Iodine binding and peroxidase activity in the endostyle of Salpa fusiformis,Thalia democratica,Dolioletta gegenbauri and Doliolum nationalis (Tunicata,Thaliacea)

Summary The protothyroid region in the endostyles of four species of tunicates was examined by means of autoradiography and cytochemistry, at both the light and electronmicroscopic levels. To reveal the primary binding site for iodine, autoradiography was carried out on endostylar tissue from animals that had been incubated with high activity ¹²⁵I^- over a short period of time. The specific iodine binding enzyme, a peroxidase, was traced by its reaction with DAB. In accordance with previous findings, the iodinebinding cells proved to be the same as those containing the peroxidase. There were also strong indications of a secondary uptake of iodinated compounds and subsequent release into the body fluid. Together with the ultrastructural features, the data provided strong evidence indicating that these cells constitute a protothyroid region, which partly functions as an endocrine organ, possibly homologous with the vertebrate thyroid gland. Since the number of zones varied between the species, the numeration of the protothyroid region also varied. However, in all the examined endostyles, the protothyroid region was seen to be situated dorsolaterally to the glandular regions of the endostyle concerned with food capture.     

Striated ciliary root-golgi association in branchial crown epithelial cells ofOwenia. Visualization of Ca2+-binding sites and ATPase activities

Summary Striated Ciliary Roots (SCRs), about 3 m long, are attached to the basal bodies of branchial crown ciliated epithelial cells ofOwenia. These SCRs appear to consist of 5–7-nm diameter filaments organized in a cross-striation pattern with an apparent variable periodicity of 50 to 80 nm. The most exciting observation emerging from this study is the constant and conspicuous close spatial relationship between SCRs and fairly well developed Golgi apparatus. By enhancing contrast and preservation of cell components, the OsFeCN postfixation-staining of material prefixed in glutaraldehyde in the presence of calcium has revealed some fine-structural details within the SCR-Golgi Association. By means of the calcium precipitation method, with antimonate or oxalate in conjunction with X-ray microanalysis, we have identified calcium within SCR dark bands and SCR-associated Golgi bodies. The ability to bind calcium makes the Golgi apparatus a likely candidate for Ca²⁺ regulation of putative contraction of the SCRs and/or ciliary motility. The slight period variability measured in the SCRs and cytochemical localization of Mg²⁺, Ca²⁺-dependent ATPase activities associated with cross striations support the view that theOwenia SCRs may be contractile organelles.The striking and specific close structural association between the Golgi apparatus and the SCR showing Ca²⁺-binding capabilities suggests that some sort of Ca²⁺-mediated functional relationship between these organelles may exist.Abbreviations SCR striated ciliary root - OsFeCN method osmium tetroxide-ferricyanide method - EDTA ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid - EGTA ethyleneglycol-bis-(-aminoethyl ether) N,N-tetraacetic acid - ATP adenosine 5-triphosphoric acid - ATPase adenosine triphosphatase - ASW artificial sea-water     

Hironoia fusiformis gen. et sp. nov.; a cornalean fruit from the Kamikitaba locality (Upper Cretaceous,Lower Coniacian) in northeastern Japan

The application of sieving techniques to bulk samples from the Ashizawa Formation, Futaba Group (Lower Coniacian) of northeastern Honshu, Japan, has yielded well-preserved mesofossil assemblages comparable with those recently described from eastern North America, Europe, and central Asia. Among the most abundant and distinctive components of these assemblages are fusiform fruits that are assigned here to a new genus and species, Hironoia fusiformis gen. et sp. nov. The fruits developed from an epigynous ovary with three to four locules. Each locule bears one seed and has a distinctive dorsal germination valve. These features of the fruit, along with the adnate calyx, indicate an affinity to extant Cornales and specifically the Cornaceae sensu lato. The recognition of an unequivocal cornalean fruit in the Early Coniacian–Early Santonian of Japan provides the earliest record of this group in the fossil record. It also establishes a minimum age for the early divergence of the asterid clade, a major group of living angiosperms comprising more than a third of all species of extant flowering plants. Electronic Publication     

Microbial combinatorics: a simplified approach for isolating insecticidal bacteria

Bacteria can control pest insects that damage food crops, vector diseases and defoliate trees. Conventionally, isolation of these bacteria has been from soil and sporadically from dead insects. A simplified approach for isolating insecticidal bacteria from soil using the target insect as the selective agent was employed in this study. Instead of isolating single strains of bacteria from soil and testing each individual strain for insect toxicity, mixtures of bacteria present in each soil sample were tested together directly for toxicity using Manduca sexta (Linnaeus) (Lepidoptera: Sphingidae) as a model insect. Thirty-five soil suspensions or bacterial suspensions of the 40 suspensions tested killed at least one M. sexta larva. All but one bacterial culture isolated from dead larvae and retested for toxicity, killed at least one M. sexta larva. Nineteen bacterial strains isolated from larvae killed in the first test, were identical to the bacteria fed to the retested larvae. Of the 19 strains isolated, 14 were identified by 16S rDNA sequencing as belonging to the Bacillus cereus group including three strains that formed crystals that were identified as B. thuringiensis. Of the three other spore-forming strains, two were identified as psychrotrophic B. weihenstephanensis and the third as Lysinibacillus fusiformis. Two others were identified as Enterococcus faecalis. This approach, microbial combinatorics, reduces the number of insects necessary for toxicity screening and associated time and resources compared to conventional methods that first isolate bacteria and then individually test for toxicity as well as a means of discovery of new pathogens using the insect as the selective agent.     

转化异丁香酚生成香草醛纺锤芽孢杆菌的筛选

以底物异丁香酚为唯一碳源从七壤中筛选获得了一株能高效转化异丁香酚生成香草醛的芽孢杆菌。根据生理生化特性及16SrRNA序列分析鉴定其属于纺锤芽孢杆菌（Bacillus fusiformis）,初步试验表明该菌能转化2％异丁香酚生成4．20g/L香草醚。     

魁蚶幼贝对筒柱藻滤食效应的初步研究

采用实验生态学方法和"捕食者-猎物"的捕食模型,研究了黑暗条件下魁蚶(Anadara broughtonii)幼贝对筒柱藻(Cylindrotheca fusiformis)的滤食效应,测定了5种藻液浓度(30×107~150×107cells/L)及4个温度梯度(10℃、15℃、20℃和25℃)下魁蚶对饵料生物的滤食能力、功能反应类型和滤藻效应特征,并分别建立Holling圆盘方程。同时研究了水温20℃时魁蚶个体间的滤食干扰反应,建立了藻液浓度和魁蚶自身密度的联合反应方程。实验发现,水温20℃条件下,魁蚶幼贝对筒柱藻的平均滤食速率随着藻液浓度的增加而显著增大(P0.05),且0~4 h时段内的滤食速率显著高于其他时段。魁蚶滤食筒柱藻的功能反应属Holling-Ⅱ型,拟合圆盘方程为Na=1.0195N_0/1+0.002039N_0滤食功能系数为1.019 5,极限法推出壳长30~35 mm的魁蚶对筒柱藻的日均最大滤食量约为500×107 cells/L;10~25℃条件下,魁蚶的平均滤食速率和滤食功能反应系数随温度升高呈现先升高后下降的变化趋势,并于20℃时达到最大值,推测20℃是其最佳摄食温度。魁蚶的滤食效应存在较强的个体间干扰反应,平均滤食量和滤食作用率均随幼贝密度的增加而下降,且魁蚶滤食筒柱藻的功能反应与幼贝密度的关系可用幂函数方程E=0.730 8P﹣1.068表示,由此建立了魁蚶幼贝密度与筒柱藻藻液浓度之间的联合反应方程N_a=0.7451P~(-0.0684)N_0/1+0.0020N0。结果表明,水温20℃时,魁蚶幼贝具有较强的潜在滤食能力,其平均滤食量和滤食作用率与幼贝密度间存在明显的"负密度效应"特征。     

Xishania的异物同名问题以及对Xishania fusiformis Hong,1981和Xishania longiusula Hu,2002的一些讨论

洪友崇1981年建立了京西早白垩世卢尚坟昆虫群,认为Xishania fusiformis(梭形西山蝽)为其中的代表类型,并由此建立1新科1新属1新种。胡世学2002年报道了昆明海口耳材村剖面澄江动物群蠕虫化石Xishania longiusula(长形西山虫),建立1新属1新种。因此,Xishania Hu,2002为Xishania Hong,1981的晚出异物同名,且Xishania fusiformis和Xishania longiusula的分类位置也存在很大争议。文中结合多年来收集的大量梭形西山蝽和长形西山虫标本对二者进行讨论,指出梭形西山蝽与Mesolygaeus laiyangensis(莱阳中蝽)存在区别,代表不同的种类。而长形西山虫属于澄江动物群中的火把虫类,但与模式种存在显著区别,可作为Facivermis(火把虫)一新种。     

两相体系中微生物法转化异丁香酚生成香草醛的研究

从土壤中筛选获得一株能耐受高浓度异丁香酚并高效转化生成香草醛的纺锤芽孢杆菌Bacillus fusiformis菌株CGMCC1347,研究了微生物细胞在异丁香酚-水两相体系中转化异丁香酚制备香草醛的过程。在异丁香酚体积分数60％,初始pH 4．0,温度37℃,转速180 r/min的条件下,转化72h,湿细胞质量浓度迭60 g/L时,香草醛质量浓度高达46.10 g/L。     

东海原甲藻对羊栖菜合子生长及光合活性的化感作用研究

为评估东海原甲藻(Prorocentrum donghaiense)赤潮发生对羊栖菜(Sargassum fusiformis)幼苗产量的影响并探讨其化感机理,在实验室条件下分别利用浓度为1.00×10⁵cells/mL东海原甲藻活细胞悬浮液(LC)、细胞破碎液(RC)和无细胞滤液(FC)培养羊栖菜合子,并对其生长发育及光合活性进行测定。结果显示,LC、RC和FC均会抑制羊栖菜合子的生长、叶绿素a合成和光合活性,其中FC及LC对合子的抑制程度相似且均大于RC。JIP-test分析表明,FC及LC对合子的最大量子产率(φP_o)、性能指数(PI)及PSⅡ反应中心密度(RCs/ABS)的抑制作用显著大于RC。表明东海原甲藻主要通过向细胞外释放化感物质产生抑制作用,这些化感物质抑制了羊栖菜合子PSⅡ的电子传递,使PSⅡ部分光化学反应中心(RCs)失活,进而使大量激发能转化为热能被耗散掉。而RC中可能含有某些能够刺激羊栖菜合子生长的物质,从而在一定程度上抵消了化感物质的抑制作用。结果表明东海原甲藻对羊栖菜合子的抑制作用主要是由化感物质引起的,东海原甲藻赤潮可以抑制羊栖菜合子的发育和光合活性,减少羊栖菜种苗产量,并最终阻碍了羊栖菜产业的发展。