Teratocytes growth pattern reflects host suitability in a host–parasitoid assemblage

Abstract.  In some parasitoid species, the serosa membrane breaks apart at hatching and produces teratocyte cells that assume various functions (immunossupression, secretion and nutrition) mediating host–parasitoid relationships. Teratocyte growth pattern may thus reflect the host suitability for a parasitoid. The teratocyte growth pattern (increase in size and number of teratocytes as a function of time) is studied and used as an indirect measure of fitness to compare the development of the endoparasitoid Dinocampus coccinellae in a marginal host, the coccinellid Harmonia axyridis , and in a suitable host, Coleomegilla maculata . Indirect measures of fitness recorded in both host species confirm that C. maculata is a suitable host for D. coccinellae contrary to the marginal host H. axyridis. According to regression analysis, teratocyte numbers decrease linearly whereas teratocyte size increases linearly with time in the suitable host C. maculata (larvae or adults). In the marginal host, parasitism occurs only in the larval stage where a delay in the parasitoid larval development is observed. Increase in teratocyte size is also highly variable. The teratocyte growth pattern of the parasitoid in the marginal host does not follow the linear model found in the suitable host. Teratocyte growth pattern may be a useful criterion to evaluate host-suitability and host range of parasitoids.     

Wounding and the Regulation of Apoplasmic Retrieval in Source Leaf Tissue 5Spinacia oleracea L.

Kinetic studies were performed on fresh-cut and aged leaf discsof Spinacia oleracea L. in order to investigate the regulatoryprocesses involved in sugar transport across the mesophyll plasmamembrane. A comparison of the kinetic profiles for fructose,glucose, sucrose and arginine obtained on freshly-cut and ageddiscs revealed that during wound-recovery, uptake is enhanced,but that this enhancement varies considerably for the differentsubstrates tested. Variation in the saturable and first-orderkinetic components of uptake was also observed. The involvementof a phosphoinositide-signalling mechanism in the wounding processwas examined by pretreating spinach leaves with lithium. Lithiuminhibited the enhancement of uptake and this effect was reversedby the addition of miro-inositol. However, in some experimentsthe tissue appeared to be insensitive to Li⁺. Gas chromatographicanalyses performed on cut discs indicated that ethylene wasproduced in response to wounding and that the addition of cobaltto the ageing media inhibited this ethylene production. Comparativekinetic studies of control and cobalt-treated discs indicatedthat ethylene was essential for the enhancement of transportacross the plasma membrane. However, addition of ethylene touncut tissue caused only a partial increase in the uptake offructose, which indicates that some additional wound-signallingcomponent is involved. Addition of cycloheximide to the recoverymedia completely inhibited this enhancement phenomenon. Thecycloheximide-response was not due to an inhibition of ACC synthasesynthesis nor to a reduction of ATP levels. We concluded thatthe effect of cycloheximide was on protein synthesis. Our resultsare discussed in terms of possible cellular and molecular mechanismsregulating sugar transport. Key words: Sugar transport, wounding, ethylene production, spinach leaves     

Hydroxyl- and Bicarbonate-Associated Transport Processes in Chara corallina: Studies on the Light-Dark Regulation Mechanism

Lucas, W. J. and Ogata, K. 1985. Hydroxyl– and bicarbonate–associatedtransport processes in Chara corallintr. Studies on the light–darkregulation mechanism.—J. exp. Bot. 36: 1947–1958.Experiments were undertaken on the fresh water alga Chara corallinato investigate the nature of the coupling between the chloroplastsand the light–dependent OH^– and -associated plasmalemma transport systems. Electrophysiologicalexperiments, in which DCMU was employed, revealed that thischemical could elicit a hyperpolarization of the membrane potentialthat was identical to that normally obtained by turning offthe light. This DCMU–induced hyperpolarization was obtainedunder control () and phosphate–decoupled conditions (). Measurements of the extracellular electric potentialswhich are associated with the acidic () and alkaline (OH^–) regions, indicated that, in the presenceof control ()or phosphate–decoupled conditions, normal profiles were established under air, oxygenor nitrogen environments. These results indicate that the generationof the control signal(s) is related to events associated withchloroplast electron transport, rather than to changes in theflow or levels of carbon intermediates within the reductivepentose phosphate or photorespiratory cycles. Although the levelof oxygen was found to have no effect on the light–inducedactivation of the OH regions, we found that in pure oxygen thedark–induced inactivation of the OH^– efflux systemwas delayed, and that partial transport function could be maintainedin the dark. The possible involvement of changes in either theratio of oxidized to reduced ferridoxin or NADP^? to NADPH, aspart of this light–mediated control signal, is discussed. Key words: Chara corallina, Plasma membrance transport, OH^– and , regulation     

Analysis of the Diffusion Symmetry Developed by the Alkaline and Acid Bands which form at the Surface of Chara corallina Cells

The diffusion symmetry developed by the alkaline and aeid bandsof Chara corallina was studied. The alkaline system developeda diffusion pattern which could not be fitted to the equationfor a continuous point-source efflux. However, good correlationwas obtained between experimental data and the diffusion equationfor a hollow sphere. The calculated OH- efflux values, obtainedusing the equation of a continuous spherical-surface source,were checked against the influx values of H₁₄ obtained under the same experimental conditions. IndividualOH– band efflux values ranged from 0.07 to 5.95 pmol s^–1and total cell fluxes of 25 pmol cm^–2 s^–1 for OH^-and H were obtained (in the presence of 0.5 mM NaHCO₃). The acid system developed a cylindrical diffusion pattern, butthis could not be fitted to a mathematical equation. Numericalanalysis will have to be employed to obtain values of H⁺ efflux.     

A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF OPHIOBOLUS GRAMINIS AND FUSARIUM CULMORUM IN SAPROPHYTIC COLONIZATION OF WHEAT STRAW

The competitive saprophytic ability of Ophiobolus graminis has been compared with that of Fusarium cultnorum. Test pieces of wheat straw were buried in maize-meal-sand inoculum mixed in various proportions with unsterilized soil, according to the technique already described by Butler (1953). Some possible sources of variation in the results obtained by this technique have been investigated. Saprophytic colonization of the straw tissues by Ophiobolus graminis appeared to decline as invasion progressed from the outer to the inner tissues, presumably owing to continued competition with other saprophytes. An experiment using as inoculum the stubble of plants naturally infected by O. graminis suggests that saprophytic colonization of wheat straw by the take-all fungus can occur only to a negligible extent in the field.     

Cold-Inhibited Phloem Translocation in Sugar Beet: II. CHARACTERIZATION AND LOCALIZATION OF THE SLOW-COOLING RESPONSE

Experiments were undertaken on a simplified sugar beet systemto characterize the phloem translocation response to slow coolingtreatments that were applied to the source leaf petiole. Inthese experiments the temperature was decreased by 4°C every16 min, such that the tissue temperature was lowered from 25°Cto 1°C over a period of 80 min. Our results indicated thatan initial slow cooling treatment, on a given test plant, causedno change in the rate of translocation. However, all subsequentslow cooling regimes that were applied to the same petiole positionelicited a characteristic step-type inhibition. This inhibitionaveraged about 10% of the original translocation rate in allcases with no recovery being observed. The data suggest thatthe initial cooling treatment induced an alteration in the petioletissue which facilitated the inhibition phenomenon during subsequentslow coolings. This alteration was shown to be localized withinthe upstream region of the chilled petiole segment, followingan initial slow cooling, or throughout the chilled petiole segmentafter an initial quick cooling from 25°C to 1°C. Resultsalso show that the alteration is a long-lived phenomenon thathas no detectable influence on the quick-cooling induced transientinhibition of translocation. Key words: Phloem, Translocation, Cooling response, Petiole     

Biodeterioration of Mayan buildings at uxmal and tulum,Mexico

Uxmal and Tulum are two important Mayan sites in the Yucatan peninsula. The buildings are mainly composed of limestone and grey/black discoloration is seen on exposed walls and copious greenish biofilms on inner walls. The principal microorganisms detected on interior walls at both Uxmal and Tulum were cyanobacteria; heterotrophic bacteria and filamentous fungi were also present. A dark‐pigmented mitosporic fungus and Bacillus cereus, both isolated from Uxmal, were shown to be acidogenic in laboratory cultures. Cyanobacteria belonging to rock‐degrading genera Synechocystis and Gloeocapsa were identified at both sites. Surface analysis previously showed that calcium ions were present in the biofilms on buildings at Uxmal and Tulum, suggesting the deposition of biosolubilized stone. Apart from their potential to degrade the substrate, the coccoid cyanobacteria supply organic nutrients for bacteria and fungi, which can produce organic acids, further increasing stone degradation.     

Efflux pumps expression and its association with porin down-regulation and β-lactamase production among <Emphasis Type="Italic">Pseudomonas aeruginosa</Emphasis> causing bloodstream infections in Brazil

Background  

Multi-drug efflux pumps have been increasingly recognized as a major component of resistance in P. aeruginosa. We have investigated the expression level of efflux systems among clinical isolates of P. aeruginosa, regardless of their antimicrobial susceptibility profile.