Dynamics of Carbon Photosynthetically Assimilated in Nodulated Soya Bean Plants under Steady-state Conditions 3. Time-course Study on 13C Incorporation into Soluble Metabolites and Respiratory Evolution of 13CO2 from Roots and Nodules

Well-nodulated soya bean (Glycine max L.) plants were allowedto assimilate ¹³CO₂ for 10 h in the light, under steady-stateconditions in which CO₂ concentration and ¹³C abundance wereboth strictly controlled at constant levels. The respiratoryevolution of ¹³CO₂ from roots and nodules and ¹³C incorporationinto various metabolic fractions were measured during the ¹³CO₂feeding and subsequent 48 h chase period. CO₂ respired from nodules was much more rapidly labelled with¹³C than that from roots. The level of labelling (percentageof carbon currently assimilated during the ¹³COM₂ feeding period)of CO₂ respired from nodules reached a maximum of about 87 percent after 4 h of steady-state ^l3CO₂ assimilation and thereafterremained fairly constant. The absolute amount of labelled carbonevolved by the respiration of the nodules during the 10 h ¹³CO₂feeding period was 1·5-fold that of root respiration.These results demonstrated that the currently assimilated (labelled)carbon was preferentially used to support nodule respiration,while root respiration relied considerably on earlier (non-labelled)carbon reserved in the roots. Sucrose pools were mostly composed of currently assimilatedcarbon in all tissues of the plants, since the levels of labellingaccounted for 86–91 per cent at the end of the ¹³CO₂ feeding.In the nodules, the kinetics and levels of sucrose labellingwere in fairly good agreement with those of respired CO₂, whilein the roots, the level of labelling of respired CO₂ was significantlylower than that of sucrose. Succinate and malate were highly labelled in both roots andnodules but they were labelled much more slowly than sucroseand respired CO₂. The kinetics and levels of labelling of theseKrebs cycle intermediates resembled those of major amino acidswhich are derived directly from Krebs cycle intermediates. Itis suggested that large fractions of organic acids in noduleswere physically separate from the respiration site. Glycine max L., Soya bean, ¹³CO₂ assimilation, respiratory evolution of ¹³CO₂, carbon metabolism in root nodules     

Biochemical Characterization of Secreted Proteases During Growth in Tetrahymena pyriformis WH-14: Comparison of Extracellular with Intracellular Proteases

Tetrahymena pyriformis strain WH-14 secreted large quantities of intracellular proteases into its culture medium during growth. Extracellular enzymes were purified to homogeneity from cell-free medium by ammonium sulfate precipitation, CM-Sephadex column chromatography, gel filtration, and DEAE-cellulose column chromatography. The DEAE-cellulose eluates were separated into four peaks (P-I, P-II, P-III, and P-IV), each of which exhibited a different specific activity toward azocasein and α-N-benzoyl-DL-arginine-ρ-nitroanilide (Bz-Arg-Nan). These four forms of the protease showed similarity in amino acid composition, molecular weight (21,000–24,000), and antigenic reactivity. They had pH optima at neutral range. P-I showed the highest specificity to azocasein whereas P-IV was most effective toward the synthetic substrates. The Km values for hydrolysis of Bz-Arg-Nan were 2.4, 1.6, 1.3, and 1.4 mM for P-I, P-II. P-III, and P-IV, respectively, and the corresponding Kcat/Km values were 5.0, 9.4, 28.5, and 114.3 S^-1.M^-1. These properties of secreted proteases were compared with those of intracellular proteases purified by the same procedure except for the initial Triton X-100 extraction. There were similarities in specific activity toward two substrates, molecular weight, Km, pH optima, and antigenic reactivity between the proteases from two sources, providing evidence that the intracellular proteases may be secreted into the extracellular medium without modification.     

Diamondback moth females oviposit more on plants infested by non‐parasitised than by parasitised conspecifics

Abstract 1. When offered a choice, female diamondback moths (Plutella xylostella) oviposited more eggs on plants with non‐parasitised conspecific larvae than on plants with parasitised larvae. 2. The leaf area consumed by parasitised larvae was significantly lower than that by non‐parasitised larvae. However, this quantitative difference in larval damage did not explain the female’s ability to discriminate between plants with parasitised and non‐parasitised larvae, as females showed an equal oviposition preference for plants infested by higher or lower densities of non‐parasitised larvae. 3. Pupal weight and duration of the larval stage of P. xylostella were independent of whether larvae were reared on plants that were previously infested by either non‐parasitised or parasitised larvae. 4. The larval parasitoid Cotesia vestalis did not distinguish between plants infested by non‐parasitised larvae and plants infested by larvae that had already been parasitised by conspecific wasps. 5. Based on these data, it can be concluded that the moth oviposition preference for plants infested by non‐parasitised conspecifics relative to plants infested by parasitised conspecifics was not explained by plant quality or by the attractiveness of plants towards wasps. It is hypothesised that one of the reasons for this preference is avoidance of plants where a relatively high risk of parasitism is expected due to the emergence of parasitoids from the parasitised host larvae.     

Behavioral response of male mantid Tenodera aridifolia (Mantodea: Mantidae) to windy conditions as a female approach strategy

When sexual cannibalism presents a sexual conflict, one expects to find male traits that reduce the risk of cannibalism. In sexually cannibalistic species, selection is thought to have favored the evolution of male approach behaviors that reduce the probability that the female will kill the male. We tested the hypothesis that male mantids change their approach behavior in response to wind to reduce the risk of being noticed by females. Time between detection of the female by the male and mating was shorter under windy than windless conditions. Sexual approach behavior was observed more frequently under windy than windless conditions. Moreover, this behavior was observed more frequently when the female was walking than when the female was not walking under windy conditions. The detection rate of male mantids by females was significantly lower on swaying leaves than on fixed leaves. Our results thus indicate that male mantids were more active in response to wind. Therefore, we suggest that the male's quick approach strategy toward females when the wind is blowing at short range is adaptive in reducing the risk of detection by females.     

RAPID ALDOSTERONE-INDUCED CELL VOLUME INCREASE OF ENDOTHELIAL CELLS MEASURED BY THE ATOMIC FORCE MICROSCOPE

Atomic force microscopy (AFM) is a useful technique for imaging the surface of living cells in three dimensions. The authors applied AFM to obtain morphological information of individual cultured endothelial cells of bovine aorta under stationary and strain conditions and to simultaneously measure changes in cell volume in response to aldosterone. This mineralocorticoid hormone is known to have acute, non-genomic effects on intracellular pH, intracellular electrolytes and inositol-1,4,5-triphosphate production. In this study whether endothelial cells under tension change their volume in response to aldosterone was tested. Such changes were already shown in human leukocytes measured by Coulter counter. In contrast to leukocytes that are more or less spherical and live in suspension, endothelial cells exhibit a complex morphology and adhere to a substrate. Thus, measurements of discrete cell volume changes in endothelial cells under physiological condition is only feasible with more sophisticated techniques. By using AFM we could precisely measure the absolute cell volume of individual living endothelial cells. Before the addition of aldosterone the cell volume of mechanically stressed endothelial cells mimicking arterial blood pressure was 1827±172fl. Cell volume was found to increase by 28% 5min after hormone exposure. Twenty-five minutes later cell volume was back to normal despite the continuous presence of aldosterone in the medium. Amiloride, a blocker of the plasma membrane Na⁺/H⁺exchanger prevented the initial aldosterone-induced volume increase. Taken together, AFM disclosed a transient swelling of endothelial cells induced by the activation of an aldosterone sensitive plasma membrane Na⁺/H⁺exchanger.     

Pattern Formation in Mirror-Image Doublets of the Ciliate Stylonychia pustulata

ABSTRACT. Mirror-image symmetry doublets of the ciliate Stylonychia pustulata were obtained from the progenies of dividing cells in which cell division was inhibited by heat-shocks. In two components consisting of the doublet, the left (cell's) component possessed ciliary organelles arranged in almost the same pattern as in normal singlets, while the right one had surface organelles located in a mirror-image symmetry of those of the left component. In cell division of the doublet, two sets of ciliary primordia that were arranged in a mirror-image symmetry developed synchronously in both components. In about 80% of oral primordia (OP) of the right components, the arrangement of the membranellar bands became abnormal. In some cases, OP of the right component were occasionally separated into two longitudinal halves, each consisting of normal membranelles and inverted membranelles. A set of primordia of the paroral membranelles and fronto-ventro-transverse cirri was rarely derived from the basal bodies of the right half with a band of normal membranelles. As a result, a third component with the ciliary organelles normally arranged emerged on the right side of the original right component. The differentiation of membranelles and segmentation of the primordial streaks into cim proceeded from anterior to posterior. A cytoplasmic bulge with multiple right marginal cirral rows was frequently formed at the right margin of the doublet. The behavior in the separation of third and fourth streaks from a primordial streak of dorsal cirri was not mirror-image symmetrical in each component.     

隔区注射AVP和AVP抗血清对家兔温敏神经元放电的影响

精氨酸加压素可能是一种内源性退热剂,其抗热作用的最敏感点位于大脑边缘系统的隔区。为了研究ＡＶＰ抗热的作用的机理,本文观察了隔区注射ＡＶＰ和ＡＶＰ抗血清对家兔视前区－下丘脑前部温度敏感神经元放电活动的影响。实验结果如下：１（１）隔区注射ＡＶＰ能使ＰＯ－ＡＨ热敏神经元放电明显增加,冷敏神经元放电明显减少;而隔区注＝谢人工脑脊液对热敏神经元和冷敏神经元的放电均无明显影响。（２）隔区注射ＡＶＰ抗血清后,Ｐ