Embryo and Endosperm Function and Failure inSolanumSpecies and Hybrids

Although the importance of the endosperm as a food store inmany angiosperm seeds is well known, its significance duringearly embryogenesis has been neglected. In many interspecifichybrids, and in some other situations, embryos do not developfully and abort. It has often been stated that this is causedby the endosperm failing to conduct sufficient nutrients tothe embryo, but seldom has it been suggested that the endospermactively controls most of the early stages of morphogenesisof the embryo. Information gleaned from a broad survey of theliterature, combined with additional evidence presented here,obtained fromSolanum incanumand interspecific hybrids, indicatethat the endosperm is dynamic and very active in regulatingearly embryo development. This requires highly integrated geneticcontrol of rapidly changing metabolism in the endosperm. Ininterspecific hybrids, lack of coordination may cause unbalancedproduction of growth regulating substances by the endospermand hence abortion of the embryo, or even unregulated productionof nucleases and proteases resulting firstly in autolysis ofthe endosperm and then digestion of the embryo. The endospermmay thus serve to detect inappropriate hybridization of speciesor ploidy levels and so prevent waste of resources by producingseeds that would result in sterile hybrids or unthrifty subsequentgenerations. This discriminatory function of the endosperm hasdiminished during evolution and domestication of the crop plantSolanummelongenaL.Copyright 1998 Annals of Botany Company Solanum, embryo morphogenesis, endosperm, hybrid, seed development.     

HIFs and tumors--causes and consequences

For most organisms oxygen is essential fo life. When oxygen levels drop below those required to maintain the minimum physiological oxygen requirement of an organism or tissue it is termed hypoxia. To counter act possible deleterious effects of such a state, an immediate molecular response is initiated causing adaptation responses aimed at cell survival. This response is mediated by the hypoxia-inducible factor-1 (HIF-1), which is a heterodimer consisting of an alpha- and a beta-subunit. HIF-1 alpha protein is stabilized under hypoxic conditions and therefore confers selectivity to this response. Hypoxia is characteristic of tumors, mainly because of impaired blood supply resulting from abnormal growth. Over the past few years enormous progress has been made in the attempt to understand how the activation of the physiological response to hypoxia influences neoplastic growth. In this review some aspects of HIF-1 pathway activation in tumors and the consequences for pathophysiology and treatment of neoplasia are discussed.     

Pragmatic Women and Body Politics and Maternities and Modernities: Colonial and Postcolonial Experiences in Asia and the Pacific

Pragmatic Women and Body Politics. Margaret Lock and Patricia A. Kaufert. eds. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 1998. xii +364 pp.
Maternities and Modernities: Colonial and Postcolonial Experiences in Asia and the Pacific. Kalpana Ram and Margaret Jolly. eds. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 1998. xiv. 305 pp.     

Astrocytes and Synaptosomes Transport and Metabolize Lactate and Acetate Differently

Astrocytes transport the monocarboxylate acetate, but synaptosomes do not. The reason for this is unknown, because both preparations express monocarboxylate transporters (MCT). The transport and metabolism of lactate, another monocarboxylate, was examined in these two preparations, and the results were compared to those for acetate. Lactate transport is more rapid in astrocytes than in synaptosomes, but of lower affinity (Kms of 17 and 4 mM, respectively). Lactate (0.2 mM) is metabolized to CO2 more rapidly in synaptosomes than in astrocytes (rates of 0.37 and 0.07 nmol x mg protein(-1) x min(-1), respectively). The reason for this is unclear, but cellular differences in lactate dehydrogenase isotype expression may be involved. Acetate is metabolized to CO2 more rapidly in astrocytes than in synaptosomes (rates of 0.43 and 0.02 nmol x mg protein(-1) x min(-1), respectively). This is likely due to cellular differences in the expression of monocarboxylate transporter subtypes.     

Rapporteur report: Basics and technology and metrology and standards

The first and second sessions of the Workshop focussed on the basics of ultrasound and infrasound, their applications in both industry and medicine, and metrology and protection standards for ultrasound applications.     

白蚁与动物及微生物的共生类型及其机制

综述了白蚁螱客的主要种类、共生关系及相关机制的研究进展。白蚁螱客中,已报道的动物种类达170种。在与动物的共生关系中存在偏利共生（宾主共栖和异种共栖）、互利共生和无关共生三种;在与微生物的共生关系中,存在与内生菌（原生动物、细菌、真菌和放线菌）和外生菌（蚁巢伞菌等）间的互利关系。指出了白蚁与螱客研究中存在的问题,给出了解决方案,并提出了今后可能的研究热点或方向,为白蚁的综合利用（如纤维素酶）及今后研究物种间的协同进化提供了基础资料。     

New amino-dithiaphospholanes and phosphoramidodithioites and their rhodium and iridium complexes

New sulfur derivatives of phosphoramidite ligands were synthesized and the impact of the sulfur unit on the spectroscopic properties of their rhodium and iridium complexes was investigated. The new ligands Bn₂NPSCH₂CH₂S^a(P-S^a) (Bn = benzyl, 4), Bn₂NPSCHCHS^a(CH₂)₃C^aH₂(P-S^a)(C^a-S^a) (6) and Bn₂NP(4-XC₆H₄OMe)₂ (X = S, 7a; X = O, 7b) were converted to the rhodium and iridium complexes trans-[Rh(CO)Cl(L)₂] (L = 4, 6, 7), [RhCl(COD)(L)] (L = 4, 6, 7), [IrCl(COD)(7a)] and [IrCl₂Cp∗(6)]. For comparison, some phosphoramidite complexes of these formulations also were synthesized. The new metal complexes were spectroscopically analyzed. For the carbonyl complexes, the ν_CO IR stretching frequencies were lower than for the corresponding phosphite and phosphoramidite ligands. The ¹J_PRh coupling constants for the rhodium complexes with the new ligands were also smaller than for the respective phosphoramidite and phosphite complexes. Finally, the ¹J_PSe coupling constants of the selenides of the new ligands were lower than those of the phosphoramidite ligands but higher than for PPh₃. The spectroscopic data reveal that the new thio ligands 4, 6 and 7a are more electron donating than phosphites and phosphoramidites but less electron donating than PPh₃.     

Morphological and constitutional features and self-esteem in children and adolescents

Studies of human constitution and mental features are traditionally among the main concepts of anthropological research. In this research, we attempted to discover connections between morphological and constitutional features and self-esteem in children and adolescents. Such a connection was discovered in some studied age groups. The obtained results could serve as a basis for further studies in this field.     

Relative and combined effects of ethanol and protein deficiency on strontium and barium bone content and fecal and urinary excretion

To elucidate accumulation of minerals in human iliac arteries with aging, the content of minerals was analyzed by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry. Bilateral common, internal, and external iliac arteries of 16 men and 8 women, ranging ages from 65 to 93 yr, were examined. It was found that an extremely high accumulation of calcium and phosphorus occurred in the common iliac artery at old age, being higher than that of the internal and external iliac arteries. It should be noted that the accumulation of calcium and phosphorus is the highest in the common iliac artery among the human arteries examined to date. Regarding sexual differences, the content of calcium and phosphorus in the common and internal iliac arteries was higher in women than in men, whereas their content in the external iliac artery was lower in women than in men.     

人血管能抑素基因的克隆、表达及其表达产物的纯化和生物活性测定

以人胎盘脐带组织为材料,提取组织总RNA,用netRTPCR方法合成人血管能抑素cDNA基因,将该cDNA克隆进pSP72载体获得重组质粒pSP72C, DNA序列分析结果与预期序列一致。用BamHⅠ和NdeⅠ双酶切,切下pSP72C上的血管能抑素cDNA,插入pET3c载体的相应位点获得重组表达质粒pETC, 转化E. coli BL21(DE3), SDSPAGE分析显示：在IPTG诱导下,血管能抑素基因获得了高效表达,表达量约占菌体总蛋白的 27.9 %,主要以包涵体形式存在。包涵体经过洗涤、裂解、蛋白复性以及Sephadex G75凝胶过滤层析等步骤后,获得了纯度达91.4 %的人血管能抑素。CAM实验证明10 μg纯化蛋白就能显著抑制鸡胚新生血管生成。     

Similarities and Differences Among Prolactins and Growth Hormones and Their Receptors

SYNOPSIS. Data from the literature and from our own studieson the receptors for prolactin (PRL) and growth hormone (GH)are reviewed and analyzed. Receptors for PRL have been studiedin a wider range of species and in a greater diversity of targetorgans than have the binding sites for GH. Although GHs arestructurally more highly conserved among the vertebrates thanare PRLs, the available data indicate that there is greaterdiversity among GH receptors than there is among PRL receptors.In general, GH receptors show greater species specificity butless hormone specificity than do PRL receptors. The reason forthe greater diversity among GH receptors as compared to PRLreceptors is unknown; it bears no relationship to phylogeny. Data on the binding of purified preparations of mammalian PRL,GH and placental lactogen (PL) to renal and hepatic receptorsfor PRL and GH, respectively, of several vertebrate speciesare reviewed. The species and hormone specificity of the bindingof the hormones to the two typesof receptors showed no consistentpattern. To explain this disarray, we propose that the receptorbinding domains of PRL and GH were present in their common ancestralgene and that they havebeen retained to variable degrees byall of the descendant members of the PRL-GH family. We furtherpropose that hormone and species specificity of binding is determinedby hindering features on the hormones and on the receptors,rather than by merely the presence or absence of the appropriatebinding determinants.     

Microbial and bioconversion production of D-xylitol and its detection and application

D-Xylitol is found in low content as a natural constituent of many fruits and vegetables. It is a five-carbon sugar polyol and has been used as a food additive and sweetening agent to replace sucrose, especially for non-insulin dependent diabetics. It has multiple beneficial health effects, such as the prevention of dental caries, and acute otitis media. In industry, it has been produced by chemical reduction of D-xylose mainly from photosynthetic biomass hydrolysates. As an alternative method of chemical reduction, biosynthesis of D-xylitol has been focused on the metabolically engineered Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Candida strains. In order to detect D-xylitol in the production processes, several detection methods have been established, such as gas chromatography (GC)-based methods, high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)-based methods, LC-MS methods, and capillary electrophoresis methods (CE). The advantages and disadvantages of these methods are compared in this review.     

Attack and defense in laboratory and wild Norway and black rats

Intra- and interspecific agonistic encounters in Long-Evans and field-trapped Rattus norvegicus and Rattus rattus showed a consistency in the form and character of attack and defensive behaviors. Colony alpha males exhibited high levels of lateral attack, on-top, and chasing behaviors which resulted in a high percentage of bites on the intruder's back. Bites directed to the back were countered by intruders through the utilization of boxing, on-back, and flight defense. These findings indicate that agonistic interactions in Rattus are underlined by back-attack and back-defense strategies. A sex difference in biting was also consistent across strains: males bit the back and flanks and females the head of an anesthetized stranger which suggest differences in the motivation of male and female attack.     

Silybin and silymarin--new effects and applications

This article aims to review critically literature published mainly within this millennium on the new and emerging applications of silymarin, the polyphenolic fraction from the seeds of Silybum marianum and its main component silybin. Silymarin and silybin used so far mostly as hepatoprotectants were shown to have other interesting activities as e.g., anticancer and canceroprotective. These activities were demonstrated in a large variety of illnesses of different organs as e.g., prostate, lungs, CNS, kidneys, pancreas and others. Besides the cytoprotective activity of silybin mediated by its antioxidative and radical-scavenging properties also new activities based on the specific receptor interaction were discovered--e.g., inhibition and modulation of drug transporters, P-glycoproteins, estrogenic receptors, nuclear receptors and some others. New derivatives of silybin open new ways to its therapeutic applications. Pharmacology dealing with optically pure silybin diastereomers may suggest new mechanisms of its action.     

Vascular volumes and hematology in male and female runners and cyclists

To examine the hypothesis that foot-strike hemolysis alters vascular volumes and selected hematological properties is trained athletes, we have measured total blood volume (TBV), red cell volume (RCV) and plasma volume (PV) in cyclists (n = 21) and runners (n = 17) and compared them to those of untrained controls (n = 20). TBV (ml x kg(-1)) was calculated as the sum of RCV (ml x kg(-1)) and PV (ml x kg(-1)) obtained using 51Cr and 125I-labelled albumin, respectively. Hematological assessment was carried out using a Coulter counter. Peak aerobic power (VO2peak) was measured during progressive exercise to fatigue using both cycle and treadmill ergometry. RCV was 15% higher (P < 0.05) in male cyclists [35.4 (1.0), mean (SE); n = 12] and runners [35.3 (0.98); n = 9] compared to the controls [30.7 (0.92); n = 12]. Similar differences existed between the female cyclists [28.2 (2.1); n = 9] and runners [28.4 (1.0); n = 8] compared to the untrained controls [24.9 (1.4); n = 8]. For the male athletes, PV was between 19% (cyclists) and 28% (runners) higher (P < 0.05) in the trained athletes compared to the untrained controls. The differences in PV between the female groups were not significant. Although the males had a higher (P < 0.05) TBV, RCV and PV than the females, no differences between cyclists and runners were found for either gender. Mean cell volume was not different between the athletic groups. VO2peak (ml x kg(-1) x min(-1)) was higher (P < 0.05) in both male [68.4 (1.5)] and female [54.8 (2.1)] runners when compared to the untrained males [47.1 (1.0)] and females [40.5 (2.1)]. Although differences existed between the genders in VO2peak for both cyclists and runners, no differences were found between the athletic groups within a gender. Since the vascular volumes were not different between cyclists and runners for either the males or females, foot-strike hemolysis would not appear to have an effect on that parameter. The significant correlations (P < 0.05) found between VO2peak and RCV (r = 0.64 and 0.64) and TBV (r = 0.82 and 0.63) for the males and females, respectively, suggests a role for the vascular system in realizing a high aerobic power.     

Lions and Prions and Deer Demise

Background

Contagious prion diseases – scrapie of sheep and chronic wasting disease of several species in the deer family – give rise to epidemics that seem capable of compromising host population viability. Despite this prospect, the ecological consequences of prion disease epidemics in natural populations have received little consideration.

Methodology/Principal Findings

Using a cohort study design, we found that prion infection dramatically lowered survival of free-ranging adult (>2-year-old) mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus): estimated average life expectancy was 5.2 additional years for uninfected deer but only 1.6 additional years for infected deer. Prion infection also increased nearly fourfold the rate of mountain lions (Puma concolor) preying on deer, suggesting that epidemics may alter predator–prey dynamics by facilitating hunting success. Despite selective predation, about one fourth of the adult deer we sampled were infected. High prevalence and low survival of infected deer provided a plausible explanation for the marked decline in this deer population since the 1980s.

Conclusion

Remarkably high infection rates sustained in the face of intense predation show that even seemingly complete ecosystems may offer little resistance to the spread and persistence of contagious prion diseases. Moreover, the depression of infected populations may lead to local imbalances in food webs and nutrient cycling in ecosystems in which deer are important herbivores.     

环腺苷酸应答元件结合蛋白与学习记忆

环腺苷酸(cAMP)应答元件结合蛋白(cAMP response element binding protein,CREB)是一种核转录因子,可与cAMP反应元件结合,调节基因转录,具有调节精子生成,昼夜节律,学习记忆等功能.近年来关于其在学习记忆中的作用成为医学研究热点.CREB是神经元内多条信息传递途径的汇聚点,参与长时记忆形成和突触可塑性.长时记忆(long-term memory)形成需依赖CREB介导的基因转录,干扰或抑制CREB活性可破坏长时记忆.长时程增强(long-term potentiation,LTP)是研究学习记忆的理想模型,在LTP诱导和维持过程中均可观察到CREB活性持续升高.但增龄过程中,海马CREB活性下降,影响学习记忆功能,与许多神经退行性疾病发生有关.     

ESCRT and calpain--old and new relationships

Apparently unrelated systems often merge and work together to achieve diverse biological functions. This minireview series was aimed to unveil new facets of ESCRTs and calpains: ESCRT proteins in MVB formation, virus budding and cell division; the ambient pH sensing and adaptation in association with ESCRTs and the calpain system; evolutionary and physical linkage between calpains and PEF proteins.