贵州上三叠统一新的海龙(爬行纲:双孔亚纲)

根据头骨和下颌建立了海龙一新属新种——短吻贫齿龙(Miodentosaurus brevis gen.et sp.nov.)。其正型标本是采自贵州三叠纪法郎组的一具骨架(台中自然科学博物馆标本编号NMNS-004727/F003960)。虽然头后骨胳还没有修理,但是几近完好的头骨和下颌显示出许多与众不同的特征,足以确定该标本代表了一新的海龙属种。短吻贫齿龙是个体较大的海龙,其全长超过4 m,头骨背部最长约为33 cm。吻直且极短是其最显著的特征之一。其他主要特征有:前颌骨沿前背中央有一隆嵴;上颌仅前颌骨有6枚圆锥形齿,无上颌骨齿;上颌骨沿前腹侧缘有一沟槽;下颌齿骨齿都集中在前端且至多不超过6枚。依据上述这些特征很易把短吻贫齿龙与其他已知海龙相区别。短吻贫齿龙头骨顶面松果孔大且很前位,头骨腭面的锄骨和翼骨均无齿,它的颈较长(至少可以辨认出13个颈椎)。这些特征显示短吻贫齿龙可能与包括中国安顺龙属(Anshunsaurus)在内的Askeptosauroidea超科有相近的系统关系。     

Up‐regulation of Tyrosinase Gene by Nitric Oxide in Human Melanocytes

Ultraviolet light (UV) radiation causes skin‐tanning, which is thought to be mediated by stimulating the release of melanogenic factors from keratinocytes as well as other cells. Nitric oxide (NO) has been reported to be generated after UV radiation and to stimulate melanocytes as one of the melanogens. In a previous experiment by another group on melanogenesis induced by NO, increases in both tyrosinase activity and tyrosinase protein levels were observed after daily stimulation of NO for 4 days. In the present study, we investigated tyrosinase gene expression within the first 24 hr of NO‐induced melanogenesis. Tyrosinase mRNA expression was found to be induced 2 hr after a single treatment with S‐nitroso‐N‐acetyl‐ l ‐arginine. An increase of tyrosinase activity was also detected time‐dependently within the 24‐hr period, accompanied by an increase of tyrosinase protein levels. The induction of mRNA expression was suppressed by a cyclic guanosine 3′,5′‐monophosphate (cGMP)‐dependent protein kinase (cGMP/PKG) inhibitor. These results suggest that the enhancement of tyrosinase gene expression via the cGMP pathway may be a primary mechanism for NO‐induced melanogenesis.     

Growth Response to Hormones by a New Rat Ovary Cell Line

SEVERAL endocrine cell lines established in recent years show a functional response to hormones in vitro¹ but, except for one mammary cell line², none of them exhibits the normal hormone requirement for growth in vivo. We have now isolated a rat ovarian cell line whose growth in vitro is markedly stimulated by bovine luteinizing hormone (LH-NIH-B7), a pituitary gonadotrophin and by dexamethasone, a synthetic glucocorticoid. This cell line provides the first permanent in vitro system for studying the growth stimulation of gonadal cells by hormones.     

Temperature-dependent changes in phospholipid and fatty acid composition and membrane lipid fluidity of Yersinia enterocolitica

Temperature-dependent compositional changes of phospholipids and their fatty acids were analysed in Yersinia enterocolitica grown at 5°, 25° and 37°C. The relative amounts of the four phospholipids, phosphatidylethanolamine (75–78%), phosphatidylglycerol (10–11%), cardiolipin (<7%) and lysophosphatidylethanolamine (<5%), were essentially the same at all growth temperatures. The degree of fatty acid unsaturation of the four phospholipids increased with decrease in growth temperature, mainly due to an increase of C_16:1 and C_18:1 and a corresponding decrease of C_16;0, C_18:0 and cyclo C_17:0. An electron spin resonance spectroscopic study of the membrane lipids showed that membrane lipid fluidity was enhanced by decreasing the growth temperatures. The changes in fatty acid composition of phospholipids in response to varied temperatures were consistent with the temperature-dependent changes in the membrane lipid fluidity of Y. enterocolitica , and were similar to those reported for other bacteria.     

Biological activity of phyllosinol, a phytotoxic compound isolated from a culture filtrate of Phyllosticta sp.

1. Phyllosinol is a phytotoxic metabolite of Phyllosticta sp. Thissubstance at 100 µg/ml produced dark grey necrotic lesionson the leaf of red clover. Sensitivities of various plant speciesto phyllosinol differed both quantitatively and qualitatively.
2. Phyllosinol reduced root growth in rice seedlings by 60% at10^–4 M, whereas stimulation of root elongation occurredat a concentration range from 10^–9 to 10^–5 M.
3. Phyllosinolat 2.5x10^–4M promoted adventitious root formationin epicotylsof Azukia cuttings by about 100%. Promotion waspartly reducedby simultaneous application of cysteine.
4. IAA-induced elongationof isolated Avena coleoptile sectionswas inhibited by phyllosinolat a concentration range from 10^–5to 10^–3M.
5. Sulfhydrylcompounds, i.e. cysteine and glutathione relievedinhibitioncaused by phyllosinol in IAA-induced elongation ofAvena coleoptilesections.
6. GA₃-induced elongation of wheat leaf sections wasslightly inhibitedby phyllosinol at 10^–4M.
7. Phyllosinolalso has antibiotic activity. Among the organismstested, Phycomycetesand Gram-negative bacteria appeared mostsusceptible to phyllosinol.

(Received April 21, 1970; )