Comparative mineral and hormonal analyses of wild type and TLS somaclonal variant derived from oil palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq. var. tenera) tissue culture

Comparative mineral and hormonal analyses were made on tissue culture derived truncated leaf syndrome and wild type oil palm seedlings. Mineral analysis confirmed that Boron, Zinc and chlorophyll levels were significantly lower in truncated leaf syndrome leaves than those of wild type. Hormonal analysis also revealed various cytokinin derivatives such as trans-zeatin, trans-zeatin riboside, trans-zeatin O-glucoside and trans-zeatin riboside 5??mono phosphate were significantly higher in truncated leaf syndrome leaves compared to wild type leaves. Brassinolide level was also significantly higher in truncated leaf syndrome leaves than those of the wild type. These observations suggest that the truncated leaf syndrome abnormality could be associated to high cytokinin and brassinosteroid production which affects the uptake of Boron and Zinc.     

Interleukin-3 stimulates the tyrosine phosphorylation of the 140-kilodalton interleukin-3 receptor

Murine interleukin-3 (mIL-3) stimulates the rapid and transient tyrosine phosphorylation of a number of proteins in mIL-3-dependent B6SUtA1 cells. Two of these proteins, p68 and p140, are maximally phosphorylated at tyrosine residues within 2 min of addition of mIL-3. Because 125I-mIL-3 can be cross-linked to both 70- and 140-kDa proteins on intact B6SUtA1 cells, we investigated whether the tyrosine phosphorylated p68 and p140 were these two mIL-3 receptor proteins. Addition of antiphosphotyrosine antibodies (alpha PTyr Abs) to cell lysates from B6SUtA1 cells, to which 125I-mIL-3 had been disuccinimidyl suberate-cross-linked, resulted in the immunoprecipitation of 125I-mIL-3 complexed to both 70- and 140-kDa proteins. To determine if the observed immunoprecipitation pattern was due to the direct interaction of alpha-PTyr Abs with these two mIL-3 receptor proteins or with tyrosine-phosphorylated proteins that were associated with the receptor proteins, cell lysates were treated with 2% sodium dodecyl sulfate, 5% 2-mercaptoethanol, and boiled for 1 min. After removal of sodium dodecyl sulfate and 2-mercaptoethanol, alpha PTyr Abs immunoprecipitated 125I-mIL-3 cross-linked to only the 140-kDa protein. To confirm this finding, 32P-labeled B6SUtA1 cells were treated with biotinylated or fluoresceinated mIL-3. Addition of immobilized streptavidin or antifluorescein antibodies, respectively, to cell lysates from these cells resulted in the enrichment of only a 140-kDa tyrosine phosphorylated protein. Taken together, these results strongly suggest that only the 140-kDa receptor protein is tyrosine phosphorylated upon mIL-3 binding.     

The effects of carbon dioxide inhalation on plasma MHPG, plasma hormones respiratory rate, and behavior in the rhesus monkey

The effects of inhalation of air and 3 concentrations of carbon dioxide (CO2) on plasma levels of the norepinephrine metabolite, MHPG, plasma hormones, and behavioral activation were assessed in eight chair-adapted Rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta). In comparison to air, inhalation of 5%, 7.5% and 10% CO2 for 180 minutes produced significant dose-dependent increases in respiratory rate, plasma MHPG, cortisol, growth hormone and prolactin. CO2 at the 7.5% concentration produced peak changes in behavior at 15, growth hormone at 30, and cortisol and MHPG at 180 minutes without producing changes in prolactin. The lack of previously reported CO2 induced changes in MHPG, growth hormone and prolactin in humans exposed to 7.5% CO2 for only 15 minutes, may therefore relate to the relatively short duration of CO2 exposure.     

Effects of alprazolam and clonidine on carbon dioxide-induced increases in anxiety ratings in healthy human subjects

In order to investigate possible neurobiologic mechanisms underlying carbon dioxide-induced anxiety, the effects of oral alprazolam 0.75 mg and intravenous clonidine 2 mcg/kg on CO2-induced increases in ratings of subjective anxiety, pulse rate, and ventilation were measured in healthy human subjects. Pretreatment with alprazolam but not with clonidine significantly reduced the CO2-induced increase in ratings of anxiety. Neither drug altered CO2-induced increases in pulse rate or ventilatory responses. Clonidine did produce potent sedative and hypotensive effects. The behavioral data suggest that the mechanisms through which CO2 induces anxiety-like effects involve neural systems regulated by benzodiazepine receptors and, secondly, that they appear not to require normal functioning of noradrenergic systems. Carbon dioxide may provide a useful model system for identification of new drugs with anxiolytic properties.     

Flow cytometric estimation of nuclear DNA amount in diploid bananas (Musa acuminata andM. balbisiana)

Cell nuclei were isolated from leaf tissues of wild banana (Musa balbisiana, M. acuminata ssp.banksii andM. acuminata ssp.errans) and of the two vegetative clones of diploid cultivar “Pisang Mas”. Relative fluorescence intensity was measured on propidium iodide-stained nuclei by flow cytometry. Nuclei isolated fromGlycine max with known nuclear genome size were used as internal standard to determine nuclear DNA content ofMusa in absolute units. The results of the study showed that the size of nuclear genome ofMusa is smaller than previously estimated. In general, it is smaller in comparison with many other angiosperms. Furthermore, it was found that nuclear DNA content ofM. balbisiana (genome BB) is significantly lower than that ofM. acuminata subspecies and cultivars (genome AA). This finding should permit estimation of genome composition in triploidMusa clones with expected hybrid composition. Flow cytometry is proposed as a useful technique with potential applications in taxonomy, breeding and biotechnology ofMusa.