The karyotype ofTyphlonectes compressicauda (Amphibia: Gymnophiona) with comments on chromosome evolution in caecilians

Summary Typhlonectes compressicauda has a diploid number of 28. Its karyotype, when compared to that of other caecilians, suggests some discordance in the hypothesized model of chromosome reduction in the evolution of amphibian lineages.We thank Sharon B. Emerson and Diana Diehl, University of Illinois at Chicago Circle, for helping us to acquire specimens. The work was supported by National Science Foundation Grant DEB 77-22642 to MHW.     

Summer monsoon and dust signals recorded in the Dasuopu firn core, central Himalayas

In September 1997, a 15-m firn core was recovered from an elevation of 7 000 m a. s.l. from the Dasuopu Glacier in the central Himalayas. The analysis of δ18O values and major ion (Ca2+ , Mg2+ , NH4+ , SO42- and NO3-) concentrations shows that average annual accumulation is 0.75 m (water equivalent) in the Dasuopu firn core. The seasonal variations of δ18O values and major ion concentrations in the core indicate that present summer monsoon and dust signals are recorded with high-resolution in the Dasuopu Glacier. δ18O in precipitation are controlled by amount effect in summer monsoon season, more negative δ18O is representative of summer monsoon signal in snow layers. Higher concentrations of Ca2+ , Mg2+ , SO42- and NO3-are dominated by spring dust storm imput derived from the arid and semi-arid desert regions in central Asia. Also EOF analysis verifies that high spring concentrations of major ions are consistent. Due to the possibly different sources, the secondary variations of NH4+ and NO3- are negatively relevant with that of Ca2+ and Mg2+ .     

A molecular map of the immune response region from the major histocompatibility complex of the mouse

A stretch of 200 kilobases (kb) of DNA from the I region of the mouse major histocompatibility complex has been cloned and characterized. It contains the genes for the biochemically defined class II proteins E alpha, E beta and A beta. DNA blot analyses suggest that the I region may contain only 6-8 class II genes. Correlation of our molecular map with the genetic map of the I region confines two of the five I subregions, I-J and I-B, to less than 3.4 kb of DNA at the 3' end of the E beta gene where a hotspot for recombination has been observed. Indeed, the I-A and I-E subregions may be contiguous. If so, the I-B and I-J subregions are not encoded in the I region between the I-A and I-E subregions.