Adiva Shomer-Ilan

Positive skin tests to pollen extracts of four species of Pistacia in Israel

Fifty‐eight atopic and nine non‐atopic volunteers, all residents of the Tel Aviv metropolitan area. Israel, were skin tested with extracts made from filtered pollen of Pistacia atlantica, P. lentiscus, P. palaestina and P. vera. Twenty‐four out of the fifty‐eight patients examined (41.4% had positive skin reactions to at least one of the four examined species of Pistacia: seven of the patients reacted to all the examined extracts, whereas the other seventeen reacted to only some of them. Fifteen patients reacted to extracts of P. atlantica, sixteen patients reacted to extracts of P. lentiscus, ten patients reacted to extracts of P. palaestina and seven patients reacted to extracts of pollen of P. vera. None of the healthy, non‐atopic volunteers reacted to any of the extracts. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of immunological reactions to pollen extracts of the genus Pistacia.

Biochemical Basis of Ecological Adaptation

Processes of plant adaptation to various environments are to be found at all levels of plant function and organization. However, while many adaptational responses to certain environmental conditions have been described at the levels of plant structure and organization, the biochemical basis of such adaptations is often not fully understood. This can be exemplified by the subject of this chapter: the biochemical basis of adaptation of photosynthetic systems to extreme environments.

Allergenicity of the pollen of Pistacia

Differences in IgE binding and skin responses to pollen extracts of four species of Pistacia, and some immunochemical characteristics of this pollen were investigated. The incidence of positive SPT among atopic patients varied between 31.5%to the pollen extracts of P. vera and 24.6% to P. palaestina. The antigens are located on the exine of the grains as well as in their cytoplasm. Some of the antigens are common to all four species, whereas others seem to be specific. Cross‐reactivity was found among the four species of Pistacia and between them and Schinus terebintifolious. Five conspicuous IgE‐binding bands were observed in the immunoblots of the four examined species, the bands of 49, 57, 64, 68, and 79 kDa. The 36–37‐kDa band of P. lentiscus and the 60‐ and 84‐kDa bands of P. atlantica and P. vera were also noticeable. As the flowering seasons of Pistacia and Schinus do not overlap, the patients are exposed to such pollen for more than 4 months a year. Apparently, Pistacia pollen is a major source of allergy.

Photosynthesis in Flowers of Petunia Hybrida: Low CO2 Flow and Coordinated Reduction Between Photosynthetic Systems

In a previous paper (1) we reported on the presence of chloroplasts in the corollas of Petunia hybrida, in all stages of their development. Chloroplasts isolated from mature pink corollas carried out electron transport at only one quarter of the rate of chloroplasts from green leaves. The aim of the present work was to further characterize the photosynthetic systems of the Petunia corolla.

Indo-3-acetic acid (IAA) and cytokinin-like activity in municipal excess activated sewage sludge: effect on rooting of mung bean (Vigna radiata (L.) Wilcz.) cuttings

Abstract A common use for land treatment of municipal sewage sludges is their application in agriculture. Sludges are well known to contain high levels of organic and inorganic materials but can also affect plant growth by supplying growth hormones. We tested the hormonal effect of sewage sludge from the Municipal Sewage Sludge Management Center in Herzliyya, Israel, on rooting of mung bean cuttings. Sewage sludge induces the formation of adventitious roots on mung bean cuttings, in a way similar to the promotion by IBA, the most common treatment for root initiation. Moreover, sewage sludge quadrupled the root elongation rates as compared with the effect of IBA and it seems that at least Herzelia source of municipal se~age sludge comprises a very promotive growth medium for root development. Significant amount of IAA was identified in sewage sludge by GC-MS. The sludge exhibits also cytokinin-like activity. The data of this study and particularly the effect of the sludge on the development of the adventit...

Effects of fermented cow‐manure on rooting of mung bean cuttings: The role of nutrients and of abscisic acid

Abstract The effects of cabutz, an end product of anaerobic fermentation of cow manure, and the effects of its components, on rooting of cuttings were investigated. Cuttings of mung bean (Vigna radiata L. Wilcz.) plants have rooted better in cabutz than in other rooting media. Cabutz extract increased the number of roots of mung bean cuttings as well as their roots length. Similar effects were obtained with a solution containing only the inorganic constituents of cabutz extracts. The complete cabutz extract, but not its mineral components, caused three pronounced effects: (a) it changed the distribution pattern of adventitious roots along the cuttings; (b) it delayed the initiation of roots at the base of the cuttings in the presence of high concentrations of cabutz extract; and (c) it reduced the water loss by cabutz‐treated cuttings. Similar effects were obtained when external abscisic acid was applied in concentrations similar to what was found in cabutz extracts. It is suggested that the effects of ca...

Activation or Inhibition of Phosphoenol Pyruvate Carboxylase by NaCl

Contradicting data were presented in literature regarding the effects of NaCl on PEP-carboxylase activity. Various in vitro studies showed inhibition of the enzyme by NaCl (Ting and Osmond, 1973; Treichel et al., 1974; Flowers et al., 1978, etc.). On the other hand, other investigators have shown that NaCl loaded leaves of halophytes exhibited an increase in the rates of PEP-carboxylase activity induced by NaCl (Beer et al., 1975; Beer et al., 1980, etc.). The question thus raised is: Does NaCl inhibit PEP-carboxylase activity or does it not?

Phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP) as a Possible Endogenic Protecting Agent of PEP Using Enzymes against Inactivation by Salt

Phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP) was shown to act as a stabilizer and as a protecting agent of PEP-carboxylase, under saline conditions, in a cell free system (1). PEP pretreated PEP carboxylases, extracted from 20 species (halophytes and glycophytes), were inhibited by 100 mM NaCl in the presence of low concentrations of PEP in the assay medium; but were activated by 100 mM NaCl, in the presence of high concentrations of PEP. Furthermore, their kinetic properties were affected and their range of salt tolerance was expended (1,2,3).

Salinity and the Regulation of Pyruvate Pi Dikinase

Phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP), at concentrations higher than 1.0mM, was found to stabilize PEP carboxylase and pyruvate kinase and to prevent inactivation by NaCl invitro (1,2,3). Salt sensitivity or tolerance of other enzymes, e.g. glutamine synthetase and malate dehydrogenase were also found to be substrate dependent. Further, endogenous levels of PEP were found to increase, in different C4 plants, to concentrations enabling insitu enzyme protection, when grown under saline conditions (2).