Electric pulses to prepare feeder cells for sustaining and culturing of undifferentiated embryonic stem cells

Current challenges in embryonic-stem cell (ESC) research include the inability of sustaining and culturing of undifferentiated ESCs over time. Growth-arrested feeder cells are essential to the culture and sustaining of undifferentiated ESCs, and they are currently prepared using gamma-radiation and chemical inactivation. Both techniques have severe limitations. In this study, we developed a new, simple and effective technique (pulsed electric fields, PEFs) to produce viable growth-arrested cells (RTS34st) and used them as high-quality feeder cells to culture and sustain undifferentiated zebrafish ESCs over time. The cells were exposed to 25 sequential 10-ns electric pulses (10nsEPs) of 25, 40 and 150 kV/cm with 1-s pulse interval, or 2 sequential 50-μs electric pulses (50μsEPs) of 2.83, 1.78 and 0.78 kV/cm with 5-s pulse interval, respectively. We found that the cellular effects of PEFs depended directly upon the duration, number and electric field strength of the pulses, showing the feasibility of tuning them to produce various types of growth-arrested cells for culturing undifferentiated ESCs. Both 10nsEPs of 40 kV/cm produced by a 10nsEP generator and 50μsEPs of 1.78 kV/cm provided by inexpensive and widely available conventional electroporators, generated high-quality growth-arrested feeder cells for proliferation of undifferentiated ESCs over time. PEFs can therefore be used to replace radiation and chemical inactivation methods for preparation of growth-arrested feeder cells for advancing ESC research.     

Synthesis,biological activity and tubulin binding poses of 1-deoxy-9-(R)-dihydrotaxane analogs

1-Deoxy-9α-dihydrotaxane analogs 9 and 10 were semi-synthesized from 1-deoxybaccatin VI, isolated from Taxus mairei, and tested for cytotoxic activity. Taxane 9 is 10-fold less cytotoxic than paclitaxel, while 10 is equally active. In the tubulin polymerization assay (ED₅₀ values), 10 is 4-fold less effective than paclitaxel, but 3-fold superior to 9. These observations can be explained by analysis of the corresponding taxane/β-tubulin complexes.     

Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphism (AFLP) Provides Molecular Markers for the Identification of Caladium bicolor Cultivars

Caladiums are popular ornamental plants that have not been wellstudied at the molecular level. Identification of species withinthe genus Caladium (Araceae) has been based primarily on morphology.However, the lack of comprehensive references makes identificationof Caladium cultivars extremely difficult. Amplified fragmentlength polymorphism (AFLP) analysis using 17 primer combinationswas carried out on two species of Caladium (C. bicolor and C.schomburgkii), including six cultivars of C. bicolor. Resultsshowed that AFLP can be used to distinguish these two speciesby their unique and different banding patterns. Unweighted PairGroup Method using Arithmetic Averages (UPGMA) permitted clusteranalysis of data from 17 selected primer combinations on sixcultivars of C. bicolor and one cultivar ofC. schomburgkii .It showed that closely related species can clearly be differentiatedand that genetic difference between cultivars can also be established.Unique AFLP molecular markers were detected for all the C. bicolorcultivars used. The use of AFLP has potential for preciselycharacterizing and identifying particular caladium cultivarsas well as for the registration of new cultivars. It will alsobe useful in future breeding programmes and systematics studies.Copyright 1999 Annals of Botany Company Araceae, Caladium species and cultivars, AFLP DNA fingerprinting, diversity, AFLP markers.     

中华须鳗嗅觉器官形态学观察

利用光学显微镜和扫描电镜观察了10尾不同体长中华须鳗嗅觉器官的结构.结果表明:中华须鳗嗅囊呈楔型;嗅囊膜和嗅囊腹面的透明膜共同围成嗅囊腔;嗅囊长径与眼径的平均比值为2.2倍;每侧嗅囊嗅板数变化范围在30～44之间;嗅板远轴端有一纤毛和嗅孔密集的舌状游离突;嗅板上皮纤毛密集,纤毛细胞表现为3种类型:纤毛感觉细胞、纤毛非感觉细胞和微绒毛感觉细胞;纤毛非感觉细胞和微绒毛细胞也出现在嗅囊壁.嗅板上大量的纤毛表明,中华须鳗嗅囊的水动力机制应属嗅板纤毛搅动型(isosmates).除观察到嗅囊壁表面有两种类型的微嵴外,还首次在嗅板上观察到一种呈荸荠状的杆状细胞.     

唇受精卵的皮层反应及其引发机制

唇皮层小泡1-4层,在光镜和透射电镜下均具5种形态,由外及内,小泡内颗粒直径逐渐减少。在H．E染 色中,动物极低纬度区和精孔器附近的卵膜和质膜之间,具少量均匀的着色非常深的紫色斑点,与Ⅰ型皮层小泡内 容物形态结构相似,在透射电镜下,这些斑点和卵膜、质膜有明显的界限,其外没有包被膜相结构,我们称之皮层反 应引发斑,这是在鱼类受精卵中发现的一个新的结构。扫描电镜下,引发斑成絮状。引发斑对皮层反应的引发具 有重要作用。皮层反应可分为潜伏期、始发期、高潮期、衰退期四个时期,潜伏期没有皮层反应发生,始发期只是位 于受精卵外围的少量皮层小泡释放,高潮期为多个皮层小泡相互融合形成一个大的泡状体,泡状体再与质膜接触、 融合后,随后破裂,释放内容物,可分为两个阶段,衰退期释放Ⅴ型皮层小泡和其他残存的皮层小泡以及未完全降 解卵黄颗粒碎屑;皮层反应是由Ⅰ型皮层小泡和引发斑诱导的爆发性的链式反应,卵子外侧的皮层反应可以诱导 内侧皮层反应。皮层反应有两个起始区域,在受精后35s开始于动物极低纬度区,稍后出现在精孔器前庭附近,随 后在这两个始发区向四周扩散,并在前庭以外的区域愈合、打通。皮层小泡分批多次释放,质膜多次重组。精子入 卵位点附近没有皮层小泡,不发生皮层反应,这提示皮层反应对鱼类多精受精的抑制效应有限。     

S-腺苷甲硫氨酸的研究现状及应用前景

介绍了S-腺苷甲硫氨酸的制备方法及稳定性研究现状,并对其临床应用及市场前景进行了分析。     

植物富含亮氨酸重复序列型类受体蛋白激酶的生物学功能

介绍了植物富含亮氨酸重复序列(leucine-rich repeat,LRR)型类受体蛋白激酶概念、最近发现的这类蛋白激酶的亚结构域特征;总结了目前已确定其功能的LRR型类受体蛋白激酶,并分别阐述了它们在参与植物抗逆性反应、发育调控及激素的信号转导等过程中的生物学功能;着重介绍和讨论了LRR型类受体蛋白激酶复合物之间及其与下游成分KAPP之间互作而产生信号传递的分子机理.最后展望了LRR型类受体蛋白激酶生物学功能、信号转导机制、以及应用于生产实践的研究前景.     

生长素和赤霉素对离体水仙花茎切段伸长的影响

以离体水仙(Narcissustazettavar.chinensis)花茎切段为材料,通过外源吲哚-3-乙酸(Indole-3-aceticacid,IAA)和赤霉素A3(GA3)处理,结合内源激素分析,研究了这两种激素对水仙花茎切段伸长的影响,以及它们之间的相互作用。结果表明:外源50μmol/LIAA和30μmol/LGA3均能促进花茎切段的伸长,其中IAA的促进作用大于GA3。200μmol/L生长素运输抑制剂2,3,5-三碘苯甲酸(2,3,5-Triiodobenzoicacid,TIBA)和65μmol/L赤霉素合成抑制剂烯效唑(Uniconazole,S-3307)均显著抑制花茎切段的伸长。外源50μmol/LIAA处理明显增加内源GA1 3的含量,是对照的3.40倍;外源30μmol/LGA3处理对内源IAA含量影响不明显,说明IAA对维持花茎切段内源活性GA水平起重要作用,IAA和活性GA共同发挥调控花茎切段伸长的作用。