Whitening,thallus decay and fragmentation in Gracilaria chilensis associated with an endophytic amoeba

Whitening of Gracilaria chilensis, accompanied by tissue softening and thallus fragmentation, was found to be associated with the presence of an endophytic amoeba. Although the symptoms developed originally in green mutant thalli, subsequent infections in the laboratory also affected normal, wild-type G. chilensis. Ultrastructural evidence indicates that the amoebae perforate the host cell walls of both cortical and medullary cells and digest their protoplasm. Feeding by the amoeba appears to involve both phagocytosis and enzymatic digestion of the host tissue. Destruction of the host tissue resulted in large cavities first, followed by thallus fragmentation. No other organism was found during the early stages of thallus invasion by the amoeba, although bacteria may appear once the amoeba reaches the inner tissues of the host.     

Hydrologic,vegetation, and substrate characteristics of floating marshes in sediment-rich wetlands of the Mississippi river delta plain,Louisiana, USA

Floating marshes occur over 70% of the western Terrebonne Basin, Louisiana, USA, freshwater coastal wetlands. They are of several types: A free-floating thick-mat (45–60 cm) marsh dominated by Panicum hemitomon and Sagittaria lancifolia; a thick mat marsh dominated by Panicum hemitomon and Sagittaria lancifolia that floats part of the year, but whose vertical floating range is damped compared to adjacent water; and an irregularly-floating thin mat (< 30 cm) dominated by Eleocharis spp. in the spring and Ludwigia leptocarpa and Bidens laevis in the summer and fall. Floating mats must be almost entirely organic in order to be buoyant enough to float. The western Terrebonne wetlands receive large winter/spring supplies of suspended sediments from the Atchafalaya River. Even though sediment concentrations in the adjacent bayou are as high as 100 mg l^–1, the Panicum hemitomon/Sagittaria lancifolia free-floating marsh probably receives no over-surface sediments since it floats continuously. The bulk density data of the damped-floating marsh, however, suggest some mineral sediment input, probably during winter when this marsh is submerged. These two types of floating marsh could not have developed in the present sediment regime of the Atchafalaya River, but as long as they remain floating can continue to exist. Thin floating mats are found in areas receiving the least sediment (<20 mg 1^–1 suspended sediment concentration in adjacent bayous). This low sediment environment probably made possible their formation within the past 20 years. They may represent a transitional stage in mat succession from (1) existing thick-mat floating marsh to a degrading floating marsh, or (2) a floating marsh developing in shallow open water.Corresponding editor: D. Whigham     

Neurosecretion XVII. Experimentally induced release of neurosecretory material by exocytosis in the insect Leucophaea maderae

Summary In the corpora cardiaca of the insect Leucophaea the administration of serotonin elicits ultrastructural features indicative of the extrusion of neurosecretory material by exocytosis. The response to the stimulus and the process of extrusion seem to occur at considerable speed. Nearly all of the 30 test animals, fixed at various intervals starting as early as 3 min after the injection of the drug, show granules captured at the moment of leaving the axon as well as fully exteriorized secretory material. The fact that many of these granules are much smaller than the typical neurosecretory type speaks for intracellular fragmentation of the latter prior to the discharge of this cellular product. After 25 min or more the extruded electron dense structures show signs of breakdown. The apparent speed of these phenomena accounts for the dearth of omega-type configurations observed in unstimulated specimens of this species. The possible relationship between the membrane phenomena involved in exocytosis and the transient protrusions of bounding membranes of neurosecretory granules described in earlier papers remains to be clarified.Supported by N.S.F. research grant BMS 74-12456     

Relation Between Cell Union and Nuclear Reorganization in Triplet Conjugants of Paramecium caudatum and Paramecium multimicronucleatum

SYNOPSIS Triplet conjugants of Paramecium caudatum which appeared naturally in mating mixtures and those of Paramecium multimicronucleatum which were produced by conjugation-inducing chemicals were isolated. Triplet conjugants lasting for more than 3 h were stained to examine macronuclear events. In P. caudatum , only 2 triplets among 182 (1%) contained macronuclear fragmentation in all 3 members. The most frequently occurring triplets (79%) were those producing 1 cell without and 2 cells with macronuclear fragments. There were also triplets (17%) producing 1 cell with, and 2 without macronuclear fragments, and some (3%) with 3 cells that contained no fragments. The length of persistence of the triplet was not responsible for the occurrence of macronuclear fragmentation in the 3rd cell of the triplet. In P. multimicronucleatum , the same 4 classes of triplets occurred, but the most frequently occurring class was that consisting of 3 cells (91%) with macronuclear fragments. Induction of nearly 100% of triplets with 3 such cells was possible by isolating the triplets' from a culture which was treated chemically at about 24 h after the last feeding. Treatment with chemicals in starved cultures resulted in triplets with incompletely fragmented or nonfragmented macronuclei. Further, in P. multimicronucleatum , chemicallyinduced triplets involving only holdfast pairs to which the 3rd cells were uniting often produced 3 cells with fragmented macronuclei.     

A mechanism for the formation of inside-out membrane vesicles. Preparation of inside-out vesicles from membrane-paired randomized chloroplast lamellae

Inside-out thylakoid membrane vesicles can be isolated by aqueous polymer two-phase partition of Yeda press-fragmented spinach chloroplasts (Andersson, B. and Åkerlund, H.-E. (1978) Biochim. Biophys. Acta 503, 462–472). The mechanism for their formation has been investigated by studying the yield of inside-out vesicles after various treatments of the chloroplasts prior to fragmentation. No inside-out vesicles were isolated during phase partitioning if the chloroplasts had been destacked in a low-salt medium prior to the fragmentation. Only in those cases where the chloroplast lamellae had been stacked by cations or membrane-paired by acidic treatment did we get any yield of inside-out vesicles. Thus, the intrinsic properties of chloroplast thylakoids seem to be such that they seal into right-side out vesicles after disruption unless they are in an appressed state. This favours the following mechanism for the formation of inside-out thylakoids. After press treatment, a ruptured membrane still remains appressed with an adjacent membrane. Resealing of such an appressed membrane pair would result in an inside-out vesicle.If the compartmentation of chloroplast lamellae into appressed grana and unappressed stroma lamellae is preserved by cations before fragmentation, the inside-out vesicles are highly enriched in photosystem II. This indicates a granal origin which is consistent with the proposed model outlined. Inside-out vesicles possessing photosystem I and II properties in approximately equal proportions could be obtained by acid-induced membrane-pairing of chloroplasts which had been destacked and randomized prior to fragmentation. Since this new preparation of inside-out thylakoid vesicles also exposes components derived from the stroma lamellae it complements the previous preparation.It is suggested that fragmentation of paired membranes followed by phase partitioning should be a general method of obtaining inside-out vesicles from membranes of various biological sources.     

Mass spectrometry of silylated flavonol O-glycosides

The electron impact mass spectra of 19 trimethyl silylated flavonol mono-, di- and -triglycosides are reported for the first time. All spectra show wel     

A remnant New Zealand carr

Carr vegetation was once extensive in New Zealand. It can be divided into Cordyline australis I Carex secta carr, comprising an open wood with scattered large herbs and an abundance of Carex species, and podocarp carr, dominated by tall conifers. Both have been almost eliminated by agricultural development. We studied a remnant of Cordyline australis I Carex secta carr in South Island, which graded at one end into salt marsh. Eight communities were recognized, including one pure salt marsh and two more with saline influence. Near the stream that provided moisture and alluvium for the area were herbaceous communities. In the poorly-drained area away from the stream were communities dominated by shrubs and small trees. The soil environment is similar to that of many European carrs, though generally less organic. A number of the exotic species are also found in European carrs.     

Fragmentation pattern of permethyl 6-C-glycosylflavones in electron impact mass spectrometry

A mass spectral fragmentation pattern of permethyl 6-C-glycosylflavones is proposed from the MS data of permethyl derivatives mono-O-deuteriomethylated in the 2″-, 3″-, 4″- or 6″-positions. The synthesis of these compounds via O″-glycosyl-6-C-glucosylflavones is described.     

Structural determination of C-glycosylflavones by mass spectrometry of their permethyl ethers

Permethylated C-glycosylflavones give well defined MS, including in all cases an important molecular peak. The observed fragmentations are characteristic for the nature and position of the sugar. The 6-C and 8-C glycosylated derivatives are clearly differentiated. In dissymmetrical 6,8-di-C-glycosylflavones, the natures of the sugar in both the 6- and 8- positions can be determined. The structures of several natural compounds are discussed.     

黄河口岸线变迁对潮滩盐沼景观格局变化的影响

基于2001、2005和2010年3期TM遥感影像,运用GIS技术,分析了黄河三角洲不同区士或(Ⅰ区,刁口段;Ⅱ区,东营港及临近岸段;Ⅲ区,河口段;Ⅳ区,南部莱州湾岸段)潮滩盐沼的景观演变与海岸线变迁的动因关系。结果表明,岸线变迁直接决定了潮滩盐沼面积的增长或缩减,但其在不同区域的影响程度差异较大。2001-2010年,Ⅰ区由于1976年以后刁口流路废弃、水沙输入量锐减导致其岸线持续蚀退,潮滩面积锐减明显(减少57.64 km~2,减少率25.94%);Ⅲ区由于1976年以后黄河由清水沟或清8汉入海,河口区域的持续淤积状态使得岸线持续增长,潮滩面积增加显著(增加66.17 km~2,增长率17.39%);而Ⅱ区由于海堤修建及港口建设等人类活动影响,岸线基本处于稳定状态,潮滩面积变化不大,Ⅳ区潮滩面积持续增加。不同区域潮滩盐沼景观格局随距海远近均呈明显带状分布,依次为芦苇盐沼、碱蓬-柽柳-芦苇盐沼、碱蓬盐沼和光滩。2001-2010年,不同景观类型之间存在明显转移,光滩、碱蓬盐沼和芦苇盐沼的面积持续减少(分别减少6.02、18.39和99.20 km~2,减少率为4.61%、12.86%和50.11%),碱蓬-柽柳-芦苇盐沼的面积整体呈增加趋势(增加35.50 km~2,增长率为24.99%)。研究发现,不同区域的景观类型均随岸线的淤积或蚀退而发生向海或向陆的演替,岸线变迁是影响不同区域潮滩盐沼景观格局的决定因素,而黄河调水调沙工程的长期实施对于近年来河口段岸线的变迁以及盐沼植被景观类型的演变具有深刻影响。