Isolation and characterization of signal transduction mutants of Arabidopsis thaliana that constitutively activate the octadecanoid pathway and form necrotic microlesions.

Thionins are a group of antimicrobial polypeptides that form part of the plant's defense mechanism against pathogens. The Thi 2.1 thionin gene of Arabidopsis thaliana has been shown to be inducible by jasmonic acid (JA), an oxylipin-like hormone derived from oxygenated linolenic acid and synthesized via the octadecanoid pathway. The JA-dependent regulation of the Thi 2.1 gene has been exploited for setting up a genetic screen for the isolation of signal transduction mutants that constitutively express the Thi 2.1 gene. Ten cet-mutants have been isolated which showed a constitutive expression of the thionin gene. Allelism tests revealed that they represent at least five different loci. Some mutants are dominant, others recessive, but all cet mutations behaved as monogenic traits when backcrossed with Thi 2.1-GUS plants. Some of the mutants overproduce JA and its bioactive precursor 12-oxophytodienoic acid (OPDA) up to 40-fold while others have the same low levels as the control wildtype plants. Two of the mutants showed a strong induction of both the salicylic acid (SA)- and the JA-dependent signaling pathways, while the majority seems to be affected only in the octadecanoid pathway. The Thi 2.1 thionin gene and the Pdf 1.2 defensin gene are activated independently, though both are regulated by JA. The cet-mutants, except for one, also show a spontaneous leaf cell necrosis, a reaction often associated with the systemic acquired resistance (SAR) pathway.

Sexual attitudes as correlates of sexual details in human figure drawing.

The hypothesis that sexual attitudes, as measured by the Sexual Opinion Survey, are related to the explicitness with which nude figures are drawn was examined. The presence or absence of various sexual and nonsexual anatomical features, as well as length and width measurements, were assessed in the drawing of nudes by 17 male and 23 female undergraduates. Individuals with relatively positive sexual attitudes (erotophiles), as compared with individuals with relatively negative attitudes (erotophobes), were more likely to include such details as a glans, a urinary meatus, and chest hair on male figures and pubic hair and nipples on female figures. Positive sexual attitudes were also associated with drawing figures with longer and wider penises, breasts, testicles, and mons. Relationships between sexual attitudes and the drawing of nonsexual body parts were generally not significant. The results are discussed in terms of the pervasive generality of sexual attitudes in influencing quite varied sex-related behaviors.

Sexual attitudes and contraception among females across five college samples.

The relationships among sexual attitudes, sexual and contraceptive behavior, and responses to statements about sexual topics are explored using data obtained in the Sexual Opinion Survey concerning 772 women attending four midwestern U.S. universities in the period 1977-1979. "Associations generally occurred between the expression of more positive sexual attitudes and the reporting of behaviors and attitudes supportive of effective contraceptive activity."