The nucleotide-dependent reprogramming of the mRNAs encoding acetyl coenzyme A carboxylase (ACC, EC 6.4.1.2) and lipoxygenase (LO, EC 1.13.11.12) was studied by Northern analysis. Equal concentrations of total RNA from the peanut (Arachis hypogaea L. cv. &#8220;Valencia&#8221;) seedlings were probed with those glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH)-synthesized RNAs that were homologous to the mRNAs encoding ACC and LO. Treatment (4NTPs solution) of the peanuts increased the abundance of the mRNAs encoding the LO and ACC about 5 and 10 folds respectively but decreased the fat accumulation by 37&#37; compared with the control peanut. Treatments (pyrimidine NTPs)of the peanut induced up to 60&#37; more fat accumulation than the control. The high fat (40.0&#8211;44.0&#37;) contents of the UTP-, and 3NTP-treated peanuts were characterized by very high abundance of the mRNA for ACC, but low abundance of the mRNA for LO. The inverse relationship between the abundance of the mRNAs encoding ACC and LO compared with the seedlings fat contents was due to the plus/minus strands sequence homologies between the Northern probes for ACC and LO. Therefore, LO, ACC, and the GDH-synthesized RNAs participated in the regulation of the fat contents. These results could be useful in the environmental manipulation of the quantity and quality of peanut oil.

G. O. Osuji

T. K. Brown

S. M. South

Nucleotide-Dependent Reprogramming of mRNAs Encoding Acetyl Coenzyme A Carboxylase and Lipoxygenase in Relation to the Fat Contents of Peanut

Microscopic studies of young needles and shoot tips from Taxus baccata showed that flavanols are localized in the nuclei. This observation is based on the histochemical staining of flavanols with the DMACA reagent. The colour that is obtained with this reagent varies from pale to deep blue, depending on the amount of flavanols. This study is focused on nondifferentiated cell lineages and on differentiating cells. The key point to note is that all nuclei of a cell lineage showed a uniform DMACA staining pattern based on the amount and structural appearence of nuclear flavanols. This points to transcriptional and epigenetic programming. However, comparing various cell lineages from different shoot tips and needles revealed a lineage-specific expression of nuclear flavanols. This result implied that both positional and developmental signals from neighbouring cells were involved in the nuclear flavanol binding of lineages. The cells of a developmentally advanced lineage loose their intimate contact and, then, they separate from each other to undergo an autonomous, individual sequence of differentiation. This in turn was accompanied by differences in the nuclear flavanol patterns of the single cells. Investigating different mitotic stages revealed a wide spectrum in flavanol staining intensities of the chromosomes. These observations should be linked to UV-VIS spectroscopical kinetic results indicating that nuclear flavanols bound to histones are involved in epigenetically regulated modification of chromatin. The kinetic studies show that catechin is relatively rapidly degraded by oxygen in the presence of <svg style="vertical-align:-2.7337pt;width:35.424999px;" id="M1" height="17.174999" version="1.1" viewBox="0 0 35.424999 17.174999" width="35.424999" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg">
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</svg>-ions. However, this degradation reaction is strongly inhibited when histone proteins were added. This behaviour is a clear indication that coregulatory interactions exist between catechin and histones.

Walter Feucht

Heike Dithmar

J&#252;rgen Polster

Nuclei of Taxus baccata: Flavanols Linked to Chromatin Remodeling Factors

The nutritive values of three dominant hydrophytes along the water courses in Nile Delta, Egypt (Echinochloa stagnina, Eichhornia crassipes, and Ceratophyllum demersum) were evaluated in terms of estimating their phytomass, organic, and inorganic chemical compositions. Shoots were collected seasonally from 25 permanent stands representing the distribution of the three species along 15 canals and 10 drains distributed in 5 localities within the Nile Delta. Living and dead parts and total phytomass were estimated. Their inorganic (Na, K, Ca, Mg, P, Cu, Mn, and Pb) and organic (carbohydrates, total nitrogen, total protein, ether extract, digestible nutrient, digestible energy, metabolized energy, and net energy) contents were estimated. The vegetative phase of E. stagnina extended during winter, spring, and summer, while it is flowering and fruiting during autumn. On the other hand, E. crassipes and C. demersum attained their maximum flowering during spring and maximum fruiting during summer, while maximum vegetative phase during autumn and winter. E. stagnina had the highest mean annual phytomass, while C. demersum had the lowest. The living parts of C. demersum had the highest concentrations of Na, Ca, and Mg, while the living parts of E. crassipes had the highest of K and N. C. demersum had the ability to accumulate more concentrations of heavy metals than the other studied species. E. crassipes had the highest values of total carbohydrate and total proteins, while E. stagnina had the highest of crude fibers, and C. demersum had the highest of ether extract and ash contents. The living parts of E. crassipes and C. demersum were considered as excellent forages, while the dead parts of all species and the living parts of E. stagnina were evaluated as poor forage.

Kamal H. Shaltout

Tarek M. Galal

Thanaa M. El-Komi

Evaluation of the Nutrient Status of Some Hydrophytes in the Water Courses of Nile Delta, Egypt

This study was designed to explore floristic variation along the Pacific coast from Cook Inlet, Alaska, to the southern tip of Baja California, Mexico. Data corresponding to 965
phytosociological relevés (including 686 vascular plants) obtained by sampling 279 coastal sites
were examined. Using an objective classification system (Average Linkage Clustering), floristic
data acquired in fieldwork were related to the macroclimates of the study area. The registered taxa
were grouped into phytogeographical elements, giving rise to a phytogeographical classification in
which eight floristic provinces were distinguished. Floristic differences among provinces were
correlated with palaeoclimatic and palaeogeographical events. The boreal and temperate provinces
show high percentages of broadly distributed elements, whose origins can be found in the
Boreotropical or Arcto-Tertiary geoflora that dominated the Northern Hemisphere during the
Tertiary. The floristically richest provinces are the three that occupy the Mediterranean zone, since
these provinces harbour elements of Arcto-Tertiary and Madro-Tertiary geofloras. The flora of
tropical Baja California is characterised by a high number of taxa related to Neotropical flora,
especially to those showing links with South America.

Manuel Peinado

Miguel Ángel Macías

Juan Luis Aguirre

José Delgadillo

A Phytogeographical Classification of the North American Pacific Coast Based on Climate, Vegetation and a Floristic Analysis of Vascular Plants

A vicilin-like glycoprotein from the seeds of Nicotiana sylvestris, flowering tobacco, has been identified using nanoLC/ESI-MS/MS. Sequences from a fragment of protein demonstrated homology with vicilins from other members of the Solanaceae family, notably potato (Solanum demissum). Reducing and nonreducing SDS-PAGE analyses of the identified protein indicated that fragments resulting from in situ proteolytic processing are joined by intrachain disulphide bonds. Staining with Con A lectin was specifically inhibited by mannose suggested the presence of <svg style="vertical-align:-0.1092pt;width:14.9875px;" id="M1" height="11.3125" version="1.1" viewBox="0 0 14.9875 11.3125" width="14.9875" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg">
	
		
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</svg>-linked glycosylation which was confirmed by carbohydrate compositional analysis of PVDF-bound protein subunits. HPAEC-PAD analysis of the monosaccharides released from the glycoprotein by acid hydrolysis revealed glucosamine and mannose. <svg style="vertical-align:-0.1092pt;width:14.9875px;" id="M2" height="11.3125" version="1.1" viewBox="0 0 14.9875 11.3125" width="14.9875" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg">
	
		
			<g transform="matrix(.017,-0,0,-.017,.062,11.113)"><use xlink:href="#x1D441"/></g>

		
	
</svg>-acetylglucosamine termination of attached oligosaccharides was further verified by inhibitable WGA lectin staining. Immunostaining of PVDF-bound N. sylvestris proteins with antibodies against G. max total protein demonstrated cross-staining at masses corresponding to fragments from the proteolytically processed protein subunits.

Jared Q. Gerlach

Veer P. Bhavanandan

Paul A. Haynes

Lokesh Joshi

Partial Characterization of a Vicilin-Like Glycoprotein from Seeds of Flowering Tobacco (Nicotiana sylvestris)

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