Variability in plant fitness influences range expansion of Leptospermum scoparium

A reciprocal transplant experiment was conducted to uncouple genetic and environmental effects on plant fitness of a range-expanding indigenous shrub, Leptospermum scoparium . Patterns of encroachment differed significantly between three regions of Eucalyptus camaldulensis woodland in the Grampians National Park, south-eastern Australia, with greater shrub densities found in the Victoria Valley region. Higher shrub densities in this region are likely due to greater fruit production/shrub, increased field germination and increased early seedling survival. The results of the reciprocal transplant experiment showed increased fitness appears to be due to phenotypic plasticity in response to favourable environmental conditions rather than genotypic variation. Field germination and seedling survival were influenced by region of planting and not seed origin. However, differences in shoot length and biomass of seedlings between the regions were detected after five months of growth in uniform conditions which may indicate genetic differentiation. The results, however, suggest range expansion is partly due to increased plant fitness which is likely a plastic response to favourable environmental conditions, especially soil moisture.     

Involvement of ethylene in the abscission of flowers and petals of Leptospermum scoparium

The growth of cotyledons and primary leaves of I-day-old Sinapis alba L. plants were studied under various light conditions and action spectra produced. For both responses blue and red light are most effective and a strong fluence rate dependency can be observed. The red light effect appears to be mediated through phytochrome, that of blue light being due to a separate blue light receptor, although this receptor requires the presence of far-red absorbing phytochrome (P_fr) in order to be effective.     

Essential oils from New Zealand manuka: triketone and other chemotypes of Leptospermum scoparium

The triketone chemotype of manuka, Leptospermum scoparium (Myrtaceae), is commercially important because of its antimicrobial activity. Oils from 36 individual plants on the East Cape of New Zealand all showed similar high triketone contents (>20% total triketones) with little seasonal variation. Analyses of oils from 261 individual manuka plants collected from 87 sites throughout New Zealand showed that the high triketone chemotype was localised on the East Cape, although oils with triketone levels up to 20% were found in the Marlborough Sounds area of the South Island. Cluster analysis revealed other chemotypes localised on other areas. Ten further chemotypes are described: alpha-pinene; sesquiterpene-rich with high myrcene; sesquiterpene-rich with elevated caryophyllene and humulene; sesquiterpene-rich with an unidentified sesquiterpene hydrocarbon; high geranyl acetate; sesquiterpene-rich with high gamma-ylangene + alpha-copaene and elevated triketones; sesquiterpene-rich with no distinctive components; sesquiterpene-rich with high trans-methyl cinnamate; high linalol; and sesquiterpene-rich with elevated elemene and selinene. Some of the chemotypes contained aroma compounds at relatively high levels, with a geranyl acetate-rich oil being most notable. Possible origins for this complex array of chemotypes are proposed.     

Chromium-51 labeling of sheep red blood cells.

The failure of sheep red blood cells (RBCs) labeled with Chromium-51 (Cr-51) using the ascorbic acid technique to act as a suitable intravascular marker of blood volume in a septic sheep model prompted us to investigate the technique of radiolabeling sheep erythrocytes with this isotope. Consequently, we studied thirteen sheep in which the labeling efficiency of Cr-51 as sodium chromate and hemoglobin typing was determined for each animal. Mean Cr-51 labeling efficiency of sheep RBCs was 67.5% (n = 13). Although 5 of the 13 sheep were discovered to have two types of hemoglobin (Hb) as determined by electrophoresis, overall labeling efficiency of sheep RBCs was determined to be independent of the type of hemoglobin present. However, when two types of Hb were present (Hb-A and Hb-B), Cr-51 had a higher affinity for Hb-B (80%) than Hb-A (20%) even though both Hb types are present in similar proportions (Hb-A = 53%, Hb-B = 46%). The results of this study indicate that sheep RBCs express a lower labeling efficiency for Cr-51 than do human RBCs and that Cr-51 has a higher affinity for Hb-B than for Hb-A when both hemoglobin types are present. This difference is noteworthy when interpreting Cr-51 RBC data in experimental sheep models. Furthermore, caution should be exercised when extrapolating established human protocols to animal models.     

Isolation by HPLC and characterisation of the bioactive fraction of New Zealand manuka (Leptospermum scoparium) honey

Using HPLC a fraction of New Zealand manuka honey has been isolated, which gives rise to the non-peroxide antibacterial activity. This fraction proved to be methylglyoxal, a highly reactive precursor in the formation of advanced glycation endproducts (AGEs). Methylglyoxal concentrations in 49 manuka and 34 non-manuka honey samples were determined using a direct detection method and compared with values obtained using standard o-phenylenediamine derivatisation. Concentrations obtained using both the methods were similar and varied from 38 to 828 mg/kg.     

Tetrodotoxin-sensitive protein in the extracts from excitable tissues

The sodium permeability of liposomes preincubated with the soluble fraction of brain and heart muscle homogenates was increased veratrine. The veratrine increment was decreased by tetrodotoxin. The effect was specific for the extracts from excitable tissues. Bovine serum and soluble fraction of liver homogenate induced neither veratrine- nor tetrodotoxin-sensitivity of the liposomes. Treatment of the excitable tissue extracts by pronase and heat denaturation caused their complete inactivation. Tetrodotoxin-sensitive factor could be fractionated by ammonium sulfate precipitation and by DEAE-Servacel chromatography. On a column of Sephadex G-200 it was eluted with the void volume. It is suggested that the tetrodotoxin-sensitive factor is a protein which could be a soluble precursor of the voltage-dependent sodium channels.     

Triplex-induced recombination in human cell-free extracts. Dependence on XPA and HsRad51

Triple helix-forming oligonucleotides (TFOs) can bind to polypurine/polypyrimidine regions in DNA in a sequence-specific manner. Triple helix formation has been shown to stimulate recombination in mammalian cells in both episomal and chromosomal targets containing direct repeat sequences. Bifunctional oligonucleotides consisting of a recombination donor domain tethered to a TFO domain were found to mediate site-specific recombination in an intracellular SV40 vector target. To elucidate the mechanism of triplex-induced recombination, we have examined the ability of intermolecular triplexes to provoke recombination within plasmid substrates in human cell-free extracts. An assay for reversion of a point mutation in the supFG1 gene in the plasmid pSupFG1/G144C was established in which recombination in the extracts was detected upon transformation into indicator bacteria. A bifunctional oligonucleotide containing a 30-nucleotide TFO domain linked to a 40-nucleotide donor domain was found to mediate gene correction in vitro at a frequency of 46 x 10(-)5, at least 20-fold above background and over 4-fold greater than the donor segment alone. Physical linkage of the TFO to the donor was unnecessary, as co-mixture of separate TFO and donor segments also yielded elevated gene correction frequencies. When the recombination and repair proteins HsRad51 and XPA were depleted from the extracts using specific antibodies, the triplex-induced recombination was diminished, but was either partially or completely restored upon supplementation with the purified HsRad51 or XPA proteins, respectively. These results establish that triplex-induced, intermolecular recombination between plasmid targets and short fragments of homologous DNA can be detected in human cell extracts and that this process is dependent on both XPA and HsRad51.     

Acylase distribution in animal and human tissues

Distribution of acylase in different tissues of nine species of animals was studied. The following types of nitrogen elimination were distinguished: ammoniatelic (fish), uricotelic (birds) and uriotelic (amphibians, mammalians). The enzymic activity was estimated in the tissues of the brain, lung, muscle, liver, kidney, spleen, pancreas, small intestine and blood serum. The acylase activity was found in the kidney, liver and pancreas. Its level in the kidney increases with the animal weight growth, the enzyme activity being observed only in the cortical layer.     

西北荒漠带花棒根际丛枝菌根真菌生态地理分布

2015年7月, 沿荒漠植物花棒(Hedysarum scoparium)天然分布带, 在内蒙古、宁夏、甘肃选取7个典型样地, 采集花棒根际0-30 cm土层样品, 研究丛枝菌根(AM)真菌群落结构变化和土壤因子的生态功能。试验基于形态特征对分离的AM真菌孢子进行分类鉴定, 共分离鉴定AM真菌6属42种。群落结构分析表明不同样地的AM真菌群落结构差异显著, 土壤因子对AM真菌群落有重要影响。由东到西随干旱程度加剧, AM真菌种丰度、孢子密度、Shannon-Wiener指数逐渐降低。共有种孢子密度由东向西逐渐降低, 但在群落中所占比例逐渐增加。同一样地不同AM真菌种属、不同样地同一种属的AM真菌孢子密度不同。相关性分析结果显示土壤有机碳、pH值、氨态氮和有效磷对AM真菌影响显著, 土壤湿度对AM真菌影响极显著。结果表明花棒根际AM真菌群落结构和物种多样性具有明显的空间异质性, 并与土壤因子关系密切, 其中土壤湿度对AM真菌生态分布的影响最明显。     

Expression and distribution of endocan in human tissues

Abstract

Endocan is a novel human endothelial cell specific molecule. Its expression is regulated by cytokines and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). The distribution of endocan in normal human tissues, however, remains unclear. We examined the expression of endocan in normal human tissue using immunohistochemical stains. Endocan was expressed in actively proliferative or neogeneic tissues and cells such as glandular tissues, endothelium of neovasculature, bronchial epithelium, germinal centers of lymph nodes etc. Endocan was not present in silent or resting tissues or cells such as endothelium of great arteries and spleen etc. Our findings suggest that endocan may act as a marker for angiogenesis or oncogenesis and could be regarded as a candidate gene for inflammatory tissue, neoplasia, tumor development and metastasis. The expression level of endocan may assist early diagnosis and prognosis of some tumors.     

Biliary excretion and distribution of 51Cr(III) and 51Cr(VI) in rats

The biliary excretion and distribution of 51Cr after intravenous administration of 51Cr(III) (61CrCl5) or 51Cr(VI) (Na252CrO4 . 4 H2O) was studied in rats. The cumulative biliary excretion of 51Cr reached 24 hrs after the injection was significantly higher after administration of 51Cr(VI) than after 51Cr(III) 3.51+/-0.7% and 0.51+/-0.05% of administered dose, respectively). This difference was especially due to a higher rate of biliary excretion of 51Cr in the first hours after 51Cr(VI) administration. The excretion of 51Cr via faeces was also higher after administration of 51Cr(VI) (7.35+/-0.45%) OF ADMINISTERED DOSE, AS AGAINST 4.23+/-0.23% after 51Cr(III). On the other hand, no significant difference in urinary excretion of 51Cr was found. Statistically significant differences were also observed in the distribution of 51Cr in the organism after administration of both valence states of the metal.     

西北荒漠带细枝岩黄耆AM真菌与DSE真菌时空分布研究

为探明细枝岩黄耆Hedysarum scoparium根系丛枝菌根真菌（arbuscular mycorrhizae,AM）和深色有隔内生真菌（dark septate endophytes,DSE）定殖特征及其生态地理分布,充分理解菌根共生体在植物生长和植被恢复中的功能,本研究连续3年采集我国西北荒漠带不同样地细枝岩黄耆0-30cm土层土壤样品和根样,不同样地细枝岩黄耆均能被AM和DSE侵染,形成AM典型结构菌丝、泡囊和丛枝,DSE典型结构深色有隔菌丝和微菌核。细枝岩黄耆根系AM真菌定殖高于DSE定殖,但极端干旱条件下DSE定殖优于AM真菌定殖。AM真菌定殖率不同年际间表现为2016年最高,同一年份不同样地,除乌海、沙坡头样地,菌丝定殖率自东向西呈降低趋势。DSE真菌定殖率,在同一样地不同年份：乌海样地2016年定殖率显著高于2015年和2017年,在同一年份不同样地：2015年沙坡头样地DSE菌丝定殖率、总定殖率显著高于其他样地,而2016、2017年鄂尔多斯样地最高。NMDS分析结果显示,AM和DSE真菌定殖不同年际间差异显著。相关性分析表明,AM真菌定殖率与DSE定殖率显著正相关;土壤温度与AM定殖显著负相关;有机碳、速效磷、磷酸酶、湿度与AM定殖显著正相关;DSE菌丝定殖率、定殖强度仅与酸性磷酸酶正相关。本研究比较分析西北荒漠带不同样地AM和DSE定殖与土壤因子的相关性,有助于充分理解菌根共生体在植物生长和植被恢复中的功能和意义。