Clonal propagation of Callistemon by tissue culture techniques

Callus development in Callistemon viminalis was readily achieved when axillary buds derived from nodal tissue were placed in a medium containing macro- and micro-nutrients, sucrose (0.06 M), inositol (300 M), nicotinic acid (20 M), pyridoxine hydrochloride (3 M), thiamine hydrochloride (2 M), riboflavin (10 M), cytokinins (5 M) and auxins (0.1 M). The presence of benzylaminopurine (5 M) and p-chlorophenoxyacetic acid (0.1 M) promoted the most vigorous callus development and sprout formation. Rooting of nodal material was rare but occurred readily following the transference of sprouts developed on callus to a basal medium containing sucrose and salts. Root initiation was stimulated, however, by the presence of auxins. Chlorophenoxyacetic acid while stimulating root initiation repressed root growth. Indole butyric acid stimulated both root initiation and shoot growth at concentrations of 0.005 to 0.1 M. The treatment of choice for rooting and shoot growth was the addition of indole butyric acid at a concentration of 0.01 M.     

木兰科植物组织培养技术研究进展

我国木兰科(Magnoliaceae)植物栽培历史悠久且种类丰富,具有很高的科研价值、观赏价值、生态价值与经济价值。但是,生境的破坏和自身繁殖能力的限制,使木兰科许多种的生存受到威胁。由于传统繁殖方式繁殖效率低下,而组织培养技术是推进木兰科种质资源保存及开发利用的有效途径,因此组织培养技术可以应用于濒危资源保护、育种和无性系苗木的商业化生产。木兰科植物的组织培养中无菌短枝扦插途径研究较多,体系已相对完善,一些种类的木兰科植物可以通过此途径得到生根苗;而关于器官发生途径的研究相对较少,愈伤组织诱导困难及不定芽分化困难的问题仍没有得到有效解决,并且体细胞胚发生途径在国内鲜有研究。该文从无菌短枝扦插、器官发生、体细胞胚发生等不同再生途径出发,分析了外植体类型、培养基类型、生长调节剂浓度、培养条件等方面对离体生长的影响,归纳了组培过程中生根困难与褐化等技术问题与解决措施,展望了木兰科植物组织培养技术未来的研究方向,以期为木兰科植物的组培快繁技术研究提供理论依据和技术参考。     

白刺组织培养技术的研究

试验选用唐古特白刺幼嫩茎段和叶片作为材料,研究白刺不同外植体的离体培养技术。结果表明,白刺带芽嫩茎是诱导丛生芽的良好外植体,而叶片是诱导愈伤组织的良好外植体;白刺的最适增殖、壮芽培养基是：MS BA0.5mg／L NAA1．0mg／L GA32．0mg／L;最适生根培养基是：l／2MS IBA0.5mg／L;愈伤组织诱导培养基是：MS 2,4-D0.5～1．0mg／L。     

Long-term skin preservation by combined use of tissue culture and freezing techniques.

Simple but effective methods for shipping newly excised rabbit skin to a distant central laboratory for in vitro culture on a pigskin base, followed by freezing in a cryoprotective agent (DMSO) for frozen storage and subsequent reshipment to the originating laboratory while still frozen are described. At a suitable time the frozen tissue was rapidly thawed and transplanted to the autologous recipient rabbit. Of 12 cultures, seven indicated good to excellent cell growth and maturation on the host. The successful method combined the use of in vitro tissue culture and freezing to permit a central laboratory to grow the skin and ship it to the originating center for autografting at a convenient time.     

沙棘组织培养技术的研究

本试验选用中国沙棘的种子和休眠枝条作为材料,研究沙棘不同外植体的离体培养技术,试验结果表明,沙棘的无菌苗子与休眠枝条上的休眠芽都可以作为离体培养的良好外植体,沙棘的最适分化培养基是：1／4MS＋6－BA0．30mg/L NAA0．002mg/L,增殖,壮芽培养基是：1／4 MS＋6－BA 0．1mg/L NAA 0.004mg/L;最适生根培养基是：1／4MS＋NAA0.05mg/L iBA 0.2mg/L;愈伤组织诱导培养基是：1／4MS＋2,4－D 0．3mg/L。     

Application of electric field fusion in plant tissue culture

Manipulation of protoplasts via fusion and organelle transfer is expected to be facilitated by the technique known as electric field fusion. Construction and use are described of three flow-through fusion chambers that incorporate flat-sided electrodes in a manner that makes fusion of protoplasts possible througout the chambers' total volume (4, 49 or 110 μl) under constant electrical, chemical and physical conditions. Brassica napus L. protoplasts subjected to fusogenic conditions, that is, application of voltages that induce reversible membrane breakdown, were capable not only of survival but also of cell wall resynthesis, cell division and subsequent growth and development. Intraspecific ( B. napus × B. napus ), interspecific. ( B. napus × B. campestris L.) and intergeneric ( B. napus × Primula acaulis L.) fusion and engulfment events were followed by using on the one hand autofluorescence and fluorescein isothiocynate as respective markers or on the other hand autofluorescence and vacuolar anthocyanin ( Primula ). Properties and merits of flat-sided versus cylindrical electrodes are discussed.     

Direct DNA delivery into zebrafish embryos employing tissue culture techniques

Summary: The production of transfected fish embryos requires expertise in injecting the fertilized eggs and/or expensive equipment for electroporation or microprojectiles. This article demonstrates that by exposure to DNA constructs conjugated with transfecting reagents dechorionated Danio rerio embryos are capable of acquiring extracellular DNA and expressing reporter genes. Embryos incubated with pCMVluc complexed with GeneJammer or GenePORTER expressed luciferase 24–48 h after exposure. pCMVGFP DNA mixed with the same agents generated embryos that exhibited differential patterns of expression of green fluorescent protein (GFP). Embryonic development varied depending on the procedure employed and the reporter gene utilized. Expression of the luciferase gene did not interfere with the subsequent development of the embryos. In contrast, the embryos expressing a high level of GFP were affected, probably due to a very active promoter. These results demonstrate the ease of obtaining transfected fish embryos, which facilitate the mass production of new genotypes and extend the procedure to laboratories with limited resources. genesis 31:1–5, 2001. © 2001 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

Scaffold-free cartilage by rotational culture for tissue engineering

Our objective was to investigate the hypothesis that tissue-engineered cartilage with promising biochemical, mechanical properties can be formed by loading mechanical stress under existing cell-cell interactions analogous to those that occur in condensation during embryonic development. By loading dedifferentiated chondrocytes with mechanical stress under existing cell-cell interactions, we could first form a scaffold-free cartilage tissue with arbitrary shapes and a large size with promising biological, mechanical properties. The cartilage tissue which constituted of chondrocytes and ECM produced by inoculated dedifferentiated chondrocytes to a high porous simple mold has arbitrary shapes, and did not need any biodegradable scaffold to control the shape. In contrast, scaffold-free cartilage tissue cultured under static conditions could not keep their shapes; it was fragile tissue. The possibility of scaffold-free organ design was suggested because the cartilage tissue increases steadily in size with culture time; indeed, the growth of cartilage tissue starting from an arbitrary shape might be predictable by mathematical expression. For tissue-engineered cartilage formation with arbitrary shapes, biochemical and mechanical properties, loading dedifferentiated chondrocytes with mechanical stress under existing cell-cell interactions has prominent effects. Therefore, our scaffold-free cartilage model loaded mechanical stress based on a simple mold system may be applicable for tissue-engineered cartilage.     

中国野生大豆遗传资源搜集基本策略与方法

遗传资源搜集原则是通过种子采集追求样本具有最高程度的遗传多样性。为了合理而有效地搜集野生大豆资源,近年来通过野生大豆居群考察和遗传多样性分析,初步明确了野生大豆资源居群的遗传多样性分布动态:遗传多样性地理的和生态的区域性、生态系统内居群的遗传相关性及各种生境下居群遗传多样性差异,从理论上奠定了野生大豆资源合理有效搜集的依据。根据居群遗传多样性的分布规律,初步建立了居群野生大豆资源的搜集策略和方法。     

翅果油树脱毒试管苗的组织培养技术研究

对翅果油树的无菌苗培养、愈伤组织诱导、继代愈伤组织诱导和生根诱导、褐化现象及预防等进行了研究。结果表明：种子无菌培养的最佳培养基为1／2MS;继代愈伤组织诱导的最佳培养基为N2(MS BA0．5 NAA0．02)、N4(MS BA0．5 NAA0.04);植物激素类型及浓度配比是生根诱导的关键,NAA、GA、IBA为必需激素类型;用多种途径避免和预防了实验过程中的褐化现象,降低了褐化率;建立了翅果油树组织培养高效再生植株的实验体系。     

活血丹组织培养与快速繁殖技术研究

以活血丹为材料,应用组织培养和快速繁殖技术,对适于活血丹增殖分化的培养基、培养方式进行了系统的研究。用活血丹叶片作为外植体,在MS添加生长素2,4-D和细胞分裂素BA的培养基上成功诱导出愈伤组织,并对其继代培养条件进行研究,分析了继代培养中褐化的原因。在MS添加NAA和BA的培养基中,活血丹的茎尖和带腋芽茎段能直接诱导出大量丛生芽,随后将不定芽转入MS添加IBA和KT的培养基中,可生成不定根,完成快速繁殖技术体系。结果表明:活血丹愈伤组织诱导的最佳培养基为MS+2,4-D(1.5mg/L)+BA(1.0mg/L),诱导率高达91.38%。丛生芽诱导的适宜培养基为MS+NAA(0.1mg/L)+BA(1·0mg/L),在此培养基上,出芽率达100%,芽增殖系数接近于10,有利于生物量的积累。而根的诱导则在MS+IBA(1.0mg/L)+KT(1.0mg/L)培养基上进行最好,此基础上能诱导出健康、粗壮的根。试管苗炼苗后移栽,成活率达100%。     

An augmented lagrangian method for sliding contact of soft tissue

Despite the importance of sliding contact in diarthrodial joints, only a limited number of studies have addressed this type of problem, with the result that the mechanical behavior of articular cartilage in daily life remains poorly understood. In this paper, a finite element formulation is developed for the sliding contact of biphasic soft tissues. The augmented Lagrangian method is used to enforce the continuity of contact traction and fluid pressure across the contact interface. The resulting method is implemented in the commercial software COMSOL Multiphysics. The accuracy of the new implementation is verified using an example problem of sliding contact between a rigid, impermeable indenter and a cartilage layer for which analytical solutions have been obtained. The new implementation's capability to handle a complex loading regime is verified by modeling plowing tests of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disc.     

Vasopressin-enhanced urea transport by rat inner medullary collecting duct cells in culture

The distal inner medullary collecting duct (IMCD) is critical in the urinary concentrating process, in part because it is the site of vasopressin (AVP)-regulated permeability to urea. The purpose of these experiments was to develop a cell culture model of the IMCD on permeable structure and to characterize the responsiveness to AVP. Rat IMCD cells were grown to confluence on collagen-coated Millipore filters glued onto plastic rings. To assess the time required to achieve confluence, the transepithelial resistance was measured periodically and was found to be stable after 2 weeks, at a maximal value of 595 +/- 22 omega cm2. In separate monolayers the effect of AVP on inulin and urea permeability was determined. While inulin permeability was unchanged after AVP, urea permeability increased from 6.0 +/- 0.4 to peak values of 16.0 +/- 3.8 (10 nM), 23.1 +/- 3.9 (1 microM) and 28.1 +/- 4.9 (10 microM) x 10(-6) cm s-1 (n = 24). In 10 other monolayers, after the addition of 1 mM 8-Br-cAMP, urea permeability increased from 5.1 +/- 0.3 to 8.1 +/- 1.6 x 10(-6) cm s-1 and, after 8-Br-cAMP + 3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine, to 12.2 +/- 0.7 x 10(-6) cm s-1. We conclude that rat IMCD cells grown in culture exhibit the characteristics of a 'tight' epithelium. Inulin and urea permeability are not different in the absence of AVP, consistent with high resistance junctional complexes. Furthermore, IMCD cells retain the capacity for AVP-regulated urea permeability, a characteristic feature of this nephron segment in vivo.     

Vasopressin-enhanced urea transport by rat inner medullary collecting duct cells in culture

Abstract. The distal inner medullary collecting duct (IMCD) is critical in the urinary concentrating process, in part because it is the site of vasopressin (AVP)-regulated permeability to urea. The purpose of these experiments was to develop a cell culture model of the IMCD on permeable structure and to characterize the responsiveness to AVP. Rat IMCD cells were grown to confluence on collagen-coated Millipore filters glued onto plastic rings. To assess the time required to achieve confluence, the transepithelial resistance was measured periodically and was found to be stable after 2 weeks, at a maximal value of 595 ± 22 ω cm². In separate monolayers the effect of AVP on inulin and urea permeability was determined. While inulin permeability was unchanged after AVP, urea permeability increased from 6.0 ± 0–4 to peak values of 16.0 ± 3–8(10nM),23.1 ± 3–9(1 μM)and28 1 ± 4–9(10μM) X 10^-6cms^-1 ( n = 24). In 10 other monolayers, after the addition of 1 mM 8-Br-cAMP, urea permeability increased from 5.1 ±0–3 to 8.1 ± 1–6 times 10^-6 cm s^-1 and, after 8-Br-cAMP +3-isobutyl-l-methylxanthine, to 12.2 ± 0–7 times 10^-6 cms^-1. We conclude that rat IMCD cells grown in culture exhibit the characteristics of a 'tight' epithelium. Inulin and urea permeability are not different in the absence of AVP, consistent with high resistance junctional complexes. Furthermore, IMCD cells retain the capacity for AVP-regulated urea permeability, a characteristic feature of this nephron segment in vivo.     

Illuminated microelectrode for tissue culture

Conventional glass microelectrodes acting as light guides have been used to facilitate the accurate approach and penetration of selected cells maintained in vitro. The device is a simple, inexpensive modification of conventional microelectrode holders and facilitates electrophysiological and microinjection studies of cells in vitro.     

The adequacy of collecting techniques for estimating species richness of grassland invertebrates

1.  There is still considerable debate about the most effective methods of sampling invertebrates in monitoring and assessment programmes.
2.  The above-ground invertebrates of a limestone grassland in north-east England were compared between samples from pitfall traps and from a D-vac suction trap combined with a lightweight swish net (SW/DV).
3.  Over 14 000 individuals were captured, with similar numbers in the pitfall and SW/DV samples. A total of 480 species of Hemiptera, Coleoptera, Diptera and Araneae was identified and placed into 14 taxa for further analysis.
4.  The pitfall sample produced species/specimen curves from which it was possible to estimate species richness for all the Coleoptera and Araneae taxa and the calypterate Schizophora. The SW/DV sample was adequate to estimate the species richness of Hemiptera, most Diptera taxa, herbivorous Coleoptera and Linyphiidae.
5.  The proportion of Coleoptera and Araneae taxa that were method-unique was higher in the pitfall sample than the SW/DV sample and vice versa for the Hemiptera and Diptera taxa. Nevertheless, a relatively high proportion of method-unique species of most taxa was found in both sample types, indicating that they can each contribute to assessing species assemblages in grasslands.
6.  Both pitfall traps and SW/DV samples are needed to estimate species richness in grasslands for all taxa except Heteroptera, Homoptera and Lycosidae. Herbivorous Coleoptera and Linyphiidae were collected in numbers adequate for assessing richness in both sample types, but more specimens were required in one or other sample for the remaining taxa.     

Cell culture techniques for studying insect cuticle

Evidence that biosynthetic pathways critical to the formation of insect cuticle are retained in continuous insect cell lines opens new possibilities for research on the cuticle system. Recent findings indicate that chitin, molting hormone, and catecholamines are all produced by a vesicle cell line derived from embryos of the cockroach Blattella germanica. The chitin that is formed by this cell line is particulate and does not show the characteristic featherlike crystalline structure found in mature cuticle. The molting hormone is produced as ecdysone and is released into the culture medium. The addition of 20-hydroxyecdysone to the cultures increases the production of chitin fourfold. These responses are similar to those found in insect organ cultures.     

Collection and culture techniques for gelatinous zooplankton

Gelatinous zooplankton are the least understood of all planktonic animal groups. This is partly due to their fragility, which typically precludes the capture of intact specimens with nets or trawls. Specialized tools and techniques have been developed that allow researchers and aquarists to collect intact gelatinous animals at sea and to maintain many of these alive in the laboratory. This paper summarizes the scientific literature on the capture, collection, and culture of gelatinous zooplankton and incorporates many unpublished methods developed at the Monterey Bay Aquarium in the past 15 years.