Chitinases are enzymes that degrade chitin, the second most abundant polymer in nature. They are ubiquitous among living organisms where they play a role in development, food-digestion and innate immunity. We have cloned and characterized the first cnidarian chitinase cDNA from the hydroid Hydractinia. The Hydractinia chitinase exhibits a typical secreted family 18 hydrolases primary structure....

The distribution and absorption of ingested protein was characterized within a colony of Podocoryna carnea when a single polyp was fed. Observations were conducted at multiple spatial and temporal scales at three different stages of colony ontogeny with an artificial food item containing Texas Red conjugated albumin. Food pellets were digested and all tracer absorbed by digestive cells within t...

The photoreceptor phytochrome B (PHYB) and the homeodomain protein BEL5 are involved in the response of potato tuber induction to the photoperiod. However, whether they act in the same tuberization pathway is unknown. Here we show the effect of a microRNA, miR172, on this developmental event. miR172 levels are higher under tuber-inducing short days than under non-inductive long days and are upr...

Potato (Solanum tuberosum cv. Posmo) was transformed with a fungal endo-a-1,5-L-arabinanase gene (E.C. 3.2.1.99) and the enzyme secreted to the apoplast. Using promoters that are known to be sucrose inducible in potato—the granule bound starch synthase promoter and the promoter of the patatin storage protein gene—strong expression of the arabinanase was observed in developing sinks, notably the...

1. A quantitative study of the growth of Clytia johnstoni is described. 2. The distance between hydranths is most commonly between 3 and 4 mm. The average internode lengths and their variability frequently differs not only between colonies but also between stolons of a single colony. The differences are therefore unlikely to be genetic ones. Occasionally much longer internodes occur (up to 8 mm...