Cloning and nucleotide sequence analysis of genes coding for the major chlorophyll-binding protein of the moss Physcomitrella patens and the halotolerant alga Dunaliella salina

Two clones have been isolated from a genomic library of the moss Physcomitrella patens and a cDNA library of the halotolerant green alga Dunaliella salina. The isolates contain genes coding for the major light-harvesting chlorophyll-a/b-binding protein (CAB) in the photosystem II (PSII) light-harvesting complex (LHCII). The 2544-bp insert of the moss genomic clone contains the complete CAB-coding region and 5' and 3' flanking sequences. The coding region contains an intron of 359 bp which is spanned by a pair of 9-bp perfect direct repeats. There are two CCAAT boxes and five enhancer-like elements related to (G)TGGTTTAAA(G) (Weiher et al., 1983) residing in the intron. Comparisons of the moss cab gene with sequences of light-inducible genes of higher plants reveal homologous and repeated sequences similar to the enhancer element in the 5' region upstream from the TATA and CCAAT boxes thought to be responsive to light inducibility. The 1256-bp algal cDNA contains the complete CAB-coding sequence, a 170-bp 5'-nontranslated region, and a 264-bp 3'-nontranslated region. While the overall homology in the nontranslated regions is low between the cab gene of the moss and that of the alga, the 3'-nontranslated regions of the two contain some sequences that are conserved among the cab genes in higher plants. The deduced amino acid sequences of these two clones are highly conserved except for the N-terminal region. Their hydropathic plots are very similar and both possess three hydrophobic segments that are likely alpha-helical transmembrane segments. The proposed CAB transit peptide sequence of the alga is divergent from that of the moss or higher plants, suggesting that they may have evolved from different origins. Southern blot analysis shows that the cab genes in the moss and the alga, as in higher plants, are encoded by a number of homologous genes constituting a multigene family.     

Consequences of herbivory in the mountain birch (Betula pubescens ssp tortuosa): importance of the functional organization of the tree

Summary Three types of experiments indicate that the functional organization of the mountain birch may influence the ways in which the tree responds to simulated or natural herbivory. The first experiment showed that herbivory to both short and long shoot leaves affects plant development but, because growth largely proceeds by resources of the previous year, is manifested only in the year following the damage. The second experiment showed that even partial damage to a single long shoot leaf caused the axillary bud of that leaf to produce a shorter shoot the next year. Therefore, the value of a leaf depends also on the organ which it is subtending. In the third experiment we manipulated the apical dominance of shoots in ramets and caused improvement to leaf quality in extant shoots. Ramets within a tree responded individually, probably mediated by disturbance of the hormonal control because removal of apical buds elicited the response although removal of the same number of basal buds did not. Induced amelioration is a different response to induced resistance. The two responses are triggered by different cues and may occur in the same plant. By altering hormonal balance of shoots it is potentially possible for herbivores to induce amelioration of food quality. The ways in which herbivory is simulated may explain variability of results obtained when herbivory-induced responses in plants have been studied.     

Prostaglandin E2 induced changes in renal blood flow, renal interstitial hydrostatic pressure and sodium excretion in the rat

Prostaglandin E2, when infused into the renal artery of the dog, is a vasodilator and increases both renal interstitial hydrostatic pressure and sodium excretion. Similar studies in the rat, however, have been inconclusive. The present study examined the effect of prostaglandin E2 infusion into the renal interstitium, by means of a chronically implanted matrix, on renal blood flow, renal interstitial hydrostatic pressure and sodium excretion in the rat. Prostaglandin E2 was continuously infused directly into the kidney interstitium to mimic endogenous prostaglandin E2 production by renal cells. The maximum change in each of these parameters occurred when 10(-5) M PGE2 was infused. Renal blood flow increased from 4.70 +/- 0.91 to 5.45 +/- 0.35 ml/min (p less than 0.05) while renal interstitial hydrostatic pressure decreased from 3.9 +/- 0.4 to 2.6 +/- 0.5 mmHg (p less than 0.05) and fractional excretion of sodium decreased from 1.02 +/- 0.20 to 0.61 +/- 0.12% (p less than 0.05). Thus, the present study demonstrates that renal interstitial infusion of prostaglandin E2 increases total renal blood flow but decreases both renal interstitial hydrostatic pressure and urinary sodium excretion in the rat.     

What is the relationship between the endothelium derived relaxant factor and nitric oxide?

Nitric oxide gas in solution (NO) relaxes blood vessels with similar actions and pharmacodynamics as the endothelium derived relaxant factor (EDRF) and has been proposed to be a component of the materials released from stimulated endothelial cells. Certain data however suggest that EDRF and NO may not be identical. In some non-vascular smooth muscles, NO and EDRF exhibit markedly different pharmacologic profiles. Furthermore the interaction of EDRF and NO with anion exchange resins differ. The hypothesis that EDRF is identical to nitric oxide gas in solution or a nitrogen oxide containing compound is discussed.     

粉纹夜蛾核型多角体病毒诱导的胸苷激酶特性研究

粉纹夜蛾(Trichoplusia ni)核型多角体病毒(TnNPV)感染草地贪夜蛾(Spodop-tera frugiperda)细胞后能诱导提高胸苷激酶的活性。不论是正常或感染细胞中的胸苷激酶都可将脱氧胞苷磷酸化,酶活最适pH及Mg~( )离子浓度值基本相同,DEAE-纤维素和Cibacron blue-sepharose柱层析所得酶活性图谱亦相似。TnNPV在胸苷激酶缺陷型的草地贪夜蛾细胞中能正常复制,但被感染细胞不具有胸苷激酶活性。由此可以确定,经TnNPV感染诱导后,活性有所提高的胸苷激酶不是病毒基因编码的。     

高温厌氧条件下纤维素的直接乙醇发酵

本文介绍了出分解纤维素的嗜热厌氧菌Clostridium celluloflavus sp.nov.直接发酵纤维素产乙醇的初步研究、发酵于60℃下进仃,其主要产物为乙醇、乙酸、氢气和二氧化碳。文中介绍了间歇发酵的若干特征与影响发酵的因素,1％纤维素发酵至120小时,大约有70％纤维素被分解;乙醇的转化率约为0.36g/g降解纤维素;发酵液中乙醇浓度达到56至61mM。发酵中乙醇与乙酸浓度的比值因发酵时间与其它发酵条件的不同而不同。     

Use of green fluorescent protein to visualize the early events of symbiosis between Rhizobium meliloti and alfalfa (Medicago sativa).

A gene encoding a variant of green fluorescent protein (GFP) of Aequorea victoria was put under the control of a promoter which is constitutive in Rhizobium meliloti. The heterologous GFP gene was expressed at high levels during all stages of symbiosis, allowing R. meliloti cells to be visualized as they grew in the rhizosphere, on the root surface, and inside infection threads. In addition, nodules that were infected with bacteria which were synthesizing GFP fluoresced when illuminated with blue light. GFP-tagged bacteria could be seen inside infection threads, providing the opportunity to measure the growth rate and determine the patterns of growth of R. meliloti residing inside its host plant.     

Identification and characterization of three genes and two pseudogenes on chromosome 13

A study was conducted on the feasibility of isolating genes and pseudogenes that map to chromosome 13 by a hybridization-based approach using a 13-specific library and pools of repeat-free cDNA clones. Five pairs of cDNA and chromosome 13 genomic clones were identified and characterized. Partial or full-length sequence was derived from all cDNAs, and database searches were performed for putative gene identification. Partial sequence was also obtained from the chromosome 13 genomic clones for comparison with those of the hybridizing cDNAs. As a result of these analyses we identified three genes, a putative homologue of a porcine mRNA encoding an unidentified hepatic protein, a putative homologue of a yeast integral membrane protein, and a gene for a translationally controlled tumor protein, and two processed pseudogenes, ribosomal proteins L23a and S3a. The latter was formerly identified as the v-fos transformation effector gene, Fte-1, and recently cited as a possible candidate for the BRCA2 gene on chromosome 13. All genes and pseudogenes were localized to cytogenetic bands by in situ hybridization of metaphase chromosomes with probes derived from the chromosome 13 genomic clones.