The Role of the Root in the Induction of Xylem Differentiation in Peas

It is known that growing parts of the shoot induce the differentiationof vascular tissues below them and that this induction is dueto the production of auxin. The problem dealt with here is whythe formation of xylem proceeds in the growing roots. The redifferentiationof parenchyma to tracheary elements in grafts of pea plantswas used in this study. It is proved that this is not due tostimuli coming from the root tip but rather to the movementof a stimulus coming from the shoot into the root. The polarityof movement is maintained even in thin sections, but it canbe reversed by a strong shoot influence.     

Anther Culture in Nicotiana tabacum: The Role of the Culture Vessel Atmosphere in Pollen Embryo Induction and Growth

A comparison of four volumes of culture vessel atmosphere revealedthat this variable greatly influenced the induction and growthof pollen embryos from anthers of Nicotiana tabacum. The optimumfrequency of anthers producing embryos and plantlets was foundwith a culture atmosphere of 15 ml per anther, whereas the optimumnumber of plantlets was found with 5.5 ml per anther. A smallvolume (0.5 ml per anther) almost completely suppressed embryoinduction. Removal of specific components of the culture atmosphere(ethylene, carbon dioxide, oxygen) influenced the response ofthe anthers but did not produce a satisfactory explanation ofthe inhibition of pollen embryogenesis by the small cultureatmosphere volume. In particular, the influence of ethyleneabsorption on embryo induction and growth depended both on theculture atmosphere volume and on the stage of development ofthe pollen at the start of culture. Using anthers containingpollen at a stage after the first pollen grain mitosis. ethyleneabsorption was found to increase the survival of induced embryos.Treatment of anthers for 3 d with silver nitrate, a known antagonistof ethylene action, was not an efficient means of increasingthe yield of pollen plantlets.     

肿瘤细胞的诱导分化

肿瘤细胞最显著的生物学特性是无限制增殖和不良分化,一般认为肿瘤的发生与分化异常有关,所以肿瘤细胞有可能被诱导分化,使之向正常方向转变.因此诱导分化治疗成为肿瘤化疗的一个新的领域.近年来,对诱导分化剂,如维甲酸、砷、维生素D3及其衍生物、芳香族氨基酸、环腺苷酸衍生物等的机制及应用研究不断深入,为肿瘤的诱导分化治疗带来光明前景.     

A Role for Caspases in Lens Fiber Differentiation

There is increasing evidence that programmed cell death (PCD) depends on a novel family of intracellular cysteine proteases, called caspases, that includes the Ced-3 protease in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans and the interleukin-1β–converting enzyme (ICE)-like proteases in mammals. Some developing cells, including lens epithelial cells, erythroblasts, and keratinocytes, lose their nucleus and other organelles when they terminally differentiate, but it is not known whether the enzymatic machinery of PCD is involved in any of these normal differentiation events. We show here that at least one CPP32 (caspase-3)-like member of the caspase family becomes activated when rodent lens epithelial cells terminally differentiate into anucleate lens fibers in vivo, and that a peptide inhibitor of these proteases blocks the denucleation process in an in vitro model of lens fiber differentiation. These findings suggest that at least part of the machinery of PCD is involved in lens fiber differentiation.     

The Induction of Fibre Differentiation in Peas

The problem studied in this work was that of the internal controlof the formation of strands of fibres in Pisum sativum. It isshown that fibre differentiation is dependent on stimuli originatingin young leaf primordia. Removing these primordia early enoughprevents fibre differentiation; changing the position of theleaves experimentally changes the position of the fibres aswell. It was demonstrated that some stimuli for fibre differentiationmust flow through the strands at the time they differentiate.The evidence for this flow is in experiments concerning theability of very young fibre strands to regenerate after cutsas well as in experiments concerning their pattern of joining.The stimuli which originate in the leaves and control the differentiationof fibres and xylem are shown to differ in at least one component:auxin does not cause fibre differentiation and no surgical treatments,carried out on very young tissues, caused the replacement ofpart of a strand of fibres byor xylem or vice versa.     

Synthesis of the Spirosuccinimide Moiety of Asperparaline A

2,6,6-Trimethyl-2-azaspiro[4.4]nonane-1,3-dione (9), a spirosuccinimide moiety of asperparaline A (1), was synthesized by starting from 2,2-dimethylcyclopentanone (4) via trinitrile 6 in five steps in a moderate yield. This conversion establishes a model study for synthesis of the spirosuccinimide moiety of asperparaline A (1).     

线粒体神经酰胺对细胞凋亡的诱导作用

凋亡诱导期,线粒体内神经酰胺水平升高,当每纳摩尔线粒体膜磷脂内含4～6皮摩尔神经酰胺时,神经酰胺即在线粒体外膜形成稳定的跨膜通道,从而使外膜通透性增加,线粒体膜间蛋白释放,启动细胞凋亡.神经酰胺通道只能在线粒体外膜形成,它是由神经酰胺柱组成的桶装结构,神经酰胺的反式双键具有增加通道的稳定性的作用.     

黄山药愈伤组织诱导与分化

采用黄山药野生植株作为外植体,试验了不同激素处理对黄山药愈伤组织的诱导、分化影响,结果表明：不同的外植体的诱导率差别较大,叶片的诱导率最高,最高达到85．7％,茎段的诱导率较低,平均诱导率仅10％左右。以叶片作为外植体诱导愈伤组织的最佳培养基配方为MS 2,4-D2．0mg／L 6-BA2．5mg／L;愈伤组织分化生芽的最佳配方为MS BA1．0mg／L NAA0．5mg／L 蔗糖2％ pH6．4;愈伤组织分化生根的最佳配方诱MS BA1．0mg／L NAA0．1mg／L 蔗糖3％ pH6．80。     

Role of Mechanical Cues in Cell Differentiation and Proliferation: A 3D Numerical Model

Cell differentiation, proliferation and migration are essential processes in tissue regeneration. Experimental evidence confirms that cell differentiation or proliferation can be regulated according to the extracellular matrix stiffness. For instance, mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) can differentiate to neuroblast, chondrocyte or osteoblast within matrices mimicking the stiffness of their native substrate. However, the precise mechanisms by which the substrate stiffness governs cell differentiation or proliferation are not well known. Therefore, a mechano-sensing computational model is here developed to elucidate how substrate stiffness regulates cell differentiation and/or proliferation during cell migration. In agreement with experimental observations, it is assumed that internal deformation of the cell (a mechanical signal) together with the cell maturation state directly coordinates cell differentiation and/or proliferation. Our findings indicate that MSC differentiation to neurogenic, chondrogenic or osteogenic lineage specifications occurs within soft (0.1-1 kPa), intermediate (20-25 kPa) or hard (30-45 kPa) substrates, respectively. These results are consistent with well-known experimental observations. Remarkably, when a MSC differentiate to a compatible phenotype, the average net traction force depends on the substrate stiffness in such a way that it might increase in intermediate and hard substrates but it would reduce in a soft matrix. However, in all cases the average net traction force considerably increases at the instant of cell proliferation because of cell-cell interaction. Moreover cell differentiation and proliferation accelerate with increasing substrate stiffness due to the decrease in the cell maturation time. Thus, the model provides insights to explain the hypothesis that substrate stiffness plays a key role in regulating cell fate during mechanotaxis.     

Differentiation of Trypanosoma cruzi in Culture*

SYNOPSIS. A medium containing sodium and potassium chloride, phosphate buffer, glucose, calf serum, hemoglobin and lactalbumin hydrolysate permits some growth and differentiation of crithidiae into the metacyclic forms of Trypanosoma cruzi. The addition of ox liver infusion greatly enhances the growth promoting properties of this medium while making it very poor as far as differentiation is concerned. With dog heart infusion instead of ox liver, the medium is still good for growth but not much better for differentiation. If, however, the pH of the dog heart infusion medium is lowered from 7.2 to 6.7, it continues to be good for growth and becomes excellent for differentiation. Other factors were studied that stimulate or repress the rate of differentiation, such as preincubation at certain levels of temperature and the size and age of inocula.     

A Role for the Putative Tumor Suppressor Bin1 in Muscle Cell Differentiation

Bin1 is a Myc-interacting protein with features of a tumor suppressor. The high level of Bin1 expression in skeletal muscle prompted us to investigate its role in muscle differentiation. Significant levels of Bin1 were observed in undifferentiated C2C12 myoblasts, a murine in vitro model system. Induction of differentiation by growth factor withdrawal led to an upregulation of Bin1 mRNA and to the generation of higher-molecular-weight forms of Bin1 protein by alternate splicing. While Bin1 in undifferentiated cells was localized exclusively in the nucleus, differentiation-associated isoforms of Bin1 were found in the cytoplasm as well. To examine the function of Bin1 during differentiation, we generated stable cell lines that express exogenous human Bin1 cDNA in the sense or antisense orientation. Cells overexpressing Bin1 grew more slowly than control cells and differentiated more rapidly when deprived of growth factors. In contrast, C2C12 cells expressing antisense Bin1 showed an impaired ability to undergo differentiation. Taken together, the results indicated that Bin1 expression, structure, and localization are tightly regulated during muscle differentiation and suggested that Bin1 plays a functional role in the differentiation process.     

Role of Arginine Guanidinium Moiety in Nitric-oxide Synthase Mechanism of Oxygen Activation

Nitric-oxide synthases (NOS) are highly regulated heme-thiolate enzymes that catalyze two oxidation reactions that sequentially convert the substrate l-Arg first to N^ω-hydroxyl-l-arginine and then to l-citrulline and nitric oxide. Despite numerous investigations, the detailed molecular mechanism of NOS remains elusive and debatable. Much of the dispute in the various proposed mechanisms resides in the uncertainty concerning the number and sources of proton transfers. Although specific protonation events are key features in determining the specificity and efficiency of the two catalytic steps, little is known about the role and properties of protons from the substrate, cofactors, and H-bond network in the vicinity of the heme active site. In this study, we have investigated the role of the acidic proton from the l-Arg guanidinium moiety on the stability and reactivity of the ferrous heme-oxy complex intermediate by exploiting a series of l-Arg analogues exhibiting a wide range of guanidinium pK_a values. Using electrochemical and vibrational spectroscopic techniques, we have analyzed the effects of the analogues on the heme, including characteristics of its proximal ligand, heme conformation, redox potential, and electrostatic properties of its distal environment. Our results indicate that the substrate guanidinium pK_a value significantly affects the H-bond network near the heme distal pocket. Our results lead us to propose a new structural model where the properties of the guanidinium moiety finely control the proton transfer events in NOS and tune its oxidative chemistry. This model may account for the discrepancies found in previously proposed mechanisms of NOS oxidation processes.     

A Novel Role of Matrix Metalloproteinase-8 in Macrophage Differentiation and Polarization

Matrix metalloproteinase-8 (MMP8) has been shown to influence various cellular functions. As monocytes and macrophages (Mφ) express MMP8, we investigated if MMP8 played a role in macrophage differentiation and polarization. MMP8 expression was significantly increased during monocyte differentiation into Mφ. Monocyte-derived Mφ from MMP8-deficient mice expressed higher levels of M1-Mφ markers but lower levels of M2-Mφ markers than monocyte-derived Mφ from wild-type mice. Although Mφ from either MMP8-deficient or wild-type mice were inducible by interferon-γ into M1-Mφ, only wild-type Mφ but not MMP8-deficient Mφ could be induced into M2-Mφ by interleukin-4. However, MMP8-deficient Mφ exposed to conditioned culture media of wild-type Mφ developed a M2-Mφ phenotype. Compared with conditioned culture media of wild-type Mφ, conditioned culture media of MMP8-deficient Mφ contained a lower concentration of active transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β), an M2-Mφ inducer. Moreover, evidence also showed that the degradation of the TGF-β sequester, fibromodulin, was modulated by MMP8. The data indicate a previously unknown role of MMP8 in M2-Mφ polarization by cleaving fibromodulin and therefore increasing the bioavailability of the M2-Mφ inducer TGF-β.     

Role of Complement in Induction of the Allergic Response

ALTHOUGH there is substantial evidence for cell cooperation in the induction of various allergic responses, there are few data concerning the mechanisms of the cellular interactions^1–4. I have investigated the idea that the C3 component of the complement system may participate in T–B cell cooperation. B cells, which bear a membrane receptor for fixed C3^5–8, fixed C3 itself⁹ and antigen–antibody complexes capable of fixing it⁹ are all detectable in lymph nodes, localized in and around the germinal centres, which are important sites both for the induction of antibody, especially IgG, production and the generation of memory cells¹⁰. The effect is reported here of in vivo C3 depletion produced by the C3 cleaving factor of cobra venom (CoF)¹¹ on serum antibody responses and the survival of skin allografts in mice. Balb/c mice 7–9 weeks old, weighing 18–24 g and of the same age and sex in each experiment were used throughout.     

Structure of Carbohydrate Moiety of Asterosaponin A

Partial acid hydrolysis of asterosaponin A, a steroidal saponin, afforded two new disaccharides in addition to O-(6-deoxy-α-d-glucopyranosyl)-(l→4)-6-deoxy-d-glucose which has been characterized in the preceding paper. The formers were demonstrated as O-(6-deoxy-α-d-galactopyranosyl)-(1→4)-6-deoxy-d-glucose and O-(6-deoxy-α-d-galactopyranosyl)-(l→4)-6-deoxy-d-galactose, respectively.

Accordingly, the structure of carbohydrate moiety being composed of two moles each of 6-deoxy-d-galactose and 6-deoxy-d-glucose, was established as O-(6-deoxy-α-d-galactopyranosyl)-(l→4)-O-(6-deoxy-α-d-galactopyranosyl)-(l→4)-O-(6-deoxy-α-d-glucopyranosyl)-(l→4)-6-deoxy-d-glucose, which is attached to the steroidal aglycone through an O-acetal glycosidic linkage.     

Role of Phytohormones in Sex Differentiation in Plants

The role of phytohormones in sex expression in plants is briefly surveyed. The interaction of hereditary and environmental factors in sex expression is considered. A major role of gibberellins and cytokinins in the regulation of sex expression in dioecious and monoecious flowering plants and in some muscoids is demonstrated. The evidence for the effect of other phytohormones and physiologically active compounds on sex expression in plants is examined.     

Thiol protection in membrane protein purifications: A study with phage holins

The lambda holin, or S105, is a small cytoplasmic membrane protein that controls the timing of host lysis. Using thiol-specific reagents, we determined that the single cysteine residue within S105 was heterogeneously modified during membrane extraction and subsequent immobilized metal ion chromatography. Here we describe the use of a specific and reversible thiol reagent, 2,2′-dithiodipyridine, to generate purified protein with its cysteine residues in the native thiol state. The 2,2′-dithiodipyridine protection protocol was also successfully used for another unrelated holin, S²¹68, and should be generally useful for the purification of membrane proteins.