In 2011 a study was carried out analyzing the effects of road traffic on bioaccumulation of zinc and copper in selected species of dicotyledonous plants growing on adjacent grasslands. To do the research the plants were sampled from the 9-km-long Siedlce bypass, a part of the international route E-30. They were collected during the flowering stage, at following distances from the road: 1, 5, 10...

Extracts of the seeds of Vicia cretica (NO Leguminosae) strongly agglutinate T- Th- but not Tk- or other polyagglutinable red cells. The V. cretica lectin is therefore a very useful laboratory reagent in the elucidation of erythrocyte polyagglutination due to T-like erythrocyte cryptantigens.

The dominant outward rectifier K+ currents were examined in protoplasts from Vicia faba guard cells. In whole-cell patch-clamp recordings, we generally observed that the conductance of the K+ inward and the outward rectifier gradually decreases. As a consequence of this run down a new steady state was achieved which was 90 ± 5% lower than that obtained at the beginning of the recording. The run...

Stomata of growth chamber-grown Vicia faba leaves have an enhanced CO(2) response, measured as change in stomatal aperture, compared to stomata of greenhouse-grown leaves. Reciprocal transfer experiments showed that the stomatal response to CO(2) acclimated to the growing environment. Stomata of growth chamber-grown leaves transferred to a greenhouse lost their high CO(2) sensitivity within 2-3...

P UTRESCINE has been found to induce chromosome aberrations in cells undergoing meiosis in Oenothera [8] but not in cells undergoing mitosis in roots of Vicia faba [9]. In re-examining the action of putrescine and cadaverine in less toxic concentrations [cf. 91, we have tested the ability of these polyamines either to induce chromosome breakage or to upset the process of chromosome condensation...

Isolated epidermal strips of Vicia faba and Commelina communis release malate into their bathing medium when stomata close. This release was largest (about 0.6 of the initial malate content) when epidermal strips of C. communis were floated on 10(-5) M (+/-)-abscisic acid.

Figure 1. Stomatal network. The image (taken with a confocal microscope) shows stomata (the bean-shaped structures) separated by epidermal cells on the surface of a Vicia faba leaf. In this figure, the stomatal pore apertures are about 2 µm wide.

A number of well characterized legume lectins including the enzymic lectin from Vigna radiata were examined for immunological relatedness. The immunological cross-reactions observed indicate that most of the legume lectins, including Vigna lectin, are evolutionarily closely related proteins. The possibility that these proteins are homologs with enzymic functions is discussed.

This study was carried out to compare in situ and in vitro enzyme techniques for determining estimates of forage escape proteins. Eight forages (vetch hay, wheat silage, corn silage, wheat hay, grass hay, lentil straw, triticale hay and alfalfa hay) were used as feed materials. During 70 h, incubation with enzyme method had similar escape protein values for vetch hay, wheat hay, grass hay, trit...