A Putative Calcium-Permeable Cyclic Nucleotide-Gated Channel, CNGC18, Regulates Polarized Pollen Tube Growth

A tip-focused Ca^2＋ gradient is tightly coupled to polarized pollen tube growth, and tip-localized influxes of extracellular Ca^2＋ are required for this process. However the molecular identity and regulation of the potential Ca^2＋ channels remains elusive. The present study has implicated CNGC18 （cyclic nucleotide-gated channel 18） in polarized pollen tube growth, because its overexpression induced wider and shorter pollen tubes. Moreover, CNGC18 overexpression induced depolarization of pollen tube growth was suppressed by lower extracellular calcium （[Ca^2＋]ex）. CNGC18-yellow fluorescence protein （YFP） was preferentially localized to the apparent post-Golgi vesicles and the plasma membrane （PM） in the apex of pollen tubes. The PM localization was affected by tip-localized ROP1 signaling. Expression of wild type ROP1 or an active form of ROP1 enhanced CNGC18-YFP localization to the apical region of the PM, whereas expression of RopGAP1 （a ROP1 deactivator） blocked the PM localization. These results support a role for PM-Iocalized CNGC18 in the regulation of polarized pollen tube growth through its potential function in the modulation of calcium influxes.     

The effect of light and phytochrome on 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic Acid metabolism in etiolated wheat seedling leaves

While light-grown wheat leaves produced ethylene at a low rate of <0.1 nanomoles per gram per hour and contained 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid (ACC) at low levels of <2.5 nanomoles per gram, etiolated wheat leaves produced ethylene at a rate of 2 nanomoles per gram per hour and accumulated concentrations of ACC at levels of 40 nanomoles per gram. Upon illumination of 8-day-old etiolated wheat seedlings with white light, the ethylene production rate increased initially, due to the activation of ethylene-forming activity, but subsequently declined to a low level (0.1 nanomoles per gram per hour) at the end of the 6-hour illumination. This light-induced decline in ethylene production rate resulted from a decline (more than 35 nanomoles per gram) in ACC level, which was accompanied by a corresponding increase in 1-(malonylamino)cyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid content. These data indicate that illumination promoted ACC malonylation, resulting in reduced ACC level and consequently reduced ethylene production. However, light did not cause any significant increase in the extractable ACC-malonyltransferase activity. The effect of continuous white light on promotion of ACC malonylation was also observed in intermittent white light or red light. A far-red light treatment following red light partially reversed the red light effect, indicating that phytochrome participates in the promotion of ACC malonylation.     

Distribution of heparinase covalently immobilized to agarose: Experimental and theoretical studies

An immobilized enzyme reactor has been developed to remove heparin, the anticoagulant that is required in all extracorporeal devices for patients undergoing open-heart surgery or kidney dialysis. The device uses the enzyme heparinase (EC 4.2.2.7), which is covalently linked to agarose with cyanogen bromide. A critical parameter in the development of a model for the degradation of heparin catalyzed by immobilized heparinase is the radial concentration profile of the enzyme within the agarose matrix. Experimental determinations of bound enzyme con centrations have been conducted previously for several enzyme systems using radioactive or fluorescent labels. For the development of the heparinase reactor it is necessary to use catalytically but not electrophoretically pure enzyme, and thus it is not possible to use the labeling techniques. To obtain information about the bound enzyme distribution, an experimental study of the intrinsic binding kinetics of heparinase to cyanogen bromide-activated agarose was conducted. The binding reaction was studied as a function of both the concentration of heparinase and the gel-reactive group. At conditions of functional group excess, the binding kinetics were pseudo first order in heparinase concentration with a rate constant equal to 0.12 C(c[triple chemical bond]n) (h(-1)), where C(c[triple chemical bond]n) is the gel-reactive group concentration. The reactive group concentration remained constant within the 2-4-h experiments. Competitive binding between heparinase and the protein contaminants was unimportant. A model was formulated for the immobilization procedure based on the diffusion of heparinase within the porous network and the binding kinetics as determined above. The model predicted the immobilization of heparinase to be kinetically controlled and the enzyme to distribute uniformly within the agarose matrix. These experimental techniques could be applied to predict the immobilized enzyme distribution for different enzyme systems that are not electrophoretically pure.     

Immobilized heparinase: In vitro reactor model

Heparinase immobilized to agarose has previously been shown to be useful in degrading heparin and thereby preventing thromboembolytic complications when this anticoagulant has been used in extracorporeal perfusions. The current study examined the kinetics of this immobilized enzyme. When heparinase is covalently bound to 8% agarose, the partition coefficient of heparin in the catalytic particle is 0.36 +/- 0.048 (N = 10). The immobilized enzyme has a K(m) of 0.15 +/- 0.03 mg/mL and an activation energy of 10.3 +/- 0.57 kcal/gmol (N = 5). These values are statistically indistinguishable from the values for the free enzyme. The immobilized enzyme showed a pH activity optimum between 7.0 and 7.4, compared to the optimum pH of 6.5 for the soluble enzyme. The activity optimum of immobilized heparinase with respect to salt concentration was between 0 and 0.1M. A reactor containing immobilized heparinase recirculating internally at 1300 mL/min behaved as a continuously stirred tank reactor (CSTR) when solutions at a flow rate of 120 mL/min were passed through the device. The residence time distribution was determined using blue dextran (molecular weight 2 x 10(6) daltons), which is sterically excluded from the agarose catalyst. A model of the heparinase reactor based on ideal CSTR behavior and the immobilized enzyme kinetic parameters was developed. It accurately predicted experimental conversions over a range of catalyst volumes, enzyme loadings, and substrate concentrations to within 7% in most cases and with a maximum deviation of 13%.     

红壳砂仁精油的化学成分

砂仁系姜科(Zingiberaceae)砂仁属植物,其成熟果实大多可入药,主要分布于热带、亚热带地区。本属植物绝大多数种类都含精油,尤以种子含精油最多,而其精油含量和化学组成又与它们的药效有密切关系。为寻找、评价和扩大砂仁的新药源,笔者对红壳砂仁(Amomum aurantiacum H. T. Tsai et S. W. Zhao)种仁精油化学成分作了初步的研究,共鉴定出13个成分,其中香叶醇、β—石竹烯、γ—木罗烯等9个成分尚未见报道,其主要化学成分为芳樟醇、橙花叔醇。     

Nonparametric confidence interval estimators for heritability and expected selection response

Statistical methods have not been described for comparing estimates of family-mean heritability (H) or expected selection response (R), nor have consistently valid methods been described for estimating R intervals. Nonparametric methods, e.g., delete-one jackknifing, may be used to estimate variances, intervals, and hypothesis test statistics in estimation problems where parametric methods are unsuitable, nonrobust, or undefinable. Our objective was to evaluate normal-approximation jackknife interval estimators for H and R using Monte Carlo simulation. Simulations were done using normally distributed within-family effects and normally, uniformly, and exponentially distributed between-family effects. Realized coverage probabilities for jackknife interval (2) and parametric interval (5) for H were not significantly different from stated probabilities when between-family effects were normally distributed. Coverages for jackknife intervals (3) and (4) for R were not significantly different from stated coverages when between-family effects were normally distributed. Coverages for interval (3) for R were occasionally significantly less than stated when between-family effects were uniformly or exponentially distributed. Coverages for interval (2) for H were occasionally significantly less than stated when between-family effects were exponentially distributed. Thus, intervals (3) and (4) for R and (2) for H were robust. Means of analysis of variance estimates of R were often significantly less than parametric values when the number of families evaluated was 60 or less. Means of analysis of variance estimates of H were consistently significantly less than parametric values. Means of jackknife estimates of H calculated from log transformed point estimates and R calculated from untransformed or log transformed point estimates were not significantly different from parametric values. Thus, jackknife estimators of H and R were unbiased. Delete-one jackknifing is a robust, versatile, and effective statistical method when applied to estimation problems involving variance functions. Jackknifing is especially valuable in hypothesis test estimation problems where the objective is comparing estimates from different populations.     

中国的角石蛾属昆虫(毛翅目:角石蛾科)

McLachlan(1866)根据采自印度北部阿萨姆Assam的一只雄虫,描述新种灰翅角石蛾Stcnopsyche griseipennis McLachlan并做为模式种,而建立角石蛾属StenopsycheMcLachlan,置于纹石蛾科Hydropsychidae.Ulmer(1907)将前人称之的纹石蛾科分为纹石蛾科(狭义),多距石蛾科Polycentropidae等翅石峨科Philopotomidae和管石蛾科Psychomyiidae。他根据角石蛾属有3个单眼和前足胫节有3个距而置于等翅石蛾科中;但角石蛾属在翅形、脉相、体躯大小和外生殖器等方面与等翅石蛾科的差别极为明显。Banks(1913)认为Ulmer所述的4科,仅能被认为是纹石蛾科中的4个亚科,他将角石     

豌豆根瘤侵染细胞衰老过程的电镜观察

用透射电镜观察了豌豆根瘤侵染细胞在衰老过程中的超微结构变化,结果表明,侵染细胞和拟菌体的衰老有一定的规律和特征,首先是一些包裹拟菌体的包囊变得疏松,包囊和拟菌体之间出现较大间隙,间隙中常有一些纤维状和泡状物质。然后,细胞质失去正常结构,逐渐凝聚为染色很深的团块,进而完全泡状化,伴随着拟菌体的衰老,寄主细胞质染色由深变浅,细胞器逐渐减少,最后,液泡和质膜相继破裂,细胞完全瓦解,有时在衰老细胞的胞间隙,或在衰老的细胞质中有一定年轻的细菌,甚至在一片崩溃的拟菌体中还有侵染丝,有的还正在向寄主细胞质释放细菌。     

白细胞介素的分子生物学研究

现代生化技术和分子克隆技术使白细胞介素(Interleukine,IL)的研究进入黄金时代。已经阐明六种IL的生物学功能和生化特性并建立了基因无性繁殖系。这些工作对于从理论上寻求免疫活性细胞相互调控的分子机制和探索自身免疫性疾病、免疫缺陷病和恶性肿瘤等难症的发病机理具有极大促进作用。基因重组白细胞介素(rIL)将成为前程无量的临床治疗用生物制剂。