Genetic control of amylose content in wheat endosperm starch and differential effects of three Wx genes

The endosperm starch of the wheat grain is composed of amylose and amylopectin. Genetic manipulation of the ratio of amylose to amylopectin or the amylose content could bring about improved texture and quality of wheat flour. The chromosomal locations of genes affecting amylose content were investigated using a monosomic series of Chinese Spring (CS) and a set of Cheyenne (CNN) chromosome substitution lines in the CS genetic background. Trials over three seasons revealed that a decrease in amylose content occurred in monosomic 4A and an increase in monosomic 7B. Allelic variation between CS and CNN was suggested for the genes on chromosomes 4A and 7B. To examine the effects of three Waxy (Wx) genes which encode a granule-bound starch synthase (Wx protein), the Wx proteins from CS monosomics of interest were analyzed using SDS-PAGE. The amount of the Wx protein coded by the Wx-B1 gene on chromosome arm 4AL was reduced in monosomic 4A, and thus accounted for its decreased amylose content. The amounts of two other Wx proteins coded by the Wx-A1 and Wx-D1 genes on chromosome arms 7AS and 7DS, respectively, showed low levels of protein in the monosomics but no effect on amylose content. The effect of chromosome 7B on the level of amylose suggested the presence of a regulator gene which suppresses the activities of the Wx genes.     

Integration of CAPS markers into the RFLP map generated using recombinant inbred lines of Arabidopsis thaliana

Konieczny and Ausubel have described a technique whereby Arabidopsis thaliana loci can be rapidly mapped to one of the ten chromosome arms using a small number of F2 progeny from crosses between the ecotypes Landsberg erecta and Columbia. The technique involves the use of 18 co-dominant, cleaved amplified polymorphic sequence (CAPS) markers which are evenly distributed throughout the Arabidopsis genome. We have mapped these 18 markers using recombinant inbred (RI) lines generated in our laboratory. These data enable a better integration of loci mapped relative to the CAPS markers into the restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) map generated using Arabidopsis RI lines.     

组胺H_2受体激动剂和拮抗剂对WEHI_3细胞增殖的作用

近年来研究表明组胺及其受体在正常造血调控中起着重要作用。本研究用琼脂半固体培养技术观察了特异性组胺Ｈ２受体激动剂英普咪定和拮抗剂西咪替丁对髓系粒－单核细胞白血病干细胞株ＷＥＨＩ３细胞生长的影响。结果表明不同浓度的英普咪定（１０－８─１０－４ｍｏｌ／Ｌ）对集落数呈明显剂量依赖性抑制,与对照组比较ｐ＜０．０１。１０－１０─１０－９ｍｏｌ／Ｌ英普咪定对集落数无明显影响。１０－４─６×１０－４ｍｏｌ／Ｌ的英普咪定对集落产率的抑制作用趋于饱和。最大抑制效能为对照组的５４％（ｐ＜０．０１）。１０－４ｍｏｌ／Ｌ西咪替丁能完全阻断１０－８ｍｏｌ／Ｌ英普咪定的集落抑制作用。对≥１０－６ｍｏｌ／Ｌ英普咪定的作用西咪替丁均有部分阻断作用,与对照组比较Ｐ＜０．０１。单用西咪替丁对ＷＥＨＩ３细胞无明显直接作用。这提示ＷＥＨＩ３细胞株上存在有组胺Ｈ２受体,激动Ｈ２受体可抑制细胞增殖。     

喹诺酮类药物抗乙型肝炎病毒体外实验研究

本文以２．２．１５细胞株为模型,以ＨＢｓＡｇ、ＨＢｅＡｇ、ＨＢＶＤＮＡ、细胞存活率为观察指标,综合评价了喹诺酮类药物吡哌酸（ＰｉｐｅｍｉｄｉｃＡｃｉｄ）、氟哌酸（Ｎｏｒｆｌｏｘａｃｉｎ）、环丙氟哌酸（Ｃｉｐｒｏｆｌｏｓｘａｃｉｎ）、氟嗪酸（Ｏｆｌｏｘａｃｉｎ）体外抗ＨＢＶ效果。结果表明：吡哌酸、氟哌酸、环丙氟哌酸、氟嗪酸对ＨＢｓＡｇ、ＨＢｅＡｇ５０％抑制浓度（ＩＤ＿（５０））分别为１１μｇ／ｍｌ、６４μｇ／ｍｌ、９３μｇ／ｍｌ、１０５μｇ／ｍｌ和１９９μｇ／ｍｌ、１１１μｇ／ｍｌ、２４μｇ／ｍｌ、２１７μｇ／ｍｌ,细胞存活率为５０％时的药物浓度（ＣＤ＿（５０））分别为２１９μｇ／ｍｌ、９０μｇ／ｍｌ、１８１μｇ／ｍｌ、１６９μｇ／ｍｌ,在所选定的用药浓度范围内不同程度抑制培养上清液及细胞内ＨＢＶＤＮＡ及其复制中间体的产生。尤其对超螺旋结构ＤＮＡ（ｓｃＤＮＡ）有不完全抑制作用。     

Roles for insulin and ecdysteroids in differentiation of an insect cell line of epidermal origin

Summary During postembryonic development of insects, molting cycles affect epidermal cells with alternate periods of proliferation and differentiation. Cells of the cell line established from imaginal discs of the Indian meal moth (IAL-PID2) differentiate under the action of the molting hormone, 20-hydroxyecdysone, in a manner that is meaningful in terms of the development of the tissue from which they were derived. In particular, the hormone caused an accumulation of the cells in the G2 phase of their cycle and induced the formation of epithelial-like aggregates and the synthesis of specific proteoglycans. Recent discovery of members of the insulin superfamily in insects and the role of growth factors played by this family of molecules in vertebrates led us to check for their potential effects on IAL-PID2 cell cycle regulation. On the one hand, our results showed that insulin was involved in partial resumption of the cell cycle after an arrest caused by serum deprivation, but that other growth factors present in fetal calf serum were needed for full completion of mitosis. On the other hand, the cytostatic effect of 20-hydroxyecdysone was reversible, and, prior exposure of the cells to the hormone allowed the cells to complete one cell cycle in serum-free medium. These results suggest that the production of autocrine growth factors induced by ecdysteroids could circumvent the absence of serum. This cell culture model provides potential for further study of interactions between ecdysteroids and growth factor homologs during differentiation of insect epidermal cells.     

Partial Resistance to Heterodera avenae in Wheat Lines with the 6M v Chromosome from Aegilops ventricosa

Lines of wheat with the 6M^v chromosome from Aegilops ventricosa display partial resistance to both pathotypes Hal2 and Ha41 of Heterodera avenae. With either pathotype, the effect of this alien chromosome on cyst production, size, and fecundity was expressed in resistance tests. Partial resistance of five 6M^v(6D) substitution lines varied according to the intrinsic cyst-forming capacity of the nematode pathotypes and the recipient germplasms. Such partial resistance can be utilized in wheat breeding lines for integrated management of the cereal cyst nematode.     

The genetic control of seven isozymic loci in Vicia faba L. Identification of lines and estimates of outcrossing rates between plants pollinated by bumble bees

A simplified and non-destructive method using starch gel electrophoresis has been developed on seeds to identify inbred lines of Vicia faba and assess outcrossing rates and gene dispersal in pollination experiments. Six enzyme systems (Alcohol dehydrogenase, Aspartate aminotransferase, Glucose-6-phosphate isomerase, Isocitrate dehydrogenase, Phosphogluconate dehydrogenase and Shikimate dehydrogenase) were analysed from parental lines, crosses performed between lines bearing dissimilar isozyme patterns in pollination cages with Bombus and F₂ progenies obtained from manual selfing of F₁ hybrids. The allozymes at each of the seven studied loci segregated in the expected Mendelian fashion and behaved in a co-dominant manner except for the Adh-2 locus where the only variant was a null allele. No evidence of genetic linkage was observed between at least 13 of the 15 pairs of the studied loci. Percentage of cross fertilisation by Bombus between seven pairs of inbred lines ranged between 1.7% and 28.3%. Pollen transfer between a donor line and a recipient line by two species of Bombus did not lead to differences in outcrossing rates (both about 8%). The new PGD marker with two loci at three alleles each is particularly discriminating and valuable in pollination studies and breeding of V. faba.