SPECTRAL CHANGE OF LIGHT WITH DEPTH IN SOME LAKES AND ITS SIGNIFICANCE TO THE PHOTOSYNTHESIS OF PHYTOPLANKTON

1. A linear relation was found between the relative light intensityat 5 in depth and the mean chlorophyll a content of the euphoticzone, when they were plotted on logarithmic scales. The intensitiesof underwater lights of different wave lengths were measuredby a photocell with various colored filters. It was recognizedthat with the increase in chlorophyll a content the proportionof blue light fraction became reduced and that of red lightincreased. A similar relation was also found in the sea.
2. Thephotosynthetic rate.light relation was investigated withthesuspension of cultured Chlorella and Tabellaria. At lowlightintensities, the photosynthetic rate for red light waslargerthan those for blue and green lights. The photosyntheticrateunder the mixed light of red and blue was equal to thesum ofthe rates in the individual lights, so far as the intensityof each light was low. But when the intensity of red light wassufficiently high, the addition of blue light brought no furtherincrease in photosynthesis.
3. The photosynthetic rate-depthrelations were investigated bythe surface and underwater exposuremethods. Good agreementswere found between the results obtainedby these two differentmethods. However, there are some discrepanciesbetween the resultsof in situ exposure experiments and thoseobtained by the twomethods.

(Received January 11, 1963; )     

Temperature and biomass influences on interannual changes in CO2 exchange in an alpine meadow on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau

Three years of eddy covariance measurements were used to characterize the seasonal and interannual variability of the CO₂ fluxes above an alpine meadow (3250 m a.s.l.) on the Qinghai‐Tibetan Plateau, China. This alpine meadow was a weak sink for atmospheric CO₂, with a net ecosystem production (NEP) of 78.5, 91.7, and 192.5 g C m^?2 yr^?1 in 2002, 2003, and 2004, respectively. The prominent, high NEP in 2004 resulted from the combination of high gross primary production (GPP) and low ecosystem respiration (R_e) during the growing season. The period of net absorption of CO₂ in 2004, 179 days, was 10 days longer than that in 2002 and 5 days longer than that in 2003. Moreover, the date on which the mean air temperature first exceeded 5.0°C was 10 days earlier in 2004 (DOY110) than in 2002 or 2003. This date agrees well with that on which the green aboveground biomass (Green AGB) started to increase. The relationship between light‐use efficiency and Green AGB was similar among the three years. In 2002, however, earlier senescence possibly caused low autumn GPP, and thus the annual NEP, to be lower. The low summertime R_e in 2004 was apparently caused by lower soil temperatures and the relatively lower temperature dependence of R_e in comparison with the other years. These results suggest that (1) the Qinghai‐Tibetan Plateau plays a potentially significant role in global carbon sequestration, because alpine meadow covers about one‐third of this vast plateau, and (2) the annual NEP in the alpine meadow was comprehensively controlled by the temperature environment, including its effect on biomass growth.     

Fourteen polymorphic microsatellite loci in the field gudgeon,Gnathopogon elongatus elongatus

We isolated and characterized 14 polymorphic microsatellite loci for the field gudgeon, Gnathopogon elongatus elongatus, a popular freshwater species in streams including agricultural canals in Japan. The number of observed alleles for each locus ranged from 9 to 24, and the values of observed and expected heterozygosities ranged from 0.750 to 1.000 and from 0.832 to 0.953, respectively. These microsatellite markers will be useful for studies of population genetic structure and genetic variability of the field gudgeon.     

Some properties of NAD-independent {alpha}-glycerophosphate dehydrogenase of yeast

NAD-independent, mitochondrial -glycerophosphate dehydrogenaseof baker's yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, was liberated fromcells and its nature was examined. Hydrogen acceptors, pH optimaand reaction rates with substrate and hydrogen acceptor of theenzyme were determined. A naturally occurring phenolic pigmentextracted from yeast cells was also found to function as aneffective hydrogen acceptor for the enzyme. Addition of FMNor FAD to the -glycerophosphate oxidation system largely acceleratedenzymatic activity, whereas the enzyme system was strongly blockedby SH-reagents. This suggests that the SH-group functions atan essential site. Clear-cut inhibition by antimycin A of electrontransfer to cytochrome c suggests the intermediation of cytochromeb. (Received December 13, 1968; )     

THREE-DIMENSIONAL STRUCTURE OF EXTRACELLULAR MATRIX REVERSIBLY REGULATES MORPHOLOGY,PROLIFERATION AND COLLAGEN METABOLISM OF PERISINUSOIDAL STELLATE CELLS (VITAMIN A-STORING CELLS)

The three-dimensional structure of the extracellular substratum was found to regulate reversibly the morphology, proliferation and collagen synthesis of perisinusoidal stellate cells (lipocytes, i.e. fat-storing ‘Ito’ cells). On non-coated polystyrene and type I collagen-coated culture dishes, the cells spread well and extended their cellular processes. On the surface of type I collagen gels, the cells gathered and formed a mesh-like structure. However, in type I collagen gel where the cells were surrounded by type I collagen three-dimensionally, the cells extended their fine cellular processes and resembled the star-shaped stellate cells seenin vivo. The cell proliferation was more prominent in culture dishes coated with type I collagen or in polystyrene culture dishes than on or in type I collagen gels. The collagen synthesis was affected in the same manner. These data indicate that the nature and the three-dimensional structure of the extracellular matrix (ECM) can regulate morphology, proliferation and functions of the perisinusoidal stellate cells. In order to examine the reversibility of these regulations, we liberated cultured cells with trypsin or with purified bacterial collagenase and re-seeded them onto or into each substratum. The cells changed their shape, rate of proliferation and collagen synthesis according to each new substratum. These results indicate that the three-dimensional structure of ECM reversibly regulates the morphology, proliferation rate and functions of the perisinusoidal stellate cells.     

Variations in sperm number in relation to larval crowding and spermatophore size in the armyworm, Pseudaletia separata

1. Number of sperm and its relationship with larval rearing density were investigated in the armyworm Pseudaletia separata . Males that emerged from crowded larvae produced significantly more apyrene sperm than those from solitary larvae (375 700 ± 116 600 and 290 300 ± 99 600 at a mating with a 3-day old virgin, respectively), with no significant difference in number of eupyrene sperm between the two types being observed.
2. For both solitary- and crowded-type, the amount of fertile sperm the males produced at a mating exceeded the number needed to fertilize all of a female's eggs, suggesting that sperm competition may be a major selective force for keeping sperm numerous. The production of more apyrene sperm by crowded-type males may be an adaptation to cope with the increased sperm competition from rival males at high density.
3. The relationship between number of sperm and spermatophore size was also studied using solitary-type moths. Large spermatophores were found to have more eupyrene and apyrene sperm than small ones.     

Inter-organ Control of Greening in Etiolated Cucumber Cotyledons

Inter-organ control of greening in etiolated cucumber (Cucumis sativus L. cv. Aonagajibae) cotyledons was investigated. Four- or six-day-old excised or intact etiolated cucumber cotyledons were illuminated under aerobic conditions. Excised cotyledons without hypocotyl hooks produced chlorophyll without a prolonged lag phase and the rate of chlorophyll formation was not depressed if they were illuminated immediately after excision. If the excised cotyledons were incubated in the dark before illumination, chlorophyll accumulation at the end of 6 h of continuous illumination was remarkably lowered as the dark period lengthened, especially in 6-day-old cotyledons. The rapid loss of chlorophyll-forming capacity of excised cotyledons during dark preincubation suggests a stimulatory effect of hypocotyls on the greening in cotyledons. The treatment of excised cotyledons with bleeding sap in the dark for 18 h resulted in the promotion of chlorophyll formation during subsequent continuous illumination. Partial fractionation of bleeding sap with organic solvents and paper chromatography indicates that the active substances showed the same behavior as cytokinins. These facts add weight to the hypothesis that cytokinins from roots flow into cotyledons and stimulate greening.     

Isolation and characterization of polymorphic microsatellite DNA markers in the Japanese eight‐barbel loach,Lefua echigonia

We isolated and characterized 17 polymorphic microsatellite loci for the Japanese eight‐barbel loach, Lefua echigonia, an endangered freshwater species in streams including agricultural canals in Japan. The number of observed alleles for each locus ranged from two to nine, and the values of observed and expected heterozygosities ranged from 0.125 to 0.844 and from 0.148 to 0.876, respectively. All loci conformed to Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium. Genetic linkage disequilibrium analysis between all pairs of the loci showed no significant departure from the null hypothesis between any of the loci.