Plasmodesmatal frequency in relation to short-distance transport and phloem loading in leaves of barley (Hordeum vulgare). Phloem is not loaded directly from the symplast
- Botha, Christiaan E J, Cross, Robin H M
- Authors: Botha, Christiaan E J , Cross, Robin H M
- Date: 1997
- Language: English
- Type: Article
- Identifier: vital:6504 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1005928
- Description: We investigated the phloem loading pathway in barley, by determining plasmodesmatal frequencies at the electron microscope level for both intermediate and small blade bundles of mature barley leaves. Lucifer yellow was injected intercellularly into bundle sheath, vascular parenchyma, and thin-walled sieve tubes. Passage of this symplastically transported dye was monitored with an epifluorescence microscope under blue light. Low plasmodesmatal frequencies endarch to the bundle sheath cells are relatively low for most interfaces terminating at the thin- and thick-walled sieve tubes within this C3 species. Lack of connections between vascular parenchyma and sieve tubes, and low frequencies (0.5% plasmodesmata per μm cell wall interface) of connections between vascular parenchyma and companion cells, as well as the very low frequency of pore-plasmodesmatal connections between companion cells and sieve tubes in small bundles (0.2% plasmodesmata per μm cell wall interface), suggest that the companion cell-sieve tube complex is symplastically isolated from other vascular parenchyma cells in small bundles. The degree of cellular connectivity and the potential isolation of the companion cell-sieve tube complex was determined electrophysiologically, using an electrometer coupled to microcapillary electrodes. The less negative cell potential {average -52 mV) from mesophyll to the vascular parenchyma cells contrasted sharply with the more negative potential (-122.5 mV) recorded for the companion cell-thin-walled sieve tube complex. Although intercellular injection of lucifer yellow clearly demonstrated rapid (0.75 μm s-1) longitudinal and radial transport in the bundle sheath-vascular parenchyma complex, as well as from the bundle sheath through transverse veins to adjacent longitudinal veins, we were neither able to detect nor present unequivocal evidence in support of the symplastic connectivity of the sieve tubes to the vascular parenchyma. Injection of the companion cell-sieve tube complex, did not demonstrate backward connectivity to the bundle sheath. We conclude that the low plasmodesmatal frequencies, coupled with a two-domain electropotential zonation configuration, and the negative transport experiments using lucifer yellow, precludes symplastic phloem loading in barley leaves.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 1997
- Authors: Botha, Christiaan E J , Cross, Robin H M
- Date: 1997
- Language: English
- Type: Article
- Identifier: vital:6504 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1005928
- Description: We investigated the phloem loading pathway in barley, by determining plasmodesmatal frequencies at the electron microscope level for both intermediate and small blade bundles of mature barley leaves. Lucifer yellow was injected intercellularly into bundle sheath, vascular parenchyma, and thin-walled sieve tubes. Passage of this symplastically transported dye was monitored with an epifluorescence microscope under blue light. Low plasmodesmatal frequencies endarch to the bundle sheath cells are relatively low for most interfaces terminating at the thin- and thick-walled sieve tubes within this C3 species. Lack of connections between vascular parenchyma and sieve tubes, and low frequencies (0.5% plasmodesmata per μm cell wall interface) of connections between vascular parenchyma and companion cells, as well as the very low frequency of pore-plasmodesmatal connections between companion cells and sieve tubes in small bundles (0.2% plasmodesmata per μm cell wall interface), suggest that the companion cell-sieve tube complex is symplastically isolated from other vascular parenchyma cells in small bundles. The degree of cellular connectivity and the potential isolation of the companion cell-sieve tube complex was determined electrophysiologically, using an electrometer coupled to microcapillary electrodes. The less negative cell potential {average -52 mV) from mesophyll to the vascular parenchyma cells contrasted sharply with the more negative potential (-122.5 mV) recorded for the companion cell-thin-walled sieve tube complex. Although intercellular injection of lucifer yellow clearly demonstrated rapid (0.75 μm s-1) longitudinal and radial transport in the bundle sheath-vascular parenchyma complex, as well as from the bundle sheath through transverse veins to adjacent longitudinal veins, we were neither able to detect nor present unequivocal evidence in support of the symplastic connectivity of the sieve tubes to the vascular parenchyma. Injection of the companion cell-sieve tube complex, did not demonstrate backward connectivity to the bundle sheath. We conclude that the low plasmodesmatal frequencies, coupled with a two-domain electropotential zonation configuration, and the negative transport experiments using lucifer yellow, precludes symplastic phloem loading in barley leaves.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 1997
Learning from the people : participatory rural appraisal, geography and rural development in the 'new' South Africa
- Binns, Tony, Hill, Trevor R, Nel, Etienne L
- Authors: Binns, Tony , Hill, Trevor R , Nel, Etienne L
- Date: 1997
- Language: English
- Type: Article
- Identifier: vital:6675 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1006649
- Description: Top-down rural development strategies in Africa have generally not succeeded in raising living standards among the rural poor. It is argued that inappropriate development strategies have stemmed from methodologies that fail to appreciate the whole picture in rural communities, and in particular ignore local people's perceptions, needs and understanding. Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) represents a significant step forward in the design of methodologies and a selection of these techniques is evaluated. Many PRA methods have much in common with the field research methods that have been used by geographers over many years to interpret people-environment relationships. A research investigation in Eastern Cape Province, South Africa, suggests that geographers could have an important role to play in this area of applied research and, in particular, in the context of post-apartheid South Africa there is an urgent challenge to be met in promoting rural development in poor, former black Homeland areas.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 1997
- Authors: Binns, Tony , Hill, Trevor R , Nel, Etienne L
- Date: 1997
- Language: English
- Type: Article
- Identifier: vital:6675 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1006649
- Description: Top-down rural development strategies in Africa have generally not succeeded in raising living standards among the rural poor. It is argued that inappropriate development strategies have stemmed from methodologies that fail to appreciate the whole picture in rural communities, and in particular ignore local people's perceptions, needs and understanding. Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) represents a significant step forward in the design of methodologies and a selection of these techniques is evaluated. Many PRA methods have much in common with the field research methods that have been used by geographers over many years to interpret people-environment relationships. A research investigation in Eastern Cape Province, South Africa, suggests that geographers could have an important role to play in this area of applied research and, in particular, in the context of post-apartheid South Africa there is an urgent challenge to be met in promoting rural development in poor, former black Homeland areas.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 1997
Patterns of sexual size dimorphism in African cichlid fishes
- Erlandsson, A, Ribbink, Anthony J
- Authors: Erlandsson, A , Ribbink, Anthony J
- Date: 1997
- Language: English
- Type: Article
- Identifier: vital:7135 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1011778
- Description: Although the Cichlidae is a well-studied family of African fishes, the evolution of sexual size dimorphism (SSD) and its relation to life-history, behaviour, feeding and habitat have not been comparatively examined. The investigation of SSD reported here was based on a study of the scientific literature. Prerequisites to such studies are records of maximum size of adult males and females. Disappointingly few authors published such measurements, so the data are fewer than anticipated given that the cichlids are such a species-rich group. Now that this omission has been noted, it is hoped that investigations of the future will include information on maximum size of adults of both sexes. Data from 215 species showed great variation in the degree and direction of SSD, without any really strong trends being evident. In the majority of species, males were larger than females or there was no size difference between the sexes. In 10% (21 species), females were larger than males. All of these are lacustrine, tend to live in deep water, often over muddy substrata and to feed to a greater extent than expected on non-defendable food sources. The degree of SSD increases with increasing body size in species where males are the larger sex and decreases in species where females are the larger In territorial species, in which competition between territorial males is intensive, males are the larger sex. The expectation that polygynous cichlids would show a more marked degree of SSD than monogamous species was not met. Larger size in females (with one exception) occurs in mouthbrooding species only. Males are the larger sex in substratum brooders. It seems that the degree and direction of sexual size dimorphism in cichlids is a consequence of a balance of natural and sexual selection, but there is a need to increase the sample size to understand the interplay of these selection pressures and to establish the validity of the emerging trends.
- Full Text: false
- Date Issued: 1997
- Authors: Erlandsson, A , Ribbink, Anthony J
- Date: 1997
- Language: English
- Type: Article
- Identifier: vital:7135 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1011778
- Description: Although the Cichlidae is a well-studied family of African fishes, the evolution of sexual size dimorphism (SSD) and its relation to life-history, behaviour, feeding and habitat have not been comparatively examined. The investigation of SSD reported here was based on a study of the scientific literature. Prerequisites to such studies are records of maximum size of adult males and females. Disappointingly few authors published such measurements, so the data are fewer than anticipated given that the cichlids are such a species-rich group. Now that this omission has been noted, it is hoped that investigations of the future will include information on maximum size of adults of both sexes. Data from 215 species showed great variation in the degree and direction of SSD, without any really strong trends being evident. In the majority of species, males were larger than females or there was no size difference between the sexes. In 10% (21 species), females were larger than males. All of these are lacustrine, tend to live in deep water, often over muddy substrata and to feed to a greater extent than expected on non-defendable food sources. The degree of SSD increases with increasing body size in species where males are the larger sex and decreases in species where females are the larger In territorial species, in which competition between territorial males is intensive, males are the larger sex. The expectation that polygynous cichlids would show a more marked degree of SSD than monogamous species was not met. Larger size in females (with one exception) occurs in mouthbrooding species only. Males are the larger sex in substratum brooders. It seems that the degree and direction of sexual size dimorphism in cichlids is a consequence of a balance of natural and sexual selection, but there is a need to increase the sample size to understand the interplay of these selection pressures and to establish the validity of the emerging trends.
- Full Text: false
- Date Issued: 1997
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