Synaptic mutation-driven male sterility in Panax sikkimensis Ban. (Araliaceae) from Eastern Himalaya, India

In higher plants, synaptic mutation-associated gametic abnormalities are reported mostly in crop plants, but studies have rarely focused on the natural plant populations. This is particularly so in threatened herbaceous perennials, some of which are known to suffer from loss of sexual reproduction driven by the genetic mutations. Cytological investigations of Panax species, viz. P. sikkimensis, P. sokpayensis and P. bipinnatifidus, revealed that all the species were diploid with 2n = 24 chromosomes. Natural occurrence of synaptic mutation was recorded in Panax sikkimensis in the Kalep population of North Sikkim, India. We recorded that 86.03% of pollen mother cells (PMCs) lacked bivalent formation and had 24 distinct univalents at prophase I in the mutant plants of P. sikkimensis. We found a significantly lower mean number of chiasmata per cell (0.31 ± 0.91; t test = 38.24, P < 0.001) in the mutant plants as compared to the normal plants (21.04 ± 4.56). The chromosomal associations in the PMCs of the synaptic mutants ranged from 25% bivalents and 75% univalents to 100% univalents at diplotene/diakinesis. The unequal distribution of chromosomes at anaphase I and II resulted in the formation of microspores and microcytes of differing sizes. The pollen stainability test in the mutant population of P. sikkimensis revealed very low (0.12%) pollen fertility reflecting the consequences of synaptic mutation. Synaptic mutation in the herbaceous perennial P. sikkimensis was considered to be responsible for the male sterility in the species.     

Thermal and Structural Stability of Adsorbed Proteins

Experimental evidence suggests that proteins adsorbed to hydrophobic surfaces at low coverages are stabilized relative to the bulk. For larger coverages, proteins unfold and form β-sheets. We performed computer simulations on model proteins and found that: 1), For weakly adsorbing surfaces, unfolded conformations lose more entropy upon adsorption than folded ones. 2), The melting temperature, both in the bulk and at surfaces, decreases with increasing protein concentration because of favorable interprotein interactions. 3), Proteins in the bulk show large unfolding free energy barriers; this barrier decreases at stronger adsorbing surfaces. We conjecture that typical experimental temperatures appear to be below the bulk melting temperature for a single protein, but above the melting temperature for concentrated protein solutions. Purely thermodynamic factors then explain protein stabilization on adsorption at low concentrations. However, both thermodynamic and kinetic factors are important at higher concentrations. Thus, proteins in the bulk do not denature with increasing concentration due to large kinetic barriers, even though the aggregated state is thermodynamically preferred. However, they readily unfold upon adsorption, with the surface acting as a heterogeneous catalyst. The thermal behavior of proteins adsorbed to hydrophobic surfaces thus appears to follow behavior independent of their chemical specificity.     

Microvascular pressures measured by micropuncture in isolated perfused lamb lungs

To investigate the influence of vasomotor tone and vessel compliance on pulmonary segmental vascular resistance, we determined the longitudinal distribution of vascular pressures in 15 isolated blood perfused lungs of newborn lambs. We measured pulmonary arterial and left atrial pressures and by micropuncture the pressures in 20- to 80-micron-diam subpleural arterioles and venules, both before and after paralyzing the vasculature with papaverine hydrochloride. In five lungs we also determined the microvascular pressure profile during reverse perfusion. In lungs with baseline vasomotor tone, approximately 32% of the total pressure drop was in arteries, approximately 32% in microvessels, and approximately 36% in veins. With elimination of vasomotor tone, arterial and venous resistances decreased to one-fifth and one-half of base-line values, respectively, indicating that vasomotor tone contributed mainly toward arterial resistance. During reverse perfusion, the pressure drop in veins was similar to that in arteries during forward perfusion, suggesting that the compliance of arteries and veins is comparable. We conclude that vascular tone and compliance are important factors that determine the distribution of segmental vascular resistance in lungs of the newborn.     

A comparison of liquid-holding recovery and photoreactivation in halophilic and non-halophilic bacteria

The ability of the extreme halophile Halobacterium cutirubrum to recover from the effects of ultraviolet radiation during liquid holding in the dark in non-nutrient medium has been compared with that of (i) a moderately halophilic bacterium (NRC 41227) and (ii) Escherichia coli B. The photoreactivabilities of all three bacteria have also been studied. The extreme halophile was incapable of liquid-holding recovery in these conditions, in marked contrast to both E. coli B and the moderate halophile, and also failed to recover when held in nutrient medium in the dark. These results strongly support the hypothesis that H. cutirubrum lacks DNA excision repair. It was also found that ultraviolet-irradiated H. cutirubrum could be almost completely photoreactivated from any level of survival in the range 10(-4)-80%, provided exposure to visible light was not delayed, whereas the moderate halophile resembled E. coli B and had a comparatively limited capacity for photoreactivation.     

The effect of age on enolase turnover in the free-living nematode, Turbatrix aceti.

The rates of synthesis and degradation of enolase and total soluble proteins slow with age in the free-living nematode, Turbatrix aceti. The half-lives are 73 and 58 h for soluble protein and enolase, respectively, in young organisms (5 days old). The respective figures are 163 and 161 h for old organisms (22–30 days old). Similar slowing of protein turnover occurs when the organisms are aged by a repeated screening procedure which avoids the use of fluorodeoxyuridine, an inhibitor of DNA synthesis normally added to aging cultures to obtain synchrony. The results support the idea that slowed protein turnover may be responsible for the formation of altered enzymes in old organisms.     

Tissue distribution of high molecular weight calmodulin-binding protein

Polyclonal antibodies raised against bovine heart high molecular weight calmodulin-binding protein were used to study the distribution of this protein in diverse bovine tissues. The high molecular weight calmodulin-binding protein, in addition to bovine heart, is also present in lung and brain at much lower levels, but not in skeletal muscle, spleen, kidney or uterus.