The light-induced unrolling of the grass leaf — A study of polarity, light-piping and stimulus transmission

Primary leaves of dark-grown barley ( Hordeum vulgare L. cv. Weibull's Ida) unroll in darkness when cut into sections shorter than about 2 cm; the shorter the more unrolling. The unrolling pattern of irradiated leaf sections longer than about 2 cm indicates a polarity in the leaves: the top end of the basal section of a divided leaf unrolls more than the base end of the distal section. Earlier reported findings of a stimulus transmission from irradiated to non-irradiated areas can be fully explained by light-piping and by mechanical, mutual influence between irradiated and non-irradiated areas.     

Influence of potassium nutrition on concentrations of water soluble carbohydrates,potassium, calcium,and magnesium and the osmotic potential in sap extracted from wheat (Triticum aestivum) ears during preanthesis development

An apparatus was made for automatic replenishment of water lost by evapotranspiration in pot experiments. The system can handle 80 pots. The upper and lower weight limit for each pot, and the weighing frequency can be set. In this way, constant soil moisture levels as well as fluctuations can be arranged. The apparatus can be programmed for continuous cycling, thus minimizing position effects within an experiment. Cumulative daily water use per pot or transpiration per plant is recorded on tape and printed. Special applications, e.g. controlled nutrient dosage and determination of transpiration coefficients are discussed.     

Generative cell composition and its relation to male plastid inheritance patterns inMedicago sativa

Summary Genetic studies have recently shown that plastids are inherited biparentally in alfalfa; yet most crosses produce high frequencies of progenies containing only paternal plastids, and certain genotypes have been characterized as relatively strong or weak transmitters of male plastids. The objective of the present study was to determine whether the structure of generative cells differs among genotypes known to differ in male plastid transmission pattern. Using the techniques of serial ultrathin sectioning and three-dimensional reconstruction, we found that mature generative cells of the genotypes investigated have basically similar morphology, and contain numerous plastids in each end of the spindle shaped cell. Since the morphological variation that does occur is as great within a genotype as it is between genotypes, it does not appear that generative cell structure can be used to predict male plastid transmission behavior in a particular genotype. The number of mitochondria in generative cells, which is much less than that of plastids, varies considerably among genotypes. However, comparable genetic studies between genotypes are not yet available on male mitochondrial inheritance in alfalfa.     

Examination of protein sequence homologies: II. SixEscherichia coli L7/L12-type ribosomal “A” protein sequnces from eukaryotes and metabacteria,contrasted with those from prokaryotes

Summary Four complete and three partial sequences ofE. coli L7/L12-type ribosomal A proteins obtained from four eukaryotes (Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Artemia salina, rat liver, and wheat germ), two metabacteria (Halobacterium cutirubrum andMethanobacterium thermoautotrophicum), and the prokaryoteEscherichia coli have been compared using a computer program that searches for homologous tertiary structures. Comparison matrices show that eukaryotic sequences sequentially match each other if deletions and/or insertions of certain residues (gaps) are assumed at specific sites corresponding to residues 36, 51, 72, and 94 ofS. cerevisiae protein YL44c. This is similar to what was previously found in prokaryotes. Metabacteria, which exhibit eukaryote-type sequences, must have separated from the eukaryotes in ancient times, because an additional deletion site is found in their sequences and their sequences have low correlation coefficients with those of all the other eukaryotes. When the eukaryote-type A proteins (110–111 residues) are compared withE. coli L7/L12 (120 residues) four groups of well-matching segments are found. It was deduced that the eukaryote-type A proteins had regenerated from the prokaryote types by a transposition and several deletions, resulting in the eukaryote-type lengths. The correspondence between the eukaryotic and prokaryotic proteins, as well as that among eukaryotic proteins themselves, is discussed in terms of protein evolution.In addition, ribosomal protein YL35 fromS. cerevisiae has been compared with RL37 from rat liver, with results indicating five well-matching parts separated by four gaps, one of which consists of 20 residues. These results contrasts with those previously reported by Lin et al. No prokaryotic counterparts to these ribosomal proteins have yet been identified.     

应用原生动物群落评价石油废水对燕山区水系的影响

北京燕山地区的水系——周口店河、东沙河、丁家洼河、西沙河、大石河中游受到石油废水和生活污水的影响。作者在5条河流同步采用载玻片法、PFu(Polyurethane Foam Unit)法和传统的浮游生物沉淀法收集原生动物群落。对群落的种类组成、多样性指数、群集过程(Seq、G、T90％)等参数进行了测定。3种方法都能监测出周口店河有严重的毒性效应,载玻片法和PFU法能监测出含石油的废水在东沙河逐渐净化的过程,PFU法能最终判断出西沙河的有机污染比丁家洼河大。因此这5条河流的污染程度是依大石河、丁家洼河、西沙河、东沙河、周口店河的次序而递增。周口店河上游站因含强酸、强碱的废水引起的毒性已迫使原生动物无法生存。由于东沙河的汇入,大石河的中游地段优势种出现以自养性向异养性转化、丰度增加、多样性指数下降的富营养化现象,对北拒马河亦有潜在的压迫。     

尖吻蝮蛇毒对蟾蜍交感神经节细胞电活动的影响

用细胞内电位记录技术,以离体蟾蜍交感链为标本,观察了尖吻蝮蛇毒(AAV)的神经毒性作用。结果表明,该蛇毒(10-200μg/ml)对交感神经元的静息电位、膜电阻和膜电容没有显著的作用,对动作电位形状也无可测出的影响,但能使阈电位轻皮升高,即使神经元兴奋性稍降低。AAV(>25μg/ml)对胆碱能性的快兴奋性突触后电位有剂量依从性的,部分可逆性的抑制作用。其作用机制至少应部分归之于AAV对突触后膜上的N型胆碱能受体的阻断作用。本研究发现的AAV神经毒性作用可能有一定实践意义。     

Nemtaode-Vector Relationships in the Pine Wilt Disease System

Pinewood nematode, Bursaphelenchus xylophilus, is the causal agent of pine wilt disease in North America and Japan. Dispersal stage dauer larvae are transported to new host trees on the body surface and within the tracheal system of several beetle species. Worldwide, 21 species of Cerambycidae, 1 genus of Buprestidae, and 2 species of Curculionidae are known to carry pinewood nematode dauer larvae upon emerging from nematode-infested trees. Five species of cerambycids in the genus Monochamus are known to transmit dauer larvae to new host trees, four North American species and one Japanese species. Primary transmission to healthy trees occurs through beetle feeding wounds on young branches. Secondary transmission to stressed trees or recently cut logs occurs through Monochamus oviposition sites.     

A Microcomputer Program for Evaluating Sampling Error: an Application to Stereological Methods for Electron Microscopy

In situations where there is a need to minimize sampling error or sample size, the coefficient of variation (CV) may be used to evaluate sampling error as a function of the number of observations or subjects in a sample. For example, CV is useful for estimating the minimum number of electron micrographs (N_min) required to obtain a representative field sample for stereological analysis. To facilitate the determination of N_min, we have written a program (COEFficient) for DOS microcomputers which calculates CVs. COEF assists the user in reducing error to that which solely reflects biological variability, thereby minimizing the time and cost of subsequent analyses.     

Alternative partitioning of the genotype-by-environment interaction

Summary Alternative methods for partitioning the genotype-by-environment interaction, for an arbitrary number of genotypes or environments, were examined. Partitioning of the interaction is important in order to determine the nature of the interaction. Two methods of partitioning were examined; both separated the interaction into two types: (1) due to heterogeneous variances or (2) due to imperfect correlations. Method 1 was based on heterogeneity among environments in the scaling of differences among genotypes. Method 2 was based on heterogeneity among genotypes in the scaling of differences among environments. Any remaining interaction arises from deviations from the perfect positive correlation of genotypic rankings among environments (Method 1) or of environmental rankings among genotypes (Method 2). Method 1 is more appropriate for random genotypes that are to be tested in either fixed or random environments. With Method 1, the interactions that arise mainly from heterogeneity of genotypic scaling among environments are generally unimportant. However, if environments are fixed and interactions are mainly due to imperfect correlations of rankings, specialized lines may be indicated for each environment. Method 2 is more useful in evaluating fixed genotypes for sensitivity to random environments. A partitioning of the interaction into that due to the type of interaction within each genotype was shown to be useful in that situation.Journal Paper No. 123737 of the Purdue University Agricultural Experiment Station