Ornithine decarboxylase induction and the cytoskeleton in normal and transformed cells

ODC induction by fresh medium added to stationary, medium-depleted, confluent cultures has been studied in transformed HeLa and CHO cells, and in normal human fibroblasts as an indicator of the resumption of cell multiplication. The transformed HeLa cell displays a more easily reversed G₁ block, a higher peak ODC level, and a shorter time period for achievement of the peak ODC value than does the normal fibroblast. Low concentrations of microtubule depolymerizing agents like colchicine suppress ODC induction almost completely in the normal fibroblast, but hardly at all in the HeLa or CHO cells. Both transformed cells occasionally reveal a superinduction of ODC at very low colchicine levels (10^?8-10^?7 M) and a more variable response to such agents than does the normal fibroblast. Higher concentrations of colchicine suppress ODC induction in all cells. Experiments with actinomycin D and cycloheximide indicate that the principal colchicine action involves inhibition at the level of protein or mRNA synthesis, rather than inactivation of the already synthesized enzyme. These experiments are provisionally interpreted as an indication that a microtubular system is needed to reinitiate certain steps associated with growth in G₁-blocked, normal cells, and that a second microtubular action terminating enzyme biosynthesis may exist. This microtubular control is defective in the transformed cells here studied. Specific microtubular actions necessary for initiation and termination of protein syntheses may occur throughout the cell reproductive cycle, and in the course of normal differentiation processes.     

A simple enzyme assay for dry matter digestibility and its value in studying food selection by generalist herbivores

Summary The dry matter digestibility of 94 species of leaf was assayed by a simple method involving sequential treatment with pepsin and fungal cellulase enzymes. It was demonstrated that for foliage from rainforest trees of a wide range of dicotyledonous plant families the assay showed high positive correlation with estimates of dry matter digestibility obtained using rumenliquor from a fistulated steer. Both assays were found to reflect negative correlates of digestibility, notably fibre and condensed tannin, rather than the nutritional value of an item. The higher dry matter digestibility of immature leaves relative to mature leaves appeared to be accounted for by their lower fibre content. It is suggested that the pepsin/cellulase assay offers a cheap, quick, routine method of gaining information on the effects of some types of plant secondary compounds (digestibility reducers) on the food potential of different kinds of foliage to herbivores. Its use in studies of herbivory in rainforest areas in relation to analyses for plant secondary compounds and food selection by herbivores is discussed.Publication 20-018 of the Wisconsin Regional Primate Research Center     

A study of oestrus and fecundity in a laboratory colony of Mouse opossums (Marmosa robinsoni)

Twenty wild caught Mouse opossums Marmosa robinsoni Bangs 1898 formed the basis of a laboratory colony which was maintained at the Brookfield Zoo during 1971–3. Approximately 250 young including 3rd-generation descendants were produced.
M. robinsoni is polyoestrous with a mean cycle length of 25.5±0.5 days. Vaginal oestrus, which normally lasts three days, is accompanied by a pronounced cycle of cornification and mucification. During this period large numbers of desquamated epithelial cells and mucus are found in the urine. Females are sexually receptive 24 hours before cornified cells first appear in the urine and receptivity lasts two to four days. Fertile copulation takes place throughout this period. Ovulation is spontaneous and occurs late in oestrus. The mean number of corpora lutea recorded was 19.8±0.9 ( n =23).
Anovular cycles, associated with atresia of mature Graafian follicles, were found in approximately 25% of the females. The sterile cycles, which had a mean length of 15.6±0.7 days, were not always accompanied by a behavioural oestrus. Observations on the behaviour of introduced pairs provided direct evidence of sexual incompatibility. Sexual incompatibility was found to have been responsible for at least 10% of the unsuccessful pairings recorded during the study.
There were no indications in the Brookfield colony of the decline in productivity among laboratory-bred animals reported in other Marmosa colonies. Litter-sizes and litter-rates in the F₁ and F₂ generations did not differ from those in the wild-caught generation. However, the fact that only one out of three pairings produced young suggests that productivity in the colony was lower than in the wild. The cause of this low productivity was not established.     

真盐生植物盐地碱蓬根系边缘细胞在耐盐中的作用初探

以黄河三角洲潮间带盐地碱蓬种子生成的幼苗为材料,研究了NaCl胁迫对盐地碱蓬生长与根系边缘细胞的影响。盐地碱蓬的第一个边缘细胞几乎与根尖同步产生,当根长达到13mm时,边缘细胞数目达到最大值。NaCl胁迫抑制边缘细胞的活性,但低浓度的NaCl处理增加边缘细胞的数目。低浓度NaCl处理时果胶甲基酯酶（PME）的活性比对照有明显增加,超氧化物歧化酶（SOD）活性随着NaCl浓度的增加呈现先上升后下降的趋势,低浓度NaCl可以增加盐地碱蓬根内过氧化氢酶（CAT）的活性,NaCl处理时间和处理浓度都对过氧化物酶（POD）活性的影响不明显。这些结果表明,盐地碱蓬至少部分通过增加调控活性氧（ROS）水平增加PME活性及根系边缘细胞数目来抵抗NaCl胁迫。     

食品常见真菌毒素的危害及其防止措施

真菌毒素是一类由真菌产生的普遍存在的化合物。危害人类健康的真菌毒素主要源于曲霉Aspergillus、青霉Penicil-lium、麦角菌属Claviceps和镰刀菌Fusarium等产生的次生代谢物。从全球范围来看,粮食安全问题经常是由谷物、坚果、水果和绿色咖啡豆上的真菌毒素造成的。其中,玉米和花生仁中的黄曲霉素经常超过安全阈值。在以这些食物作为主食的地处温暖和潮湿气候国家的消费者特别容易食用到黄曲霉素污染的食物。而真菌毒素往往会引起人类和动物急性中毒、慢性中毒和致癌。其不可避免地、广泛地、持续地影响着全球人类的健康。目前的防止措施包括选用抗真菌植物、采用适当方法贮藏食物以及食用绿色蔬菜等来预防癌症等。本文阐述了食品中常见真菌毒素的污染情况及其毒性,并对常用防止措施进行了综述,以期为食品真菌毒素防控工作提供参考。     

Isolation and Characterization of 2'-amino-modified RNA Aptamers for Human TNFα

Human tumor necrosis factor a (hTNFa), a pleiotropic cytokine with activities ranging from host defense mechanisms in infection and injury to severe toxicity in septic shock or other related diseases, is a promising target for drug screening. Using the SELEX (systematic evolution of ligands by exponential enrichment) process, we isolated oligonucleotide ligands (aptamers) with high affinities for hTNFa. Aptamers were selected from a starting pool of 40 randomized sequences composed of about 1015 RNA molecules. Representative aptamers were truncated to the minimal length with high affinity for hTNFa and were further modified by replacement of 2'-OH with 2'-F and 2'-NH2 at all ribopurine positions. These modified RNA aptamers were resistant to nuclease. The specificity of these aptamers for hTNFa was confirmed, and their activity to inhibit the cytotoxicity of hTNFa on mouse L929 cells was determined. Results demonstrated that four 2'-NH2-modified aptamers bound to hTNFa with high affinity and blocked the     

不同干旱胁迫下欧李光合及叶绿素荧光参数的响应

采用人为控制土壤含水量的方法对欧李进行轻度和重度干旱的处理,测定叶片的气体交换和叶绿素荧光参数的日变化。结果表明,干旱胁迫下欧李叶片净光合速率、蒸腾速率、水分利用效率、气孔导度、PSII最大光化学效率、光化学量子效率显著下降,但胞间CO2浓度、非光化学猝灭系数以及叶黄素循脱环氧化状态（Z＋0.5A）/（V＋A＋Z）和Z含量升高。两干旱处理植株的影响程度存在差异。这表明在长时间干旱条件下,欧李叶片光合作用的降低受到气孔与非气孔因素的双重影响,叶黄素循环的启动增加了胁迫条件下的热耗散能力以保护光合机构免受干旱胁迫的进一步伤害。     

ACEH/ACE2 is a novel mammalian metallocarboxypeptidase and a homologue of angiotensin-converting enzyme insensitive to ACE inhibitors

A human zinc metalloprotease (termed ACEH or ACE2) with considerable homology to angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) (EC 3.4.15.1) has been identified and subsequently cloned and functionally expressed. The translated protein contains an N-terminal signal sequence, a single catalytic domain with zinc-binding motif (HEMGH), a transmembrane region, and a small C-terminal cytosolic domain. Unlike somatic ACE, ACEH functions as a carboxypeptidase when acting on angiotensin I and angiotensin II or other peptide substrates. ACEH may function in conjunction with ACE and neprilysin in novel pathways of angiotensin metabolism of physiological significance. In contrast with ACE, ACEH does not hydrolyse bradykinin and is not inhibited by typical ACE inhibitors. ACEH is unique among mammalian carboxypeptidases in containing an HEXXH zinc motif but, in this respect, resembles a bacterial enzyme, Thermus aquaticus (Taq) carboxypeptidase (EC 3.4.17.19). Collectrin, a developmentally regulated renal protein, is homologous with the C-terminal region of ACEH but has no similarity with ACE and no catalytic domain. Thus, the ACEH protein may have evolved as a chimera of a single ACE-like domain and a collectrin domain. The collectrin domain may regulate tissue response to injury whereas the catalytic domain is involved in peptide processing events.     

植物转基因位置依赖性沉默与位置效应

植物基因组能够识别外源基因的出现及所整合的特异位置并产生相应反应,通过分析嘧啶甲基化的信号及模式,比较不同表达水平转基因的整合位点及基因组环境差异,植物转基因位置依赖性沉默和位置效应的机理得到进一步揭示;讨论了位置效应的研究方法和克服策略。