Effect ofAzospirillum inoculation on nitrogen fixation and growth of several winter legumes

Summary Inoculation of naturally nodulatedPisum sativum L. (garden pea) withAzospirillum in the greenhouse caused a significant increase in nodule numbers above controls. Field inoculation of garden peas in the winter 1981–1982 andCicer arietinum L. (chick pea), in winter 1982–1983, withAzospirillum one week after plant emergence, produced a significant increase in seed yield, but did not affect plant dry matter yield. ForVicia sativa L. (vetch) grown in soil in the greenhouse and in the field for forage, winter 1980–1981, inoculation significantly increased dry matter yield, %N, N-content, and acetylene reduction (nitrogen fixation) activity. InHedysarum coronarium L. (sulla clover), winter 1981–1982, inoculated with both its specificRhizobium (by the slurry method) andAzospirillum, 7 days after emergence, there was an increase in acetylene reduction above controls inoculated withRhizobium alone. These results suggest that it is possible, under conditions tested in this work, to increase nodulation, nitrogen fixation, and crop yields of winter legumes by inoculation withAzospirillum.     

从棒头草(Polypogon fugax Nees ex Steud)幼穗培养获得体细胞胚和再生植株

棒头草幼穗在含2,4-D的MS培养基上诱导出了胚性、非胚性和中间型愈伤组织。根据形态、淀粉粒等指标可将组成这些愈伤组织的细胞分为三类。改变培养基中2,4-D的浓度,能诱导三类愈伤组织相互转变。从胚性愈伤组织中诱导形成了大量体细胞胚;体细胞胚是从单个原胚细胞直接发育而来,它们能正常萌发、再生小植株。这种再生能力现已保持了34个月。小植株移植在土壤中可以正常生长、分蘖、开花和结实。     

Parapsylla, a Gondwanan element in the psyllid fauna of southern Africa (Homoptera)

The genus Parapsylla (Homoptera: Psylloidea) is redescribed and placed in the Diaphorininae of the Family Aphalaridae. Its relationships within this subfamily are discussed. The genus Agmapsylla syn. nov. is placed into the synonymy of Parapsylla , and Pennavena syn. nov. and Eudiaphorina syn. nov. are placed into the synonymy of Diaphorina. The eight known species of Parapsylla are distributed in southern Africa and upland areas of East Africa. Host plant relationships are not clearly established but the genus appears to be associated with species of Maytenus (Celastraceae), Olinia (Oliniaceae) and possibly Olea (Oleaceae) and Syzygium (Myrtaceae). Parapsylla relicta syn. nov, and A. aureus syn. nov. are placed into the synonymy of Arytaina capensis. Parapsylla capensis comb. nov. is transferred from Arytaina, Parapsylla valens comb. nov. is transferred from Diaphorina , and the following new species are described: P. angolensis sp. nov., P. eafra sp. nov., P. huila sp. nov., P. marginipennis sp. nov., P. rufa sp. nov. and P. theroni sp. nov.     

Leghemoglobin-like sequences in the DNA of four actinorhizal plants

Summary A cloned cDNA partial copy of a soybean leghemoglobin mRNA was used to probe genomic DNA of four species of actinorhizal plants. Southern blot hybridization revealed the presence of sequences with homology to the leghemoglobin probe in DNA from Alnus glutinosa, Casuarina glauca, Ceanothus americanus and Elaeagnus pungens. The hybridization patterns of the restriction fragments revealed some fragment size conservation between the DNA of soybean and the DNA of four actinorhizal plants which are taxonomically unrelated to soybean or to each other. The results presented here indicate that globin gene sequences are much more widely distributed in the plant kingdom than has previously been thought. Furthermore, if sequence conservation is actually as high as the restriction fragment patterns suggest, the evolution of the DNA surrounding the globin sequences has been highly constrained.     

Diversity in the immune system: “Preconceived ideas” or ideas preconceived?

Two concepts of the evolution and regulation of expression of the combining site repertoire of the immune system, are compared. One view is based on the Associative Recognition Theory as formulated by the author and the other is based on the Idiotype Network Idea as conceived by Jerne. The two concepts are analyzed from the point of view of their logic, internal consistency and factual support.     

Composition of Caulobacter crescentus murein synthesized in the presence of glycine

Abstract Glycine added to the growth medium of Caulobacter crescentus was found to substitute Cterminal alanine in the peptide side chains of the murein of this species. Murein synthesized in vivo and in vitro in the presence of glycerine was poorly crosslinked as was new murein formed in the presence of the amino acid. The reduced cross-linkage seems to be due to the effect of glycine on the formation of trimeric muropeptides as revealed by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) muropeptide analysis of murein formed in the presence and absence of the amino acid.     

Effects of monovalent cations on red cell shape and size

Human erythrocytes were incubated in isotonic solutions of different monovalent cations. The apparent size of the red cells measured on scanning electron microscopic pictures decreases in the order Li⁺>Na⁺=K⁺>Rb⁺. These differences in size are abolished after pretreatment with trypsin, which removes a large part of the charges associated with membrane glycoproteins. Shape alterations are also observed. Normal biconcave shapes are visible after Na⁺ or K⁺ incubation, whereas Li⁺ leads to flabby, flattened cells with a certain tendency to crenation, and Rb⁺ causes more pronounced biconcavity with a certain tendency to cupping. The overall effects of pretreatment with trypsin are similar to those of Li⁺. Our results provide evidence that the electrostatic repulsion of glycoproteins and other charged membrane components may play an essential role in maintaining red cell shape.     

浙江省仓贮稻谷大米真菌区系的研究

在浙江省采集仓贮稻谷及大米样品,共分离到真菌17属48种(不包括酵母菌)。其中:曲霉属(Aspergillus)18种,青霉属(Penicillium)10种,镰孢霉属(Eusarium)4种。研究表明:在浙江省地区之间,贮粮真菌种类无明显差异。稻谷加工成大米后,籽粒表面带菌量及内部带菌率均明显下降,其真菌区系以贮藏真菌为主。稻谷在贮藏前以田间真菌为主。贮藏1—4个月的稻谷因贮藏真菌的种类、数量明显增长,而田间真菌的种类和数量仍保持在较高的水平上,其表面带菌量及谷粒带菌率处于高峰期;贮藏1年以上的稻谷,其主要带菌种类为贮藏真菌,带菌量及带菌率明显下降。早籼谷和晚粳谷在相同贮藏条件下其带菌种类和数量基本一致。     

Operation of the glycolate pathway in isolated bundle sheath strands of maize and Panicum maximum

Operation of the glycolate pathway in isolated bundle sheath (BS) strands of two C₄ species was demonstrated from ¹⁴C incorporation into two intermediates, glycine and serine, under conditions favourable for photorespiratory activity. Isolated BS strands fixing ¹⁴CO₂ under light at physiological rates incorporate respectively 3% (Zea mays L., cv. INRA 258) and 7% (Panicum maximum Jacq.) of total ¹⁴C fixed into glycine + serine, at low bicarbonate levels (less than the Km for CO₂ fixation, 0.8 mM). Higher bicarbonate concentrations depressed the percentage of incorporation into the two amino acids. No labelling was observed in the absence of added glutamate. Oxygen was required for glycine + serine labelling, since ¹⁴C incorporation into glycine was largely depressed by argon flushing, and labelling of the two amino acids was nearly suppressed by the addition of the strong reductant, dithionite, especially in maize. Two inhibitors of the glycolate pathway were tested. With α-hydroxypyridine-methanesulfonic acid, an inhibitor of glycolate oxidase, labelling of glycine and serine remained minimal whereas glycolate was accumulated. Isoniazid, an inhibitor of the transformation of glycine to serine induced a 50% increased labelling of glycine in maize BS, and a large decrease in serine labelling. In Panicum, the increase in [¹⁴C]-glycine was 90%. These results suggest that the pathway glycolate → glycine → serine operates in these plants. However, leakage of metabolites occurs in BS cells, especially in maize and a large part of newly formed glycolate, glycine and serine is exported out of the cells. Operation of ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate oxygenase activity in competition with ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase is demonstrated by the lowering of total ¹⁴CO₂ fixation when O₂ is increased at low bicarbonate concentration. An interesting feature observed in maize BS, at low bicarbonate concentration, was an increase in ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate labelling when the O₂ level was decreased. This was accompanied by an increase in CO₂ fixation. This could indicate an increased rate in synthesis of ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate (which accumulated) due to a stimulation of ATP synthesis by cyclic photophosphorylation under anaerobic conditions.