Entamoeba histolytica and Giardia lamblia: Growth responses to reducing agents

The growth responses of Entamoeba histolytica strains HM-1:IMSS and HK-9 to a variety of reducing agents were tested for one subculture in TYI-S-33 medium, prepared with no cysteine or ascorbic acid. Amoebae did not grow in this medium. Addition of l-ascorbic acid, d- or l-cysteine, or l-cystine each permitted the maximum growth observed. Dithiothreitol supported 68% maximum growth of HK-9 amoebae, but only 12% of HM-1. In contrast, growth of both strains was greatly diminished (0–13% growth) with 11 other compounds tested including glutathione, thiomalic acid, thioglycolic acid, and methionine. The growth responses of Giardia lamblia were similarly tested in TYI-S-33, as well as in TP-S-1 media. If l-cysteine was omitted from either medium, trophozoites did not grow, and eventually lysed. In TYI-S-33 medium, the requirement for l-cysteine was specific, whereas in TP-S-1 medium, other sulfhydryl compounds were partially effective and lower concentrations of l-cysteine satisfied the requirement. Ascorbic acid or l-cystine alone was totally ineffective; however, in combination, 30 to 60% of maximum growth was achieved. Once added to either medium, cysteine was rapidly oxidized. Amino acid analysis of the growth media revealed that the broth components of TP-S-1 medium contained 2.8 mM and TYI-S-33 broth 2.1 mM endogenous levels of cysteine (or half-cystine), with an additional 3 mM contributed by 10% serum.     

Tightly bound calcium of adenosine triphosphatase in sarcoplasmic reticulum from rabbit skeletal muscle

Sarcoplasmic reticulum vesicles were shown to possess a class of tightly bound calcium ions, inaccessible to the chelator, ethylene glycol bis(beta-aminoethyl ether) N,N,N',N'-tetraacetic acid at 0 degrees C or 25 degrees C, amounting to 4.5 nmol/mg of protein (approximately 0.5 mol/mol (Ca2+,Mg2+)-ATPase). The calcium ionophores, A23187 and X537A, induced rapid exchange of tightly bound calcium in the presence of chelator. Chelator alone at 37 degrees C, caused irreversible loss of bound calcium, which correlated with uncoupling of transport from (Ca2+,Mg2+)-ATPase activity. Uncoupling was not accompanied by increased permeability to [14C]inulin. Slow exchange of tightly bound calcium with medium calcium was unaffected by turnover of the ATPase or by tryptic cleavage into 55,000- and 45,000-dalton fragments. Binding studies with labeled calcium suggested that tight binding involves a two-step process: Ca2+ + E in equilibrium K E . Ca2+ leads to E < Ca2+ where E and < Ca2+ represent the ATPase and tightly bound calcium, and K = 1.6 X 10(3) M-1. It is suggested that tightly bound calcium is located in a hydrophobic pocket in, or in close proximity to the ATPase, and, together with tightly bound adenine nucleotides (Aderem, A., McIntosh, D. B., and Berman, M. C. (1979) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U. S. A. 76, 3622-03632), is related to the ability of the ATPase to couple hydrolysis of ATP to vectorial transfer of calcium across the membrane.     

Effect of 7,8-benzolfavone on the formation of benzo(alpha)pyrene-DNA-bound products in hamster embryo cells.

The hydrocarbon-deoxyribonucleoside products present in enzyme digests of DNA from hamster embryo cultures that had been treated with[3H]-benzo[alpha]pyrene (BP) were isolated by chromatography on Sephadex LH20 columns. The products isolated from cells treated with 7,8-benzoflavone (7,8-BF) for 18 h prior to the addition of [3H] BP were indistinguishable from the products isolated from untreated cultures, but the amounts of these products decreased with increasing concentrations of 7,8-BF. The amount of BP metabolized was also decreased in 7,8-BF-treated cultures. The decrease in the amounts of hydrocarbon-deoxyribonucleoside products per mg DNA was logarithmic with respect to the decrease in BP metabolism. The findings are consistent with the hypothesis that 7,8-BF inhibits both an initial and a later metabolic step involved in the conversion of BP to a reactive species that binds to cellular DNA.     

RPN2与肝癌患者预后及对肝癌细胞生长的作用

目的:探讨核糖蛋白2(ribophorin II,RPN2)在肝细胞肝癌(HCC)组织中的表达和对HCC患者生存的影响,同时分析RPN2对肝癌HepG2细胞生长和克隆形成的作用。方法:应用免疫组化方法和HCC公共芯片数据,从蛋白和m RNA水平检测HCC组织中RPN2的表达,同时分析RPN2与HCC患者临床参数的关系及预后相关性;进一步利用MTS法和克隆形成实验在肝癌HepG2细胞中检测RPN2对细胞生长的作用。结果:98例肝癌组织中,RPN2阳性表达率88.78%,对应癌旁肝组织中,RPN2阳性表达率74.49%;癌组织中RPN2染色评分为5.80±3.15,癌旁肝组织RPN2染色评分为2.13±1.59,肝癌组织中RPN2表达显著上调(P0.001)。3个肝癌公共芯片数据(共522例肝癌)中RPN2的m RNA表达水平同样显著升高(均P0.001)。98例肝癌患者RPN2表达水平与肿瘤直径(P=0.004)、门脉侵袭(P=0.012)和TNM分期(P=0.009)相关;RPN2高表达的患者总体生存期(OS)和无复发生存期(RFS)较RPN2低表达的患者短(OS:P=0.027;RFS:P=0.036)。肝癌HepG2细胞转染RPN2小干扰RNA后,细胞生长能力显著受抑制。结论:RPN2在肝癌中表达显著升高,RPN2的表达与肝癌的恶性进展有关,RPN2显著促进肝癌细胞生长。     

上海城市近自然森林的重建动态

近自然森林作为城市植被恢复的重要模式,已在我国多地开展了实践,并衍生了新的造林模式。为评估不同近自然森林建设模式的群落恢复进程,本研究以上海城市裸地上重建的近自然森林为对象,通过长期监测两处分别应用原"宫胁法"与新"异龄复层落叶—常绿混交林"种植模式的近自然森林重建过程,从物种组成、垂直结构、生活型组成和目标恢复物种4个方面解析恢复动态。结果表明:两种造林模式恢复的近自然森林,随恢复进程其物种组成逐渐趋同,在十多年内已形成了落叶—常绿垂直混交结构;"异龄复层落叶—常绿混交林"造林模式可更好地促进常绿阔叶树种的恢复,尤其是常绿建群种红楠与小叶青冈。本研究证实了近自然森林恢复技术可以缩短亚热森林群落向演替后期发展的时间,以及新造林模式的有效性,为近自然森林技术的应用与实施提供了科学依据。