Lignin degradeation by white rot fungi

Abstract. The wood-degrading white-rot fungus Phanerochaete chrysosporium , has been the subject of intensive research in recent years and, based upon isolation of the extracellular enzyme ligninase, major advances have now been made toward elucidating the mechanism by which this fungus degrades lignin. From these developments, a model emerges which could explain the process by which wood-degrading fungi in general, attack lignin.     

The rabbit alpha-like globin gene cluster is polymorphic both in the sizes of BamHI fragments and in the numbers of duplicated sets of genes

The alpha-like globin gene cluster in rabbits contains embryonic zeta- globin genes, an adult alpha-globin gene, and theta-globin genes of undetermined function. The basic arrangement of genes, deduced from analysis of cloned DNA fragments, is 5'-zeta 0-zeta 1-alpha 1-theta 1- zeta 2-zeta 3-theta 2-3'. However, the pattern of restriction fragments containing zeta- and theta-globin genes varies among individual rabbits. Analysis of BamHI fragments of genomic DNA from 24 New Zealand white rabbits revealed eight different patterns of fragments containing zeta-globin genes. The large BamHI fragments containing genes zeta 0 and zeta 1 are polymorphic in length, whereas a 1.9-kb fragment containing the zeta 2 gene and the 3.5-kb fragment containing the zeta 3 gene do not vary in size. In contrast to this constancy in the size of the restriction fragments, the copy number of the zeta 2 and zeta 3 genes does vary among different rabbits. No length polymorphism was detected in the BamHI fragments containing the theta-globin genes, but again the copy number varies for restriction fragments containing the theta 2 gene. The alpha 1- and theta 1-globin genes are located in a nonpolymorphic 7.2-kb BamHI fragment. The combined data from hybridization with both zeta and theta probes shows that the BamHI cleavage pattern does not vary within the region 5'-alpha 1-theta 1- zeta 2-zeta 3-theta 2-3', but the pattern genomic blot-hybridization patterns for the progeny of parental rabbits with different zeta-globin gene patterns shows that the polymorphic patterns are inherited in a Mendelian fashion. Two different haplotypes have been mapped based on the genomic blot-hybridization data. The variation in the alpha-like globin gene cluster in the rabbit population results both from differences in the copy number of the duplication block containing the zeta-zeta-theta gene set and from the presence or absence of polymorphic BamHI sites.      

Trimethyloxonium modification of single batrachotoxin-activated sodium channels in planar bilayers. Changes in unit conductance and in block by saxitoxin and calcium

Single batrachotoxin-activated sodium channels from rat brain were modified by trimethyloxonium (TMO) after incorporation in planar lipid bilayers. TMO modification eliminated saxitoxin (STX) sensitivity, reduced the single channel conductance by 37%, and reduced calcium block of inward sodium currents. These effects always occurred concomitantly, in an all-or-none fashion. Calcium and STX protected sodium channels from TMO modification with potencies similar to their affinities for block. Calcium inhibited STX binding to rat brain membrane vesicles and relieved toxin block of channels in bilayers, apparently by competing with STX for the toxin binding site. These results suggest that toxins, permeant cations, and blocking cations can interact with a common site on the sodium channel near the extracellular surface. It is likely that permeant cations transiently bind to this superficial site, as the first of several steps in passing inward through the channel.     

Fluorescein-Conjugated Folate as an Indicator of Specific Folate Binding to Paramecium1

Normal Paramecium tetraurelia cells stained with fluorescein-conjugated folate show intense fluorescence that can be reduced to near background autofluorescence with excess K₂-folate, but not with excess KCl. Mutant d4–534, which is not attracted to folate and does not specifically bind ³H-folate, shows reduced fluorescence when stained. This method of monitoring specific folate binding to cells can be adapted to a microscale for rapid screening of clones since cells are routinely fixed and stained in microtiter wells.     

Distribution and prevalence of the predatory planarian Artioposthia triangulata (Dendy) (Trieladida: Terricola) in Scotland

The distribution of the New Zealand flatworm (Artioposthia triangulata) in Scotland was surveyed between July 1991 and February 1993. There were 348 records from domestic gardens, 56 from botanic gardens, garden centres and nurseries, with only 13 from farms. Although most of the records came from around the major cities the flatworm was found to have become established throughout the Scottish mainland and some of the Islands, e.g. Bute, Gigha, Orkney and Skye. The impact of the flatworm on earthworm populations in agricultural land in Scotland was, as yet, found to be minimal but the fact that seven adjacent farms near Dunoon were infected suggested it could be spread from farm to farm and that in the West of Scotland it could become widespread in agricultural land.     

The development of an Early Ordovician hard ground community in response to rapid sea-floor calcite precipitation

The Kanosh Shale (Upper Arenig, Lower Ordovician) of west-central Utah. USA. contains abundant carbonate hardgrounds and one of the earliest diverse hardground communities. The hardgrounds were formed through a combination of processes including the development of early digenetic nodules in clay sediments which were exhumed and concentrated as lags by storms. These cobble deposits. together with plentiful biogenic metrical. were cemented by inorganically precipitated calcite on the sea floor. forming intraformational conglomerate hardgrounds. Echinoderms may have -played a critical role in the development of hardground faunas since their disarticulated calcite ossicles were rapidly cemented by syntaxial overgrowths. forming additional cobbles and hardgrounds. The echinoderms thus may have taphonomically facilitated the development of some of the hard substrates they required. A significant portion of the hardground cements may have been derived from the early dissolution of aragonitic mollusk shells. Kanosh hardground species include the earliest bryozoans recorded on hardgrounds and large numbers of stemmed echinoderms. primarily rhipidocystid cocrinoids. Bryozoans and echinoderms covered nearly equal areas of the hardground surfaces. and there was a distinct polarization between species which preferred the upper. exposed portions of the hardgrounds and others which were most common on undercut. overhang surfaces. The Kanosh Shale hardground fossils combine elements of Late Cambrian assemblages and Middle Ordovician faunas, thus confirming predicted trends in hardground community evolution. especially the replacement of cocrinoids by bryozoans and. to a lesser extent, by other stemmed echinoderms, especially crinoids. The Kanosh community marks the transition from the Cambrian Fauna to The Paleozoic Fauna in The hardground ecosystem. *Carbonate hardgrounds, aragonite dissolution, calcite cement, Echinodermara, Trepostomata, Nicholsonclla. Dianulites. Porifpra. taphonomic facilitation, Utah. Pogonip Group, Kanosh Shale. Ordovician.     

Paleoecology of Sphenothallus on an Upper Ordovician hardground

A hardground from the Upper Ordovician Dillsboro Formation near Dillsboro, Indiana, U.S.A., preserves an assemblage of encrusting and boring fossils on both top and bottom surfaces. The slab is inferred to have been an undercut ledge, and the dominant fossils of the assemblage, holdfasts of the tube-building worm Sphenothallus and trepostome bryozoans, are prevalent on both sides. The clumping of Sphenothallus holdfasts has been statistically demonstrated using a nearest-neighbor technique. Sphenothallus has also been shown to withstand overgrowth in interactions with bryozoans.     

Cytokinin Metabolism in Phaseolus vulgaris L.: I: VARIATIONS IN CYTOKININ LEVELS IN LEAVES OF DECAPITATED PLANTS IN RELATION TO LATERAL BUD OUTGROWTH

A stable isotope dilution method employing a deuterium-labelledinternal standard and combined gas chromatography-mass spectrometryhas been used to quantify the accumulation of di-hydrozeatin-O-ß-D-glucosidein the primary leaves of decapitated, disbudded bean plants.This cytokinin accumulated at a rate of 11 ng g^–1 fr.wt. d^–1 (eq. to an increase of 50 ng d^–1 per leaf),reaching a maximum of c. 500 ng g^–1 after 40 d from decapitation.This accumulation appeared to parallel the gradual increasein leaf fresh weight, and did not occur in detached leaves,in leaves of intact plants, or in leaves of plants that weredecapitated but not disbudded. When secondary lateral buds wereallowed to grow out from decapitated and initially disbuddedplants, the levels of dihydrozeatin-O-ß-D-glucosidein the primary leaves rapidly declined to a value similar toor lower than that found in leaves of intact plants. A similardecline in dihydrozeatin-O-ß-D-glucoside levels wasseen over 5 d in detached leaves of plants which had been decapitatedand disbudded for 15 d; this effect was reduced but not preventedwhen the leaves were supplied with inorganic nutrients. Theseresults are discussed in relation to the metabolism and distributionof cytokinins in the whole plant.     

Association between pygmy right whales (Caperea marginata) and areas of high marine productivity off Australia and New Zealand

Abstract

Opportunistic sightings and strandings of Caperea marginata (n=196) from the vicinity of Australia and New Zealand (1884 to early 2007) were used to relate geographic and temporal patterns to oceanographic and broad-scale climatic variability. Records were not uniformly distributed along the coast and more (69%) were from Australia than New Zealand. Seven coastal whale ‘hotspots’ were identified which accounted for 61% of records with locality data. Half of the hotspot records were from southeast (37) and northwest (20) Tasmania—others each had 9–15 events. Upwelling and/or high zooplankton abundance has been documented near all whale hotspots. Records of C. marginata occurred in all months, with 75% in spring and summer. Inter-annual variability showed broad agreement between increased whale records (usually in spring/summer) and strongly positive ‘Niño 3.4’ during 1980–1995 but not thereafter. Coastal upwelling and productivity increase during climatic phenomena such as El Niño and are likely to be quickly beneficial to plankton-feeding whales such as C. marginata.