Mammalian lignans and genistein decrease the activities of aromatase and 17beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase in MCF-7 cells

Estrogen plays a major role in breast cancer development and progression. Breast tissue and cell lines contain the necessary enzymes for estrogen synthesis, including aromatase and 17β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (17β-HSD). These enzymes can influence tissue exposure to estrogen and therefore have become targets for breast cancer treatment and prevention. This study determined whether the isoflavone genistein (GEN) and the mammalian lignans enterolactone (EL) and enterodiol (ED) would inhibit the activity of aromatase and 17β-HSD type 1 in MCF-7 cancer cells, thereby decreasing the amount of estradiol (E2) produced and consequently cell proliferation. Results showed that 10 μM EL, ED and GEN significantly decreased the amount of estrone (E1) produced via the aromatase pathway by 37%, 81% and 70%, respectively. Regarding 17β-HSD type 1, 50 μM EL and GEN maximally inhibited E2 production by 84% and 59%, respectively. The reduction in E1 and E2 production by EL and the reduction in E2 production by GEN were significantly related to a reduction in MCF-7 cell proliferation. 4-Hydroxyandrostene-3,17-dione (50 μM) did not inhibit aromatase but inhibited the conversion of E1 to E2 by 78%, suggesting that it is a 17β-HSD type 1 inhibitor. In conclusion, modulation of local E2 synthesis is one potential mechanism through which ED, EL and GEN may protect against breast cancer.     

The immune response of white shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei and its susceptibility to Vibrio alginolyticus at different salinity levels

White shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei held in 25 per thousand seawater were injected with TSB-grown Vibrio alginolyticus (1 x 10(4) cfu shrimp(-1)), and then transferred to 5, 15, 25 (control) and 35 per thousand. Over 24-96 h, the mortality of V. alginolyticus-injected shrimp held in 5 per thousand and 15 per thousand was significantly higher than that of shrimp held in 25 per thousand and 35 per thousand, and the mortality of V. alginolyticus-injected shrimp held in 5 per thousand was the highest. Shrimp held in 25 per thousand and then transferred to 5, 15, 25 (control) and 35 per thousand were examined for THC (total haemocyte count), phenoloxidase activity, respiratory burst, superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, phagocytic activity and clearance efficiency to V. alginolyticus after 12-72 h. The THC, phenoloxidase activity, respiratory burst, SOD activity, phagocytic activity and clearance efficiency decreased significantly for the shrimp held in 5 and 15 per thousand after 12 h. It is concluded that the shrimp transferred from 25 per thousand to low salinity levels (5 and 15 per thousand) had reduced immune ability and decreased resistance against V. alginolyticus infection.     

The use of transcriptomics to address questions in behaviour: production of a suppression subtractive hybridisation library from dominance hierarchies of rainbow trout

Microarrays, or gene chips, are transforming the way that gene expression is measured by allowing us to determine the expression of thousands of genes from a sample. This gives immense power to examine gene expression on a global scale within individual animals and between animals. The scope for analysing complex animal functions at the molecular level is within our grasp. Relatively few studies have examined complex behaviours and correlated them with gene expression in the central nervous system. Here, we review the use of microarray technology in the dissection of behaviour and focus specifically on dominance status. A cDNA library using suppression subtraction hybridisation on rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss of differing status has been produced to enrich the cDNA library for genes that are differentially expressed between individuals of different dominance status. A preliminary analysis demonstrated that there were 1,165 genes that differed between fish of different dominance status. Therefore, there is the potential of correlating gene expression profile with rank position within dominance hierarchies, thus identifying targets for candidate gene approaches.     

Absolute configuration of the alpha-methylbutyryl residue in longipinene derivatives from Stevia pilosa

The absolute configuration of the alpha-methylbutyryl residue in (4R,5S,7S,8S,9S,10R,11R,2'S)-7-angeloyloxy-9-hydroxy-8-(alpha-methylbutyryloxy)-longipin-2-en-L-one and (4R,5S,7S,8R,10R,11R,2'S)-7-angeloyloxy-8-(alpha-methylbutyryloxy)- longipin-2-en-L-one was determined by chemical correlation with (S)-(+)-benzyl alpha-methylbutyrate prepared from authentic (S)-(+)-alpha-methylbutyric acid. Both compounds were isolated from the hexane extracts of roots of Stevia pilosa Lag. together with four other longipinene derivatives. The developed correlation method is useful to ascertain the chirality of natural alpha-methylbutyryl esters found in nature and to reinforce the hypotheses on the biogenetic origin of these residues.     

Inexpensive, rapid procedure for bulk purification of cellulase-free beta-1,4-D-xylanase of high specific activity

A process has been developed for the bulk purification of cellulase-free beta-1,4-D-xylanase from the fungus Trichoderma harzianum E58. The process involved the primary step of ultrafiltering the culture filtrate via a 10,000-molecular-weight cut-off membrane to separate the cellulase (retentate) and xylanase (permeate) fractions. The cellulase component was concentrated by 40- to 60-fold, resulting in an enzyme complex that could effectively hydrolyze high concentrations of cellulose and xylan to glucose and xylose. The xylanase was concentrated and solvent exchanged by adsorption to a cationic exchanger, SP-ZetaPrep 250, followed by elution with a pH change in the buffer to give a purified and concentrated xylanase complex dissolved in a low-salt buffer. The resultant xylanase system was pure by the criteria of sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide electrophoresis, had a very high specific activity of 2400 IU/mg protein, was virtually free of filter paper activity, and had a ratio of contaminating filter paper activity of 2 x 10(-6) (0.009% endoglucanase activity). Approximately 3.3 g protein, which contained in excess of 7 x 10(6) IU xylanase activity, was obtained from 17 L original culture filtrate. The process scheme was designed to facilitate scale-up to an industrial level of production.     

微细胞(microcell)的制备及其生物学特性

本文比较了单纯用秋水酰胺(1μg/ml)和秋水酰胺(1μg/ml)加细胞松弛素B(1μg/ml)复合处理体外培养的细胞株的微细胞生产率,发现后一种方法大大提高了微细胞的获得率。对于微核化细胞的离心脱核方法以及粗制的微细胞纯化方法亦作了改进。同时研究了微细胞的存活时间以及它的大小等生物学特性。并且研究了CHO Wg3-h SL7 HFC四种细胞在秋水仙胺和秋水仙胺加细胞松弛素B复合处理后的微核率,发现后一种方法能促进细胞的微核化,但不同的细胞株对这两种有丝分裂阻断剂敏感性差异很大,体外未经转化的人的正常成纤维细胞对有丝分裂阻断剂的敏感性与细胞年龄有密切关系,越年轻越敏感。     

花粉单倍体的遗传品质——花药培养是否降低了育种材料的农艺价值

自S.Guha和S.C.Maheshwari 1964年以曼陀罗(Datura)花药为材料,首次成功地诱导出离体幼胚以来,人们经过不断的发展和完善使之形成了一套完整的花药培养技术,即通过植物花药(或小孢子)的培养,大批创制单倍体并经染色体加倍进而获得双单倍体(Doubled haploid)植株。该技术被迅速而广泛地应用于作物育种程序之中。目前已有不少的栽培作物成功地获得了花粉植株,如:烟草、小麦、大麦、水稻、黑麦、小黑麦、玉米、甘     

血管紧张素原基因多态位点AGT174与原发性高血压相关性的研究

本文采用PCR、限制性酶切和电泳分型等方法,分别对90例原发性高血压患者和109例正常人血管紧张素原基因多态位点AGT174进行了检测,结果表明,高血压组中三种基因型的分布与对照组显著不同,提高该位点变异与原发性高血压的发生相关。 Abstract:The polymorphism of angiotensinogen gene at position 174 was studied in 90 cases of essential hypertension patients and 109 controls by PCR,restriction enzyme analysis and electrophoresis methods.The results showed the distribution of genetypes in hypertension group was significantly different from that of controls group.This suggested there is a correlation between the variant of AGT174 and hypertension.     

二棱大麦数量性状相关遗传力和选择指数的分析

以15个二棱大麦品种(系)材料,用相关遗传力研究大麦数量性状的相关遗传,并计算分析籽粒产量和产量构成性状所组合的各种选择指数。结果表明:各性状与单株粒重的相关遗传力均低于单株粒重的遗传力,故仅利用一个性状作间接选择的效率比对单株粒重作直接选择的效率低;在构成大麦产量的三要素中,着重提高单株穗数对产量的选择效率最大; 高产育种同时考虑与产量显著相关的性状比单纯对产量选择的效果好,其中以单株穗数、每穗粒数和籽粒产量结合起来选择的效果最佳。本文并对相关遗传力在相关遗传变异分析中的应用进行了讨论。