Benzyl adenine restores anthocyanin pigmentation in suspension cultures of wild Vaccinium pahalae

The overriding influence of cytokinin source on flavonoid production in vitro was explored using a suspension culture system for Vaccinium pahalae. The substitution of kinetin by 20 μM benzyl adenine (BA) in the suspension culture media resulted in a three-fold increase in total anthocyanin yield, and a more rapid production during the cell culture cycle. Anthocyanin production reached a maximum after a 16–20 day interval in cultures containing an optimal kinetin concentration, but pigment accumulation peaked at only 12–16 days when BA was used as the sole cytokinin source. Unlike some other production systems which increase secondary metabolite production at the expense of cell growth, BA-supplementation promoted both increased growth and increased anthocyanin productivity. In BA-supplemented medium, cultures were not susceptible to typical osmotically-induced cell growth suppression. When, after multiple subcultures in kinetin-containing media, anthocyanin production capability was lost or diminished, productivity could be restored within 3 days after transfer of cells to a BA-supplemented medium. This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

大孔吸附树脂纯化乌饭树树叶黑色素的研究

利用11种大孔吸附树脂对乌饭树树叶黑色素进行纯化分析,AB-8、NKA-9和S-8型大孔吸附树脂的静态吸附量和解吸率较高。由吸附与时间的关系曲线选择AB-8型大孔吸附树脂进行动态分析,得出最佳的纯化条件为:pH为5.05左右,溶液浓度为0.68~1.33 mg/mL,吸附流速为3 mL/min。使用7倍体积的95%乙醇解吸率可以超过95%。树脂使用三次后必须进行再生处理。     

越橘属植物克隆的体外繁殖

以美国引进的越橘属植物为材料,取其成龄植株的茎段或茎尖为外植体,培养在添加各种激素配比的改良WPM的培养基上,研究了影响克隆体外繁殖的因素,筛选离体最佳增殖和生根培养基及培养条件.结果表明:在改良WPM添加Zt 1.0 mg/L的增殖培养基上,增殖系数最大达50,在1/2WPM IBA 0.3 mg/L的生根培养基上生根率因外植体的基因型不同而有差异,可达到30%～70%.通过实验室的半无菌炼苗后,试管苗移栽到温室的成活率达60%.     

微波辅射提取乌饭树叶黑色素工艺的研究

在单因素试验的基础上,采用正交试验,以提取剂乙醇体积分数、固液比、微波功率、微波处理时间为因素,以色素溶液的吸光度为指标进行试验,得到最佳工艺参数:固液比为1:15(g:mL下同),提取液浓度为40%,微波功率300 W和辐照时间60 s.比传统的水提和有机溶液提取得率高很多.     

乌饭树（Vaccinium bracteatum Thunb.）的民族植物学

论述中国古人本草关于乌饭树（Vaccinium bracteatum THunb.)的名称与药效的记载以及现代对乌饭树及同属植物的研究和利用,认为乌饭树自古以来便是黑色保健食品的原料和滋补强壮药,从其枝叶中提天然黑色素用于保健事业值得进一步开发和利用。     

不同培养条件对南烛离体叶片不定芽再生的影响

以南烛( Vaccinium bracteatum Thunb.)组培苗离体叶片为实验材料,研究了不同培养条件对其不定芽再生状况的影响并筛选出最适培养条件。结果表明：基本培养基类型、生长调节剂种类及质量浓度、琼脂和蔗糖质量浓度、外植体类型、外植体接种方式和暗培养时间均对南烛离体叶片不定芽的出芽时间和再生率、外植体干枯率以及不定芽的生长状况有明显影响。南烛离体叶片不定芽再生的最佳培养条件为：以中脉横切2次的叶片为外植体,以近轴面面向培养基的方式接种;以1/2MS-1/2WPM为基本培养基,添加7.5 g·L-1琼脂、25.0 g·L-1蔗糖、0.5 mg·L-1 TDZ、5.0 mg·L-12ip或4.0 mg·L-1 ZT,暗培养21 d后转至光照度2000 lx、光照时间16 h·d-1的条件下培养。     

樟叶越桔细胞悬浮培养条件的优化

为了提高樟叶越桔(Vacciniumdunalianum)悬浮培养细胞的生物量,以樟叶越桔叶片愈伤组织为试材,通过单因素试验探究不同蔗糖浓度、培养基pH值、培养基体积、初始接种量和摇床转速对悬浮培养细胞生长的影响,并根据响应面法Box-Behnken试验设计原理进行组合试验以优化培养条件。结果显示,以改良WPM培养基为基础培养基,樟叶越桔细胞悬浮培养的最优条件为40 g·L^–1蔗糖、培养基pH5.2、培养基体积45 mL、初始接种量2.64 g和摇床转速为149 r·min^–1,其细胞生物量干重为0.184 4 g,与理论预测值0.184 5 g较为接近,且细胞的生长曲线呈S型。研究结果为樟叶越桔悬浮培养细胞次生代谢产物的生产调控奠定了技术基础。     

Effects of exogenous methyl jasmonate in elicited anthocyanin-producing cell cultures of ohelo (Vaccinium phalae)

Summary Elicitation of anthocyanin-producing cells of ohelo (Vaccinium pahalae) by both biotic (purified β-glucan and chitosan) and abiotic [sodium ferric ethylenediamine di-(o-hydroxyphenylacetate) FeEDDHA, and CuSO₄] elicitors resulted in significant enhancement of anthocyanin accumulation. Anthocyanin production increased up to 1.8 and 1.5-fold over the control in the presence of abiotic elicitors (90 μM FeEDDHA and 20 μM CuSO₄, respectively), and increased 1.9 and 1.6-fold in the presence of biotic elicitors (10 mg L⁻¹ β-glucan and 100 mg L⁻¹ chitosan). Maximum anthocyanin production with the two most effective elicitors was achieved when cultures were treated on Day 3 (β-glucan) or Day 0 (FeEDDHA) after the initiation of fresh cell cultures. A concentration-dependent response was exhibited by cultures treated with exogenous methyl jasmonate (MJ). The addition of 0.5 μM MJ alone provoked a 2–3-fold increase in anthocyanin production over that of the control; however, no additive effect on anthocyanin production was observed in any treatments which combined MJ and β-glucan or FeEDDHA. Conditioning of the cells with a preculture in either MJ, β-glucan, or FeEDDHA similarly did not enhance anthocyanin production. Inoculation of cultures elicited by MJ or β-glucan with ibuprofen, a reported inhibitor of jasmonate biosynthesis, dramatically stimulated, rather than inhibited, anthocyanin production, resulting in levels of accumulation beyond any of the tested elicitor combinations. Hypotheses for the observed influence of ibuprofen in this system are discussed.     

体外培养和冷冻保存对微囊化细胞生长和内皮抑素表达的影响

微囊化基因工程细胞移植治疗肿瘤是一种新兴的肿瘤治疗方法,如果将此技术应用到临床研究,就需要制备大量的细胞活性良好、重组蛋白表达量高的生物微胶囊。体外培养和冷冻保存是生物微胶囊制备过程中两个重要的环节,因此需要考察体外培养和冷冻保存对微囊化重组基因细胞生长和蛋白表达的影响。以重组CHO细胞为模型,考察了体外培养时间和冷冻保存对微囊化细胞在动物体内生长和内皮抑素表达的影响及体外培养时间对微囊化细胞冷冻保存的影响。结果表明:体外培养时间对微囊化细胞在动物体内生长、内皮抑素表达和微囊稳定性具有较大的影响,体外不培养和培养4d的微囊化细胞在小鼠腹腔内生长良好、内皮抑素表达量高,并且微囊稳定性好,而体外培养8d的微囊化细胞在移植后的第26天破裂。体外培养时间对微囊化细胞冷冻保存也具有较大的影响,体外培养4d和8d的微囊化细胞在液氮中冷冻保存40d,复苏后细胞生长良好、内皮抑素表达量高,而冻存前未经过体外培养的微囊化细胞,复苏后细胞几乎全部死亡。综上所述,生物微胶囊在体外比较适宜的培养时间为4d。并且冷冻保存对微囊化细胞在动物体内生长、内皮抑素表达和微囊稳定性没有显著的影响。     

Anthocyanins from Pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) and Their Role in Antioxidant Capacities in Vitro

As phytochemicals, anthocyanins are not only responsible for the diverse colors in nature, but are associated with broad-spectrum health-promoting effects for human beings. Pomegranate is abundant in anthocyanins which possess high antioxidant capacities. However, the pomegranate anthocyanins profile and their contributions to antioxidant capacities are not fully depicted. The purpose of this article is to review anthocyanins from pomegranate as important antioxidants. Total anthocyanin content (TAC) and six major components vary greatly with intrinsic and extrinsic factors. In pomegranate, anthocyanins mainly acted as primary antioxidants, while their action as secondary antioxidants were not conclusive. The antioxidant potentials of anthocyanins were significantly affected by factors especially chemical structure and detection assays in vitro. The current knowledge may provide insights into potential applications for pomegranate anthocyanins based on their antioxidant activities.     

Altered free calcium transients in pig kidney cells (LLC-PK1) cultured with penicillin/streptomycin

Summary The effect of a conventional antibiotic (penicillin/streptomycin) mixture on the widely used kidney epithelial cell line, LLC-PK₁, was investigated by measuring growth and intracellular free calcium. Free calcium concentration was the same in cells cultured for 3 to 7 wk with (“plus”) and without (“minus”) antibiotics both at rest and when challenged with high (14 mM) external calcium. When exposed to vasopressin, minus cells exhibited significantly smaller calcium transients than plus cells. A similar difference existed for transients elicited by a calcium ionophore, 4-br-A23187. After longer periods of culture (>20 wk), minus cells grew slower than plus cells but on reaching confluence (minus cells took 1 day longer) the morphologies and viabilities were indistinguishable. The finding that culture with penicillin/streptomycin reversibly modified some properties of LLC-PK₁ cells, at least partly through altered calcium homeostasis, is of importance for workers using this cell model to study drug effects and raises the general possibility of similar effects on other cultured cells.     

Effect of human oviductal epithelial cell cultural medium on cryopreserved human sperm survival

The human oviduct is known as a functional site for gamete transportation, retention, fertilization and zygote development. Previous studies have shown that human oviductal epithelial cell cultural medium (OECCM) has a positive effect on prolongation of sperm motility for some cryopreserved human sperm without cryodamage. However, for most cryopreserved sperm, OECCM could not improve their survival prolongation. In this study, we assessed the influence of human OECCM on the motility longevity of cryopreserved human sperm with an in vitro incubation method.     

Effects of hyaluronic acid in culture and cytochalasin B treatment before freezing on survival of cryopreserved bovine embryos produced in vitro

Summary One limitation to the widespread use of in vitro-produced embryos in cattle is their poor survival following cryopreservation. Two approaches for enhancing survival of in vitro-produced bovine embryos following cryopreservation were evaluated: culture in the presence of hyaluronic acid and alterations in the cytoskeleton through cytochalasin B treatment. The experiment was a 2×2 factorial design to test main effects of hyaluronic acid added to culture at day 5 after insemination (+or−) and cryopreservation treatment (control or cytochalasin B). Embryos used for cryopreservation were blastocysts and expanded blastocysts harvested on day 7 after insemination. Cytochalasin B increased the percent of embryos that re-expanded (P<0.0001) and that hatched following thawing (P<0.05). The hatching percent was 29.6% for embryos treated with cytochalasin B versus 9.1% for control embryos. There was no significant effect of hyaluronic acid on survival although there was a tendency for embryos cultured with hyaluronic acid to have higher percent hatching if not treated with cytochalasin B (12.7% for hyaluronic acid versus 4.5% for control; hyaluronic acid x cytochalasin B interaction; P=0.09). In conclusion, cytochalasin B treatment before freezing improved cryosurvival of bovine embryos produced in vitro. Such a treatment could be incorporated into methods for cryopreservation of bovine embryos provided post-transfer survival is adequate. In contrast, culture with hyaluronic acid was of minimal benefit—the increased cryosurvival in the absence of cytochalasin B was not sufficient to allow an adequate number of embryos to survive.     

A serum-free culture system for efficient in vitro production of bovine blastocysts with improved viability after freezing and thawing

The aim of this study was to evaluate whether two completely serum-free media (IVMD101 and IVD101) could improve the yield and quality of bovine blastocysts from in vitro matured and fertilized oocytes. The media were evaluated in the presence (IVMD101) or absence (IVD101) of bovine cumulus/granulosa cell (BCGC) cocultures. The proportion of embryos developing to the blastocyst stage in IVMD101 medium with BCGC cocultures (36.5%) and IVD101 medium without BCGC cocultures (37.1%) was significantly higher than in serum-supplemented medium (TCM199 + 5% calf serum) with BCGC cocultures (25.1%). Furthermore, the mean cell numbers per blastocyst on Day 7 developed in IVMD101 medium (179.5 cells) and IVD101 medium (177.1 cells) were greater than in the serum-supplemented medium (145.7 cells). The survival rates of blastocysts derived in IVMD101 medium (73.3%) and IVD101 medium (60.0%) based on hatching after 72 h of post-thaw culture were superior to that of blastocysts derived in the serum-supplemented medium (48.1%). Under microscopic observation, bovine blastocysts derived in the serum-supplemented medium showed abundant lipid droplets, largely into the trophectoderm cells. This morphological difference may partly explain the sensitivity of serum-derived embryos after freezing and thawing. In conclusion, these new serum-free culture media are useful, not only to study the mechanisms of early embryogenesis, but also for mass production of good quality embryos for embryo transfer, cloning and transgenesis. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

樟叶越桔熊果苷合成酶基因VdAS1的克隆及序列分析?

根据樟叶越桔( Vaccinium dunalianum)叶芽转录组测序获得的熊果苷合成酶基因VdAS1部分EST序列设计引物,结合RACE￣PCR技术获得VdAS1基因全长1577 bp cDNA序列。其完整的开放阅读框推测编码由475个氨基酸残基组成的VdAS1蛋白,理论相对分子量为52?22 kD,等电点pI＝5?74,负电荷残基( Asp＋Glu)总数为53个,正电荷残基( Arg＋Lys)总数为45个,不稳定系数为37?93,属稳定性蛋白质。生物信息学分析表明VdAS1与枸杞的糖基转移酶相似率高达74％,其二级结构主要构件为α￣螺旋和随机卷曲,不存在跨膜区,属于亲水性蛋白质,并结合信号肽预测结果推测VdAS1直接锚定在细胞基质中行使功能。该研究为后期VdAS1的异源表达和功能研究奠定了基础。     

Pigment cells trigger the onset of gastrulation in tropical sea urchin Echinometra mathaei

In the tropical sea urchin Echinometra mathaei, pigment cells are just detectable before the onset of gastrulation, owing to an early accumulation of red pigment granules. Taking advantage of this feature, behavior of pigment cells was studied in relation to the processes of gastrulation. Before the initiation of primary invagination, pigment cells were arranged in a hemi-circle in the dorsal half of the vegetal plate. Inward bending of the vegetal plate first occurred at the position occupied by pigment cells, while the bending was not conspicuous in the ventral half of the blastopore. Rhodamine-phalloidin staining showed that actin filaments were abundant at the apical corticies of pigment cells. It was also found that the onset of gastrulation was considerably delayed in the NiCl2-treated embryos, in which pigment cells were drastically reduced in number. It is notable that the NiCl2-treated embryos began to gastrulate on schedule if they contained a number of pigment cells in spite of treatment. This shows that pigment cells are the bottle cells that trigger the onset of gastrulation. In the embryos devoid of pigment cells, a short stub-like gut rudiment formed in a delayed fashion, and several secondary mesenchyme cells (SMC) appeared at the tip of the rudiment and elongated gradually until its tip reached the apical plate. This observation suggests that the SMC that pull the gut rudiment upward are not pigment cells but blastocoelar cells, because pigment cells change their fate to blastocoelar cells upon NiCl2-treatment.     

Allozyme evidence for genetic autopolyploidy and high genetic diversity in tetraploid cranberry, Vaccinium oxycoccos (Ericaceae)

Polyploidy has been important in the evolution of angiosperms and may significantly affect population genetic diversity and structure. Nineteen isoenzyme loci were studied in diploid and tetraploid populations of Vaccinium oxycoccos (Ericaceae), and the results are compared with data previously reported for the related V. macrocarpon. Diploid V. oxycoccos and V. macrocarpon were readily discriminated based on their allozymic variation. No evidence for fixed heterozygosity was found in tetraploid V. oxycoccos. In contrast, all polymorphic loci exhibited both balanced and unbalanced heterozygotes, with some individuals exhibiting a pattern consistent with the presence of three alleles. These results support an autopolyploid origin for tetraploid V. oxycoccos. However, tetraploid V. oxycoccos possessed a suite of alleles not found in diploid V. oxycoccos; half of these alleles were shared with V. macrocarpon. This suggests that autotetraploid V. oxycoccos may have undergone hybridization with V. macrocarpon or that the autotetraploid retained the genetic variation present in an ancestral diploid species. Following theoretical expectations, proportion of polymorphic loci, mean number of alleles, and observed heterozygosity were significantly higher for the autotetraploid than for the diploid. Mean inbreeding (F(IS)) was similar for diploid and tetraploid V. oxycoccos. The latter exhibited population differentiation (F(ST)) exceeding both diploid species.     

Effects of cryopreservation at various temperatures on the survival of kelp grouper (Epinephelus moara) embryos from fertilization with cryopreserved sperm

Fish embryo cryopreservation is highly important for the long-term preservation of genomic and genetic information; however, few successful cases of fish embryo cryopreservation have been reported over the past 60 years. This is the first study to use Epinephelus moara embryos from fertilization with cryopreserved sperm as experimental material. Embryos that developed to the 16–22 somite stage and tail-bud stage were treated with the vitrification solution PMG3T according to a five-step equilibration method and cryopreserved at various temperatures and storage duration. Only 19.9 ± 9.2% of 16–22 somite stage embryos and 1.3 ± 1.1% of tail-bud stage embryos survived when cooled at 4 °C for 60 min. In total, 8.0 ± 3.0% of 16–22 somite stage embryos survived when cooled at −25.7 °C for 30 min, 22.4 ± 4.7% of tail-bud stage embryos survived after 45 min of cooling at −25.7 °C, and none survived after 60 min. Only 2.0 ± 2.7% of embryos survived when cryopreserved at −140 °C for 20 min. However, 9.7% of tail-bud stage embryos survived after cryopreservation in liquid nitrogen (−196 °C) for 2 h. Most surviving embryos developed normally. Embryonic volume decreased and spherical segments appeared when embryos were treated with higher concentrations of vitrification solution. Additionally, the volume recovered gradually after rinsing with sucrose and seawater. This is the first estimate of the survival of E. moara embryos and larvae after cryopreservation. These findings provide a foundation for further explorations of fish embryo cryopreservation techniques.     

Production of quail (Coturnix japonica) germline chimeras derived from in vitro-cultured gonadal primordial germ cells

A previous report from our laboratory documented successful production of quail (Coturnix japonica) germline chimeras by transfer of gonadal primordial germ cells (gPGCs). Subsequently, this study was designed to evaluate whether gPGCs can be maintained in vitro for extended period, and furthermore, these cultured PGCs can induce germline transmission after transfer into recipient embryos. In experiment 1, gonadal cells from the two strains (wild-type plumage (WP) and black (D) quail) were cultured in vitro for 10 days. Using antibody QCR1, we detected a continuous, significant (P = 0.0002) increase in the number of WP, but not D, PGCs. QCR1-positive WP colonies began to form after 7 days in culture. On Day 10 of culture, 803 WP PGCs were present as a result of a continuous increase, whereas no D PGC colonies could be detected and the D gonadal stroma cells were rolled up. Differences in the PGCs or the gonadal stroma cells of the two different strains might account for these differences. In experiment 2, WP PGC colonies were maintained in vitro up to Day 20 of culture, and 10- or 20-day-cultured PGCs were microinjected into dorsal aortas of 181 recipient D embryos. Thirty-five (19.3%) of the transplanted embryos hatched after incubation, and 25 (71.4%) of the hatchlings reached sexual maturity. Testcrossing of the sexually mature hatchlings resulted in three (10 days, 33.3%) and eight (20 days, 50.0%) germline chimeras respectively. This report is the first to describe successful production of germline chimera by transfer of in vitro-cultured gPGCs in quail.