Notizen: Summary The activity in α and γ efferent axon populations and in group I and group II afferent fibre populations innervating a flexor muscle, the sartorius medialis, was observed during spontaneous locomotor movements in the thalamic cat. Multi-unit discharges of each kind of fibre were obtained by electronic sorting of the action potentials from the overall activity of a thin, intact branch of the sartorius medialis nerve. The following results were obtained: (1) The γ-motoneurones have a phasic behaviour characterized by a single discharge period during the hip flexion (swing phase of the step-cycle). (2) The γ-motoneurones are co-activated with the homonymous α-motoneurones. (3) Between rhythmic α and γ discharges, i.e. during the hip extension (stance phase of the step cycle), both α- and γ-motoneurones were normally silent. However, in 5 out of 17 experiments, a few units of the γ population fired at very low frequency. (4) Two observations indicate that the γ-motoneurones that are co-activated with the α-motoneurones by central locomotor commands are predominantly of the static type. In actual locomotion, the rhythmic fusimotor discharges over-compensate the depressor effect on the firing rate of the group II afferents of the unloading of muscle spindles by the active shortening of the parent muscle. In fictive locomotion, when the transmission of the excitation is blocked by selective curarization in alpha skeleto-motor junctions alone, the rhythmic fusimotor discharges elicit in-phase modulations not only of the group I but also of the group II fibres. The group II afferent population consists almost entirely of fibres arising from spindle secondary endings which are located primarily on intrafusal muscle fibres whose contraction is exclusively controlled by static fusimotor motoneurones. In the two experimental circumstances, the analysis of the group I fibre discharge does not allow to decide whether dynamic γ motoneurones are firing or silent during rhythmic γ discharge. (5) The group I and group II afferent discharges during the step-cycle showed two frequency peaks, one static-fusimotor dependent while the contracting muscle shortened during the hip flexion (swing) phase, the other length-change dependent while the relaxed muscle was rapidly stretched during the first part of the hip extension (stance) phase. Then, during the second part of hip extension when the muscle was slowly stretched in the absence of fusimotor drive, the firing rate of the spindle afférents decreased to a low level. The spindle sensory endings during the extension phase showed low dynamic and static responsiveness like deefferented spindles. (6) The results obtained in sartorius medialis (flexor) muscle are discussed in comparison with the results previously obtained in gastrocnemii (extensor) muscles (Bessou et al. 1986). The consequences of the predominant activation of the static or dynamic fusimotor system in functionally different muscles are considered with respect to the proprioceptive or motor role of musclespindles during muscle contraction.

Notizen: Summary We have isolated a new maize gene, rab 28, that responds to abscisic acid (ABA) treatment. This gene has been characterized by determining the sequence of the cDNA and corresponding genomic copy, and by mapping the start site of its transcript. The rab 28 gene encodes a protein of predicted molecular weight 27713 Da which shows strong homology with the Lea D-34 protein identified in cotton. The proximal promoter region contains the conserved ABA-response element, CACGTGG, reported in other plant genes to be responsible for ABA induction. rab 28 mRNA has been identified as ABA-inducible in embryos and young leaves. It is also induced by water-stress in leaves of wild-type plants. Regulation of the rab 28 gene was studied in maize viviparous mutants. The results obtained with the ABA-insensitive vp1 mutant show that rab 28 transcripts do not accumulate to a significant level during embryogenesis. Surprisingly, induction of rab 28 mRNA can be achieved in young embryos by exogenous ABA treatment. Moreover, water-stressed or ABA-treated seedlings of vp1 contain significant levels of rab 28 mRNA which is not detectable in well-watered seedlings. Regulation of the rab 28 gene in excised young embryos of ABA-deficient vp2 mutants, in which influences of the maternal environment are absent, closely resembles that found in non-mutant excised young embryos. The significance of these results is discussed.

Notizen: Abstract Using a radish cDNA probe, we have isolated and characterized two genomic clones from Arabidopsis thaliana (GEA1 and GEA6) encoding two different proteins that are homologous to the “Early methionine-labelled” (Em) protein of wheat. GEA1 differs from GEA6 and Em clones of wheat in that a sequence coding for 20 amino acid residues is tandemly repeated 4 times. These two genomic clones correspond to two genes named AtEm1 and AtEm6. Sequencing of several cDNA clones showed that both genes are expressed. The transcription start site was determined for both genes by RNase mapping. The site of polyadenylation is variable and there is no obvious consensus sequence for polyadenylation at the 3′ ends of the genes. mRNA corresponding to GEA6 is present only in nearly dry and dry seeds, whereas that corresponding to GEA1 appears in immature seeds and is maximum in dry seeds. No expression of either gene could be detected in leaf, stem, or floral buds. Expression of both genes could be detected in immature seeds when the siliques were incubated with abscisic acid (ABA), demonstrating that both genes are ABA responsive. However, examination of the 5′ upstream region does not reveal any extensive homology, suggesting that regulation of the two genes differs. In situ hybridization with a GEA1 probe demonstrated that the expression of this gene is essentially located in the provascular tissues of the cotyledons and axis of the dry seed as well as in the epiderm and outer layers of the cortex in the embryo axis.