Behavioral analysis of the choice of oviposition site by single females ofDrosophila Melanogaster (Diptera: Drosophilidae)

The oviposition behavior of single females of Drosophila melanogasterwas studied in population cages over 24 h. Each female shows a different behavior, but they can be arbitrarily separated into those which concentrate their egg laying in only one tube and those which spread it over more than two tubes. A comparison is made between females extracted from the Valdivian population and flies from lines selected for high and low aggregation. When one-tube females were grouped and compared with more-than-one-tube females, the aggregation indices between these groups were significantly different.     

Cytogeographical study of four aneuploids ofCarex oxyandra Kudo in Japan

Chromosome numbers were determined for 342 clones ofCarex oxyandra collected from 35 localities in Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku and Kyushu, Japan. Four intraspecific aneuploids, 2n=18, 20, 24 and 26, were found. In meiotic division, only bivalent chromosomes were observed in all clones at metaphases I and II, suggesting that the aneuploids are established gamodemes. In the mitotic metaphase chromosomes, trimodal variation in chromosome length was observed. The 2n=26 clones found on Mt. Hiko had two particularly small chromosomes. The cytodemes with higher number of chromosomes are distributed in more southern areas of Japan.Carex oxyandra, therefore, accompanied with chromosome fragmentations, might spread the geographical distribution to the southern parts. The morphological characters of leaves, spikes, scales, perigynia and nuts were similar among the four cytodemes, except for the small leaves on plants from Yaku Island.     

Distribution and immunolocalization of stachyose synthase in Cucumis melo L.

Indirect evidence for the site of stachyose biosynthesis has been provided by determining the occurrence and distribution of stachyose, raffinose and galactinol, the donor of the galactosyl moiety for stachyose synthesis, in Cucumis melo L. cv. Ranjadew. Studies of enzyme activities for the synthesis of these sugars and their distribution in different plant organs and isolates has led to the conclusion that stachyose is synthesized mainly in mature leaves and seeds. Nevertheless, stachyose-synthase activity varied with leaf age, the developmental stage of a plant, the growing season and the plant cultivar used. No stachyose or stachyose-synthase activity could be detected in isolated mesophyll protoplasts and chloroplasts, whereas both were found in a minor-vein-enriched fraction isolated from mature leaves. The conclusion that stachyose biosynthesis is associated with minor veins was confirmed by immunolocalization of the enzyme. Positive specific immunoreactivity of stachyose synthase with polyclonal anti-stachyose-synthase antibodies, labeled with protein A-gold, was detected in intermediary cells of leaf minor veins. The implication of this local synthesis of the main transport sugar for phloem loading in mature leaves of Cucumis melo is discussed.Abbreviation RUBPCase ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase This work was supported by Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft. The excellent assistance of Ms. B. Müller in preparing the samples for electron microscopy is gratefully acknowledged. The authors thank Professor H.J. Schneider-Poetsch for anti-RuBPCase antibodies.     

Complementarity of genes for resistance to greenbug [Schizaphis graminum (Rondani)], biotype E,in sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench]

Summary Gene complementarity among various sources of resistance to greenbug biotype E was assessed. Analysis of the F₂ generation of crosses between susceptible and resistant parents (mating 1) and among sources of resistance (mating 2) suggested that resistance in sorghum to greenbug biotype E was complexly inherited and, to some extent, dependent on the nature of both the resistant and susceptible parents. Positive transgressive segregation in the F₂ generations of both matings was found to be due to effective plus factors, contributed by both parents in a cross, which complemented each other. The number of plus factors ranged from one to two in the susceptible parents and from two to five in the resistant parents of mating 1, and from one to five in the parents of mating 2. The consistently significant reciprocal effects shown by Sarvasi and PI264453 indicated that these sources had major factors for resistance in their cytoplasms, which were expressed in all their crosses. The results from this study indicated that the sources of resistance complemented each other to give increased number of F₂ segregates with increased resistance. Thus, it should be possible to increase and diversify resistance of sorghum to greenbug biotype E by accumulating different, effective plus factors from various sources through recurrent selection.Contribution No. 90-106-J from the Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 66506, USA     

Whole-embryo culture of Drosophila : development of embryonic tissues in vitro

Summary We have devised techniques to culture whole, dissected embryos of Drosophila melanogaster. We examine multiple aspects of the morphological and physiological development of the epidermis, musculature, nervous system, and internal organs in this cultured preparation, and show that in vitro development closely parallels normal embryogenesis. These techniques permit a wide range of experimental manipulations during embryogenesis and allow us to extend observations through late embryonic stages, after cuticle deposition. Applications of this technique are presented.     

禾本科植物的组织培养研究及其应用

禾本科植物是粮食作物的主要来源,随着人口的增加和生活水准的提高,人类对粮食的产量、种类和质量的需求也日益迫切。根据国外在1982年对90个发展中国家的统计和预测的结果说明到1990年末,这些国家共缺少72百万吨谷物而到2000年将缺少144百万吨谷物。近十余年以来,随着植物分子生物学的迅猛发展和作为植物生物技术重要组成部分的植物组织培养技术的日臻完善,被公认为非常困难从事的禾本科植物(Gramina-ceae)的组织培养也取得了异常迅速的发展,并且已经在作物改良的生产中取得了成效,显示了越来越大的潜能和威力,为人类从根本上解决食物问题指出了一条切实可行的途径。本文拟在评述近年来禾本利植物组织培养(主要指胚胎培养、器官培养、细胞培养和原生质体培养)的理论性研究和应用性研究的进展,并重点描述和讨沦在应用上较为成熟和有发展前景的几个领域的发展现状以及利用禾本科植物的组织培养技术而进行的基因转移技术的概况。希望能为我国从事植物组织培养的工作者们提供某些参考资料并对于一些问题进行共同的商榷和探讨。     

美洲蜚蠊机械感受器输出信号的计算机分析

对蜚蠊单个机械感受器诱发反应峰电位的历程及幅度,使用系列分析、栅分析、时序分布、累加密度函数、栅—频分析、特征参数的伪三维隐线显示、峰电位幅度概率密度函数、峰电位间隔概率密度函数等分析方法,获得较多的神经信号间隔编码信息,以揭示刺激和反应之间的复杂关系。峰电位间隔和栅—频分析图由函数经曲线拟合后,分别求得描述其动态过程的时间常数τ_1,τ_2和τ_3,应用上述多种分析显示方法,使研究者更为直观地观察和定量描述刺激—反应间的动态关系。     

神农架拐棍竹林的初步研究

拐棍竹(Fargesia spathacea Franch.)是中国特有分布种类,主要分布川、滇、陕、甘等省。是极有开发价值的植物资源,又是大熊猫取食主要竹种之一。本文研究了神农架拐棍竹林的生态生物学特点,客观地估算了其蕴藏量,进行了营养成分分析。现报道如下:     

中国紫堇属大叶紫堇组的分类与分布

本文叙述大叶紫堇组在紫堇属(Corydalis)中的系统位置以及其分布区的原始性,同时记载了隶属于5个系的23种9变种和1变型,其中有4个新系,7个新种和7个新变种。