On the formation of adipocere from fats

Summary The formation of adipocere is a process occurring under virtually anaerobic conditions in which human fat is converted into a complex of saturated fatty acids by a great variety of bacterial species occurring in and on the decomposing body.     

An investigation into the mechanism for reduced seed yield inLotus corniculatus

Summary A study of seed position in the pod ofLotus corniculatus L. cv. Mirabel (Fabaceae) suggested that reduced seed set after self-pollination is not due to an inability of the self-pollen tube to reach the end of the ovary. As in other cultivars, it has been demonstrated that cultivar Mirabel produced less seed per pod and shorter pods after self- than after cross-pollination. No differences were noted for percent germination of seeds produced by both types of pollination indicating that the number of seeds per pod is a reliable index of the ultimate productive potential of the pollination.     

Recent time-trends of age-specific death rates for breast cancer: Quebec and other provinces, 1965 through 1974.

For the 10-year period 1965 through 1974 the age-specific death rates for cancer of the breast decreased among middle-aged women, especially at ages 40 to 49 years, in Quebec, the Maritimes and the Prairies but not in Ontario or British Columbia. In women under 35 years of age the mortality generally increased, while in women aged 60 to 64 years there was little change except in the Prairies, where the rate increased. It seems probable that the trends reflect changes in incidence rather than in case-fatality. Some, but not all, of the pattern could be explained by changes in fertility over the past 50 years.     

Revision and affinities ofGalium (Rubiaceae) in Madagascar

The only representatives ofRubiaceae-Rubieae in Madagascar are five species ofGalium. G. thunbergianum andG. chloroionanthum are essentially afromontane species, ± widely distributed in both the African mainland and Madagascar. The new speciesG. andringitrense andG. ankaratrense are endemic to Madagascar but show close affinities to two afromontane—afroalpine groups from the African mainland, theG. simense—G. ruwenzoriense andG. glaciale complex respectively.G. polyacanthum (new combination) exhibits certain primitive morphological traits and appears to be an old Madagascan endemic without close allies. New chromosome counts for populations from the African mainland demonstrate thatG. chloroionanthum andG. simense are 4x (x=11). Distribution patterns and origins of theGalium species in Madagascar and their relationships with African taxa are discussed.     

Is alcoholic acidic silver nitrate reagent really specific for the histochemical localization of ascorbic acid?

Summary The histochemical localization of ascorbic acid in plant tissues with the alcoholic acidic silver nitrate reagent is shown here to be not specific for ascorbic acid, since some of the polyphenolic substances, including flavonoids, which are known to be widely distributed in plant tissues, are also able to reduce the acidic alcoholic silver nitrate reagent at low temperature (0–4°C) and at pH 2 to 2.5 in dark. This method may perhaps be used for animal tissues where flavonoid pigments do not occur in such large quantities as they do in plants. I therefore, come to the inevitable conclusion that the use of alcoholic acidic silver nitrate reagent in localizing ascorbic acid in plant tissues may be highly misleading.     

Fungi intercepted from Afghanistan

Fungi obtained and isolated from plant material coming in from Afghanistan and intercepted at Quarantine Station, Jamrud have been described. Out of eight species of fungi isolated from different seeds, at least one is not known to occur in Pakistan. Importance of studying seed borne fungi from Quarantine point of view is discussed.

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Zusammenfassung Pilze, die von Pflanzenmaterial von Afghanistan erhalten, isoliert und bei der Auarantänestelle Jamrud erwischt worden sind, sind hier beschrieben. Von acht Pilzarten, die von verschiedenen Samen isoliert worden sind, ist eine in Pakistan noch nicht vorgefunden worden. Die Wichtigkeit der Untersuchung von den mit den Pilzen behafteten Samen vom Standpunkt der Quarantäne ist diskutiert.

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Department of Plant Protection     

Evidence for a role of protein phosphorylation in the maintenance of the cnidarian–algal symbiosis

The endosymbiotic relationship between cnidarians and photosynthetic dinoflagellate algae provides the foundation of coral reef ecosystems. This essential interaction is globally threatened by anthropogenic disturbance. As such, it is important to understand the molecular mechanisms underpinning the cnidarian–algal association. Here we investigated phosphorylation‐mediated protein signalling as a mechanism of regulation of the cnidarian–algal interaction, and we report on the generation of the first phosphoproteome for the coral model system Aiptasia. Mass spectrometry‐based phosphoproteomics using data‐independent acquisition allowed consistent quantification of over 3,000 phosphopeptides totalling more than 1,600 phosphoproteins across aposymbiotic (symbiont‐free) and symbiotic anemones. Comparison of the symbiotic states showed distinct phosphoproteomic profiles attributable to the differential phosphorylation of 539 proteins that cover a broad range of functions, from receptors to structural and signal transduction proteins. A subsequent pathway enrichment analysis identified the processes of “protein digestion and absorption,” “carbohydrate metabolism,” and “protein folding, sorting and degradation,” and highlighted differential phosphorylation of the “phospholipase D signalling pathway” and “protein processing in the endoplasmic reticulum.” Targeted phosphorylation of the phospholipase D signalling pathway suggests control of glutamate vesicle trafficking across symbiotic compartments, and phosphorylation of the endoplasmic reticulum machinery suggests recycling of symbiosome‐associated proteins. Our study shows for the first time that changes in the phosphorylation status of proteins between aposymbiotic and symbiotic Aiptasia anemones may play a role in the regulation of the cnidarian–algal symbiosis. This is the first phosphoproteomic study of a cnidarian–algal symbiotic association as well as the first application of quantification by data‐independent acquisition in the coral field.