Control of Late Development of Dictyostelium discoideum by Proteins Functioning at Early Stages

We examined two mutants of D. discoideum which are temperature-sensitive for development. At the nonpermissive temperature one mutant becomes arrested in development during the transition from the finger to the migrating slug. Temperature-shift experiment indicates that the temperature-sensitive period begins at considerably earlier tip-forming stage. The other mutant becomes arrested at the Mexican hat stage and the temperature-sensitive period coinsided with this stage. The analysis of protein synthesis by two-dimensional gels, however, showed specific changes at the nonpermissive temperature at an earlier finger-forming stage.
These results indicate the presence of a control of late development by proteins at early stages.     

LABORATORY OBSERVATIONS ON THE EARLY LIFE STAGES OF THE DIAMOND SQUID THYSANOTEUTHIS RHOMBUS

The early life stages of the diamond squid Thysanoteuthis rhombusfrom early embryogenesis to post-hatching (0–7 days old)were observed through laboratory incubation using egg massescollected in the southern Sea of Japan. The egg diameter andmantle length increased during embryonic development throughhatching. Mantle-length growth was linear over time, and thegrowth rate was significantly higher at 25°C than at 20°C.The inner yolk was located on the dorsal side of the mantlecavity and increased in volume through hatching. Immediatelyafter they hatched, the hatchlings remained on the bottom ofculture plates with their ventral sides facing up, but 2–3days after hatching they began to swim with their dorsal sidesfacing up. Feeding experiments were conducted, but none of thehatchlings fed. Statolith growth increments were shown to formdaily. Ontogenetic changes that occur from fertilization throughpost-hatching are discussed. (Received 8 June 2005; accepted 2 November 2005)     

Modelling the effects of dams on freshwater fish distributions in Hokkaido, Japan

1. We examined the effects of habitat fragmentation caused by dams on freshwater fish species using a database of 7848 fish presence/absence surveys, conducted between 1953–2003 in Hokkaido, Japan. 2. A series of generalised linear models showed that for 11 of 41 taxa examined, the probability of occurrence had been influenced either negatively (eight taxa) or positively (three taxa) by the presence of a dam downstream from their habitat. 3. Maps of modelled predictions revealed that dams had had widespread negative impacts on certain taxa, while for other taxa the impact was limited to specific basins. Two of the three taxa whose probability of occurrence was increased in areas above dams have long been transplanted into reservoirs in Japan. 4. For four of the eight taxa whose probability of occurrence was reduced above dams and all three taxa whose probability of occurrence increased above dams, the temporal length of habitat isolation (i.e. the number of years between dam construction and sampling) was also a significant predictor of the probability of occurrence. This pattern indicates that these taxa experienced a gradual rather than an instantaneous population impact as a result of dam construction. 5. The eight taxa whose probability of occurrence was reduced as a consequence of dams all exhibit migratory life cycles. Although migratory taxa are probably more susceptible to the negative effect of dams, we could not detect significant relationships between migration life histories and the effect of fragmentation by dams. 6. These analyses enable stream and fisheries managers to quantify the impacts of habitat fragmentation because of dams for individual species. The spatially explicit nature of our analyses also enables identification of the areas of the impact at broad geographical scales. Using our results, managers can take effective conservation and restoration measures to predict, mitigate or remove the impact of dams. For example, our results can be used to prioritise dams for removal or to predict losses of biodiversity and ecosystem services in advance of dam construction.     

INSTABILITY OF MESSENGER AND RIBOSOMAL RNA IN A GLUE-PROTEIN MUTANT OF Bombyx mori

The mucous glands of Bombyx pupae secrete glue proteins which attach deposited eggs to the mounting sheet. A mutant of a dominant gene, named no glue (Ng) , produces nonadhesive eggs which have a low capacity for glue-protein synthesis. In the present study it was shown that the mucous glands of Ng silkworms showed rapid degradation of mRNA as well as rRNA during development; this may cause the low capacity for glue-protein synthesis in the mutant organ. In contrast, the mucous glands of normal silkworms showed a significant increase in content of RNA's until the maximum rate of glue-protein synthesis was achieved. The degradation of RNA in the Ng mucous gland was inhibited by actinomycin D injected into the body fluid. Thus it is supposed that the Ng gene codes for a presumptive controller RNA, which would be the mediator of RNA instability in the mucous glands of Ng pupae.