Enhancement of extractable ethylene at light/dark transition in primary leaves of paclobutrazol-treated Phaseolus vulgaris seedlings

Paclobutrazol [(2RS,3RS)-1-(4-chlorophenyl)-4,4-dimethyl-2-(1,2,4-triazol-1-yl)pentan-3-ol], a triazole growth retardant, increased the 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid (ACC) level and resulted in reduced ethylene production, estimated as ethylene release in a closed system or by vacuum-extraction, in the primary leaves of Phaseolus vulgaris L. cv. Juliska seedlings exposed to light. At the light/dark transition, a definite enhancement of the endogenous ethylene level was observed by vacuum-extraction of primary leaves of treated plants and the ethylene deficiency of retardant-treated leaves ceased. The concentration of ACC after the light/dark transition followed the pattern for ethylene, and the increase in ACC content was paralleled by a decrease in malonyl-ACC.
It is concluded that the internal level of ethylene is not necessarily lower in the primary leaves of paclobutrazol-treated bean plants, but under special environmental conditions in vivo it may reach that of the control.     

An optimal foraging and migration model for juvenile plaice

Summary A state-dependent model has been used to predict daily and tidal patterns of migration, feeding and inactivity in juvenile plaice (Pleuronectes platessa L.) in their intertidal and shallow subtidal nursery areas. Vertical position, quantity of energy reserves and fullness of the gut characterized the state of individual fishes. If feeding is visually mediated, the model predicts that, by night, plaice should move to areas of low predation risk and become inactive, whereas by day, plaice should migrate to feed in areas of high prey encounter rate. Vertical zones adopted by day and night and, hence, patterns of migration, should depend on the distributions of predators and prey. When prey are more abundant in the intertidal zone, plaice should move onshore to feed as the tide rises and when prey are more abundant offshore, plaice should move offshore to feed by day. If predators are equally abundant in all zones, the fish should behave as if no predators were present, having no effective refuge. An increase in the abundance of predators with depth results in the restriction of plaice activities to shallower vertical zones, depending on the magnitude of the predation threat. Zones adopted thus depend on the trade-off between energy intake and predation risk. Concordance between predicted behaviour and observed patterns is evident in contrasting habitats. Migration and feeding in the Wadden Sea, where prey are more abundant on intertidal flats, is dominated by the tidal component, whereas on impoverished exposed beaches of the west coast of Scotland, the diurnal component is dominant. Tidally related behaviour persists in the latter environment, not predicted by the model and may be a consequence of using endogenous rhythms to approach optimal behavioural patterns.     

A novel molecular fingerprint probe based on the endogenous avian retroviral element (EAV) of chickens

We have developed a novel molecular probe that is useful for DNA fingerprint analysis in chickens. The probe is based on the middle-repetitive, chicken endogenous retroviral (EAV) element. It consists of 1503 bp of the 3′ portion of the EAV element, extending from the downstream end of the envelope gene to the beginning of the downstream long terminal repeat (LTR). Unlike other probes that are currently in use for fingerprint analysis with chicken DNA, the EAV-based probe works well at normal levels of stringency, and with standard hybridization buffers. Digestion of chicken genomic DNA with a variety of restriction enzymes routinely yields up to 30 resolvable bands per bird in the 500 bp to 20kbp range. In order to test the efficacy of the EAV-based fingerprint probe, we have used it to estimate the degree of inbreeding in the inbred WG strain of White Leghorns. We find that the estimates derived with the EAV probe are very similar to those reported previously for the WG strain. These results suggest that molecular probes based on endogenous retroviruses and other middle-repetitive DNA elements should be useful for fingerprint analysis in chickens, and in vertebrates in general.     

An endogenous factor which interacts with synaptosomal membrane Na+, K+-ATPase activation by K+

In previous papers, the isolation of brain soluble fractions able to modify neuronal Na⁺, K⁺-ATPase activity has been described. One of those fractions-peak I-stimulates membrane Na⁺, K⁺-ATPase while another-peak II-inhibits this enzyme activity, and has other ouabain-like properties. In the present study, synaptosomal membrane Na⁺, K⁺-ATPase was analyzed under several experimental conditions, using ATP orp-nitrophenylphosphate (p-NPP) as substrate, in the absence and presence of cerebral cortex peak II. Peak II inhibited K⁺-p-NPPase activity in a concentration dependent manner. Double reciprocal plots indicated that peak II uncompetitively inhibits K⁺-p-NPPase activity regarding substrate, Mg²⁺ and K⁺ concentration. Peak II failed to block the known K⁺-p-NPPase stimulation caused by ATP plus Na⁺. At various K⁺ concentrations, percentage K⁺-p-NPPase inhibition by peak II was similar regardless of the ATP plus Na⁺ presence, indicating lack of correlation with enzyme phosphorylation. Na⁺, K⁺-ATPase activity was decreased by peak II depending on K⁺ concentration. It is postulated that the inhibitory factor(s) present in peak II interfere(s) with enzyme activation by K⁺.     

非侵入物理疗法——红光照射改善脂多糖诱发小鼠抑郁样行为

目的 抑郁的发生机制不清及药物的临床疗效不佳,导致其成为世界难题。已有研究发现甲醛的气态暴露或液态腹腔注射都可直接诱发小鼠抑郁样行为,而内源甲醛是否参与抑郁的发生尚不清楚。本研究探索脂多糖（lipopolysaccharide,LPS）是否通过刺激内源甲醛产生而诱发小鼠抑郁的分子机制;并观察非侵入物理疗法——630 nm红光照射是否能激活甲醛脱氢酶而降解甲醛,从而改善小鼠抑郁样行为。方法 雄性成年C57BL/6J小鼠随机分组：a.对照组,腹腔注射磷酸缓冲液（phosphate buffer solution,PBS）;b.抑郁模型组,按浓度梯度腹腔注射LPS;c.红光干预组,按浓度梯度腹腔注射LPS后并定时进行630 nm全身红光照射。采用旷场实验（open field test,OFT）、糖水偏爱（suorose preference test,SPT）、悬尾实验（tail suspension test,TST）、强迫游泳（forced swimming test,FST）等方法,评估小鼠的抑郁样行为;用甲醛荧光（Na-FA,特异甲醛荧光探针）定量法及整脑甲醛荧光成像法,检测小鼠脑...     

急性髓系白血病mRNA与非编码RNA差异表达谱及CeRNA调控网络分析

利用GEO数据库(gene expression omnibus database)通过生物信息学分析方法探讨急性髓系白血病(acute myelogenous leukemia,AML)的发病机制。检索GEO数据库中AML相关芯片数据集GSE142698、GSE142699和GSE96535。利用GEO2R分析得到差异mRNAs、miRNAs以及差异lncRNAs。利用在线生物信息学分析工具DAVID对差异mRNAs进行GO富集分析和KEGG通路分析。利用miRWalk数据库预测AML相关miRNAs的靶向mRNAs,利用Spongescan数据库预测AML相关miRNAs的靶向lncRNAs,构建lncRNA-miRNA-mRNA竞争性内源RNA （competing endogenous RNA,ceRNA）调控网络。共筛选出29个显著差异mRNAs、70个显著差异miRNAs和20 005个显著差异lncRNAs。GO富集分析和KEGG通路分析显示,差异表达基因主要涉及蛋白磷酸化、细胞分裂、细胞增殖的负调控、基因表达的正向调节、周期蛋白依赖的丝氨酸/苏氨酸激酶活性的调节等生物过程以及细胞周期、细胞衰老、癌症通路、PI3K-Akt通路等信号通路。将miRWalk数据库预测的靶向mRNAs与差异mRNAs取交集,Spongescan数据库预测的靶向lncRNAs与差异lncRNAs取交集,分别确定了25个mRNAs、6个lncRNAs参与AML相关ceRNA调控网络的构建。结果表明,lncRNAs可能作为关键的ceRNA,通过调控miRNA和相关靶基因参与AML的发生与发展,研究结果为AML诊断和治疗的分子生物学研究提供了新的依据。     

Endogenous gibberellin levels influence in-vitro shoot regeneration in Arabidopsis thaliana (L.) Heynh.

The regeneration of shoot buds from callus cells in vitro is an important technique in modern plant genetic manipulation. Whilst it is clear that genetic factors play a major role in determining the ability of callus cells to become organized into regenerating shoot buds, the precise nature of these factors remains unknown. Here we show that callus derived from mutants of Arabidopsis thaliana which have reduced levels of endogenous bioactive gibberellins (GAs), or reduced responsivity to GAs, regenerates shoot buds more readily than does callus derived from wild-type controls. In addition, exogenous GA reduces, and exogenous paclobutrazol (a GA-biosynthesis inhibitor) increases, the frequency of shoot bud regeneration from wild-type callus. These results show that GA levels play a role in regulating shoot bud regeneration from callus, and suggest that variation in endogenous GA levels or responsivity may account for a major component of the genetic variation in shoot bud regeneration frequency described in other species.     

A rationale for the appropriate amount of inoculum in ready biodegradability tests

Several screening methods at the so-called ready biodegradability level are suitable to test poorly soluble substances. Typical for these tests is that mineralization is evaluated from monitoring oxygen uptake or carbon dioxide production. Unfortunately, they suffer from a rather low precision in the calculated percentage of mineralization caused by subtracting a too high inoculum control measurement from the response in the test system. Criteria for blank oxygen consumption, due to the metabolic activity of the inoculum, are proposed from which maximum amounts of activated sludge or secondary effluent per litre test medium can be derived to be used as an appropriate inoculum. Both for current and future standardized tests the precision of the method can be kept within acceptable margins. Inoculum material was sampled from 40 communal biological waste water treatment plants. From endogenous respiration rates it was derived that the concentration of secondary effluent in the Closed Bottle Test can be increased up to 50 mL/L but that in respirometry tests inoculated with activated sludge the appropriate concentration is 10 mg/L dry matter or below, depending of the design of the test system.List of abbreviations BOD biological oxygen demand - CBT Closed Bottle Test - C _as inoculum concentration in mg dry solids of activated sludge per litre test medium - C _ef inoculum concentration in ml secondary effluent per litre test medium - C _ss dry weight content of activated sludge (g/L) - CFU colony forming units - DO_7d dissolved oxygen concentration (mg/L) after 7 days - ISO International Organization for Standardization - NEN Dutch Organization for Standardization - O _c oxygen capacity in mg oxygen per litre vessel volume - OECD Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development - Ox _as oxygen consumption after one week in mg oxygen per mg dry weight activated sludge - Ox _ef oxygen consumption after one week in mg oxygen per mL secondary effluent - Ox _ef [n] oxygen consumption after one week in mg oxygen per n mL secondary effluent - Ox _flask oxygen uptake in mg per litre flask volume - RBT Ready Biodegradability Test - SLR sludge loading rate in kg O₂/kg dry weight·d - ThOD theoretical oxygen demand - TPCBT Two Phase Closed Bottle Test - V _a volumes of air and water per litre vessel - V _w volume, respectively - _a concentration of oxygen in air at 20° C and 101.5 kPa - _s saturation oxygen concentration in te aqueous phase     

Fluctuation of free IAA under inductive and non-inductive photoperiods in Chenopodium rubrum

Fluctuation in levels of endogenous free IAA has been followed in the SD plant Chenopodium rubrum under photoperiodic conditions inductive or not inductive of flowering. Endogenous IAA was measured fluorimetrically as -pyrone. The level of IAA shows little fluctuation under continuous illumination. An endogenous rhythm of IAA fluctuation was found in plants transferred from light to continuous darkness, with a natural period of 30 hrs. The troughs of minimum IAA level within the endogenous rhythm coincided with the peaks in the endogenous rhythm of flowering response, which possessed the same period length. The concentration of IAA in the shoot always decreased at the end of cycles of dark period that induce flowering. The results are discussed in relation to the role of IAA in flowering of SD plants.