Spore age and coverslip placement affects germination and post-germination development of Colletotrichum dematium var circinans

Spore suspensions from young (10–14 da; young spores) and old (4 mo; old spores) colonies of PColletotrichum dematium var circinans were placed on slides. Coverslips were left off, placed on in the normal manner, or supported on shims. Slides were placed in moist chambers and incubated in light or dark for up to 48 hrs. Germination and post-germination development were studied. Shimming had some beneficial effect on germination, especially for old spores in dark. In general, more germ-tubes and appressoria were produced on spores under shims than spores with other coverslip treatments. By 48 hrs more old spores under shims germinated, and greater numbers of germ-tubes and appressoria were produced than on other old spores under different coverslip treatments. However, numbers produced were lower than those predicted for comparably treated young spores. Spore age, incubation regime, and placement of coverslips did not affect germ-tube initiation. For all treatments more germ-tubes were initiated from spore tops than bottoms or tips. Fewer germ-tubes were initiated from spore centers than other locations on tops and bottoms, and from both tips than one tip. Approximately 26 % of all appressoria were produced sessile. A higher percentage of sessile appressoria were produced on old spores (80 %) than on young spores (20%).     

Metal-free and metal-substituted cytochromes c. Use in characterization of the cytochrome c binding site.

The luminescent properties of metal-free, tin(IV) and zinc(II) cytochromes c have been used to characterize the interaction of cytochrome c with mitochondria and cytochrome oxidase. Diminution in the fluorescence yields of tin and zinc cytochrome c occur when these derivates bind to cytochrome oxidase or mitochondria. Based upon spectral overlap and quantum yield, the distance between the porphyrin rings of cytochrome a and cytochrome c is estimated according to Forster theory to be in the neighborhood of 3.5 nm. Measurements of the polarized emission of metal-free 'porphyrin' cytochrome c when bound to oriented layers of cytochrome c oxidase indicate that the porphyrin is bound obliquely to the plane of the oxidase layers with an angle of about 70 degrees C from heme plane to membrane plane. It is proposed that these data have significance for elucidation of electron transfer mechanisms.     

Additional Restriction Endonuclease Cleavage Sites on the Bacteriophage P22 Genome

We present complete restriction endonuclease cleavage site maps of the bacteriophage P22 chromosome for 16 enzymes with six base recognition sequences, thereby positioning 116 new sites on the chromosome. Twenty-four such restriction maps for P22 DNA, containing 162 sites, have now been completed, and three enzymes were found that did not cut P22 DNA. Our results are consistent with the ideas that ClaI does not cleave the methylated recognition sequence ATCGA(me)T or A(me)TCGAT and StuI does not cleave the methylated recognition sequence AGGCC(me)T.     

Rat cerebral cortical synaptoneurosomal membranes. Structure and interactions with imidazobenzodiazepine and 1,4-dihydropyridine calcium channel drugs.

Small angle x-ray scattering has been used to investigate the structure of synaptoneurosomal (SNM) membranes from rat cerebral cortex. Electron micrographs of the preparation showed SNM with classical synaptic appositions intact, other vesicles, occasional mitochondria, and some myelin. An immunoassay for myelin basic protein placed the myelin content of normal rat SNM at less than 2% by weight of the total membrane present. X-Ray diffraction patterns showed five diffraction orders with a unit cell repeat for the membrane of 71 to 78 A at higher hydration states. At lower hydration, 11 orders appeared; the unit cell repeat was 130 A, indicating that the unit cell contained two membranes. Electron density profiles for the 130-A unit cell were determined; they clearly showed the two opposed asymmetrical membranes of the SNM vesicles. SNM membrane/buffer partition coefficients (Kp) of imidazobenzodiazepine and 1,4-dihydropyridine (DHP) calcium channel drugs were measured; Kp's for DHP drugs were approximately five times higher in rabbit light sarcoplasmic reticulum than in SNM. Ro 15-1788 and the DHP BAY K 8644 bind primarily to the outer monolayer of vesicles of intact SNM membranes. Nonspecific equilibrium binding of Ro 15-1788 occurs mainly in the upper acyl chain of the bilayer in lipid extracts of SNM membrane.     

Preparation of pure populations of covalently stabilized amyloid β-protein oligomers of specific sizes

Evidence suggests that amyloid β-protein (Aβ) oligomers may be seminal pathogenic agents in Alzheimer's disease (AD). If so, developing oligomer-targeted therapeutics requires an understanding of oligomer structure. This has been difficult due to the instability of these non-covalently associated Aβ assemblies. We previously used rapid, zero-length, in situ chemical cross-linking to stabilize oligomers of Aβ40. These enabled us to isolate pure, stable populations of dimers, trimers, and tetramers and to determine their structure-activity relationships. However, equivalent methods applied to Aβ42 did not produce stable oligomers. We report here that the use of an Aβ42 homologue, [F10, Y42]Aβ42, coupled with sequential denaturation/dissociation and gel electrophoresis procedures, provides the means to produce highly pure, stable populations of oligomers of sizes ranging from dimer through dodecamer that are suitable for structure-activity relationship determination.     

Development of the venom ducts in the centipede Scolopendra: an example of recapitulation

In contrast to previous claims that (a) there is a law of recapitulation and, conversely, (b) recapitulation never happens, the evolutionary repatterning of development can take many forms, of which recapitulation is one. Here, we add another example to the list of case studies of recapitulation. This example involves the development of the venom claws (forcipules) in the centipede Scolopendra subspinipes mutilans, and in particular the development of the duct through which venom flows from the gland that produces it (proximal) to the opening called the meatus (distal) through which it is injected into prey. Most of the information we present is from early postembryonic stages—these have been neglected in previous work on centipede development. We show that the venom ducts arise from sutures that are invaginations of the cuticle. In S. s. mutilans, the invagination in each forcipule forms into a tubular structure that detaches itself from the exoskeleton and moves toward the center of the forcipule. This is in contrast to extant Scutigera, and also, probably, Scolopendra's extinct Scutigera‐like ancestors, where the duct remains attached to the cuticle of throughout development. Thus, S. s. mutilans exhibits a recapitulatory repatterning of development.     

五节芒定居对尾矿砂重金属形态、微生物群落功能及多样性的影响

选择尾矿砂裸地和4个五节芒(Miscanthus floridulus)定居地(RI、RII、RIII和RIV)为样地, 分别研究了五节芒定居对尾矿砂重金属形态转化和微生物功能参数的影响。结果表明: 五节芒自然定居显著地提高了尾矿砂碳酸盐结合态和硫化物-有机物结合态重金属比例(p＜0.05), 降低了尾矿砂残渣态重金属的比例(p＜0.05)。土壤微生物群落的纤维素分解作用、酚转化作用、固氮作用、氨化作用、硝化作用、有机磷转化作用、功能多样性、4类不同碳源(碳水化合(CH)、聚合物(PL)、胺类化合物(AM)和杂合物(ML))均随着五节芒自然定居显著提高(p＜0.05)。而氨基酸(AA)的利用强度却显著下降(p＜0.05)。典范相关分析(CCA)表明: 土壤微生物功能参数的总体变化与土壤碳酸盐结合态和硫化物-有机物结合态重金属的含量呈显著正相关, 与残渣态重金属含量呈显著负相关。该研究结果表明, 五节芒定居不仅促进了尾矿砂重金属朝着沉淀态和螯合态方面转化, 而且还显著地改善了尾矿砂微生物群落的功能发挥。因而, 五节芒在重金属矿业废弃地恢复实践中具有较大的应用潜力。     

以肠道外症状为首发表现的结肠癌47例临床分析

目的:分析以肠道外症状为首发表现的结肠癌临床特征,旨在提高结肠癌诊治水平.方法:收集我院1994年1月至2008年1月间以肠道外症状为首发表现的结肠癌47例,对其临床特点进行回顾性分析.结果:47例以肠道外症状为首发表现的结肠癌中位发病年龄为65岁;贫血症状多见,占78.7％(37/47),长期低热3例,肝转移瘤4例,肺转移瘤2例,皮肌炎1例;肿瘤多发生于右半结肠,占74.5％(35/47);病理类型:乳头状腺癌为主,占61.7％(29/47);Dukes分期:B期占44.7％(21/47),C期占42.6％(20/47);结肠镜是重要诊断方法,结肠镜与钡灌肠有互补优势;手术是主要治疗手段,综合治疗可延长患者生存期.结论:以肠道外症状为首发表现的结肠癌以贫血多见,病变多位于右半结肠,结肠镜是主要确诊方法,以手术为主的综合治疗可改善患者预后.     

黑曲霉原生质体诱变选育果胶酶高产菌株

通过UV和NTG诱变筛选获得了2株高产果胶酶突变株。以果胶酶产生菌黑曲霉EIM6为诱变材料,采用1．5％的溶壁酶和1．5％的纤维素酶处理其对教生长期菌丝体2h获得高质量的原生质体。采用UV25S或50μg／mL NTG诱变30min,构建原生质体突变库,经刚果红果胶平板筛选获得果胶酶突变株,通过液体深层培养复筛获得高产突变株EIM6-U11、EIM6-N5,酶活力分别从46598．08、46598．08U／mL提高至68596．57、68879．56U／mL,分别提高了47．21％、47．82％。连续8次传代经发酵测酶活力表明高产突变株EIM6-U11、EIM6-N5具有较高的遗传稳定性。