HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: eb3@world.std.com (Edwin Barkdoll)
Subject: Re: Plant communication/sensing references wanted
Organization: The World Public Access UNIX, Brookline, MA
Distribution: bionet
Date: Sat, 19 Dec 1992 15:44:30 GMT

In article <1992Dec18.145440.19868@pixel.kodak.com> young@serum.kodak.com writes:
>In article <1992Dec16.001934.23792@gserv1.dl.ac.uk> ajt@rri.sari.ac.uk writes:
>
>[...mimosa pulvinus mechanism discussion deleted...]
>
>>The analogy with propagation of nerve impulses in animals is often
>>cited in descriptions of these responses, and ion-transport is
>>certainly involved in the turgor mechanism of the pulvini.  However,
>>electrogenic proton extrusion is the fundamental ion-transport process
>>in plants and the active Na+/K+ exchanges that occur in transmission of
>>nerve impulses do not occur in plants.

	Active Na+/K+ exchange is not involved in transmission of
nerve impulses.  It is however involved in maintenance of the
electrochemical gradient required for the action potential.

>  This is interesting...apparently there is some disagreement in this area?
>  I lifted the following from a different newsgroup written by Bill Williams
>  of St. Mary's College of Maryland in message <13812@umd5.umd.edu> in
>  reference to mimosa pudica:
>
>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>Sensing of environment:  I'm not too sure what the actual sensing mechanism is,
>but the signal is an action potential, just like in an animal's
neurons.

	Definitely not "just like in an animal's neurons".
> A
>charge separation propagates along the cells, causing sodium and potassium
>channels in their membranes to open and close, which alters the membrane
>potential and thus passes the signal along to the next patch of membrane. 
>Plant action potentials are usually much, much slower to propagate than animal
>action potentials.

	Something on the order of 1/10^4 as fast!

>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>  Clearly, there is a fundamental difference of opinion regarding the action
>  of Na+ and K+ in this area...either that, or my ignorance is showing, which
>  is entirely possible.  :-)

	There is no work on action potentials in plants which
approaches the depth of that in animals but there is some evidence
that the primary ions are K+ and Cl- not K+ and Na+.  Don't have a
reference handy but you might look for a review by Simmons (?) in _The
New Phytologist_ I think the year is 1982.  There is probably much
more recent work that I know nothing about.



-- 
Edwin Barkdoll
eb3@world.std.com
Newsgroups: bionet.plants
From: claird@NeoSoft.com (Cameron Laird)
Subject: Re: A big hello
Organization: NeoSoft Communications Services -- (713) 684-5900
Distribution: bionet
Date: Fri, 11 Dec 1992 14:49:21 GMT

In article <1992Dec10.234216.8446@gserv1.dl.ac.uk> london@sunsite.unc.edu (Larry London) writes:
>In article <1992Dec10.153700.17634@gserv1.dl.ac.uk> you write:
>>In article <92129225625.MIN-LVLBa00330.bionet-news@uk.ac.daresbury> you wrote:
			.
			.
			.
>>: Is there anybody out there who is interested in how plants deal with
>>: heavy metals (ie Cd, Cu, Zn etc....yes O.K you know what a heavy metal
>>: is). Perhaps were could have a meaningful dialogue?
>>
>>I worked for a while at Plymouth Polytechnic (UK) during the early 80's
>>when Lane and Martin were working on uptake of heavy metals by potatos
>>and strawberries, but I'm not sure what they published.
			.
			.
			.
>Here's a thread on the subject I've saved over the past several months.
>There is additional material contained in a number of posts in
>alt.sustainable.agriculture, which I've archived. These mostly relate to
>the work of John Todd, formerly of the New Alchemy Institute.
A paper by K. C. Jones et al., *Nature*, 356, 137, 1992,
analyzes secular trends in pollution around Rothamsted
by measuring plants' incorporated burdens of different
pollutants.  The authors' principal concerns were with
organics--PCBs, hydrocarbons--but I think their biblio-
graphy touches on metal uptakes.
			.
			.
			.
-- 

Cameron Laird
claird@Neosoft.com (claird%Neosoft.com@uunet.uu.net)	+1 713 267 7966
claird@litwin.com (claird%litwin.com@uunet.uu.net)  	+1 713 996 8546
From: donachie@vax.oxford.ac.uk
Newsgroups: bionet.plants
Subject: Heavy metals
Date: 14 Dec 92 13:13:24 GMT
Organization: Oxford University VAX 6620


 
 On the subject of hyperaccumulators, work in this lab is investigating the
nature of the complexes formed in these plants with organic acids, in order to
determine whether these provide a possible mechanism of tolerance for the
plant.  

  The levels of metal which these plants accumulate can be huge, Sebertia
accuminata, a tree from New Caledonia, has a latex which conatins, on a dry
weight basis, 26 % nickel.  This is the highest recorded concentration in any
living ( :-) ) organism.  

  I think that the act of hyperaccumulation is related to the site at which the
plant can be found.  We are working on Alyssum spp here, and these can be, and
are regularly grown in gardens in Europe.  We have plants which are known to be
hyperaccumulators, and as control plants we are using garden seeds bought from
a commercial supplier.  We think that they won't hyperaccumulate, if they do
then....

  Just some interesting info to pass on over the dinner table ( :-) )
From: lso@gnv.ifas.ufl.edu
Newsgroups: bionet.plants
Subject: Medicinal plants to grow???
Date: 19 Dec 92 15:25:55 GMT

I have a friend that is moving to Costa Rica.  He has grown ornamental
plants for many years but would like to try and grow plants that could
be used for medicinal purposes.  He would like to know where to get help.
His questions include: what types of plants should he grow now and which
ones are in demand?
He has the ability to grow many different species but he wuld like any
information
on the culture of digitalis and others.
Lance.
Newsgroups: bionet.plants
From: richter@gpu.utcs.utoronto.ca (C. Richter)
Subject: Re: polynesian ethnobotany
Organization: UTCS Public Access
Date: Fri, 11 Dec 1992 23:00:43 GMT

In article <nking.724101804@unix1.tcd.ie> nking@unix1.tcd.ie (Nev's family recipe) writes:
>i am currently doing a dissertation on the biology of thespesia
>populnea (miro, milo ,portia tree, mahoe)
>and its use by pitcairn islanders.
>If anyone has any information on its medicinal, or other uses of the
>plant.... E Mail me at nking@unix1.tcd.ie

I checked some issues of _Economic Botany_ which were close at hand; here 
are some items on Thespesia populnea. Interesting plant; enjoyed learning 
about it.  
 
 Bhargava N 1983. Ethnobotanical studies of the tribes of Andaman and 
     Nicobar Islands, India. 1. Onge. 37:110-119
     p. 113.  "...tebokala. Tree. Leaves eaten raw for constipation."
 
 Whistler WA 1984. Annotated list of Samoan plant names. 38:464-489.     
     p. 477.  "Milo -- ... common, small to medium-sized tree of the 
              littoral forest, well known to most Samoans because of its 
              highly esteemed wood. It is also known as milo in the rest 
              of western Polynesia, and miro in most of eastern Polynesia."
 
 Banack SA, Cox PA 1987. Ethnobotany of ocean-going canoes in Lau, Fiji.
     41:148-162.
     p. 154.  "malomalo... alternate wood for minor pieces"
 
 Cox PA, Sperry LR, Thuominen M, Bohlin L 1989. Pharmacological activity of    
     the Samoan ethnopharmacopoeia. 43:487-497.
     p. 493.  (Table I. Pharmacological activity of crude extracts of 
              Samoan medicinal plants.)
              plant part -- leaves
              in vivo screen, mice, 1000 mg/kg dose, P.O. -- no activity
              in vivo screen, mice, 1000 mg/kg dose, I.P. -- caused death
              in vitro screen, guinea pig ileum, inhibition of electrically 
                     induced contractions, 0.2 mg/ml -- 21-49% inhibition
              in vitro screen, guinea pig ileum, inhibition of electrically
                     induced contractions, 2 mg/ml -- 100% inhibition
 
 Awasthi AK 1991. Ethnobotanical studies of the Negrito Islanders of Andaman 
     Islands, India -- The great Andamanese. 45:274-280. 
     p. 277.  "...tree/rammo/Logs are used as fuel during rains; according  
              to tribals, even the wet wood catches fire.."


-- 
Conrad Richter                     richter@gpu.utcs.utoronto.ca
Richters Herbs                     71550.3411@compuserve.com
Goodwood, ON L0C 1AO Canada        Tel 416-640-6677 / Fax 416-640-6641
From: donachie@vax.oxford.ac.uk
Newsgroups: bionet.plants
Subject: Re: heavy metals a few points
Date: 16 Dec 92 22:51:38 GMT
Organization: Oxford University VAX 6620


 Cadmium

   In humans and animals Cd interfers with Cu and Zn metabolism.  It competes
with Zn for sites in metalloenzymes that require Zn for function.  It also
blocks sulphydral groups.  

   Interestingly, on the point of Cd competing for Zn sites most metalloenzymes
that require Zn show partial activity if Cd is substituted back in.  Mn, Ni and
Co, can also achieve this effect, with Co being the least disruptive.  

  So my guess is that with Zn deficiency, Cd can reactivate the
Zn-metalloenzymes, and Co would work even better!!!
 
 Kev
From: toby@carson.u.washington.edu (Toby Bradshaw)
Newsgroups: bionet.plants
Subject: Re: fertility of triploids
Date: 15 Dec 92 16:06:51 GMT
Organization: University of Washington, Seattle

In article <1992Dec14.223517.26140@cbfsb.cb.att.com> bky@cbnewsf.cb.att.com (william.a.stafford) writes:
>   Are all triploids always sterile?  I was planning try my hand at Magnolia
>breeding this spring.  In the course of doing some research on the plants
>that I had intended to use as parents I found that one was a triploid.
>   I was under the impression that triploids are sterile but I recently
>read that triploids of some plants can be self fertile and can also
>produce fertile pollen.

Like most things in biology, it depends.  Triploids derived from
true diploids are generally sterile because pairing problems in
meiosis yield unbalanced gametes.  If the plant species in question
is a functional tetraploid, though, "triploids" derived from it
will probably be somewhat fertile, since there are redundant
copies of most or all genes.  Of course, triploids can 
produce unreduced (3n) gametes, and these may be fertilized to
yield tetraploids.  The ratio of endosperm ploidy to embryo
ploidy plays a critical role in the development of some seeds,
so that such combinations do not always work.  Even if no seed
are produced, embryos may usually be rescued by growth on suitable
artificial media.  No doubt the horticultural literature is
loaded with information on this topic.  There are some magnolia
breeders at the University of Georgia; you might try calling
down there.

Toby Bradshaw                       |
Department of Biochemistry          |  Will make genetic linkage maps
and College of Forest Resources     |            for food.
University of Washington, Seattle   |
toby@u.washington.edu               |
Newsgroups: bionet.plants
From: young@serum.kodak.com (Rich Young)
Subject: Plant communication/sensing references wanted
Originator: young@sasquatch
Reply-To: young@serum.kodak.com
Organization: Clinical Diagnostics Division, Eastman Kodak Company
Distribution: bionet
Date: Sat, 12 Dec 92 19:31:40 GMT

   The subject about says it all: I'm interested in references to literature
   which explores the capabilities of the plant world with reference to
   sensing of hostile environments or predators, defense mechanisms thus
   initiated, and inter- as well as intra-plant communication of sensory
   information.

   Please respond in e-mail, if at all possible, although posting would be
   acceptable.

   Thanks in advance to any who respond.


-Rich Young (These are not Kodak's opinions.)
Newsgroups: bionet.plants
From: young@clpd.kodak.com (Rich Young)
Subject: Re: Plant communication/sensing references wanted
Originator: young@sasquatch
Reply-To: young@clpd.kodak.com
Organization: Clinical Diagnostics Division, Eastman Kodak Company
Distribution: bionet
Date: Sat, 19 Dec 92 19:38:26 GMT

In article <BzIJq7.6JH@world.std.com> eb3@world.std.com (Edwin Barkdoll) writes:

[...]

>	Definitely not "just like in an animal's neurons".

[...]

   How does the epithelial conduction system referred to by Wildon, et. al.,
   fit with the description offered by Mr. Williams?  [I'll reproduce it
   below for convenience.]  From that offered by Dr. Travis?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A charge separation propagates along the cells, causing sodium and potassium
channels in their membranes to open and close, which alters the membrane
potential and thus passes the signal along to the next patch of membrane.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


-Rich Young (These are not Kodak's opinions.)
From: br105@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Jeffrey A. Del Col)
Newsgroups: bionet.plants
Subject: WANTED: SEEDS of DISA UNIFLORA AND HYBRIDS
Date: 16 Dec 1992 13:39:42 GMT
Organization: Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH (USA)
Reply-To: br105@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Jeffrey A. Del Col)
NNTP-Posting-Host: hela.ins.cwru.edu


I want to try to grow Disa uniflora or its hybrids from seed. I did
it several years ago, but I don't know where to get seeds now that
I am no longer a member of the AOS and haven't got there bulletin for 
sveral years.  There used to be a place in South Africa that sold seed, and
I believe there was someone in Akron, Ohio; I believe his name was Stoutamire.
Can anyone help me on this?

I've got Vogelpoel's book on Disa culture for a starting reference; can anyone
supply the names of others?

Jeff Del Col


-- 
Jeff Del Col      *   DECONSTRUCTION--- the critical method invented      
A-B College       *                      by Procrustes  
Philippi, WV      *                             
                  *         
Newsgroups: bionet.plants
From: young@serum.kodak.com (Rich Young)
Subject: Re: Plant communication/sensing references wanted
Originator: young@sasquatch
Reply-To: young@serum.kodak.com
Organization: Clinical Diagnostics Division, Eastman Kodak Company
Distribution: bionet
Date: Tue, 15 Dec 92 01:24:06 GMT

In article <1992Dec12.232346.4887@gserv1.dl.ac.uk> ajt@rri.sari.ac.uk writes:
>
>In article <921212201751.MIN-LVICa00330.bionet-news@uk.ac.daresbury> you wrote:
>: 
>:    The subject about says it all: I'm interested in references to literature
>:    which explores the capabilities of the plant world with reference to
>:    sensing of hostile environments or predators, defense mechanisms thus
>:    initiated, and inter- as well as intra-plant communication of sensory
>:    information.
>
>Hello, Rich.
>
>There is a recent book called "Sensitive plants" that, amongst other topics,
>describes the responses of Mimosa pudica.  Unfortunately, I've forgotten the
>author/publisher - does anyone else know?

   Hello, Tony.

   I've just finished reading Wildon, et. al., in NATURE 360:62-65, and I
   find this to be fascinating.  Seems like it's one of those, "Golly, we
   never thought they could do THAT," subjects.  Is this stuff a hot topic
   of discussion in the plant-oriented community?

   I'm afraid I wouldn't be able to contribute much, but I'd sure learn a lot
   from a bionet-based discussion of the topic.  I hope someone feels moved
   to start one.


-Rich Young (These are not Kodak's opinions.)
Newsgroups: bionet.plants
From: larsenp@mace.cc.purdue.edu (Paul Larsen)
Subject: flower pollination
Organization: Purdue University
Date: Thu, 17 Dec 1992 18:03:58 GMT

I was just wondering if anyone has an interest in flower pollination (i.e. is
anyone out there working on this as a research project besides me?)  I am 
presently a graduate student at Purdue and am working on pollination of
carnation flowers in relation to induction of flower senescence.  If anyone has
expertise or knowledge in this field, I would like to correspond with you. 
Thanks.



Paul Larsen
larsenp@mace.cc.purdue.edu
From: barzvi@bgumail.bgu.ac.il (bar zvi )
Newsgroups: bionet.plants
Subject: iso xanbene
Date: 18 Dec 92 09:48:12 GMT
Distribution: bionet
Original-To: plantbio@uk.ac.daresbury
Original-Cc: barzvi@il.ac.bgu.bgumail
X-Mailer: ELM [version 2.3 PL11]

Dear networker,

We are looking for iso xanbene, but we do not know where to get it. I will
be thankful if you could help me locate a source for this inhibitor.

Thanks,


Dudy Bar-Zvi

barzvi@bgumail.bgu.ac.il
From: tdo@stam.nl (Thijs Doorenbosch)
Newsgroups: bionet.plants
Subject: info required on trehalose
Date: 21 Dec 92 00:18:55 GMT
Organization: Stam Tijdschriften bv, Rijswijk, The Netherlands

Dear fellow-scientists,

As a science writer, I am interested in the function of the disaccharide

trehalose as a protein-degradation-preventing molecule in vitro (as 
conservative

agent) and in vivo, in plants of arid environments or genetically 
modified

plants. I really would appreciate if anyone of you could supply me with 
data,

names, phonenumbers, references or (review)articles. 

Thanks in advance!!
Newsgroups: bionet.plants
From: young@clpd.kodak.com (Rich Young)
Subject: Re: Plant communication/sensing references wanted
Originator: young@sasquatch
Reply-To: young@clpd.kodak.com
Organization: Clinical Diagnostics Division, Eastman Kodak Company
Distribution: bionet
Date: Sat, 19 Dec 92 19:29:14 GMT

In article <1992Dec19.000623.3822@gserv1.dl.ac.uk> ajt@rri.sari.ac.uk writes:

[...]

>The fundamental ion-transport process in plants is widely accepted to
>be electrogenic proton extrusion by membrane-bound ATP-ases (in effect
>a reversal of chemi-osmotic ATP synthesis according to Mitchell's
>hypothesis).  See for example Poole, R.J. 1978, Energy coupling for
>membrane transport, Annual Review of Plant Physiology, 29, 437-460.
>
>The other ion-transport processes are driven indirectly by the
>resulting electrochemical potential gradients and moderated by
>selective permeability of the membrane to different ions.
>
>Although net Na+/K+ exchanges are observed in plant cells (Na+ efflux
>and K+ influx) the Na+/K+ antiport found in animal cells does not occur
>in plant cells, to the best of my knowledge.  I'm sure Bill will
>correct me if Na+/K+ antiport has been demonstrated in plants ;-)

	Okay.  Wildon, et. al., state that "...wounding by heat or physical
	injury produces electrical activity that has similarities to the
	epithelial conduction system used to transmit a stimulus in the
	defence responses of some lower animals."

	Is this a similar phenomenon?  Please be gentle, you're talking to
	an engineer, here.   :-)


-Rich Young (These are not Kodak's opinions.)
From: ajt@rri.sari.ac.uk (Tony Travis)
Newsgroups: bionet.plants
Subject: Re: A big hello
Date: 16 Dec 92 23:25:37 GMT
Reply-To: ajt@rri.sari.ac.uk
Distribution: bionet
Organization: Rowett Research Institute
Original-To: plantbio@uk.ac.daresbury

In article <921216125757.MIN-LNDAa16551.bionet-news@uk.ac.daresbury> you wrote:
: [...]
: I'd be interested in such a discussion; my current interest would be
: taxonomic in nature.  'Fraid I can't make any contribution to such a
: discussion at this time, for convoluted reasons, best alluded to by my 
: post, "Request: Recruiting/Luring Biologists to the Nets", in sci.bio 
: and bionet.general.  That same post would also serve as a belated way 
: to introduce myself (I did not do so at the inception of this group, 
: for reasons I will style as virginal shyness).

Welcome to the group, David.

I'm glad that people are beginning to participate actively on the
bionet.plants group.  As plant biologists we have a lot to learn from
the molecular biologists experience of using the network, but we are
getting there gradually.

The essence of Usenet, for me, is the informal contact we make with
each other by posting to a group such as this.  I began the discussions
on bionet.plants by asking people to introduce themselves and describe
their area of interest.

So, tell us something about your interest in heavy metals and taxonomy?

	Tony.
--
Dr. A.J.Travis,                       |  Tony Travis
Rowett Research Institute,            |  JANET: <ajt@uk.ac.sari.rri>
Greenburn Road, Bucksburn,            |  other: <ajt@rri.sari.ac.uk>
Aberdeen, AB2 9SB. UK.                |  phone: 0224-712751
From: ajt@rri.sari.ac.uk (Tony Travis)
Newsgroups: bionet.plants
Subject: Re: Plant communication/sensing references wanted
Date: 19 Dec 92 00:06:13 GMT
Reply-To: ajt@rri.sari.ac.uk
Distribution: bionet
Organization: Rowett Research Institute
Original-To: plantbio@uk.ac.daresbury

In article <921218151818.MIN-LNTAa20035.bionet-news@uk.ac.daresbury> you wrote:
: In article <1992Dec16.001934.23792@gserv1.dl.ac.uk> ajt@rri.sari.ac.uk writes:
: 
: [...mimosa pulvinus mechanism discussion deleted...]
: 
: >The analogy with propagation of nerve impulses in animals is often
: >cited in descriptions of these responses, and ion-transport is
: >certainly involved in the turgor mechanism of the pulvini.  However,
: >electrogenic proton extrusion is the fundamental ion-transport process
: >in plants and the active Na+/K+ exchanges that occur in transmission of
: >nerve impulses do not occur in plants.
: 
:   This is interesting...apparently there is some disagreement in this area?

The fundamental ion-transport process in plants is widely accepted to
be electrogenic proton extrusion by membrane-bound ATP-ases (in effect
a reversal of chemi-osmotic ATP synthesis according to Mitchell's
hypothesis).  See for example Poole, R.J. 1978, Energy coupling for
membrane transport, Annual Review of Plant Physiology, 29, 437-460.

The other ion-transport processes are driven indirectly by the
resulting electrochemical potential gradients and moderated by
selective permeability of the membrane to different ions.

Although net Na+/K+ exchanges are observed in plant cells (Na+ efflux
and K+ influx) the Na+/K+ antiport found in animal cells does not occur
in plant cells, to the best of my knowledge.  I'm sure Bill will
correct me if Na+/K+ antiport has been demonstrated in plants ;-)

	Tony.
--
Dr. A.J.Travis,                       |  Tony Travis
Rowett Research Institute,            |  JANET: <ajt@uk.ac.sari.rri>
Greenburn Road, Bucksburn,            |  other: <ajt@rri.sari.ac.uk>
Aberdeen, AB2 9SB. UK.                |  phone: 0224-712751