Pyrophosphatase, Peroxidase and Polyphenoloxidase Activities during Leaf Development and Senescence

Inorganic pyrophosphatase, peroxidase, and polyphenoloxidase activities were studied as the function of leaf insertion level in eight monocotyledonous and eight dicotyledonous species. Alkaline inorganic pyrophosphatase shows a declining activity toward the end of senescence whereas no regular drift in either peroxidase or polyphenoloxidase activities was noticed during senescence of attached leaves. In the primary leaves of rice, peroxidase and polyphenoloxidase activities were high in the senescent leaves and there exists a correlation between chlorophyll content and peroxidase activity though not with polyphenoloxidase activity. Upon detachment leaves exhibit increasing peroxidase and polyphenoloxidase activities with time. The distribution of the enzyme activities during senescence of attached leaves is suggested to be species-specific, and an increase in peroxidase and polyphenoloxidase activities cannot be taken as an indicator of leaf senescence.     

Catalase, Peroxidase, and Polyphenoloxidase Activities during Rice Leaf Senescence

The activities of catalase, peroxidase, and polyphenoloxidase were studied in attached and detached rice (Oryza sativa L. cv. Ratna) leaves. Catalase activity decreased while peroxidase and polyphenoloxidase activities increased during senescence of both attached and detached rice leaves. Kinetic (5 mum) and benzimidazole (1 mm), which are known to delay the senescence of detached rice leaves, retarded the decrease of catalase activity during detached leaf senescence. On the other hand, these chemicals accelerated the increase of peroxidase and polyphenoloxidase activities over the water control. Total phenolics accumulated in detached and darkened rice leaves, but in attached leaf senescence in light no accumulation of phenolics was observed.     

The Behaviour of Peroxidase and Polyphenol Oxidase during the Growth and Senescence of Tobacco Leaves

The activities of polyphenol oxidase and peroxidase per unitarea of attached tobacco leaves increased as the leaves expanded,and reached a stable level in the mature leaves. After the onsetof senescence the enzyme activities fell rapidly, but at a laterstage they showed a small rise. Enzyme activities in tissuestaken from non-senescent leaves increased during incubationat 20 °C. These increases were sensitive to inhibitors ofprotein synthesis. Enzyme activities in tissues taken from leavesin early senescence increased during incubation at 35 °Cbut not at 20 °C. These increases were very largely insensitiveto inhibitors of protein synthesis and were not apparently relatedto de novo protein synthesis. There were no increases in enzymeactivities in tissues taken from leaves in late senescence andincubated at 35 °C or 20 °C.     

四种叶菜衰老期间呼吸、乙烯产生、IAA和过氧化物酶的变化及其相互关系

结球白菜、结球甘蓝和菠菜在衰老期间的呼吸强度逐渐上升,后期下降,呈有峰型变化,而结球生菜的呼吸强度随衰老而下降,呈无峰型变化。外源乙烯使前三者的呼吸峰提前,但不改变其变化趋势,使后者出现呼吸峰。衰老期间内源乙烯均上升;过氧化物酶活力增加,IAA含量下降,两者存在极显著负相关。幼叶乙烯生成与IAA含量相关,老叶乙烯生成不受IAA水平影响。     

Senescence mechanisms

Senescence in plants is usually viewed as an internally programmed degeneration leading to death. It is a developmental process that occurs in many different tissues and serves different purposes. Generally, apoptosis refers to programmed death of small numbers of animal cells, and it shows some special features at the cell level. Some senescing plant cells show some symptoms typical of apoptosis, while others do not. This review will focus primarily on leaf senescence with ultimate aim of explaining whole plant senescence (i.e., monocarpic senescence). Traditionally, the ideas on senescence mechanisms fall into two major groupings, nutrient deficiencies (e.g., starvation) and genetic programming (i.e., senescence-promoting and senescence-inhibiting genes). Considerable evidence indicates that nutrient deficiencies are not central senescence program components, while increasing evidence supports genetic programming. Because chlorophyll (Chl) and chloroplast (CP) breakdown are so prominent, leaf senescence is generally measured in terms of Chl loss. Although CP breakdown may not be the proximate cause of leaf cell death, it certainly is important as a source of nutrients for use elsewhere, e.g., for developing reproductive structures in monocarpic plants, and this loss limits assimilatory capacity. The CP is dismantled in an orderly sequence. Individual protein complexes seem to be taken out all at once, not one subunit at a time. Removal of any component, e.g., Chl, seems to destabilize the whole complex. It is of special interest that senescing CPs secrete Chl-containing globules indicating that some CP components are broken down outside the CP. Senescence appears to be imposed on the CP by the nucleus, and all the known senescence-altering genes except one, cytG in soybean, are nuclear. Only the d₁d₂ mutation(s) in soybean prevents a broad range of leaf senescence processes. Exactly, what causes cell death is unclear; however, the selective thiol protease inhibitor, E-64, does delay death, and this suggests that proteases play a key role.     

Separate Assays Specific for Ascorbate Peroxidase and Guaiacol Peroxidase and for the Chloroplastic and Cytosolic Isozymes of Ascorbate Peroxidase in Plants

Ascorbate (AsA) peroxidase can be inactivated both by p-chloromercuribenzoateand by the depletion of AsA but guaiacol peroxidases, such ashorseradish peroxidase, cannot. The cytosolic isozymes of AsAperoxidase are less sensitive to depletion of AsA than the chloroplasticisozymes, which include stromal [Chen and Asada (1989) PlantCell Physiol. 30: 987] and thyla-koid-bound [Miyake and Asada(1992) Plant Cell Physiol. 33: 541] enzymes. Exploring theseproperties, we established simple methods for separate assaysof AsA peroxidase and guaiacol peroxidase and of the three isozymesof AsA peroxidase in plant extracts. These methods were usedto characterize the guaiacol peroxidases and isozymes of AsAperoxidase in plants and algae. (Received October 20, 1993; Accepted February 7, 1994)     

Senescence and human chromosome changes

Summary A girl with slight psychomotor retardation, microphthalmia, and colobomata of the left eye, a hypotrophy of the right arm and a surnumerary digit on the right hand is described. The routine chromsome analysis and a G-banding analysis revealed an elongated long arm of chromosome 10. An extra light and dark band was present proximally. Both parents had normal chromosomes. While the visual comparison of the abnormal with the normal chromosome 10, did not enable the extra bands of the normal bands q21 and q22 to be distinguished. However, measurements of length, surface area, and relative reflection of the different light and dark bands of the long arm on tracings or directly on the normal and abnormal chromosomes, enabled us to precisely locate the extra bands and to determine that the abnormal chromosome was a result of an insertional translocation. The value of such measurements is discussed.     

细胞衰老与癌症治疗

细胞衰老是生物界普遍存在的现象。肿瘤细胞是一类摆脱细胞周期束缚,突破Hayflick界限,能够无限增殖而不衰老的细胞。癌症是一种与细胞衰老密切相关的疾病。从进化的角度来看,衰老对于生物体是有益的,可以导致细胞不可逆的周期阻滞,被认为是一种自主的肿瘤抑制机制。在恶性增殖的癌细胞中,在胞外及胞内多种刺激下,如端粒缩短、DNA损伤、氧化应激以及化疗药物的处理等,都会出现细胞周期阻滞,生长迟缓等细胞衰老现象。诱导肿瘤细胞衰老也被认为是一种治疗癌症的有效手段。衰老细胞可以向胞外分泌数十种因子,维持细胞自身衰老表型,并影响周围细胞的生长,这种特性被称为衰老相关的分泌表型(SASP)。本文详细综述细胞衰老的形态学特征与分子标记物及检测方法,细胞衰老的信号调控通路（p53-p21,p16-pRB和PTEN-p27）,以及细胞衰老与恶性肿瘤发生发展的关系等。尤其是应激压力诱导下的细胞衰老在癌症治疗中的潜在作用,并进一步讨论当下流行的促衰老癌症治疗的靶点与药物以及存在的问题,以期为今后的研究提供新思路和新方向。     

细胞衰老与衰老细胞

细胞衰老(cellular senescence)是一个应激导致细胞生长停滞的生理过程．一部分发生衰老的细胞会被机体自身清除,但另一些衰老的细胞会随着时间的推移在体内积累增多,并分泌一些免疫刺激因子,导致低水平炎症发生,引起周围组织衰老或癌变,这类具有特殊生物学特征和功能的细胞就是衰老细胞(senescent cell)．实验揭示,衰老细胞不仅是衰老过程的产物,也可能是组织器官进一步衰退的重要原因．近日,Baker等的一项研究成果(Nature,2011,479(7372)：232-236)表明,清除衰老细胞可延缓小鼠的衰老进程,该成果有望开辟出一条对抗衰老的新途径．     

细胞衰老与肿瘤治疗

人口老龄化是全世界都面临的重大挑战,随着老年人口的增加,肿瘤等衰老相关疾病发病率随之升高.流行病学调查结果显示,大约2/3的新增肿瘤患者为65岁以上的老年人,并且这一比例在不断攀升.细胞衰老是指在DNA损伤或癌基因失调等一系列条件下引起的稳定的细胞周期阻滞,并伴有形态、生化及表观遗传的改变.大量研究证明细胞衰老对抑制潜在癌细胞增殖具有重要作用.然而,目前研究认为除了抑制肿瘤发生,细胞衰老也可能促进肿瘤的演进,细胞衰老对肿瘤发挥了双刃剑作用.因此,深入了解细胞衰老与肿瘤之间的联系,充分利用细胞衰老对肿瘤抑制功能,规避其对肿瘤的促进作用可为肿瘤的治疗提供更多可能的选择.