Immobilization of glycolysis system of yeasts and production of cytidine diphosphate choline

Summary Glycolysis system of yeast was successfully immobilized into a derivative of polyethylene glycol hydroxyethylacrylate. The immobilized system could produce ATP and then phosphorylate nucleotides (CMP). The CTP thus formed was effectively converted to CDP-choline in the same system (Fig.2).This system is a kind of bioreactor, consisting of energy (ATP) generating and transformation systems of various substances.     

Erratum to: Ozpolat B,Akar U,Mehta K,Lopez-Berenstein G. PKCδ and tissue transglutaminase are novel inhibitors of autophagy in pancreatic cancer cells. Autophagy 2007; 3:480-3

Ozpolat B, Akar U, Mehta K, Lopez-Berenstein G. PKCδ and tissue transglutaminase are novel inhibitors of autophagy in pancreatic cancer cells. Autophagy 2007; 3:480-3. This addendum included figures from a previously published paper but omitted the proper attribution to Akar U, Ozpolat B, Mehta K, Fok J, Kondo Y, Lopez-Berestein G. Tissue transglutaminase inhibits autophagy in pancreatic cancer cells. Mol Cancer Res 2007; 5:241-9. Fig. 1A and B were modified from Fig. 1A and B, Fig. 1C was taken from Fig. 4D, and Fig. 1D was from Fig. 3D. Fig. 2A and B were from Fig. 4A and Fig. 6, respectively. Finally, part of Fig. 3A was from Fig. 7A.     

Local inhibitor of the crayfish telson-flexor motor giant neurons: morphology and physiology

The motor circuits that control telson flexion in the crayfish (Procambarus clarkii) include a curiously arranged sub-circuit: a premotor 'command' neuron excites a motor neuron via a trisynaptic pathway, but also inhibits (and prevents firing of) the motor neuron via a shorter latency pathway (Kramer et al. 1981 a). The premotor and motor neurons in this circuit have been previously identified (Kramer et al. 1981 a; Dumont and Wine 1985a, b; see Fig. 1). We have now identified a local interneuron that inhibits the motor neurons. The cell we studied is called the 'C' cell because of its distinctive structure (Figs. 2, 3). A single pair of bilaterally homologous C-cells was found in the last (6th) abdominal ganglion. The C-cells are invariably dye coupled to one another following injections of lucifer yellow into either one of them, and are frequently dye coupled to smaller axons in the 2nd, 3rd, and 6th nerves. In addition, some of the extensive branches of the C-cell extend out into the 6th nerve, where they are in close proximity to the axons of the motor neurons they inhibit (Fig. 3). Two kinds of evidence established that the C-cell directly inhibits the motor neurons. First, when simultaneous recordings were made from the C-cell and the motor neurons, spikes in the C-cell, no matter how evoked, were invariably followed, within 1.5 ms, by depolarizing IPSPs in the motor neuron (Fig. 6). Second, when the C-cell was hyperpolarized so that it could not fire, that same IPSP in the motor neuron was abolished (Fig. 6). The inhibitory pathway to the motor neurons must be fired at short latency in order to prevent firing caused by the trisynaptic excitatory input (Fig. 1). The C-cells were fired at short latency (less than 3 ms) by impulses in either of the escape command cells (Fig. 4), and at even shorter latency by impulses in the Segmental Giant of the 6th ganglion (SG6) (Fig. 5). It has been established elsewhere that the SGs are a major output pathway of the escape command cells; our results suggest that they may be the pathway for command-evoked firing of the C-cell. The C-cells are also excited by two descending, non-giant, flexion premotor neurons, called I2 and I3 (Fig. 5). The EPSPs from a single I2 or I3 impulse were subthreshold, but temporal and spatial summation of EPSPs from the non-giant pathway sometimes fired the C-cells.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)     

CO2 sensitive receptors on labial palps ofRhodogastria moths (Lepidoptera: Arctiidae): physiology,fine structure and central projection

Summary The tips of the labial palps ofRhodogastria possess a pit housing uniform sensilla (Fig. 1), histologically characterized by wall-pores and receptor cells with lamellated outer dendrites (Fig. 2). The receptor cell axons project to glomeruli in the deutocerebrum (cf. Fig. 3) which are not innervated by antennal receptors. From their histology as well as from their central projection these sense organs are identical with palpal pit organs of other Lepidoptera (Lee et al. 1985; Kent et al. 1986; Lee and Altner 1986).Physiologically, the palp-pit receptors respond uniformly; they are most excitable by stimulation with carbon dioxide (Fig. 6) while they exhibit relatively moderate responses to various odorants (Fig. 4). The responses to CO₂ (Fig. 7) show a steep dose-response characteristic. In ambient atmosphere (i.e., ca. 0.03% CO₂) the cells are in an excited condition already; the seeming spontaneous activity exhibited in air is decreased if the preparation is kept under N₂ or O₂ or CO₂-free air (Figs. 7, 10). There is hardly any adaptation of the responses to continuous or repeated stimulation (Fig. 8). Perhaps CO₂ sensitivity is correlated with sensilla characterized by both wall-pores and lamellated dendrites. Pilot tests indicate that CO₂ perception might be widespread in the Lepidoptera (cf. Fig. 12), but the biological significance remains obscure.     

Celestial orientation in bees: the use of spectral cues

Summary The spectral cues used in the bee's celestial compass are investigated by presenting bees dancing on a horizontal comb with unpolarized (or polarized) spectral stimuli. Where appropriate, the use of e-vector information is prevented by painting out the specialized dorsal margin of the bee's eye (POL area, Fig. 1). This area has been shown to mediate e-vector information (Fig. 3; Wehner 1982), whereas the remainder of the dorsal retina is sufficient for mediating spectral information (Fig. 4).Spectral cues are used by the bees to discriminate between sun and sky (Fig. 4). According to physical reality (Fig. 2), a long-wavelength stimulus is taken as the sun, whereas a short-wavelength stimulus is expected by the bee to lie anywhere within the antisolar half of the sky (Figs. 5 and 6). This is in accord with the bee's e-vector compass in which e-vectors are confined to the antisolar half of the sky (Fig. 9).In general, spectral cues do not provide precise compass information except when a full celestial colour gradient is available including the solar and the antisolar meridian (Figs. 7 and 8).     

Correction to: Cytokinin treated microcalli of Phelipanche ramosa: an efficient model for studying haustorium formation in holoparasitic plants

Plant Cell, Tissue and Organ Culture (PCTOC) - The caption to Fig. 4 belonged to Fig. 5 and vice versa in the initial online publication. The original article has been corrected.     

Correction to: c-Jun Amino-Terminal Kinase is Involved in Valproic Acid-Mediated Neuronal Differentiation of Mouse Embryonic NSCs and Neurite Outgrowth of NSC-Derived Neurons

Neurochemical Research - In the original version of this article, unfortunately, the images in Fig. 4 and 7 are mixed. The correct version of the Fig.4 and 7 is given below     

菜豆幼苗EPSP合成酶的分离纯化和它的部分性质

利用硫酸铵分级沉淀,SephedexG-50凝胶柱层析,FPLCMono-Q和磷酸纤维素离子层析法从菜豆幼苗中分离提纯了EPSP合成酶。该酶被纯化2961.6倍,比活性达到6219.4nmolmg-1蛋白min-1。该酶分子量经SDS-PAGE检测为51kD,等电点为pH5.7,酶促反应最适pH7.5,最适温度45℃。6.2μmol/L的除草剂草甘膦能抑制EPSP合成酶活性的50%。     

壳聚糖涂膜对菜用大豆荚采后衰老和品质的影响

以"南农二号"菜用大豆(Glycine max)荚为试材,研究不同浓度的壳聚糖涂膜对菜用大豆荚采后衰老、品质和腐烂的影响.结果表明,1.0%和1.5%壳聚糖处理可显著降低豆荚的呼吸强度、蒸腾失水、多酚氧化酶(PPO)及过氧化物酶(POD)活性,保持较低的膜透性、丙二醛(MDA)含量和较高的叶绿素、Vc及还原糖含量,提高豆荚的苯丙氨酸解氨酶(PAL)活性和促进木质素合成,减少豆荚腐烂发生,从而延长贮藏期.     

赤腹松鼠血清肝肾功能指标的测定

以捕自四川荥经县的161只成体赤腹松鼠(Callosciurus erythraeus,雄鼠76只,雌鼠85只)为研究对象,从2015年2月至12月分四个季节测定了雌、雄鼠血清中反映肝肾功能的14项指标,并分析了妊娠对各项指标的影响。结果显示:(1)肝肾功能指标均无显著的性别差异。(2)白蛋白、胆碱酯酶和肌酐在春季有升高的趋势,但无明显的季节差异。(3)总蛋白、球蛋白及尿酸含量春季低于其他季节,总胆红素、直接胆红素、间接胆红素和尿素氮含量春季高于其他季节,前白蛋白、丙氨酸氨基转移酶、天冬氨酸氨基转移酶和γ-谷氨酰转移酶春季高于其他季节,夏季显著下降,冬季最低。(4)妊娠鼠血清胆碱酯酶含量高于未妊娠鼠,尿素氮、肌酐和尿酸含量低于未妊娠鼠。结果表明,雌、雄赤腹松鼠肝肾功能指标无性别差异且季节变化趋势相同,大多数在春季变化显著且妊娠影响较小,这可能与雌、雄的繁殖状态及在多变性环境条件下的生理适应能力有关。     

Vision in the fireflyPhoturis lucicrescens (Coleoptera: Lampyridae): Spectral sensitivity and selective adaptation in the compound eye

Summary The waveform of the electroretinograms (ERGs) recorded from the compound eyes in the dark-active fireflyPhoturis lucicrescens was different in the short (near-UV and violet) and long (green-yellow) wavelengths (Fig. 1). The spectral sensitivity curves in the dark and chromatic adaptation conditions suggested the presence of receptor types in the short (near-UV, Fig. 4, and violet, Fig. 5) and long wavelength (green; max 550 nm, Figs. 3–5) regions of the spectrum. The green peak is in correspondence with the species' bioluminescence emission peak at 554 nm (Fig. 3c).Abbreviations DA dark-adapted - ERG electroretinogram - VP visual pigment Contribution No. 1112 of the McCollum-Pratt Institute and Department of Biology, The Johns Hopkins University     

露花叶片PEP羧化酶的纯化及某些分子特性

经硫酸铵分部沉淀,DEAE-纤维素(DE52),DEAE-Sephadex A-50,SephacrylS-200和二次羟基磷灰石等柱层析,从露花叶片中分离得到纯化63.9倍、电泳均一的磷酸烯醇式丙酮酸羧化酶。此酶的天然分子量经聚丙烯酰胺梯度凝胶电泳测定为260kD,经SephadexG-200凝胶过滤法测定为240kD。用SDS-聚丙烯酰胺梯度凝胶电泳测得酶的亚基分子量为115kD,表明此酶是个二同聚体。此酶的等电点为PI=5.6。免疫双扩散的结果表明此酶与高梁PEPG的抗原决定簇呈部分同一性。     

The functional and biomechanical modifications of the spine of Scutisorex somereni, the hero shrew: skeletal scaling relationships

The publisher apologises for the error which occurred on page 450, where an incorrect version of Fig. 1(c) was reproduced. The correct version of Fig. 1(a)–1(d) is printed below.     

Multiple feedback loops in the flying cockroach: excitation of the dorsal and inhibition of the ventral giant interneurons

1. In a tethered cockroach (Periplaneta americana) whose wings have been cut back to stumps, it is possible to elicit brief sequences of flight-like activity by puffing wind on the animal's body. 2. During such brief sequences, rhythmic bursts of action potentials coming from the thorax at the wingbeat frequency, descend the abdominal nerve cord to the last abdominal ganglion (A6). This descending rhythm is often accompanied by an ascending rhythm (Fig. 2). 3. Intracellular recording during flight-like activity from identified ascending giant interneurons, and from some unidentified descending axons in the abdominal nerve cord, shows that: (a) ventral giant interneurons (vGIs) remain silent (Fig. 3); (b) dorsal giant interneurons (dGIs) are activated at the onset of the flight-like activity and remain active sporadically throughout the flight sequence (Fig.4); (c) some descending axons in the abdominal nerve cord show rhythmic activity phase-locked to the flight rhythm (Fig. 5). 4. Also during such brief sequences, the cercal nerves, running from the cerci (paired, posterior, wind sensitive appendages) to the last abdominal ganglion, show rhythmic activity at the wingbeat frequency (Fig. 6). This includes activity of some motor axons controlling vibratory cercal movements and of some sensory axons. 5. More prolonged flight sequences were elicited in cockroaches whose wings were not cut and which flew in front of a wind tunnel (Fig. 1B). 6. In these more prolonged flight sequences, the number of ascending spikes per burst was greater than that seen in the wingless preparation (Fig. 8; compare to Fig. 2). Recordings from both ventral and dorsal GIs show that: in spite of the ongoing wind from both the tunnel and the beating wings, which is far above threshold for the vGIs in a resting cockroach, the vGIs are entirely silent during flight. Moreover, the vGIs response to strong wind puffs that normally evoke maximal GI responses is reduced by a mean of 86% during flight (Fig. 9). The dGIs are active in a strong rhythm (Figs. 11 and 12). 7. Three sources appear to contribute to the ascending dGI rhythm (1) the axons carrying the rhythmic descending bursts; (2) the rhythmic sensory activity resulting from the cercal vibration; and (3) the sensory activity resulting from rhythmic wind gusts produced by the wingbeat and detected by the cerci. The contribution of each source has been tested alone while removing the other two (Figs. 13 and 14). Such experiments suggest that all 3 feedback loops are involved in rhythmically exciting the dGIs (Fig. 15).     

Respiratory pattern generation in adult lampreys (Lampetra fluviatilis): interneurons and burst resetting

The central pattern generator for the respiratory rhythm in adult lampreys was studied in isolated brain preparations. At least three different types of respiratory units were found in intra- and extracellular recordings near the trigeminal nucleus (Fig. 1), including: units that start firing before the motorneurons, recorded from the ventral surface (Figs. 2 and 3), follower cells near rostral nucleus V (Fig. 4), units bursting after the motorneurons, found in the sulcus limitans (Figs. 5 and 6). Transections of the medulla indicated that the rostral half of nucleus V could be removed without reducing the respiratory frequency (Fig. 8). The earliest respiratory events that could be recorded from the ependymal surface or the cranial nerves were observed near nuclei IX-VII-caudal V during quiet breathing. There was a rostrocaudal delay in the onset of bursts of more caudal motorneurons (Figs. 9, 10, and 12). The rostrocaudal delay became reversed, such that bursts started earlier in n.X than n.IX, during episodes of intense breathing that were accompanied by prolonged discharges in the medial reticular formation (Fig. 11). Stimulation of the medulla surface, near the base of nerve V, could trigger bursts prematurely and reset the timing of the respiratory rhythm, yielding a discontinuous phase response curve (Fig. 14). In sum, 6 types of respiratory interneurons can presently be distinguished (Fig. 15). The sulcus limitans near nucleus V is a candidate location for components of the pattern generator.     

Erratum to: The discovery of potent immunostimulatory CpG-ODNs widely distributed in bacterial genomes

In the article by Liu et al. published in Journal of Microbiology 2020; 58, 153–162, 1# The Supplementary data’s consecutive numbers (Supplementary data Fig. S2) on 9th line of 4th paragraph in the section of ‘Discussion.’ on page 160 should be corrected in (Supplementary data Fig. S1). The sentence should have read: The results showed that the nonspecific internalization of T03 had only a slight competition with CpG-ODNs (Supplementary data Fig. S1). 2# The Supplementary data’s consecutive numbers (Supplementary data Fig. S3) on 13th line of 6th paragraph in the section of ‘Discussion.’ on page 161 should be corrected in (Supplementary data Fig. S2). The sentence should have read: Although the CpG-ODNs screened in this study had no or weak stimulation effect on human PBMCs (Supplementary data Fig. S2), it once again indicated that CpG-ODNs can be species-specific. And the Electronic Supplementary Material should be corrected as below. We apologize for any inconvenience that this may have caused.     

水分胁迫下丛枝菌根真菌对枳实生苗生长和渗透调节物质含量的影响

采用盆栽试验研究了水分胁迫下接种丛枝菌根真菌摩西球囊霉(Glomaus mosseae)对枳[Poncirustrifoliat(L.)Raf.]实生苗的生长和渗透调节物质含量的影响.结果表明,在土壤含水量为20%、16%和12%条件下,接种G.mosseae能够增加植株的生长(株高、茎粗、叶面积、地上部干重、地下部干重和植株干重),促进植株根系活跃吸收面积和根际土壤有效磷的吸收,提高叶片和根系可溶性糖含量的积累,降低叶片脯氨酸含量,增强植株的水分利用效率(达20%～40%),使枳实生苗的抗旱能力得到增强.土壤含水量为20%和16%条件下接种G.mosseae对植株的效果较土壤含水量为12%条件下更显著.12%的土壤含水量严重抑制Gmosseae的侵染,说明丛枝菌根侵染程度轻,其对植物的效果也差.     

Organization of a complex movement: fixed and variable components of the cockroach escape behavior

The escape behavior of the cockroach Periplaneta americana was studied by means of high speed filming (250 frames/s) and a computer-graphical analysis of the body and leg movements. The results are as follows: 1. The behavior begins with pure rotation of the body about the posteriorly located cerci, followed by rotation plus forward translation, and finally pure translation (Figs. 1, 2). 2. A consistent inter-leg coordination is used for the entire duration of the turn (Fig. 3A). At the start of the movement, five or all six legs execute their first stance phase (i.e. leg on the ground during locomotion) simultaneously. By the end of the turn the pattern has changed to the alternate 'tripod' coordination characteristic of insect walking. The change-over from all legs working together, to working alternately, occurs by means of a consistent pattern of delays in the stepping of certain legs. 3. The movements made by each leg during its initial stance phase are carried out using consistent movement components in the anterior-posterior (A-P) and the medial-lateral (M-L) axes (Fig. 4A). The movement at a particular joint in each middle leg is found to be diagnostic for the direction of turn. 4. The size and direction of a given leg's M-L movement in its initial stance phase depends on the same leg's prior A-P position (Fig. 5). No such feedback effects were seen among different legs. 5. Animals that are fixed to a slick surface on which they make slipping leg movements show the same inter-leg coordination (Fig. 3B), direction of initial stance movement (Fig. 4B) and dependence of the leg's initial M-L movement on its prior A-P position (Fig. 6), as did free-ranging animals. 6. Cockroaches that are walking at the moment they begin their escape reverse those ongoing leg movements that are contrary to escape movements. 7. These results are discussed in terms of the overall coordination of the complex movements, and in terms of the known properties of the neural circuitry for escape. Possibilities for neurobiological follow-up of certain of the findings presented here are also addressed.     

Physiological and pharmacological properties of responses to GABA and ACh by abdominal motor neurons in Manduca sexta

1. GABA, ACh, and other agents were applied by pressure ejection to the neuropil of the third abdominal ganglion in the isolated nerve cord of Manduca sexta. Intersegmental muscle motor neurons with dendritic arborizations in the same hemiganglion were inhibited by GABA (Fig. 2) and excited by ACh (Fig. 5).
2. Picrotoxin was a potent antagonist of GABA (Fig. 4A). Bicuculline reduced GABA responses in some motor neurons (Fig. 4C), but had no effect on many other motor neurons. Curare reduced ACh responses (Fig. 6A). Bicuculline was an effective ACh antagonist in most motor neurons tested (Fig. 6B).
3. Motor neurons with dendrites across the ganglion from the ejection pipette exhibited different responses to GABA and ACh. Contralateral motor neurons often showed smaller, delayed hyperpolarizing GABA responses (Fig. 7). On two occasions, contralateral motor neurons had excitatory responses (Fig. 8). Contralateral motor neurons were hyperpolarized by ACh (Fig. 9). The inhibitory responses had only slightly longer latencies than ipsilateral excitatory ACh responses (Fig. 10A). The contralateral inhibitory ACh responses, but not the ipsilateral excitatory ACh responses, were eliminated by TTX (Fig. 10B).
4. A model, which includes inhibitory interneurons that cross the ganglionic midline to inhibit their contralateral homologs and motor neurons (Fig. 11), is proposed to account for contralateral responses to GABA and ACh and antagonistic patterns of activity of motor neurons during mechanosensory reflex responses.