Mitotic reversion in prophase of PTK1 cells induced by argon laser microirradiation

In this paper, we report the effects of laser microirradiation of prophase nucleoli and mitotic chromosomes in cells of female rat kangaroo kidney epithelial cell line PTK1. When the laser power delivered to sample surface was 90-190 mW, irradiation of one of the two nucleoli in the prophase cell did not inhibit the mitotic progress, but resulted in the loss of the irradiated nucleolus in daughter cells. When the laser power was increased to 360-420 mW, either irradiation of the nucleolus or chromosome in midprophase caused a blockage of mitosis at terminal midprophase. The irradiated cells returned morphologically to early prophase. No mitotic reversion occurred in the case of irradiation of chromosomes at late prophase, prometaphase, metaphase, and anaphase. Irradiation of the cytoplasm in prophase cells caused a 50-70 min mitotic delay at prophase. However, the irradiated cells underwent successive mitotic divisions. The mechanism of laser-induced mitotic prophase reversion is discussed.     

Monospecific antibodies against a synthetic peptide predicted from the alpha-3 nicotinic receptor cDNA inhibit binding of [3H]nicotine to rat brain nicotinic cholinergic receptor

Polyclonal antibodies were raised against a synthetic decapeptide (designated S3) predicted from a segment of the alpha-3 subunit cDNA (amino acid residues 130-139) encoding the rat brain nicotinic cholinergic receptor. This segment was selected because it may be proximate to the nicotine/acetylcholine-binding site of the receptor (1). By radioligand binding assays and sucrose density gradient centrifugation, these monospecific antibodies were shown to inhibit the binding of [3H]nicotine to both the large molecular weight rat brain receptor (240 kDa) and to an SDS-disaggregated nicotine-binding subunit species (80 kDa), in a dose-dependent manner. The neutralizing effect of the anti-S3 antibodies supports the view that this region of the protein is closely related to the agonist binding site.     

Isolation of a novel 38 residue-hypothalamic polypeptide which stimulates adenylate cyclase in pituitary cells

A novel neuropeptide which stimulates adenylate cyclase in rat anterior pituitary cell cultures was isolated from ovine hypothalamic tissues. Its amino acid sequence was revealed as: His-Ser-Asp-Gly-Ile-Phe-Thr-Asp-Ser-Tyr-Ser-Arg-Tyr-Arg-Lys-Gln- Met-Ala- Val-Lys-Lys-Tyr-Leu-Ala-Ala-Val-Leu-Gly-Lys-Arg-Tyr-Lys-Gln-Arg-Val-Lys-Asn-Lys - NH2. The N-terminal sequence shows 68% homology with vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP) but its adenylate cyclase stimulating activity was at least 1000 times greater than that of VIP. It increased release of growth hormone (GH), prolactin (PRL), corticotropin (ACTH) and luteinizing hormone (LH) from superfused rat pituitary cells at as small a dose as 10(-10)M (GH, PRL, ACTH) or 10(-9)M (LH). Whether these hypophysiotropic effects are the primary actions of the peptide or what physiological action in the pituitary is linked with the stimulation of adenylate cyclase by this peptide remains to be determined.     

Differential susceptibility of type III erythrocytes of paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria to lysis mediated by complement and perforin

Previous reports have suggested that a 65 kDa membrane protein, termed homologous restriction factor (HRF), in addition to protecting erythrocytes (E) against lysis by homologous complement (C), may also be involved in protecting cytolytic lymphocytes against lysis mediated by a pore-forming protein (PFP/perforin), one of their own lytic mediators. Here, we used HRF-deficient type III E of patients with paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH) to study their susceptibility to lysis mediated by homologous C and perforin, and compared it with lysis of HRF-bearing control or PNH type I E. We show that type III E of PNH patients are indeed more susceptible to lysis mediated by homologous C than control or type I E, but they are as susceptible to perforin-mediated lysis as type I E. In addition, all human E (type I or III) tested here are equally susceptible to lysis mediated by either human (homologous) or murine (heterologous) perforin. By immunoblot analysis, we confirm that type III E, in contrast to type I E, were deficient in the 65 kDa HRF. These results support the notion that homologous species restriction is seen in the C- but not in the lymphocyte perforin-system and argue against an active participation of HRF in protecting cells from perforin-mediated lysis.     

Acquired immunity in rats against Angiostrongylus cantonensis infection

Acquired immunity against Angiostrongylus cantonensis was induced by immunizing rats with somatic antigens from fifth-stage larvae and adult worms and live third-stage larvae. Rats immunized twice had significantly fewer worms than rats immunized three times. Fewer worms were recovered from rats immunized with 200 live third-stage larvae than from any other groups. Rats immunized with somatic antigens had higher enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) antibody levels than rats immunized with live larvae. Rats immunized with live third-stage larvae of Angiostrongylus cantonensis were more strongly protected against challenge infections (62-92%) than rats immunized with antigens extracted from fifth-stage larvae (0-30%) and adult worms (11-24%).     

传入C纤维的兴奋在中电针“足三里”激活中缝大核中的作用

The purpose of the present work is to study whether the analgesia of "Zusanli" EA was mainly produced by its noxious effect. The antidromic C waves on N. peroneus communis innervating the area of "Zusanli" point were recorded. When "Zusanli" point was stimulated by trains of stimuli, the amplitude of the antidromic C wave was obviously decreased due to collision with the orthodromic stimulation. It was suggested that EA of "Zusanli" could excite some C fibers. It was observed that when the stimulation intensity reached the threshold of C fiber, the NRM neurons were obviously activated, and when it reached or exceeded the intensity for producing the maximal C wave, the NRM neurons were highly activated. Therefore, EA analgesia is probably produced mainly by its noxious stimulus component, especially carried by C fibers, via a negative feedback mechanism in modulating pain.     

左旋四氢巴马汀加强电针对兔大脑皮层牙髓诱发电位的...

Cortical potentials evoked by stimulation of the contralateral tooth-pulp were recorded epidurally from the SI cortex of rabbits anesthetized with urethane and chloralose. It was found that nociceptive components of the evoked potential consisted of P1 and P2 wavelets with a relative stable peak latency of 22.5 +/- 1.2 ms and 66.1 +/- 1.9 ms respectively. Higher intensity of tooth pulp stimulation was required for appearance of P2 than P1. Diazepam, a non-analgesic sedative, reduced P1 but not P2 amplitude. On the contrary, dolantin, an analgesic, suppressed P2 but showed no significant influence on P1. The results suggest that P2, but not P1 might be related to pain. The effects of l-tetrahydropalmatine (1-THP) and electroacupuncture on P2 were observed on 12 animals. The results showed that both iv l-THP 8mg/kg and electroacupuncture brought forth a decrease in P2 amplitude by 40.3 +/- 14% and 59.3 +/- 10% respectively, while electroacupuncture combined with l-THP produce a further decrease in P2 amplitude by 92.8 +/- 7%. Furthermore, the inhibitory periods of P2 amplitude were significantly prolonged after electroacupuncture combined with l-THP. The results indicated that l-THP enhanced the suppression of P2 by electroacupuncture.     

原生质体来源的大白菜悬浮细胞系的超低温保存

原生质体来源的大白菜 Brasstca campessris var.pekinsis 悬浮细胞系在二甲亚砜的保护下,能在液氮中(-196℃)长期冻存。加入山梨醇能增强保护作用;而加入甘露糖则降低保护作用。培养基对冻存也有明显的影响。在液氮中存放的时间长短对细胞存活率没有多大影响。冻后相对活性最高可达75.4％,恢复生长快,化冻后重新悬浮培养6天,生长量可达300-500％。遮光比不遮光对恢复更有利。冻存后恢复生长的悬浮细胞,能与未经冰冻的对照一样进行原生质体分离和培养。     

A partial map of the barley genome incorporating restriction fragment length polymorphism, polymerase chain reaction, isozyme, and morphological marker loci

Nine low copy number genomic DNA clones, a ribosomal sequence, and seven cDNA clones were found to identify polymorphisms in cultivated barley (Hordeum vulgare L.). An F2 population consisting of 100 plants was produced from a cross between a high-yielding two-rowed feed barley cultivar and a genetic marker stock homozygous for nine recessive and one dominant morphological marker genes. Through the use of these 10 well-distributed marker genes, five previously mapped isozyme loci, and two storage-protein loci, the approximate recombinational location for each of 17 restriction fragment length polymorphism loci was estimated. One clone, pMSU21, identified variation that appeared to be the result of a small insertion-deletion event that differentiated two-rowed and six-rowed genotypes. This difference was characterized, and one allele was sequenced. Oligonucleotide primers that flanked the insertion-deletion event were synthesized, and DNA samples from the F2 population were subjected to polymerase chain reaction sequence amplification. The variation identified by this technique was determined to be allelic to the variation identified using pMSU21 in Southern blot analysis. Maps of previously undescribed informative clones are included.     

Corrected sequence of the mannitol (mtl) operon in Escherichia coli

The previously published sequences of the operator-promoter region of the mannitol operon of Escherichia coli and of the mtlD gene have been found to contain a number of errors. The major conclusions reported previously were correct, but additionally it is now clear that a C-terminal portion of mannitol-1-phosphate dehydrogenase (the mtlD gene product) exhibits significant sequence identity with an amino-terminal region of human liver fructose-6-phosphate-2-kinase:fructose-2,6-bisphosphatase.