gel double diffusion tests these isolates were identified as petunia asteroid mosaic virus, carnation ringspot virus and tobacco necrosis virus strain D, respectively.     

Quantitative phenotypical expression of three mutant genes in barley and the basis for defining an ideotype for Mediterranean environments

Summary Three mutants induced in the two-rowed barley variety Beka and their three binary recombinants have been used in an attempt to define an ideotype suitable for Mediterranean agroclimatic conditions. Physiological methods (classical plant growth analysis) together with the study of genotype x environment interaction for grain yield were used to characterize the genotypes. That characterization brought out the huge phenotypical variation produced by only three mutant genes, suggesting that single Mendelian genes may alone explain the quantitative variation, including grain yield, without the necessity of using the polygenic concept. The genotype best adapted to the environments studied is later in heading and has shorter straw and denser spikes than Beka; it also has higher inverse of leaf area rate and grain: leaf area ratio, a lower rate of leaf senescence, and a shorter grain filling period than the original variety.     

Comparison of linoleate,palmitate and acetate metabolism in rat ventral prostate

Rat ventral prostate incorporated (1-¹⁴C)acetate, (1-¹⁴C)palmitate and (1-¹⁴C)linoleate into different phospholipids in a time-dependent process. The rate of incorporation into total phospholipids was higher with linoleate (10.0 nmol/g) than with either palmitate (5.8 nmol/g) or acetate (4.7 nmol/g). Predominant labelling with all the radioactive substrates assayed was found in choline glycerophospholipids (PC). The radioactive profiles for linoleate in the other ventral prostate phospholipids differed from those obtained with palmitate and acetate. Specifically linoleate was incorporated into inositol glycerophospholipids plus lysoethanolamine glycerophospholipids (PI+LPE) and not into sphingomyelin (SM), while palmitate and acetate incorporated into SM but not into PI+LPE. Acetate showed the highest oxidation to CO₂ whereas no differences were observed in the radioactivity incorporated into CO₂ from a saturated (palmitate) or an essential unsaturated fatty acid (linoleate). These studies also show zinc-dependence by the acetate to CO₂ oxidation.Abbreviations PL total phospholipids - PC choline glycerophospholipids - PE ethanolamine glycerophospholipids - PI+LPE inositol glycerophospholipids plus lysoethanolamine glycerophospholipids - PS serine glycerophospholipids - SM sphingomyelin     

Neuron-specific enolase (NSE)-like and neurofilament protein (NFP)-like immunoreactivities in the rat dorsal root ganglia and sciatic nerve

The presence of neuron-specific enolase (NSF) and neurofilament proteins (NFP) immunoreactivities (IR) was investigated in dorsal root ganglia (DRG) of adult rats at cervical, thoracic, lumbar and sacral levels. All neurons display NSE-like IR with a variable intensity of immunostain which is not related to the neuronal size. Conversely, the antibody against all three proteic subunits of NFP no labelled the primary sensory neurons, whereas the intraganglionic axons and dorsal root of spinal nerves result positives. In the sciatic nerve the immunoreactivity was similar for NSE- and NFP-like IR. No regional differences were found among the different levels of DRG for NSE-like IR. The present results demonstrate heterogeneity in the neurons of the rat. DRG for NSE-like IR, and differences between sensory neurons and fibers in the distribution of NFP-like IR.     

Substance P affects the GABAergic system in the hypothalamo-pituitary axis

In the present work we examined the effect of the neutralization of endogenous substance P by the administration of an anti-substance P serum (ASPS) on GABA concentration in the anterior pituitary in hyperprolactinemic conditions induced by 5-hydroxytryptophan or by grafting anterior pituitaries. ASPS reduced the increase in the anterior pituitary GABA concentration induced by hyperprolactinemia. In vitro experiments showed that substance P inhibited K⁺-evoked GABA efflux from hypothalamic fragments and decreased GABA concentration in the anterior pituitary but ASPS increased it. Our results demonstrate that substance P modifies hypothalamic GABA release and anterior pituitary GABA concentration and suggest that an interaction exists between substance P and GABA.     

Heterotrophic bacteria, activity and bacterial diversity in two coastal lagoons as detected by culture and 16S rRNA genes PCR amplification and partial sequencing

Activity and numbers of heterotrophic bacteria have indicated that, as expected, Prevost Lagoon is more eutrophic than Arcachon Bay. Amplification and sequence analysis of the 16S rRNA genes from DNA samples extracted directly from the environment allow the determination of phylogenetic relationships among members of microbial communities in natural ecosystems without the need for cultivation. Analysis of partial 16S rRNA gene sequences obtained from Stations A and 11 revealed that, in both environments, a relatively large number of clones related to Cytophaga/FlexibacterBacteroides as well as to -Proteobacteria were found. One hundred percent similarity with the sequences of the data bases were not found for any of the more than a hundred clones studied. In fact for most clones maximum similarity was below 95% for the nucleotide series sequenced. Similarity was not higher with any of the sequences found for the 14 isolates (pure cultures) obtained from the same samples. Redundancy, i.e. number of identical sequences, was higher in the samples from Arcachon. In addition, sequences related to representatives of ten major phylogenetic branches of Eubacteria were obtained from Prevost Lagoon, however only five branches were represented by the data from Arcachon. These findings indicate a higher bacterial diversity in Prévost Lagoon.     

Allonia decandra: Floral remains of the tribeHamamelideae (Hamamelidaceae) from Campanian strata of southeastern USA

A single flower, detached anthers with in situ pollen grains, and isolated seeds from Campanian strata (Upper Cretaceous) of Georgia, southeastern USA, document the presence of plants assignable toHamamelidaceae in the Upper Cretaceous. The fossil flower is actinomorphic, pentacyclic and pentamerous. Irregular sepals are preserved as lobes of the floral cup, and petals are narrow, with parallel margins. The androecium has two whorls of functional stamens. Anthers are tetrasporangiate, dehisce through two valves, and have strongly elongate connective protrusions which converge over the center of the flower. The organizational and architectural features of the fossil document its affinity within subtribeLoropetalinae (Hamamelideae, Hamamelidoideae). Cladistic phylogenetic analyses using parsimony were conducted to explore the relationships between the fossil flower and extant genera of the tribeHamamelideae. The strict consensus of the four most parsimonious trees showsHamamelideae andLoropetalinae as well-supported monophyletic taxa. The fossil flower is clearly included within theLoropetalinae, and is placed as sister taxon to the southeastern Asian genusMaingaya. The occurrence of fossils assignable toLoropetalinae during the Campanian documents the existence ofHamamelidaceae with a level of floral organization and character evolution equivalent to that of extant genera, early in the evolutionary history of the family.     

The 21-aminosteroid U-74389F increases the number of glial fibrillary acidic protein-expressing astrocytes in the spinal cord of control and wobbler mice

Summary 1. Wobbler mice suffer an autosomal recessive mutation producing severe motoneuron degeneration and dense astrogliosis, with increased levels of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) in the spinal cord and brain stem. They have been considered animal models of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and infantile spinal muscular atrophy. 2. Using Wobbler mice and normal littermates, we investigated the effects of the membrane-active steroid Lazaroid U-74389F on the number of GFAP-expressing astrocytes and glucocorticoid receptors (GR). Lazaroids are inhibitors of oxygen radical-induced lipid peroxidation, and proved beneficial in cases of CNS injury and ischemia. 3. Four days after pellet implantation of U-74389F into Wobbler mice, hyperplasia and hypertophy of GFAP-expressing astrocytes were apparent in the spinal cord ventral and dorsal horn, areas showing already intense astrogliosis in untreated Wobbler mice. In control mice, U-74389F also produced astrocyte hyperplasia and hypertophy in the dorsal horn and hyperplasia in the ventral-lateral funiculi of the cord. 4. Givenin vivo U-74389F did not change GR in spinal cord of Wobbler or control mice, in line with the concept that it is active in membranes but does not bind to GR. Besides, U-74390F did not compete for [³H]dexamethasone binding when addedin vitro. 5. The results suggest that stimulation of proliferation and size of GFAP-expressing astrocytes by U-74389F may be a novel mechanism of action of this compound. The Wobbler mouse may be a valuable animal model for further pharmacological testing of glucocorticoid and nonglucocorticoid steroids in neurodegenerative diseases.