Pathogenicity of some chrysosporium species isolated in France

In order to appreciate the pathogenicity of several geophilic Chrysosporium species (including Anixiopsis stercoraria, Chrysosporium keratinophilum, C. tropicum, C. pannorum, C. state of Arthroderma curreyi, C. state of A. multifidum, and C. state of A. tuberculatum), the authors have realized two series of experimental infestations. Inoculation of these fungi on the back of guinea pigs produced rare erythematous scaling lesions which spontaneously disappeared 3–5 weeks later. No real hair invasion was observed. In white mice, eight weeks after intraperitoneal inoculation, granulomas with necrotic center were observed in the peritoneal tissue with C. keratinophilum, C. tropicum, C. state of A. curreyi and C. state of A. tuberculatum. Conidia were often intact in necrotic centers and retrocultures were positive. With C. state of A. curreyi, spherical spores associated with rare budding cells were noted. The pathogenic role of these keratinophilic fungi is uncertain. However, their ability to remain viable for several weeks in skin and peritoneal tissue indicates that they could become pathogen in certain circumstances.This paper was presented at the X^th congress of the International Society for Human and Animal Mycology at Barcelona, Spain from June 27 to July 1, 1988.     

Citric acid excretion and precipitation of calcium citrate in the rhizosphere of white lupin (Lupinus albus L.)

Abstract. White lupin ( Lupinus albus L.) was grown for 13 weeks in a phosphorus (P) deficient calcareous soil (20% CaCO₃, pH(H₂O)7.5) which had been sterilized prior to planting and fertilized with nitrate as source of nitrogen. In response to P deficiency, proteoid roots developed which accounted for about 50% of the root dry weight. In the rhizosphere soil of the proteoid root zones, the pH dropped to 4.8 and abundant white precipitates became visible. X-ray spectroscopy and chemical analysis showed that these precipitates consisted of calcium citrate. The amount of citrate released as root exudate by 13-week-old plants was about 1 g plant⁻¹, representing about 23% of the total plant dry weight at harvest. In the rhizosphere soil of the proteoid root zones the concentrations of available P decreased and of available Fe, Mn and Zn increased. The strong acidification of the rhizosphere and the cation/anion uptake ratio of the plants strongly suggests that proteoid roots of white lupin excrete citric acid, rather than citrate, into the rhizosphere leading to intensive chemical extraction of a limited soil volume. In a calcareous soil, citric acid excretion leads to dissolution of CaCO₃ and precipitation of calcium citrate in the zone of proteoid roots.     

Protein and cDNA sequences of Bowman-Birk protease inhibitors from the cowpea (Vigna unguiculata Walp.)

The protein and gene sequences of the cowpea Bowman-Birk type trypsin inhibitor which confers enhanced insect resistance to transgenic tobacco plants, and of cowpea trypsin/chymotrypsin inhibitors are presented. There are regions of high conservation and high divergence within the 5 leader, mature protein and 3 non-coding regions of the Bowman-Birk inhibitors and in the genes which encode them in different members of this family within the Leguminosae. The practical implications of this finding for studies on the evolution of plants and the utilization of these genes for enhancing insect resistance is discussed.     

Patterns of energy storage in Pseudoboeckella poppei (Crustacea,copepoda) from two contrasting lakes on Signy Island,Antarctica

The copepod Pseudoboeckella poppei (Daday) (Calanoida, Centropagidae) was sampled from Sombre and Heywood Lakes on Signy Island, Antarctica (60° S, 45° W) between January 1984 and March 1985. Sombre Lake is clear and oligotrophic with little phytoplankton and a bottom sediment low in organic content. By contrast Heywood Lake is turbid and mesotrophic; a substantial phytoplankton develops in summer and the bottom sediments are comparatively rich in organics. Both lakes freeze over for much of the year, forcing the copepods to adopt a benthic feeding strategy over winter. Adult Pseudoboeckella feed on phytoplankton when this is available, but also on detritus, diatoms and short algal filaments stirred up from the sediment. In Heywood Lake, male copepods show a smooth seasonal trend in lipid content with lipid being synthesised in early summer and utilised in late summer and winter. The summer increase in lipid content is associated with an increase in dry weight. Female lipid contents show evidence of two peaks of egg production. In Sombre Lake both male and female copepods increase in size during summer and show a wider range of lipid contents than in Heywood Lake; it is likely that this is due to the poorer winter feeding conditions which necessitate the synthesis of a much larger store of reserves during the summer. In contrast to marine calanoid copepods, lipid stores are exclusively triacylglycerol with no trace of wax ester.     

SC9-4和棕榈油的比较分析研究

SC_9-4是以植物油为原料研制成功的一种高速冷轧工艺润滑油。经武钢高速冷轧机轧制性能鉴定,它的高速轧制性能优于棕榈油。我们使用高效液相色谱比较分析鉴定了SC_9-4和棕榈油的甘油三酯组成。分析结果:SC_9-4:的主要甘油三酯是POP(42.8％)和PPP(14.6％),而棕榈油的主要甘油三酯是POP(31.3％)、POO(20.1％)、PLP(12.2％)和PLO(11.6％)。我们初步探讨甘油三酯组成与轧制性能关系认为,SC_9-4的高速轧制性能优于棕榈油,可能是和SC_9-4含PPP、PPS和PSS的含量(18.8％)高于棕榈油(9.9％)有关。     

Common antigenic determinants in the glycoproteins of plants,molluscs and insects

An antiserum raised against -fructosidase isolated from the cell walls of suspension-cultured carrot cells cross-reacts with many plant proteins and hemocyanin ofHelix pomatia. The shared epitope appears to be a small complex glycan with a (1–2)-linked xylose residue attached to the -linked mannose residue of the core of an asparagine-linked oligosaccharide. There is strong cross-reactivity with the proteins of many seed plants, molluscs and insects, and no cross-reactivity with the proteins of fungi, algae, mosses, ferns, or any of the vertebrates tested. Xylose-containing glycans appear to increase the immunogenicity of the proteins to which they are attached, and we suggest that they may be responsible for some allergic responses of people that are repeatedly exposed to plant or insect proteins.     

Influence of pH,exchangeable aluminium and 0.02M CaCl2-extractable aluminium on the growth and nitrogen-fixing activity of white clover (Trifolium repens) in some New Zealand soils

The effects of soil acidity on the growth and N₂-fixing activity of white clover in seven acid topsoils and subsoils of New Zealand were investigated using a glasshouse experiment.The application of phosphate (Ca(H₂PO₄)₂) to the soils resulted in very large increases in white clover growth on all soils. The application of phosphate, as well as increasing P supply, also decreased 0.02M CaCl₂-extractable Al levels, but had little effect on exchangeable Al levels.Where adequate phosphate was applied, increasing rates of lime (CaCO₃) resulted in increased plant growth on most soils. N₂[C₂H₂]-fixing activity was increased by the first level of lime for one soil, but generally remained approximately constant or declined slightly at higher rates of lime. Up to the point of maximum yield, white clover top weight was more highly correlated with 0.02M CaCl₂-extractable soil Al than with exchangeable Al or pH. At pH values greater than 5.5, plant yield declined on some soils, apparently because of Zn deficiency. The data suggest that white clover is unlikely to be affected by Al toxicity at 0.02M CaCl₂-extractable Al levels of less than about 3.3 g g^–1. However, there were differences between soils in apparent plant tolerance to 0.02M CaCl₂-extractable Al, which appeared to be caused by differing C levels in the 0.02M CaCl₂ extracts.     

Peptide-N 4-(N-acetylglucosaminyl)asparagine amidase (PNGase) activity could explain the occurrence of extracellular xylomannosides in a plant cell suspension

We have previously isolated mannoside and xylomannoside oligosaccharides with one or two terminal reducingN-acetylglucosamine residues from the extracellular medium of white campion (Silene alba) suspension culture. We have now demonstrated the presence of peptide-N ⁴-(N-acetylglucosaminyl)asparagine amidase (PNGase) activity in cell extracts as well in the culture medium that could explain the production of those compounds. An additional xylomannoside, (GlcNAc)Man₃(Xyl)GlcNAc(Fuc)GlcNAc, was characterized, and¹H- and¹³C-NMR assignments for the oligosaccharide Man₃(Xyl)GlcNAc(Fuc)GlcNAc were obtained using homonuclear and heteronuclear spectroscopy (COSY).Abbreviations Endo endo--N-acetylglucosaminidase - Fuc fucose - GlcNAc N-acetylglucosamine - Man mannose - NMR nuclear magnetic resonance - PNGase peptide-N ⁴-(N-acetylglucosaminyl)asparagine amidase - Xyl xylose     

Mode of action studies on a Manduca sexta diuretic hormone

The mode of action of a diuretic hormone from pharate adult Manduca Sexta heads, which triggers fluid loss in M. sexta larvae and Pieris rapae adults, was studied. In vivo, Mas-DH (M. sexta diuretic hormone) decreased fluid absorption from larval recta, and increased levels of the second messenger cAMP in recta and Malpighian tubules (Mt) from larvae, and in fat body of larvae and adult M. sexta. In vitro, Mas-DH triggered minor changes in fluid loss from adult Mt, but did not affect levels of cAMP in Mt from larvae, pharate adults, or adults, though it elevated cAMP levels in fat body of these stages. © 1992 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Immunochemical and biological analysis of pheromone biosynthesis activating neuropeptide in Heliothis peltigera.

This study describes the preparation and characterization of a highly specific antiserum to Helicoverpa zea pheromone biosynthesis activating neuropeptide (Hez-PBAN), and the use of this antiserum, in an enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), to determine: a) the content of endogenous PBAN in head extracts of male and female Heliothis peltigera; b) the level of PBAN at different developmental stages; and c) the content of PBAN in four different moth species. Cross-reactivity studies revealed that the antiserum is directed mainly toward the N-terminal region of the neuropeptide, and that it exhibits similar binding affinities toward the oxidized and reduced forms of PBAN. Analysis of PBAN content in head extracts of male and female H. peltigera, at scotophase, revealed the presence of 4.97 and 4.58 pmol, respectively, in 3-day-old moths, and 5.33 and 4.78 pmol, respectively, in 7-day-old moths. The similarity in the content of PBAN at both ages and sexes was in accordance with the amount of pheromonotropic activity in these extracts which stimulated pheromone biosynthesis to a similar level. Analysis of PBAN-like immunoreactivity (IR) in head extracts of H. peltigera larvae and pupae demonstrated the existence of the neuropeptide in the 4th larval instar and continued to increase as a function of development. No IR could be detected in the first three larval instars. The larval and pupal extracts also exerted pheromonotropic activity which followed a similar pattern. The activity in these extracts, however, was considerably lower than that found in adult male and female heads. IR was also detected in head extracts of three other Noctuidae moths: Helicoverpa armigera, Cornutiplusia circumflexa and Spodoptera littoralis, indicating a high degree of chemical and structural similarity of PBAN in these moths.