Cloning,sequence analysis and expression of a cDNA encoding active phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase of the C3 plant Solanum tuberosum

A cDNA coding for phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase (PEPC) was isolated from a cDNA library from Solanum tuberosum and the sequence of the cDNA was determined. It was inserted into a bacterial expression vector and a PEPC^- Escherichia coli mutant could be complemented by the cDNA construct. A functional fusion protein could be synthesized in E. coli. The properties of this PEPC protein clearly resembled those of typical C3 plant enzymes.     

Purification and characterization of (1→3, 1→4)-β-glucan endohydrolases from germinated wheat (Triticum aestivum)

A (13, 14)--glucan 4-glucanohydrolase [(13, 14)--glucanase, EC 3.2.1.73] was purified to homogeneity from extracts of germinated wheat grain. The enzyme, which was identified as an endohydrolase on the basis of oligosaccharide products released from a (13, 14)--glucan substrate, has an apparent pI of 8.2 and an apparent molecular mass of 30 kDa. Western blot analyses with specific monoclonal antibodies indicated that the enzyme is related to (13, 14)--glucanase isoenzyme EI from barley. The complete primary structure of the wheat (13, 14)--glucanase has been deduced from nucleotide sequence analysis of cDNAs isolated from a library prepared using poly(A)⁺ RNA from gibberellic acid-treated wheat aleurone layers. One cDNA, designated LW2, is 1426 nucleotide pairs in length and encodes a 306 amino acid enzyme, together with a NH₂-terminal signal peptide of 28 amino acid residues. The mature polypeptide encoded by this cDNA has a molecular mass of 32085 and a predicted pI of 8.1. The other cDNA, designated LW1, carries a 109 nucleotide pair sequence at its 5 end that is characteristic of plant introns and therefore appears to have been synthesized from an incompletely processed mRNA. Comparison of the coding and 3-untranslated regions of the two cDNAs reveals 31 nucleotide substitutions, but none of these result in amino acid substitutions. Thus, the cDNAs encode enzymes with identical primary structures, but their corresponding mRNAs may have originated from homeologous chromosomes in the hexaploid wheat genome.     

Distribution of microtubules during the growth of tobacco pollen tubes

Summary— The distribution of microtubules was investigated in Nicotiana tabacum pollen tubes at different stages of tube growth by immunofluorescence microscopy. Using specific antibodies, the presence of microtubules consisting of different tubulin isoforms was tested. α-, β- and tyrosinated α-tubulin were present within the tube, whereas the acetylated form was lacking. The presence of tubulin subunits in pollen tube extracts was also investigated by immunoblotting analyses. The use of a confocal laser scanning microscope integrated with computer-assisted imaging, allowed a detailed visualization of the microtubule distribution and organization. Cytoplasmic microtubules organized as short bundles with various orientations were detected at the apex of long tubes.     

A model for species-area relationships in plant communities

Abstract. A model is proposed for the fitting of species-area curves to data from the Stellenbosch region, South Africa. Basic assumptions of the model are finiteness of the number of species in a finite area, and random distribution of plant species over the region. The model involves a distribution of densities of different species, and the parameters of this distribution are useful for describing and classifying communities. The data of the Stellenbosch region suggest that the assumptions of the model break down in areas greater than 500 m².     

Characterization of Acetylcholine-induced Increases in Cytosolic Free Calcium Concentration in Individual Rat Pancreatic β-cells

The intracellular free Ca²⁺ ion concentration ([Ca²⁺]i) was measured using fura-2 microspec-trofluorimetry in individual rat pancreatic β-cells prepared by enzymatic digestion and fluorescence-activated cell sorting. The mean basal concentration of [Ca²⁺]i in β-cells in the presence of 4.4 mM glucose and 1.8 mM Ca²⁺ was 112±1.6 nM (n=207). The action of acetylcholine (ACh) was concentration-dependent, and raising the concentration resulted in [Ca²⁺]i spikes of increasing amplitude and duration in some, but not all of the β-cells. In addition, the β-cells demonstrated variable sensitivity to ACh. The increases in [Ca²⁺]i were rapid, transient and were blocked by atropine at 10^-6M. A brief exposure to 50 mM K⁺ resulted in a transient increase in [Ca²⁺]i similar to that induced by ACh, but resistant to atropine. A high concentration of ACh (100μL 10^-4M or 10^-3M) induced [Ca²⁺]i oscillations in 11 out of 57 β-cells in the presence of 4.4 mM glucose. Using calcium channel blockers and Ca²⁺ free medium, the source of the increase in [Ca²⁺]i was deduced to be from extracellular spaces. Changing the temperature from 22 to 37°C did not affect the action of ACh on [Ca²⁺]i. These data strongly suggest that ACh exerted a direct action on [Ca²⁺]i in normal rat pancreatic β-cells and support a role for Ca²⁺ as a second messenger in the action of ACh.     

渍水对冬小麦生长的危害及其生理效应

小麦受渍后叶片的光合和蒸腾速率迅速下降,而后则显微弱的回升趋势。渍害不仅削弱小麦光合产物的积累,并且改变光合产物在地上部分和根系中的分配比例;植株根／冠比下降,而黄叶的发展与根／冠比的变化呈显著负相关;渍害改变小麦的发育进程,尤其是后期渍害明显促使小麦早衰。认为清水使叶片光合速率降低、光合有效面积损失和衰老加速,从而危害小麦的生长。     

人白细胞介素－3在大肠杆菌中的高效表达

人白细胞介素－３（ｈｕｍａｎＩｎｔｅｒｌｅｕｋｉｎ３,ｈＩＬ－３）是一种造血前体细胞早期分化的关键调节因子。用ＰＣＲ方法从人Ｔ淋巴细胞ｃＤＮＡ文库中扩增出０．４４ｋｂ的ＤＮＡ片段,并克隆入ｐＵＣ１９载体中。经ＤＮＡ序列测定,确定０．４４ｋｂ的ＰＣＲ产物合完整的编码人白细胞介素－３成熟蛋白ｃＤＮＡ序列,并在信号肽与成熟蛋白编码序列之间通过突变引入了限制性内切酶位点和ＡＴＧ起始密码。构建的ＰＬ启动子控制下的ｈＩＬ－３ｃＤＮＡ表达质粒,转入大肠杆菌Ｔａｐ１０６,经４２℃热诱导,获得ｈＩＬ－３的表达产物。ＳＤＳ－ＰＡＧＥ电泳显示表达产物为１５ｋｄ,约占细菌总蛋白的１５％。表达产物经ＥＬＩＳＡ和Ｗｅｓｔｅｒｎ－ｂｌｏｔ验证。ｈＩＬ－３表达产物在细胞内形成包涵体,纯化包涵体,使产物纯度提高到７０．８％,产物复性后,能明显促进ｈＩＬ－３依赖细胞株生长,具有明显的生物活性。产物转移到ＰＶＤＦ膜后进行Ｎ端序列分析,Ｎ端１６个氨基酸正确。     

肝癌组织中GD3合成酶的纯化

ＧＤ３合成酶是膜嵌合蛋白,定位于高尔基体,经过制作微粒体,Ｔｒｉｔｏｎ增溶、ＡＨ－Ｓｅｐｈａｒｏｓｅ及ＧＭ３－Ｇｌａｓｓｂｅａｄｓｅ及ＧＭ３－Ｇｌａｓｓｂｅａｄｓ亲和层析等步骤,二乙基亚硝胺诱发大鼠肝癌组织中的ＳＴ２被纯化了３１５９７倍,得率为０．３５％。ＳＤＳ－聚丙烯酰胺凝胶电泳后银染色呈１条蛋白着色带,分子量为５５ｋｄ。     

中国龙葵复合种细胞学分析和地理分布的研究

本文根据１５省３０余个县的实地考察,和对采自２５省的６６份中国龙葵种籽进行种植观察,并与国外的有关研究资料对比分析,在国内首次提出;（１）中国龙葵复合种的四个种,从低纬度到高纬度（１８．６－５３．５°Ｎ）,分别属于二倍体,四倍体和六倍体种;（２）从中国南方到北方,自然形成了二倍体,六倍体与二倍体交叉,六倍体与四倍体交叉三个地理分布区。     

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。