Foraminifera and meiofauna on an intertidal mudflat,Cornwall, England: Populations; respiration and secondary production; and energy budget

A rich and varied meiofauna inhabits a Cornish mudflat near the mouth of the Tamar River in southwestern England. Population densities range from 117 to 943 individuals · g^–1 (wet) sediment (1.4–11.4 × 10⁶ individuals · m^–2), with foraminifera, harpacticoid copepods and nematodes appearing in nearly equal numbers and comprising most of the meiofauna. Seasonally, meiofaunal numbers rise and fall with solar radiation and vary inversely with river discharge. Two species, the atestate allogromiid A and the calcareous Haynesina germanica (Ehrenberg), far outnumber other foraminifera; their population densities and growth rates reach maxima in spring and summer.Monthly rates of sediment respiration are locally variable, but clearly increase from winter (4.13 ml O₂ · m^–2 · h^–1 in December) to spring (38.87 ml O₂ · m^–2 · h^–1 in April). Experiments and calculations ascribe approximately 30% of this total to the meiofauna (including microfauna and microflora), 50% to bacteria and less than 20% to chemical oxidation. A tentative energy budget for the mudflat suggests that secondary production by meiofauna is small as compared with coastal environments elsewhere, and that meiofaunal production (426 Kcal · m^–2 · y^–1) is nearly twice meiofaunal respiration (252 Kcal · m^–2 · yr^–1).     

Regulation of respiration and ATP synthesis in higher organisms: Hypothesis

The present view on the regulation of respiration and ATP synthesis in higher organisms implies only Michaelis-Menten type kinetics and respiratory control as regulatory principles. Recent experimental observations, suggesting further regulatory mechanisms at respiratory chain complexes, are reviewed. A new hypothesis is presented implying regulation of respiration and ATP synthesis in higher organisms mainly via allosteric modification of respiratory chain complexes, in particular of cytochromec oxidase. The allosteric effectors, e.g., metabolites, cofactors, ions, hormones, and the membrane potential are suggested to change the activity and the coupling degree of cytochromec oxidase by binding to specific sites at nuclear coded subunits. Recent results on the structure and activity of cytochromec oxidase, supporting the hypothesis, are reviewed.Dedicated to Professor Dr. Carl Martius on the occasion of his 80th birthday.     

颈动脉窦区注入枸橼酸钠抑制家兔呼吸的机制

向颈总动脉头端注入枸橼酸钠能使大多数家兔发生呼气性呼吸暂停和呼吸频率变慢。此呼吸抑制效应可被地卡因麻醉颈动脉窦区所消除。切断窦神经不能阻断枸橼酸钠对呼吸的抑制。切断迷走神经窦支则使半数以上家兔的呼吸抑制减弱或消失,而在结状神经节上方切断迷走神经能阻断大多数家兔的呼吸抑制。结果提示,迷走神经窦支是颈动脉窦区感受器传入通路之一,向颈动脉窦区注入枸橼酸钠对呼吸的抑制主要是通过迷走神经传入引起的。     

家兔脑桥臂旁内侧核区微量注射吗啡对中缝大核区单位放电的影响

实验在62只家兔上进行。结果观察到,中缝大核(NRM)区562个单位中,有118个单位的自发放电频率低,放电比较规则,动作电位时程长,易被微电泳5-羟色胺所阻遏,称为A 组单位。其余444个单位的自发放电频率高,动作电位时程短,称为B 组单位。大多数 B组单位对微电泳5-羟色胺不起反应。脑桥臂旁内侧核(NPBM)区微量注射吗啡(200μg/2μl)或静脉注射吗啡(3mg/kg)后,20个A 组单位中有19个发生兴奋效应,而49个B 组单位中仅有29个发生兴奋效应,而且A组单位发生兴奋的程度也比B组单位的高。这些结果提示,NRM区的A 组单位可能是5-羟色胺神经元,吗啡对这些神经元有相对选择性的兴奋作用。 在另外11只家兔上,应用辣根过氧化物酶(HRP)逆行追踪技术观察到,NPBM 区与NRM 区有纤维联系。 本实验结果提示,静脉注射吗啡所致的呼吸抑制,可能与吗啡作用于 NPBM,通过纤维联系,引起NRM 5-羟色胺神经元兴奋有关。     

Cycling of soil carbon in a Japanese red pine forest II. Changes occurring in the first year after a clear-felling

Cycling of soil carbon in the first year after a clear-felling was compared with that before the felling in a Japanese red pine forest in Hiroshima Prefecture, west Japan. The daily mean temperature at the soil surface in summer was increased after the felling in comparison to that before felling, and the water content of both the A₀ layer and the surface mineral soil was decreased due to the loss of the forest canopy. The rate of weight loss of the A₀ layer was reduced after felling. However, accumulation of the A₀ layer rapidly decreased because of the lack of litter supply to the forest floor. Low soil respiration after felling was mainly caused by the cessation of root respiration. Analysis of annual soil carbon cycling was then conducted using a compartment model. The relative decomposition rate of the A₀ layer decreased whereas that of humus and dead roots in mineral soil increased to some extent after felling. The accumulation of carbon in mineral soil, however, increased slightly due to the supply of humus from roots killed by the felling.     

Uptake and polar transport of indoleacetic acid in moss rhizoids

In the cucumber ( Cucumis sativus L. cv. Straight Eight) cotyledon expansion assay, cytokinin-stimulated ethylene production was separated from cytokinin-stimulated growth through the use of potassium and calcium salts. Low concentrations of KC1, which dramatically promoted growth induced by cytokinin, inhibited ethylene evolution, while CaCl₂ at a concentration that had no effect on growth, strongly promoted the cytokinin-induced ethylene evolution. In contrast to the growth response, stimulation of ethylene production was not directly related to the presence of potassium or calcium but to their relative concentrations. Concentrations of KCl and CaCl₂ which promoted ethylene evolution singly, strongly inhibited it when mixed together. Low rates of exogenous ethylene had no effect on the growth response. Both the growth and ethylene responses were found to be general cytokinin phenomena. Cotyledon respiration was promoted by KC1, CaCl₂ and cytokinin, but its stimulation was not correlated with either growth or ethylene production. In the presence of KClm cytokinin-induced respiration sharply lowered the content of certain sugars during the large growth response and followed KCl uptake. Analysis of KCl uptake showed that its growth promoting synergism with cytokinin was not due to osmotic effects.     

Alkylsulfonic acids and some S-containing detergents as sulfur sources for growth of Chlorella fusca

Chlorella fusca can utilize the following substances as sole sulfur sources for growth: C₁ to C₈ n-alkane-1-sulfonates, linear alkylbenzenes sulfonates (LAS), -sulfonated fatty acid esters, polyethylene glycol sulfate and alkylsulfates. Good sulfur sources are alkylsulfonic acids, which are comparable to sulfate. Ethanesulfonic acid was used for comparison of the growth on sulfate and on a sulfonic acid, because best growth was achieved on this C₂-sulfonic acid.Growth data of Chlorella on the enviromental important detergents linear alkylbenzene sulfonic acids, -sulfonated fatty acid methylester, Texapon and Sulfopon are presented. So far only microorganisms have been discussed as a source for degradation of sulfonic acids and detergents. It is suggested that green algae could be of similar importance for the biodegradation of these compounds.Abbreviations LAS Linear alkylbenzene sulfonate - ES -sulfonated fatty acid methylester - DTE dithiocrythritol