Light-induced changes in the amounts of the 36000-Mr polypeptide of NADPH-protochlorophyllide oxidoreductase and its mRNA in barley plants grown under a diurnal light/dark cycle

Seedlings of barley were grown either in continuous darkness or under a diurnal 12 h light/12 h dark cycle and the effects on NADPH-protochlorophyllide oxidoreductase were followed at two different levels. Firstly, the relative content of the mRNA encoding the NADPH-protochlorophyllide oxidoreductase was measured by dot-blot hybridization. Secondly, changes in the enzyme polypeptide were monitored either by the method of immunoblotting or by immunogold labelling of ultrathin sections of Lowicryl-embedded leaf tissue. Our results demonstrate that drastic diurnal changes in the level of mRNA sequences and the enzyme protein are unlikely to occur in plants which have been grown under natural light/dark conditions. In the dark, protein and mRNA accumulation occurs at an early developmental stage. These results are difficult to reconcile with the suggestion that the massive accumulation of mRNA and enzyme protein in dark-grown seedlings is primarily the consequence of an artificially extended darkperiod. In addition to the plastid-specific NADPH-protochlorophyllide oxidoreductase a closely related polypeptide has been detected outside the plastid in the surrounding cytoplasm (Dehseh et al. 1986b, Planta 169, 172–183). During the diurnal light/dark treatment of seedlings the concentrations of the two protein populations did not show any variation indicative of an exchange between the two protein populations across the plastid envelope.Abbreviation poly(A)⁺RNA polyadenylated RNA     

Behavior of sperm nuclei in intact and bisected metaphase II mouse oocytes fertilized in the presence of colcemid

Our objective was to examine the developmental fate of sperm nuclei in oocytes fertilized under conditions of meiotic arrest. Therefore zona-free metaphase II oocytes and oocyte fragments (nucleate and anucleate) were fertilized in the presence of colcemid. In anucleate oocyte fragments, normal male pronuclei develop. In contrast, in intact oocytes and nucleate fragments sperm nuclei after initial decondensation undergo secondary condensation. This state is maintained as long as the oocytes are treated with colcemid. When the drug is removed 3 h after insemination, the meiotic spindle(s) is reconstructed, the second polar body(ies) is extruded, and a female pronucleus (or micronuclei) forms. At the same time the sperm nucleus decondenses again and transforms into a male pronucleus. In addition oocytes fertilized in the presence of colcemid could not be refertilized. These observations suggest that oocytes and oocyte fragments fertilized in the presence of colcemid undergo activation despite the failure of pronucleus formation. The inhibitory effect of colcemid on the formation of pronuclei is expressed only in the presence of oocyte chromosomes. We suggest that colcemid stabilizes factors responsible for chromosome condensation that are associated with oocyte chromosomes but not factors (whether the same or different) present in the cytoplasm.     

Reaction on alternating GC oligonucleotide templates

Summary The condensation reactions of activated nucleotides, ImpN or 2-MeImpN, with the selfcomplementary ribo-octanucleotide GCGCGCGC or with the partially self-complementary heptanucleotide GCGCGCG were studied. The templatedirected reaction of 2-meImpC with the heptamer yields the 3–5 octamer as the main product. All other reactions yield 2–5-linked octamers and pyrophosphates as major products. Surprisingly, 2-MeImpG facilitates the reaction of 2-MeImpC with the heptamer.Procedures for the analysis by gel electrophoresis of the oligomeric products obtained in reactions of this kind are described.     

Odor preference in honeybees as a function of amount of reward: Tests of two explanations

How does a foraging honeybee come to prefer a color or odor paired with the large of two amounts of sucrose solution to a color or odor paired with the smaller amount? One hypothesis is that the attractiveness of a color or odor is based on the strength of its association with the taste of sucrose, which increases with the duration of concurrent color-taste or odor-taste stimulation. Another hypothesis is that the attractiveness of a color or odor is based on association with the afferent consequences of feeding, which are different for the two amounts. Both hypotheses were tested in experiments on proboscis-extension conditioning, a technique that provides better control of stimulation than is possible in work with free-flying foragers. In Experiments 1–3, which were designed to test the first hypothesis, an odor that accompanied the ingestion of sucrose on training trials was found to elicit extension of the proboscis when subsequently it was presented alone, but the duration of concurrent stimulation had no significant effect on the probability or persistence of the response. In Experiments 4 and 5, which were designed to test the second hypothesis, an odor that immediately followed the ingestion of sucrose on training trials failed to elicit extension of the proboscis when subsequently it was presented alone. The results support neither hypothesis.     

多异瓢虫生物学的研究

多异瓢虫在山东省德州地区一年发生４代,部分个体５代,以成虫在杂草丛内、残枝落叶及土块下越冬。在自然变温下,卵、幼虫、预蛹、蛹、成虫产卵前期和全世代的发育始点和有效积温分别为１８．８±０．５２℃和１５．０日度、１６．９７±０．０３℃和７３．３日度、１５．９７±０．０１℃和１０．２３日度、１５．４７±０．０５℃和２３．０５日度、１７．６±０．０４℃和３４．１日度、１８．２±０．１０℃和１７０．３日度。据Ｈｏｌｉｎｇ圆盘方程测定,１─４龄幼虫和产卵前期成虫日最大捕食棉蚜量依次力６．７头、３６．４头、７７．５头、８１．３头和６８．０头。     

草鱼染色体的包装（间期—中期）

以草鱼ＺＣ７９０１细胞株为材料,观察鱼类细胞从间期染色质到中期染色体的包装过程。主要通过（１）分裂期与间期细胞融合,诱导染色体早熟凝集;（２）染色体“伸长”处理;（３）培养细胞的低渗处理;（４）染色质辅展等方法,制作染色体标本,进行扫描和透射电镜观察。观察表明,鱼类染色质的基本结构与哺乳类细胞相同,也是直径约１０ｎｍ的核丝。染色体的色装有两种形式：一种是多级螺旋化形成直径约３００ｎｍ的染色单体,     

Successful synthesis of a glial-specific blood–brain barrier shuttle peptide following a fragment condensation approach on a solid-phase resin

Successful manual synthesis of the TD2.2 peptide acting as a blood–brain barrier shuttle was achieved. TD2.2 was successfully synthesised by sequential condensation of four protected peptide fragments on solid-phase settings, after several unsuccessful attempts using the stepwise approach. These fragments were chosen to minimise the number of demanding amino acids (in terms of coupling, Fmoc removal) in each fragment that are expected to hamper the overall synthetic process. Thus, the hydrophobic amino acids as well as Arg(Pbf) were strategically spread over multiple fragments rather than having them congested in one fragment. This study shows how a peptide that shows big challenges in the synthesis using the common stepwise elongation methodology can be synthesised with an acceptable purity. It also emphasises that choosing the right fragment with certain amino acid constituents is key for a successful synthesis. It is worth highlighting that lower amounts of reagents were required to synthesise the final peptide with an identical purity to that obtained by the automatic synthesiser.     

Chemical probes for investigating protein liquid-liquid phase separation and aggregation

Protein liquid-liquid phase separation drives the dynamic assembly of membraneless organelles for fulfilling different physiological functions. Under diseased condition, protein may undergo liquid-to-solid condensation to form pathological amyloid aggregates closely associated with neurodegenerative diseases. Chemical probe serves as an important chemical tool not only for exploring the basic principle of the dynamic assembly of different protein condensates in vitro and in cell but also for clinical diagnosis and therapeutics of the related diseases. In this review, we first introduce chemical probes to image and regulate protein condensates. Then, we summarized three different categories of chemical probes including general amyloid dye, selective positron emission tomography tracer, and disaggregating binder, which feature distinct interaction pattern and activity upon binding to different pathological amyloid fibrillar aggregates. Next, we discuss the development of chemical probes for tracking protein amorphous aggregates in cells. Finally, we point out future direction in expanding the probes’ chemical space and applications.     

Cold-induced Chromosome Regions and Karyosystematics in Sambucus and Viburnum

The genera Viburnum, Sambucus and Lonicera have been investigated for chromosome number and karyomorphology including Giemsa-C-banding, fluorochrome (DAPI/CMA) banding and cold treatment. Cold-induced undercontracted chromosome regions (CIRs) are found in Viburnum and Sambucus for the first time and are apparently identical with larger hc regions, shown by Giemsa C-banding. Certain narrow C-bands are not cold-sensitive. CIRs frequently react brightly CMA-positive in Viburnum and Sambucus, while DAPI fluorescence is virtually ineffective. The occurrence of CIRs within plants is possibly linked to certain nuclear characters such as large chromosomes and continuous condensation behaviour. Cold-induction has possibly also some influence on euchromatin condensation characteristics in prophasic chromosomes. Several karyological characters point to a closer relationship between Viburnum, Sambucus and Adoxa: Relatively large chromosomes, continuous condensation behaviour, reticulate to semireticulate interphase nuclei and presence of CIRs. These genera appear isolated from Lonicera and the Caprifoliaceae s.str., which differ remarkably in karyomorphology.     

The function of type IV collagen during Drosophila embryogenesis

A collagen gene (Dcg1) was characterized in Drosophila melanogaster and shown to encode a peptide related to vertebrate basement membrane type IV collagen chains. To study the function of type IV collagen during Drosophila development, we transformed flies with a partially truncated Dcg1 gene under the control of a heat-shock promotor. This construct induced synthesis of shortened pro- chains which associated with normal ones and thereby caused degradation of the shortened and normal pro- chains through a process called pro-collagen suicide. A large proportion of embryos expressing the transgene developed a phenotype exhibiting absence or partial retraction of the germ band with defects in nerve cord condensation and dorsal closure. Together these results indicated that, during embryogenesis, type IV collagen was an essential guiding factor for cell-matrix interactions in morphogenetic events.