ENDOGENOUS CHANGES OF PHOTOCHEMICAL ACTIVITIES OF SPINACH LEAVES

The activities of green cell-free extracts of spinach leavesin performing photochemical transphosphorylation, photosyntheticphosphorylation, the HILL reaction and the light-induced formationof the endogenous reducing substance (ascorbic acid) were followedin parallel during the growth process of the plant. There wasa certain parallelism between the development of the activitiesof photochemical transphosphorylation, of photo-synthetic phosphorylationand of the HILL reaction, activities being low in the earlierstage of growth, reaching a maximum just before efflorescence,and showing thereafter a more or less sharp decline. The activityin the light-induced formation of endogenous reducing substancewas undetectable for the first 35 day-period of growth, reacheda maximum about one week earlier than the other three activities,and again disappeared after 60 days of growth. (Received September 9, 1960; )     

Effect of Panavir on influenza A virus reproduction]

Mitogenic properties of panavir, as well as its effect on the grippe virus reproduction in cell systems in vitro and the effect on the survival of mice with the experimental grippe infection were studied. It was shown that panavir had no cytotoxic action whereas it was characterized by pronounced mitogenic activity and subsequently could be considered as a perspective immunomodulator. Under in vitro conditions with the use of relatively high doses for the cell contamination with the grippe virus, panavir lowered the virus production in the cell systems. When the contaminating doses were low, panavir inhibited the virus production detected at the early stages of the infection. In the in vivo studies on mice with the experimental grippe infection panavir showed antigrippe activity against both the romantadine resistant and the remantadine nonresistant populations of the grippe A virus.     

Further studies on the role of cell-wall-degrading enzymes in cell-wall loosening in oat coleoptiles

A fungal endo-ß-l,3-glucanase was compared with afungal exo-ß-1,3-glucanase with respect to their effectson elongation and cell-wall extensibility in oat coleoptilesegments. The exo-enzyme enhanced elongation and extensibilityof the cell wall. Its effect was not additive to the effectof indole-3-acetic acid when given together with the latter,at least during 3 hr of incubation. Endo-glucanase showed nosignificant effect on elongation and no interaction with theexo-enzyme. Auxin and exo-glucanase increased extensibilityof the cell wall. The exo-glucanase was separated by isoelectricfocusing. The two fractions which were separated and showedglucanase activity induced elongation and cell wall loosening. (Received March 16, 1970; )     

Detection of influenza virus nucleoprotein on the surface of infected cells and in free nonvirion form

The inner viral nucleoprotein synthesized de novo is shown to be exposed on the surface of the chicken embryo infected with influenza virus. The kinetics of the nucleoprotein located on the surface does not correlate with the kinetics of cell destruction. In culture or allantois virus containing liquids the large number of extracellular viral nucleoprotein prone to antinucleoprotein monoclonal antibodies was found. The accumulation of this nucleoprotein occurs in the period when cell destruction is absent, it is eliminated by the adsorption of the virus on erythrocytes or centrifugation at 70,000 g for 2 hours (20%) or by centrifugation at 10,000 g for 4 hours (50%).     

Evolutionary history of tall fescue morphotypes inferred from molecular phylogenetics of the <Emphasis Type="Italic">Lolium</Emphasis>-<Emphasis Type="Italic">Festuca</Emphasis>species complex

Background  

The agriculturally important pasture grass tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb. syn. Lolium arundinaceum (Schreb.) Darbysh.) is an outbreeding allohexaploid, that may be more accurately described as a species complex consisting of three major (Continental, Mediterranean and rhizomatous) morphotypes. Observation of hybrid infertility in some crossing combinations between morphotypes suggests the possibility of independent origins from different diploid progenitors. This study aims to clarify the evolutionary relationships between each tall fescue morphotype through phylogenetic analysis using two low-copy nuclear genes (encoding plastid acetyl-CoA carboxylase [Acc1] and centroradialis [CEN]), the nuclear ribosomal DNA internal transcribed spacer (rDNA ITS) and the chloroplast DNA (cpDNA) genome-located matK gene. Other taxa within the closely related Lolium-Festuca species complex were also included in the study, to increase understanding of evolutionary processes in a taxonomic group characterised by multiple inter-specific hybridisation events.     

Comparison of homoeolocus organisation in paired BAC clones from white clover (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Trifolium repens</Emphasis> L.) and microcolinearity with model legume species

Background  

White clover (Trifolium repens L.) is an outbreeding allotetraploid species and an important forage legume in temperate grassland agriculture. Comparison of sub-genome architecture and study of nucleotide sequence diversity within allopolyploids provides insight into evolutionary divergence mechanisms, and is also necessary for the development of whole-genome sequencing strategies. This study aimed to evaluate the degree of divergence between the O and P' sub-genomes of white clover through sequencing of BAC clones containing paired homoeoloci. The microsyntenic relationships between the genomes of white clover and the model legumes Lotus japonicus and Medicago truncatula as well as Arabidopsis thaliana were also characterised.     

Dual manifestation of catatonic reaction in rats

Results of genetic, neurophysiological, neurochemical and pharmacological suggest that the cataleptic freezing and "nervousness" observed in the cataleptic rat strain GC have a common mechanism. There seems to be a physiological factor causing catalepsy, upon reaching a certain level of intensity, to be transformed into "nervousness", which is observed both at different period and/or moment of individual life and in the processes of breeding the strain for predisposition to catalepsy.