A Morphogenetic Fate Map Constructed from HABROBRACON JUGLANDIS Gynandromorphs

A morphogenetic fate map is presented for the parasitic wasp, Habrobracon juglandis. Twenty adult cuticular structures of 1211 haploid-diploid gynandromorphs were placed on the fate map using the sturtoid calculation. The overall shape and organization of the Habrobracon fate map are similar to those of the Drosophila fate map, both of which approximate the shape of an insect embryo but show structures arranged in a manner resembling the adult body plan. Independent samples of gynandromorphs yield similar maps.     

Evidence for Post-Cleavage Fertilization among Mosaics in HABROBRACON JUGLANDIS

Habrobracon females homozygous for the mutant ebony produce about 5% mosaic progeny among fertilized eggs. The present experiment demonstrates by means of a test-cross method that in the production of these mosaics only one pronucleus is involved, and that this nucleus cleaves before union of one of its daughter nuclei with the sperm nucleus.     

An Improved Culture System of Mouse Peripheral Blood Lymphocytes for Analysis of Radiation-Induced Chromosome Aberrations

There is an incentive to develop a culture system of mouse peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBLs) to serve as models for studying genotoxic effects in humans exposed to mutagens, including ionizing radiation. However, many past approaches have been laborious, complex and only partly reproducible. In the present study, we established an improved culture system of mouse PBLs by removing blood and/or plasma, which was found to inhibit in vitro mitotic stimulation or proceeding cell cycles of lymphocytes. We compared the reactions of isolated PBLs to mitogens between the classical method and the present improved one. Then, we applied this method to the cytogenetic analysis using chemically induced premature chromosome condensation (PCC) as well as the conventional analysis, and demonstrated that the frequency of excess fragments observed in PCC cells might be useful to quantify the radiation-induced damages on chromosomes.     

An Analysis of the Topoclinal Variation of Lespedeza bicolor Turcz.

Owing to the diagnostic characters used for distinguishing Lespedeza bicolor Turcz. from its allies L. formosa (Vogel) Koehne and L. elliptica Benth. ex Maxim. etc. beiny totally quantitative, and the great variability found in themselver as well, the group is therefore regarded as a taxonomically perplexing one. Therefore quantitative measurements of the diagnostic characters, namely, the lengths of flowers (including standards and keels) and calyces (including calyx teeth and tubes) upon the total 307 herbarium sheets collected from 22 provinces and autonomous regions were made, and the data obtained were treated statistically (Table 1) and compared using methods of scatter diagram (Fig. 1--5),polygraph (Fig. 6) and topoclinal variation (Fig. 7--10) in order to bring to light the differentiation pattern of these characters correlated to geographical distribution. The diagrams of topoclinal variation (Fig. 7--10) of single characters represented by the lengths of calyx-teeth and corolla, or the calyx-teeth/calyx-tube ratio, between which exists a strong positive correlation, show a tendency of increasing gradation from northeast towards south-west. But the different combinations of morphological characters as shown in the scatter diagrams and more particularly in the polygraphs, make it possible to divide the Lespedeza bicolor group into the following three geographical types: (1) Bicolor type, with the distributional area of four provinces and one autonomous region of north-eastern and northern China; having the shortest (shorter than the calyx-rube) calyx-teeth of the whole group; with the standards of 71% herbarium materials exceeding the keels; the corolla length/calyx length ratio being 2.24; (2) Formosa type, with the distributional area covering six provinces and one autonomous region of eastern, south-eastern and southern China; with calyx-teeth nearly as long as calyx-tuges; with the keels of 69% herbarium sheets exceeding the standards, including all from whole Guangdong (Kwantung) and Guangxi (Kwansi); the corolla length/calyx length ratio being 2.59, the largest among the group; (3) Elliptica type, with the largest distributional area occupying ten provinces of south western, central, northwestern and eastern China and with most complicated morphological variation; the range of calyx-teeth length being 1.23--5.53 mm; with the keels of 80% herbarium sheets exceeding the standards, including all from whole Hubei (Hupeh) and Sichuan ( Szechuan ). Since the above geographical types are either transitional or overlapping, it is probably appropriate to regard them as different geographical subspecies of a single species Lespedeza bicolor Turcz. Taxonomic treatments are then made herewith. A comparison of the main diagnostic characters and distributional patterns of the three subspecies in question is given in Table 3.     

Repair Kinetics of Radiation-Induced Mitotic Delay

The recovery from radiation-induced mitotic delay in asynchronous sarcoma-180 (S-180) ascites tumor cells has been analyzed in a manner analogous to the repair of sublethal damage. 200-R increments were separated by various fraction intervals (not exceeding the time necessary for mitosis to return to control levels) for total exposures up to 1600 R. The accumulated mitotic delay after the last exposure increment, in percent of an equivalent single exposure, decreased exponentially with overall treatment time in a bimodal fashion. An initial repair process displayed a half time of 2.3 h of overall elapsed time and was followed by a slower process with a half time of 15.1 h. Such a bimodal recovery provides an explanation of why fractionation intervals long with respect to the amitotic period resulting from a single 200 R exposure enhance mitotic delay over that of equivalent single exposures, while shorter fractionation intervals diminish it. It also predicts that mitotic delay vs. dose curves should bend toward the abscissa as the exposure time is increased with large single exposures and large fractionated exposures given over short fraction intervals.     

Multivariate Analysis of Genetic Variation

Multiple factor analysis was used to interpret geographical variation of gene frequencies. Allelic frequencies at three loci (two esterase loci, Esr and Esh, and a malic dehydrogenase locus) from ants (Pogonomyrmex barbatus) collected throughout Texas and reported by Johnsonet al. (1969) were reexamined for patterns of correlation with five environmental measurements: mean January temperature, mean July temperature, mean annual precipitation, elevation, and annual growing season. These measurements and the associated gene frequencies at each sampling location were subjected to factor analysis. Variables highly correlated with the same factor were hypothesized to be causally related.Both orthogonal and oblique rotations of the factor solution provided four factors with essentially the same interpretation. Variation at the Esh locus was associated with a continuum from cold-wet to hot-dry. Variation at the Mdh locus and some of that at the Esr locus was related to the severity of winter months. Other allelic frequencies at the Esr locus had high correlations with a third factor which seemed to be independent of the environmental measurements. None of the allelic frequencies had high correlations with the fourth factor which was interpretable as an altitudinal gradient.     

工作倦怠研究中的变量分析及进展

随着劳动力结构与工作特点的巨大变化,工作倦怠问题日益突出。国内外研究涉及到与之相关的多个变量。前因变量主要包括个体与工作特征层面,后果变量主要涉及身心健康、绩效与离职层面,以及未有明确因果关系的工作满意度和工作家庭冲突。在未来研究中,纵向研究与因果关系研究成为工作倦怠领域的最大挑战,而工作投入的引入又成为新的亮点。     

工作倦怠研究中的变量分析及进展

随着劳动力结构与工作特点的巨大变化,工作倦怠问题日益突出。国内外研究涉及到与之相关的多个变量。前因变量主要包括个体与工作特征层面,后果变量主要涉及身心健康、绩效与离职层面,以及未有明确因果关系的工作满意度和工作家庭冲突。在未来研究中,纵向研究与因果关系研究成为工作倦怠领域的最大挑战,而工作投入的引入又成为新的亮点。     

The Effect of Radiation-Induced Mutations on the Fitness of Drosophila Populations

The change in frequencies of D. melanogaster and D. simulans in competition experiments was used to measure the effect of radiation on the fitness of a population. A dose of 250 or 500 rads given to the males of highly inbred lines of D. simulans at the beginning of competition and every three weeks thereafter increased the relative frequency of the irradiated population. If the dose was increased to 1000 rads, the deleterious effects of radiation became too great a burden on the population, and the frequency of the irradiated population decreased. From these results it was concluded that below certain doses the introduction of radiation-induced mutations into a highly homozygous population would increase the fitness of the population.     

Role of Interleukin-1 in Radiation-Induced Cardiomyopathy

Thoracic X-ray therapy (XRT), used in cancer treatment, is associated with increased risk of heart failure. XRT-mediated injury to the heart induces an inflammatory response leading to cardiomyopathy. The aim of this study was to determine the role of interleukin (IL)-1 in response to XRT injury to the heart and on the cardiomyopathy development in the mouse. Female mice with genetic deletion of the IL-1 receptor type I (IL-1R1 knockout mice [IL-1R1 KO]) and treatment with recombinant human IL-1 receptor antagonist anakinra, 10 mg/kg twice daily for 7 d, were used as independent approaches to determine the role of IL-1. Wild-type (wt) or IL-1R1 KO mice were treated with a single session of XRT (20 or 14 gray [Gy]). Echocardiography (before and after isoproterenol challenge) and left ventricular (LV) catheterization were performed to evaluate changes in LV dimensions and function. Masson’s trichrome was used to assess myocardial fibrosis and pericardial thickening. After 20 Gy, the contractile reserve was impaired in wt mice at d 3, and the LV ejection fraction (EF) was reduced after 4 months when compared with sham-XRT. IL-1R1 KO mice had preserved contractile reserve at 3 d and 4 months and LVEF at 4 months after XRT. Anakinra treatment for 1 d before and 7 d after XRT prevented the impairment in contractile reserve. A significant increase in LV end-diastolic pressure, associated with increased myocardial interstitial fibrosis and pericardial thickening, was observed in wt mice, as well as in IL-1R1 KO–or anakinra-treated mice. In conclusion, induction of IL-1 by XRT mediates the development of some, such as the contractile impairment, but not all aspects of the XRT-induced cardiomyopathy, such as myocardial fibrosis or pericardial thickening.     

SARS冠状病毒的变异特性分析

通过对目前所发表或公布的CARS相关资料进行分析,结合所做的一些工作,对SARS-CoV的变异特性、影响变异的可能因素以及变异与Ⅰ临床病程发展的联系进行了探讨。结果显示,SARS．CoV在变异发生频率和动态变化上具有RNA病毒的普遍特性,但由于其在人类的传播时间较短,相对于常见的引起慢性感染的RNA病毒,如丙型肝炎病毒(HCV)、人类免疫缺陷病毒(HIV)等,得到鉴定的变异序列数量相对较少。SARS-CoV5基因尤其是S1区变异程度较高,Ⅳ基因较为保守。就目前有限的研究结果分析,没有发现病毒变异与Ⅰ临床病程发展之间有明确的联系。     

辐射旁效应损伤潜在靶点药物研究进展

放疗是治疗恶性肿瘤的常用方法之一,但是在放疗的过程中,辐射对肿瘤细胞造成杀伤作用的同时,也会产生辐射旁效应(radiation-induced bystander effect,RIBE)对肿瘤周围正常组织造成损伤等不良反应。近期研究表明,辐射旁效应的产生是由细胞间隙连接和可溶性细胞信号分子介导的,主要包括间隙连接蛋白(Cx)、组织蛋白酶B(CTSB)、转化生长因子-β(TGF-β)、肿瘤坏死因子-α(TNF-α)、白介素-6(IL-6)、白介素-8(IL-8)以及活性氧和氮氧化物等。该文针对这些关键靶点蛋白,总结了相关的治疗药物,并进一步比较分析了药物使用的优缺点,对临床预防肿瘤放疗所形成的旁效应损伤提供了一定的线索。     

羊草种质基因组DNA的AFLP多态性研究

羊草是禾本科牧草之王 ,在当前我国西部生态建设和草原畜牧业发展中发挥着重要作用。用AFLP方法对2 7份我国不同地区分布的羊草 (Leymuschinensis (Trin .)Tzvel)材料进行了基因组DNA多态性分析 ,8对AFLP引物组合在 2 7个不同羊草基因型中共扩增出 5 37条带 ,产生出的DNA片段大小分布在 75bp - 5 30bp之间。其中单态性带 89条 ,占 16 .6 % ,多态性带 32 9条 ,占 6 1.3%。平均每对引物组合扩增的DNA带数为 6 6 .13,总的多态性比率为 78.84%。AFLP多态信息含量PIC值分布于 0 .0 - 0 .5之间 ,平均PIC值为 0 .2 16 ,出现的PIC最大值 (0 .5 )约占AFLP标记的 8.5 % ,说明羊草基因组DNA的多态性比较丰富。以 5 37个AFLP标记为原始数据 ,根据Nei和Li的方法对 2 7份羊草材料进行遗传变异和聚类分析的结果表明 :羊草种内有高频率的遗传变异发生 ,且与地理分布和生态环境密切相关 ;2 7份羊草不同基因型被划分为四大类群 ,不同类群相互间的遗传距离相对较大 ,在树状图中表现为较远的亲缘关系。对羊草种内遗传变异发生的原因和品种的形成进行了初步讨论。