Interactive effects of salinity, nitrogen and sulphur on the organic solutes in Spartina alterniflora leaf blades

Glycinebetaine, proline, asparagine, sucrose, glucose, and dimethylsulphoniopropionate(DMSP) were the major organic solutes in Spartina alternifloraleaf blades. To investigate the physiological role(s) of thesesolutes, the effects of salinity, nitrogen, and sulphur treatmentson leaf blade solute levels were examined. Glycinebetaine wasthe major organic solute accumulated in leaf blades grown at500 mol m^–3 NaCl, although asparagine and proline alsoaccumulated when the supply of nitrogen was sufficient. Thesesolutes may play a role in osmotic adjustment. In contrast,DMSP levels either did not change or were reduced in responseto the 500 mol m^–3 NaCl treatment. Furthermore, elevatednitrogen supply decreased leaf blade DMSP levels, which wasopposite to the response of glycinebetaine, proline, and asparagine.A 1000-fold increase in external sulphate concentration hadno effect on the leaf blade levels of DMSP, glycinebetaine,proline, or asparagine. These findings suggest that the majorphysiological role of DMSP in S. alterniflora leaf blades isnot for osmotic adjustment, even under conditions of nitrogendeficit and excess sulphur. Instead, DMSP which was presentat 45—130 µmol g^–1 dry weight, may play arole as a constitutive organic osmoticum. Key words: Spartina alterniflora, dimethylsulphoniopropionate, glycinebetaine, nitrogen, salinity     

Metabolism of glucose-6-phosphate and utilization of multiple metabolites for fatty acid synthesis by plastids from developing oilseed rape embryos

The aim of this work was to investigate the partitioning of imported glucose 6-phosphate (Glc6P) to starch and fatty acids, and to CO₂ via the oxidative pentose phosphate pathway (OPPP) in plastids isolated from developing embryos of oilseed rape (Brassica napus L.). The ability of the isolated plastids to utilize concurrently supplied substrates and the effects of these substrate combinations on the Glc6P partitioning were also assessed. The relative fluxes of carbon from Glc6P to starch, fatty acids, and to CO₂ via the OPPP were close to 2∶1∶1 when Glc6P was supplied alone. Under these conditions NADPH generated via the OPPP was greater than that required by the concurrent rate of fatty acid synthesis. Fatty acid synthesis was unaffected by the presence or absence of exogenous NADH and/or NADPH and the requirement of fatty acid synthesis for reducing power is therefore met entirely by intraplastidial metabolism. When Glc6P was supplied in the presence of either pyruvate or pyruvate and acetate, the total flux from these metabolites to fatty acids was up to threefold greater than that from either Glc6P or pyruvate when they were supplied singly. In these experiments there was little competition between Glc6P and pyruvate in fatty acid synthesis and the flux to starch was unchanged. This implies that the starch and fatty acid biosynthesis pathways did not compete for the exogenously supplied ATP on which they were strongly dependent. When Glc6P and pyruvate were provided together, the NADPH generated by the OPPP pathway was less than that required by the concurrent rate of fatty acid synthesis. This suggests that the metabolism of exogenous Glc6P via the OPPP can contribute to the NADPH demand created during fatty acid synthesis but it also indicates that other intraplastidial sources of reducing power must be available under the in-vitro conditions used.     

New telomere formation coupled with site-specific chromosome breakage in Tetrahymena thermophila.

Programmed chromosome breakage occurs in many ciliated protozoa and is accompanied by efficient new telomere formation. In this study, we have investigated the relationship between programmed chromosome breakage and telomere formation in Tetrahymena thermophila. Using specially constructed DNA clones containing the breakage signal Cbs in transformation studies, we have determined the locations of telomere addition around the breakage sites. They occur at variable positions, over 90% of which are within a small region (less than 30 bp) starting 4 bp from Cbs. This distribution is independent of the nucleotide sequence in the region or of the orientation of Cbs. In five of six cases determined, these sites occur at or before a T, and in the remaining case, the site occurs at or before a G. When sequences devoid of G or T are placed in this region, telomere addition still occurs within the region to maintain a similar distance relationship with Cbs. This efficient and healing process appears to be associated specifically with Cbs-directed breakage, since it does not occur when DNA ends are generated by restriction enzyme digestion. These results suggest a strong mechanistic link between chromosome breakage and telomere formation.     

鹅掌楸属植物的多糖壁前体和花粉管的生长

本文观察描述了中国鹅掌楸（Ｌｉｒｉｏｄｅｎｄｒｏｎｃｈｉｎｅｎｓｅ）和北美鹅掌楸（Ｌ．ｔｕｌｉｐｉｆｅｒａ）花粉在异已柱头萌发和花粉管生长期间多糖壁前体的发生、形态结构和生理功能．１、多糖壁前体在形态上有Ｐ－粒子（Ｐｏｌｙｓａｃｃｈａｒｉｄｅｐａｒｔｉｃｌｅｓ）,被膜小泡（ｃｏａｔｅｄｖｅｓｉｃｌｅ）和小泡（ｖｅｓｉｃｌｅ）三种。２、Ｐ－粒子于单核花粉期已经发生,至花粉管延伸期为发生高峰。多糖壁前体是在高尔基体,内质网和线粒体的相继、连续作用下,由淀粉质体、蛋白体和脂滴降解形成．３、Ｐ－粒子的形态随不同发育时期而变化,早期为成群的电子透明小泡,或为蛋白质束缚的挤压成多面体形,后期为内含颗粒或微纤丝的无被膜粒子或具刺被膜粒子。４、Ｐ－粒子移至管端．或融合或单个通过周质内质网（ＣＥＲ）,释放内容物参与管端壁的形成,被膜小池和小泡移至花粉管次顶端区向质膜外分泌,参与花粉管壁内层的形成,或移至管端,提供膜片。最后讨论了亲和性与超微结构特征的关系．     

肿瘤抑制基因APCmRNA在豚鼠脑中的分布

APC基因是1991年被发现的一类肿瘤抑制基因,它被定位于人第5号染色体5q21处。APC基因如发生缺失或突变,则易患直肠肿瘤,并伴有部分先天痴呆的病例。本工作在孟帆已获得的APC基因在豚鼠中的同源cDNA的基础上,完成了对它的亚克隆,并利用原位杂交和RNA酶保护分析的方法,对它在脑中的分布进行了研究。发现APCmRNA主要在海马、大脑和小脑中表达;嗅球中杂交信号稍弱,脑干中最弱。海马中阳性细胞主要是锥体细胞,小脑中则主要是内层颗粒细胞。在一个月大的豚鼠胚胎的脑中也观察到相似的表达型式。进一步的研究有助于我们更好地了解神经发育和先天痴呆发生的分子机制。     

水稻体细胞无性系R_1、R_2代中的雄性育性变异观察

通过水稻幼穗培养,１９９１－１９９２两年间,在５个品种（珍汕９７Ｂ、红源Ａ、包源Ａ、Ｗ６１５４ｓ,和南广占）中共获得了５０株雄性不育变异株,其中Ｒ_１代有４８株,Ｒ_２代有２株。在Ｒ１代,共获得５２６８株再生植株,雄性不育变异的平均频率为０．９１％（０．８３－１．０８％）;在Ｒ_２代（珍汕９７Ｂ）发生雄性不育变异的频率为２％。本文报道了多种花粉败育类型之间可以相互转变现象,此外不育和可育之间亦可以相互转变。对离体培养产生的雄性不育变异株用一批现有ＣＭＳ（Ｃｙｔｏｐｌａｓｍｉｃｍａｌｅｓｔｅｒｉｌｅ）不育系的典型保持系、恢复系进行测交,结果表明,Ｗ６１５４ｓ产生的雄性育性变异株仍保持核不育的特性;红源Ａ产生的雄性育性变异株有的可能是嵌合体,有的其败育花粉类型虽发生了变化,但其恢保关系并没有改变,有的则可能已转成类似ＷＡ型的不育材料;南广占产生的典败变异株,其恢保关系类似ＷＡ型,可能属核不育转成ＣＭＳ的首例发现。     

Functional response of Neoseiulus barkeri Hughes on two-spotted spider mite (Acari: Tetranychidae)

Generalist predatory mites are the common phytoseiid fauna in many agroecosystems, but little attention has been paid to their potential as biological control agents. In this study, we determined the functional responses of adult females of the generalist predator Neoseiulus barkeri Hughes on eggs, larvae, and adults of the two-spotted spider mite, Tetranychus urticae Koch, in the laboratory. Predation experiments were conducted on pepper leaf discs over a 24 h period at 25±1°C, 70–80% RH and 16L:8D photoperiod. Prey densities ranged 5 to 80 eggs, or 5 to 40 larvae, or 1 to 8 female adults of T. urticae per disc. The predation rate of N. barkeri adult females on T. urticae eggs was the same as on its larvae, but the predation rate on adult females was much lower. The role of generalist predatory mites in integrated and biological control of greenhouse pests was discussed.     

A proper transmembrane Ca2+ gradient is essential for the stimulation of adenylate cyclase activity by stimulatory GTP-binding protein

Stimulatory GTP-binding Protein (Gs) and adenylate cyclase prepared from bovine brain cortices were co-reconstituted into asolectin vesicles with or without 1000-fold transmembrane Ca²⁺ gradient. The results showed that both basal activity and Gs-stimulated activity of adenylate cyclase were highest in proteoliposomes with a transmembrane Ca²⁺ gradient similar to physiological condition (1 M Ca²⁺ outside and 1 mM Ca²⁺ inside) and lowest when the transmembrane Ca²⁺ gradient was in the inverse direction. Such a difference could be diminished following dissipation of the transmembrane Ca²⁺ gradient by A23187. Comparable conformational changes of Gs in proteoliposomes were also observed when Gs was labeled with the fluorescence probe, acrylodan. These results may indicate that a proper transmembrane Ca²⁺ gradient is essential not only for higher adenylate cyclase activity but also for its stimulation by Gs.     

刺果番荔枝中的番荔枝内酯

从刺果番荔枝（Ａｎｎｏｎａ ｍ ｕｒｉｃａｔａ Ｌ．）的种子中分离到３ 个单四氢呋喃型番荔枝内酯类化合物,用波谱方法鉴定为海南哥纳香甲素（ｈｏｗ ｉｉｃｉｎ Ａ, Ｓ１３）、乙素（ｈｏｗ ｉｉｃｉｎ Ｂ, Ｓ５）和新化合物４－去氧海南哥纳香乙素（４－ｄｅｓｏｘｙｈｏｗ ｉｉｃｉｎ Ｂ, Ｓ２）。