Surface-induced phase separation of a sphingomyelin/cholesterol/ganglioside GM1-planar bilayer on mica surfaces and microdomain molecular conformation that accelerates Aβ oligomerization

Ganglioside GM1 mediates the amyloid beta (Aβ) aggregation that is the hallmark of Alzheimer's disease (AD). To investigate how ganglioside-containing lipid bilayers interact with Aβ, we examined the interaction between Aβ40 and supported planar lipid bilayers (SPBs) on mica and SiO₂ substrates by using atomic force microscopy, fluorescence microscopy, and molecular dynamics computer simulations. These SPBs contained several compositions of sphingomyelin, cholesterol, and GM1 and were treated at physiological salt concentrations. Surprisingly high-speed Aβ aggregation of fibril formations occurred at all GM1 concentrations examined on the mica surface, but on the SiO₂ surface, only globular agglomerates formed and they formed slowly. At a GM1 concentration of 20 mol%, unique triangular regions formed on the mica surface and the rapidly formed Aβ aggregations were observed only outside these regions. We have found that some unique surface-induced phase separations are induced by the GM1 clustering effects and the strong interactions between the GM1 head group and the water layer adsorbed in the ditrigonal cavities on the mica surface. The speed of Aβ40 aggregation and the shape of the agglomerates depend on the molecular conformation of GM1, which varies depending on the substrate materials. We identified the conformation that significantly accelerates Aβ40 aggregation, and we think that the detailed knowledge about the GM1 molecular conformation obtained in this work will be useful to those investigating Aβ-GM1 interactions.     

Synthesis and bioevaluation of N-(arylalkyl)-homospermidine conjugates

N1-(Arylalkyl)homospermidines (1c-1f) and terminally piperazine-substituted homospermidine conjugates (2a-2e) were synthesized and evaluated for cytotoxicity in mouse leukemia L1210, alpha-difluoromethylornithine (DFMO)-treated L1210, melanoma B16, spermidine (SPD)-treated B16, and HeLa cell lines. Results demonstrated that homospermidine was a more effective vector than piperazine-substituted homospermidine in ferrying diverse arenes into cells via the polyamine transporter. The leading compound, 9-anthracenemethyl-homospermidine (1a), was shown to induce apoptosis in B16 cells and IL-3 dependent FL5.12A pro-B cells. The novel conjugate 4-biphenylmethyl-homospermidine (1e) could also induce apoptosis. However, it exhibited different effect on the cell cycle of B16 cells compared to 1a.     

开封地区不同土地利用方式农田杂草群落结构及动态

2005年春、秋两季对开封地区不同土地利用方式小麦-玉米、小麦-大豆轮作地,葡萄地,弃耕地中杂草进行调查,统计分析各杂草群落中物种相似系数、物种相对多度分布、功能群相对多度和生物多样性。杂草功能群分为单子叶短期生植物（MA）、双子叶短期生植物（DA）、单子叶多年生植物（MP）及双子叶多年生植物（DP）4个功能类群。调查共记录杂草种类71种,隶属27个科;春季51种、共同种7个,秋季36种、共同种8个。不同土地利用方式杂草群落相似系数春季各群落间0．3～0．5,秋季玉米地-大豆地、秋葡萄地-弃耕地最高,分别是0．73和0．70;季节间小麦地与秋季各杂草群落间相似系数小于0．1。春、秋季弃耕地物种-相对多度分布曲线下降缓慢,常见种和偶见种多、相对多度分配分别占61．32％和47．09％;小麦地、玉米地、大豆地和葡萄地优势种突出。春季DA功能群占优势,小麦地高达81．06％;MP功能群较少,小麦地缺少MP。秋季玉米地和大豆地杂草功能群分布较均衡,葡萄地以DA和MP为主、分别为42．34％和42．64％;弃耕地MA、DA和MP平均,为33．63、31．07和30．25％。多样性指数为春、秋季弃耕地最高1．76和1．72,玉米、大豆地次之为1．55和1．52,春、秋葡萄地1．49、1．30,小麦地最低1．12。结论：不同土地利用方式杂草群落种群构成不同,功能群相对多度分配格局以免耕农田玉米地、大豆地和葡萄地杂草功能群分布均衡;功能群季节变化明显,趋势为MP上升,DA下降。不同土地利用方式土地多样性等级为小麦地〈葡萄地〈大豆地和玉米地〈弃耕地。     

Identification of two markers linked to the sex locus in dioecious <Emphasis Type="Italic">Asparagus officinalis</Emphasis> plants

One hundred decamer primers of random-amplified polymorphic DNA were tested on dioecious Asparagus officinalis plants to identify sex-linked molecular markers. One primer (S368) produced two markers (S368-928 and S368-1178) in female plants. These two DNA markers were identified in 30 male and female plants, respectively, and a S368-928 marker was proved to be linked to the female sex locus. The female-linked S368-928 marker was sequenced and specific primers were synthesized to generate a 928 bp marker of sequence characterized amplified regions (SCAR) in female plants, SCAR₉₂₈. SCAR₉₂₈ could be used to correctly screen homozygous mm female plants of A. officinalis. However, results of Southern blot analysis suggest that the hybridization pattern of S368-928 was presented in both sex plants. This text was submitted by the authors in English.     

植物激素脱落酸受体的研究进展

脱落酸(abscisic acid, ABA)广泛参与植物生长发育的调控和对多种环境胁迫的适应性反应。有关ABA受体的研究已经在检测受体位置、纯化ABA特异性的结合蛋白和克隆ABA受体基因方面做出了许多重要的工作。最近相继发现一种RNA结合蛋白FCA和一种编码Mg离子螯合酶（Mg-chelatase）H亚基的CHLH作为两种不同的ABA受体分别调控植物的开花时间和介导种子萌发、幼苗生长及叶片的气孔运动。本文从实验策略的角度重点分析总结了研究脱落酸受体相对有效的途径与方法, 同时就有关的研究结果给予了评论和展望。     

Annually laminated lake sediments and environmental changes in Bashang Plateau, North China

Angulinuo Lake is the biggest lake on the Bashang Plateau, North China, and is 47.6 km² in area and 2-6 m in depth. A core from the inner part of Angulinuo Lake was sliced and the sediment was observed by Scanning Electronic Microscope (SEM). Annual laminations characterized by variable color and grain size were found and interpreted as recording the cyclic deposition of lacustrine clay and aeolian dust. The results of chemical analysis of coarse grains conducted by SEM-EDAX, and grain size analysis of modern aeolian dust in the ice on Angulinuo Lake, support an aeolian origin for the light coarse layers. Image analysis technique was used to calculate the size and number of coarse grains in each layer. The coarse grains were fractionated into four classes: > 42 μm, 14-42 μm, 14-4.2 μm and 1.4-4.2 μm. In general, the abundance of the four classes shows similar temporal variation patterns. Around Angulinuo Lake, the winter monsoon is strong and transports aeolian dust into the lake. When the winter monsoon is strong, the size and amount of coarse grains are expected to increase. We infer that the winter monsoon was weaker during 8430-5440 year BP, and was unstable in the later part of this period. From 5440 year BP, the winter monsoon became stronger, and then weaker from 3250 to 2490 year BP. During 2490-1170 year BP, the winter monsoon was slightly stronger, but since 1170 year BP, it has become weaker again. The changes of the winter monsoon intensity recorded in the annual laminations in Angulinuo Lake sediments correspond well to environmental changes in North China and to changes in sea level during the same period. Periods of weaker winter monsoon correspond to times of higher sea levels while the periods of stronger winter monsoon correspond to the Neoglaciation stage in China and the periods of lower sea levels.     

An improvement of cucumber cotyledon greening bioassay for cytokinins

The cucumber cotyledon greening bioassay for cytokinins was modified by using 95% acetone-ethanol instead of 80% acetone as extraction solvent. The cotyledons were extracted directly with a 2:1 (v/v) acetone-ethanol solution in dark for 24 hours, omitting the homogenization and centrifugation operations of the previous bioassay. The modified bioassay is more convenient and especially useful in screening cytokinin-active substance from a large number of samples.     

节节麦-黑麦双二倍体α醇溶蛋白基因的克隆与序列分析

以人工合成节节麦-黑麦双二倍体基因组DNA为模板,用小麦种子醇溶蛋白保守引物进行PCR扩增,经克隆测序获得了843~897 bp共15个新的DNA序列(GenBank登录号为: JQ029719,JQ046392~JQ046405),分别编码280~298个氨基酸。序列比对结果表明,它们具有α-醇溶蛋白基因的典型结构特点,是α-醇溶蛋白基因家系成员,其中有两个序列为同义突变。利用14个新氨基酸序列与乳糜泻(celiac disease)病人毒性抗原相关序列的比对,发现有8个序列的Glia-α-2和Glia-α-9型抗原序列产生缺失和替换。与来自粗山羊草属和黑麦属的α-醇溶蛋白基因的编码氨基酸建立系统树,结果表明,14个DNA序列编码的氨基酸序列与粗山羊草属的相关序列聚在一起。     

节节麦-黑麦双二倍体种子贮藏蛋白的变异分析

利用SDS-PAGE和A-PAGE方法对获得的遗传稳定性逐年提高节节麦-黑麦双二倍体的麦谷蛋白和麦醇溶蛋白进行了分析.结果显示:在高分子量谷蛋白区域,双二倍体共检测到3条带,其中第1和第3条带与亲本节节麦的5t和10t亚基大小一致,中间的第2条带是两亲本都未出现的新麦谷蛋白条带,而黑麦的2r和6.5r亚基在双二倍体材料中未检测到;在低分子量谷蛋白区域,黑麦和节节麦分别有4条和2条带在双二倍体材料中未检测到.在醇溶蛋白的γ和β区,黑麦共有5条带在双二倍体材料中未检测到,在ω区,节节麦有1条带未检测到.研究表明,在双二倍体中两亲本控制贮藏蛋白的基因组之间发生了较大的改变,与亲本节节麦相比较,亲本黑麦控制的贮藏蛋白发生的改变更大;两亲本控制贮藏蛋白基因的遗传方式在双二倍体材料中表现为非加性效应.