The phylogenetic position of taxaceae based on 18S rRNA sequences

The evolutionary position of the yew family, Taxaceae, has been very controversial. Some plant taxonomists strongly advocate excluding Taxaceae from the conifer order and raising its taxonomic status to a new order or even class because of its absence of seed cones, contrary to the case in the majority of conifers. However, other authors believe that the Taxaceae are not fundamentally different from the rest of the conifers except in that they possess the most reduced solitary-ovule cones. To resolve the controversy, we have sequenced the 18S rRNA genes from representative gymnosperms: Taxus mairei (Taxaceae), Podocarpus nakaii (Podocarpaceae), Pinus luchuensis (Pinaceae), and Ginkgo biloba (Ginkgoales). Our phylogenetic analysis of the new sequence data with the published 18S rRNA sequence of Zamia pumila (a cycad) as an outgroup strongly indicates that Taxus, Pinus, and Podocarpus form a monophyletic group with the exclusion of Ginkgo and that Taxus is more closely related to Pinus than to Podocarpus. Therefore, Taxaceae should be classified as a family of Coniferales. Our finding that Taxaceae, Pinaceae, and Podocarpaceae form a clade contradicts both the view that the uniovulate seed of Taxaceae is a primitive character and the view that the Taxaceae are descendants of the Podocarpaceae. Rather, the uniovulate seed of Taxaceae and that of some species of Podocarpus appear to have different origins, probably all reduced from multiovulate cones. Correspondence to: W.-H. Li     

Functional analysis of matrix proteins expressed from cloned genes of measles virus variants that cause subacute sclerosing panencephalitis reveals a common defect in nucleocapsid binding.

We have developed an in vitro nucleocapsid-binding assay for studying the function of the matrix (M) protein of measles virus (MV) (A. Hirano, A. H. Wang, A. F. Gombart, and T. C. Wong, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 89:8745-8749, 1992). In this communication we show that the M proteins of three MV strains that cause acute infection (Nagahata, Edmonston, and YN) bind efficiently to the viral nucleocapsids whereas the M proteins of four MV strains isolated from patients with subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE) (Biken, IP-3, Niigata, and Yamagata) fail to bind to the viral nucleocapsids. MV Biken (an SSPE-related virus) produces variant M sequences which encode two antigenically distinct forms of M protein. A serine-versus-leucine difference is responsible for the antigenic variation. MV IP-3 (an SSPE-related virus) also produces variant M sequences, some of which have been postulated to encode a functional M protein responsible for the production of an infectious revertant virus. However, the variant M proteins of Biken and IP-3 strains show no nucleocapsid-binding activity. These results demonstrate that the nucleocapsid-binding function is conserved in the M proteins of MV strains that cause acute infection and that the M proteins of MV strains that cause SSPE exhibit a common defect in this function. Analysis of chimeric M proteins indicates that mutations in the amino-terminal, carboxy-proximal, or carboxy-terminal region of the M protein all abrogate nucleocapsid binding, suggesting that the M protein conformation is important for interaction with the viral nucleocapsid.     

Distinctive effects of the carboxyl-terminal sequence of the insulin-like growth factor I receptor on its signaling functions.

We have shown previously that the extracellular sequences of the human insulin receptor (IR) and the insulin-like growth factor I receptor (IGFR) have an inhibitory effect on protein tyrosine kinase (PTK) activity and on the biological functions of their respective Gag-receptor fusion proteins. To study the role of IGFR carboxyl sequence in modulation of the Gag-IGFR PTK and biological activities, five mutants, CM1, CM2, CM3, CM4, and CM5, containing carboxyl deletions of 17, 27, 47, 67, and 88 amino acids (aa), respectively, were constructed from the parental virus UIGFR encoding the Gag-IGFR. Deletion of up to 27 aa had little effect on the cell-transforming and PTK activities of UIGFR. Deletions of 47 aa in CM3 abolished PTK and transforming activities. Surprisingly, a further deletion of 20 aa in CM4 beyond that in CM3 reactivated the kinase and transforming activities. CM5, containing a deletion of 20 aa beyond that in CM4, had only marginal transforming and PTK activities. We conclude that deletion of the carboxyl region of the Gag-IGFR inactivates, instead of activating as in the case with Gag-IR, its transforming activity and the amino acid sequence 1250 to 1310 is essential for PTK and transforming activities. Analysis of the ability of the full-length IGFR and its mutant receptors described above to associate with phosphatidylinositol 3 kinase indicated that the association required PTK activity and tyrosine phosphorylation of the receptors and correlated well with their transforming activities. The carboxyl 88 aa are not essential for the association.     

Eviostachya hoegii Stockmans在中国五通组的首次发现

首次描述了Eviostachya hoegii Stockmans的营养部分,通过大量标本的观察,修订了前人有关其生殖部分和解剖部分的描述,并对其生殖部分进行了复原.同意Emberger(1968)的观点,将其归于Eviostachyrales中.     

福建永安丰海二叠系上部及三叠系底部的双壳类动物群*

系统研究了闽西永安丰海地区二叠系上部及三叠系下部的双壳类动物群面貌、层位及组合,并与国内外相当的地层进行了对比,阐明了该双壳动物群在二叠-三叠系界线划分中的地层意义.描述了15属24种(其中5新种)、5未定种.     

鄂东南地区下侏罗统武昌组的双壳类化石

湖北蒲圻车埠和大冶金山店下侏罗统武昌组的双壳类化石可划分为２个组合,武昌组中部Ｑｉｙａｎｇｉａ－Ａｐｓｅｕｄｏｃａｒｄｉｎｉａ组合和武昌组上部Ｈｕｂｅｒｉｃｏｎｃｈａ－Ｋｉｊａ（Ｗｕｃｈａｎｇｅｌｌａ）组合,前者时代为早侏罗世中晚期;后者暂归于早侏罗世最晚期。文中描述２新属１新亚属以及１５新种。     

A Continuous Fluorescence Assay of Renin Activity

A sensitive fluorescence assay that employs a new fluorogenic peptide substrate has been developed to continuously measure the proteolytic activity of human renin. The substrate, DABCYL-gaba-Ile-His-Pro-Phe-His-Leu-Val-Ile-His-Thr-EDANS, has been designed to incorporate the renin cleavage site that occurs in the N-terminal peptide of human angiotensinogen. The assay relies upon resonance energy transfer-mediated, intramolecular fluorescence quenching that occurs in the intact peptide substrate. Efficient fluorescence quenching occurs as a result of favorable energetic overlap of the EDANS excited state and the DABCYL absorption, and the relatively long excited state lifetime of the EDANS fluorophore. Cleavage of the substrate by renin liberates the peptidyl-EDANS fragment from proximity with the DABCYL acceptor, restoring the higher, unattenuated fluorescence of the EDANS moiety. This leads to a time-dependent increase in fluorescence intensity, directly related to the extent of substrate consumed by renin cleavage. The kinetics of renin-catalyzed hydrolysis of this substrate have been shown to be consistent with a simple substrate inhibition model with a substrate K_m 1.5 μM at physiological pH; Cleavage of the substrate occurs specifically at the Leu-Val bond and corresponds to the renin cleavage site of angiotensinogen, as reported earlier. In this report, we describe in detail the synthesis of the fluorogenic renin substrate and its application in assays of renin activity. Assay sensitivity has been evaluated by a series of enzyme dilution experiments using the continuous assay format, showing that the assay can detect renin as low as 30 ng/ml after a incubation of only 3-5 min. It was estimated that with extended incubation time (2-3 h) the assay can detect renin at 0.5 ng/ml concentration level. An automated, high throughput fluorometric renin assay has been developed for a 96-well microtiter-plate fluorescence reader, which is useful for studies of enzyme inhibitors and enzyme stability.     

In situ fermentation monitoring with recombinant firefly luciferase

A novel method is described for the on-line determination of viable cell number. It has been tested in fermentations of Escherichia coli. The cells are transfected with the gene for firefly luciferase and fed low levels of luciferin in the medium. The reaction requires ATP, so the nonviable cells cannot produce light. Thus, light production is linear with viable cell density from innoculation through most of exponential growth. The light emitted by these cells is then conducted from the reaction vessel to the light detection equipment by an optical fiber. With the equipment described below, as few as a 10(6) cells/mL, or an OD(600) of 0.004, are easily detectable and concentrations greater than 10(10) cells/mL are well within range. The data are collected by a computer, so adaptation to on-line control applications is straightforward. During lag phase, this method is much more accurate then optical density measurements. At the end of exponential growth, rapid changes in light production mark carbon source depletion and the onset of cell lysis. A simple model accounts for the luciferin used during the fermentation and corrects the light detected to the proper cell density. (c) 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Modulation of SPARC Expression during Butyrate-Induced Terminal Differentiation of Cultured Human Keratinocytes: Regulation via a TGF-β-Dependent Pathway

Expression of SPARC (secreted protein acidic and rich in cysteine), a 43-kDa extracellular matrix-associated glycoprotein involved in tissue remodeling, was quantitated during normal human keratinocyte (NHK) growth in culture and as a function of sodium n-butyrate (NaB)-induced differentiation to mature enucleate cornified envelopes (CEs). Low levels of SPARC expression were observed in the basal-like cells of control NHKs, with isolated cells showing intense SPARC expression on the ventral surface. After addition of NaB, SPARC expression increased and the pattern of expression shifted to one involving predominantly suprabasal cells (i.e., spinous cells, pre-CEs, and mature CEs). Dense deposits of SPARC often surrounded the mature CEs. Flow cytometric analysis indicated that approximately 13% of NHKs expressed SPARC within 24 h of seeding into culture. This fraction of SPARC⁺ cells increased with time and peaked immediately postconfluence (31.3 ± 6.3% SPARC⁺). Cellular SPARC expression then decreased to baseline levels during entrance into plateau phase growth. SPARC was detectable in all phases of the cell cycle. SPARC levels were more intense and heterogeneous within the G₂/M and G₁ phases while S phase cells exhibited relatively homogeneous, low intensity, SPARC expression. During NaB-induced NHK differentiation, SPARC intracellular content increased prior to the onset of CE formation (i.e., 2 days after its addition) followed by a period of extracellular accumulation which coincided with the time of maximal CE generation (i.e., Days 4 and 5 after NaB addition). Correlation of cell size with anti-SPARC immunoreactivity revealed a predominance of SPARC expression in cells with a suprabasal phenotype. NHKs cultured on fibronectin (FN), an established modulator of epidermal cell maturation in vitro, showed a similar response to NaB. In general, however, the level of NaB-induced SPARC expression was considerably reduced in FN cultures correlating with a lower efficiency of CE formation. Induced SPARC expression was, in large part, dependent on autocrine transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) production since incubation in the presence of NaB + neutralizing antibodies to TGF-β inhibited both the expression of SPARC by 72% and development of mature CEs.