Mutagenic specificity of N-acetoxy-3-aminobenzanthrone, a major metabolically activated form of 3-nitrobenzanthrone, in shuttle vector plasmids propagated in human cells

3-Nitrobenzanthrone (3-NBA) is a potent environmental mutagen and a potential human carcinogen present in diesel exhaust and airborne particulates. N-acetoxy-3-aminobenzanthrone (N-Aco-ABA) has been shown to be a major reactive metabolite of 3-NBA, which mainly produces adducts with guanine and adenine in cellular DNA. Here we analyzed mutations induced by N-Aco-ABA using supF shuttle vector plasmids to elucidate the mutagenic specificity of 3-NBA in human cells. Base sequence analysis of more than 100 plasmids with supF mutations induced in wildtype and DNA repair-deficient XP cells revealed that the major mutation was base substitutions of which the majority (42 and 38%, respectively) were G:C to T:A transversions. The next major mutation was G:C to A:T and A:T to G:C base substitutions in wildtype and XP cells, respectively. The DNA polymerase stop assay using N-Aco-ABA-treated plasmids as a template showed that most stop signals, i.e., adducted sites, appeared at G:C sites. These results suggest that N-Aco-ABA binds preferably to guanine rather than adenine, and adducted adenine is repaired more efficiently by the nucleotide excision repair. Error-prone DNA polymerases could insert adenine at sites opposite to N-Aco-ABA-adducted guanine, which leads to G:C to T:A transversion. These findings could be very important to evaluate the human lung cancer risk of environmental 3-NBA.     

高温胁迫对水稻花粉粒性状及花药显微结构的影响

对两个耐热性不同的水稻品系进行高温处理(8:00～17:00,37℃,17:00～8:00,30℃),测定了高温胁迫对水稻花粉粒性状及花药显微结构的影响.结果表明,高温胁迫导致花药开裂、花粉活力、花粉萌发率和柱头上花粉粒数的显著下降,花粉粒直径增大.高温下耐热品系996的花药开裂、花粉活力、花粉萌发率和柱头上花粉粒数明显高于热敏感品系4628,这表明耐热品系996在高温胁迫条件下能保持较好地花粉散落特性和花粉萌发特性,是其耐热性的生理基础;高温下耐热品系996的花药壁的表皮细胞排列较整齐,细胞间隙小;药隔维管束较大,维管束鞘细胞排列整齐,簿壁细胞多且排列整齐,木质部和韧皮部清楚可见;而热敏感品系4628花药壁的表皮细胞形状不规则,排列疏松,细胞间隙大,药隔维管组织受到很大程度破坏,维管束鞘细胞形状异常,排列紊乱,木质部和韧皮部界限不清.     

Second-harmonic generation from organic molecules incorporated in sol-gel matrices

Orientation of optically nonlinear organic molecules inside sol-gel matrices upon application of an external D.C. electrical field is demonstrated for the first time. The quadratic nonlinear response of silicon oxide or transition metal oxide based gels containing organic molecules has been determined from Electric Field Induced Second Harmonic (EFISH) measurements. Large concentrations of Optically Nonlinear Organic Molecules (ONOM) have been either incorporated inside the macromolecular network or chemically bonded to the oxide backbone of the gels. These results demonstrate the feasibility of permanently poled doped sol-gel matrices. Moreover, EFISH measurements performed on organic molecules appear to be a useful tool for monitoring the changes occurring during sol-gel transformations.     

隔山消化学成分的研究

从隔山消的石油醚部分分离得到6个芳香类化合物，分别鉴定为2，4-二羟基苯乙酮（1-（2，4-dihy—droxph—enyl）ethanone，1）、奎乙酰苯（acetylquinol，2）、对羟基苯乙酮（1-（4-hydroxyphenyl）ethanone，3）、4-羟基-3-甲氧基苯乙酮（1-（4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl）ethanone，4）、2，4-二羟基-5-甲氧基苯乙酮（1-（2，4-dihydroxy-5-methoxyphenyl）ethanone，5）、3-羟基4-甲氧基苯甲酸（3-hydroxy-4-methoxy—benzoicacid，6）。除化合物2外，其余5个化合物均首次从该植物中分离得到。     

Analysis of DNA adducts by accelerator mass spectrometry in human breast tissue after administration of 2-amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5-b]pyridine and benzo[a]pyrene

Epidemiological evidence has suggested an association between meat consumption and the risk of breast cancer. 2-Amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5-b]pyridine (PhIP), a heterocyclic amine found in cooked meat, has been implicated in the aetiology of breast cancer and has been shown to induce tumour formation in rodent mammary glands. In addition, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, such as benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P) which has also been shown to induce tumour formation at a number of sites in rodents including the breast, are produced during the cooking of meat through the pyrolysis of fats. The aim of this study was to examine the bioavailability of these compounds to human breast tissue and their ability to bind to DNA to form DNA adducts. Patients undergoing breast surgery at York District Hospital were orally administered prior to surgery a capsule containing 20 μg of ¹⁴C PhIP (182 kBq, specific activity 2.05 GBq/mmol) or 5 μg of ¹⁴C B[a]P (36 kBq, specific activity 1.81 GBq/mmol). At surgery, normal and tumour breast tissue was resected and tissue concentrations of carcinogen measured by liquid scintillation counting and DNA adduct levels by accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) were subsequently determined. It was found that both ¹⁴C PhIP and ¹⁴C B[a]P were able to reach the target organ where they had the ability to form DNA adducts. The level of adducts ranged from 26.22–477.35 and 6.61–208.38 adducts/10¹² nucleotides following administration of ¹⁴C PhIP and ¹⁴C B[a]P, respectively, with no significant difference observed between levels in normal or tumour tissue. In addition, the data obtained in this study were comparable to adduct levels previously found in colon samples following administration of the same compounds to individuals undergoing colorectal surgery. This is the first report that these two carcinogens bind to human breast DNA after administration of a defined low dose.     

Microsatellite markers for population studies of the rice blast fungus,Magnaporthe grisea

We developed nine new microsatellite markers for rice blast (Magnaporthe grisea) population studies. These markers were used in addition to nine microsatellite markers previously developed by our group for mapping purpose. Altogether, the 18 markers were used in multiplex PCR (polymerase chain reaction) to characterize six populations from different geographical origins. The average number of alleles per locus across populations ranged from 1.2 to 7 and the total number of alleles detected from 2 to 19. Based on this large range of polymorphism, this set of markers is expected to be useful for different kind of population studies at different geographical scales.     

辽宁和江苏两省杂草稻植物性状多样性

辽宁和江苏两省是我国杂草稻(Oryza sativa f. spontanea)发生最为严重的地区之一, 为明确两省杂草稻识别特征和类型, 我们在两省14个市29个样点采集样品, 与当地栽培水稻品种一并在南京种植, 观测了营养生长期和生殖生长期的23个植物性状。结果表明, 两省杂草稻在营养生长期的1月株高、1月和2月分蘖数, 在生殖生长期的果皮色、谷粒长/宽比、百粒重、落粒性、秆硬度、剑叶宽、剑叶长、有效穗数、50%黄熟、50%黄熟–50%抽穗和全黄熟等性状与相应的当地栽培稻存在差异；主成分1和主成分2组成的二维散点图(累计贡献率达43.24%)也显示出两省杂草稻间以及与栽培稻间的差异性。采用欧氏距离对两省杂草稻进行系统聚类可以将杂草稻分为籼型和粳型。其中辽宁省杂草稻全部聚在粳型类群中, 它们又可细分为两类; 江苏省杂草稻既有粳型, 又有籼型, 其中粳型与辽宁省杂草稻聚在粳型类群中, 籼型又可分为3类。这6个类群分别具有如下突出特点: 第1类为强落粒、粒轻、秆矮、早熟、偏粳等; 第2类为无芒、穗多、强休眠、剑叶窄、偏粳等; 第3类为长芒、弱分蘖、穗少、弱落粒、偏粳等; 第4类为硬秆、剑叶宽、迟熟、强休眠、偏籼等; 第5类为红果皮、粒长、软秆、粒重、偏籼等; 第6类为无芒、株高、穗长、剑叶长、偏籼等。上述杂草稻的形态学指标和类型的研究将为两省开展杂草稻危害防治工作提供理论依据。     

稻绿核菌(稻曲病菌)分离方法的比较研究

作者对不同情况下稻曲病菌的分离方法进行了比较研究。结果表明成熟早期稻曲球上的绝大多数新鲜的厚垣孢子具有萌发能力,及时进行分离培养是病原菌成功分离的关键。随保存时间的延长,厚垣孢子萌发能力急剧下降;消毒处理可杀死大部分的厚垣孢子。菌核可长期保存并保持极高的萌发生长能力,是稻曲病菌分离最为理想的材料。稻曲球中部的致密菌丝组织分离难度较大,只能作为稻曲病菌分离的一种补救方法。     

The Structure of Detoxin D1

The structure of detoxin D₁, one of the main active principles of detoxio complex, has been established on the basis of the degradative studies and spectral evidences as depicted in formula (I).

Detoxin D₁ has been demonstrated to belong to a new class of the depsipeptide contained an amino acid designated detoxinine which was newly isolated as a natural product.