Wax ester formation catalysed by isoenzymes of lipolytic acyl hydrolase

Wax ester formation by esterification of a long chain fatty acid (palmitic acid) with a long chain fatty alcohol (octadecanol) was enzymically catalysed by acetone dried powder preparations of potato tubers. The enzyme responsible for wax ester formation had multiple isoenzymic forms and was identical with lipolytic acyl hydrolase, a lipid deacylating enzyme. Tubers from different varietiees of potato (Solanum tuberosum) demonstrated markedly different levels of activity and electrophoretic patterns for both wax ester formation and lipid deacylation.     

Effect of light source for growth on photosynthetic reactions of Anabaena variabilis particles

Photosynthetic particles were prepared from the blue—green alga Anabaena variabilis grown under two different light conditions. Photosynthetic activity of particles from fluorescent-light-grown cells was lower than that of particles from tungsten-grown cells. The photosynthetic activities of particles from fluorescent-light-grown cells could be increased by moving these cultures to tungsten light. The extent of recovery depended on the ratio of fluorescent growth to the tungsten growth period. It was concluded that the difference in photosynthetic activities between tungsten and fluorescent grown cell-free preparations is more likely due to a lack of red light rather than to disturbance of pigment contents.     

Structure of indole-3-acetic acid myoinositol esters and pentamethyl-myoinositols

GC-MS properties of three isomeric esters of indole-3-acetic acid and myoinositol, three esters of indole-3-acectic acid and myoinositol arabinoside and three esters of indole-3-acetic acid and myoinositol galactoside are presented. MS fragmentation patterns for the four possible pentamethyl myoinositols are also shown. These data indicated that the arabinose, and galactose of the glycosides were in the pyranose form and that C-1 of the sugar was linked to the 5 hydroxyl of myoinositol. Homologies in fragmentation patterns for the esters and the glycoside esters, together with knowledge of the properties of 2-O-indole-3-acetyl-myoinositol, permitted identification of one of the arabinosides as 5-O-l-arabinopyranosyl-2-O-indole-3-acetyl-myoinositol and one of the galactosides as 5-O-d- galactopyranosyl-2-O-indole-3-acetyl-myoinositol. The remaining two GLC peaks observed for the arabinoside were then, most likely, the two mixtures of diastereoisomers 1 d- and 1 l-5-O-l-arabinopryranosyl-1-O-indole-3-acetyl myoinositol and 1 d- and 1 l-5-O-l-arabinopyranosyl-4-O-indole-3-acetyl-myoinositol. The remaining two GLC peaks observed for the galactoside would then be the 1 d and 1 l-5-O-d-galactopyranosyl-1-O-indole-3-acetyl-myoinositol and 1 d- and 1 l-5-O-d- galactopyranosyl-4-O-indoleacetyl-myoinositol.     

A note on the estimation of selective values from recaptures of marked animals when selection pressures remain constant over time

An equation is given for the estimation of selective values from data obtained by mark-recapture experiments, assuming that selective pressures remain constant while the experiments are carried out. The equation does not have an explicit solution but can readily be solved using a trial-and-error method. The use of the equation is illustrated on some data reported byKettlewell et al. (1969) from an experiment involving typica and edda morphs of the moth Amathes glareosa. It is found that the edda morph apparently had a selective advantage of about 12% per day compared to the typica morph and that this is significantly different from zero. Using another methodKettlewell concluded that the selective advantage of the edda morph was only 7% and that this was not statistically significant.     

The inheritance of bilateral rotation of maxillary central incisors

Wing-like appearance is a term identifying mesiopalatal torsion of upper permanent central incisors. Previous studies have shown that the trait is more frequent in Amerind populations than in Caucasoids and pointed to a genetic cause. The purpose of this study is to establish the hereditary mechanism involved in the transmission of this trait. The population studied is an Indian community (Queckchi) of the municipality of St. Maria Cahabon, Guatemala. The group examined consists of 1,080 individuals, 752 (69.63%) classified as Indians and 328 (30.37%) as non-Indians. From this sample 37 index cases were identified and their families studied in detail. Six phenotypic variants were observed (left, right and bilateral mesiolabial and mesiolingual torsion). Sex ratio among affecteds is 45% female, 55% male, Pedigree study supports an autosomal dominant mode of inheritance with 84% penetrance and variable expressivity. Segregation analysis using the maximum likelihood method of Morton yields an estimate of p (the segregation frequency) of 0.42 which rules out recessive inheritance. To rule out a sex-linked gene, a χ² test on offspring of normal females married to affected males is not significant (χ² = 0.008). The gene frequency in the Indian and non-Indian groups is pi = 0.1 and pn = 0.08 respectively. The lack of racial differences is thought to be due to racial admixture.     

An analysis of foundress group size inRopalidia fasciata (Hymenoptera: Vespidae), with zero-truncated distributions

Summary Distribution patterns of foundress group size ofRopalidia fasciata did not fit to 0-truncated Poisson series due to overdispersion. Six of seven distributions fitted to 0-truncated negative binomial series, but, for most cases, neither Brass' moment method nor the maximum liklihood method could be used due to disproportionately high frequency of nests with single foundress. Existence of two kinds of foundresses was suggested. This work was supported in part by a Grant-in-Aid (No. 62304002) from the Ministry of Education, Science and Culture, Japan.