DNA content of Ulva compressa (Ulvales, Chlorophyta) nuclei determined with laser scanning cytometry

The green macroalgal genus Ulva (incl. Entemmorpha) contains economically valuable species, is of relevance for coastal management (green tides), and certain taxa serve as experimental organisms for fundamental research in green algae. The nuclear genome size of Ulva (Entemmorpha) compressa Linnaeus was measured in propidium iodide stained nuclei using laser scanning cytometry. Nuclei of fixed gametes yielded reproducible values, whereas nuclei extracted from multicellular gametophytes were unsuitable. With nuclei of Arabidopsis thaliana (L.) Heynh and Saccharomyces cerevisiae Hansen as references, the haploid nuclear genome size of U. compressa was calculated as 135 ± 7 Mbp. This is the smallest genome so far known from any species of Ulva.     

NUCLEAR HISTONE PROTEINS OF GAMETES IN AN OOGAMOUS AND TWO ISOGAMOUS BROWN ALGAE1

Nuclear basic proteins (histones) were studied in male and female gametes of the isogamous brown algae, Colpomenia bullosa (Saunders) Yamada and Analipus japonicus (Harvey) Wynne and sperm of the oogamous Cystoseira hakodatensis (Yendo) Fensholt by using SDS‐ and AUT‐PAGE. Four major core histones and several linker histone H1s were detected by electrophoresis. Each of the core histones was identified by amino acid sequence analysis and peptide mapping. Electrophoresis patterns of histones were the same in male and female gametes and quite similar between the two species. The composition of histone H1s in conspicuously condensed sperm nuclei of C. hakodatensis was different from that in isogamous gametes. Electrophoresis after micrococcal nuclease digestion of chromatin in male and female gamete nuclei of C. bullosa and A. japonicus and sperm of C. hakodatensis resulted in regular ladder patterns of DNA fragments (ca. 200 base pair). The chromatin of the brown algal gametes thus has the typical nucleosome structure. These results showed that chromatin condensation in sperm nuclei of C. hakodatensis was associated with a modification of linker histone H1 but not by change of core histones, replacement by other basic proteins, changes of repeating patterns, or disappearance of nucleosomes.     

ULTRASTRUCTURE OF MALE GAMETES OF SPHAEROPLEA ROBUSTA (CHLOROPHYCEAE)1

Male gametes have been studied in Sphaeroplea robusta (Chlorophyceae) using both light and electron microscopy. Mature gametes are typically biflagellate and possess a single, large mitochondrion that dominates the anterior third of the cell, directly posterior to the basal bodies. One or more microbodies are closely associated with the mitochondrion. Contractile vacuoles occur anterior to the elongated nucleus which, in fully mature gametes, possesses condensed chromatin. The reduced, starch-filled chloroplast lacks an associated eyespot and occupies a posterior position. A thin, anteriorly directed process or extension of the chloroplast parallels a portion of one of the multistranded flagellar roots. The paired basal bodies are directly opposed with no demonstrable offset, and are connected by an arched distal fiber with a highly elaborated central striated region that forms the apical cone, a feature characteristic of male gametes in most species of Sphaeroplea. Possession of a striated distal fiber, a cruciate flagellar root system (i.e. two-stranded microtubular roots alternating with multistranded roots), and directly opposed basal bodies are consistent with the alga's chlorophycean affinities.     

Use of salt-stored zonae pellucidae for assessing rabbit sperm capacitation for in vitro fertilization

Zonae pellucidae of tubal and follicular oocytes were collected and prepared for salt storage. Cumulus and corona radiata cells were removed from oocytes with hyaluronidase and a small bore pipette. The oocytes (referred to as zonae since vitelli were rendered nonfunctional) were stored in a salt solution at 4°C. Using in utero capacitated sperm, the penetrability of zonae from tubal and follicular oocytes stored immediately after collection was compared to controls, i.e., in vitro development of tubal ova to the 4-cell stage within 24 hr. The penetration rates were 100% (8 penetrated/ 8 inseminated), 77.8% (7 penetrated/ 9 inseminated), and 100% (10 fertilized/10 inseminated), respectively, and these were not statistically different. The mean (x ) numbers of sperm able to penetrate the zonae, into the perivitelline space (PVS) for tubal (34.0) and follicular (1.1) oocytes were significantly different (P < 0.01). However, following maturational incubation before salt storage, zonae of tubal and follicular origin showed no significant differences in penetrability of in utero capacitated sperm when assessed by percent penetration, or mean numbers of sperm cells reaching the PVS: tubal zonae, 100% (15/15), and follicular zonae, 100% (18/18), and mean number of sperm in the PVS (x [tubal zonae] = 12.4, and x [follicular zonae] = 11.8). The penetrability of tubal zonae with and without maturational incubation was compared, and no significant differences in penetrability by in utero capacitated sperm were present when assessed by percent penetration nonmatured 92.6% (25/27) and matured 93.3% (28/30) and mean number of sperm in the PVS (x [nonmatured] = 3.33 and x [matured] = 2.41). In vitro capacitation of ejaculated rabbit sperm by serum treatment was assessed by the penetration of salt-stored zonae, zonae-free hamster oocytes (ZFHO), and in vitro fertilization of freshly collected tubal oocytes. None of 60 salt-stored zonae and none of 31 tubal oocytes were penetrated, and these values were significantly (P < 0.005) smaller than the 9 of 78 (12%) zona-free hamster ova that were penetrated by sperm cells from the same sample. In vitro capacitation of ejaculated rabbit sperm by washing and preincubation was assessed by the penetration of salt-stored zonae, zona-free hamster oocytes (ZFHO), and fertilization of freshly collected tubal oocytes. Seventy-six of 80 salt-stored zonae were penetrated, and this was significantly (P < 0.005) greater than the 67 of 87 tubal oocytes fertilized and 30 of 35 ZFHO penetrated, which were not significantly different. The salt-stored zonae were more readily penetrated by capacitated sperm when compared to tubal oocytes. However, the ZFHO are more penetrable than salt-stored zonae and tubal oocytes when incompletely capacitated sperm is used. A useful role for this approach in studies dealing with sperm fertilizing ability is anticipated.     

洋葱雄配子形成过程中染色体数目变化同染色质胞间转移的关系

在小孢子和雄配子形成过程中,中期Ⅱ、小孢子和生殖细胞有丝分裂中期染色体数目增加和减少细胞的百分率分别与前一时期(中期Ⅰ、中期Ⅱ和小孢子有丝分裂中期)染色体数目增加和减少细胞的百分率相近,而中期Ⅰ染色体数目增加和减少细胞的百分率又分别与凝线期2.3→1和1→2.3型染色质胞间转移的百分率相近,统计学上无显著差异。据此认为:(1)染色体数目的改变与染色质的胞间转移活动有关;(2)中期Ⅰ那些染色体数目增加或减少的细胞基本上都能够进一步发育,直至形成雄配子。     

Sea urchin egg-cortical granule protease has arginyl proteolytic specificity

Sea urchin eggs secrete esteroproteolytic activity at fertilization. This enzyme has been shown to be proteolytic toward embryo protein and casein, but a systematic study of its substrate specificity has not been done. In this communication we present data that demonstrates for the first time that the cortical granule protease from Strongylocentrotus purpuratus eggs cleaves arginyl residues in a protein substrate, lysozyme. We have developed a sensitive reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) assay that detects femtomole levels of trypsin and chymotrypsin protease activity [Green, 1986: Anal Biochem 152:83–88]. In the sea urchin system, we have detected protease activity from as few as 50 eggs. Correlating the RP-HPLC analysis with a spectrophotometric Nα-benzoyl-L-arginine ethyl ester assay, we have found that each egg secretes approximately 40 attomoles of trypsin-like activity. This general method should be quite useful in investigations into the natural substrate of the egg protease.     

杉木生活雌雄配子的分离

以杉木（Ｃｕｎｎｉｎｇｈａｍｉａｌａｎｃｅｏｌａｔａ（Ｌａｍｂ．）Ｈｏｏｋ．）传粉后的胚珠为材料,分离获得了生活的雌配子和雄配子。当花粉管进入雌配子体组织后,在颈卵器上方形成膨大的精原细胞或成对的精细胞。解剖出的精细胞呈ＦＤＡ正反应,荧光增白剂染色表明精细胞具有细胞壁。雌配子体在酶液作用下可同时释放出多个卵细胞和精细胞。游离出的卵细胞呈ＦＤＡ正反应,近圆形,内含１～２个大液泡。用ＰＥＧ方法诱导卵细胞与卵细胞,卵细胞与精细胞的融合,只获得了相互粘连的两个原生质体。     

小麦与黑麦属间杂种的染色体自然加倍的研究

分别以小麦属６个种的变种或品种共９个供试材料为母本,２个黑麦种为父本进行杂交,只有Ｓｔｅｗａｒｔｄｕｒｕｍ小麦与２个黑麦种杂交后,才得到Ｆ１种子,说明染色体的自然加倍需要一定的遗传背景,对这２个Ｆ１代花粉母细胞减数发裂所形成配子的观察表明,配子形成途径的不同,使Ｆ２出现了双二倍体和部分双二倍体的差异。     

Entwicklungsgeschichtliche Eigentümlichkeiten einigerAchnanthes-Arten (Diatomeae)

InAchnanthes lanceolata pairing occurs by chance in regard to the arrangement of the mother cells, inA. minutissima it is accomplished selectively: contact at the sides occupied by the nucleus is favoured very strongly. In contrast toA. exilis, pairing inA. minutissima occurs by detachment of both partner cells from their stalks, whileA. lanceolata has no stalks at all. The isogamous gamete fusion inA. lanceolata should be understood as a modification of the anisogamous behavior inA. minutissima andA. exilis. For the three species the same constant orientation of the primary cell in relation to the substratum and to the mother thecae is characteristic. The first epivalva always is the raphe valve. InA. lanceolata in connection with the property of the primary cell possessing two chromatophores resp. pyrenoids instead of one, the transapical heteropolarity of the rapheless valve, a specific character, changes to isopolarity. It seems that a sort of induction from the pyrenoids towards the formation of the rapheless valve is at work. InA. lanceolata the pseudoraphe shows a structure hitherto unknown.A. lanceolata fo.ventricosa Hust. is to be eliminated. Var.rostrata (Östrup)Hust. is a good taxon; two new differential characters are found.

     

Direct reciprocity stabilizes simultaneous hermaphroditism at high mating rates: A model of sex allocation with egg trading

Simultaneous hermaphroditism is predicted to be unstable at high mating rates given an associated increase in sperm competition. The existence of reciprocal egg trading, which requires both hermaphroditism and high mating rates to evolve, is consequently hard to explain. We show using mathematical models that the presence of a trading economy creates an additional fitness benefit to egg production, which selects for traders to bias their sex allocation toward the female function. This female‐biased sex allocation prevents pure females from invading a trading population, thereby allowing simultaneous hermaphroditism to persist stably at much higher levels of sperm competition than would otherwise be expected. More generally, our model highlights that simultaneous hermaphroditism can persist stably when mating opportunities are abundant, as long as sperm competition remains low. It also predicts that reciprocity will select for heavier investment in the traded resource.