Importance of fungi in the diet of Gammarus pulex and Asellus aquaticus

An important component of the interaction between macroinvertebrates and leaf litter in streams in the extent to which consumers can differentiate between undecomposed and decomposing leaves. The detritivores Gammarus pulex and Asellus aquaticus fed preferentially on conditioned rather on unconditioned leaf material. Growth in A. aquaticus was significantly reduced when unconditioned leaves were provided, but in G. pulex no significant effect of conditioning on growth was observed. The capacity of G. pulex to tolerate reductions in food quality seems to be a consequence of a compensatory system in which respiration rates change to compensate for reductions in food quality. In this way a constant growth rate is maintained. Increases in ingestion rates to compensate for low quality food were not observed.     

The first decade of oligotrophication of Lake Constance

In Lake Constance, after several decades of cutrophication, a decrease in phosphorus loading over the last decade has lead to a partial recovery from eutrophication. Here we analyse the shift in the taxonomic composition of phytoplankton during the first decade of oligotrophication in Lake Constance. During the 1980s, spring total P concentrations decreased from ca. 130 to less than 50 ·l^–1. This decrease was reflected by an approximately proportional decrease in summer phytoplankton biomass while spring phytoplankton biomass seemed unresponsive. Major taxonomic changes occured during both growth seasons. In spring, the proportion of diatoms, green algae and Chrysophyta increased while the proportion of Cryptophyta decreased. The summer trend was very different: the relative importance of diatoms decreased and Cryptophyta and Chrysophyta increased, while Chlorophyta reached their peak around 1985. These trends are also analysed at the genus level. Comparison with taxonomic trends during the eutrophication period shows the expected reversals in most cases. Comparison with other lakes shows general similarities, with the notable exception that Planktothrix rubescens has never been important in Lake Constance. The increase of diatoms during spring is attributed to their improved competitive performance with increasing Si:P ratios. Their decrease during summer is explained by the increasing silicate removal from the epilimnion by increasing spring populations.     

Some floristic and ecological characteristics of association Bromo-Plantaginetum mediae Ht. (31)49 on permanent plot No. 82 (National Park Plitvice Lakes — Croatia)

Plot 82 is one of a hundred permanent plots that have been set up in Croatia for the purpose of long-term and continual investigations of ecosystems and their successions. It is located in the area of Karleuine Plase within the Plitvice Lakes National Park. Vegetation on the plot belongs to association Bromo-Plantaginetum mediae. The association develops in mountainous regions of continental Croatia within a wide altitude range, from 180–1300 m a.s.l. on shallow soil over pervious carbonate rocks. The floristic composition and phytocoenological characteristics of the association have been analyzed using the common methods of the phytocoenological school Zürich-Montpellier, on the basis of 17 phytocoenological records. In addition to floristic composition, some site characteristics have been analysed: soil moisture, calcium carbonate, phosphates, pH value, humus, cation exchange capacity and nitrogen mineralization on the site and in the laboratory. The results obtained are comparable with the data presented in the available phytocoenological and ecological literature.     

The Casparian Strip of Clivia miniata Reg. Roots: Isolation,Fine Structure and Chemical Nature*

The root endodermis of Clivia miniata Reg. was successfully isolated using the cell wall degrading enzymes cellulase and pectinase. The enzymes did not depolymerize those regions of the primary cell walls of anticlinal endodermal root cells where the Casparian strips were located. Since the endodermis of C. miniata roots remained in its primary developmental state over the whole root length, endodermal isolates essentially represented Casparian strips. Thus, sufficient amounts of isolated Casparian strips could be obtained to allow further detailed investigations of the isolates by microscopic, histochemical and analytical methods. Scanning electron microscopy revealed the reticular structure of the Casparian strips completely surrounding the central cylinder of the roots. Whereas in younger parts of the root only the anticlinal cell walls of the endodermis remained intact in the isolates, in older parts of the root the periclinal walls also restricted enzymatic degradation due to the deposition of lignin. Extracts of the isolates with organic solvents did not reveal any wax-like substances which might have been deposited within the cell wall forming a transport barrier, as is the case with cutin and suberin. However, several histochemical and analytical methods (elemental analysis and FTIR spectroscopy) showed that the chemical nature of the Casparian strips of C. miniata roots can definitely be a lignified cell wall. These findings are in complete agreement with studies carried out at the beginning of this century on the chemical nature of the Casparian strips of several other plant species. The implications of these results concerning apoplasmatic transport of solutes and water across Casparian strips are discussed.     

嗜热蓝藻优雅粘囊藻藻胆体的特性和别藻蓝蛋白的亚基组成

研究了优雅粘囊藻藻胆体（ＰＢＳ）的特性。从聚丙烯酰胺凝胶电泳（ＰＡＧＥ）、吸收光谱和二阶导数图谱可证明,它的ＰＢＳ含有一种红色藻胆蛋白,两种Ｃ－藻蓝蛋白和三种别藻蓝蛋白。但是,用ＰＡＧＥ和羟基磷灰石柱层析分离和纯化所得藻胆蛋白,一般仅得到一种Ｃ－ＰＣ和一种亚基组成特殊的别藻蓝蛋白ＡＰＣ。这种ＡＰＣ吸收光谱和荧光发射相同于已报告的ＡＦＣ６６０ｎｍ。但是它的亚基组成是（αα′ββ′）２而不是（α′α２β２β′）Ｌｃ１０或（αβ）３。     

“秦油2号”油菜植株内含物与萝卜蚜有翅率的关系

通过对Ｎ、Ｐ、Ｋ不同施肥条件下的“秦油２号”油菜植株内含物等与萝卜蚜有翅率关系的研究,建立了８个数学模型,结果表明可溶性糖、总Ｎ、糖与蛋白质之比和丝氨酸与萝卜蚜有翅率有密切关系,其次是天门冬氨酸、苏氨酸、谷氨酸、甘氨酸、丙氨酸、蛋氨酸、异亮氨酸、亮氨酸、酪氨酸、含水量、水溶性蛋白、酰胺氮和含Ｐ量等．     

醋酸钙复盐对微生物生长的影响

应用四醋酸钙对黑曲霉、黄曲霉、米曲霉、链格孢霉等霉菌和大肠杆菌、枯草杆菌、绿脓杆菌、金黄色葡萄球菌等细菌生长影响作了研究,并将四醋酸钙与醋酸钙、苯甲酸钠对上述微生物的生长抑制作用加以比较。0.4％四醋酸钙对上述细菌的生长有明显的抑制作用。对上述霉菌生长亦有一定的抑制作用。当其与苯甲酸钠协同使用时,能更明显地抑制微生物生长。实验结果表明四醋酸钙很可能是一种安全性高、成本低的新型食品防腐剂。     

新经济植物黑莓的引种

黑莓（Ｒｕｂｕｓｓｐｐ．）是第三代新兴的小果类果树之一。江苏省植物研究所于１９８６～１９８８年从美国引进了７个黑莓品种,从中选出适合江苏地区栽培的Ｈｕｌｌ,Ｃｈｅｓｔｅｒ,Ｂｌａｃｋｓａｔｉｎ３个品种,并已初步推广。田间试验对３个品种的发枝习性、开花结果习性和产量构成等进行比较。Ｈｕｌｌ单株产量最高,果实最大,ＢｌａｃｋＳａｔｉｎ单株产量最低,果实最小。但若种植密度适宜,３品种均能达到高产。     

Time and biosequences

In this paper we discuss and demonstrate the importance of several factors relative to the relationship between time and evolution of biosequences. In both quantitative and qualitative measurements of the genetic distances, the compositional constraints of the nucleotide sequences play a very important role. We demonstrate that when homologous sequences significantly differ in base composition we get erratic branching order and/or wrong evaluation of the evolutionary rates. We must consider that every gene may have a different evolutionary dynamic along its sequence, generally linked to its functional constraints; this too can seriously affect its clocklike behavior. We report some cases showing how these factors can affect the quantitative measurements of the genetic distances of biosequences. Presented at the NATO Advanced Research Workshop onGenome Organization and Evolution, Spetsai, Greece, 16–22 September 1992     

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN NUCLEOSIDE DIPHOSPHATE KINASE ACTIVITY AND LIGHT-LIMITED GROWTH RATE IN THE MARINE DIATOM THALASSIOSIRA PSEUDONANA (BACILLARIOPHYCEAE)1

Light-limited cultures of the marine diatom Thalassiosira pseudonana (Hustedt) Hasle and Heimdal (3H clone) were grown over a range of growth rates between 0.06 and 1.64 d^?1. Variations in cell volume, cell quotas of carbon, nitrogen, and protein, and maximal activity of the enzyme nucleoside diphosphate kinase (NDPK) were measured and examined as a function of growth rate. NDPK from T. pseudonana showed K_m values of 0.24 and 0.68 mM for thymidine 5′-diphosphate and adenosine 5′-triphosphate (ATP), respectively, which are similar to those found for NDPK from a variety of organisms, from bacteria to mammals. An apparent activation enthalpy of 3.52 kCal·mol^?1 was determined from Arrhenius plots. No thermodynamic transition points were noted over a temperature range from 10° to 25°C. NDPK activity was significantly correlated with growth rate but not with cell volume, carbon, nitrogen, or protein; for interspecific comparisons, normalization of enzyme activity to cell number may be most meaningful. NDPK activity per cell versus growth rate followed a U-shaped relationship, being relatively constant between 0.5 and 1.0 d^?1 and rising at higher and lower growth rates. Over this range, enzyme activity may be regulated by substrate concentration (ATP or other nucleoside triphosphates) or by adenylate energy charge. At higher growth rates where energy charge and substrate concentrations are probably high, changes in enzyme concentration appear to be required. The reasons for a rise in enzyme activity at low growth rate is unclear. Simultaneous measurement of nucleoside di- and triphosphate levels alongside NDPK measurements may help clarify the relationship, but these preliminary experiments indicate that NDPK is of limited usefulness as an index of in situ growth rate.