Chorology of the Euxinian and Hyrcanian element in the woody flora of Asia

The Euxinian and the Hyrcanian floristic province are analysed in respect to their trees and shrubs. These provinces mark the southern limit of the Euro-Siberian Region in SW. Asia. Mesophyllic forests dominate; they are deciduous, but there is a substantial component of evergreen shrubs in the understorey. Characteristics species frequently have a relic nature. Species lists and some exemplary distribution maps are presented for the Euxinian and the Hyrcanian element, both with endemic and more wide-spread species, including the characteristic Euxine-Hyrcanian group.     

Infidelity of leafcutting ants to host plants: resource heterogeneity or defense induction?

Summary Leafcutting ants have strong among- and within-plant preferences, and generally abandon plants long before they are completely defoliated. Two tropical deciduous forest tree species preferred by the leafcutting ant Atta colombica were studied to determine how variation in resource quality affects ant selectivity and partial defoliation of plants. Significant differences in palatability and leaf characteristics of Spondias mombin and Bursera simaruba were found among trees and among leaf types within trees, but not among branches within trees. No short-term responses to experimental defoliation of up to 50% of total canopy were found in either species. Leaf nutrient and poisture content were positively correlated, and phenolic content negatively correlated, with the palatability of Spondias mombin, a species containing hydrolyzable tannins. Leaf moisture and phenolic content were both positively correlated with the palatability of Bursera simaruba, which contains predominantly condensed tannins. The results suggest that variation in leaf quality among and within plants is at least a partial explanation for ant selectivity and partial defoliation of preferred species. There is no evidence that rapidly induced changes in plant chemistry affect ant decisions to abandon these plants. Instead, it appears likely that ants abandon plants once high-quality leaf patches are exhausted. Quantitative variation in leaf nutrients, moisture, and secondary chemicals all appear to contribute to ant preferences for individuals and tissues of highly palatable plants.     

Diffusible IAA and dominance phenomena in fruits of apple and tomato

The relationships between indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) diffusing out of the fruit and competition among fruits, and between fruits and shoot tips were investigated using apple ( Malus domestica Borkh. cv. Jonagold) and tomato ( Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) plants. Dominant fruits always had more diffusible IAA than subordinated, inhibited fruits. Alterations in dominance – by fruit- or shoot tip removal – led to significant changes in diffusible IAA by the remaining fruits. This change could be detected one day after dominance modification.
It is suggested that diffusible IAA is involved in the correlative signal regulating dominance relationship between fruits, and between fruits and shoots in apple and tomato.     

Hormonal changes associated with fruit set and development in mandarins differing in their parthenocarpic ability

Satsuma [Citrus unshiu (Mak) Marc.] and Clementine [Citrus reticulata (Hort.) Ex. Tanaka, cv. Oroval] are two related species of seedless mandarins which differ in their tendency to set parthenocarpic fruits. Satsuma fruits naturally set parthenocarpically whereas Clementine mandarins show very low ability to set fruit in the absence of cross-pollination. The endogenous levels of gibberellins (GAs) and free and conjugated indole-acetic acid (IAA) and abscisic acid (ABA) throughout early stages of fruit development were investigated in seedless cultivars of both species. Analyses performed by full-scan combined gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) of extracts from ovaries at anthesis demonstrated the presence of GA₁₉, GA₂₀, GA₂₉, GA₁, GA₈, GA₃ and iso-GA₃ in Satsuma mandarin, whereas only GA₂₉, GA₃ and trace levels of GA₈ were detected in Clementine. At this developmental stage GA-like substances, as estimated by bioassay, reached their highest levels in Satsuma, while Clementine mandarins contained relatively lower levels. In both species the highest levels of free IAA were found at petal-fall stage at which time free ABA levels also peaked. Developing fruits of Clementine had higher amounts of both free IAA and ABA. In Satsuma, levels of conjugated IAA remained low throughout reproductive development whereas in Clementine they increased as the free form declined. In contrast, conjugated ABA was at low levels in Clementine but reached higher concentrations in Satsuma. These results suggest that in these mandarins the potential for setting parthenocarpic fruits is mainly influenced by the hormonal status of the fruit during the later stages of cell division and early stages of cell enlargement. Thus, the condition of low ability to set parthenocarpic fruits appears to be associated with lower levels of active GAs, lower capability to catabolize ABA to conjugated ABA and higher ability to conjugate IAA during this period.     

Chloroplast DNA in Pinus monticola

Summary Within-species variability of a restriction site in the chloroplast (cp) DNA in Pinus monticola has been surveyed. Frequencies of two variants of the cp genome are significantly different in interior versus coastal populations. Paternal inheritance of the cp genome predominates, though some individuals have both variants of the genome. The presence of heteroplasmic individuals indicates occasional biparental inheritance.     

Two forms of exopolygalacturonase increase as peach fruits ripen

Abstract. Freestone peach cultivars are distinguished from clingstone cultivars by a more extensive softening of the mesocarp tissue, and by the separation of mesocarp and endocarp during ripening. Cultivars of both types have been reported to develop exopolygalacturonase activity during ripening, but the enzyme has not been characterized in any detail. During development of freestone peaches ( Prunus persica L. var Coronet), two exopolygalacturonase enzymes were detected 42, 65 and 85 d after full bloom and in ripe fruit. During ripening one enzyme (exoPG 1) increased 36-fold and the other (exoPG 2) 90-fold but exoPG 2 accounted for a 73% of the total activity in ripe fruit. ExoPG 1 was purified 24-fold and exoPG 2 540-fold. ExoPG 2 is a slightly acidic glycoprotein. ExoPG 1 and exoPG 2 differ slightly in their pH optima and in their responses to calcium: each produces monogalacturonic acid as a reaction product. Similar enzymes were found in Flavorerest, a semi-freestone peach.     

Study of physiopathological phenomena in dental enamel by neutron activation analysis

An epithermal neutron activation method is used to determine the concentration of mineral elements in human dental enamel. A large number (252) of samples from ancient and modern origins are analyzed. The analytical results are mathematically processed using a statistical multivariant method. This allows to differentiate deciduous from permanent teeth and decayed from sound enamel. It is also possible to distinguish the teeth coming from two different necropoles. The origin and the localization of determined elements in the mineralized part, or in the aqueous-organic part, of enamel is suggested. Their role, as witnessed in the physiopathological phenomena of dental enamel, is discussed.     

山东省的菌根真菌及分布

1842年Vittadini观察到树木小根可以从在其上面形成根套的真菌中获得营养。1885年Frank发展和完善了Vittadini 的观察,提出     

Laboratory tests carried out onMicrothrix inconspicuella [Lep.: Pyralidae], a biological control agent forEmex australis in Australia

Host specificity tests of the moth,Microthrix inconspicuella Ragonot in Australia, indicated that larvae could feed and develop on young apple leaves. Additional tests in South Africa on leaves and fruit of the 4 apple varieties, Jonathan, Starking (Red Delicious), Granny Smith and Golden Delicious, showed that apples were not a preferred food. Little feeding occurred and pupation happened infrequently. No 2^nd generation resulted whenM. inconspicuella colonies were confined on apple fruit or leaves.      

Evolutionary analysis of the multigene pregnancy-specific β1-Glycoprotein family: Separation of historical and nonhistorical signals

The pregnancy-specific ₁-glycoproteins (PSG) form a large family of closely related proteins. Using newly developed methods of sequence analysis, in combination with protein modeling, we provide a framework for investigating the evolution and biological function of genes like the PSG. Evolutionary trees, based on C-terminal sequence, group PSG genes in a manner consistent with their genomic organization. Trees constructed using the N-terminal domain sequences are unreliable as an indicator of phylogeny because of non-neutral processes of sequence change. During duplication of the PSG genes, evolutionary pressures have resulted in a gradient of constrained change across each gene. The N-terminal domains show a nonrandom pattern of amino acid substitutions clustered in the immunoglobulin complementarity-determining region (CDR)-like regions, which appear to be important in the function of the protein.