The Cold Box stem-loop proximal to the 5'-end of the Escherichia coli cspA gene stabilizes its mRNA at low temperature.

The 5'-end region of cspA mRNA contains a Cold Box sequence conserved among several cold-shock mRNAs. This region forms a stable stem-loop structure followed by an AU-rich sequence. Here we show that the Cold Box region is essential for the normal scale of cspA mRNA induction after cold shock because a deletion of the stem-loop significantly destabilizes the mRNA and reduces the cold shock-induced cspA mRNA amount by approximately 50%. The AU-rich track, however, slightly destabilizes the mRNA. The integrity of the stem is essential for the stabilizing function, whereas that of the loop sequence is less important. Overexpression of a mutant cspA mRNA devoid of both the AUG initiation codon and the coding sequence results in a severe growth inhibition at low temperature along with a derepression of the chromosomal cspA expression. Furthermore, the overexpressed RNA is stably associated with the 30 S and 70 S ribosomes. Our results demonstrate that the AUG initiation codon and the coding region containing the downstream box are not required for cspA mRNA to bind ribosomes and that the 5'-untranslated region by itself has a remarkable affinity to ribosomes at low temperature.     

Localized reversible frameshift mutation in an adhesin gene confers a phase-variable adherence phenotype in mycoplasma

The variable adherence-associated (Vaa) antigen of Mycoplasma hominis is an abundant surface lipoprotein adhesin that may mediate important interactions of this wall-less prokaryotic pathogen with the human host. Extensive mutational variation of Vaa size, as well as sequence and antigenic divergence, has been described previously. Using a series of clonal isolates representing an isogenic lineage of variants oscillating in Vaa expression, Vaa is further shown in this study to undergo high-frequency phase variation in expression, which correlated precisely with the ability of M . hominis to adhere to cultured human cells. Although no DNA rearrangements or sequence differences in the 5' regions flanking vaa alleles were detected between Vaa⁺ and Vaa⁻ variants, intragenic vaa sequences from this lineage revealed an oscillating mutation involving a single nucleotide deletion/insertion in a short tract of adenine residues near the 5' end of the mature Vaa coding sequence, which created a translational frameshift resulting in either a complete Vaa ORF or an in-frame UAG stop codon immediately downstream of the poly-A tract. Evidence for the occurrence of this high-frequency frameshift mutation in vivo was obtained from analysis of PCR-generated vaa sequences amplified from the joint synovial fluid of a patient with M . hominis -associated arthritis, which indicated that Vaa phase variation occurs during M . hominis infection in the natural host. These results identify a distinctive frameshift mutator element in the vaa gene that governs M . hominis adherence and highlight the importance of mutational alteration of primary gene products on the mycoplasma surface as a means of generating and maintaining functional diversity in the host.     

The role of lysolecithin in the relaxation of vascular smooth muscle

The effect of lysolecithin (lysophosphatidylcholine) on the relaxation of rabbit aortic strip closely resembled that produced by acetylcholine (ACh) which releases the endothelium-derived relaxing factor (EDRF). Relaxation induced by lysolecithin depended on the presence of endothelium and was inhibited by hemoglobin and methylene blue. It appeared to be mediated by the second messenger, c-GMP. Lysolecithin induced relaxation was slower but more persistent than that resulting from the endothelium-derived relaxing factor (EDRF) produced by acetylcholine (ACh). Like lysolecithin, Triton X-100, a non-ionic detergent, also preferentially relaxed aortic strips with intact endothelium. The results demonstrate the importance of phospholipids derived from cell membranes in vascular smooth muscle relaxation. Endothelium-derived relaxing factors appear as a group of heterogeneous substances.     

应用蛋白印迹法检测鼻咽癌病人血清中抗Epstein—Barr病毒IgA/EA抗体

曾毅等建立了一系列检测EB病毒IgA/VCA和IgA/EA抗体的鼻咽癌早期诊断方法,取得了满意的结果。为了进一步提高对鼻咽癌诊断更为特异的IgA/EA抗体的检出率,我们建立了检测EB病毒IgA/EA抗体的蛋白印迹法。方法敏感特异,结果令人满意。 本法中所用的两个质粒系由本实验室与西德Pettenkofer研究所Wolf教授的实验室合作构建。pUCARG1140和pUC9MBcE3.2质粒均为表达质粒,前者携带着来源于EB病毒Bam     

水生观赏植物的调查和研究

水生绿化观赏植物是美化园林水景的重要植物材料,作者通过几年的调查研究和引种栽培,提出了28种(其中荷花含18个品种,睡莲含20个品种)水生绿化观赏植物,同时介绍了20种(其中荷花含6个品种)观赏价值较高的水生绿化观赏植物。     

青龙河底栖无脊椎动物群落结构及其水质评价

本文论述了青龙河底栖生物种类、数量、分布和结构等特点及其与环境因子间的关系。应用Beck、Gleason、Shannon、Simpson等生物指数对水质状况进行评价。结果表明青龙河除个别断面受污染外,大部分河段属尚清洁水。     

芸苔属脱外壁花粉的分离与人工萌发

芸苔属青菜（Ｂｒａｓｓｉｃａ ｃｈｉｎｅｎｓｉｓ）与紫菜苔（Ｂ． ｃａｍ ｐｅｓｔｒｉｓｖａｒ． ｐｕｒｐｕｒｅａ）的花粉经低温水合、热激、渗激三步程序,分离出大量具萌发能力的脱外壁花粉,脱外壁率可高达６０％ 以上。在含有碳源与氮源及Ｒｏｂｅｒｔｓ培养基盐成分的碱性ＰＥＧ 培养基中,首次使芸苔属脱外壁花粉萌发,萌发率可达３３％ ～４１％ 。在扫描电镜下观察了花粉脱外壁与萌发的过程。讨论了不同植物花粉脱外壁的方法与花粉壁生物学特点的对应关系,以及外壁对花粉萌发的可能作用