Coordinated mRNA and Protein Expression of Human LAMP-1 in Induction of Melanogenesis After UV-B Exposure and Co-Transfection of Human Tyrosinase and TRP-1 cDNAs

In order to better understand the cascade of melanogenic events in melanocytes, this report has introduced our two recent approaches for the expression of melanogenesis/or melanosome-associated genes and encoded proteins in melanocytes (melanoma cells) after repeated exposure to UV -B and after cotransfection of two human genes, i.e., tyrosinase and tyrosinase-related protein-1 (TRP-1). Repeated exposure of UV B (2.5–5.0 mJ/cm²) caused not only upregulation of tyrosinase and TRP-1 genes but also coordinated increase in the gene and protein synthesis expression of Lamp-1 (lysosome-associated membrane protein-1). When COS-7 kidney cells and amelanotic melanoma (C32 and SKMEL-24) and melanotic melanoma (G361 and SK-MEL-23) cells were exposed to cotransfection of human tyrosinase and TRP-1 cDNAs, there was also an increased expression of Lamp-1 mRNA and protein along with tyrosinase activation and new melanin synthesis. Importantly, single transfectants of human tyrosinase cDNA revealed marked cellular degeneration, whereas this degeneration was not seen in single transfectants of TRP-1 cDNA or cotransfectants of human tyrosinase and TRP-1 cDNAs, indicating that TRP-1 prevented, along with Lamp-1, programmed death of melanocytes after transfection of tyrosinase gene. The coordinated expression of TRP-1 and Lamp-1 was further confirmed by antisense oligodeoxynucleotide hybridization experiment against Lamp-1 gene, showing the decreased expression of TRP-1 as identified by three different types of anti-TRP-1 monoclonal antibodies. We propose therefore that human tyrosinase and TRP-l, when activated or expressed together, will coordinate to upregulate the mRNA expression and protein synthesis of Lamp-1. The Lamp-1 molecules will, in turn, cover the inner surface of melanosomal membrane, together with TRP-1 molecules, thus protecting the melanosomal membrane from toxic melanin intermediates generated during melanogenesis in the presence of active tyrosinase. In contrast, the expression of other lysosome-related proteins, e.g., β-galactosidase and CD63 is not stimulated in new melanogenesis.     

山羊关节炎─脑炎前病毒的PCR检测

山羊关节炎─脑炎前病毒的ＰＣＲ检测相文华,丁恩雨,秦运安,吕晓玲,沈荣显（中国农业科学院哈尔滨兽医研究所哈尔滨１５０００１）关键词聚合酶链反应,山羊关节炎—脑炎病毒,整合山羊关节炎—脑炎（ＣａｐｒｉｎｅＡｒｔｈｒｉｔｉｓ－Ｅｎｃｅｐｈａｌｉｔｉｓ,Ｃ...     

CBP-18, a Ca2+-Binding Protein in Rat Brain: Tissue Distribution and Localization

Abstract: The distribution of a novel calcium-binding protein with a molecular mass of 18 kDa (CBP-18) in the rat brain was studied by means of biochemical methods and immunohistochemistry on cryostat-sectioned tissue and compared with staining patterns of parvalbumin on adjacent sections. The biochemical analysis revealed high levels of CPB-18 in cortex and cerebellum, low levels in the lungs, and undetectable levels in all other tissues tested. Immunohistochemically, the polyclonal rabbit-derived antibody for CPB-18 showed selective affinity with periglomerular cells and dendrites in the olfactory bulb. Distinct immunostaining of scattered cells and their proximal dendrites was found in the anterior olfactory nuclei and in the perirhinal and entorhinal cortex. Strong staining of neuropil with recognizable but diffusely outlined cells was observed in the retrosplenial cortex, central amygdala, hippocampal rudiment, septum, area preoptica, hypothalamus, colliculus superior, and parabrachial nuclei. The cerebellum showed strong neuropil staining of both the molecular and the granule cell layer. Less intense neuropil staining and a few scattered cells were found in the neocortex, the remaining basal forebrain, and in the entire brainstem. Immunoreactivity was barely detectable or missing in the striatum, the hippocampus, the thalamus, and in the colliculus inferior. Thus, CPB-18 shows a unique staining pattern in the CNS, different from all other Ca²⁺-binding proteins studied so far.     

STRUCTURE AND DYNAMICS OF BAMBOOS IN THE WOLONG NATURAL RESERVE,CHINA

Culm (ramet) demography of two bamboos, Fargesia robusta and Bashania fangiana, was studied over 7 yr in southwest China to determine if: 1) ramet numbers remain relatively constant; 2) ramet mortality was constant; 3) density response was greater in spreading vs. compact clones; 4) extrinsic factors (e.g., predation, climate) influenced ramet dynamics; and 5) ramets that die are smaller than ones that live. Culm numbers remained relatively constant (±20%) in most plots, but culm numbers increased (>;20%) on some sites. Mortality of culms >;6 mo old over 7 yr was low and constant, but mortality of younger culms (≤6 mo) was high and variable due to predation. Spreading clones had greater recruitment response to density than compact clones, but predation and climate may have diminished or amplified the observed demographic patterns. Predators and perhaps climate influenced culm demography, and culms that died were smaller than remaining live culms. The demography of the two bamboos we studied is compared to other clonal plants, including bamboos, to identify common processes controlling ramet demography.     

脂肪酶水解植物油的研究

本文报导了薄层层析法及高压液相色谱法定性定量地测定植物油甘油酯的组成,对不同来源的脂肪酶对植物油的水解进行了研究。实验结果表明,不同来源的脂肪酶对植物油(橄榄油)的水解性不同,同一脂肪酶水解不同种类的植物油,脂肪酶的水解率也不同,脂肪酶水解植物油有最适pH和最适温度。     

Microbial nitrogen and phosphorus co-limitation across permafrost region

The status of plant and microbial nutrient limitation have profound impacts on ecosystem carbon cycle in permafrost areas, which store large amounts of carbon and experience pronounced climatic warming. Despite the long-term standing paradigm assumes that cold ecosystems primarily have nitrogen deficiency, large-scale empirical tests of microbial nutrient limitation are lacking. Here we assessed the potential microbial nutrient limitation across the Tibetan alpine permafrost region, using the combination of enzymatic and elemental stoichiometry, genes abundance and fertilization method. In contrast with the traditional view, the four independent approaches congruently detected widespread microbial nitrogen and phosphorus co-limitation in both the surface soil and deep permafrost deposits, with stronger limitation in the topsoil. Further analysis revealed that soil resources stoichiometry and microbial community composition were the two best predictors of the magnitude of microbial nutrient limitation. High ratio of available soil carbon to nutrient and low fungal/bacterial ratio corresponded to strong microbial nutrient limitation. These findings suggest that warming-induced enhancement in soil nutrient availability could stimulate microbial activity, and probably amplify soil carbon losses from permafrost areas.     

Is drift ‘directional’? Unequal breeding sex ratio revisited

Unequal breeding sex ratio can significantly reduce effective population size, allowing a rare neutral allele to jump to a high frequency through genetic drift. However, this one-way alteration to allele frequency appears inconsistent with the concept that drift is non-directional. Based on binomial sampling distribution, this study developed a method to directly and exhaustively measure drift by calculating the mean deviation of change in allele frequency, then applied it to cases of unequal breeding sex ratio. The result shows that, under those cases, (1) the mean deviation can always be divided into two halves that are equal in size but opposite in direction; (2) each half consists of one or several categories represented by various allele proportions in the rare sex; (3) this proportion is another factor that determines the outcome of drift, in addition to effective population size and allele frequency; (4) drift is non-directional on a global scale, but whether an allele will drift up or down can be predicted based on the above factors. This method enables us to dissect every component of the expected change in allele frequency caused by drift and to find out the combined effect of population size, allele frequency and allele proportion in the rarer sex under neutrality but unequal breeding sex ratio.     

6个猕猴桃品种的果实贮藏与品质评价

为了选育耐贮藏且风味品质优异的猕猴桃(Actinidia)新品种,对美味猕猴桃(A.deliciosa)的3个野生品种‘kvf54’、‘kvf6’、‘鑫美’和3个栽培种‘秦美’、‘华美’、‘徐香’的品质和贮藏特性等进行比较分析。结果表明,常温和1℃贮藏下‘kvf54’和‘徐香’的硬度下降趋势相近,优于其他品种,且‘kvf54’的维生素C (V_C)含量最高。而在相同贮藏条件下,‘鑫美’可溶性固形物含量积累速度最快,淀粉和可滴定酸含量最少,贮藏性能不佳。‘kvf54’相比于其他品种的贮藏性更好,V_C、糖类物质等含量高,是可用于培育耐贮藏新品种的优质材料。     

稻田两种狼蛛种间相互作用及对白背飞虱复合捕食作用的研究

室内研究结果表明,拟水狼蛛对白背飞虱的捕食作用小于拟环纹豹蛛,两种狼蛛种内种间均存在干扰作用,且主要表现为残杀作用,狼蛛密度越高,干扰作用越大;拟环纹豹蛛对拟水狼蛛的残杀作用大于对其身的残杀作用,拟水狼蛛只存在自相残杀作用,对拟环纹豹蛛无残杀作用。     

钾通道阻断剂所致的蜗内直流电位改变

本实验采用耳蜗外淋巴灌流技术,观察了四氨基吡啶(4-AP)、四乙基铵(TEA)以及奎宁等不同钾通道阻断剂对豚鼠蜗内直流电位(EP)的影响。发现快钾通道阻断剂4-AP对EP无明显影响,但可改变强噪声所致EP改变的形式。TEA与奎宁则可减少负相EP(N-EP)的绝对值。实验结果提示耳蜗内有不同类型的钾离子通道存在并各具有不同的生理意义。