A karyological study of Asphodelus L. (Asphodelaceae) from the Western Mediterranean

The following aspects of Asphodelus karyology are analysed: base number, polyploidy, chromosome size, chromosome morphology, satellited chromosomes, structural heteromorphism, karyotype asymmetry and karyotype evolution. The base number 0 ×= 14 is common to all species except for A. refractus , which has the derived ×= 13. Three ploidy levels occur, often in the same species; diploid, tetraploid and hexaploid, with 2n = 28, 56 and 84. Chromosomes are generally small to medium-small, with the occasional presence of medium-large chromosomes. The most frequent chromosome types are metacentric of type m and submetacentric. Metacentric chromosomes of type M occur only in sections. Verineopsis, Verinea and Plagiasphodelus ; subtelocentric chromosomes occur only in sections Asphodelus and Plagiasphodelus. There is a wide variability in relation to the number of satellited chromosomes, relative to ploidy level. There are usually two to four in diploids, four to eight in tetraploids and usually six, exceptionally up to 12, in the hexaploid. Satellites are present on the shortest arm, exceptionally on the longest arm. There is a high degree of structural heteromorphism in practically all the species which affects satellited and non satellited chromosomes. Karyotype asymmetry is generally of type 2B. Inter-and intra-chromosomal differences are estimated by the A1 and A2 indexes. Both indices vary in the karyotype evolution of the genus, with a decrease of A1 and an increase of A2. The role of polyploidy, hybridization, asymmetry and decrease of chromosome size in the evolution of Asphodelus is discussed.     

Effects of social conditions on Juvenile Hormone mediated reproductive development in Bombus terrestris workers

Abstract. During the annual life cycle of the bumble bee Bombus terrestris (L.) colony, there is a stage characterized by worker reproduction in the presence of the queen. It has been proposed that this is a result of a decrease in queen inhibition. This hypothesis was examined by studying the effects of queens taken from colonies at different stages of development on several aspects of worker physiology and behaviour: rates of Juvenile Hormone (JH) release in vitro , ovary development, and behaviour associated with reproduction. After optimizing and validating the radiochemical assay for JH release for bumble bee workers, we found that queenless workers had significantly more developed ovaries and higher rates of release of JH than did queenright workers, confirming and extending previous findings that suggest that bumblebee ovarian development is under JH control. Mated queens, separated from their colony and brood, can have the same inhibitory effect on the reproductive development of callow workers. In contrast, workers confined with virgin queens or in queenless groups demonstrated a significantly higher rate of release of JH, overt aggression and threatening behaviours. However, there were no differences in rates of release of JH between workers confined in groups in the laboratory with queens taken from colonies either before or after the onset of worker reproduction. Furthermore, overt aggression and threatening behaviours were similar and low in both types of groups. These results gave no support to the hypothesis that a decrease in queen inhibition is associated with the onset of worker reproduction. We also show that young workers reared in colonies either before or after worker reproduction occurs, or in queenless colonies, all demonstrated similar, low rates of release of JH. These results suggest that older workers may inhibit the corpora allata of younger workers in queenless colonies.     

不同温度对三带喙库蚊卵的保存及不同食料对幼虫发育的影响

用不同温度对三带喙库蚊卵的保存进行了试验,发现蚊卵在10℃条件下仅可保存两天,而2℃、5℃、11℃以上等其他温度均不宜保存．因此证实该蚊卵不能在任何温度下作长时间保存。通过实验观察了以6种不同配方的食料饲养三带喙库蚊幼虫,结果显示用鱼粉、面粉、酵母粉组合成的6号组食料经综合分析优于其他组食料。进一步说明动物蛋白的种类、配比对蚊幼虫的存活、健康关系极大。     

Purification and some properties of a novel microbial lactate oxidase

 Geotrichum candidum was found to produce a lactate oxidase. The enzyme was purified by gel filtration and ion-exchange chromatography. The purified lactate oxidase showed a molecular mass of 50 kDa under denaturing and about 400 kDa under non-denaturing conditions. Transmission electron micro-scopy analysis confirmed an octameric structure. FMN was found to be a cofactor for this enzyme. Polarographic studies confirmed an oxygen uptake by the lactate oxidase. The enzyme showed specificity towards the L isomer of lactate and did not oxidise pyruvate, fumarate, succinate, maleate and ascorbate. It was stable at alkaline pH and also for 15 min at 45°C. The addition of glycerol and dextran 500 000 to the enzyme sample enhanced storage stability. Received: 28 September 1995/Received revision: 10 January 1996/Accepted: 15 January 1996     

Effects of anti-peptide antibodies against the second extracellular loop of human M2 muscarinic acetylcholine receptors on transmembrane potentials and currents in guinea pig ventricular myocytes

The effects of anti-peptide antibodies against the second extracellular loop of human M2 muscarinic receptor on transmembrane potentials and currents in guinea pig single ventricular cells were analyzed using whole-cell patch clamp technique. These effects were compared with those of the muscarinic receptor agonists carbachol and acetylcholine. The antibodies shortened the action potential duration in a dose-dependent manner. By using a ramp or step rectangular pulse protocol, it was found that the antibodies increased the outward K⁺ current and decreased the inward basal I Ca significantly. The reversal potential of both carbachol-and antibody-induced extra currents were close to –80 mV, being in proximity to the calculated E_k of –90 mV. A -adrenergic receptor agonist, isoprenaline, prolonged the action potential and increased the overshoot which could be inhibited by both antibody and carbachol. Isoprenaline increased inward I_ca and outward I_k simultaneously. Both antibody and carbachol could significantly reduce the isoprenaline-stimulated I_Ca but not the isoprenaline-stimulated I_k. The antibody- or carbachol-induced outward K⁺ current and the depressant effects of antibody and carbachol on isoprenaline-stimulated I_ca were partially antagonized by atropine. These results suggest that the anti-M2 muscarinic receptor antibodies display a stimulatory activity similar to muscarinic receptor agonist on the receptor-mediated electrophysiological events.     

Conversion of catechin and tannic acid by an enzyme preparation from Trametes versicolor

Summary An extracellular enzyme preparation produced by the white rot fungus Trametes versicolor transformed catechin and tannic acid. Optimum conversion of catechin was at 60°C and pH 6.0.     

Somaclonal variation as a tool to develop pest resistant plants of Torenia fournieri ‘Compacta Blue’

Callus cultures of Torenia fournieri Compacta Blue were initiated on a modified Murashige and Skoog salt medium (MS) with 2.26 M 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid. Shoots were regenerated from these cultures using MS medium amended with 2.46 M indolebutyric acid and 8.88 M benzyladenine. These shoot cultures were subjected to two-spotted spidermite (Tetranychus urticae Koch.) and the greenhouse whitefly [Trialeurodes vaporariorum (Westwood)]. Pests were allowed to feed until such time that their populations started to decrease due to lack of food. The remaining live tissue of the Torenia was placed on MS medium amended with 2.28 M zeatin to induce new adventitious shoots and plantlets. Newly regenerated plantlets were acclimated to greenhouse conditions and evaluated for resistance to the pest to which they were subjected in vitro. Highly significant differences in pest numbers were found in somaclones for both the two-spotted spidermite and greenhouse whitefly when compared to control plants. A wide range of variability was observed among the somaclonal population. There were significantly fewer mite eggs laid on plants regenerated from in vitro cultures screened with two-spotted spidermites than on seed sown controls. Regenerants from cultures screened with whiteflies in vitro had fewer eggs, immatures and live adults than controls.Abbreviations BA benzyladenine - IBA indolebutyric acid - 2,4-d 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid - MS Murashige and Skoog salt medium Storrs Agricultural Research Station Scientific Publication 1641.     

Sequence requirements for the recognition of tyrosine-based endocytic signals by clathrin AP-2 complexes.

We recently determined that fusion proteins containing tyrosine-based endocytic signals bind to the mu 2 subunit of AP-2, the complex that drives clathrin coat formation and mediates endocytosis from the plasma membrane. Here we analyze the selectivity of peptide recognition by mu 2 and by AP-2 using combinatorial selection methods and surface plasmon resonance. Both mu 2 and AP-2 are shown to interact with various sequences of the form tyrosine-polar-polar-hydrophobic (Yppø) found on receptors that follow the clathrin pathway. The optimal sequence for interaction with mu 2 and with AP-2 has tyrosine as an anchor and prefers arginine at position Y + 2 and leucine at position Y + 3. In contrast, no preferred sequence is detected surrounding the Yppø signal, indicating that recognition of the Yppø endocytic signal does not require a prefolded structure. We conclude that sorting into the endocytic pathway is governed by a surprisingly simple interaction between the mu 2 chain and a tyrosine-containing tetrapeptide sequence.     

Use of chicken microsatellite markers in turkey: a pessimistic view

Eighty-eight chicken microsatellite markers, previously developed in our laboratory, were tested for their ability to amplify polymorphic fragments using turkey genomic DNA. Amplification products were obtained for 61 chicken microsatellite markers (69.1%) whereas 27 (30.9%) did not give rise to any products, even when different polymerase chain reaction conditions were employed. From the 61 markers that gave a product, only eight showed a length polymorphism while 37 were monomorphic on the three divergent commercial turkey lines used. The remaining 16 markers yielded many unspecific bands and no specific amplification product could be obtained. Five polymorphic and eleven monomorphic products contained a detectable microsatellite repeat. Furthermore, of the markers that detected a polymorphism in turkey, the observed heterozygosity (15–50%) and allelic variation (only 2 in most cases) was very low. Therefore, on the basis of our results, we think that chicken microsatellite markers are not very useful for mapping purposes in turkey.