Genetic markers for identification of Patagonian toothfish and Antarctic toothfish

Fillet samples of the toothfish Dissostichus eleginoides and D. mawsoni can be distinguished readily by muscle proteins revealed by isoelectric focusing and mitochondrial DNA markers. The proteins also distinguish toothfish from other species marketed under similar trade names.     

Effects of applications of municipal compost on uptake of copper,zinc and boron by garden vegetables

Summary Municipal compost applied to soils in plot experiments with cabbages, lettuces, beans, potatoes and peas in three successive years (25–100 tonnes per hectare) has produced significant enhancement of available soil Cu, Zn and B in each year. Associated significant increases in uptake were as follows: Cu, Zn and B with lettuces and beans, Zn and B with potatoes and B with peas. No significant increases in uptake of any of these elements was obtained in two experiments with cabbages.Compost treatment was associated with severe phytotoxic effects in the experiment with beans and with yield responses in the experiments with peas and potatoes. re]19721116     

The biology and physiology of alga-invertebrate symbioses. III. In situ measurements of photosynthesis and calcification in some hermatypic corals

In situ measurements of the rates of photosynthesis and calcification in three species of hermatypic corals were made at Eilat, in the Gulf of Aqaba, Red Sea. Experiments were made at 5, 20 and 35 m depth under unusually poor conditions of submarine illumination for the region, and at the relatively low water temperature (21°C) for coral growth which prevails there all year. Estimates of photosynthetic rates by both the ¹⁴C and oxygen methods indicated that the ¹⁴C method does measure gross photosynthesis in these organisms even at, and below, light compensation points. Substantial rates of carbon fixation in Acropora and Millepora show that, even under bad conditions, these organisms could survive autotrophically to at least 10 m depth, as also could the massive coral Goniastrea although this had much lower photosynthetic rates under the same conditions, compensated for by a much lower respiratory rate than the other two corals.Calcification rates were variable but showed a considerable increase in light as compared with the dark in all three species, and the rates did not decrease with depth as much as might have been anticipated from the reduction in photosynthesis and ambient light energy. Photosynthetic and calcification rates were similar to those reported for similar organisms both in the Caribbean and on the Great Barrier Reef.     

Herpes simplex virus 1 protein kinase is encoded by open reading frame US3 which is not essential for virus growth in cell culture.

Earlier reports have described a novel protein kinase in cells infected with herpes simplex or pseudorabies viruses. These novel enzymes were characterized by their acceptance of protamine as a substrate and by their differential chromatographic behavior in anion-exchange chromatography. We report that this activity was not present in extracts of uninfected cells or of cells infected with a mutant constructed so as to contain a deletion in the US3 open reading frame mapping in the small component of herpes simplex virus 1 DNA. The activity was present in extracts of cells infected with wild-type virus and with a recombinant in which the US3 open reading frame had been rescued. Our results are consistent with the observation reported earlier that the coding sequences predict an amino acid motif common to protein kinases and lead to the conclusion that the US3 open reading frame encodes a virus-specific protein kinase that is not required for virus growth in cells in culture.     

An experiment in enzyme evolution studies withPseudomonas aeruginosa amidase

The regulation of amidase synthesis inP. aeruginosa is under positive control. This review describes the experimental evolution of amidase and its regulator protein for the hydrolysis of novel substrates and experiments to elucidate the mechanism of the control system.     

Metabolic Acclimation to Anoxia Induced by Low (2-4 kPa Partial Pressure) Oxygen Pretreatment (Hypoxia) in Root Tips of Zea mays

Young intact plants of maize (Zea mays L. cv INRA 508) were exposed to 2 to 4 kilopascals partial pressure oxygen (hypoxic pretreatment) for 18 hours before excision of the 5 millimeter root apex and treatment with strictly anaerobic conditions (anoxia). Hypoxic acclimation gave rise to larger amounts of ATP, to larger ATP/ADP and adenylate energy charge ratios, and to higher rates of ethanol production when excised root tips were subsequently made anaerobic, compared with root tips transferred directly from aerobic to anaerobic media. Improved energy metabolism following hypoxic pretreatment was associated with increased activity of alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH), and induction of ADH-2 isozymes. Roots of Adh1⁻ mutant plants lacked constitutive ADH and only slowly produced ethanol when made anaerobic. Those that were hypoxically pretreated acclimated to anoxia with induction of ADH2 and a higher energy metabolism, and a rate of ethanol production comparable to that of nonmutants. All these responses were insensitive to the presence or absence of NO₃⁻. Additionally, the rate of ethanol production was about 50 times greater than the rate of reduction of NO₃⁻ to NO₂⁻. These results indicate that nitrate reductase does not compete effectively with ADH for NADH, or contribute to energy metabolism during anaerobic respiration in this tissue through nitrate reduction. Unacclimated root tips of wild type and Adhl⁻ mutants appeared not to survive more than 8 to 9 hours in strict anoxia; when hypoxically pretreated they tolerated periods under anoxia in excess of 22 hours.