PURIFICATION AND PROPERTIES OF THE PROTHORACICOTROPIC HORMONE OF THE SILKWORM, BOMBYX MORI

A simple and highly reproducible procedure for partial purification of prothoracicotropic hormone (PTTH) was established starting with 96,000 male adult Bombyx heads. Approximately 28,500-fold purification of PTTH was accomplished with a yield of about 50% and 6 ng of the most purified preparation (highly purified PTTH) caused adult development in a brainless Samia pupa. The peptidal nature of PTTH was reconfirmed through the effects of various enzymatic and chemical treatments on the biological activity of highly purified PTTH. Gel-filtration indicated the molecular weight of PTTH to be 4,400.     

CONJUGATED ECDYSONE IN THE EGGS OF THE SILKWORM, BOMBYX MORI

A high activity of molting hormone (ecdysone) was detected in the extract of unfertilized, diapausing and developing silkworm eggs. The active substance in the diapause eggs behaved as a highly polar molecule at partitioning between n -butanol and water, and also in TLC. The majority of the activity seems to be due to a conjugated ecdysone, since the polar active substance was changed to a less polar substance upon treatment with "snail enzymes".     

BIOSYNTHESIS OF ECDYSONE IN THE ISOLATED ABDOMEN OF THE SILKWORM,BOMBYX MORI*

During pupal-adult development of the silkworm, Bombyx mori, the ecdysone titer changes, exhibiting two maxima in the females: one on the second day of pupal development and the other just before adult emergence. During the second maximum, ecdysone accumulates in the ovaries. It also accumulates in isolated abdomens, which were prepared just after pupal ecdysis and induced to initiate adult development by injection with β-ecdysone. Several lines of evidence suggest that ecdysone is synthesized in the ovary itself.     

TETRAD BASAL BODY-AXONEME COMPLEXES IN THE PRIMARY SPERMATOCYTE OF THE SILKWORM, BOMBYX MORI

Abstract  Using cell whole mount preparation, tetrad basal boby-axoneme complexes in the primary spermatocyte from testicular cysts of fourth instar larvae of Bombyx mori are examined by transmission electron microscopy. There exist two paired basal body-axoneme complexes and the two orthogonally oriented basal bodies are linked together with distal and proximal linking fibers. The growing complex displays voluminous distal swelling. At this stage, the axoneme consists of nine microtubular doublets. A connecting nodule is found at the juncture of basal body's triplet and axoneme's doublet, and the A and B tubules of the former continue through the nodule to become the ones of the latter.     

CHANGES IN TITER OF THE BRAIN HORMONE DURING DEVELOPMENT OF THE SILKWORM, BOMBYX MORI

Changes in titer of brain hormone (BH) extracted from the brain, head, and thorax and abdomen during the development of Bombyx mori from the 4th larval molting up to 6 days after adult emergence were investigated. The hypothesis is presented that high secretory activity of the brain is not reflected in a corresponding change in its BH titer, while low secretory activity brings about an accumulation of BH in the brain. An interesting finding is that extremely high titers of BH were found in the thorax and abdomen, from 4 days after pupation to adult emergence, of females only. This sexual difference was, however, not found in all of the races examined.     

家蚕微粒子病母蛾序贯抽样检验方法研究

本文根据统计学理论,设计了一套家蚕微粒子病母蛾序贯抽样检验方案,用此方案进行的抽样检验,不仅保证了将不合格蚕种判为合格蚕种的概率控制在1.5％以内,而且大大减少了将合格蚕种判为不合格蚕种的概率．并且镜检蛾数一般随总体病蛾率ρ而变化。当ρ较低或较高（相对于0.5％）时,需检验的数量就较少.本方案的实际检验工作量并未比现行检验方案有明显增加.     

激光诱变家蚕突变及其遗传育种的研究

本文报道了激光诱导家蚕单性生殖五年（１９８９—１９９３）来的研究结果。由于家蚕雌雄核受刺激的敏感性存在着差异,激光刺激不仅能使未受精的处女蛾卵发育产生孤雌生殖;而且能够破坏交配蛾卵的雌核发育产生孤雄生殖。试验结果说明激光诱发家蚕单性生殖具有明显效果,现已选育成“单性１号”和“单性２号”两个新突变体及其优良杂交组合“单性１号×皖５”和“单性１号×中８”,由于“单性１号”是斑纹限性品种,用它作母本的杂交种可为蚕业生产带来很大的经济效益。     

THE POLLEN-TUBE CHEMOTROPIC FACTOR FROM ANTIRRHINUM MAJUS: BIOASSAY,EXTRACTION, AND PARTIAL PURIFICATION

Mascarenhas , J. P., and L. Machlis . (U. California, Berkeley.) The pollen-tube chemotropic factor from Antirrhinum majus: bioassay, extraction, and partial purification . Amer. Jour. Bot. 49(5): 482–489. Illus. 1962.—A new method for quantitatively detecting pollen-tube chemotropism is described. Extracts from the gynoecial tissues of snapdragon were prepared. Fractionation by paper chromatographic methods as well as by passage through Sephadex 25 indicated that the active moiety is associated with large molecules and can be partially dissociated by treatment with methanol. The active material was not found among a large number of common metabolites and plant growth hormones. It was shown that chemotropic activity was also present in nongynoecial tissues of snapdragon as well as in one other plant. This demonstration depended on using a membrane to prevent interference by pollen-tube growth inhibitors.     

抗-20诱导的三眠家蚕后丝腺RNA聚合酶和RNA的合成

蚕在4龄期开始的48小时连续取食抗-20,4眠家蚕被诱导成3眠蚕并吐丝结茧。根据对α-鹅膏蕈碱的敏感性,放线菌素D的抑制作用,DNA需要以及[~3H]-UMP掺入酸不可溶物,测定了蚕后丝腺的RNA聚合酶Ⅰ和Ⅱ活力。观察到随着抗-20处理后天数的增加,RNA聚合酶在热变性小牛胸腺DNA和内源DNA上转录活性迅速升高,并伴随着RNA合成的迅速增加;而对照组蚕的酶活力和RNA含量仍保持在相当稳定的低水平。     

FURTHER STUDY RE-EXAMINING WHETHER LARVAL EPIDERMIS CAN OMIT THE SECRETION OF A PUPAL CUTICLE, USING THE SILKWORM, BOMBYX MORI

When larval tissue is exposed to a hormonal milieu lacking juvenile hormone, adult characters appear directly, omitting the pupal stage, in some insects but not in others, including Bombyx mori. An attempt was made to induce omission of pupal characters in this species by varying the stage of the larval epidermis to be tested. Pieces of larval integument taken from fourth- and fifth-instar larvae of various stages were transplanted to developing adults. Although the number of cuticle layers and the types of cuticle produced differed depending on the age of the donors, none of the pieces omitted secreting the pupal cuticle. It is concluded that the larval epidermis cannot omit secreting pupal cuticle, and that a transition of tissue competence may play an important part in the sequential appearance of larval, pupal, and adult characters.     

银杏叶聚戊烯醇的化学、纯化和药效研究

通过石油醚提取、水解、萃取和柱层析等分离,制得银杏叶叶聚戊烯醇纯样,其化学结构由NMR、IR和MS鉴定为桦木聚戊烯醇,异戊烯基单元数为15－21。另外,对聚戊烯醇的纯化工艺和毒、药理等进行了研究,提出纯化70％以上聚戊烯醇的方法,适合大指生产,为聚戊烯醇制剂的开发提供基础。     

中国家蚕抗菌肽ABP-CM4在E.coli中的融合表达及活性分析

参照天然抗菌肽CM4(ABP-CM4)氨基酸序列和大肠杆菌偏爱密码子,采用rPCR法获得CM4基因后重组到表达载体pET32a上,在E.coli中融合表达。表达产物以可溶性存在,经Ni2 -NTA琼脂糖亲和层析获得融合蛋白,再经甲酸切割、亲和层析和阳离子交换层析,得到纯化的重组抗菌肽。琼脂糖扩散法和液相测定法证明了纯化的抗菌肽具有抗菌活性。     

STUDIES ON THE POSTERIOR SILK GLAND OF THE SILKWORM, BOMBYX MORI : III. Ultrastructural Changes of Posterior Silk Gland Cells in the Fourth Larval Instar

The development of the cells in the posterior silk gland of the silkworm, Bombyx mori, during the fourth larval instar has been studied. In the early stages of this instar, the wet weight of the gland and the amounts of RNA, DNA, and protein per animal increase logarithmically until they reach a stationary state at about 72 hr. At around 96 hr of the fourth instar, the larvae enter the molting state, which lasts for about 24 hr until the fourth ecdysis. Towards the end of the molt stage, the growth of the silk gland is resumed. Electron microscopical observation shows that in the early intermolt stage the cytoplasm is filled with free ribosomes and with rough endoplasmic reticulum (ER), first of the lamellar type (0–6 hr) and then of the vesicular or tubular type. The Golgi apparatus also is well developed. At the beginning of the molt stage (90–96 hr), however, most of the ER becomes lamellar in type, concentric lamellar structures being occasionally observed, and the Golgi vacuoles disappear. Autophagosomes and lysosomes increase markedly and the apical portion of the cytoplasm becomes extensively vacuolated; this suggests that the secretory activities are completely depressed, and pronounced degenerative changes appear during the molt stage. Towards the end of the molt stage, large lamellar ER elements are fragmented into smaller lamellae and there is a pronounced increase in the number of free ribosomes.     

STUDIES ON THE POSTERIOR SILK GLAND OF THE SILKWORM, BOMBYX MORI : I. Growth of Posterior Silk Gland Cells and Biosynthesis of Fibroin During the Fifth Larval Instar

Growth of the posterior silk gland and biosynthesis of fibroin during the fifth larval instar of the silkworm, Bombyx mori, have been studied. In accordance with the exponential increase in the wet weight of the gland, the amounts of DNA, RNA, protein, and lipids per animal increased rapidly in the early stage of the fifth instar (0–96 hr). Biosynthesis of fibroin, on the contrary, mainly proceeds in the later stage of the fifth instar (120–192 hr). Electron microscopical observations have shown that, in the very early stage (0–12 hr), a number of free ribosomes exist in the cytoplasm. Rough endoplasmic reticulum (ER) with closely spaced cisternae was also observed. Then rough ER starts to proliferate rapidly, and at the same time lamellar ER is rapidly or gradually transformed into vesicular or tubular forms. In the later stage of the fifth instar (120–192 hr), the cytoplasm is mostly filled with tubular or vesicular ER. Golgi vacuoles, free vacuoles (fibroin globules), and mitochondria are also observed. It is concluded that in the early stage of the fifth instar the cellular structures necessary for the biosynthesis of fibroin are rapidly formed, while in the later stage the biosynthesis of fibroin proceeds at a maximum rate and utilizes these structures.