Light spectral quality effects on the growth of potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) nodal cuttings in vitro

Summary The effects of light spectral quality on the growth of in vitro nodal cuttings of potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) cultivars Norland, Superior, Kennebec, and Denali were examined. The different light spectra were provided by Vita-Lite fluorescent (VF) (a white light control), blue fluorescent (BF), red fluorescent (RF), low-pressure sodium (LPS), and a combination of low-pressure sodium plus cool-white fluorescent lamps (LPS/CWF). For all cultivars, stem lengths after 4 wk were longest under LPS, followed by RF, LPS/CWF, VF, and BF (in descending order). Microscopic studies revealed that cells were shortest when cultured in BF or VF environments, and were longest in RF or LPS lamp environments. The highest number of axillary branches occurred on plantlets grown with LPS or LPS/CWF, whereas the lowest number occurred with BF. No leaf or stem edema (callus or gall-like growths) occurred with LPS or LPS/CWF lighting, and no edema occurred on cv. Norland plantlets, regardless of lighting. Results suggest that shoot morphologic development of in vitro grown potato plants can be controlled by controlling irradiant spectral quality.     

Control of Otiorhynchus sulcatus (Fabricius) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) Larvae on a Range of Hardy Ornamental Nursery Stock Species Using the Entomogenous Fungus Metarhizium anisopliae

The potential of the entomogenous fungus Metarhizium anisopliae as a microbial control agent for vine weevil (Otiorhynchus sulcatus) larvae was examined on a range of outdoor hardy nursery stock species. A curative application of M. anisopliae conidia (5× 10⁸ conidia l^‐1compost) reduced larval numbers by 62% on Skimmia japonica ’Rubella’ and by up to 43% on Viburnum plicatum ’Mariesii’. Four M. anisopliae isolates were examined and all reduced the larval populations on both species. However, the reductions were only significant with strains 159–83 and 100–82 on S. japonica ’Rubella’ and 100–82 on V. plicatum ’Mariesii’. Larval development on two other species (Hydrangea macrophylla ’Blue Wave’ and Thuja plicata ’Zebrina') which had been treated with 0.05% Triton X‐100 (the control treatment) was very poor and therefore it was not possible to determine whether or not the fungal drench had any effect. The experiment was repeated in the following year at two different sites, East Mailing and Littlehampton, using a prophylactic drench of two M. anisopliae isolates on a greater number of plant species. Strain 275–86 was more effective than 159–83 on all species at East Mailing, with the exception of V. davidii. The difference was less pronounced at Littlehampton and the results from the two isolates were similar. Larval control was highly variable and species dependent with a reduction in larval numbers ranging from zero to 96% and zero to 90% at East Mailing and Littlehampton respectively. The larval populations in pots treated with Triton X‐100 were also highly variable, ranging from zero (Chaemaecyparis lawsoniana ’Stardust’ Dianthus ’Maria’ Escallonia ’Crimson Spire’ and Pittosporum tenuifolium ’Gamettii') to 17.8 larvae per pot (Ribes nigrum ’Baldwin ‘). The results indicate the potential of M. anisopliae and demonstrate the complexity of plant‐weevil‐fungus interactions.     

Effects of a pregrowth period in Al-free nutrient solution on macronutrient composition of two upland rice cultivars with various Al sensitivity

Effects of Al on growth and macronutrient distribution (K. P. Ca and Mg) were examined in two rice ( Oryza sativa L.) cultivars (BG35 and IR45) pregrown in a nutrient solution without Al for 21 days followed by 14 days at 0.70. 140 or 280 μ M Al (pH 4.2 ± 0.1). Relative growth rate (RGR) of pregrown plants was significantly less hampered by Al compared to their controls, than RGR of plants that were not pregrown. However, a similar ranking of the cultivars for Al sensitivity was obtained irrespective of pregrowth period. The more Al tolerant BG35 consistently outyielded the Al sensitive IR45 under all Al treatments. A comparatively high Al-retention in roots and low Al transport rate to shoots of pregrown IR45 was the opposite of conditions in non-pregrown IR45. In BG35, uptake and transport of nutrients to the shoots were efficient at all Al levels. In IR45, particularly the uptake and distribution of P and Mg were disturbed by Al. It is suggested that a pregrowth or nursery period without Al reduces Al toxicity in both BG35 and IR45 at least up to 280 μ M Al.     

Potassium deficiency causes injuries to Picea pungens glauca in nurseries

For many years a widespread disorder has occured with Picea pungens glauca in nurseries near Hamburg, with chlorotic and sometimes necrotic needles at the tip of current shoots. From a survey investigation, a pot trial and a field trial it was concluded that K deficiency was the cause of the disorder, and that it was probably aggravated by oversupply of N.     

The fungus-specificity of mycorrhization helper bacteria (MHBs) used as an alternative to soil fumigation for ectomycorrhizal inoculation of bare-root Douglas-fir planting stocks with Laccaria laccata

Mycorrhization helper bacteria (MHBs) isolated and selected from the Douglas fir-Laccaria laccata symbiotic system have previously been shown to be fungus-specific: they promote ectomycorrhizal establishment of Laccaria laccata but inhibit mycorrhiza formation by other fungi. In this paper, two experiments in a nursery producing two years-old bare-root Douglas-fir planting stocks confirm the specificity of MHBs under field conditions. They also show that, by selectively helping the introduced L. laccata against the resident symbionts, MHBs are an interesting alternative (safer and easier) to soil fumigation for the success of routine controlled mycorrhization of planting stocks in forest nurseries.     

Cloning of Streptococcus pneumoniae DNA: its use in pneumococcal transformation and in studies of mismatch repair

EcoRI fragments of the amiA locus in Streptococcus pneumoniae were cloned either into a derivative of lambda or into pBR325 plasmid. Mutations in the amiA locus confer resistance to aminopterin. Pneumococcal DNA fractions were enriched for the desired EcoRI fragments by agarose gel electrophoresis. Recombinant clones were detected directly by transformation with DNA and lambda plaques or from single-colony lysates containing pBR325. The use of cloned DNA in pneumococcal transformation has revealed a number of features pertinent to transformation in general, and also the mismatch repair process. High transformation levels can be achieved, from 40 to 80% of a competent culture. These high levels of transformation with cloned DNA made in a foreign host are taken to confirm the absence of restriction effects on transformation in S. pneumoniae. At saturation, similar transformation levels are obtained with hybrid phage or hybrid plasmid DNAs, but the DNA amount required is 20 to 25 times lower for hybrid plasmid than for hybrid phage, probably because plasmid DNA is 10 times shorter than phage DNA. There is no "end effect" with intact hybrid DNA, i.e. similar transformation levels are achieved for markers whatever their map position on the cloned pneumococcal fragment. Cloned DNA has been used to study the action of the mismatch repair process (hex system). The presence of two mismatches in the same cell is not enough to saturate the hex system, and is not enough to kill the colony-forming center (cfc).     

Physical analysis of antibiotic-resistance genes from Streptomyces and their use in vector construction

Restriction endonuclease cleavage maps of five DNA fragments carrying genes for neomycin phosphotransferase and neomycin acetyltransferase (from Streptomyces fradiae), viomycin phosphotransferase (from S. vinaceus), and ribosomal methylases determining resistance to thiostrepton (from S. azureus) and MLS antibiotics (from S. erythreus) are described, together with a map for the SLP1.2 Streptomyces plasmid used to isolate the fragments. Construction of a versatile Streptomyces cloning vector (pIJ61) is reported. pIJ61 carries neomycin phosphotransferase and thiostrepton resistance genes and has unique BamHI and PstI sites which will allow clone recognition by insertional inactivation of neomycin resistance; cloning sites for several other endonucleases are also present. pIJ28, a shuttle vector for Streptomyces and E. coli, carries neomycin resistance and the SLP1.2 and pBR322 replicons.     

Ethidium-bromide-inhibited restriction endonucleases cleave one strand of circular DNA

We analyzed the effect of ethidium bromide (EtBr) on the cleavage of closed circular pBR322 DNA molecules by six restriction enzymes which make staggered or flush cuts (EcoRI, HindIII, BglI, PstI, HincII, PvuII). EtBr concentrations and reaction temperatures were determined at which DNA molecules with single-strand breaks were the major reaction product of digestion by all the enzymes. However, the amounts of intermediates which could be isolated differed for various enzymes. The results extend previous studies, showing that sequential cleavage of the DNA strands probably is a general property of restriction endonucleases.     

Restriction map of bacteriophage SP02: ordering the SacI fragments and identification of the DNA termini

A plasmid that is able to replicate in both Escherichia coli and Streptococcus sanguis has been constructed by the in vitro joining of the pACYC184 (Cm^r Tc^r) and pVA749 (Em^r) replicons. This plasmid, designated pVA838, is 9.2 kb in size and expresses Em^r in both E. coli and S. sanguis. Its Cm^r marker is expressed only in E. coli and may be inactivated by addition of DNA inserts at its internal EcoRI or PvuII sites. The pVA838 molecule also contains unique SalI, SphI, BamHI, NruI and XbaI cleavage sites suitable for molecular cloning. pVA838 may be amplified in E. coli but not in S. sanguis. We have used the pVA838 plasmid as a shuttle vector to clone streptococcai plasmid fragments in E. coli. Such chimeras isolated from E. coli were readily introduced into S. sanguis by transformation.     

Glycosylation of human LDL and its metabolism in human skin fibroblasts

Extrachromosomal DNA of heterogeneous size has been isolated from bursal lymphocytes and splenocytes of five week old chickens, and from splenocytes of mice. This DNA contains covalently closed circles, open circles, and open circles with tails. Open circular molecules with and without tails are more frequent than covalently closed species, and the total number of small circular DNA molecules per cell is in the range of 100–200 copies.