Circadian Motile Activity of Erythrophores in the Red Abdominal Skin of Tetra Fishes and Its Possible Significance in Chromatic Adaptation

The red abdominal skin of the neon tetra Paracheirodon innesi and the cardinal tetra P. axelrodi was found to blanch at night or in the dark. Melatonin added to the bathing medium caused blanching of the red skin. Microscopic observations of the erythrophores indicated that the erythrosomes aggregated in response to norepinephrine, melanin-concentrating hormone (MCH), and melatonin. Of these compounds, melatonin was the most effective. By contrast, many erythrophores were refractory to MCH. Alpha-melanophore-stimulating hormone, isoproterenol, adenosine, and ATP each caused dispersal of the pigment to some extent. Isoproterenol dispersed the pigment only when an alpha-adrenergic blocker, tolazoline, was present. It appears that the change in color of the abdominal skin is primarily due to increased secretion during the night of the pineal hormone melatonin, while other hormonal and nervous factors may modify the distribution of the pigment in the erythrophores.     

THE SURFACE EVENTS AT FERTILIZATION OF THE SEA URCHIN EGG I. EVENTS ON THE SURFACE OF THE VITELLINE COAT1

Sperm-egg interaction during normal fertilization in the sea urchins, Strongylocentrotus intermedius and Hemicentrotus pulcherrimus, was studied by scanning and transmission electron microscopy. Several seconds after insemination, acrosome-reacted spermatozoa were found attached to the surface of the vitelline coat on each egg. Soon, several bulges of the vitelline coat appeared surrounding the fertilizing spermatozoon. These bulges then spread over the surface increasing in number, while they became fewer and disappeared around the sperm head. Thin sections of the bulging areas revealed discharging cortical granules. As the bulging vitelline coat was elevated, the sperm head was incorporated into the perivitelline space, passing through a small hole in the coat that resulted from penetration of the sperm acrosomal process immediately before fusion of the gametes. When the spermatozoon disappeared beneath the fertilization membrane, a hole was left in the membrane and the cortical reaction had finished on the other hemispheric surface. Mechanical removal of the membrane at that time exposed a spermatozoon protruding perpendicularly from the egg plasma membrane surface. The anterior tip of the sperm head was smoothly connected with the egg surface, and neither microvillous projections nor cytoplasmic covering of the egg cytoplasm could be found around the spermatozoon.     

EFFECTS OF HYPOPHYSECTOMY ON IMPLANTED TESTES OF THE NEUTER MEDAKA, ORYZIAS LATIPES

The effects of hypophysectomy on spermatogenesis in testes implanted to neuter individuals of the medaka, oryzias latipes , have been histologically studied.
The neuter fish produced by prolonged androgen treatment during larval life maintained the implanted testes for more than 8 months, irrespective of the genetic sex of the host. Histological examination revealed that all the implanted testes were filled with numerous cysts containing cells at all spermatogenetic stages, as in the normal testes. Each cyst contained only cells at the same stage. Furthermore, the implanted testes had fertile spermatozoa. In the experiment of regeneration of amputated anal fins, the implanted testes were found to be able to induce the formation of papillar processes, although the number of processes was one-half of that induced by normal testes.
Hypophysectomy of the fish was successfully achieved by orbital approach. The survival rate of the operated fish was 95% a week after the operation and still 50% 14 months later. Hypophysectomy inhibited the transformation of spermatogonia to spermatocytes in spermatogenesis.
The presence of the capacity to carry out normal spermatogenesis and induce papillar processes in the testis-implanted neuter fish suggests that the hypothalamus of the neuter fish was not seriously affected by prolonged androgen treatment.     

Flow cytometric assessment of cytotype distributions within local populations of Phragmites australis (Poaceae) around Lake Biwa,the largest lake in Japan

Phragmites australis (Poaceae) is a clonal perennial that is an important component of wetland ecosystems worldwide. Using flow cytometry, we examined the cytotype distributions within five populations of P. australis located in the vicinity of Lake Biwa. As in previous reports, two ploidy levels, octoploid (2n = 8x = 96) and decaploid (2n = 10x = 120), were identified, which are assumed to be the main cytotypes around the lake. The coexistence of two cytotypes was detected in four of the five populations, suggesting the relatively common occurrence of mixed ploidy levels in the populations around Lake Biwa. Although intermingled cytotype distributions were observed in some populations, the 9x cytotype, that is, the expected outcome of inter‐cytotype crosses, was not observed, indicating limited gene flow between the two cytotypes.     

Effects of land use on aquatic macrophyte diversity and water quality of ponds

1. Aquatic macrophyte diversity and water quality of 55 ponds in western Japan were related to land use and morphometric variables to identify the environmental factors that sustain biodiversity and the spatial extent at which these factors operate. 2. The relevant spatial extent for floating‐leaved macrophyte richness (500 m from pond edge) was larger than that for submerged macrophyte occurrence (10, 75 and 100 m), whereas emergent macrophyte richness was best explained at much larger extents (1000 m). Total macrophyte richness was explained at the extent of 500, 750 and 1000 m. The extents relevant for explaining the physicochemical condition of pond water (100 and 250 m) were similar to those for submerged and floating‐leaved macrophytes, suggesting that these two growth forms are more sensitive to water quality compared to emergent macrophytes. 3. Diversity of all three growth forms and that of total macrophytes collectively were inversely related to turbidity and nutrient concentration; among the three growth forms, submerged macrophytes were most affected by water quality. 4. Negative relationships were found between the proportion of urban area and the diversity of the three growth forms and that of total macrophytes and water quality. Species richness of emergent, floating‐leaved and total macrophytes decreased with depth and increased with surface area up to about 5000 m², above which it declined. 5. Urbanisation and enlargement of ponds were the two main factors that decreased aquatic macrophyte diversity in irrigation ponds. To alleviate the adverse effects of urban areas on aquatic macrophyte diversity, our results suggest that management efforts should focus on the creation of buffer zones within the relevant spatial extent from the pond edge.     

Regulation of CO2-fixation in Chlorella by light of varied wavelengths and intensities

1) The wavelength effects on ¹⁴CO₂-fixation by Chlorella cellswere studied, using monochromatic light of different light intensities. 2) Blue light (453 mµ) stimulated the incorporation of¹⁴C into aspartate, glutamate and malate. Red light (679 mµ),on the other hand, stimulated its incorporation into P-esters,free sugars and insoluble material. 3) The blue light effect was observed in the presence of CMUat concentrations completely suppressing ordinary photosyntheticCO₂-fixation. 4) The blue light effect in the presence of CMU was inducedat very low intensities. At 453 mµ, 300 erg cm^–2sec^–1 was sufficient for complete saturation. 5) Time courses of ¹⁴C-incorporation into individual compoundswere investigated. Irrespective of the wavelength of the illuminatinglight, the first stable CO₂-fixation product formed under weaklight (400–500 erg cm^–2 sec^–1) was citrulline.At higher light intensities (4,000–7,000 erg cm^–2sec^–1), PGA was the first stable CO₂-fixation product.The incorporation of ¹⁴C into citrulline was not inhibited byCMU. 6) Experimental results indicate that both blue light-inducedincorporation of ¹⁴C into amino and organic acids and the incorporationof ¹⁴C into citrulline induced by low intensity light are operatedby a mechanism(s) independent of ordinary photosynthetic CO₂-fixation.Possible effects of light regulating the carbon metabolism inalgal cells are discussed. (Received July 24, 1969; )