Characterization of a non-detergent PS II-cytochrome b/f preparation (BS)

A non-detergent photosystem II preparation, named BS, has been characterized by countercurrent distribution, light saturation curves, absorption spectra and fluorescence at room and at low temperature (–196°C). The BS fraction is prepared by a sonication-phase partitioning procedure (Svensson P and Albertsson P-Å, Photosynth Res 20: 249–259, 1989) which removes the stroma lamellae and the margins from the grana and leaves the appressed partition region intact in the form of vesicles. These are closed structures of inside-out conformation. They have a chlorophyll a/b ratio of 1.8–2.0, have a high oxygen evolving capacity (295 mol O₂ per mg chl h), are depleted in P700 and enriched in the cytochrome b/f complex. They have about 2 Photosystem II reaction centers per 1 cytochrome b/f complex.The plastoquinone pool available for PS II in the BS vesicles is 6–7 quinones per reaction center, about the same as for the whole thylakoid. It is concluded, therefore, that the plastoquinone of the stroma lamellae is not available to the PS II in the grana and that plastoquinone does not act as a long range electron transport shuttler between the grana and stroma lamellae.Compared with Photosystem II particles prepared by detergent (Triton X-100) treatment, the BS vesicles retain more cytochrome b/f complex and are more homogenous in their surface properties, as revealed by countercurrent distribution, and they have a more efficient energy transfer from the antenna pigments to the reaction center.Abbreviations DCMU 3-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-1,1-dimethylurea - F_v variable fluorescence - LHC light-harvesting complex - PpBQ phenyl-p-benzoquinone - PQ plastoquinone pool - P700 reaction center of PS I - PS I, PS II Photosystem I, II - Q_A first bound plastoquinone accepter - RC reaction centre     

Agrobacterium-mediated production of transgenic rice plants expressing a chimeric α-amylase promoter/β-glucuronidase gene

We have successfully transferred and expressed a reporter gene driven by an -amylase promoter in a japonica type of rice (Oryza sativa L. cv. Tainung 62) using the Agrobacterium-mediated gene transfer system. Immature rice embryos (10–12 days after anthesis) were infected with an Agrobacterium strain carrying a plasmid containing chimeric genes of -glucuronidase (uidA) and neomycin phosphotransferase (nptII). Co-incubation of potato suspension culture (PSC) with the Agrobacterium inoculum significantly improved the transformation efficiency of rice. The uidA and nptII genes, which are under the control of promoters of a rice -amylase gene (Amy8) and Agrobacterium nopaline synthase gene (nos), respectively, were both expressed in G418-resistant calli and transgenic plants. Integration of foreign genes into the genomes of transgenic plants was confirmed by Southern blot analysis. Histochemical localization of GUS activity in one transgenic plant (R0) revealed that the rice -amylase promoter functions in all cell types of the mature leaves, stems, sheaths and roots, but not in the very young leaves. This transgenic plant grew more slowly and produced less seeds than the wild-type plant, but its R1 and R2 progenies grew normally and produced as much seeds as the wild-type plant. Inheritance of foreign genes to the progenies was also confirmed by Southern blot analysis. These data demonstrate successful gene transfer and sexual inheritance of the chimeric genes.     

大黄素对豚鼠结肠带平滑肌细胞电和收缩性能的影响

联合应用平滑肌肌力张力测量技术和细胞内微电极记录技术,同步地现测豚鼠结肠带平滑肌自发的肌源性电活动和力学活动,研究了大黄素的药物作用。大黄素能缩短膜电位的波动周期,从而缩短峰电位集簇发放的周期;相应地,可使平滑肌的分节律收缩加快,幅值指数升高。大黄素又能促使细胞膜电位自发的周期性波动的出现,导致峰电位的集簇发放;相应地,可使强直收缩转化为分节律收缩,即促进收缩形式向有利于肠道推进功能的方向转化。以上结果表明,大黄素能有效地提高豚鼠结肠带平滑肌细胞的电兴奋性和收缩功能,并且对其电学和力学活动的影响之间有明确的对应关系。     

人──板系统最佳蹬伸动作的控制模型及数值分析

本文基于Hanavan模型和人体测量学参数,以人体各环节间的相对运动作为控制量,建立了人-板系统中起跳蹬伸动作的数学模型,给出了模型的数值计算方法,在此基础上给出了实现最佳蹬伸用力过程的计算实验途径与运动技术诊断方法。     

霍山三种石斛与其栽培土壤中微量元素分布关系研究

本文应用灰色系统理论,对安徽霍山三种石斛与其栽培土壤中15种微量元素分布状况进行了关联分析．结果发现.其关联序为γ_根＞γ_叶＞γ_茎;γ_(-年茎)≈γ_(二年茎)≈γ_(三年茎);γ_(霍斛)＞γ_(铁斛)＞γ_(铜斛).可见霍山石斛与其栽培土壤间的微量元素相关性比其它石斛强,因而可通过增施微肥的办法来提高霍山石解中某些人体必需微量元素的含量．     

Identification and Characterization of Protein Kinase FA/ Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3 in Clathrin-Coated Brain Vesicles

Abstract: Mg-ATP-dependent protein phosphatase activating factor [kinase F_A/glycogen synthase kinase 3 (GSK-3)] has been identified in highly purified clathrin-coated vesicles (CCVs) isolated from pig brain. Kinase F_A was found to exist in an inactive state but can be activated by 1% Triton X-100 or [ M /Tris-HC] extraction in brain CCVs. Activation of kinase F_A in CCVs is due to disassociation of the kinase from CCVs as demonstrated on sucrose density-gradient ultracentrifugation and Sepharose CL-4B gel filtration. Using purified brain CCVs as substrates, kinase F_A enhanced the endogenous phosphorylation of assembly protein complexes in the molecular weight range of 100,000-130,000 severalfold, as demonstrated by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis followed by autoradiography. Comparisons with well-defined brain CCV-associated endogenous protein kinases such as pp50 kinase/AP50 and casein kinase 2 provide evidence that kinase F_A/GSK-3 represents a third potent and unique CCV-associated protein kinase distinctly different from the previously described CCV protein kinases, suggesting the possible involvement of kinase FA in the regulation of CCV functions in the brain. The results also support the notion that protein kinase F_A is involved in cell surface signal transduction in the CNS.     

Production of (R)-3-Chloro-1,2-Propanediol from Prochiral 1,3-Dichloro-2-Propanol by Corynebacterium sp. Strain N-1074

The production of (R)-3-chloro-1,2-propanediol [(R)-MCP] from prochiral 1,3-dichloro-2-propanol (DCP) was examined with a bacterial strain identified as a Corynebacterium strain. The addition of glycerol as a carbon source or some chlorinated alcohols to a medium was effective for the induction of activity catalyzing the transformation of DCP into MCP. The optimum pH for (R)-MCP production by the resting cell reaction was around 8.0. The optical purity of (R)-MCP formed was improved by keeping the level of DCP in the reaction mixture at a low concentration. (R)-MCP was obtained from 77.5 mM DCP with a 97.3% molar conversion yield and an 83.8% enantiomeric excess of its optical purity by periodic feeding of the substrate.     

Integration of simian virus 40 into cellular DNA occurs at or near topoisomerase II cleavage hot spots induced by VM-26 (teniposide).

Inhibition of DNA topoisomerase II in simian virus 40 (SV40)-infected BSC-1 cells with a topoisomerase II poison, VM-26 (teniposide), resulted in rapid conversion of a population of the SV40 DNA into a high-molecular-weight form. Characterization of this high-molecular-weight form of SV40 DNA suggests that it is linear, double stranded, and a recombinant with SV40 DNA sequences covalently joined to cellular DNA. The majority of the integrants contain fewer than two tandem copies of SV40 DNA. Neither DNA-damaging agents, such as mitomycin and UV, nor the topoisomerase I inhibitor camptothecin induced detectable integration in this system. In addition, the recombination junctions within the SV40 portion of the integrants correlate with VM-26-induced, topoisomerase II cleavage hot spots on SV40 DNA. These results suggest a direct and specific role for topoisomerase II and possibly the enzyme-inhibitor-DNA ternary cleavable complex in integration. The propensity of poisoned topoisomerase II to induce viral integration also suggests a role for topoisomerase II in a pathway of chromosomal DNA rearrangements.     

大鼠肝癌中α_2-巨球蛋白等几种分泌性蛋白基因表达的变化

用Northern blot方法对二乙基亚硝胺所诱发的大鼠肝癌中内源性蛋白酶抑制因子α_2-巨球蛋白(α_2-M)、非特异性免疫抑制剂α_1-酸性糖蛋白(α_1-AGP)及雄性激素正调控的α-2u球蛋白(α-2u)三种分泌性蛋白基因表达情况进行了分析。结果表明在大部分(14/16)肝癌样品中α_2-M RNA水平显著降低;而α_1-AGP RNA水平显著高于正常对照水平;α-2u RNA水平明显下降,但在某些雄性大鼠肝癌样品中该基因却有一定程度的表达。这些结果说明,一些肿瘤宿主血浆中α_2-M水平的显著下降及α_1-AGP水平的明显升高分别是由于基因表达活性的下降及升高所致。α-2u基因表达的异常提示,在癌变过程中机体的内分泌功能发生了某些变化。