SOME ASPECTS OF BEHAVIOR OF THE MIGRATING SLUG OF THE CELLULAR SLIME MOLD DICTYOSTELIUM DISCOIDEUM

The characteristic motile responses of the pseudoplasmodium (slug) of the cellular slime mold, Dictyostelium discoideum , to such experimental conditions as dissection, fusion, grafting, transplantation, insertion of a mica platelet and introduction into a blind tube were studied. The results indicate that the slug tip plays a kind of "leadership" role and directs the cells in the rear part of the slug forward.
By combining an improved transplantation technique to introduce a slug into an agar tube with staining with vital dyes and fluorescent antispore serum, it has been shown that anterior cells transplanted into the posterior region of the intact slug migrate toward the anterior, thus confirming the results obtained by B onner (3). The experiment verified that vital staining by Nile blue sulfate is a useful way to mark the transplanted cells.     

Stress-relaxation properties of plant cell walls with special reference to auxin action

Stress-relaxation analysis was employed to determine changesin cell wall properties of Avena coleoptile and green pea stem.The stress-relaxation curve of the cell wall was simulated bya model consisting of four Maxwell viscoelastic components.Auxin changes only the initial part of the curve, indicatingthat auxin primarily decreases the relaxation time of the model.Significance of the spectrum, representing a generalized Maxwellmodel for cell wall properties, is also discussed in terms ofauxin action. (Received September 1, 1970; )     

EFFECTS OF ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS ON MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF THE CELL WALL IN RICE COLEOPTILES

Cell wall properties determined by the stress-relaxation technique were studied with coleoptiles of rice seedlings grown under different environmental conditions. The cell wall was simulated by a viscoelastic model consisting of either four or an infinite number of Maxwell components. Reciprocal of relaxation time for the first component in the former model (1/τ₁) and minimum and maximum relaxation times (T_o and T_m) in the latter, in addition to the stress/strain ratio, were parameters representing cell wall properties. Parameters changed depending on the ages and regions of the coleoptilles used and 011 the environmental conditions under which rice seedlings were grown. Effects on cell wall properties of aeration during submerged growth, excision of the coleoptile tip, and exposure to small doses of red and/or far-red light were examined. In most cases, high values of 1/τ₁ and of T_m and small values of T_o were consistent with the growth potentiality of cells, while the stress/strain ratio seemed to be a consequence of elongation growth.     

肥胖犬白细胞中相关基因及血浆生化指标的变化

目的观察不同肥胖时期的犬血浆中相关生化指标和外周血液白细胞(peripheral blood leukocytes,PBL)中胰岛素和脂联素通路、能量和脂类代谢相关基因的变化,为开发肥胖犬代谢紊乱的早期诊断法提供依据。方法选用到动物医院进行常规体检的不同品种的犬59只,按照5分制的身体评分指数分为正常犬(26只)、超重犬(28只)和肥胖症犬(5只),分别检测血浆中生化代谢指标(葡萄糖、血尿素氮、肌氨酸酐、总胆固醇、总蛋白质、三酸甘油酯、乳酸脱氢酶、碱性磷酸酶、天冬氨酸转氨酶、丙氨酸转氨酶、非酯化脂肪酸、脂联素和免疫反应胰岛素)和PBL中相关基因[胰岛素受体底物(IRS-1,-2)、磷脂酰肌醇-3-激酶(PI3-K p85α),苹果酸脱氢酶(malate de-hydrogenase,MDH)、葡萄糖-6-磷酸脱氢酶(G6DPH)、脂肪酸合酶(FAS)、脂联素受体(ADIPOR1,2)]mRNA表达量。结果与对照犬相比,超重犬和肥胖犬血浆中的胰岛素含量显著升高,肥胖犬非酯化脂肪酸、总胆固醇和三酸甘油酯显著升高。肥胖犬PBL中胰岛素下游相关基因IRS-2、脂类代谢基因FAS和能量代谢基因MDH的mRNA表达量显著下降。结论肥胖犬患有高胰岛素血症和严重的脂类代谢紊乱,胰岛素下游基因和其他代谢相关基因的显著下降可能提示肥胖犬患有胰岛素抵抗和能量代谢紊乱。     

Fatty Acids in Buckwheat are Growth Inhibitors

Four fatty acids, palmitic, stearic, arachidic and behenic acids,were identified (using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry)from buckwheat seedlings. These fatty acids at a concentrationof 250 ppm caused a slight but significant inhibition in growthof rice seedlings. Fagopyrum cymosum, fatty acid, growth inhibitor     

Characterization of six microsatellite loci in the mangrove cricket Apteronemobius asahinai

The mangrove cricket Apteronemobius asahinai is endemic to mangrove forest floors in China, Southeast Asia and the Ryukyu archipelago (Amamiohsima, Okinawa, Miyako, Ishigaki and Iriomote Islands) of Japan. We developed six polymorphic microsatellite markers for the mangrove cricket from genomic DNA libraries enriched for CA, GA, AAG and ATG motifs. The M13‐tailed primer method was used in the process of screening of amplification and polymorphism of primers. A total of 64 specimens from two populations (one from Okinawa and the other from Iriomote) were genotyped for allelic diversity. The average number of alleles per locus was 4.67 and 6.67 for Okinawa and Iriomote populations, respectively. A significant genetic differentiation was detected between the two populations (pairwise F_ST 0.2404). These polymorphic microsatellite loci will be useful in ongoing studies of the population genetic structure of the mangrove cricket including several populations in the Ryukyu archipelago.     

Centripetal Disposition of Bundle Sheath Chloroplasts During the Leaf Development of Eleusine coracana

Distribution of chloroplasts in bundle sheath cells was examinedby light and electron microscopy during the leaf developmentof finger millet (Eleusine coracana Gaertn.), an NAD malic enzymetype C₄ plant with centripetal arrangement of bundle sheathchloroplasts. Young chloroplasts are almost evenly distributedalong the cell walls in bundle sheath cells of folded immatureleaves. In elongating leaves and above the elongation zone thebundle sheath chloroplasts tend to lie along the radial wallsand the walls adjacent to the vascular bundle. They furthermigrate near to the vascular bundle and finally establish acentripetal arrangement. Mitochondria, microbodies and nucleusmigrate along with the chloroplasts. Etioplasts and other organellesare centripetally located in the bundle sheath cells of etiolatedseedlings grown in the dark. Bundle sheath chloroplast, C₄ plant, chloroplast, chloroplast orientation, Eleusine coracana, finger millet     

Chloroplast microsatellites in Prunus,Rosaceae

Ten chloroplast microsatellite markers were developed from Japanese plum (Prunus salicina) based on nucleotide sequences of c. 4300 bp from six chloroplast regions. Out of 10 microsatellites, seven markers contained mononucleotide repeats. Almost all microsatellites displayed discrete amplified fragments for 17 species in Prunus. The microsatellites generated 46 different fragment types and differentiated all used species. Polymorphism was also observed within species for all microsatellites.