嘌呤拟似物对豚鼠胃窦环行肌自发性收缩及电活动的影响

为探讨非肾上腺素能非胆碱能神经递质对胃窦环行肌功能的调节作用,在离体胃平滑肌上观察了嘌呤拟似物对胃窦环行肌自发性收缩活动和电活动的影响。电活动用传统的细胞内微电极记录,并和收缩活动同步描记于多道生理记录仪。结果表明,嘌呤能P2Y受体激动剂,三磷酸腺苷(ATP)和2-methylthio ATP(2-MeSATP)均增强胃窦平滑肌的收缩活动,但不影响电活动,而且ATP和2-MeSATP对胃平滑肌收缩活动的增强作用可被嘌呤能P2Y受体阻断剂,reactive blue-2和苏拉明(suramin)所阻断。用100μmol／L α,β-MeATP引起的脱敏感使P2X受体被阻断,ATP增强胃窦平滑肌收缩活动的效应不受影响。嘌呤能P2X受体激动剂,α,β-MeATP明显抑制胃窦环行肌自发性收缩活动,同时使膜电位明显超极化。ATP对胃窦平滑肌的收缩作用不被L型钙通道阻断剂尼卡地平(nicardipine)阻断,但细胞外用无钙液灌流时这种效应则完全被阻断。用前列腺素合成抑制剂消炎痛预先处理20min后,ATP和2-MeSATP仍能增强胃窦平滑肌的自发性收缩活动。以上结果提示：(1)ATP和2-MeSATP通过嘌呤能P2Y受体增强胃窦平滑肌的自发性收缩活动,而α,β-MeATP或β,γ-MeATP通过嘌呤能P2X受体使膜电位超极化,引起胃窦平滑肌的舒张;(2)ATP和2-MeSATP增强胃窦平滑肌自发性收缩活动的效应依赖于细胞外钙,但钙离子进入细胞的途径并不是电压依赖性钙通道;(3)ATP和2-MeSATP增强胃窦平滑肌自发性收缩活动的效应不通过前列腺素介导。     

缩胆囊素和促胰液素对豚鼠离体胃平滑肌运动的影响

用８个肌槽同时记录豚鼠胃不同部位肌条的收缩活动,以观察八肽缩胆囊素（ＣＣＫ－８）和促胰液素的影响。结果表明：ＣＣＫ－８能（１）增高各部位纵行肌和环行肌的张力;（２）加快胃体纵行肌,胃窦纵行肌、环行肌和幽门环行肌的收缩频率;（３）增大胃窦环行肌收缩波平均振幅和（４）增加幽门环行肌收缩波运动指数,但减少胃体和胃窦纵行肌收缩波平均振幅。上述作用均不能被阿托品和消炎病所阻断。而促胰液素对各部位肌条的收缩活动没有明显的影响。     

缩胆囊表和促胰液表对豚鼠离体胃平滑肌运动的影响

用８个肌槽同时记录豚鼠胃不同部位肌条的收缩活动,以观察八肽缩胆囊素（ＣＣＬ－８）和促胰液素的影响。结果表明,ＣＣＫ－８能（１）增高各部位纵行肌和环行肌的张力;（２）加快胃体纵行肌,胃窦纵行肌、环行肌和幽门环行肌的收缩频率;（３）增大胃窦环行肌收缩波平均振幅和（４）增加幽门环行肌收缩波运动指数,但减少胃全和胃窦纵行肌收缩波平均振幅。上述作用均不能被阿托口 和炎痛所阻断。而促胰液素对各部位肌条的收缩活     

五肽胃泌素和胆囊收缩素对血管灌流大鼠离体胃运动的影响

用血管灌流大鼠离体胃制备,研究五肽胃泌素(G5)和八肽胆囊收缩素(CCK8)对胃窦收缩运动的影响。结果表明:(1)血管灌流G5和CCK8都能显著兴奋胃窦收缩运动,并有量效关系;(2)抗胃泌素血清(1:100)可完全取消G5对胃窦收缩运动的兴奋作用;(3)CCK受体阻断剂双丁酰环磷鸟苷和抗CCK8血清(1:100)都能完全取消CCK8对胃窦收缩运动的兴奋作用;(4)M受体阻断剂阿托品能完全阻断G5对胃窦收缩运动的兴奋作用,部分阻断CCK8对胃窦收缩运动的兴奋作用。上述结果提示:(1)G5可特异性兴奋血管灌流大鼠胃窦收缩运动,该作用通过壁内胆碱能神经系统介导;(2)CCK8对血管灌流大鼠胃窦收缩运动亦有特异性兴奋作用,该作用只是部分与壁内胆碱能神经系统有关。     

乙酰胆碱对自然杀伤细胞活性的影响

目的:观察乙酰胆碱(ACh)对自然杀伤(NK)细胞活性的影响,并初步探讨其作用的受体机制.方法:根据不同的实验目的,选择ACh、胆碱能受体激动剂和拮抗剂分别作用于NK细胞,以乳酸脱氢酶(lactate dehydrogenase,LDH)自然释放法检测不同实验条件下NK细胞杀伤肿瘤靶细胞(Yac)的活性.结果:ACh、M受体激动剂毛果芸香碱和N受体激动剂烟碱在10-10～10-6mol/L浓度范围内都能显著抑制NK细胞杀伤肿瘤细胞的活性.M受体拮抗剂阿托品(10-8和10-7mol/L)能完全阻断同浓度ACh抑制NK细胞活性的作用;但N受体拮抗剂筒箭毒碱(10-8和10-7mol/L)不能阻断同浓度ACh抑制NK细胞活性的作用.结论:ACh可抑制NK细胞对肿瘤细胞的杀伤作用,此作用主要由淋巴细胞上的M受体和N1受体介导.     

哮喘豚鼠肺内ADM表达变化及对离体气管条张力的作用

目的：通过观察肾上腺髓质素（ADM）mRNA在豚鼠哮喘模型肺内的表达及对哮喘豚鼠离体气管条张力的影响,研究ADM在支气管哮喘（简称哮喘）发病机制中的作用。方法：用原位杂交方法检测ADM mRNA在豚鼠哮喘模型肺内的表达,用组胺诱导豚鼠离体气管条收缩后,观察不同浓度的ADM对其收缩作用影响。结果：原位杂交结果显示正常及哮喘豚鼠肺内均有ADM mRNA的表达,但哮喘组较正常组明显增多（P＜0．05）,ADM可抑制组胺诱导的哮喘豚鼠离体气管条的收缩,并呈量效关系,当浓度达10^-8mol/L时抑经达到最大,而且即使加大ADM的浓度,抑制率未继续明显增加,并对致敏气管螺旋条的舒张作用明显大于正常气管螺旋条。结论：哮喘时,肺内ADM mRNA的表达明显增多,ADM可抑制组胺诱导的豚鼠离体气管条的收缩,浓度为10^-8mol/L时抑制率达到最大。提示ADM在哮喘发病过程中起重要作用。     

β-肾上腺素能受体在NO抑制小鼠回肠自主收缩中的作用

目的：观察一氧化氮（nitric oxide,NO）供体左旋精氨酸（L-argnine,L—Arg）对小鼠回肠自主收缩幅度的影响,探讨肛肾上腺素能受体在NO抑制小鼠回肠自主收缩中的作用。方法：应用张力换能器记录标本自主收缩的方法,以回肠肌条自主收缩幅度变化为指标,观察一氧化氮合酶（nitric oxide synthase,NOS）抑制剂L-NNA,可溶性鸟苷酸环化酶（soluble guanylyl cyclase,sGC）抑制剂ODQ（1H-[1,2,4]oxadiazolo[4,3-aJquinoxalin-1-one）,β-肾上腺素能受体激动荆异丙肾上腺素（Isoprenaline,ISO）和拮抗剂普萘洛尔（Propranolol）对NO作用的影响。结果：①L—Arg抑制小鼠回肠自主收缩幅度,呈浓度依赖性。②L-NNA（3×10^-4mol／L）,ODQ（3×10^-4mol／L）均减弱L-Arg的抑制效应。③Propranolol（3×10^-6mol／L）明显减弱L—Arg的抑制效应。④ISCO（1×100mol／L）明显增强L—Arg的抑制效应。而Propranolol（3×10^-6mol／L）和ISCO（1×10^-7mol／L）孵育组,L—Arg的抑制作用无明显变化。结论：L-Arg经NOS催化生成NO后经cGMP途径发挥对小鼠回肠自主收缩的抑制作用,良受体途径也部分参与了NO的作用过程。     

白介素—2对心肌细胞[Ca^2＋]i的作用及其信号转导途径

为研究白介素－2（interleukin-2,IL-2）对心肌细胞内钙浓度（[Ca^2 ]i）的影响及其信号转导途径,实验采用酶解法分离成年大鼠心室肌细胞,以Fura-2/AM为钙探针,用细胞内双波长钙荧光系统检测细胞[Ca^2 ]i的变化。结果发现：（1）IL－2（0.5-200U/ml）浓度依赖性地降低单个心室肌细胞内钙态,IL－2（200U／ml）对咖啡因诱导的肌浆网内储钙的释放无影响;（2）纳洛酮(naloxone,Nal)(10^-8mol/L）和nor-binaltorphimine(nor-BNI,10^-8mol/L）可阻断IL－2对心肌细胞钙瞬态的作用,而纳曲吲哚（naltrindole,NTI）（10^-6mol/L）不能阻断此作用;（3）κ阿片受体激动剂U50488H（10^-6mol/L）降低心肌细胞钙瞬态,nor-BNI(10^-8mol/L）可阻断此作用;（4）5mg/L百日咳毒素（PTX）预处理可取消IL－2降低心肌细胞钙瞬态的作用,而酪氨酸激酶抑制剂genistein(10^-4mol/L）不能取消IL－2的作用;（5）U73122预处理可阻断IL－2的作用。研究结果表明,IL－2降低心肌细胞钙瞬态的作用,是通过心肌细胞上κ阿片受体介导的,其下游途径包括PTX敏感的G蛋白和磷脂酶C。     

胍丁胺对离体大鼠主动脉张力的影响及其受体机制

采用离体血管环灌流方法,观察了胍丁胺（agmatine,Agm)对大鼠胸主动脉张力的影响,并探讨其受体机制,实验结果如下：（1）在苯肾上腺素PE,10^-6mol/L)引起血管预收缩的 基础上,Agm(10^-7-10^-2mol/L)剂量依赖性地舒张大鼠胸主动脉。（2）上述舒张反应在去除内皮和应用NOS抑制剂N^-G-mnitro-L-arginine methyl ester(L-NAME,0.5mmol/L)后依然存在,提示Agm的舒血管作用为非内皮依赖性,并无NO的参与。（3）在高Ca^2 (3mmol/L)引起血管预收缩的基础上,Agm也可剂量依赖性地舒张大鼠主动脉。（4）预先应用α2－肾上腺素能受体（α2－adrenergic receptor,α2－AR）和咪唑啉受体（IR）阻断剂idazoxan(10^-4mol/L)则可完全阻断Agm的上述作用。（5）应用α2－AR拮抗剂yohimbine(10^-4mol/L)可部分阻断Agm对大鼠主动脉的舒张反应,以上结果表明,Agm对大鼠主动脉血管的舒张作用是由α2－AR和IR共同介导。     

栀子对兔胃平滑肌体外运动的影响

目的：观察利胆药物-栀子对兔离体胃平滑肌的影响,并初步探讨其作用机制。方法：取兔胃肌条,安置在各恒温灌流肌槽中并用BL-310生物技能实验系统记录胃各部平滑肌条的收缩活动,结果：栀子显著升高兔胃底和胃体纵行肌条张力,增加其收缩频率,减小胃体收缩波平均振幅,并有剂量依赖关系。结论：栀子对胃肌条收缩活动具有明显的兴奋作用,这种兴奋作用部分经由M受体介导。     

Cell Wall,Cytoskeleton, and Cell Expansion in Higher Plants

To accommodate two seemingly contradictory biological roles in plant physiology, providing both the rigid structural support of plant cells and the adjustable elasticity needed for cell expansion, the composition of the plant cell wall has evolved to become an intricate network of cellulosic, hemicellulosic, and pectic polysaccharides and protein. Due to its complexity, many aspects of the cell wall influence plant cell expansion, and many new and insightful observations and technologies are forthcoming. The biosynthesis of cell wall polymers and the roles of the variety of proteins involved in polysaccharide synthesis continue to be characterized. The interactions within the cell wall polymer network and the modification of these interactions provide insight into how the plant cell wall provides its dual function. The complex cell wall architecture is controlled and organized in part by the dynamic intracellular cytoskeleton and by diverse trafficking pathways of the cell wall polymers and cell wall-related machinery. Meanwhile, the cell wall is continually influenced by hormonal and integrity sensing stimuli that are perceived by the cell. These many processes cooperate to construct, maintain, and manipulate the intricate plant cell wall--an essential structure for the sustaining of the plant stature, growth, and life.     

Dissecting the Heat Stress Response in Chlamydomonas by Pharmaceutical and RNAi Approaches Reveals Conserved and Novel Aspects

To study how conserved fundamental concepts of the heat stress response （HSR） are in photosynthetic eukaryotes, we applied pharmaceutical and antisense/amiRNA approaches to the unicellular green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. The Chlamydomonas HSR appears to be triggered by the accumulation of unfolded proteins, as it was induced at ambient temperatures by feeding cells with the arginine analog canavanine. The protein kinase inhibitor staurosporine strongly retarded the HSR, demonstrating the importance of phosphorylation during activation of the HSR also in Chlamydomonas. While the removal of extracellular calcium by the application of EGTA and BAPTA inhibited the HSR in moss and higher plants, only the addition of BAPTA, but not of EGTA, retarded the HSR and impaired thermotoler- ance in Chlamydomonas. The addition of cycloheximide, an inhibitor of cytosolic protein synthesis, abolished the attenu- ation of the HSR, indicating that protein synthesis is necessary to restore proteostasis. HSP90 inhibitors induced a stress response when added at ambient conditions and retarded attenuation of the HSR at elevated temperatures. In addition, we detected a direct physical interaction between cytosolic HSP90A/HSP70A and heat shock factor 1, but surprisingly this interaction persisted after the onset of stress. Finally, the expression of antisense constructs targeting chloroplast HSP70B resulted in a delay of the cell＇s entire HSR, thus suggesting the existence of a retrograde stress signaling cascade that is desensitized in HSP7OB-antisense strains.     

Regulation of Cytokinesis by Exocyst Subunit SEC6 and KEULE in Arabidopsis thaliana

Proper vesicle tethering and membrane fusion at the cell plate are essential for cytokinesis. Both the vesicle tethering complex exocyst and membrane fusion regulator KEULE were shown to function in cell plate formation, but the exact mechanisms still remain to be explored. In this study, using yeast two-hybrid （Y-2-H） assay, we found that SEC6 interacted with KEULE, and that a small portion of C-terminal region of KEULE was required for the interaction. The direct SEC6-KEULE interaction was supported by further studies using in vitro pull-down assay, immunoprecipitation, and in vivo bimolecular florescence complementation （BIFC） microscopy, sec6 mutants were male gametophytic lethal as reported; however, pollen-rescued sec6 mutants （PRsec6） displayed cytokinesis defects in the embryonic cells and later in the leaf pavement cells and the guard cells. SEC6 and KEULE proteins were co-localized to the cell plate during cytokine- sis in transgenic Arabidopsis. Furthermore, only SEC6 but not other exocyst subunits located in the cell plate interacted with KEULE in vitro. These results demonstrated that, like KEULE, SEC6 plays a physiological role in cytokinesis, and the SEC6-KEULE interaction may serve as a novel molecular linkage between arriving vesicles and membrane fusion machin- ery or directly regulate membrane fusion during cell plate formation in plants.     

Knights in Action： Lectin Receptor-Like Kinases in Plant Development and Stress Responses

The Receptor-Like Kinase （RLK） is a vast protein family with over 600 genes in Arabidopsis and 1100 in rice. The Lectin RLK （LecRLK） family is believed to play crucial roles in saccharide signaling as well as stress perception. All the LecRLKs possess three domains： an N-terminal lectin domain, an intermediate transmembrane domain, and a C-terminal kinase domain. On the basis of lectin domain variability, LecRLKs have been subgrouped into three subclasses： L-, G-, and C-type LecRLKs. While the previous studies on LecRLKs were dedicated to classification, comparative structural analysis and expression analysis by promoter-based studies, most of the recent studies on LecRLKs have laid special emphasis on the potential of this gene family in regulating biotic/abiotic stress and developmental pathways in plants, thus mak- ing the prospects of studying the LecRLK-mediated regulatory mechanism exceptionally promising. In this review, we have described in detail the LecRLK gene family with respect to a historical, evolutionary, and structural point of view. Furthermore, we have laid emphasis on the LecRLKs roles in development, stress conditions, and hormonal response. We have also discussed the exciting research prospects offered by the current knowledge on the LecRLK gene family. The multitude of the LecRLK gene family members and their functional diversity mark these genes as both interesting and worthy candidates for further analysis, especially in the field of crop improvement.     

Perturbation of Auxin Homeostasis Caused by Mitochondrial FtSH4 Gene-Mediated Peroxidase Accumulation Regulates Arabiclopsis Architecture

Reactive oxygen species and auxin play important roles in the networks that regulate plant development and morphogenetic changes, However, the molecular mechanisms underlying the interactions between them are poorly understood. This study isolated a mas （More Axillary Shoots） mutant, which was identified as an allele of the mitochondrial AAA-protease AtFtSH4, and characterized the function of the FtSH4 gene in regulating plant development by medi- ating the peroxidase-dependent interplay between hydrogen peroxide （H2Oz） and auxin homeostasis. The phenotypes of dwarfism and increased axillary branches observed in the mas （renamed as ftsh4-4） mutant result from a decrease in the IAA concentration. The expression levels of several auxin signaling genes, including IAA1, IAA2, and IAA3, as well as several auxin binding and transport genes, decreased significantly in ftsh4-4 plants. However, the H202 and peroxidases levels, which also have IAA oxidase activity, were significantly elevated in ftsh4-4 plants. The ftsh4-4 phenotypes could be reversed by expressing the iaaM gene or by knocking down the peroxidase genes PRX34 and PRX33. Both approaches can increase auxin levels in the ftsh4-4 mutant. Taken together, these results provided direct molecular and genetic evidence for the interaction between mitochondrial ATP-dependent protease, H2O2, and auxin homeostasis to regulate plant growth and development.     

Genotoxicity biomarkers in aquatic bioindicators

Pollution of the aquatic environment is an ever-growing problem, as waters are the ultimate sink for the large number of xenobiotics from multiple sources. DNA damaging agents have a significant ecological relevance since they are implicated in many pathological processes and exert effects beyond that of individual being active through following generations. A large number of methods have been applied to evaluate genotoxic damage in different aquatic species. Comet assay, as method for de- tecting DNA alterations, and micronucleus test, as an index of chromosomal damage are the most widely applied and validated methods in field studies. These methods were applied in different vertebrate and invertebrate aquatic species, but only mollusk and fish species have been employed in routine biomonitoring programs. Mussels, due to their widely geographical distribution and the suitability for caging represent the bioindicator of choice in field studies. Mytilus species is the most used marine mussel. The use of fish is limited to specific geographic areas. The present review mainly focuses on the application of comet assay and micronucleus test in mussels. A number of biomonitoring studies in mussels, using comet assay or micronucleus test, revealed exposure to different classes of genotoxic compounds with a good discrimination power. The different evidence from the two as- says, reflects different biological mechanisms for the two genetic endpoints, DNA damage and chromosomal damage, suggesting their combined application in the field. Different endogenous and exogenous factors have been shown to modulate the genotoxic responses in mussels, acting as confounding factors in environmental monitoring. The use of standardized protocol for caging, sampling and genotoxity evaluation is critical in biomonitoring studies. The use of a multimarker approach coupling genotoxicity biomarkers with physiological and biochemical factors allows to have a complete picture of the environmental pollution [Current Zoology 60 （2）： 273-284, 2014].     

Arabidopsis tic62 trol Mutant Lacking Thylakoid- Bound Ferredoxin-NADP＋ Oxidoreductase Shows Distinct Metabolic Phenotype

Ferredoxin-NADP＋ oxidoreductase （FNR）, functioning in the last step of the photosynthetic electron transfer chain, exists both as a soluble protein in the chloroplast stroma and tightly attached to chloroplast membranes. Surface plasmon resonance assays showed that the two FNR isoforms, LFNR1 and LFNR2, are bound to the thylakoid membrane via the C-terminal domains of Tic62 and TROL proteins in a pH-dependent manner. The tic62 trol double mutants contained a reduced level of FNR, exclusively found in the soluble stroma. Although the mutant plants showed no visual phenotype or defects in the function of photosystems under any conditions studied, a low ratio of NADPH/NADP~ was detected. Since the CO2 fixation capacity did not differ between the tic62 trol plants and wild-type, it seems that the plants are able to funnel reducing power to most crucial reactions to ensure survival and fitness of the plants. However, the activity of malate dehydrogenase was down-regulated in the mutant plants. Apparently, the plastid metabolism is able to cope with substantial changes in directing the electrons from the light reactions to stromal metabolism and thus only few differences are visible in steady-state metabolite pool sizes of the tic62 trol plants.     

Open and Closed： The Roles of Linker Histones in Plants and Animals

Histones package DNA in all eukaryotes and play key roles in regulating gene expression. Approximately 150 base pairs of DNA wraps around an octamer of core histones to form the nucleosome, the basic unit of chromatin. Linker histones compact chromatin further by binding to and neutralizing the charge of the DNA between nucleosomes. It is well established that chromatin packing is regulated by a complex pattern of posttranslational modifications （PTMs） to core histones, but linker histone function is less well understood. In this review, we describe the current understand- ing of the many roles that linker histones play in cellular processes, including gene regulation, cell division, and devel- opment, while putting the linker histone in the context of other nuclear proteins. Although intriguing roles for plant linker histones are beginning to emerge, much of our current understanding comes from work in animal systems. Many unanswered questions remain and additional work is required to fully elucidate the complex processes mediated by linker histones in plants.