Plantlet production from the male inflorescence tips of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Musa acuminata</Emphasis> cultivars from South India

Inflorescence apices are suitable explants for the rapid in vitro propagation of Musa spp. However, the diploid and triploid banana cultivars showed different in vitro responses with respect to the hormone combinations in Murashige and Skoog medium. The diploid cultivar (Sannachenkadali, AA) induced a maximum number of multiple shoots in 8.9 μM 6-benzyl adenine (BA) whereas the triploid cultivar (Red banana, AAA) exhibited maximum multiplication in 22.2 μM 6-benzyl adenine. MS medium supplemented with 11.4 μM indole acetic acid and 17.8 μM BA was also suitable for shoot proliferation in triploid cultivar but not in the diploid cultivar. The regenerated shoots were rooted in Murashige and Skoog basal medium within 10–15 days. The rooted plantlets were transferred to vermiculite and maintained at a temperature of 25 ± 2°C for 10 days and then at room temperature (30–32°C) for 2 weeks before transferring to potted soil compost mixture. The plantlets showed 100% survival.     

Impact and management of the eriophyoid mite Trisetacus juniperinus on the evergreen cypress Cupressus sempervirens

Abstract 1 In the Mediterranean region, the eriophyoid mite Trisetacus juniperinus causes considerable damage to the evergreen cypress, Cupressus sempervirens L., particularly in nurseries and young stands, disturbing the apical growth of the tree. 2 The impact of mites on survival and apical growth of two commercial clones of cypress (Agrimed and Bolgheri), as well as the results of differently timed pesticide applications to suppress mite population on newly grafted trees, were evaluated. 3 Mites easily infested clonal scions from rootstocks that were previously infested in the nursery, inducing tip deformation and disturbance of the growth. Apical growth was significantly lower in infested than in control trees 2 years following the graft. 4 Deformed apical buds were left early by mites, which dispersed in the crown and may have incurred high mortality. This is interpreted as a defensive reaction of the cypress to the mite attack, which involves costs resulting in reduced apical growth in both clones. However, mites partly overcame tree defences in the Bolgheri clone. 5 Healthy rootstock and graft material should be used to limit damage and maintain plant growth because natural infestations rarely occur. In case of attack, a pesticide should be applied as soon as possible because precocious mite infestation has a log‐lasting effect on tree growth, with considerable economic damage.     

杜仲雌雄株细胞学,顶芽及叶含胶量的比较

杜仲（ＥｕｃｏｍｍｉａｕｌｍｏｉｄｅｓＯｌｉｖ．）为严格的雌雄异株植物,其雌雄株的比例近似于１：１,说明其性别可能由性染色体决定。但在形态上看不到特异的性染色体,雄株花粉母细胞整个减数分裂过程中,同源染色体的配对和分离是正常的。偶尔可发现个别细胞有染色体桥和环状或链状四价体。从１９９３年和１９９４年的１２月到翌年４月芽完全展开前对顶芽的测量说明,雄株顶芽的长度和最大直径都明显大于雌株的（Ｐ＜０．０１）,而整个生长季节中雌株叶子的杜仲胶含量却明显高于雄株的（Ｐ＜０．０１）。不管雄株还是雌株,其叶的含胶量都随季节变化和叶子的长大而降低。实践证明可用芽的大小鉴别杜仲幼株的性别。     

Most genes encoding cytoplasmic intermediate filament (IF) proteins of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans are required in late embryogenesis

Intestinal cells of C. elegans show an unexpectedly high complexity of cytoplasmic intermediate filament (IF) proteins. Of the 11 known IF genes six are coexpressed in the intestine, i.e. genes B2, C1, C2, D1, D2, and E1. Specific antibodies and GFP-promoter constructs show that genes B2, D1, D2, and E1 are exclusively expressed in intestinal cells. Using RNA interference (RNAi) by microinjection at 25 degrees C rather than at 20 degrees C we observe for the first time lethal phenotypes for C1 and D2. RNAi at 25 degrees C also shows that the known A1 phenotype occurs already in the late embryo after microinjection and is also observed by feeding which was not the case at 20 degrees C. Thus, RNAi at 25 degrees C may also be useful for the future analysis of other nematode genes. Finally, we show that triple RNAi at 20 degrees C is necessary for the combinations B2, D1, E1 and B2, D1, D2 to obtain a phenotype. Together with earlier results on genes A1, A2, A3, B1, and C2 RNAi phenotypes are now established for all 11IF genes except for the A4 gene. RNAi phenotypes except for A2 (early larval lethality) and C2 (adult phenotype) relate to the late embryo. We conclude that in C. elegans cytoplasmic IFs are required for tissue integrity including late embryonic stages. This is in strong contrast to the mouse, where ablation of IF genes apparently does not affect the embryo proper.     

唇精子早期入卵观察

用扫描电镜对唇成熟卵子及早期精子入卵过程进行观察.结果 显示,唇成熟卵子在动物极中央有一深凹陷的表面光滑的精孔器,其外径2.512 μm,内径2.330 μm,精子直径1.567 μm.混匀的精卵刚遇水时,没有精子进入精孔器.受精后1 s,精孔器内出现精子.受精后5 s,组织切片显示,精子已经进入卵子内,并形成具有强烈抑制多精入卵作用的受精锥.受精后10 s,精子在精孔器前庭集结,尚未形成受精塞.受精后20 s,在精孔器内形成受精塞.受精塞没有阻塞精孔管,经分析它不是来源于皮层反应产物.受精塞形成后,可以吸附入卵的精子,这对多精入卵有积极的抑制作用;精子尾部在入卵过程中相互缠绕,这也是减少多精入卵的重要机制.受精后30 s, 受精塞和吸附的精子向精孔器外移动.受精后50 s, 受精塞和吸附的精子堵塞精孔器.受精后60 s, 受精塞吸附的精子开始解体,但是由于精孔管未封闭,还有精子通过精孔管进入到质膜.在人工受精过程中,卵子的单精受精屏障会因其周围精子密度大、精子与卵子距离短、精子运动速度快而被打破,从而导致这些卵子出现多精入卵的现象.受精后80 s, 精孔管仍然没有封闭,精孔器附近的精子明显出现活动能力的差异:精孔器外面的精子活动能力最强,精孔管旁边的精子活动能力较弱;精孔管外堆积的精子活性消失,受精塞吸附的精子已开始解体,经初步分析,这可能是进入其内的精子耗能有所差异的结果.受精后100 s,受精塞吸附的精子解体.     

Differential Gene Expression and Protein Localization of Cryptosporidium parvum Fatty Acyl‐CoA Synthetase Isoforms

Cryptosporidium parvum is unable to synthesize fatty acids de novo, but possesses three long‐chain fatty acyl‐CoA synthetase (CpACS) isoforms for activating fatty acids. We have recently shown that these enzymes could be targeted to kill the parasite in vitro and in vivo. Here, we demonstrated that the CpACS genes were differentially expressed during the parasite life cycle, and their proteins were localized to different subcellular structures by immunofluorescence and immuno‐electron microscopies. Among them, CpACS1 displayed as an apical protein in sporozoites and merozoites, but no or little presence during the intracellular merogony until the release of merozoites, suggesting that CpACS1 probably functioned mainly during the parasite invasion and/or early stage of intracellular development. Both CpACS2 and CpACS3 proteins were present in all parasite life cycle stages, in which CpACS2 was present in the parasite and the parasitophorous vacuole membranes (PVM), whereas CpACS3 was mainly present in the parasite plasma membranes with little presence in the PVM. These observations suggest that CpACS2 and CpACS3 may participate in scavenging and transport of fatty acids across the PVM and the parasite cytoplasmic membranes, respectively.     

Rab11b resides in a vesicular compartment distinct from Rab11a in parietal cells and other epithelial cells

The Rab11 family of small GTPases is composed of three members, Rab11a, Rab11b, and Rab25. While recent work on Rab11a and Rab25 has yielded some insights into their function, Rab11b has received little attention. Therefore, we sought to examine the distribution of endogenous Rab11b in epithelial cells. In rabbit gastric parietal cells, unlike Rab11a, Rab11b did not colocalize or coisolate with H(+)/K(+)-ATPase. In MDCK cells, endogenous Rab11b localized to an apical pericentrisomal region distinct from Rab11a. The microtubule agents nocodazole and taxol dramatically alter Rab11a's localization in the cell, while effects on Rab11b's distribution were less apparent. These results indicate that in contrast to Rab11a, the Rab11b compartment in the apical region is not as dependent upon microtubules. While Rab11a is known to regulate transferrin trafficking in nonpolarized cells and IgA trafficking in polarized cells, Rab11b exhibited little colocalization with either of these cargoes. Thus, while Rab11a and Rab11b share high sequence homology, they appear to reside within distinct vesicle compartments.     

Ultrastructure of the spermatozoon of Anomotaenia quelea (Mettrick, 1961) (Cestoda,Cyclophyllidea, Dilepididae), an intestinal parasite of Quelea quelea (Aves,Ploceidae) in Senegal

The mature spermatozoon of Anomotaenia quelea exhibits an apical cone of electron-dense material and two helicoidal crest-like bodies. The apical cone near its base is surrounded by a lucent cytoplasm and a spiraled layer of cortical microtubules. The crest-like bodies are of different lengths, spiraled and make an angle of 30–40° to the hypothetical spermatozoon axis. The axoneme is of the 9 + ‘1’ trepaxonematan pattern and is surrounded by a periaxonemal sheath of electron-dense material. The cytoplasm contains in regions III and IV numerous electron-dense granules situated between the periaxonemal sheath and the cortical microtubules. The posterior extremity of the spermatozoon of A. quelea exhibits a nucleus and a disorganized axoneme and cortical microtubules. This type of posterior extremity of the mature spermatozoon has never been described previously in a Dilepididae. Similarly, two crest-like bodies have not been observed before in a dilepidid cestode.