Effect of oxygen–glucose deprivation on degranulation and histamine release of mast cells

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of oxygen–glucose deprivation (OGD) on degranulation and histamine release of mast cells. Cultured mast cells were exposed to OGD for 1, 2, 4, 8, or 16 h. At 2 h of OGD exposure, the degranulation percentage of mast cells had increased and subsequently showed a progressive further increase, associated with a similar change in lactate dehydrogenase release. Histamine release increased significantly from 1 h of OGD exposure. These results indicate that OGD induces mast cells to degranulate, possibly via a cytotoxic response. This in vitro ischemic model of mast cells might clarify their roles in the pathological processes induced by cerebral ischemia. This project was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (nos. 30371638, 30472013) and the National Basic Research of China (no. 2003CB515400), and partly by the Zhejiang Provincial Natural Science Foundation of China (R303779) and the Zhejiang Provincial Scientific Research Foundations (2004C34002).     

Metabolic responses to dietary cholecalciferol and phosphorus in abalone Haliotis discus hannai ino

Metabolic responses of cholecalciferol (VD(3)) and minerals (Ca, P and Mg) in abalone Haliotis discus hannai Ino to dietary VD(3) and phosphorus (P) were investigated. Based on a 2 x 2 factorial design, four casein-gelatin-based diets were formulated. The basal diet was supplemented with either 0 or 2000 IU VD(3)/kg diet and 0 or 10 g P/kg diet. The abalone was reared in P-free artificial seawater for 55 days. Results showed that dietary VD(3) was hydroxylated to 25-hydroxyvitamin D(3) [25(OH)D(3)] and 1 alpha,25-dihydroxyvitamin D(3) [1 alpha,25(OH)(2)D(3)] in abalone, and subsequently raised the serum levels of these two VD(3) metabolites. Dietary P deficiency elevated serum 1 alpha,25(OH)(2)D(3) level only when the dietary VD(3) supplementation was sufficient. The supplementations of either dietary VD(3) or P significantly increased the levels of P in serum, mantle and hepatopancreas, and only the addition of VD(3) significantly raised the concentrations of Ca in serum and mantle (P<0.05). Interaction between dietary VD(3) and P was only found significant on the concentrations of P and Mg in mantle (P<0.05). The concentrations of Ca, P and Mg in muscle were not significantly influenced by these dietary treatments. Hence, the metabolic responses in serum, muscle, mantle and hepatopancreas of abalone to dietary VD(3) and P were in different manners.     

Enzymatic transglycosylation of xylose using a glycosynthase

The application of the hyperactive glycosynthase derived from Agrobacterium sp. β-glucosidase (AbgE358G-2F6) to the synthesis of xylo-oligosaccharides by using -d-xylopyranosyl fluoride as donor represents the first successful use of glycosynthase technology for xylosyl transfer. Transfer to p-nitrophenyl β-d-glucopyranoside yields di- and trisaccharide products with β-(1→4) linkages in 63% and 35% yields, respectively. By contrast, transfer to p-nitrophenyl β-d-xylopyranoside yielded the β-(1→3) linked disaccharide and β-d-Xyl-(1→4)-β-d-Xyl-(1→3)-β-d-Xyl-pNP as major products in 42% and 30% yields, respectively. Transfer of xylose to β-d-Xyl-(1→4)-β-d-Xyl-pNP yielded the β-(1→4) linked trisaccharide in 98% yield, thereby indicating that transfers to xylo-disaccharides occur with formation of β-(1→4) bonds. Xylosylation of carbamate-protected deoxyxylonojirimycin produced a mixture of di- and tri-‘saccharide’ products in modest yields.     

Synthetic,Structural, and Conformational Studies of Methylated Ring-Expanded Nucleosides Containing the Ihidazo[4, 5-e][1, 4]Diazepine Ring System

Abstract

Syntheses of 4- and 7-methyl 4, 5, 7, 8-tetrahydro-6H-3-(β-ribofuranosyl)imidazo[4, 5-e] [1, 4]diazepine-5, 8-dione, 3 and 1, respectively, are reported. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis of the aglycon of 3 aided in confirming the site of methylation in 3, and that of 4 in elucidating the solid state conformation of 4. Solution conformations of 3 and 4, along with their parent nucleoside 1 and the latter's 1-glycosyl regioisomer 2, were investigated by NOE and CD measurements.     

Enzymatic Saccharification of Lignocelluloses Should be Conducted at Elevated pH 5.2–6.2

This study revealed that cellulose enzymatic saccharification response curves of lignocellulosic substrates were very different from those of pure cellulosic substrates in terms of optimal pH and pH operating window. The maximal enzymatic cellulose saccharification of lignocellulosic substrates occurs at substrate suspension pH 5.2–6.2, not between pH 4.8 and 5.0 as exclusively used in literature using T. reesi cellulase. Two commercial cellulase enzyme cocktails, Celluclast 1.5L and CTec2 both from Novozymes, were evaluated over a wide range of pH. The optimal ranges of measured suspension pH of 5.2–5.7 for Celluclast 1.5L and 5.5–6.2 for CTec2 were obtained using six lignocellulosic substrates produced by dilute acid, alkaline, and two sulfite pretreatments to overcome recalcitrance of lignocelluloses (SPORL) pretreatments using both a softwood and a hardwood. Furthermore, cellulose saccharification efficiency of a SPORL-pretreated lodgepole pine substrate showed a very steep increase between pH 4.7 and 5.2. Saccharification efficiency can be increased by 80 % at cellulase loading of 11.3 FPU/g glucan, i.e., from approximately 43 to 78 % simply by increasing the substrate suspension pH from 4.7 to 5.2 (buffer solution pH from 4.8 to 5.5) using Celluclast 1.5L, or by 70 % from approximately 51 to 87 % when substrate suspension pH is increased from 4.9 to 6.2 (buffer solution pH from 5.0 to 6.5) using CTec2. The enzymatic cellulose saccharification response to pH is correlated to the degree of substrate lignin sulfonation. The difference in pH-induced lignin surface charge, and therefore surface hydrophilicity and lignin–cellulase electrostatic interactions, among different substrates with different lignin content and structure is responsible for the reported different enhancements in lignocellulose saccharification at elevated pH.     

Determination of ionophore antibiotics nactins produced by fecal Streptomyces from sheep

To investigate the correlation between fecal actinobacteria and host animals, Streptomyces was isolated from fresh faeces of healthy sheep and secondary metabolites were analyzed. The most frequently isolated strain S161 with antibiotic activity against bacteria and fungi were analyzed. The S161 showed the highest 99 % similarity to Streptomyces canus DSB17 based on the 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis. Metabolite analysis based on MS and NMR spectra showed that S161 produces nactins, cyclotetralactones derived from nonactic acid and homononactic acid as building units of ionophoretic character. Due to ionophores are antimicrobial compounds that are commonly fed to ruminant animals to improve feed efficiency, stable beneficial interactions between Streptomyces bacteria and vertebrates have been demonstrated.     

对CIMMYT小麦品种抗白粉病的鉴定简报

1999～2001年连续2年,对 CIMMYT 提供的165份小麦品种进行成株期田间人工诱发抗白粉病鉴定。鉴定病圃设在本院试验农场,面积为200m~2。人工诱发鉴定圃的接种菌源,以上年度采集并保存的当地白粉病菌菌株,先在温室的感病品种8017-2上繁殖,2月下旬将带有大量分生孢子堆的病株移植到病圃的二个诱发行中间,每距33cm 种植2株病株。由于病株上有大量分生孢子,使诱发行麦株迅速受侵染且严重发病,形成充分接种菌源,保证对供鉴品种的重复侵染,以诱发供试小麦材料成株期感染发病。