Partial trisomy 20p resulting from a recombination of a familial pericentric inversion

Summary Recombination of an inherited pericentric inversion of chromosome 20 has given rise to a child with partial trisomy 20p. To our knowledge no previous familial inversions of this chromosome have been described in the literature.     

Solid-state 15N NMR of oriented lipid bilayer bound gramicidin A'

Highly oriented samples of lipid and gramicidin A' (8:1 molar ratio) have been prepared with the samples extensively hydrated (approximately 70% water v/w). These preparations have been shown to be completely in a bilayer phase with a transition temperature of 28 degrees C, and evidence is presented indicating that the gramicidin is in the channel conformation. An estimate of the disorder in the alignment of the bilayers parallel with the glass plates used to align the bilayers can be made from the asymmetry of the nuclear magnetic resonances (NMR). Such an analysis indicates a maximal range of disorder of +/- 3 degrees. Uniformly 15N-labeled gramicidin has been biosynthesized by Bacillus brevis grown in a media containing 15N-labeled Escherichia coli cells as the only nitrogen source. When prepared with labeled gramicidin, the oriented samples result in high-resolution 15N NMR spectra showing 12 resonances for the 20 nitrogen sites of the polypeptide. The frequency of the three major multiple resonance peaks has been interpreted to yield the approximate orientation of the N-H bonds in the peptide linkages with respect to the magnetic field. These bond orientations are only partially consistent with the extant structural models of gramicidin.     

Differential and integral W-values for ionization in gaseous water under electron and proton irradiation: consistency of inelastic collision cross sections.

Differential and integral W-values for ionization in gaseous water for electron and proton irradiation have been analyzed from the theoretical point of view for consistency between ionization and total inelastic collision cross sections. For low-energy electrons, which are ubiquitous for all primary radiations, the experimental or compiled cross sections from different sources are sometimes not consistent with one another. A practical, self-consistent procedure is outlined in such cases. The high-energy asymptotic W-values for differential and integral ionization are calculated to be 33.7 and 34.7 eV, respectively, for electron irradiation and 34.6 and 32.5 eV, respectively, for proton irradiation. The computed variations of the W-values with energy are generally in good agreement with experiment. Integral primary W-values due only to the interactions between the incident particle and the water vapor are calculated to be 43.5 and 45.0 eV for electrons and protons, respectively, in the high-energy asymptotic limit.     

The nuclear pores of early meiotic prophase nuclei of plants

Summary Pollen mother cells at early meiotic prophase fromFritillaria lanceolata, F. mutica, Tulbaghia violacea, the lily “Formobel”,Triticum aegilopoides, T. dicoccoides, T. aestivum and synaptic and asynaptic forms ofT. durum were studied in thin sections with the electron microscope (a) in relation to distribution of nuclear pores (b) in respect of fine structure of the pore complex in those of the first four. The pores were distributed in random clusters during leptotene to pachytene in all plants, except in the two forms ofT. durum where there were either no pores or so few that they were not detectable. Probably correlated with this, the two membranes of the nuclear envelope were often widely separated and frequently sacculated. No pores were seen at leptotene in the part of the envelope to which, in theFritillarias and lily, the nucleolus was adpressed at this time. Evidence supporting a recent model which proposes that annuli are composed of three rings of eight granular subunits was obtained. These subunits as well as a dense central element, observed in most pores, were composed of filaments about 3 nm in diameter and evidently protein in character. There was evidence of a continuity between filaments in the central element and those in the rings of subunits which encircle the pore aperture at both the nuclear and cytoplasmic sides of the pore. In profiles of pores knobbed filaments were sometimes seen extending laterally from the pore wall into the perinuclear space at two sides. Questions concerning the role of the annulus are discussed. The author wish to thank Mr. R. F. Scott for construction to the model.     

Molecular evidence for the polyphyly of Olearia (Astereae: Asteraceae)

 Analyses of ITS sequences for 49 species of Olearia, including representatives from all currently recognised intergeneric sections, and 43 species from 23 other genera of Astereae, rooted on eight sequences from Anthemideae, provide no support for the monophyly of this large and morphologically diverse Australasian genus. Eighteen separate lineages of Olearia are recognised, including seven robust groups. Three of these groups and another eight species are placed within a primary clade incorporating representatives of Achnophora, Aster, Brachyscome, Calotis, Camptacra, Erigeron, Felicia, Grangea, Kippistia, Lagenifera, Minuria, Oritrophium, Peripleura, Podocoma, Remya, Solidago, Tetramolopium and Vittadinia. The remaining four groups and three individual species lie within a sister clade that also includes Celmisia, Chiliotrichum, Damnamenia, Pleurophyllum and Pachystegia. Relationships within each primary clade are poorly resolved. There is some congruence between this molecular estimate of the phylogeny and the distribution of types of abaxial leaf-hair, which is the basis of the present sectional classification of Olearia, but all states appear to have arisen more than once within the tribe. It is concluded that those species placed within the second primary clade should be removed from the genus, but the extent to which species placed within the first primary clade constitute a monophyletic group can only be resolved with further sequence data. Received November 12, 2001; accepted April 29, 2002 Published online: November 22, 2002 Addresses of authors: Edward W. Cross, Centre for Plant Biodiversity Research, CSIRO, GPO Box 1600, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia (E-mail: ed.cross@csiro.au); Christopher J . Quinn, Royal Botanic Gardens, Mrs Macquaries Rd., Sydney, NSW 2000, Australia; Steven J. Wagstaff, Landcare Research, PO Box 69, Lincoln 8152, New Zealand.