谷氨酸及NMDA受体拮抗剂MK-801对大鼠伏核痛兴奋神经元电活动的影响

本文研究了谷氨酸(glutamic acid,Glu)及其NMDA受体拮抗剂5-甲基二氢丙环庚烯亚胺马来酸(MK-801)对人鼠伏核(nucleus accumbens,NAc)痛兴奋神经元(pain-excitation neurons,PEN)痛诱发反应的影响。电刺激坐骨神经作为伤害性刺激,用玻璃微电极记录NAc的PEN放电,观察脑室内注射Glu和NAc内注射MK-801对大鼠NAc中PEN伤害性诱发活动的影响。结果显示,伤害性刺激可使NAc的PEN电活动增强;脑室内注射Glu(10nmol／10μl)可使NAc的PEN伤害性诱发放电频率增加;NAc内注射MK-801(1．0nmol／0．5μl)可阻断这种作用;MK-801本身也可部分抑制PEN伤害性诱发反应。上述结果表明,Glu对PEN伤害性反应的易化作用是通过NMDA受体介导的：Glu和NMDA受体参与NAc伤害性信息传递的调制。     

海马NMDA受体与神经肽Y在慢性应激性抑郁发生中的作用及其关系

本文旨在探讨N-甲基-D-天冬氨酸(N-methyl-D-aspartic acid,NMDA)受体与神经肽Y(neuropeptide Y,NPY)在慢性应激抑郁发生中的作用与关系。建立慢性不可预见性温和应激(chronic unpredictable mild stress,CUMS)抑郁模型,海马单侧分别微量注射非竞争性NMDA受体拮抗剂MK-801、NPY-Y1受体阻断剂GR231118和NMDA后,利用体重测量及糖水偏爱测试、强迫游泳及敞箱实验等方法观察动物行为变化,运用免疫组织化学方法检测海马CA3区和齿状回(dentate gyrus,DG)内NPY的表达。结果显示,CUMS组大鼠表现出抑郁样行为变化,海马NPY表达显著降低;海马微量注射NMDA或NPY-Y1受体阻断剂GR231118,动物行为学表现均与CUMS组相同,注射NMDA可使NPY表达显著降低;海马微量注射MK-801能明显改善应激引起的抑郁样行为表现,并使海马NPY表达增加。联合注射GR231118与MK-801后,GR231118可以显著减弱MK-801的抗抑郁样行为的效应。以上结果表明,CUMS可能使谷氨酸(glutamic acid,Glu)过量释放,NMDA受体过度激活,抑制NPY表达,导致抑郁发生。NPY抗抑郁作用主要是通过NPY-Y1受体实现。     

海马Glu与抑郁症的关系及其对胃运动的影响

目的：探讨抑郁症的发生与海马谷氨酸（Glu）的关系及其对胃运动的影响。方法：运用慢性不可预见性温和应激（GUMS）建立抑郁动物模型,采用海马定位微量注射,通过体重变化率、糖水偏爱、敞箱、强迫游泳实验观察大鼠行为表现,用PowerLab／8sp生理信号采集分析系统记录胃内压,观察胃运动的变化。结果：慢性不可预见性温和应激21d,可显著降低大鼠的体重增长率,糖水偏爱率和敞箱实验的水平运动和垂直运动得分,增加了大鼠的游泳不动时间,与正常对照组相比,差异显著。同时大鼠平均胃内压和胃的收缩幅值也显著降低。海马微量注射Glu与慢性不可预见性温和应激引起的动物行为表现一致,而胃运动减弱的程度小于应激组,但与正常时照组比较,差异明显。海马微量注射NMDA受体阻断剂MK-801,可消除应激所引起的抑郁样行为,减弱应激对胃内压的抑制作用,并明显增大胃的收缩幅值。结论：海马Glu和NMDA受体与应激性抑郁发生密切相关,既参与了应激引起的行为变化。又参与了应激引起的胃活动变化,只是对行为影响和胃活动影响有所不同。     

大鼠眶额叶GABA及其B型受体在应激性抑郁行为发生中的作用及其影响机制

为了探讨眶额叶(orbital frontal cortex,OFC)GABA及其B型受体在应激性抑郁行为发生中的作用及其影响机制,实验采用强迫游泳方法建立急性应激抑郁模型。在OFC区微量注射γ-氨基丁酸(γ-aminobutyric acid,GABA)及其B型受体阻断剂,通过开场实验、强迫游泳方式检测动物行为学表现,用免疫组织化学染色和Western blotting方法检测OFC区Kalirin表达,用高尔基染色法观察锥体细胞树突和树突棘。结果显示:强迫游泳应激引起动物抑郁样行为表现,同时,OFC区Kalirin阳性颗粒数及表达量显著减少,且锥体细胞树突棘密度下降;OFC区微量注射GABA具有抗抑郁效应,使OFC区Kalirin表达显著升高,锥体细胞树突棘密度增加;GABA-B型受体阻断剂CGP35348可以抑制GABA的这种效应。由此可见,通过强迫游泳应激诱发的抑郁样的行为变化与OFC区Kalirin表达减少和神经元树突棘密度降低有关,GABA可能通过GABA-B型受体增加OFC区Kalirin表达,以防止神经元退行性变化而产生抗抑郁作用。     

海马NMDA受体和NOS在慢性应激性抑郁发生中的作用及其相互关系

运用慢性不可预见性温和应激（chronic unpredicted mild stress, CUMS）建立抑郁动物模型,通过海马内微量注射、动物行为学观察及免疫组织化学方法检测海马内一氧化氮合酶（nitric oxide synthase,NOS）表达的变化,探讨CUMS诱发抑郁与海马谷氨酸N-甲基-D-天冬氨酸（N-methyl-D-aspartic acid,NMDA）受体、一氧化氮合酶（nitric oxide synthase,NOS)的关系。结果发现：CUMS组大鼠表现出抑郁样行为变化,海马NOS表达显著升高;海马微量注射NMDA受体激动剂,动物行为学表现与CUMS组相同,NOS表达升高;海马微量注射非竞争性NMDA受体拮抗剂MK-801能明显改善应激引起的抑郁样行为表现,并降低海马NOS表达。这些结果表明慢性不可预见性应激可能使谷氨酸（glutamic acid,Glu）过量释放,NMDA受体过度激活,NOS高表达,NO过量产生,损伤海马神经元,导致抑郁发生。     

眶额叶微量注射谷氨酸和γ-氨基丁酸对胃运动的影响及其机制探讨

目的:研究眶额叶(OFC)的谷氨酸(Glu)和γ-氨基丁酸(GABA)含量变化对胃运动的影响及其调节神经机制。方法:实验采用了大鼠眶额叶微量注射给药,结合核团损毁的方法,以记录胃内压,统计胃收缩幅度作为胃运动变化的指标。结果:①OFC注射Glu可显著降低胃收缩幅度,损毁杏仁核后可反转该效应,胃收缩幅度显著增强;损毁蓝斑核后,Glu的作用无显著性变化。②OFC注射GABA可显著增强胃的收缩幅度,损毁蓝斑核后消除该效应;损毁杏仁核后,胃收缩幅度进一步增强。结论:外源性增加OFC区Glu含量导致的抑胃效应可能是通过增强了杏仁核的经常性抑胃作用而引起的;而增加OFC区GABA的含量引起的胃运动增强与蓝斑核密切相关。     

鞘内注射MK-801对炎性痛大鼠海马NOS表达及NO含量的影响

目的：观察鞘内给予N-甲基-D-天门冬氨酸（NMDA）受体拮抗剂MK-801对足底注射甲醛诱导的自发痛反应和海马一氧化氮合酶（NOS）表达及一氧化氮（N0）含量的影响,探讨炎性痛诱导海马NO产生增多的机制。方法：通过观察舔足反射时间反映大鼠自发痛程度;采用NADPH—d组织化学法测定大鼠海马NOS表达;硝酸还原酶法测定海马组织NO含量。结果：足底注射甲醛后动物即出现舔、咬、摇动注射侧脚掌等自发痛相关表现,预先鞘内注射MK-801可使大鼠第二时相自发病程度显著降低,但对第一时相痛反应程度无明显影响。注射甲醛后12h时,海马CA1、CA2～3区及DG区NOS阳性细胞数目、阳性细胞染色深度均显著增加,海马组织NO含量显著增加;预先鞘内注射MK-801,可使甲醛炎性痛大鼠海马各区NOS阳性细胞数目明显减少,阳性细胞染色深度明显变浅,海马NO含量明显降低。结论：鞘内注射MK-801可逆转甲醛炎性痛诱导的海马NOS表达及NO产生的增加,表明甲醛炎性痛诱导的海马NO产生增加主要是由于伤害性信息传入所引起。     

氯胺酮、丙咪嗪以及两者联合用药对Wistar Kyoto大鼠抑郁样行为的作用北大核心CSCD

本文旨在研究氯胺酮、丙咪嗪或两者联合用药对Wistar Kyoto(WKY)大鼠抑郁样行为的治疗效果和机制。取6周龄Wistar大鼠作为正常对照,给同龄WKY大鼠(抑郁症模型)腹腔注氯胺酮(给药1周,停药1周)、丙咪嗪(给药2周)或氯胺酮联合丙咪嗪。行糖水偏好及强迫游泳实验观察各组大鼠抑郁样行为的变化,用Western blot检测大鼠缰核β钙/钙调素依赖蛋白激酶II(βform of calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase type II,βCa MKII)和膜谷氨酸受体1(glutamate receptor 1,Glu R1)蛋白表达,以及前额叶皮质的膜Glu R1蛋白表达。结果显示,与Wistar大鼠相比,WKY大鼠糖水偏好程度显著降低,强迫游泳实验中不动时间显著增加;单独氯胺酮治疗对WKY大鼠的抑郁样行为没有显著作用,而丙咪嗪或氯胺酮联合丙咪嗪治疗可显著减少WKY大鼠不动时间。与Wistar大鼠相比,WKY大鼠缰核βCa MKII和膜Glu R1蛋白表达显著上调,前额叶皮质的膜Glu R1蛋白表达显著下调;单独氯胺酮治疗对WKY大鼠缰核βCa MKII和膜Glu R1蛋白表达没有显著作用,但可上调前额叶皮质的膜GluR1蛋白表达;丙咪嗪或氯胺酮联合丙咪嗪治疗均可显著下调WKY大鼠缰核βCa MKII和膜Glu R1蛋白表达,上调前额叶皮质的膜Glu R1蛋白表达,丙咪嗪对上述蛋白表达的作用和联合用药之间无显著差异。以上结果提示,丙咪嗪治疗2周显著改善了WKY大鼠的抑郁样行为,联合使用氯胺酮不能增强丙咪嗪的疗效;丙咪嗪的抗抑郁机制可能与缰核中βCa MKII及膜Glu R1表达下调以及前额叶皮质的膜GluR1表达上调有关。     

氯胺酮、丙咪嗪以及两者联合用药对Wistar Kyoto大鼠抑郁样行为的作用

本文旨在研究氯胺酮、丙咪嗪或两者联合用药对Wistar Kyoto(WKY)大鼠抑郁样行为的治疗效果和机制。取6周龄Wistar大鼠作为正常对照,给同龄WKY大鼠(抑郁症模型)腹腔注氯胺酮(给药1周,停药1周)、丙咪嗪(给药2周)或氯胺酮联合丙咪嗪。行糖水偏好及强迫游泳实验观察各组大鼠抑郁样行为的变化,用Western blot检测大鼠缰核β钙/钙调素依赖蛋白激酶II(βform of calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase type II,βCa MKII)和膜谷氨酸受体1(glutamate receptor 1,Glu R1)蛋白表达,以及前额叶皮质的膜Glu R1蛋白表达。结果显示,与Wistar大鼠相比,WKY大鼠糖水偏好程度显著降低,强迫游泳实验中不动时间显著增加;单独氯胺酮治疗对WKY大鼠的抑郁样行为没有显著作用,而丙咪嗪或氯胺酮联合丙咪嗪治疗可显著减少WKY大鼠不动时间。与Wistar大鼠相比,WKY大鼠缰核βCa MKII和膜Glu R1蛋白表达显著上调,前额叶皮质的膜Glu R1蛋白表达显著下调;单独氯胺酮治疗对WKY大鼠缰核βCa MKII和膜Glu R1蛋白表达没有显著作用,但可上调前额叶皮质的膜GluR1蛋白表达;丙咪嗪或氯胺酮联合丙咪嗪治疗均可显著下调WKY大鼠缰核βCa MKII和膜Glu R1蛋白表达,上调前额叶皮质的膜Glu R1蛋白表达,丙咪嗪对上述蛋白表达的作用和联合用药之间无显著差异。以上结果提示,丙咪嗪治疗2周显著改善了WKY大鼠的抑郁样行为,联合使用氯胺酮不能增强丙咪嗪的疗效;丙咪嗪的抗抑郁机制可能与缰核中βCa MKII及膜Glu R1表达下调以及前额叶皮质的膜GluR1表达上调有关。     

焦虑性抑郁模型大鼠脑区单胺递质含量与神经因子表达的变化

目的研究焦虑性抑郁模型大鼠海马、杏仁核、前额叶皮质内单胺递质的含量变化及脑内神经营养因子的表达趋势,探讨其可能的发病机制。方法 60只SD大鼠随机分为正常对照组、溶媒对照组、焦虑模型组、抑郁模型组、焦虑性抑郁模型组,每组12只。采用慢性束缚应激联合皮质酮注射的方法建立焦虑性抑郁大鼠模型,造模时间为21 d,造模结束后采用高架十字迷宫测试,旷场实验,强迫游泳实验评价大鼠的焦虑和抑郁样行为,HPLC-ECD法检测大鼠海马、杏仁核、前额叶皮质的单胺递质5-HT、NE、DA含量,蛋白印迹法检测大鼠各脑区神经营养因子BDNF、NT-3的含量。结果焦虑性抑郁模型组大鼠在进入开臂的时间、次数、旷场中自主活动次数均与焦虑组相当,与对照组及抑郁组比较差异有显著性(P0.01或P0.05),在强迫游泳中的不动时间显著增加,与对照组及焦虑组对比差异有显著性(P0.01);同时,与对照组比较,焦虑性抑郁模型组大鼠海马5-HT、杏仁核及前额叶皮质区的5-HT和NE含量均显著下降(P0.01或P0.05);此外,与对照组比较,焦虑性抑郁模型组大鼠各脑区BDNF、NT-3含量显著下降(P0.01或P0.05),同时与焦虑组比较,BDNF含量显著下降(P0.05)。结论焦虑性抑郁模型组大鼠具有显著的焦虑及抑郁样行为,其发病机制可能与脑内海马、杏仁核、前额叶皮质区域的单胺递质含量降低及神经营养因子BDNF、NT-3表达下调有关。     

Genotoxicity biomarkers in aquatic bioindicators

Pollution of the aquatic environment is an ever-growing problem, as waters are the ultimate sink for the large number of xenobiotics from multiple sources. DNA damaging agents have a significant ecological relevance since they are implicated in many pathological processes and exert effects beyond that of individual being active through following generations. A large number of methods have been applied to evaluate genotoxic damage in different aquatic species. Comet assay, as method for de- tecting DNA alterations, and micronucleus test, as an index of chromosomal damage are the most widely applied and validated methods in field studies. These methods were applied in different vertebrate and invertebrate aquatic species, but only mollusk and fish species have been employed in routine biomonitoring programs. Mussels, due to their widely geographical distribution and the suitability for caging represent the bioindicator of choice in field studies. Mytilus species is the most used marine mussel. The use of fish is limited to specific geographic areas. The present review mainly focuses on the application of comet assay and micronucleus test in mussels. A number of biomonitoring studies in mussels, using comet assay or micronucleus test, revealed exposure to different classes of genotoxic compounds with a good discrimination power. The different evidence from the two as- says, reflects different biological mechanisms for the two genetic endpoints, DNA damage and chromosomal damage, suggesting their combined application in the field. Different endogenous and exogenous factors have been shown to modulate the genotoxic responses in mussels, acting as confounding factors in environmental monitoring. The use of standardized protocol for caging, sampling and genotoxity evaluation is critical in biomonitoring studies. The use of a multimarker approach coupling genotoxicity biomarkers with physiological and biochemical factors allows to have a complete picture of the environmental pollution [Current Zoology 60 （2）： 273-284, 2014].     

脊髓水平给予胍丁胺对鞘内吗啡镇痛的影响

目的：观察脊髓水平给予胍丁胺对鞘内吗啡镇痛作用的影响。方法：30只sD大鼠随机分为3组（n=10）：C1组：鞘内注射生理盐水（10出）;M1组：鞘内注射吗啡（15μg／10μl）;AMI组：鞘内同时给予吗啡15μg＋胍丁胺12．5μg／10出。所有大鼠均于鞘内给药后5min于跖部皮下注射蜜蜂毒50m（0．2mg）致痛,观察并纪录1h内大鼠的自发缩足反射次数。另30只SD大鼠分组为C2,M2和AM2（n=10）,每组给药分别同前,用来测定机械痛阈和热刺激阈值。结果：与C1组比较,M1组1h内大鼠的自发缩足反射次数显著减少,提示鞘内注射吗啡对蜜蜂毒诱致的自发痛具有显著性抑制作用（P〈0．05）;鞘内同时给予吗啡和胍丁胺（AM1组）,大鼠自发缩足反射次数进一步减少,与M1组比较具有显著性意义（P〈0．05）。与对照组C2组比较,M2组大鼠的热刺激闽值和机械性痛闽明显提高;AM2组热刺激潜伏期显著延长,机械刺激阈值显著提高;AM2组与M2组比较热刺激潜伏期和机械刺激阈值有统计学差异（P〈0．05）。结论：鞘内胍丁胺和吗啡联合用药可显著增强吗啡对蜜蜂毒诱致自发痛的抑制作用,具有加强效应。     

Cell Wall,Cytoskeleton, and Cell Expansion in Higher Plants

To accommodate two seemingly contradictory biological roles in plant physiology, providing both the rigid structural support of plant cells and the adjustable elasticity needed for cell expansion, the composition of the plant cell wall has evolved to become an intricate network of cellulosic, hemicellulosic, and pectic polysaccharides and protein. Due to its complexity, many aspects of the cell wall influence plant cell expansion, and many new and insightful observations and technologies are forthcoming. The biosynthesis of cell wall polymers and the roles of the variety of proteins involved in polysaccharide synthesis continue to be characterized. The interactions within the cell wall polymer network and the modification of these interactions provide insight into how the plant cell wall provides its dual function. The complex cell wall architecture is controlled and organized in part by the dynamic intracellular cytoskeleton and by diverse trafficking pathways of the cell wall polymers and cell wall-related machinery. Meanwhile, the cell wall is continually influenced by hormonal and integrity sensing stimuli that are perceived by the cell. These many processes cooperate to construct, maintain, and manipulate the intricate plant cell wall--an essential structure for the sustaining of the plant stature, growth, and life.     

Dissecting the Heat Stress Response in Chlamydomonas by Pharmaceutical and RNAi Approaches Reveals Conserved and Novel Aspects

To study how conserved fundamental concepts of the heat stress response （HSR） are in photosynthetic eukaryotes, we applied pharmaceutical and antisense/amiRNA approaches to the unicellular green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. The Chlamydomonas HSR appears to be triggered by the accumulation of unfolded proteins, as it was induced at ambient temperatures by feeding cells with the arginine analog canavanine. The protein kinase inhibitor staurosporine strongly retarded the HSR, demonstrating the importance of phosphorylation during activation of the HSR also in Chlamydomonas. While the removal of extracellular calcium by the application of EGTA and BAPTA inhibited the HSR in moss and higher plants, only the addition of BAPTA, but not of EGTA, retarded the HSR and impaired thermotoler- ance in Chlamydomonas. The addition of cycloheximide, an inhibitor of cytosolic protein synthesis, abolished the attenu- ation of the HSR, indicating that protein synthesis is necessary to restore proteostasis. HSP90 inhibitors induced a stress response when added at ambient conditions and retarded attenuation of the HSR at elevated temperatures. In addition, we detected a direct physical interaction between cytosolic HSP90A/HSP70A and heat shock factor 1, but surprisingly this interaction persisted after the onset of stress. Finally, the expression of antisense constructs targeting chloroplast HSP70B resulted in a delay of the cell＇s entire HSR, thus suggesting the existence of a retrograde stress signaling cascade that is desensitized in HSP7OB-antisense strains.     

Redox Regulation of Arabidopsis Mitochondrial Citrate Synthase

Citrate synthase has a key role in the tricarboxylic （TCA） cycle of mitochondria of all organisms, as it cata- lyzes the first committed step which is the fusion of a carbon-carbon bond between oxaloacetate and acetyl CoA. The regulation of TCA cycle function is especially important in plants, since mitochondrial activities have to be coordinated with photosynthesis. The posttranslational regulation of TCA cycle activity in plants is thus far almost entirely unexplored. Although several TCA cycle enzymes have been identified as thioredoxin targets in vitro, the existence of any thioredoxin-dependent regulation as known for the Calvin cycle, yet remains to be demonstrated. Here we have investigated the redox regulation of the Arabidopsis citrate synthase enzyme by site-directed mutagenesis of its six cysteine residues. Our results indicate that oxidation inhibits the enzyme activity by the formation of mixed disulfides, as the partially oxidized citrate synthase enzyme forms large redox-dependent aggregates. Furthermore, we were able to demonstrate that thioredoxin can cleave diverse intraas well as intermolecular disulfide bridges, which strongly enhances the activity of the enzyme. Activity measurements with the cysteine variants of the enzyme revealed important cysteine residues affecting total enzyme activity as well as the redox sensitivity of the enzyme.     

Organelle pH in the Arabidopsis Endomembrane System

The pH of intracellular compartments is essential for the viability of cells. Despite its relevance, little is known about the pH of these compartments. To measure pH in vivo, we have first generated two pH sensors by combining the improved-solubility feature of solubility-modified green fluorescent protein （GFP） （smGFP） with the pH-sensing capabil- ity of the pHluorins and codon optimized for expression in Arabidopsis. PEpHluorin （plant-solubility-modified ecliptic pHluorin） gradually loses fluorescence as pH is lowered with fluorescence vanishing at pH 6.2 and PRpHluorin （plant- solubility-modified ratiomatric pHluorin）, a dual-excitation sensor, allowing for precise measurements. Compartment- specific sensors were generated by further fusing specific sorting signals to PEpHluorin and PRpHluorin. Our results show that the pH of cytosol and nucleus is similar （pH 7.3 and 7.2）, while peroxisomes, mitochondrial matrix, and plastidial stroma have alkaline pH. Compartments of the secretory pathway reveal a gradual acidification, spanning from pH 7.1 in the endoplasmic reticulum （ER） to pH 5.2 in the vacuole. Surprisingly, pH in the trans-Golgi network （TGN） and mul- tivesicular body （MVB） is, with pH 6.3 and 6.2, quite similar. The inhibition of vacuolar-type H＋-ATPase （V-ATPase） with concanamycin A （ConcA） caused drastic increase in pH in TGN and vacuole. Overall, the PEpHluorin and PRpHluorin are excellent pH sensors for visualization and quantification of pH in vivo, respectively.     

How does the host-specialized aphid deal with food deficiency？

Aphis gossypii Glover shows obvious host specialization, with cucurbit- and cotton-specialized biotypes or host races in many regions. Because its annual natal hostcrops senesce earlier the cucurbit-specialized biotype may suffer food deficiency. The method this biotype uses to overcome this challenge is still poorly understood. In orderto understand the potential of the cucurbit-specialized biotype aphids in host shift and usage, the performance of this biotype on cotton （Gossypium hirsutum）, a common butpoor quality host plant, was explored in this study. The cucurbit-specialized aphids could establish populations on cotton only when these plants had at least nine leaves, and subsequent populations developed rather slowly. The presence of whitefly populations on cotton improved the success rate of cucurbit-specialized aphids. The cucurbit-specialized aphidswere mainly distributed on the older leaves of cotton, with only a few settling on the upper leaves. The cucurbit-specialized aphids reared on cotton for 40, 54 and 61 days stillmaintained strong preference for their natal host plant, cucumber （Cucumis sativus）, rather than cotton, and their net reproductive rates and intrinsic rates of natural increase weredramatically lower when they were transferred onto new six-leaf cotton plants or detached leaves. Therefore, we concluded that the cucurbit-specialized aphids have the potentialto utilize mature or whitefly-stressed cotton plants, but that this feeding experience on cotton did not alter their specialization for cucurbits. Some cotton plants could act as atemporary host for the cucurbit-specialized aphids to overcome food deficiency arising from senescing cucurbits.     

Plastid Signals and the Bundle Sheath： Mesophyll Development in Reticulate Mutants

The development of a plant leaf is a meticulously orchestrated sequence of events producing a complex organ comprising diverse cell types. The reticulate class of leaf variegation mutants displays contrasting pigmentation between veins and interveinal regions due to specific aberrations in the development of mesophyll cells. Thus, the reticulate mutants offer a potent tool to investigate cell-type-specific developmental processes. The discovery that most mutants are affected in plastid-localized, metabolic pathways that are strongly expressed in vasculature-associated tis- sues implicates a crucial role for the bundle sheath and their chloroplasts in proper development of the mesophyll cells. Here, we review the reticulate mutants and their phenotypic characteristics, with a focus on those in Arabidopsis thali- ana. Two alternative models have been put forward to explain the relationship between plastid metabolism and meso- phyll cell development, which we call here the supply and the signaling hypotheses. We critically assess these proposed models and discuss their implications for leaf development and bundle sheath function in C3 species. The characteriza- tion of the reticulate mutants supports the significance of plastid retrograde signaling in cell development and highlights the significance of the bundle sheath in C3 photosynthesis.     

Aphis （Hemiptera： Aphididae） species groups found in the Midwestern United States and their contribution to the phylogenetic knowledge of the genus

A phylogeny of the genus Aphis Linnaeus, 1 758 was built primarily from specimens collected in the Midwest of the United States. A data matrix was constructedwith 68 species and 41 morphological characters with respective character states of alate and apterous viviparous females. Dendrogram topologies of analyses performed usingUPGMA （Unweighted Pair Group Method with Arithmetic Mean）, Maximum Parsimony and Bayesian analysis of Cytochrome Oxidase I, Elongation Factor 1-α and primary endosymbiont Buchnera aphidicola 16S sequences were not congruent. Bayesian analysis strongly supported most terminal nodes of the phylogenetic trees. The phylogeny wasstrongly supported by EFI-α, and analysis of COl and EFI-α molecular data combined with morphological characters. It was not supported by single analysis of COI or Buch-hera aphidicola 16S. Results from the Bayesian phylogeny show 4 main species groups： asclepiadis,fabae, gossypii, and middletonii. Results place Aphis and species of the generaProtaphis Bōrner, 1952, Toxoptera Koch, 1856 and Xerobion Nevsky, 1928 in a monophyletic clade. Morphological characters support this monophyly as well. The phylogenyshows that the monophyletic clade of the North American middletonii species group belong to the genus Protaphis： P. debilicornis （Gillette ＆ Palmer, 1929）, comb. nov., P. echinaceae（Lagos and Voegtlin, 2009）, comb. nov., and P. middletonii （Thomas, 1879）. The genus Toxoptera should be considered a subgenus of Aphis （stat. nov.）. The analysis also indicatesthat the current genus Iowana Frison, 1954 should be considered a subgenus of Aphis （stat. nov.）.