Flavone-coumarin hybrids from Gnidia socotrana

Phytochemical investigation of leaves and twigs of Gnidia socotrana (Balf. f.) Gilg (Thymelaeaceae), a plant occurring endemically on Socotra Island (Yemen), afforded six novel natural products: two compounds consisting of a flavone and a coumarin moiety connected by a C-C linkage, 7,7'-dihydroxy-3,8'-biscoumarin and three substances with the rare spiro-bis-gamma-lactone structure. The structures were elucidated on the basis of their spectroscopic data.     

Crop-weed interactions in the Beta vulgaris complex at a local scale: allelic diversity and gene flow within sugar beet fields

Crop-wild hybrids and weed beets are the main source of agronomic concern for sugar beet production all over Europe. In order to understand the dynamics of crop-wild interactions and the evolution of weediness in Beta vulgaris, we investigated genetic features of bolting individuals occurring at a local scale, i.e. within two sugar beet fields of the French northern area of sugar beet production. By analysing ploidy level, mitochondrial DNA and microsatellite polymorphism, the genetic diversity and the genetic relationships among three different classes of individuals (variety, in-row and out-row weed-beets) from a given field were examined. Such genetic analyses provide a unique opportunity to obtain evidence for the weeds origin and the evolutionary hypotheses previously stated. All the individuals shared in common the Svulg mitochondrial haplotype, and thus a common maternal origin. Conversely, the large genetic diversity at microsatellite loci highlighted the large diversity of the pollinator plants (cultivated and wild plants) during the-seed production process, as well as during the further evolution of weed beets in the sugar production area. Received: 23 April 2001 / Accepted: 15 June 2001     

Chlorophyll fluorescence parameters characterizing the development of two cacao genotypes infected by witches' broom

Greenhouse-grown susceptible 20-d-old seedlings of Theobroma cacao genotypes Catongo and tolerant genotype SCA6xCatongo were inoculated with a mixture of isolates of Crinipellis perniciosa, the causal agent of witches' broom. The characteristics of chlorophyll a fluorescence emission were monitored during leaf ontogeny using a portable system PAM-2000. In both inoculated and non-inoculated genotypes, significant differences were found for the effective quantum yield values of photosystem (PS) 2 (F/Fm') at the B (7 to 14-d-old), D (21 to 30-d-old), and E (>30-d-old) stages of leaf development, and in quantum yield of the non-cyclic photosynthetic electron transport between PS2 and PS1 [qp(Fv/Fm)] and quencher efficiency [(Fm-Ft)/F0] at the B, C (15 to 20-d-old) and D stages. Intergenotypic differences were found only for the [qp(Fv/Fm)] and [(Fm-Ft)/F0] values at the E stage, and for fluorescence quenching (Fm-Ft) at the B and E stages. Highly significant inter- and intragenotype relationships were found between the rate of photosynthetic electron transport to PS2 (Amax) and maximum fluorescence during actinic irradiation (Fm'). Also, each of the highly significant relationships between (Fm-Ft) and Amax, [(Fm-Ft)/F0] and F/Fm', and between [(Fm-Ft)/F0] and Amax were represented by a general model, independent of treatments. Therefore, alterations in energy distribution in the radiant energy collector complex interior of PS2 and reduction in absorption of photosynthetically active radiation were observed in the infected plants, mainly in the hybrid at the C stage. Also, variations were found in the noncyclic photosynthetic electron transport at the B and C stages in the infected Catongo.     

Do body and fin form affect the abilities of fish to stabilize swimming during maneuvers through vertical and horizontal tubes?

Goldfish, Carassius auratus, silver dollar, Metynnis hypsauchen, and angelfish, Pterophyllum scalare were induced to swim through narrow vertical and horizontal tubes ranging in length from 0 to 20 cm (approximately 0 to 3 times total fish length, FL). The ability to stabilize the body while negotiating these confined spaces was quantified as (1) the minimum width of vertical (w_v) and horizontal (w_h) tubes traversed, where width is the smaller cross-sectional dimension of the tube, (2) the ratio w_v/w_h, and (3) transit speed through the tubes. Tube width was expressed as relative width, obtained by dividing tube width by fish length. Minimum relative widths traversed increased from 0.15 to 0.19 in the order silver dollar > angelfish > goldfish for vertical tubes and from 0.17 to 0.18 in the order goldfish=silver dollar > angelfish for horizontal tubes. w_v/w_h increased from 0.91 to 1.10 in the order silver dollar=angelfish > goldfish. Minimum tube widths generally increased with tube length for vertical tubes. Although significant differences in relative minimum widths among species were found, these were small. In contrast, for horizontal tubes, there was no significant effect of tube length on minimum tube width for any species. Large differences were found in transit speed. Transit speed generally decreased as the tube length increased. The slope of the relationship between transit speed and tube length varied among species generally increasing from – 0.41 to – 1.16 for horizontal tubes in the order goldfish > silver dollar > angelfish and from – 0.42 to – 1.07 in the order silver dollar > goldfish > angelfish for vertical tubes. As a result, goldfish usually took longest to traverse tubes of zero length but the shortest time to traverse the longest tubes. In contrast, angelfish traversed short tubes in the least time and long tubes in the greatest time. Deeper bodied angelfish swam slowly and traversed tubes with difficulty because they required experience during each trial to replace median and paired fin with body and caudal fin swimming. According to our data, goldfish were best able to swim in confined spaces.     

Relationship between parental chromosomic contribution and nuclear DNA content in the coffee interspecific hybrid C. pseudozanguebariae×C. liberica var ‘dewevrei’

 F₁ hybrids were obtained between two coffee species with the same chromosome number (2n=22) but with different nuclear DNA contents [C. pseudozanguebariae (PSE) 2C=1.13 pg and C. liberica var ‘dewevrei’ (DEW) 2C=1.42 pg]. G2 hybrids were obtained by open-pollination of the F₁ hybrids. Genomic in situ hybridisation (GISH) and flow cytometry were used on six F₁ hybrids and seven G2 hybrids to determine their parental chromosomic contribution and their nuclear DNA content (qDNA), respectively. GISH efficiently identified chromosomes from both species. F₁ hybrids had a qDNA intermediate between that of the parental species and contained the expected 11 chromosomes from each species. There was a linear relationship between the number of PSE chromosomes and the nuclear DNA content, which indicates that flow cytometry can be used to give a rough estimate of the parental chromosomic contribution in G2 hybrids. Received: 1 August 1997/Accepted: 25 August 1997     

Identification of Atlantic salmon × brown trout hybrids with a nuclear marker useful for evolutionary studies

A new nuclear DNA marker is described to identify Atlantic salmon, brown trout, and their hybrids. Species-specific banding patterns are obtained by digestion of genomic DNA with the restriction endonuclease Sac I and hybridization with a histone DNA probe. FISH analyses in hybrid metaphases illustrate the potential of interspecific hybrids for evolutionary studies.     

Intergeneric hybridization and C-banding patterns inHordelymus (Triticeae,Poaceae)

Crosses ofHordelymus europaeus (2n = 4x = 28) with four genera in theTriticeae were attempted. Adult hybrids were obtained in combinations withHordeum bogdanii (2x),Hordeum depressum (4x), andSecale cereale (2x). The meiotic pairing was very low in the hybrids withH. bogdanii andSecale cereale (0.12 and 0.30 chiasmata/cell, respectively), whereas high pairing (9.90 chiasmata/cell) was found in hybrids withH. depressum due to autosyndetic pairing ofH. depressum chromosomes. The chromosome complement ofHordelymus europaeus comprised 16 metacentrics, 8 submetacentrics, and 4 SAT-chromosomes. The Giemsa C-banding patterns of the chromosomes were characterized by small to minute bands at no preferential positions. It is hypothesized thatHordelymus europaeus may genomically be closest related toTaeniatherum andPsathyrostachys spp.     

Cellular expression of the beige mouse mutation and its correction in hybrids with control human fibroblasts

Summary Fibroblasts from a beige mouse (C57BL/6J;bg ^J bg^J) have been established and maintained in culture for more than 3 yr. At early passages, the mutant cells were distinguishable from C57BL/6J control mouse fibroblasts at the ultrastructural level by the presence of enlarged cytoplasmic granules. After continuous passaging, this distinguishing feature was lost from the mutant cells, correlated with their increased growth rate. Clustered, perinuclear distribution of lysosomes was retained, however, and was quantitatively different at any passage number of the beige cell line from the dispersed distribution of these organelles in control mouse fibroblasts, as analyzed by computer-aided, video-enhanced light microscopy. In somatic cell hybrids between the established beige cell line and a control human diploid fibroblast cell strain, seven uncorrected hybrid lines retained a lysosomal dispersion pattern statistically indistinguishable from that of the beige mouse cell lines. Three corrected hybrid lines had lysosomal dispersion patterns that were significantly different from the beige parent line and indistinguishable from that of the control mouse fibroblast line. Thus, lysosomal dispersion can be used objectively and quantitatively to distinguish mutant beige and control mouse fibroblasts and corrected vs. uncorrected cell hybrids made from the beige/control human somatic cell crosses.     

Characterization of a partial male fertility derived from Ogura-cms in progeny of a resynthesized Brassica napus

Summary The inheritance of a partial male fertile phenotype in somatic hybrid B. napus plants that carried novel mtDNA was investigated over five backcross generations to B. napus Triton. The recurrent parent and the original somatic hybrid both contained chloroplasts resistant to atrazine. The F₁ population contained mainly plants that were partial fertile, and some of the plants differed in mtDNA. The partial fertility predominated in the progeny of each backcross generation, but fully male sterile and fertile plants were also obtained. However, the sterility/fertility of these latter plants was not stable; both the fully male sterile and the male fertile plants produced progeny that were again predominantly partial male fertile. This pattern of predominant partial fertility but occasional sterile and fertile plants persisted in different nuclear backgrounds. Neither the male sterility nor the male fertility could be fixed and made stable. Test crosses indicated that restorer genes were probably not associated with appearance of male fertile plants. The evidence indicates that the behavior of the partial male fertility is cytoplasmic, and probably controlled by the chondriome.