Light-and electron-microscopic studies of the somatostatin-immunoreactive plexus in the cat retina

Summary Two monoclonal antibodies directed against somatostatin 14 were used to study immunoreactive neurons, their processes and their synapses in the cat retina. In retinal whole-mounts, a sparse population of wide-field displaced amacrine cells was observed predominantly in the ventral retina and near the retinal margin. Processes of these cells ramified mainly in two distinct strata within the inner plexiform layer: one near the inner nuclear layer (INL), and the other near the ganglion cell layer (GCL). The length of immunoreactive fibres within each plexus was measured: 232±32 mm/mm² near the INL and 230±74 mm/mm² near the GCL in all retinal regions. The immunoreactive processes were studied using electron-microscopic techniques; conventional and some ribbon-containing synapses (dyads) were found. Immunolabelled processes received input synapses from other amacrine cell processes. These investigations provide further evidence that this cell population has a diffuse, regulatory or modulatory role for visual-information processing in the inner plexiform layer.     

FMRFamide modulates the action of phase shifting agents on the ocular circadian pacemakers of Aplysia and Bulla

Summary The eye of the marine mollusk Aplysia californica contains a photo-entrainable circadian pacemaker that drives an overt circadian rhythm of spontaneous compound action potentials in the optic nerve. Both light and serotonin are known to influence the phase of this ocular rhythm. The current study evaluated the effect of FMRFamide on both light and serotonin induced phase shifts of this rhythm. The application of FMRFamide was found to block serotonin induced phase shifts but, by itself, FMRFamide did not cause significant phase shifts. Furthermore, the effects of FMRFamide on light-induced phase shifts appeared to be phase dependent (i.e., the application of FMRFamide inhibited light-induced phase delays but actually enhanced the magnitude of phase advances). As in Aplysia, the eye of Bulla gouldiana also contains a circadian pacemaker. In Bulla, FMRFamide prevented light-induced phase advances and delays. Although FMRFamide alone generated phase dependent phase shifts, it did not cause phase shifts at the phases where it blocked the effects of light. These data demonstrate that FMRFamide can have pronounced modulatory effects on phase shifting inputs to the ocular pacemakers of both Aplysia and Bulla.Abbreviations ASW artificial seawater - CAP compound action potential - CT circadian time - 5-HT serotonin     

Phenotypically normal transgenic T-cyt tobacco plants as a model for the investigation of plant gene expression in response to phytohormonal stress

The tumour-inducing T-DNA gene 4 (T-cyt gene) of the nopaline Ti plasmid pTiC58 was cloned and introduced into tobacco cells by leaf disc transformation using Agrobacterium plasmid vectors. Tobacco shoots exposed to elevated cytokinin levels were unable to develop roots and lacked apical dominance. Using exogenously applied phytohormone manipulations we were able to regenerate morphologically normal transgenic tobacco plants which differed in endogenous cytokinin levels from normal untransformed plants. Although T-cyt gene mRNA levels, as revealed by dot-blot hybridization data, in these rooting plants were only about half those in primary transformed shoots the total amount of cytokinins was much lower than in crown gall tissue or cytokinin-type transformed shoots as reported by others. Nevertheless the cytokinin content in T-cyt plants was about 3 times greater than in control tobacco plants.Elevated cytokinin levels have been shown to change the expression of several plant genes, including some nuclear genes encoding chloroplast proteins. Our results show that the mRNA levels of chloroplast rbcL gene increase in cytokinin-type transgenic tobacco plants as compared with untransformed plants. Data obtained suggest that T-cyt transgenic plants are a good model for studying plant gene activity in different parts of the plant under endogenous cytokinin stress.     

云南所麻蝇属一新种记述：双翅目：麻蝇科

作者在整理1985年采集的麻蝇科标本中,发现所麻蝇属(SarcosolomoniaBaranov)1新种。模式标本分别保存于云南省卫生防疫站和军事医学科学院微生物流行病研究所。     

利用带有原核增强子样序列的新型载体在大肠杆菌中高效表达人α肿瘤坏死因子

将去除信号肽的人肿瘤坏死因子-α(Tumor necrosis factor-α,TNF-α)cDNA插入到带有原核增强子样序列Px的新型表达载体pBV320中,使TNF cDNA 5′端直接置于大肠杆菌trp启动子下游,采用37℃恒温培养,使TNF在大肠杆菌中获得了高效表达,表达活性达1.35(±0.17)×10~6U/L菌液。表达的TNF-α对L929细胞的毒性作用可被抗人肿瘤坏死因子-α的单克隆抗体所中和。表达菌裂解液作SDS-聚丙烯酰胺凝胶电泳,显示有一条分子量与TNF分子量吻合、约为17000道尔顿的蛋白带。利用DEAE-Sepharose阴离子交换层析及Sephacryl S-200凝胶过滤对上述重组人TNF-α进行纯化,获得电泳纯产品,比活性为1.48×10~6U/mg。     

Obtaining transgenic Solanum tuberosum potato plants with active bacterial genes xyl and T-cyt effecting the phytohormone balance]

The genetic constructions based on integrative vector pGV3850 were used to introduce bacterial genes xyl and T-cyt into potato cells. The transformation was carried out using the leaf-disc method with modifications. A special system for obtaining regenerants from explants of potato in vitro plants or calli has been designed that permitted the selection of transgenic shoots. The presence of the genes in potato genome has been proved by testing the NPTII and glucoisomerase activities. The transgenic plants expressing T-cyt gene differed from the wild type in sharp decrease of the apical dominance.     

Path analysis of family resemblance with temporal trends: applications to height, weight, and Quetelet index in northeastern Brazil.

A multifactorial model incorporating temporal trends in its parameters is discussed. The model is a generalization of the tau model of Rice et al. in which the parameters are assumed to be specific functions of time. A special case of this model is fit to data on height, weight, and Quetelet index in 1,067 nuclear families to demonstrate the utility of the approach. The results indicate that there is considerable temporal variation in family resemblance over time for all three traits. For height and Quetelet index, both the transmissibility, comparable to heritability, and residual sibling environmental correlation show temporal changes, while for weight, only the latter exhibits significant trends. Trends were not found in the marital correlation for any of the traits, and only limited evidence was found for trends in the maternal transmission parameter for height. This provides an objective method for evaluating the nature and sources of temporal trends in family resemblance, which can easily be incorporated into the framework of any model-based approach.     

蓝斑复合核区内微量注射去甲肾上腺素对刺激兔下丘脑诱发室性期前收缩的影响

在72只乌拉坦、氯醛糖麻醉兔,静脉注射三碘季铵酚后,在人工呼吸下进行实验。结果观察到,在家兔蓝斑复合核(Lo-So)区微量注射去甲肾上腺素(NE)或可乐宁(Clonidine)能减少刺激下丘脑诱发的室性期前收缩(HVE)数。而微量注射β-肾上腺素能受体阻断剂心得安、α_1肾上腺素激动剂甲氧胺(Methoxamine)或苯肾上腺素(Phenylephrine)、α肾上腺素能阻断剂育亨宾(Yohimbine)或阿片受体阻断剂纳洛酮则对 HVE 无明显影响。在 Lo-So 区微量注射 NE 对 HVE 的抑制效应不能被事先在该区注射心得安所阻断但能被事先静脉或 Lo-So 区注射育亨宾所阻断。NE 或可乐宁的抑制效应也均可被育亨宾所翻转。可乐宁的抑制效应还可被纳洛酮所翻转。电解损毁延髓中缝大核区可消除在 Lo-So 区微量注射 NE 或可乐宁对HVE 的抑制效应。上述结果提示,Lo-So 区α_2受体的兴奋可减少 HVE 数,这些作用可能依赖于延髓中缝大核区的完整。可乐宁对 HVE 的抑制作用可能有阿片受体的参与。     

超氧物歧化酶在植物细胞内的分布

大豆幼苗下胚轴的SOD活性主要存在于细胞溶质,约占细胞内总活性的87.3％,其次分布在线粒体,约占总活性的6.8～7.2％。细胞溶质的SOD以Cu-Zn-SOD(SODb_1b_2b_2)类型为主,它在细胞溶质中约占86％。线粒体的SOD主要是Mn-SOD(SOD_a)类型,它在线粒体中约占74～76％。大豆幼苗下胚轴的SOD同工酶活性,SOD_a(Mn-SOD)约占13％,SODb_1b_2b_2(Cu-Zn-SOD)约占77％,SODc_1c_2c_2(Cu-Sn-SOD)约占10％,表明大豆幼苗下胚轴的三组同工酶以SODb_1b_1b_2为最强。比较绿色与黄化花生幼苗子叶SODc_1c_2c_2的差异,证明SODc_1c_2c_2的形成与光照下叶绿体的正常发育有关。