Single potassium channels in membranes of isolated mesophyll barley vacuoles

Summary Voltage-dependent K channels could be identified in on-cell and excised patch-clamp records on membranes of isolated plant cell vacuoles. The current through a membrane patch is dominated by a channel population with a conductance of about 121 pS in symmetrical 250mm KCl solution. The single channel adopts at least two conducting levels the 121-pS state being most frequently observed. The channel shows outward rectification, representing a cation flux into the vacuoles. The rectification appears to be caused by a vanishing open probability and a short channel lifetime at hyperpolarizing voltages. A selectivity ratio of potassium over sodium of about 6 was derived as an estimate. Occasionally, an additional population of K channels with a single-channel conductance of approximately 18 pS is observed. This channel type exhibits outward rectification as well.     

Effect of Hirschmanniella caudacrena on the Submersed Aquatic Plants Ceratophyllum demersum and Hydrilla verticillata

In vitro pathogenicity tests demonstrated that Hirschmanniella caudacrena is pathogenic to Ceratophyllum demersum (coontail). Symptoms were chlorotic tissue, deformed stems, and, finally, death of the plant. Inoculum densities of 500 nematodes per 5-cm-long cutting in a test tube containing 50 ml of water resulted in death and decay of some of the cuttings within 8 weeks; 100 nematodes killed the plants in 12 weeks, and 50 and 25 nematodes killed them in 16 weeks. The lowest inoculum level of 10 nematodes did not seriously affect the plants at 16 weeks when the experiment was terminated. A second test conducted outdoors in glass jars containing 3 liters of water and two cuttings weighing a total of 15 g fresh weight showed damage, but results were not statistically significant. Hydrilla verticillata inoculated with H. caudacrena was not affected seriously.     

Repeated floristical observations on islets in the Aegean

Repeated observations are made on species and numbers of individuals in some islets. The changes after 14 years are reported for 11 islets. They include several extinctions and invasions. Great changes in numbers of individuals were found, especially for many of the annuals, in some of them as great as between 0–10 and over 10 000 individuals. The greatest constancy was found in a few dominant and subdominant perennials.Dedicated to Prof.K. H. Rechinger on the occasion of his 80th birthday.     

实夜蛾属二近缘种对寄主植物次生物质的反应:次生物质对幼虫生长和食物利用的影响

实夜蛾属(Heliothis)的棉铃虫(H. armigcra)和烟青虫(H. assulta)是近缘种,幼虫期取食多种相同的植物,其中含有不同的次生物质.本项工作是在人工饲料中分别加入0.5%的烟碱、番茄苷、棉子酚、丹宁酸等饲养早期六龄的幼虫,测定它们对生长和食物利用的影响.结果表明这些次生物质对两种幼虫有不同的作用:烟碱对棉铃虫没有明显影响,但对烟青虫的取食却有一定的刺激作用.丹宁酸、棉子酚、番茄苷可抑制两种幼虫的生长,而以番茄苷抑制烟青虫的生长最为显著.番茄苷主要通过抑制取食来影响幼虫的生长,而丹宁酸和棉子酚则具有降低消化率的作用.通过次生物质对这两种幼虫效应的比较可知,棉铃虫有较大的忍耐力.     

Revision of the plant geographical territories of Israel and Sinai

The phytogeographical territories of Israel and Sinai are revised using a large mass of species distribution data. With the help of chorotype frequencies for 25 km² individual squares in Israel, territories were defined on the basis of the first two most frequent chorotypes. The similarity of boundaries in the resulting phytogeographical map with a physiognomic map suggests that the latter may be used in preliminary stages of the preparation of plant geographical maps.     

Estrogen-induced lysosomal proteases secreted by breast cancer cells: A role in carcinogenesis?

In an attempt to understand the mechanism by which estrogens stimulate cell proliferation and mammary carcinogenesis, metastatic human breast cancer cell lines (MCF7, ZR75-1) were found to secrete a 52,000 dalton (52K) protein under estrogen stimulation. Following its purification to homogeneity, the 52K protein was identified as a secreted procathepsin-D-like aspartyl protease bearing mannose-6-phosphate signals. This precursor displays an in vitro autocrine mitogenic activity on estrogen-deprived MCF7 cells and is able to degrade basement membrane and proteoglycans following its autoactivation. The total protease (52K + 48K and 34K) was detected and assayed by monoclonal antibodies and was found to be highly concentrated in proliferative and cystic mastopathies. In breast cancer, its cytosolic concentration appears to be correlated more to tumor invasiveness than to hormone responsiveness. The mRNA of the 52K protease accumulates rapidly following estradiol treatment, as was shown by Northern blot analysis with cloned cDNA. The 52K cathepsin-D-like protease is the first example of a lysosomal protease induced by estrogens in cancer cells. Results obtained using different approaches suggest that two cysteinyl cathepsins are also related to cell transformation and invasiveness. It has been proposed that cathepsin-B is involved in breast cancer and metastatic melanoma, and its regulation by estrogen has been shown in the rat uterus. Cathepsin-L corresponds to the major excreted protein (MEP) whose synthesis and secretion are markedly increased by transformation of NIH 3T3 cells with Ki ras and are regulated by several growth factors. In addition to secreted autocrine growth factors and to other proteases (plasminogen activator, collagenase), lysosomal cathepsins may therefore play an important role in the process of tumor growth and invasion as long as their precursor is secreted abundantly.     

Feeding responses to solanaceous allelochemicals by larvae of the tobacco hornworm, Manduca sexta

Feeding responses of the oligophagous tobacco hornworm to allelochemicals prevalent in their host plants were determined in food choice-tests using filter paper discs laced with a test solution or water (control). Six solanaceous alkaloids, tomatine, tomatidine, solanine, solanocapsine, atropine and nicotine, were tested and only tomatine and solanocapsine were found to influence preference behavior. Solanocapsine (5 mM) deters feeding whereas tomatine (1 mM) stimulates feeding slightly. No synergistic effect of either tomatine or tomatidine with sucrose was found.The responses to tomatine are affected by previous feeding experience. Tomatine slightly stimulates feeding in larvae reared on tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum), but slightly deters feeding in larvae reared on Jerusalem cherry (Solanum pseudocapsicum). Such induced preference is absent for the other alkaloids tested, which indicates that these alkaloids do not by themselves induce preferences for the plants containing them.The non-alkaloid allelochemicals, chlorogenic acid, rutin, and 2-tridecanone also influenced food choice behavior. Chlorogenic acid is slightly stimulatory at its natural concentration (1mM), but strongly deterrent at higher concentrations. Rutin stimulates feeding in a concentration-dependent manner. Its activity must be due to the glycosylated structure, because both the aglycone (quercetin) and the sugar moiety (rutinose) are neutral. Removal of the glucose part of rutin, as in quercitrin, results in feeding deterrent activity. 2-Tridecanone is neutral at its concentration in cultivated tomato (1 mM), but strongly deterrent and toxic at higher concentrations. Preference behavior is not affected by solanesol, GABA, and a mixture of host plant compounds stimulatory for anothe solanaceous-specific feeder, the Colorado potato beetle (Leptinotarsa decemlineata).We conclude that the prevalent solanaceous alkaloids and other allelochemicals tested do not play important roles in food selection of the tobacco hornworm, although some may make small contributions.

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Résumé Des experiences de choix de chenilles oligophages de M. sexta ont été réalisees avec des disques de papier filtre imbiles d'eau ou de solutions des substances allélochimiques dominantes dans les plantes consommées. Sur les six alcaloïdes de solanées examinés: tomatine, tomatidine, solanine, solanocapsine, atropine et nicotine, seuls la tomatine et la solanocapsine ont influé sur le choix; la solanocapsine (5 mM) empêche la prise de nourriture, tandis que la tomatine (1 mM) la stimule légèrement. Aucun effet synergique de la tomatine ou de la tomatidine n'a été observé en présence de sucrose.La réponse à la tomatine est modifiée par la prise de nourriture antérieure. Elle stimule légèrement l'alimentation de chenilles élevées sur tomates (Lycopersicon esculentum), mais dissuade légèrement les chenilles élevées sur Solanum pseudocapsicum. II n'y a pas d'action induite semblable avec les autres alcalïdes examinés, ce qui indique que ces alcaloïdes ne peuvent pas induire par eux-mêmes de préférences pour les plantes qui les contiennent.Des substances allélochimiques non-alcaloïdes: acide chlorogénique, rutine, et 2-tridécanone, influent aussi sur le comportement de choix alimentaire. L'acide chlorogénique est légèrement stimulant à sa concentration naturelle (1 mM), mais fortement dissuasif aux concentrations supérieures. La rutine stimule la prise de nourriture en fonction de sa concentration. Son activité doit être due à sa structure glucosylate, puisqu'aussi bien l'aglycone (quercitine) que la moiteé sucrée (rutinose) sont neutres. La suppression de la partie glucose de la rutine, comme dans le cas de la quercitine, a un effet dissuasif. A sa concentration dans la tomate cultivée (1 mM), le 2-tridécanone est neutre, mais il est fortement dissuasif et toxique à des concentrations supérieures.Le comportement de choix n'est pas modifié par le solanésol, le GABA, et par un mélange de composés végétaux stimulant un consommateur spécifique de solanées, comme le doryphore (Leptinotarsa decemlineata).Nous pouvons conclure que les principaux alcaloïdes et autres substances allélochimiques des solanées que nous avons examinés n'interviennent pas d'une façon importante, mais peuvent avoir une influence secondaire, dans les choix alimentaires de Manduca sexta.

     

Stereoselective total synthesis of ceramide Di-, Tri- and tetrahexosides of wheat flour

The first total synthesis of glycosphingolipids isolated from wheat flour has been achieved in a regio- and stereo-controlled manner.Abbreviations THF tetrahydrofuran - DMF dimethylformamide Part 53 in the series Synthetic Studies on Cell Surface Glycans     

红树林植物海滨猫尾木在我国首次发现

红树林是发育于热带海岸潮间带的一种特殊的木本植物群落。据最近的报道补,我国南部沿海红树林的组成种类(包括半红树林成分)有卤蔽科、千屈菜科、海桑科、玉蕊科、使君子科、红树科、梧桐科、锦葵科、大戟科、糠科、紫金牛科、夹竹桃科、茜草科、爵床科·、马鞭草科、棕搁科等,共16科,20属,31种。最近我们通过海岸带植物调查和海南岛珍稀、濒危植物种类调查,首次发现了紫威科的海滨猫尾木的分布。现将其形态特征、分布和生态学特性简报于下: 海澳猫尾木(新拟)图 Dolichandrone spathaeae(L.f.)K.Sehum.,FI.Kais.Wilh.123.1889;Merr.F 1…     

Transgenic tobacco resistant to a bacterial disease by the detoxification of a pathogenic toxin

Summary Some plant pathogens produce toxins which cause disease in infected plants. One of the pathogenic toxins, tabtoxin, is produced by Pseudomonas syringae pv. tabaci, which causes wildfire of tobacco. A tabtoxin resistance gene (ttr) coding for an acetyltransferase isolated from Pseudomonas syringae pv. tabaci was fused to the 35S promoter of the cauliflower mosaic virus (CaMV) to construct a chimeric gene for introduction into tobacco cells by Agrobacterium-mediated transformation. The transgenic tobacco plants showed high specific-expression of the ttr gene and no chlorotic symptoms caused by tabtoxin treatment or with infection by Pseudomonas syringae pv. tabaci. These results demonstrate a successful approach to obtain disease-resistant plants by detoxification of the pathogenic toxins which play an important role in pathogenesis.