Arbovirological survey in Silica plateau area, Roznava District, Czechoslovakia

The serosurveys conducted in the Silica plateau area of the Slovak karst region revealed the presence of specific neutralizing antibody against tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) virus in 18% of local inhabitants (33 examined, mostly goats and sheep farmers), 54% of goats (26 examined), 18% of sheep (120 examined) and 13% of cattle (60 examined), against Lipovník (LIP) virus in 30% of inhabitants, 88% of goats, 55% of sheep and 45% of cattle, and against Bhanja (BHA) virus in 27% of inhabitants, 46% of goats, 29% of sheep and 23% of cattle. The results of hemagglutination-inhibition tests with TBE and BHA antigens were analogous. A detailed analysis of these serologic data points to a recent enhancement of the circulation of LIP and BHA viruses and to a very low TBE virus activity in this natural focus of arboviral infections. The immunological surveys of the 32 former "Roznava disease" patients, conducted 25 years after an extensive epidemic of a TBE virus infection that originated in Roznava in 1951, revealed the presence of neutralizing (and also hemagglutination-inhibiting) antibodies against TBE virus in as many as 78% of cases. Antibodies against LIP and BHA viruses were also detectable in the sera of 16% and 9%, respectively, of these individuals. Populations of the ectoparasites examined for the presence of arbovirus comprised 231 Ixodes ricinus, 806 Dermacentor marginatus and 204 Haemaphysalis punctata ticks and 117 specimens of the louse-flies Melophagus ovinus. Two strains of arbivirus that were antigenically related to Lipovník and Tribec viruses belonging to a group of Kemerovo viruses were isolated from male and female I. ricinus ticks collected from cattle.     

Contribution to the ecology ofMarsilea quadrifolia L.

Data are presented on the aboveground and underground biomass of the speciesMarsilea quadrifolia and on the water regime and soil conditions in a habitat of this species in Central Europe (Czechoslovakia).     

The isolation and genetic analysis of aCaenorhabditis elegants translocation (szT1) strain bearing an X-chromosome balancer

A single X-chromosome balancer-bearingCelegans ♂+, as a founder of a strain (AF1), was isolated directly from Fl progeny of irradiated+dpy-8unc-3/lon-2++ hermaphrodites on the basis of the absence of recombinant F2 categories. The balancer chromosome (Bal-X-1) suppresses recombination over a two-thirds section of the X chromosome (between genesdpy-8 andlet-2) and is associated with a reciprocal translocation between linkage groups (LG) X and I. Animals homozygous for the translocation (szT1(X:1)) are nonviable. kEntry&sortOrder=relevance' class='reference-link webtrekk-track' gaCategory="Internal link" gaLabel="Hermaphrodites" gaAction="reference keyword">Hermaphrodites heterozygous for the translocation segregate male selfprogeny at a frequency of 0.08-0.12.Bal-X-l carries the marker mutationlon-2(e678) and can be detected cytologically. This balancer chromosome proved useful for rnaimaininga number of X-linked lethal mutations and deficiencies inC. elegans.     

Bacteroides intermedius binds fibrinogen.

The binding of Bacteroides intermedius VPI 8944 to human fibrinogen has been characterized. The binding is time dependent, at least partially reversible, saturable, and specific. On an average, a maximum of 3,500 fibrinogen molecules bind per bacterial cell, with a dissociation constant of 1.7 X 10(-11) M. These bacteria also exhibit a fibrinogenolytic activity which can be partially inhibited by protease inhibitors. Bacteria release fibrinogenolytic activity into the surrounding medium without loss of binding activity, but more pronounced fibrinogen breakdown occurs when 125I-labeled fibrinogen is associated with the bacteria, suggesting that fibrinogen is degraded at the cell surface. Fibrinogen binding by B. intermedius might represent a mechanism of bacterial tissue adherence.     

Protoplast forming ability in the genusBrevibacterium

Formation of protoplasts and their reversion were followed in 7 strains of brevibacteria. The formation of protoplasts and their reversion differed both between various species of brevibacteria and between various mutant strains of the same species.     

Yield and yield components in flue-cured tobacco and their genetic analysis

Five cultivars and the half diallel set of 10 F₁ hybrids of flue-cured tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.) were grown in two seasons. Highly significant differences were assessed between genotypes as concerns flowering time, plant height, number of leaves, leaf length and width and yield per plot. High to moderate values for heritability in the broad sense were obtained in all cases. Hybrids, in general, flowered earlier, were taller, had fewer but shorter and wider leaves and slightly increased yield when compared with the mean value of all parents. The variance associated with general combining ability (GCA) was highly significant in all characters. The estimates of SCA were significant in most cases. High GCA/SCA ratios which largely exceeded the unity were obtained for most attributes. The negative and positive alleles were unequally distributed in the parents for all the studied traits. A small number of effective genes was obtained for all characters except plant height, where one to two groups of genes were distinguished     

Cytogenetic effect of plant tissue culture medium with certain growth substances onAllium sativum L. meristem root tip cells

The effect of plant tissue culture medium with different concentrations and combinations of growth regulators (kinetin, indol-3-ylacetic acid, 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid) was evaluated on mitosis ofAllium sativum meristem root tip cells. Different combinations of growth regulators at low concentrations had no effect on induction of mitotic aberrations or inhibition of mitotic activity. Inhibition of mitotic activity, a tendency to chromosome stickiness and clumping and a slight increase in the frequency of mitotic aberrations were observed at higher concentrations. It may be proposed that plant tissue culture media have no direct effect on induction of mitotic aberrations in plant tissue culturesin vitro.     

Dark transpiration rate and water deficit as growth limiting factors in alfalfa plants

Growth, dark transpiration rate (DTR) as well as water saturation deficit (WSD) of 30 single plants of 8 alfalfa genotypes growing in experimental field of 50 × 10 cm spacing, in four cuts at early bud stage, were studied. The growth and WSD of genotypes examined were significantly different, the differences in DTR were not significant. The growth of alfalfa plants was in negative correlation with both DTR which reflects non-effective water loss and WSD. Significant negative correlation established between plant growth and its variability shows that fodder productivity in alfalfa genotypes was dependent on growth variability of individual plants. Positive correlations established between WSD or DTR and the growth variability show some of the causes of growth variability.     

Production of microsporidia pathogenic to the Colorado potato beetle (Leptinotarsa decemlineata) in alternate hosts

The microsporida Nosema gastroideae and N. equestris, which are highly pathogenic for Leptinotarsa, have been successfully produced in some other chrysomelid species, Gastrophysa polygoni and G. viridula. As the principal target host, Leptinotarsa is very susceptible to these pathogens, and death occurs before massive sporulation by the microsporidia. By contrast, the infected larvae of G. polygoni or G. viridula are able to develop until the adult stage when most of the tissues become filled with spores. In addition, the larvae and adults of these species can be reared in the laboratory on Polygonum aviculare and Rumex obtusifolius. These plants have longer vegetative periods and are better sources of food than potato leaves. In both species of Gastrophysa the yields of spores related to unit weight were about five times higher than in Leptinotarsa. In the adults of G. viridula there was up to 4.8 × 10⁶ spores mg^?1 body weight of N. gastroideae, or 9.1 × 10⁶ spores mg^?1 of N. equestris. The higher content of microsporidian spores facilitates their purification and isolation.