Interactive effects of α-NAA and UV-B radiation on the endogenous hormone contents and growth of Trichosanthes kirilowii Maxim seedlings

The impact of UV-B radiation on endogenous hormones in plants has recently drawn attention from researchers. The mechanism for reduced stem elongation by UV-B might be due to changes in the phytohormone levels, especially IAA, which plays a role in stem elongation. In this study, effects of UV-B radiation on Trichosanthes kirilowii Maxim (T. kirilowii) seedlings in greenhouse-grown plants were investigated. The results indicated that: (1) In comparison to controls, exposure to 0.029 Jm^?2 s^?1. UV-B radiation led to accumulation of endogenous abscisic acid (ABA) and zeatinriboside (ZR) in the plant contents, and decreased contents of endogenous indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) and gibberellic acid (GA_1/3). Exposure to UV-B radiation reduced the height and leaf area of plants. As a result, total biomass (plant dry weight) was lower. (2) In comparison to controls, addition of 2 mg l^?1 α-naphthaleneacetic acid (α-NAA) slightly increased the contents of IAA, GA_1/3 and ZR, and decreased the content of ABA in leaves. This addition of α-NAA significantly increased plant height and leaf area, but only slightly increased total biomass. (3) Addition of α-NAA to UV-B-exposed plants: increased the content of endogenous IAA, GA_1/3 and ZR; decreased accumulation of endogenous ABA; and increased plant height and leaf area in comparison to plants that only were exposed to UV-B. Moreover, total biomass increased slightly. This suggests that addition of α-NAA may compensate to a certain extent for the lack of IAA resulting from UV-B radiation; it also increases the content of GA_1/3 and ZR, decreases the accumulation of ABA, and promotes the growth of plants.     

Cloning,Characterization and Primary Function Study of a Novel Gene,Cymg1,Related to Family 2 Cystatins

Cystatins are cysteine proteinase inhibitors,We found two expression sequence tags (ESTs),CA463109 and AV042522,from a mouse testis library using Digital differential display (DDD).By electricalhybridization,a novel gene,Cymgl(GenBank accession No.AY600990),which has a full length of 0.78 kb,and contains four exons and three introns,was cloned from a mouse testis eDNA library.The gene is locatedin the 2G3 area of chromosome 2.The full eDNA encompasses the entire open reading frame,encoding 141amino acid residues.The protein has a cysteine protease inhibitor domain that is related to the family 2cystatins but lacks critical consensus sites important for cysteine protease inhibition.These characteristicsare seen in the CRES subfamily,which are related to the family 2 cystatins and are expressed specifically inthe male reproductive tract.CYMG1 has a 44%(48/108)identity with mouse CRES and 30%(42/140)identity with mouse cystatin C.Northern blot analysis showed that the Cymgl is specifically expressed inadult mouse testes.Cell location studies showed that the GFP-tagged CYMG 1 protein was localized in thecytoplasm of HeLa cells,lmmunohistochemistry revealed that the CYMG1 protein was expressed in mousetestes spermatogonium,spermatocytes,round spermatids,elongating spermatids and spermatozoa.RT-PCRresults also showed that Cymgl was expressed in mouse testes and spermatogonium.The Cymgl expressionlevel varied in different developmental stages:it was low 1 week postpartum,steadily increased 2 to 5 weekspostpartum,and was highest 7 weeks postpartum.The expression level at 5 weeks postpartum was main-tained during 13 to 57 weeks postpartum.The Cymgl expression level in the testes over different develop-mental stages correlates with the mouse spermatogenesis and sexual maturation process.All these indicatethat Cymgl might play an important role in mouse spermatogenesis and sexual maturation. Cystatins are cysteine proteinase inhibitors,We found two expression sequence tags(ESTs),CA463109 and AV042522,from a mouse testis library using Digital differential display (DDD).By electricalhybridization,a novel gene,Cymgl(GenBank accession No.AY600990),which has a full length of 0.78 kb,and contains four exons and three introns,was cloned from a mouse testis eDNA library.The gene is locatedin the 2G3 area of chromosome 2.The full eDNA encompasses the entire open reading frame,encoding 141amino acid residues.The protein has a cysteine protease inhibitor domain that is related to the family 2cystatins but lacks critical consensus sites important for cysteine protease inhibition.These characteristicsare seen in the CRES subfamily,which are related to the family 2 cystatins and are expressed specifically inthe male reproductive tract.CYMG1 has a 44%(48/108)identity with mouse CRES and 30%(42/140)identity with mouse cystatin C.Northern blot analysis showed that the Cymgl is specifically expressed inadult mouse testes.Cell location studies showed that the GFP-tagged CYMG 1 protein was localized in thecytoplasm of HeLa cells,lmmunohistochemistry revealed that the CYMG1 protein was expressed in mousetestes spermatogonium,spermatocytes,round spermatids,elongating spermatids and spermatozoa.RT-PCRresults also showed that Cymgl was expressed in mouse testes and spermatogonium.The Cymgl expressionlevel varied in different developmental stages:it was low 1 week postpartum,steadily increased 2 to 5 weekspostpartum,and was highest 7 weeks postpartum.The expression level at 5 weeks postpartum was main-tained during 13 to 57 weeks postpartum.The Cymgl expression level in the testes over different develop-mental stages correlates with the mouse spermatogenesis and sexual maturation process.All these indicatethat Cymgl might play an important role in mouse spermatogenesis and sexual maturation.     

Relationship between fresh leaf traits and leaf litter decomposition of 20 plant species in Kerqin sandy land, China

20 plant species (10 monocots and 10 dicots) grown in Kerqin sandy grassland were incubated under indoor conditions to monitor the amount and rate of CO₂ release from the leaf litter. 11 traits of mature fresh leaves including caloric value, contents of Mg, P, N, K, C, C/N, N/P, specific leaf area, dry matter content and leaf surface area were measured to determine the relationship between CO₂ release and leaf characteristics. All those traits have great variation among the 20 species with over 3 fold differences between the maximum and minimum values, and a few traits such as leaf Mg content reached as high as 9 folds. After 28 d's incubation, the average CO₂ release amount from all the species was (4121 ± 1713) μg kg^?1 dry soil. The highest level from Chenopodium acuminatum was (8767 ± 177) μg kg^?1 dry soil, which was 5 folds higher than the lowest level ((1669 ± 47)μg kg^?1 dry soil) from Digitaria sanguinalis. However, CO₂ release rate showed the same trend in all the 20 species, i.e., the leaf litter decomposed faster initially (0–4 d), and gradually slowed down during extended cultural periods. Comparison between monocots and dicots showed that these two taxonomic groups had significant differences in terms of the amount and rate of CO₂ released from leaf litter, and N and C contents, leaf C/N, and dry matter content of mature leaves. Contents of N, C and dry matter, and C/N of mature leaves are significantly correlated with CO₂ release from leaf litter decomposition, which has been revealed by the Pearson correlation test. It can be concluded that these three traits of mature leaves can be used indirectly to predict decomposition rate of the leaf litter.     

Interactive effects of α-NAA and UV-B radiation on the endogenous hormone contents and growth of Trichosanthes kirilowii Maxim seedlings

The impact of UV-B radiation on endogenous hormones in plants has recently drawn attention from researchers. The mechanism for reduced stem elongation by UV-B might be due to changes in the phytohormone levels, especially IAA, which plays a role in stem elongation. In this study, effects of UV-B radiation on Trichosanthes kirilowii Maxim (T. kirilowii) seedlings in greenhouse-grown plants were investigated. The results indicated that: (1) In comparison to controls, exposure to 0.029 Jm^?2 s^?1. UV-B radiation led to accumulation of endogenous abscisic acid (ABA) and zeatinriboside (ZR) in the plant contents, and decreased contents of endogenous indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) and gibberellic acid (GA_1/3). Exposure to UV-B radiation reduced the height and leaf area of plants. As a result, total biomass (plant dry weight) was lower. (2) In comparison to controls, addition of 2 mg l^?1 α-naphthaleneacetic acid (α-NAA) slightly increased the contents of IAA, GA_1/3 and ZR, and decreased the content of ABA in leaves. This addition of α-NAA significantly increased plant height and leaf area, but only slightly increased total biomass. (3) Addition of α-NAA to UV-B-exposed plants: increased the content of endogenous IAA, GA_1/3 and ZR; decreased accumulation of endogenous ABA; and increased plant height and leaf area in comparison to plants that only were exposed to UV-B. Moreover, total biomass increased slightly. This suggests that addition of α-NAA may compensate to a certain extent for the lack of IAA resulting from UV-B radiation; it also increases the content of GA_1/3 and ZR, decreases the accumulation of ABA, and promotes the growth of plants.     

The Role of Tissue-type Plasminogen Activator in Rat Corpus Luteum

It is here reported for the first time that luteal cells are capable of secreting plasminogen activators(PA),(both tissue-type,tPA,and urokinase-type,uPA),and plasminogen activator inhibitor type-1(PAl-1).Using organ culture model,we have demonstrated that tPA,but not uPA,showed markedchange during luteolytic period in rat corpus luteum.A great amount oftPA was secreted in corpusluteum on D 14 and D 17 while very low level of tPA activity was detected before D 12.Correspondingly,the progesterone production in the corpus luteum increased gradually in a time-dependent manner from D 1 to D 12 but dropped abruptly to a very low level on D 14.Additionof exogenous tPA to the CL culture caused considerable decrease in progesterone secretion whileinclusion of purified monoclone tPA antibodies in the culture augmented progesterone productionof CL.It is therefore suggested that tPA may play an important role in luteolytic process.     

Fluorimetric study of the selenium course in the dam-calf relationship

This study was conducted in a southeast region of Romania, known to be selenium (Se) deficient. The fluorimetric method for the determination of Se in biological samples was used in a study on the serum Se content in time in a group of 10 cows with a high milk yield and in their calves. The same cows were sampled antepartum (late pregnancy) and postpartum (1, 7, 21, 30, and 60 d), and the calves were sampled on d 1 of life and 7, 21, 30, and 60 d postcalving. Colostrum and milk samples were also collected and analyzed at the same times. Throughout the study, the serum Se content in both the cows and the calves was below the reference values (0.040–0.100 μg/mL), except the control conducted 7 d postpartum, for which it was 0.044±0.017 and 0.023±0.007 μg/mL in cows and calves, respectively. The most significant drops were recorded 21 (p<0.01) and 60 d postpartum (p<0.05). The colostrum Se was higher (0.036±0.022 μg/mL), decreasing progressively throughout the study to the normal low limit (0.005 μg/mL). The milk Se concentration was lower by approx 78% than the colostrum one on d 1 postcalving. These data demonstrate the course of hyposelenosis both in the cows and their calves. The maternal body proved to “mobilize,” even in case of deficiency, important Se amounts in the colostrum, during the first days in particular.     

Effect of Development Stage on the Artemisinin Content and the Sequence Characterized Amplified Region （SCAR） Marker of High-Artemisinin Yielding Strains of Artemisia annua L.

The effects of development states on the artemisinin content of clone S1 of Artemisia anuua L. grown in a greenhouse were investigated in the present study. The artemisinin content increased gradually during the phase of vegetative growth and reached its highest level at 8-9 mg/g dry weight （DW） when the S1 was 6 months old on a long day （LD） photoperiod. Treatment with 9-18 d of short day （SD） photoperiod resulted in the artemisinin content reaching and being maintained at a higher level （2.059-2.289 mg/g DW）, twofold that of control plants and plants of S1 presented at the pro-flower budding and flower-budding stages. The artemisinin content varied in different parts of the plant. The artemisinin content of leaves was higher than that of florets and branches. The artemisinin content in middle leaves was higher than that of bottom leaves, and then top leaves. Different densities of capitate glands （the storage organ of artemisinin） located on the surface of leaves, florets, and branches explained the variations in artemisinin content in these parts of the plant. The correlation coefficient between artemisinin content and density of capitate glands on the surface of different organs was 0.987. The genetic marker for artemisinin content was screened using random amplified polymorphic DNA （RAPD） and sequence characterized amplified region （SCAR） techniques. The random primer OPAl5 （5＇-TTCCGAACCC-3＇） could amplify a specific band of approximately 1 000 bp that was present in all high-artemisinin yielding strains, but absent in all low-yielding strains in three independent replications. This specific band was cloned and its sequence was analyzed. This RAPD marker was converted into a SCAR marker to obtain a more stable marker.     

Expression and regulation of mRNAs for insulin-like growth factor-I receptor and LH receptor in corpora lutea

Relationship between insulin-like growth factor-l receptor (IGF-IR) and luteinizing hormone receptor (LHR) mRNA expression as well as their regulation was determined in rat corpora lutea (CL) . In the CL of estrous cycle rat, LHR mRNA positive CL expressed high level of mRNA of IGF-IR. While the expression of LHR mRNA decreased on estrus, the CL still expressed relatively high level of IGF-IR mRNA. In pseudopregnant rat CL, the expression level of LHR mRNA was low on day 1, the most intense signals were detected on day 8, the signals of LHR mRNA became undetectable on day 14. In contrast to LHR expression, the high level of IGF-IR mRNA was observed in pseudopregnant CL of day 1, and thereafter its signals were detected from day 2 to day 14. Pregnant rat CL expressed both LHR and IGF-IR mRNAs. IGF-I stimulated LHR expression in CL. PGF2ainhibited expression of IGF-IR and LHR. PGE2 negated the inhibiting effects of PGF2α. These data suggest that IGF-I may be involved in regulating CL function, and maintai     

大熊猫乳汁中富含游离精氨酸

采用高效液相色谱法测定了8只圈养大熊猫20个乳样中游离氨基酸的含量。结果显示:大熊猫初乳和常乳中均含有丰富的游离精氨酸,并且是含量最高的游离氨基酸;泌乳2-10d的大熊猫初乳中总游离氨基酸含量约为82mg/100ml,其中游离精氨酸平均含量达61mg/100ml,常乳中游离精氨酸含量约为54mg/100ml,均明显高于人、牛和藏绵羊乳;游离精氨酸在大熊猫干乳期乳腺分泌物中含量显著下降。推测乳中高水平的游离精氨酸在大熊猫幼仔生长发育中可能发挥重要作用[动物学报52(2):309-315,2006]。     

马边大风顶自然保护区大熊猫对竹类资源的选择利用

本文对凉山山系大熊猫对竹子资源选择利用进行了研究,发现对不同的竹类有不同程度的选择性。最喜食大叶筇竹和白背玉山竹,几乎不选择刺竹子;就大叶筇竹而言,喜食基径大于１０ｍｍ的幼竹竹茎,特别喜食基径大于１８ｍｍ的竹笋;就白背玉山竹而言,喜欢选择基径大于１２ｍｍ的竹茎和基径大于１６ｍｍ的竹笋,但对白背玉山竹的老嫩无明显选择。     

Changes in the Milk Metabolome of the Giant Panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) with Time after Birth – Three Phases in Early Lactation and Progressive Individual Differences

Ursids (bears) in general, and giant pandas in particular, are highly altricial at birth. The components of bear milks and their changes with time may be uniquely adapted to nourish relatively immature neonates, protect them from pathogens, and support the maturation of neonatal digestive physiology. Serial milk samples collected from three giant pandas in early lactation were subjected to untargeted metabolite profiling and multivariate analysis. Changes in milk metabolites with time after birth were analysed by Principal Component Analysis, Hierarchical Cluster Analysis and further supported by Orthogonal Partial Least Square-Discriminant Analysis, revealing three phases of milk maturation: days 1–6 (Phase 1), days 7–20 (Phase 2), and beyond day 20 (Phase 3). While the compositions of Phase 1 milks were essentially indistinguishable among individuals, divergences emerged during the second week of lactation. OPLS regression analysis positioned against the growth rate of one cub tentatively inferred a correlation with changes in the abundance of a trisaccharide, isoglobotriose, previously observed to be a major oligosaccharide in ursid milks. Three artificial milk formulae used to feed giant panda cubs were also analysed, and were found to differ markedly in component content from natural panda milk. These findings have implications for the dependence of the ontogeny of all species of bears, and potentially other members of the Carnivora and beyond, on the complexity and sequential changes in maternal provision of micrometabolites in the immediate period after birth.     

大熊猫粪便中竹子咬节长短与年龄和种群数量关系

列举了大量试验数据对用大熊猫粪便中的竹子咬节长短估计大熊猫年龄和种群数量的方法提出了疑问,粪便中的竹子咬节长短和粪便直径与大熊猫年龄(2岁以上)没有相关关系,也没有找到任何非线性关系。粪便中的竹子咬节长短是大熊猫的一个个体特征,也是一个易受环境影响的变量,它的波动较大,作者认为在野外调查工作中用粪便中竹子咬节长短去预测年龄(或年龄组)和种群数量是不可能的。     

3种苯并咪唑类药物对大熊猫西氏贝蛔虫的驱虫效果初步观察

西氏贝蛔虫Baylisascaris schroederi是圈养大熊猫Ailuropoda melanoleuca最常见、危害最严重的一种体内寄生虫,采用药物驱虫是目前控制圈养大熊猫蛔虫病的主要措施。为了筛选有效的驱虫药物,本研究观察了3种苯并咪唑类药物(阿苯达唑片剂、芬苯达唑膏剂和甲苯咪唑片剂)对大熊猫蛔虫的驱虫效果,统计了驱虫前后粪检蛔虫卵转阴率及排虫情况。结果表明,除芬苯达唑按5 mg·kg^-1体质量口服,每天1次,连续服用2 d,效果较差外,3种药物按10 mg·kg^-1体质量口服,每天1次,连续服用2 d,用药安全且有较好的驱虫效果。     

The Interactions of Porcine and Ovine,Serum and Colostral Immunoglobulins with Staphylococcal Protein A

The purpose of these studies was to determine the proportion of each immunoglobulin class/subclass in blood and colostrum of the pig and sheep, which would bind to staphylococcal Protein A. The concentrations of porcine IgG, IgM, and IgA were determined for serum and colostral whey from five sows. Similar measurements were made on two fractions produced by elution of the sample through a Protein A-Sepharose column: fraction 1, immunoglobulins which did not bind to Protein A, and fraction 2, immunoglobulins which bound to Protein A. The concentrations of ovine IgG₁, IgG₂, IgM, and IgA were measured for serum and colostral whey from six ewes, and again similar measurements were made after elution of each ovine sample through Protein A-Sepharose. All classes/subclasses of porcine and ovine serum and colostral immunoglobulins bound to Protein A to some extent. More than 90% of IgG from both porcine colostral whey and serum bound to Protein A. Ovine IgG₁ from most ewes possessed a low affinity for Protein A whereas ovine IgG₂ generally possessed a high affinity; 100% of the IgG₂ in ovine colostral whey samples bound to Protein A. There was remarkable variation between individuals in the binding capacity of porcine IgM and each of the ovine immunoglobulins. For the ovine samples, in particular there were distinct differences between Protein A binding capacity of serum and colostral immunoglobulins of the same class/subclass.     

佛坪大熊猫的分布与数量

作者于1990年11—12月对佛坪自然保护区境内大熊猫的分布和数量进行了调查。结果得知在区内293平方公里中共有大熊猫64只,平均密度为0.22只/平方公里。与1974、1983、1988年3次的调查结果比较,表明佛坪大熊猫现有种群基本稳定。     

大熊猫与黑熊显带染色体的比较研究

以体外培养的大熊猫（Ａｉｌｕｒｏｐｏｄａｍｅｌａｎｏｌｅｕｃａ）与黑熊（Ｓｅｌｅｎａｒｃｔｏｓｔｈｉｂｅｔａｎｕｓ）外周血淋巴细胞为实验材料,应用ＢｒｄＵ复制带显示技术,研究了大熊猫和黑熊染色体晚复制带带型。通过对大熊猫与黑熊显带染色体带型的比较,发现黑熊部分具端着丝粒的染色体与大熊猫部分具中,亚中,或亚端着丝粒的染色体的整个短臂或整个长臂有明显的带型相似性,在黑熊具中,亚中着丝粒染色体中,仅３３     

圈养大熊猫催产素水平与母性行为之间关系

Maintaining a good cub-rearing relationship is of great significance for the healthy development of newborn giant panda cubs. Oxytocin plays a key role in this cub-rearing relationship development during the breeding period. To investigate the relationship between oxytocin levels and maternal behavior, we sampled the maternal behavior of 6 adult female giant pandas (3 in lactation group, 3 in non-lactation group) at Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding from June to September 2019 by using the focal sampling method, and tested the urine oxytocin level of each individuals by using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The results showed that the oxytocin levels were significantly higher in the lactation group (278. 86 pg/mg ±44. 42 pg/mg) than in the non-lactation group. For the two types of breastfeeding groups, the level of oxytocin in the multiparous female pandas (185. 64 pg/mg ±44. 61 pg/mg) was significantly lower than that in the primiparous female pandas (465. 30 pg/mg ±82. 39 pg/mg). Compared with the primiparous female pandas, the multiparous female pandas had more embracing cub behavior (77. 45% ±1. 24%) and feeding behavior (15. 22% ±1. 62%), but less licking cub (14. 26% ±0. 91%) and position adjustment behavior (1. 69% ±0. 29%). Finally, we found the licking cub behavior was significantly positively correlated with the oxytocin level in the lactation group, and the embracing cub behavior was significantly negatively correlated with the oxytocin level in the lactation group. The results indicate that primiparous female pandas show more maternal behavior, less individual behavior and higher oxytocin levels. The results of this study suggest that the different reactions of oxytocin in the two types of giant panda females may help to improve the refined and differentiated breeding techniques for captive giant pandas in the future.     

Effect of treatment with formaldehyde and formic acid on immunoglobulin content of stored bovine colostrum

Colostrum was collected from the first postpartum milking of German Black Pied cows. Four independent pools of colostrum were made and the following preservation methods replicated in each pool, viz. formaldehyde treatment, 0.1% (F1) and 0.05% (F2); formic acid treatment, 0.5% (FA1) and 0.1% (FA2) and an untreated control (NF). All the colostrum batches were stored at an average incubation temperature of 28°C in 200-ml plastic bottles. Samples were collected from every batch on Day 0 (before incubation) and subsequently after every week for 4 weeks. All the samples collected were analysed for immunoglobulin (IgG1, IgG2, IgA and IgM) content of the whey fraction using the single radial immunodiffusion (SRID) method. pH was measured using a glass electrode pH meter.Formaldehyde treatment of colostrum maintained almost constant immunoglobulin levels under the conditions of this experiment. There were significant drops in the mean IgG1 (P < 0.0001) and IgM (P < 0.005) contents in the control (NF) and the formic acid treated (FA1 and FA2) colostrum. The levels of IgA and IgG2 remained fairly constant for all treatments and there was no observable trend with storage duration. The pH of formaldehyde treated colostrum remained above 4.8 for the 4 weeks of storage whereas that of the untreated control colostrum dropped to below pH 4.8 in the first 3 days and remained stable to the 4th week. This work has shown that inclusion of formaldehyde at levels as low as 0.05% (wt/vol.) preserves immunoglobulins of colostrum stored at high ambient temperature. The use of formic acid was not beneficial for preservation of colostral immunoglobulins. Thus colostrum preserved with formaldehyde may be of good feeding value for newborn calves whereas that preserved with formic acid may be useful only for older calves.