Orosomucoid (ORM) typing by isoelectric focusing: evidence for gene duplication of ORM1 and genetic polymorphism of ORM2

Summary It has been demonstrated that the genetic polymorphism of human serum orosomucoid (ORM) is controlled by polymorphic ORM1 and monomorphic ORM2 loci. In this study a Japanese family was encountered in which several members had puzzling electrophoretic patterns consisting of four bands. The ORM patterns were due to the products of a duplicated ORM1 locus haplotype (ORM1 ^* 2·1) or the products of new variant alleles at the ORM2 locus. The ORM1 ^* 2·1 haplotype is very common in the Japanese population, occurring at an allele frequency of 0.16. The increased occurrence of ORM1 2-1 and the heterogeneity in band intensity among ORM1 2-1 phenotypes could be explained in terms of a duplicated gene ORM1 ^* 2·1. The ORM2 locus proved to be polymorphic, with six alleles in the Japanese population. Dedicated to Professor Dr. K. Nishigami on the occasion of his 60th birthday     

Effects of hydrocortisone and aminophylline on plasma leukotriene C4 levels in patients during an asthmatic attack

To study the role of leukotriene C4(LTC4) and the effect of hydrocortisone and aminophylline on plasma LTC4 levels in patients with asthmatic attacks, we measured LTC4 in plasma of 18 asthmatics during a wheezing attack and of 7 normal subjects. Blood samples were obtained before and after treatment with aminophylline and/or hydrocortisone injections. We extracted LTC4 using a Sep-Pak C18 cartridge for the measurement of LTC4 by radioimmunoassay. The plasma levels of immunoreactive LTC4 (i-LTC4) of the normal subjects were 142 +/- 25 pg/ml (n = 7), while those of nonatopic type asthmatic patients with wheezing attacks were 208 +/- 68 pg/ml (n = 15) (p less than 0.01). Before and after treatment with both hydrocortisone succinate (100 mg) and aminophylline (250 mg), 6 asthmatic patients with wheezing attacks had a mean plasma level of i-LTC4 181 +/- 24 and 132 +/- 18 pg/ml (p less than 0.01), respectively. On the other hand, the treatment with aminophylline 250 mg alone increased the i-LTC4 levels from 178 +/- 19 pg/mg to 213 +/- 16 pg/mg (n = 6)(p less than 0.05), while treatment with hydrocortisone succinate 100 mg decreased the i-LTC4 level 0.05 from 284 +/- 99 pg/ml to 249 +/- 85 pg/ml (n = 4)(p less than 0.05). In conclusion, the present study shows that the i-LTC4 level in venous blood of patients with asthmatic attacks is decreased significantly by treatment with hydrocortisone succinate.     

PI (α1) polymorphism in the Japanese: Confirmation of PI*M4 and description of new PI variants

PI phenotyping by separator isoelectric focusing (SIEF) was performed on a total of 1000 unrelated Japanese individuals from two different areas of Western Japan. The PI M1M4 subtype was observed together with the six common PI M subtypes. PI*M4 was confirmed to be present but rare in the Japanese. Several new PI variants were identified by comparison runs of each variant with previously reported genetic variants. The significance of treatment of serum with dithiothreitol (DTT) followed by iodacetic acid (IAC) in determination of PI variants is also described.     

Pock Formation of Streptomycetes endus with Production of Phage Taillike Particles

Plate (or slope) cultures of endomycin-producing Streptomyces endus (KCC S-0213) showed spontaneously developing pocks which increased in number during subculturing. Neither spore formation nor typical aerial hyphae formation was observed in the pocks, whereas formation of substrate hyphase was not inhibited. Almost all of the hyphae were broken or lysed in the pocks, and many phage tail tiplike particles were observed in the pocks. No self-replication activity was associated with the particles. The particles often formed a hexagonal crystal or a large crystal mass. The production of these particles did not occur in the liquid culture or in young or normal plate cultures having no pocks. These results were similar to those obtained from the plaque-making phenomenon, except for active phage production, in thiostrepton-producing Streptomyces azureus (ATCC 14921), which has been described previously.     

花生苗期耐盐性评价及耐盐指标筛选

评价鉴选耐盐品种对于盐碱地花生生产具有重要意义。采用盆栽试验,设置不同盐胁迫浓度,对200个花生品种(系)萌发至幼苗期通过出苗速度、植株形态和生物量等指标进行耐盐性系统评价。结果表明,随盐胁迫浓度的增加,出苗时间延长,植株形态建成抑制加重,物质积累减少。鉴选花生品种耐盐性强弱的适宜盐胁迫浓度为0.30%—0.45%,超过此浓度不能出苗。地上部形态和生物量可作为耐盐评价的首选指标,主根长和出苗速度可作为辅助指标用以判断花生品种的综合耐盐能力。200个品种(系)在不同盐胁迫浓度下均可分成高度耐盐型、耐盐型、盐敏感型和高度盐敏感型4组。耐盐品种数量随盐胁迫强度加大而下降,盐敏感品种数量则上升。0.15%浓度下200个品种全部出苗,4个类型品种数分别占供试材料的29.0%、39.0%、27.5%和4.5%;0.30%浓度下185个品种出苗,4个类型品种数分别占供试材料的5.5%、34.5%、23.5%和29.0%;0.45%浓度下107个品种出苗,4个类型品种数分别占供试材料的5.5%、5.5%、20.0%和22.5%。14个品种在各盐浓度胁迫下均表现耐性,10个品种在各盐浓度胁迫下均表现敏感,为花生耐盐机理研究及生产应用提供了不同类型材料。     

50年来山东塔山植被与物种多样性的变化

为分析塔山植被与物种多样性50a自然演替和动态变化,2009-2010年,采用系统勘踏法和典型取样法进行了调查。当前塔山主要植被类型为"黑松林-赤松林-栓皮栎林"。50a间,该区针叶林从黑松(Pinus thunbergii)林演替为黑松林、赤松(P. densiflora)林和油松林(P. tabulaeformis)为主的混合针叶林,但针叶林的整体优势度下降,以栓皮栎(Quercus variabilis)和麻栎(Q. acutissima)为建群种的阔叶林面积明显增大,由针叶林向阔叶林的演替趋势明朗。物种丰富度为草本层>灌木层>乔木层,Shannon-wiener指数和Simpson指数为灌木层>草本层>乔木层,物种多样性较低,处于森林演替初期。     

放牧对黄河低阶地盐化草场土壤水盐空间异质性的影响

选定黄河低阶地地形大致相近的放牧草场与封育草场,按实地情况分别设置长770m（放牧）、370m（放牧）和240m（封育）3条样线,采用校正后的便携式WET Sensor以10m为间隔进行土壤水盐的分层（0～10cm,10～20cm）测定,并对其进行地统计学分析.结果表明：黄河低阶地盐化草场表层土壤水盐的变异系数和相关性高于下层,土壤水分的变异系数低于土壤盐分且层间的相关性较高;放牧使土壤水盐之间的相关程度增大,变异降低,且使土壤水分存在一定的冗余.所研究草场的土壤水盐表现为中等或强烈空间自相关,封育盐化草场水盐空间相关尺度的差异较小,而放牧草场则相反.持续放牧已经成为一种稳定影响盐化草场水盐空间分布的结构性因素,使盐化草场的水盐空间异质性减弱.盐生植物在草场内随机分布且不受放牧干扰,是封育盐化草场随机作用较强的最可能原因;而放牧草场内牲畜的啃食和践踏对盐生植物和土壤结构改变所形成的反馈作用大大降低了这些植物对水分特别是盐分的再分配,进而导致放牧草场水盐的含量趋于增大且分布格局趋于简单.     

山东蒙山植物多样性及其海拔梯度格局

2007年7月和2008年7月,采用典型取样法,沿海拔梯度对蒙山自然植被进行调查,发现区域地带性植被为麻栎(Quercus acutissima)林,主要植被类型为麻栎群落、赤松(Pinus densiflora)群落、油松(Pinus tabuliformis)群落、日本落叶松(Larix kaempferi)群落、黑松(Pinus thunbergii)群落和刺槐-麻栎(Robinia pseudoacacia-Q.acutissima)群落,麻栎群落略占优势,已具备继续向温带落叶阔叶林演替的条件基础.蒙山各层次植物物种丰富度呈现出草本层>灌木层>乔木层特征,Shannon-Wiener多样性指数和Simpson多样性指数整体规律为灌木层>草本层>乔木层.以蒙山森林群落不同层次的各种物种多样性指数和森林群落总体重要值为测度指标,均判断蒙山植被演替正处于亚顶极群落阶段.蒙山植物多样性沿海拔梯度呈现出近似中海拔高的单峰格局,这除受温度、湿度、人为干扰与面积外,蒙山植被亚顶极群落演替现状与所调查区域仅有800 m的海拔梯度也是重要影响因素.     

防治荒漠化的“三圈”生态-生产范式机理及其功能

防治荒漠化的“三圈”生态-生产范式,是干旱生态系统优化与重建的新结构。根据在鄂尔多斯和新疆等地的研究和实践,从干旱生态系统结构、过程和功能来讨论荒漠化防治的“三圈”范式。地理圈层结构（地理地带性）是“三圈”范式的自然地理背景。从宏观尺度和功能方面划分,“三圈”范式在空间尺度上有大“三圈”和小“三圈”之分,大“三圈”控制洲际范围的荒漠化扩展及沙尘暴蔓延,小“三圈”则以控制区域性风沙活动、沙尘暴和就地起沙的危害。防治荒漠化工程是复杂的多元组合和多功能的系统,我国西北地区受荒漠化影响严重,宏观的大“三圈”与多区域的小“三圈”有机结合,形成圈圈相护、层层设防的严密防护与生产系统,有效地控制大范围风沙危害、改善地方气候与小气候,并对发展经济,提高人民生活发挥重要作用。因此,“三圈”范式的概念与结构既是以自然地理地带性为基础,又是人类对自然、环境与生态系统格局的规律认识,更是科学的人类恢复、重建干旱区生态环境与可持续发展的生态设计范式。