Effects of gamma-ray irradiation on metabolic changes in potato tubers in response to cutting

Potato tubers were subjected to cobalt-60 gamma-ray irradiationand stored at room temperature for from 10 days to 4 months.Effects of this irradiation on metabolic changes in potato tubersin response to cutting were investigated. The quantities ofpolyphenols, such as chlorogenic acid and isochlorogenic acid,in the tissue increased as compared with the non-irradiatedsample. Although the polyphenol content and activities of o-diphenoloxidase, peroxidase and phenylalanine ammonialyase increasedafter cutting, increases were lower in the irradiated sample.On the other hand, in the dose range between 5,000 and 12,400rad, the irradiated sample showed a larger defense action againstinfection by the black rot fungus, Ceratocystis fimbriata thandid the non-irradiated sample. (Received April 16, 1968; )     

基于壳聚糖结合模块构建新型酿酒酵母孢子表面展示系统

【目的】基于当前细胞表面展示体系存在的问题,旨在构建一个新型的普适性强、抗逆性好、高效稳定的酿酒酵母孢子表面展示系统。【方法】首先,根据酵母孢子固定化酶的特性,通过查阅文献寻找潜在的与孢子壁壳聚糖层高度亲和的壳聚糖结合模块;其次,利用绿色荧光蛋白(green fluorescent protein,GFP)与结合模块融合表达,在体外和孢子内分别验证结合模块与孢子壁的亲和能力;之后,选择Saccharomyces cerevisiae AH109来源的α-半乳糖苷酶(α-galactosidase,MEL1)评估新型展示体系的效能。【结果】首先,选择Paenibacillussp. IK-5来源壳聚糖酶的碳水化合物结合模块32 (carbohydrate binding module 32,CBM32)作为壳聚糖结合模块。其次,将大肠杆菌表达纯化后的融合蛋白CBM32-GFP与dit1Δ孢子共孵育,通过GFP荧光定位以及荧光强度验证CBM32在体外与孢子壁具有较好的亲和能力;CBM32-GFP在dit1Δ孢子内的荧光定位与结合能力证明了其在孢子内能够与孢子壁紧密结合;最后,以MEL1替换GFP应用到新型展示体系中,与只表达MEL1的孢子相比,CBM32-MEL1孢子酶活不仅提高了68.65%,最高酶比活力达到460.59 U/g DCW (dry cell weight, 菌体干重),重复使用能力也得到了显著提高;此外,该体系提高了MEL1的稳定性和可操作性。【结论】本研究首次提出利用结合模块来构建一个新型酿酒酵母孢子表面展示体系,为真核来源的多糖基化位点修饰以及多亚基结构蛋白提供了可靠的细胞表面展示平台,为实现工业化应用孢子固定化酶提供了理论依据。     

Vessel element formation in cultured carrot-root phloem slices

The effects of light, auxin and cytokinin on vessel elementformation in phloem slices of carrot root were examined. When slices of carrot cultivars, ‘Nakamura-senko-futo’and ‘Yamada-hyakunichisenk6- naga’, preculturedin the dark on modified Murashige and Skoog's medium for twodays were cultured on a medium containing 5x10^–6 M 2,4-Din the dark, no vessel element formation occurred. When preculturedslices were cultured in the light with 5x10^–6M 2,4-D,vessel element formation was remarkable. But when 5x10^–7Mkinetin, benzyladenine or zeatin was added, vessel elementswere readily formed even in the dark. When slices were cultured in the light, a cytokinin-like substance(s)that causes vessel element formation was produced in the slices,then was released to the medium. The substance(s) was fairlystable to heat. In slices of carrot cultivars, kuroda-gosun, ‘Kintoki’and ‘Kokubu-senk6-6naga’, a different result forvessel element formation was obtained. When slices of thesecultivars were cultured on a medium containing 5x10^–6M2,4-D in the dark, vessel element formation was remarkable.It seemed, therefore, that these cultivars contain enough ofa cytokinin-like substance(s) to form vessel elements. In fact,vessel element forming activity was found in the alcohol extractof carrot root phloem from these cultivars. (Received June 8, 1971; )     

Modification of Dorsal-Ventral Polarity in Xenopus laevis Embryos Following Withdrawal of Egg Contents before First Cleavage

When fertilized Xenopus laevis eggs were pricked just beneath the marginal zone with a thick glass needle prior to the first cleavage, a small amount of cytoplasm escaped into the exudate. Those eggs were placed in a poly L-lysine-coated plastic dish filled with 10% Ficoll solution. The location of the sperm entrance site (SES) of each egg was marked by scratching the surface of the plastic dish. The pricked embryos were anchored to the dish through poly L-lysine, and developed, therefore, without changing their original position. Consequently, development of the dorsalventral polarity was conveniently monitored with respect to the location of the SES. Embryos which developed from eggs pricked on the side opposite the SES showed modification of the dorsal-ventral polarity: Semi-quantitative studies showed that an exudation approximately 1.5–12.5% of the whole egg contents from the presumptive dorsal side caused a reversal of the dorsal-ventral polarity. That is, the dorsal lip of the blastopore formed on the same side of the SES, whereas the dorsal lip formed on the side opposite the SES in the normal control and sham-operated embryos. Half of the embryos which had larger cytoplasmic exudates more than 12.5% of the whole egg contents failed to form the dorsal lip by the time all controls and the embryos with smaller exudates showed normal dorsal lip formation. When eggs were pricked on the SES side, the normal topographic relationship between the SES and future dorsal lip side was reinforced.     

PROMOTION OF ADVENTITIOUS ROOT FORMATION BY HELIANGINE AND ITS REMOVAL BY CYSTEINE

1. Heliangine at 10^–4M promoted the adventitious root formationin hypocotyls of cuttings taken from light-grown (1,900 lux)seedlings of Phaseolus mungo. The promotion was almost completelyreduced by simultaneously supplied 310^–4M cysteine or1.510^–4M cystine, but not suppressed by 310^–4Mof reduced glutathione, alanine or serine.
2. A 4 hr pretreatmentwith 310^–4M cysteine made Phaseoluscuttings less sensitiveto heliangine, but cysteine suppliedafter the treatment withheliangine brought about no effecton the action of heliangine.
3. Cysteine also removed the inhibiting effect of heliangineonthe indoleacetic acid-induced elongation of etiolated Avenacoleoptile sections.
4. In an aqueous solution heliangine formedan addition productwith cysteine, indicating that cysteinecan inactivate helianginewithout any biological processes.
5. On Phaseolus adventitious rooting, no effect was observedofp-chloromercuribenzoic acid, N-ethylmaleimide, 1,4-naphthoquinone,coumarin or penicillin. Reactivity toward sulfhydryl groupsalone does not qualify a substance to be a promotor of rootformation.
6. Maleic hydrazide at 10^–4M promoted root formation,butits effect was not removed by cysteine.

¹ Contribution No. 13 from the Botanical Gardens, Faculty ofScience, University of Tokyo, Koishikawa, Tokyo.     

Why 11-cis-Retinal?

The C₂₀ diterpenoid compound retinal is the chromophore of thevisual pigments the rhodopsins, and the pigments present inHalobacterium halobium, namely, bacteriorhodopsin (proton pump),halorhodopsin (chloride pump), and the sensory rhodopsins (phototaxisreceptor). In all cases, they are bound covalently to the receptorprotein by a protonated Schiff base. However, in rhodopsins,the retinal is the 11-cis isomer, whereas in H. halobium pigmentsit is the all-trans isomer. Why did Nature choose retinal asthe chromophore, and why 11-cis in some cases and all-transin other cases? Also why is the chromophore a protonated Schiffbase? These points are addressed after giving an outline ofthe current status of the various photoreceptor pigments     

仙台病毒血凝素神经氨酸酶在哺乳动物细胞中的转录和翻译

仙台病毒的血凝素神经氨酸酶 (HN)在COS 7细胞中得到了表达。将具有表达功能的质粒转入非洲绿猴肾细胞LLCMK2 中 ,在抗生素筛选压力下连续传代 ,获得了具有抗生素抗药性的细胞系 ,表明HN基因已整合到该细胞的染色体中。尽管核酸酶S1实验结果表明 ,这些抗药性细胞内有大量HNmRNA的转录 ,但非直接免疫荧光和放射性免疫沉淀的结果却显示 ,细胞表面和细胞内部的HN蛋白的表达量很低。而仙台病毒持续感染的LLCMK2 细胞中却有大量的HN蛋白存在。这种转录与翻译不一致的现象 ,表明某些病毒因子对HN基因mRNA转录本的加工或翻译可能有正调控作用。同时也说明 ,在外源基因的表达过程中 ,没有可测定的表达蛋白也不一定就是没有该基因的转录。     

Molecular evidence for phytosiderophore‐induced improvement of iron nutrition of peanut intercropped with maize in calcareous soil

Peanut/maize intercropping is a sustainable and effective agroecosystem that evidently enhances the Fe nutrition of peanuts in calcareous soils. So far, the mechanism involved in this process has not been elucidated. In this study, we unravel the effects of phytosiderophores in improving Fe nutrition of intercropped peanuts in peanut/maize intercropping. The maize ys3 mutant, which cannot release phytosiderophores, did not improve Fe nutrition of peanut, whereas the maize ys1 mutant, which can release phytosiderophores, prevented Fe deficiency, indicating an important role of phytosiderophores in improving the Fe nutrition of intercropped peanut. Hydroponic experiments were performed to simplify the intercropping system, which revealed that phytosiderophores released by Fe‐deficient wheat promoted Fe acquisition in nearby peanuts and thus improved their Fe nutrition. Moreover, the phytosiderophore deoxymugineic acid (DMA) was detected in the roots of intercropped peanuts. The yellow stripe1‐like (YSL) family of genes, which are homologous to maize yellow stripe 1 (ZmYS1), were identified in peanut roots. Further characterization indicated that among five AhYSL genes, AhYSL1, which was localized in the epidermis of peanut roots, transported Fe(III)–DMA. These results imply that in alkaline soil, Fe(III)–DMA dissolved by maize might be absorbed directly by neighbouring peanuts in the peanut/maize intercropping system.     

RESPIRATORY METABOLISM IN THE PHLOEM, XYLEM AND CAMBIUM OF CARROT ROOT

Comparisons of respiratory metabolism among the phloem, cambiumand xylem of mature carrot root were carried out and the followingresults were obtained. 1) The activity of O₂ uptake on a dry weight basis in the cambiumwas higher than that in the xylem. The phloem showed the lowestactivity. 2) RQ was close to unity in all the three tissues.3) The inhibition rate of O₂ uptake by malonate was considerablyhigh in the three tissues. The highest inhibition was observedin the cambium. 4) In the phloem and xylem the malonic inhibitionrate of ¹⁴CO₂ release from G-U-¹⁴C was not so high as comparedwith that of O₂ uptake. In the cambium, however, those of O₂uptake and ¹⁴CO₂ output were comparable. 5) Malonate treatmentdid not cause any significant change in RQ. 6) The C₆/C₁ ratiowas highest in the cambium and lowest in the phloem. From these it is concluded that the participation of the TCAcycle in respiration is great in all the three tissues of carrotroot, and among the three the cambium has the highest activityof the cycle. As for the PP pathway, the xylem and phloem havea higher activity than the cambium. (Received April 11, 1967; )