Effects of exogenous B supply on growth, B accumulation and distribution of two navel orange cultivars

To investigate the effects of boron (B) on growth, B concentration and distribution of two navel orange cultivars, ‘Newhall’ (Citrus sinensis Osbeck) and ‘Skagg’s Bonanza’ (Citrus sinensis Osbeck) grafted on the rootstock trifoliate orange [Poncirus trifoliata (L.) Raf.], B at five levels was exogenously supplied to 1-year-old grafted plants of both cultivars under greenhouse conditions. Plants were grown in sand:perlite (1:1, v/v) medium and were irrigated every 2 days with half-strength Hoagland’s No. 2 nutrient solutions containing different B, 0.01, 0.05, 0.10, 0.25 and 2.50 mg l⁻¹ (0.25 and 2.50 mg l⁻¹ were considered as control and excess B treatment, respectively, and the other three B levels were considered as low B treatments). After treatments for 183 days, leaves (from basal, middle, upper parts of the shoots), stem of scion, stem of rootstock and root were separately sampled. Our results showed that plant growth (plant height, root volume and dry weights of various parts) was inhibited in response to low or excess B supplies in both cultivars. It was found that B concentrations in the upper leaves of both cultivars were substantially higher than those in the basal leaves when low concentrations (≤0.05 mg l⁻¹) of exogenous B were applied, suggesting that B was preferentially translocated to the upper-younger leaves to support their growth. Analysis of B distribution in different parts indicated that translocation of B from the root to the scion’s shoots (stems and leaves of scion) may be restricted upon exposure to low B conditions. When B was inadequately supplied, growth of ‘Skagg’s Bonanza’ was better than ‘Newhall’, implying that the former cultivar was more tolerant to low B status, which may be due to the higher efficiency of B translocation from the root to the scion’s shoots. However, when the plants were treated with excess B (2.50 mg l⁻¹), both cultivars showed a similar degree of B toxicity. The probability of scion–rootstock interactions in relation to the differential responses of growth and different efficiency of B translocation involved in the two orange cultivars following the long-term low B stress were discussed.     

中国楔天牛族二新种(鞘翅目:天牛科:沟胫天牛亚科)

记述了沟胫天牛亚科楔天牛族2新种,即黑斑双脊天牛Paraglenea nigromaculata sp.nov。和黑缘并脊天牛Glenea nigromarginella sp.nov。,新种模式标本保存在西南农业大学植保系昆虫标本馆。     

牛生长激素基因在马铃薯中的表达

将牛生长激素基因ｃＤＮＡ 与Ｐａｔａｔｉｎ ＣｌａｓｓＩ启动子及ＮＯＳ３终止子连接,构建了表达载体ｐＰＢＧＴ． 用直接法将表达载体转入农杆菌（Ａｇｒｏｂａｃｔｅｒｉｕｍ ｔｕｍ ｅｆａｃｉｅｎｓ） ＬＢＡ４４０４（ｐＲＡＬ４４０４）菌株, 用此菌株转化马铃薯（Ｓｏｌａｎｕｍ ｔｕｂｅｒｏｓｕｍ ）得到再生植株． 经ＮＰＴⅡ活性检测,总ＤＮＡ ＰＣＲ和Ｓｏｕｔｈｅｒｎ ｂｌｏｔ证明目的基因已整合到马铃薯基因组中．ＲＮＡ 点杂交和Ｗｅｓｔｅｒｎ ｂｌｏｔ表明牛生长激素基因已在转基因马铃薯块茎中转录和表达     

Protection against oxidative stress by vitamin D in cone cells

Photoreceptor degeneration (PD) refers to a group of heterogeneous outer retinal dystrophies characterized by the death of photoreceptors. Both oxidative stress and inflammation are involved in the pathogenesis of PD. We investigate whether vitamin D has a potential for the treatment of PD by evaluating the anti‐oxidative stress and anti‐inflammatory properties of the active form of vitamin D₃, 1,α, 25‐dihydroxyvitamin D₃, in a mouse cone cell line, 661W. Mouse cone cells were treated with H₂O₂ or a mixture of H₂O₂ and vitamin D; cell viability was determined. The production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in treated and untreated cells was measured. The expression of key anti‐oxidative stress and inflammatory genes in treated and untreated cells was determined. Treatment with vitamin D significantly increased cell viability and decreased ROS production in 661W cells under oxidative stress induced by H₂O₂. H₂O₂ treatment in 661W cells can significantly down‐regulate the expression of antioxidant genes and up‐regulate the expression of neurotoxic cytokines. Vitamin D treatment significantly reversed these effects and restored the expression of antioxidant genes. Vitamin D treatment also can block H₂O₂ induced oxidative damages. The data suggested that vitamin D may offer a therapeutic potential for patients with PD.     

U-Shaped Photonic Crystal Fiber Based Surface Plasmon Resonance Sensors

A surface plasmon resonance sensor based on a U-shaped photonic crystal fiber with a rectangular lattice has been designed through finite element method. The U-shaped fiber exhibits not only stronger mechanical strength but also better sensor performance than our previous scheme. The upper detection limit extends to higher analyze refractive index, 1.384, for phase interrogation. We introduce a ratio to evaluate the impact of higher order plasmonic mode. For wavelength modulation scheme, the parameter to describe the performance of a sensor is chosen to be the figure of merit, which can be up to 533.8[RIU^?1] around complete coupling condition.     

丝带凤蝶滞育与非滞育蛹及其成虫的形态学观察

丝带凤蝶Sericinus montelus是一种有开发价值的观赏昆虫,以蛹滞育越冬,成虫存在多型现象。本研究从体色、个体大小和蛹腹部刺突长度等方面比较了丝带凤蝶滞育与非滞育蛹及其成虫的形态差异。与非滞育蛹相比,滞育蛹体色较深,触角末端的淡黄色与体色差异明显,3日龄滞育蛹腹部第9节刺突长度是3日龄非滞育蛹的4倍左右,这些差异可以用于该虫蛹滞育早期判别。滞育蛹羽化成虫的翅展和尾突长度显著小于非滞育蛹羽化成虫,且腹部及翅面斑纹也存在明显的差异,这些差异与丝带凤蝶春型、夏型成虫的描述相一致,表明丝带凤蝶成虫季节多型是与滞育相关联的。     

Regulation of cell-cell interactions by phosphatidic acid phosphatase 2b/VCIP

We identified vascular endothelial growth factor and type I collagen inducible protein (VCIP), also known as phosphatidic acid phosphatase 2b (PAP2b), in a functional assay of angiogenesis. VCIP/PAP2b exhibits an Arg-Gly-Asp (RGD) cell adhesion sequence. Immunoprecipitation and fluorescence-activated cell sorting analyses demonstrated that VCIP-RGD is exposed to the outside of the cell surface. Retroviral transduction of VCIP induced cell aggregation/cell- cell interactions, modestly increased p120 catenin expression and promoted activation of the Fak, Akt and GSK3beta protein kinases. Furthermore, expression of recombinant VCIP promoted adhesion, spreading and tyrosine phosphorylation of Fak, Shc, Cas and paxillin in endothelial cells. GST-VCIP-RGD, but not GST-VCIP-RGE, specifically interacted with a subset of integrins, and these interactions were effectively blocked by anti-alpha(v)beta(3) and anti-alpha(5)beta(1) integrin antibodies, and by PAP2b/VCIP-derived peptides. Interestingly, PAP2b/VCIP is expressed in close proximity to vascular endothelial growth factor, von Willebrand factor and alpha(v)beta(3) integrin in tumor vasculatures. These findings demonstrate an unexpected function of PAP2b/VCIP, and represent an important step towards understanding the molecular mechanisms by which PAP2b/VCIP-induced cell-cell interactions regulate specific intracellular signaling pathways.