Negative effects of hydroxyl radical-generating mists (simulated dew water) on the photosynthesis and growth of Japanese apricot seedlings (Prunus mume)

The hydroxyl (OH) radical, which is generated in polluted dew water on leaf surfaces of the Japanese apricot (Prunus mume), is known to be a potent oxidant. In order to investigate the effects of the OH radical formed in polluted dew water on the photosynthesis and growth of 3-year-old seedlings of P. mume, OH radical-generating solutions simulating polluted dew water were sprayed in the early morning as a mist throughout a growing season onto the leaf surfaces of seedlings growing in experimental greenhouses. Four OH radical-generating solutions (0, 6, 18 and 54 M H₂O₂ with Fe(III) and an oxalate ion) were used in the mist treatment. Five months after the beginning of treatment, the leaves exposed to the mist containing 54 M H₂O₂ showed a significantly smaller maximum CO₂ assimilation rate (A_max) and stomatal conductance (g_s) as compared to the leaves exposed to the mist containing 0 M H₂O₂. Exposure of P. mume seedlings to the OH radical-generating mist had caused a reduction in the dry weight and relative growth rate (RGR) of the above-ground parts (stem + branch) at the end of the growing season. A significant positive correlation was shown between RGR and A_max. Thus, the effects of oxidants generated in polluted dew water on leaf surfaces can be considered to be a cause of the decrease in leaf photosynthesis and growth of P. mume.     

Regulation of inorganic phosphate transport systems in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

A kinetic study of Pi transport with 32Pi revealed that Saccharomyces cerevisiae has two systems of Pi transport, one with a low Km value (8.2 microM) for external Pi and the other with a high Km value (770 microM). The low-Km system was derepressed by Pi starvation, and the activity was expressed under the control of a genetic system which regulates the repressible acid and alkaline phosphatases. The function of the PHO2 gene, which is essential for the derepression of repressible acid phosphatase but not for the derepression of repressible alkaline phosphatase, was also indispensable for the derepression of the low-Km system.     

Study of amphibian lipids. I. Characterization of monoglycosylceramides from the skin of Rana nigromaculata (Japanese pond frog).

1. Monoglycosylceramide was isolated from the skin of Rana nigromaculata (Japanese pond frog), and further fractionated into three subgroups (Fraction I, Fraction II and Fraction III) by borate-impregnated Florisil column chromatography. 2. Fraction I and Fraction II contained mainly glucose as their hexose components, while Fraction III contained galactose. 3. Major long chain bases of Fraction I and Fraction III were D-erythro-1, 3-dihydroxy-2-amino-4-trans-octadecene (4-sphingenine) and D-erythro-1, 3-dihydroxy-2-aminooctadecane (sphinganine), whereas those of Fraction II were D-ribo-1, 3, 4-trihydroxy-2-aminooctadecane (4D-hydroxysphinganine) and 1, 3, 4-trihydroxy-2-aminoeicosane (C20 homologues of 4D-hydroxysphinganine). This is the first evidence of the presence of trihydroxy base-containing glycolipids in the skin of vertebrates. 4. All three subgroups of monoglycosylceramide contained both hydroxy and nonhydroxy fatty acids ranging from C14 and C26. Saturated fatty acids represented more than 90% of the total. Some differences of the fatty acid composition in the three subgroups were also observed.     

Adrenocorticotropic hormone-releasing activities of interleukins in a homologous in vivo system

We compared adrenocorticotropin-releasing activities of several interleukins in a homologous or heterologous in vivo system. Intravenous injection of rat interleukin-1 alpha significantly increased plasma adrenocorticotropin in conscious, freely-moving rats 30 min after the injection, and the effect was 10 times greater than that of human interleukin-1 alpha. Rat interleukin-2 affected plasma adrenocorticotropin in a much slower manner and increased its levels significantly 120 min after the injection. Human interleukin-2 had no effect on plasma adrenocorticotropin. Thus, species difference in the experimental system should be considered to assess the physiological significance of cytokines in the neuroendocrine system.     

Blood-brain barrier transport of pramipexole, a dopamine D2 agonist

The blood-brain barrier (BBB) transport of pramipexole, a potent dopamine receptor agonist with high efficacy for Parkinson's disease, was mainly characterized using immortalized rat brain capillary endothelial cells (RBEC)1 as an in vitro BBB model. [(14)C]Pramipexole uptake by RBEC1 was dependent on temperature and pH, but not sodium ion concentration or membrane potential. The uptake was inhibited by several organic cations including pyrilamine. Mutual inhibition was observed between pramipexole and pyrilamine. In addition, [(14)C]pramipexole uptake was stimulated by preloading unlabeled pramipexole. RT-PCR analysis for organic cation transporters (rOCT1-3, rOCTN1-2) in RBEC1 was performed. The mRNA level of rOCTN2 was the highest, followed by rOCTN1, while expression of rOCT1, rOCT2 and rOCT3 was negligible. The brain uptake of [(14)C]pramipexole, which was measured by the in situ rat brain perfusion technique, was significantly inhibited by unlabeled pramipexole. These results suggest that pramipexole is, at least in part, transported across the BBB by an organic cation-sensitive transporter. The pramipexole transport in RBEC1 was pH-dependent, but sodium- and membrane potential-independent.     

Bone marrow-derived osteoblast progenitor cells in circulating blood contribute to ectopic bone formation in mice

Recent studies have suggested the existence of osteoblastic cells in the circulation, but the origin and role of these cells in vivo are not clear. Here, we examined how these cells contribute to osteogenesis in a bone morphogenetic protein (BMP)-induced model of ectopic bone formation. Following lethal dose-irradiation and subsequent green fluorescent protein-transgenic bone marrow cell-transplantation (GFP-BMT) in mice, a BMP-2-containing collagen pellet was implanted into muscle. Three weeks later, a significant number of GFP-positive osteoblastic cells were present in the newly generated ectopic bone. Moreover, peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMNCs) from the BMP-2-implanted mouse were then shown to include osteoblast progenitor cells (OPCs) in culture. Passive transfer of the PBMNCs isolated from the BMP-2-implanted GFP-mouse to the BMP-2-implanted nude mouse led to GFP-positive osteoblast accumulation in the ectopic bone. These data provide new insight into the mechanism of ectopic bone formation involving bone marrow-derived OPCs in circulating blood.     

A simple purification method for the preparation of solubilized chlorophyllase from Chlorella protothecoides

A simple and rapid purification procedure is described for the routine preparation of large quantities of purified chlorophyllase (chlorophyll chlorophyllido-hydrolase, EC 3.1.1.14) from Chlorella protothecoides. The enzyme with specific activity of 960 nmol chlorophyll a hydrolyzed (mg protein)^?1 min^?1 was prepared by treating the homogenate with n-butanol, ammonium sulfate fractionations and gel filtration through Sephadex G-200 and Sepharose CL-6B, with a yield of 53% of activity based on the butanol extract. The enzyme preparation showed apparent homogeneity as judged by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The procedures take only 4 days and can be operated routinely without column repacking.     

Innervated radial thenar flap combined with radial forearm flap transfer for thumb reconstruction

A radial thenar flap combined with radial forearm flap was used for the reconstruction of the ipsilateral thumb in four patients. Vascular supply of the combined flap was based on the radial artery and extending the vascular pedicle to the superficial palmar branch of the radial artery. The flap was sensated by the palmar branch of the superficial radial nerve. The size of the flap averaged 15 x 5 cm and the innervated region of the thenar eminence was an area approximately 5 x 3 cm located over the proximal parts of the abductor pollicis brevis and opponens pollicis muscles. The flap was transferred as a free flap in three patients and as an advancement flap in one patient. The flaps survived completely without complications. Satisfactory restoration of sensation was achieved in the flap area, as shown by 6 mm of average moving two-point discrimination. This combined flap may be a feasible reconstructive option for large palmar defects of the fingers such as degloving injuries.     

Note on <Emphasis Type="Italic">Cordyceps brongniartii</Emphasis> Shimazu collected from the wild in Japan

We collected Cordyceps brongniartii from the wild associated with coleopteran larvae for the first time in Japan. Morphological comparisons of C. brongniartii with the type specimen showed slight morphological difference, whereas it showed considerable differences from those collected in the wild in China. PCR-RFLP and ITS sequence analyses corroborated the teleomorph–anamorph relationship between C. brongniartii and Beauveria brongniartii.     

How does acyl chain length affect thermotropic phase behavior of saturated diacylphosphatidylcholine–cholesterol binary bilayers?

Thermotropic phase behavior of diacylphosphatidylcholine (CnPC)–cholesterol binary bilayers (n = 14–16) was examined by fluorescence spectroscopy using 6-propionyl-2-(dimethylamino)naphthalene (Prodan) and differential scanning calorimetry. The former technique can detect structural changes of the bilayer in response to the changes in polarity around Prodan molecules partitioned in a relatively hydrophilic region of the bilayer, while the latter is sensitive to the conformational changes of the acyl chains. On the basis of the data from both techniques, we propose possible temperature T–cholesterol composition X_ch phase diagrams for these binary bilayers. A notable feature of our phase diagrams, including our previous results for diheptadecanoylphosphatidylcholine (C17PC) and distearoylphosphatidylcholine (C18PC), is that there is a peritectic-like point around X_ch = 0.15, which can be interpreted as indicating the formation of a 1:6-complex of cholesterol and CnPCs within the binary bilayer irrespective of the acyl chain length. We could give a reasonable explanation for such complex formation using the modified superlattice view. Our results also showed that the X_ch value of the abolition of the main transition is almost constant for n = 14–17 (ca. 0.33), while it increases to ca. 0.50 for n = 18. By contrast, a biphasic n-dependence of X_ch was observed for the abolition of the pretransition, suggesting that there are at least two antagonistic n-dependent factors. We speculate that this could be explained by the enhancement of the van der Waals interaction with increases in n and the weakening of the repulsion between the neighboring headgroups with decreases in n.