Character selection in relation to the numerical taxonomy of some male Diaspididae (Homoptera: Coccoidea)

A quantitative comparison of the classifications of 24 species of male Diaspididae by principal component and principal coordinate analysis was extended to allow the comparison of classifications based on selected subsets of the 101 available characters. It was shown that subsets of 25–28 characters could be chosen numerically and used to construct classifications that resembled very closely the classification based on the reference set of characters. The conclusions are discussed in relation to other views on character-weighting and in relation to classifications of the Diaspididae based on traditional taxonomic characters provided by the females.     

Sproßaufbau und Lebensform vonValerianella undFedia (Valerianaceae)

A comparative morphological and anatomical analysis of cotyledons, leaves, bracts, growth forms and inflorescences of the generaValerianella andFedia is presented. Characters can be typified and used for an improved systematic grouping. Informations on germination, life form and life cycle are summarized and supplemented. The discussion refers to various character phylogenies.1. Teil einer Publikationsserie Beiträge zur Systematik und Evolution vonValerianella undFedia (Valerianaceae).     

掌叶复盆子栽培性状的初步研究

经引种栽培,作者观察研究了野生掌叶复盆子(Rubus chingii Hu)的栽培性状,包括植株形态、花果期、产量、果实大小等。通过对11个单株个体性状的统计分析,发现在单株产量、可育花比例、果实大小方面个体间差异极大。认为掌叶复盆子适合驯化栽培,野生种群中有很大的选优潜力。     

Levels of indole-3-acetic acid in intact and decapitated coleoptiles as determined by a specific and highly sensitive solid-phase enzyme immunoassay

A specific solid-phase enzyme immunoassay for the detection of as little as 3–4 pg of indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) is described. The assay involves minimal procedural efforts and requires only standard laboratory equipment. Up to 50 samples in triplicate, processed simultaneously, can be assayed and evaluated in 2.5 h. As little as 1 mg oat coleoptile tissue is sufficient for a quantitative IAA analysis and little or no extract purification is necessary. Using this assay, levels of IAA have been determined in coleoptiles of maize and oat. The distribution of IAA within single coleoptiles was quantitated and the production of IAA during the regeneration of the physiological tip in Avena coleoptiles was investigated. The changes in levels of IAA and other major phytohormones were quantitated during the growth of oat coleoptiles.Abbreviations ABA abscisic acid - BHT butylated hydroxytoluene - BSA bovine serum albumin - IAA indole-3-acetic acid - TBS Trishydroxymethylaminomethane buffered saline Part 21 in the series Use of Immunoassay in Plant Science     

Lipoxygenase activity in apples in relation to storage and physiological disorders

Different methods for the preparation of active lipoxygenase (LOX) extracts from apples were compared. Highest activities were obtained using a 0.25 M phosphate buffer (pH 7) containing 1% Triton X-100 and 10^?2 M metabisulphite as extraction solvent. LOX activity during storage was investigated in the core, flesh, and peel. Activity was always highest in the core and peel. On storage, activity was increased in each part of the fruit but especially in the core and peel. Increase in LOX preceded the browning of the core. LOX may be responsible for the browning and may be concerned in the induction of superficial scald.     

Physiological functions of Wilms’ tumor 1-associating protein and its role in tumourigenesis

The Wilms’ tumor-associated gene WT1 encodes a tumor suppressor gene, which is implicated in renal differentiation and development of adult urogenital system. Wilms’ tumor 1-associating protein (WTAP) is initially identified as a nuclear protein that specifically interacts with WT1 in both in vitro and in vivo assays. WTAP is ubiquitously expressed in different tissues and various growth periods, and its expression is involved in cell cycle, RNA splicing and stabilization, N6-methyladenosine RNA modification, cell proliferation, and apoptosis as well as embryonic development. In the present review, we aimed to summarize the functions of WTAP in various physiological and pathological processes, in particular with regard to the current knowledge about the role of WTAP in tumorigenesis of different cancers.     

Phylogeny of snakes (Serpentes): Combining morphological and molecular data in likelihood,Bayesian and parsimony analyses

Abstract

The phylogeny of living and fossil snakes is assessed using likelihood and parsimony approaches and a dataset combining 263 morphological characters with mitochondrial (2693 bp) and nuclear (1092 bp) gene sequences. The ‘no common mechanism’ (NCMr) and ‘Markovian’ (Mkv) models were employed for the morphological partition in likelihood analyses; likelihood scores in the NCMr model were more closely correlated with parsimony tree lengths. Both models accorded relatively less weight to the molecular data than did parsimony, with the effect being milder in the NCMr model. Partitioned branch and likelihood support values indicate that the mtDNA and nuclear gene partitions agree more closely with each other than with morphology. Despite differences between data partitions in phylogenetic signal, analytic models, and relative weighting, the parsimony and likelihood analyses all retrieved the following widely accepted groups: scolecophidians, alethinophidians, cylindrophiines, macrostomatans (sensu lato) and caenophidians. Anilius alone emerged as the most basal alethinophidian; the combined analyses resulted in a novel and stable position of uropeltines and cylindrophiines as the second‐most basal clade of alethinophidians. The limbed marine pachyophiids, along with Dinilysia and Wonambi, were always basal to all living snakes. Other results stable in all combined analyses include: Xenopeltis and Loxocemus were sister taxa (fide morphology) but clustered with pythonines (fide molecules), and Ungaliophis clustered with a boine‐erycine clade (fide molecules). Tropidophis remains enigmatic; it emerges as a basal alethinophidian in the parsimony analyses (fide molecules) but a derived form in the likelihood analyses (fide morphology), largely due to the different relative weighting accorded to data partitions.     

PDB-wide identification of physiological hetero-oligomeric assemblies based on conserved quaternary structure geometry

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GROWTH AND ORGANIC OSMOLYTES OF GEOGRAPHICALLY DIFFERENT ISOLATES OF MICROCOLEUS CHTHONOPLASTES (CYANOBACTERIA) FROM BENTHIC MICROBIAL MATS:RESPONSE TO SALINITY CHANGE1

The comparative growth and osmotic acclimation often culture strains of the marine benthic cyanobacterium Microcoleus chthonoplastes Thuret isolated from microbial mats in Germany, Spain, Egypt, the United States, Mexico, Chile, and Australia were investigated in salinities ranging from freshwater to twice seawater. All isolates showed a broad growth versus salinity response consistent with the dominance of this species in intertidal and hypersaline microbial communities. Growth optima, salinity preferences, and maximum growth rates differed for each isolate and could be related to the habitat from which they were isolated. This is most obvious when comparing strains from brackish habitats with those from a hypersaline lake. While the former isolates exhibited sharply pronounced growth optima under hyposaline conditions, cultures from the hypersaline environment grew best in salinity more than double seawater. The major low-molecular weight organic compounds present in all M. chthonoplastes strains were the carbohydrates glycosylglycerol and trehalose. This was proven by using ¹³C-nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Glycosylglycerol was synthesized and accumulated with increasing salinities, indicating its role as an osmolyte. In contrast, trehalose was present in relatively high concentrations under hyposaline conditions only. Differences in the patterns of growth versus salinity, as well as in those of osmotic acclimation among the M. chthonoplastes isolates, point to the development of different physiological ecotypes within the species.     

福廷瓶头霉与马尾松的共生特征

深色有隔内生真菌（dark septate endophyte,DSE）广泛定殖于植物根系,对促进植物生长、提高植物抗逆能力具重要作用。本研究从马尾松Pinus massoniana根系分离到一株DSE,于无菌条件下研究了此菌与马尾松的共生特征,研究结果表明：基于形态学和分子生物学分析,此菌被鉴定为福廷瓶头霉Phialocephala fortinii,在PDA培养基25℃培养条件下,此菌不产孢,菌丝深色、具隔,最适培养基为PDA。此菌与马尾松根系共生体的形成过程可划分为3个时期,即侵入前期：接种后2d,新生菌丝向马尾松根系定向生长并开始接触根系,但未侵入根系内部;侵入期：接种后4d,菌丝与马尾松根系接触侵入根内并在根系皮层细胞间扩展延伸;形成期：接种后6d,菌丝继续在马尾松根系内扩展并形成富含脂类物质的微菌核。接种福廷瓶头霉显著增加了马尾松生物量的积累（P<0.05）,并影响了其根系发育。接种后,马尾松主根生长受限,侧根生长显著提高（P<0.05）,侧根长度较未接种处理增加了112.87%。被侵染根系的根毛数量减少,并由大量根外菌丝包裹。以上结果对进一步揭示DSE与宿主的共生机理有一定指导意义。