Localization of anchor loci representing five hundred annotated rice genes to wheat chromosomes using PLUG markers

PCR-based Landmark Unique Gene (PLUG) markers are EST-PCR markers developed based on the orthologous gene conservation between rice and wheat, and on the intron polymorphisms among the three orthologous genes derived from the A, B and D genomes of wheat. We designed a total of 960 primer sets from wheat ESTs that showed high similarity with 951 single-copy rice genes. When genomic DNA of Chinese Spring wheat was used as a template, 872 primer sets amplified one to five distinct products. Out of these 872 PLUG markers, 531 were assigned to one or more chromosomes by nullisomic-tetrasomic analysis. For each wheat chromosome, the number of loci detected ranged from 32 for chromosome 6A to 73 for chromosome 7D, with an average of 48 loci per chromosome. Several novel synteny perturbations were identified using deletion bin-mapping of markers. Furthermore, we demonstrated that PLUG markers can be used as probes to simultaneously identify BAC clones that contain homoeologous regions from all three genomes. Electronic supplementary material  The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

Spermatogonial transplantation in fish: A novel method for the preservation of genetic resources

Recent progress in genome-based breeding has created various fish strains carrying desirable genetic traits; however, methods for the long-term preservation of their genetic resources have not yet been developed, mainly due to the lack of cryopreservation techniques for fish eggs and embryos. Recently, we established an alternative cryopreservation technique for fish spermatogonia using a slow-freezing method. Furthermore, we developed a transplantation system to produce functional eggs and sperm derived from spermatogonia. Spermatogonia isolated from the testes of vasa-green fluorescent protein (Gfp) transgenic rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) were transplanted into the peritoneal cavity of triploid masu salmon (Oncorhynchus masou) hatchlings of both genders. The transplanted trout spermatogonia migrated towards the gonadal anlagen of the recipient salmon, into which they were subsequently incorporated. We confirmed that the donor-derived spermatogonia resumed gametogenesis, and produced sperm and eggs in male and female recipient salmon, respectively. Fertilization of the resultant eggs and sperm produced only rainbow trout in the first filial (F₁) generation, suggesting that the sterile triploid recipient salmon produced functional eggs and sperm derived from the trout donors. A combination of spermatogonial transplantation and cryopreservation could be a powerful tool for preserving valuable fish strains with desirable genetic traits and endangered species.     

采后光照条件对白凤桃果实品质和挥发性香气物质形成的影响

研究了白凤桃果实贮藏过程中光照条件对果实成熟的影响。在7月12日(未熟期)和7月16日(硬熟期)采收果实,分别贮藏在光条件(白色荧光灯照明,果顶部光强为80μmol m~(-2)s~(-1))和暗条件中,室温均为25℃。硬熟期采收果实贮藏在光条件下,达到完熟期时,乙烯生成量较低。果肉的硬度在各个采收期,各种贮藏条件下均没有差别。光条件贮藏果实中花青苷含量较高。未熟期采收果实贮藏在光条件下时,可溶性固形物含量增加较多。光条件贮藏果实中天冬酰胺的下降比暗贮藏果实中更多。各时期采收的果实中,在光下贮藏时,果肉和果皮γ-癸内酯和γ-十二内酯的含量都明显增加。以上结果表明,白凤桃果实采收后在光下贮藏,可以明显改善果实的品质。     

Fat Synthesis in Unicellular Algae

The cultural conditions of Chlorella ellipsoidea were studied with special reference to lipide accumulation. It was ascertained that there is a close relation between the lipide content and the nitrogen content of cells. Cultivation with the nitrogen-free medium was applied to produce nitrogen deficient cells, and in this culture were studied the effects of light intensity, algal density and depth of algel suspension upon lipide accumulation. The annual yield of fat by mass-culture was roughly estimated.     

Antioxidant Effect of Gly-Gly-His on Cu(II)-catalyzed Autoxidation and Photosensitized Oxidation of Lipids

The level of alkaline inorganic pyrophosphatase (EC 3.6.1.1) in different plant leaves varies to a great extent. Out of twenty two families comprising of fifty one species of plant leaves studied, a very high level of activity was found in leaves of Amarantus blitum and Amarantus gangeticus, which belong to the Amarantaceae family. A possible role of this enzyme in the C₄ pathway of photosynthesis has been discussed. The purified enzyme from the leaf of Amarantus blitum was found to have optimum pH at 9.0, with magnesium being an absolute requirement. Excess substrate inhibits the enzyme activity.     

Effect of polylysine-bound laminin on human retinoblastoma cell lines

Summary We have studied the responses of three human retinoblastoma cell lines (GM1232, Y79, and WERI-Rb1) to substratum-bound laminin (LN), fibronectin (FN), or collagen (CN) in serum-containing medium. About 95% of the cells attached to poly-d-lysine (PN)-pretreated plastic surfaces either unbound or protein-bound within 1 h after plating. With PN-bound LN, GM1232 cells showed an outgrowth of processes and cell spread within 1 d, but very little was seen on PN-bound FN, CN, or unbound PN even by Day 4. Both the percentage of cells with processes and the number of processes/cell were dependent on the amount of LN bound to the surfaces at Day 4. On LN surfaces without PN pretreatment, by Day 2 most cells had formed floating aggregates and were not attached to the surfaces. By Day 4 only a part of the peripheral cells of attached aggregates displayed process outgrowth and cell spreading. Dibutyryl cyclic AMP (dbcAMP) maintained these effects of PN-bound LN, and promoted process branching, cell spreading, and elongation with concomitant inhibition of cell growth. The percentage of cells with processes was 83%. Y79 and WERI-Rb1 cells, passed for several years, showed little and weak response to PN-bound LN either in the absence or presence of dbcAMP. These results indicate that the morphologic differentiation of GM1232 cells is elicited specifically by PN-bound LN, and that dbcAMP maintains and promotes this differentiated status.     

Interleukin‐17 family cytokines in protective immunity against infections: role of hematopoietic cell‐derived and non‐hematopoietic cell‐derived interleukin‐17s

Interleukin‐17 family cytokines, consisting of six members, participate in immune response in infections and autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. The prototype cytokine of the family, IL‐17A, was originally identified from CD4+ T cells which are now termed Th17 cells. Later, IL‐17A‐producing cells were expanded to include various hematopoietic cells, namely CD8+ T cells (Tc17), invariant NKT cells, γδ T cells, non‐T non‐B lymphocytes (termed type 3 innate lymphoid cells) and neutrophils. Some IL‐17 family cytokines other than IL‐17A are also expressed by CD4+ T cells: IL‐17E by Th2 cells and IL‐17F by Th17 cells. IL‐17A and IL‐17F induce expression of pro‐inflammatory cytokines to induce inflammation and anti‐microbial peptides to kill pathogens, whereas IL‐17E induces allergic inflammation. However, the functions of other IL‐17 family cytokines have been unclear. Recent studies have shown that IL‐17B and IL‐17C are expressed by epithelial rather than hematopoietic cells. Interestingly, expression of IL‐17E and IL‐17F by epithelial cells has also been reported and epithelial cell‐derived IL‐17 family cytokines shown to play important roles in immune responses to infections at epithelial sites. In this review, we summarize current information on hematopoietic cell‐derived IL‐17A and non‐hematopoietic cell‐derived IL‐17B, IL‐17C, IL‐17D, IL‐17E and IL‐17F in infections and propose functional differences between these two categories of IL‐17 family cytokines.