Ultrastructure of spermatids and spermatozoa in the cyclostomatous bryozoan Tubulipora (Bryozoa,Cyclostomata)

Summary Differentiation of spermatids to mature spermatozoa in the bryozoan Tubulipora liliacea was studied by transmission electron microscopy. The spermatozoon of Tubulipora is of a filiform, modified type, and has evolved from the primitive type as an adaptation to a specialized biology of fertilization. The head of the spermatozoon consists of a small, conical acrosome capping an elongated, cylindrical, anteriorly tapering nucleus. A basal invagination in the nucleus contains the proximal portion of the axoneme and a dense attachment matrix. The flagellar axoneme has the typical 9+2 structure. Four elongated rodshaped mitochondria with typical cristae surround the axoneme in the cylindrical middle piece. Granular electron-dense material is accumulated in the form of four columns alternating with four long cylindrical mitochondria. The mitochondrial middle piece is separated externally from the tail region by an involution of the plasma membrane. The tail region contains a cytoplasmic sheath with accessory fibers surrounding the axoneme. Nine outer, coarse fibers extend posteriorly paralleling the nine doublets of the axoneme. The coarse fibers develop from electron-dense plate-like structures associated with the doublets of the axoneme. A characteristic feature in spermiogenesis is that spermatozoa develop in tetrads. There seem to be significant differences in spermatozoan ultrastructure between the three bryozoan classes Stenolaemata, Gymnolaemata, and Phylactolaemata. The differences indicate different lines of evolution of fertilization biology in these groups.Abbreviations used in the figures a acrosome - av acrosomal vesicles - ax axoneme - c coarse fiber - d electron dense rod - m mitochondrion - mp middle piece - Scale bars=0.5 m - mt microtubule - n nucleus - ne nuclear envelope - p nuclear protrusion - pm plasma membrane - t tail     

Photo-CIDNP study of the interaction between the glucocorticoid receptor DNA-binding domain and glucocorticoid response elements

Summary Photo-CIDNP studies were performed on two protein fragments that both contain the double zinc-finger DNA-binding domain of the glucocorticoid receptor. In the absence of DNA, Tyr⁴⁵² and Tyr⁴⁷⁴ are polarised in both fragments while Tyr⁴⁹⁷ is not. Addition of a palindromic glucocorticoid response element (GRE) results in the suppression of Tyr⁴⁷⁴ polarization while the polarization of Tyr⁴⁵² is unaffected. The same result is observed upon adding a half GRE to the protein fragment indicating that the suppression of Tyr⁴⁷⁴ polarization is not due to protein-protein contacts but to interaction with DNA.     

Cloning, mapping and mutational analysis of the S-adenosylmethionine decarboxylase gene in Drosophila melanogaster

S-adenosylmethionine decarboxylase is a key enzyme in the synthesis of polyamines. These small cationic molecules are required for growth and development in all organisms. A wealth of biological processes, including synthesis of DNA and protein and condensation of chromatin, involve polyamines. Inhibition of polyamine synthesis has been proposed for treatment of cancer but this requires more knowledge about the in vivo function of polyamines. We report here the cloning of the S-adenosylmethionine decarboxylase gene from Drosophila melanogaster and the analysis of corresponding mutants. The mutant phenotypes are similar to those previously described for ribosomal protein genes (Minutes) and rRNA genes (bobbed?). This work elucidates the in vivo consequences of impaired polyamine synthesis with respect to the development of a whole animal.     

Über die Keimungsverhältnisse und Auswuchsneigung rot- und weißkörniger Weizensorten

Ohne Zusammenfassung     

Spatial distribution of fine-roots in boreal forests in eastern Sweden

Investigations were carried out in six forest types in areas surrounding two Swedish nuclear power plants (Forsmark and Laxemar). The aim of the investigation was to determine the spatial distribution of fine-root biomass (live), necromass (dead) and standing crop (live + dead) and to test the use of the live/dead ratio as a vitality criterion. Soil cores were taken to depths with insignificant amounts of roots. The total amount of fine-root biomass (<1 mm in diameter) of tree species in the soil profile was 267, 317 and 235 g m^?2 for the Forsmark and 137, 371 and 50 g m^?2 for the Laxemar sites. The related necromass was 119, 226 and 184 g m^?2 and 87, 245 and 271 g m^?2. The biomass in the humus layer was 47, 7 and 48% for the Forsmark and 34, 26 and 7% for the Laxemar sites, as a percentage of the total live + dead fine roots in the soil profile. The related necromass in the humus layer was 13, 2 and 30% for the Forsmark and 13, 2 and 28% for the Laxemar sites. The live/dead ratio decreased with depth for both tree— and field-layer species and seems to be a most powerful vitality criterion of fine roots.     

Heritability of resting metabolic rate in a wild population of blue tits

We report the first study with the aim to estimate heritability in a wild population, a nest box breeding population of blue tits. We estimated heritability as well as genetic and phenotypic correlations of resting metabolic rate (RMR), body mass and tarsus length with an animal model based on data from a split cross‐fostering experiment with brood size manipulations. RMR and body mass, but not tarsus length, showed significant levels of explained variation but for different underlying reasons. In body mass, the contribution to the explained variation is mainly because of a strong brood effect, while in RMR it is mainly because of a high heritability. The additive variance in RMR was significant and the heritability was estimated to 0.59. The estimates of heritability of body mass (0.08) and tarsus length (0.00) were both low and based on nonsignificant additive variances. Thus, given the low heritability (and additive variances) in body mass and tarsus length the potential for direct selection on RMR independent of the two traits is high in this population. However, the strong phenotypic correlation between RMR and mass (0.643 ± 0.079) was partly accounted for by a potentially strong, although highly uncertain, genetic correlation (1.178 ± 0.456) between the two traits. This indicates that the additive variance of body mass, although low, might still somewhat constrain the independent evolvability of RMR.     

Survival and gene expression of enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli during long‐term incubation in sea water and freshwater

Aims: In this study, the main objective was to verify the hypothesis of induction of ‘viable but non‐culturable’ (VBNC) forms of enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) during incubation in water. Methods and Results: Six clinically isolated ETEC strains were studied. Viable counts showed culturable ETEC bacteria for up to 3 months in freshwater but only two out of six strains were culturable in seawater at this time point. Although the bacterial cells remained intact, no production or secretion of heat‐labile (LT) or heat‐stable (ST) enterotoxins was observed using GM1‐ELISA methods. However, genes encoding ETEC toxins (STh and LT), colonization factors (CS7 and CS17), gapA and 16S RNA were expressed during 3 months in both sea water and freshwater microcosms as determined by real‐time RT‐PCR on cDNA derived from the bacteria. Conclusions: Clinically isolated ETEC strains can survive for long periods in both sea water and freshwater. The bacterial cells remain intact, and the gene expression of virulence genes and genes involved in metabolic pathways are detected after 3 months. Significance and Impact of the Study: These results indicate that ETEC bacteria can enter a VBNC state during stressful conditions and suggest that ETEC has the potential to be infectious after long‐term incubation in water.     

Expression Preference of the S-adenosylmethionine Synthetase (Sam-S) Gene in Drosophila melanogaster

Ｓ－腺苷甲硫氨酸合成酶（ＳａｍＳ）是目前已知的唯一在生物体内催化腺苷甲硫氨酸合成的酶。它是除自身以外、所有甲基化反应的甲基供体,并且参与多胺的生物合成。多胺对于稳定ＤＮＡ、ＲＮＡ和蛋白质大分子的双螺旋结构具有重要作用,和ＤＮＡ的甲基化一起参与了基因组的印迹（ｉｍｐｒｉｔｉｎｇ）过程。在分离到ＳａｍＳ基因的基础上,本文通过Ｎｏｒｔｈｅｒｎｂｌｏｔ和酶活两种方法,对该基因在野生型果蝇和四个等位突变体发育过程中主要阶段的转录和转译水平进行了测定。野生型果蝇由瑞典Ｕｍｅａ大学果蝇中心提供。由于该基因的突变是阴性致死突变,研究中采用了杂合子突变体：Ｓｕ（ｚ）５,Ｌ（２）Ｍ６,Ｌ（２）Ｒ２３和Ｄｆ（２Ｌ）ＰＭ４４,均由所在实验室诱变获得。Ｎｏｒｔｈｅｒｎ分析时,以ｃＤＮＡ＃１０和ａ微管蛋白基因为探针,分析果蝇卵巢、幼虫、蛹、胚胎、雄性和雌性成蝇中该基因Ｐｏｌｙ（Ａ）ＲＮＡ的转录水平。通过测定蛋白粗提物中的酶活,分析果蝇卵巢、幼虫、蛹、以及雄性成蝇腹部组织中该基因的翻译水平。Ｆｉｇ．１,２＆３表明：ＳａｍＳ基因主要在成熟雌蝇的卵巢中高表达,在雄性成蝇中该基因的表达水平明显低于雌性。在其它发育阶段及组织部位中仅维持     

Sperm dimorphism and spermatozeugmata in the commensal bivalve Pseudopythina macrophthalmensis (Galeommatoidea, Kelliidae)

The bivalve Pseudopythina macrophthalmensis (Galeommatoidea) is a commensal with the crab Macrophthalmus convexus (Ocypodidae) in Okinawa Prefecture, Japan. It is a protandric hermaphrodite which incubates the 65-μm large ova in the suprabranchial cavity. The species produces two types of sperm, which were studied with the electron microscope. The euspermatozoon has an elongate 2.8-μm-long, pointed acrosome, a slender 12- to 13-μm-long nucleus and a middlepiece containing several closely packed mitochondria arranged as a 5.5- to 6.0-μm-long sheath around the basis of the flagellum. The paraspermato- zoon is vermiform, 220-μm-long and up to 5-μm-broad. Anteriorly there is a ca 7-μm-long bullet-shaped acrosome followed by a subcylindrical 3.0- to 4.7-μm-long nucleus. Adjacent to the nucleus occurs a bundle of 26–42 40-μm-long flagella. The cytoplasm is packed with spherical lipid droplets and ovoid granules of unknown composition. Sperm of both types aggregate to form spermatozeugmata, which were found in the posterior mantle cavity or in paired seminal receptacles. Within the receptacles the euspermatozoa dissociate themselves from the spermatozeugma and become attached to the epithelial lining of the receptacle whereas the paraspermatozoa presumably disintegrate. The possible significance of the two types of sperm is discussed in the light of their presumed functions in gastropods. Accepted: 9 November 2000