Blue Light-Induced Phototropic Response and the Intracellular Photoreceptive Site in Adiantum Protonemata

Blue light-induced phototropism in Adiantum protonemata wasinvestigated with microbeam irradiation. Brief irradiation withblue light effectively induced a phototropic response when itwas applied to a half-side of the apical 200d µm regionof a protonema. The phototropic response was partly reversedby the subsequent far-red light irradiation but the full reversalof the response was not observed even when the fluence of far-redlight was increased. In the far-red reversible part of the response,blue/far-red photoreversibility was repeatedly observed. Thus,both phytochrome and a blue light-absorbing pigment (other thanphytochrome) seem to be involved in the blue light-induced phototropicresponse in Adiantum protonemata. Furthermore, detailed studiesof the far-red light effect on the fluence-response curve forblue lightinduced phototropism revealed that the concomitantmediation by the two receptors was limited to the response inthe relatively higher fluence range of blue light and that theblue light-absorbing pigment alone was responsible in the lowerfluence range. In the higher fluence range, the response mediatedby the blue light-absorbing pigment became saturated and thephytochrome response became evident, indicating a differencein the sensitivities of the two receptor pigments to blue light. When various regions of half-sides of protonemata were irradiatedwith a blue microbeam of 10 µm width, irradiation at theapical 5–25 µm region was most effective both forphytochrome- and blue light-absorbing pigment-mediated response,indicating that the site of blue light perception is almostidentical for each response. (Received July 14, 1986; Accepted September 26, 1986)     

Loss of sigma-factor of RNA polymerase of Xanthomonas campestris pv. oryzae during phage Xp10 infection

Ten min after infection of Xanthomonas campestris pv. oryzae by phage Xp10, a sharp decrease in the activity of the host RNA polymerase was observed. Host RNA polymerase from phage-infected and uninfected cells was purified, and their properties were compared. The enzyme from uninfected cells contained four polypeptides with Mr = 155,000, 155,000, 93,000, and 37,000, respectively, and assembled with a stoichiometry of alpha 2 beta beta' sigma. The enzyme from infected cells lacked the sigma-subunit. The enzyme from uninfected cells utilized Xp10 DNA and poly[d(A-T)] as templates, the enzyme from phage-infected cells failed to transcribe Xp10 DNA, but retained the ability to transcribe poly(A-T). The regions of the Xp10 genome transcribed by the two enzymes were also investigated. The enzyme from uninfected cells transcribed the leftmost 25-30% of the Xp10 genome. The enzyme from phage-infected cells also transcribed the same region, but the enzyme activity was very low. Other properties such as (a) the response to RNA polymerase inhibitors, (b) the effect of N-ethylmaleimide, (c) the requirement of Mg2+ and Mn2+, and (d) the optimum temperature and pH of the two enzymes were very similar.     

Specific binding of three neurotoxins with phospholipase A2 activity to synaptosomal membrane preparations from the guinea pig brain

Snake presynaptic toxins such as crotoxin, β-bungarotoxin and taipoxin block neuromuscular transmission through inhibiting the release of acetylcholine by their phospholipase A₂ activities. On the other hand, many other phospholipase A₂s show little neurotoxicity. It is likely that the difference lies in whether high affinity binding to nerve cell membranes exists or not. To test this idea, crotoxin, β-bungarotoxin and taipoxin were first radioactively labeled with Na(¹²⁵I) without loss of their neurotoxicity. Using the radioactive toxins we have found that each of the three showed specific binding to synaptosomal membranes from guinea pig brain. In contrast, we could not detect specific binding of a non-neurotoxic pancreatic phospholipase A₂. Crotoxin and taipoxin, but not β-bungarotoxin, also bound specifically to membrane preparation from other tissues. The binding of each toxin was not greatly affected by the other two toxins. The photoaffinity labeling technique has been used to obtain further information about the components which bind crotoxin. For this purpose, (¹²⁵I) crotoxin was derivatized with N-hydroxysuccinimidyl-4-azidobenzoate. Autoradiographic analysis of the membranes following photoirradiation in the presence of the modified crotoxin revealed that an 85K dalton component was preferentially covalently conjugated with the crotoxin analogue in a specific manner.     

Methane production using whole and screened dairy manure in conventional and fixed-film reactors

The technical feasibility of adopting the fixed-film reactor concept for biogas production from screened dairy manure was investigated. The methane production capability of laboratory-scale 4-L anaerobic reactors (conventional and fixed-film) receiving screened dairy manure and operated at 35 degrees C was compared. Dairy manure filtrate with 4.4% total solids (TS) and 3.4% volatile solids (VS) (average value) was prepared from 1:1 manure-water slurry. The feed material was added intermittently at loading rates ranging from 2.34 to 25 and 2.25 to 785 g VS/L d, respectively, for the conventional and fixed-film reactors. Maximum methane production rate (L CH(4)/L d) for the conventional reactor was 0.63 L CH(4)/L d achieved at a 6-day hydraulic retention time (HRT). For the fixed-film reactor the maximum production rate was 3.53 L CH(4)/L d when operated at a loading rate of 262 g VS/L d (3 h HRT). The fixed-film reactor was capable of sustaining a loading of 785 g VS/L d (1 h HRT). The fixed-film reactor performed much better than the conventional reactors. These results indicate that a large reduction of required reactor volume is possible through application of a fixed-film concept combined with a liquid-solid separation pretreatment of dairy manure.     

Differential expression of 2′∶3′-cyclic nucleotide 3′-phosphodiesterase in cultured central,peripheral, and extraneural cells

The relative levels of the central nervous system myelin marker enzyme 2:3-cyclic nucleotide 3-phosphodiesterase (EC 3.1.4.37, CNPase) were determined in neuroblastoma, astrocyte, oligodendrocyte and Schwann cell cultures and in freshly isolated human lymphocytes and platelets. The highest specific activities were associated with the cells that elaborate myelin membrane in the central and peripheral nervous system, oligodendrocytes and Schwann cells, respectively. Antiserum to bovine CNPase recognized both CNP1 and CNP2 in CNS myelin and human oligodendroglioma. In addition, a 53,000 dalton protein was evident on autoradiographs of immunoblotted PNS myelin and human oligodendroglioma proteins. Cultured rat oligodendrocyte, C₆ and mouse NA neuroblastoma CNPase appear to share common determinants with the corresponding normal rat CNS enzyme.     

辣椒四个品种的核型研究

本文对我国栽培辣椒Capsicum annuum L.的四个品种即汉川椒、华椒一号、牛角椒和二金条进行了核型分析,其染色体数目均为2n=2x=24,核型公式均为2n=24=20m+2sm+2st,但汉川椒和华椒一号具一对随体,牛角椒和二金条具两对随体。本文还对它们的进化关系进行了讨论。     

辣椒四个品种的核型研究

本文对我国栽培辣椒Capsicum annuum L.的四个品种即汉川椒、华椒一号、牛角椒和二金条进行了核型分析,其染色体数目均为2n=2x=24,核型公式均为2n=24=20m+2sm+2st,但汉川椒和华椒一号具一对随体,牛角椒和二金条具两对随体。本文还对它们的进化关系进行了讨论。     

ATF4在内质网应激调控成骨分化中的作用

为避免内质网中未折叠蛋白质的过度累积,真核细胞能激活一系列信号通路来维持内质网稳态,这个过程称为内质网应激。在骨生长发育中,适宜的内质网应激有助于成骨细胞、破骨细胞和软骨细胞的生长,可以促进骨髓间充质干细胞向成骨细胞分化。而过度的内质网应激会抑制成骨分化,严重的甚至导致骨质疏松、成骨不全等相关骨病的发生。内质网应激时可激活未折叠蛋白质反应,其主要是通过PERK/eIF2α/ATF4信号通路,上调转录激活因子4(ATF4)的表达。ATF4位于许多成骨分化调节因子的下游,是促进成骨分化的关键因子,在内质网应激对成骨分化的调节中发挥重要作用。在成骨分化过程中,适宜的内质网应激能通过激活PERK信号通路,诱导ATF4表达增加,进而上调骨钙素、骨涎蛋白等成骨所必需基因的表达,促进成骨分化。过度的内质网应激会激活ATF4/CHOP促凋亡途径,并导致Bax、胱天蛋白酶等凋亡信号分子的大量产生,进而导致细胞凋亡,抑制成骨分化。由于ATF4在ERS和成骨分化中的重要作用,ATF4在骨质疏松、成骨不全等骨相关疾病的治疗中具有重要意义。本文通过综述ATF4在内质网应激调控成骨分化中的作用机制,为相关骨性疾病治疗提供理论依据。     

The use of a hydroxylapatite-filter steroid receptor assay method in the study of the modulation of androgen receptor interaction

Receptors for androgen, estrogen, and glucocorticoid can be assayed by hydroxylapatite adsorption of the radioactive steroid-receptor complex and washing of the adducts on membrane filters mounted on a multiple filter holder. The method is economical, very rapid and sensitive. This new receptor assay method was used to study the modulation of androgen receptor of rat ventral prostate by metal ions, thiols, and ligand structure. The interaction of androgen with the naked receptor is inhibited by 10 microM ZnCl2, CdSO4, or CuSO4 but this inhibition is competed by androgen and is reversed by DTT. The androgen-receptor complex is less sensitive to divalent metal ions but Zn2+, at 3 mM, appears to alter the conformation of the receptor and promote the release of androgen. Certain phenanthrene derivatives exhibited striking structural specificities in their ability to compete with radioactive androgen for binding to the prostate receptor. The results suggest that the receptor has binding preference toward individual ring structure in the steroid.