Leptocephalus eel larvae will feed in aquaria

Synopsis Premetamorphosing larvae of Muraenesox cinereus (Muraenesocidae) and Conger myriaster (Congridae), caught and kept alive in aquaria, repeatedly bit pieces out of a lump of squid paste. By coloring the paste with Brilliant Red, ingestion and defecation were clearly seen through the transparent gut. The paste is not their natural food, but nevertheless a possible food item for rearing eels from eggs; most previous efforts have failed inasmuch as the larvae have starved.     

Winter Ciliates in a British Columbian Fjord: Six New Species and an Analysis of Ciliate Putative Prey

ABSTRACT. This work provides the first study of North Pacific planktonic ciliates by quantitative protargol staining. Triplicate water bottle samples were collected at a depth of 2 m (above the shallow pycnocline) at six stations in Indian Arm, British Columbia, on February 15, 1990, and February 26, 1991. Thirty-six ciliate species were observed. Six new species are described from protargolstained specimens: Strombidium lynni n. sp., Strombidium taylori n. sp., Strombidium basimorphum n. sp., Slrombidiurn ventropinnum n. sp., Strobilidium undinum n. sp., and Urotricha cyrtonucleata n. sp.
Ciliate abundance varied significantly (ANOVA, α= 0.05) between sampling sites, ranging from 550 to 6,800 cells/liter in 1990 and from 1,800 to 7,900 cells/liter in 1991. Biomass also varied significantly (ANOVA, α= 0.05) ranging from 3.7 × 10⁵ to 3.3 × 10⁶ pg carbon/liter in 1990 and 3.04 × 10⁶− 6.97 × 10⁶ pg carbon/liter in 1991. Putative prey were enumerated in three size fractions (1.5–5 μm, 5–10 μm and 10–25 μm). The source of variation in ciliate abundance and biomass was not identified. Parameters of salinity, temperature, putative prey, chlorophyll a and pycnocline depth did not significantly correlate with ciliate biomass or abundance (α= 0.05).     

Vegetation patterns in relation to micro-scale landforms in hilly land regions

Spatial structures of landforms as constants affecting vegetation patterns are discussed based on analyses of hilly land regions, mostly in the vicinity of Sendai, northeast Japan. The lower part of a hillslope is characterized by relatively active processes of soil erosion, landslides and slope failure. It supports a plant community different from that on the upper part of the hillslope. These two parts are termed the lower hillslope and the upper hillslope, respectively. The upper hillslope consists of valley heads with no stream water nor stream channels. Since a valley head is comprised of several micro-scale landform units, an upper hillslope can be subdivided into these landform units. Plant communities vary in their species compositions and structures as well as in some other ecological characteristics paralleling changes in their respective micro-scale landform units. However, the variations in species composition within upper hillslopes are not as extreme as those between the upper and lower hillslopes. xx]Papers presented at the Vth INTECOL Congress at YOKO-hama 1990.     

Dietary exposure and risk assessment to trace elements and iodine in seaweeds

IntroductionSeaweeds are a rich source of elements such as iodine, and are also able to accumulate contaminants such as trace elements.MethodsThe aim of this study was to assess the dietary exposure as well as the risk from iodine and trace elements in edible seaweeds for the French population using current consumption data. The contribution of seaweeds to overall dietary exposure to trace elements and iodine was evaluated, and for those substances with minimal contribution to overall dietary exposure, simulations were performed to propose increased maximal limits in seaweeds.ResultsCadmium, inorganic arsenic and mercury in seaweeds were very low contributors to total dietary exposure to these contaminants (0.7 % 1.1 % and 0.1 % on average, respectively). Dietary exposure to lead via seaweed may contribute up to 3.1 % of total dietary exposure. Dietary consumption of iodine via seaweed may contribute up to 33 % of total exposure to iodine, which makes seaweeds the strongest contributor to iodine in diet.DiscussionNew maximal values in seaweeds are proposed for the very low contributors to total dietary exposure: 1 mg/kg dw for cadmium, 10 mg/kg dw for inorganic arsenic and 0.3 mg/kg dw for mercury.     

DNA NUCLEOSIDE COMPOSITION AND METHYLATION IN SEVERAL SPECIES OF MICROALGAE1

Total DNA was isolated from 10 species of microalgae, including representatives of the Chlorophyceae (Chlorella ellipsoidea, Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, and Monoraphidium minutum), Bacillariophyceae (Cyclotella cryptica, Navicula saprophila, Nitzschia pusilla, and Phaeodactylum tricornutum), Charophyceae (Stichococcus sp.), Dinophyceae (Crypthecodinium cohnii), and Prasinophyceae (Tetraselmis suecica). Control samples of Escherichia coli and calf thymus DNA were also analyzed. The nucleoside base composition of each DNA sample was determined by reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatography. All samples contained 5-methyldeoxycytidine, although at widely varying levels. In M. minutum, about one-third of the cytidine residues were methylated. Restriction analysis supported this high degree of methylation in M. minutum and suggested that methylation is biased toward 5′-CG dinucleotides. The guanosine + cytosine (GC) contents of the green algae were, with the exception of Stichococcus sp., consistently higher than those of the diatoms. Monoraphidium minutum exhibited an extremely high GC content of 71%. Such a value is rare among eukaryotic organisms and might indicate an unusual codon usage. This work is important for developing strategies for transformation and gene cloning in these algae.     

EFFECTS OF VARIATION IN TEMPERATURE. I. ON THE BIOCHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF EIGHT SPECIES OF MARINE PHYTOPLANKTON1

The influence of temperature on the biochemical composition of eight species of marine phytoplankton was investigated. Thalassiosira pseudonana Hasle and Heim-dal, Phaeodactylum tricornutum Bohlin and, Pavlova lutheri Droop (three of eight species studied) had minimum values of carbon and nitrogen quotas at intermediate temperatures resulting in a broad U-shaped response in quotas over the temperature range of 10 to 25°C. Protein per cell also had minimum values at intermediate temperatures for six species. For T. pseudonana, P. tricornutum, and P. lutheri, patterns of variation in carbon, nitrogen, and protein quotas as a function of temperature were similar. Over all species, lipid and carbohydrate per cell showed no consistent trends with temperature. Only chlorophyll a quotas and the carbon: chlorophyll a ratios (θ) showed consistent trends across all species. Chlorophyll a quotas were always lower at 10°C than at 25°C. Carbon: chlorophyll a ratios (θ) were always higher at 10°C than at 25°C. We suggest that although θ consistently increases at lower temperatures, the relationship between temperature and θ ranges from linear to exponential and is species specific. Accordingly, the interspecific variance in θ that results from species showing a range of possible responses to temperature increases as temperature declines and reaches a maximum at low temperatures. High photon flux densities appear to increase the potential interspecific variance in the carbon: chlorophyll a ratio and therefore exacerbate these trends.     

2-KETO-SUGAR ACIDS IN GREEN FLAGELLATES: A CHEMICAL MARKER FOR PRASINOPHYCEAN SCALES1,2

The chemical composition of cell walls (thecae) of three taxa of scaly green flagellates (Prasinophyceae) was investigated. The theca of Tetraselmis striata, Tetraselmis tetrathele, and Scherffelia dubia consists mainly of carbohydrate (80% of dry weight), with proteins (5%), calcium (4%), and sulfate (6%) as minor components. The principal sugars (60% of dry weight) are the 2-keto-sugar acids 3-deoxy-manno-2-octulosonic acid (KDO), 3-deoxy-manno-5-O-methyl-2-octulosonic acid (5OMeKDO), and 3-deoxy-lyxo-2-heptulosaric acid (DHA). Arabinose, gulose, galactose, galacturonic acid, and in S. dubia, xylose and rhamnose were also found. Examination of scale preparations from Mantoniella squamata, Mesostigma viride, Pyramimonas amylifera, and Nephroselmis olivacea revealed that the 2-keto-sugar acids were always associated with the presence of typical prasinophycean scales on the cell surface. In contrast, 2-keto-sugar acids were not detected in the cell wall of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii nor in polymer preparations from the culture medium of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, Dunaliella bioculata, Dunaliella primolecta, Asteromonas gracilis, Hafniomonas reticulate, Pedinomonas tuberculata, Monomastix sp., and Micromonas pusilla. We conclude that 2-keto-sugar acids are chemical markers for prasinophycean scales.     

L-Tryptophan: Biochemical,nutritional and pharmacological aspects

Summary Tryptophan is important both for protein synthesis and as a precursor of niacin, serotonin and other metabolites. Tryptophan is an unusual amino acid because of the complexity of its metabolism, the variety and importance of its metabolites, the number and diversity of the diseases it is involved in, and because of its use in purified form as a pharmacological agent. This review covers the metabolism of tryptophan, its presence in the diet, the disorders associated with low tryptophan levels due to low dietary intake, malabsorption, or high rates of metabolism, the therapeutic effects of tryptophan and the side effects of tryptophan when it is used as a drug including eosinophilia myalgia syndrome.     

Activities of liver microsomal fatty acid desaturases in zinc-deficient rats force-fed diets with a coconut oil/safflower oil mixture of linseed oil

The present study was conducted to investigate the effect of zinc deficiency on fatty acid desaturation in rats fed two different types of dietary fat, a mixture of coconut oil and safflower oil (7∶1, w/w, “coconut oil diet”) or linseed oil (“linseed oil diet”). In order to ensure an adequate food intake, all rats were force-fed by gastric tube. Zinc deficiency caused statistical significant reducion of Δ9-desaturase activity in liver microsomes of rats fed coconut oil diet and tendencial reduction (p<0.15) in rats fed linseed oil diet compared with control rats fed diets with the same type of fat. In agreement with this effect, zinc deficiency in the rats fed both types of dietary fat increased the ratio between total saturated and total monounsaturated fatty in liver phospholipids and liver microsomes. Zinc deficient rats on the coconut oil diet had unchanged Δ6-desaturase activity with linoleic acid as substrate and lowered activity with α-linolenic acid as substrate. In contrast, zinc deficient rats on the linseed oil diet had increased Δ6-desaturase activity with linoleic acid as substrate and unchanged activity with α-linolenic acid. Because linoleic acid is the main substrate for Δ6-desaturase in the rats fed coconut oil diet, and α-linolenic acid is the main substrate in the rats fed linseed oil diet, it is concluded that in vivo Δ6-desaturation was not changed by zinc deficiency in the rats fed both types of dietary fat. Activity of Δ5-desaturase was also not changed by zinc deficiency in the rats fed both dietary fats. Levels of fatty acids in liver phospholipids and microsomes derived by Δ4-, Δ5-, and Δ6-desaturation were not consistently changed by zinc deficiency in the rats fed both types of dietary fat. Thus, the enzyme studies and also fatty acid composition data of liver phospholipids and microsomes indicate that zinc deficiency does not considerably disturb desaturation of linoleic and α-linolenic acid. Therefore, it is suggested that similarities between deficiencies of zinc and essential fatty acids described in literature are not due to disturbed desaturation of linoleic acid in zinc deficiency. The present study also indicates that zinc deficiency enhances incorporation of eicosapentaenoic acid into phosphatidylcholine of rats fed diets with large amounts ofn-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids.