Palynoflora of the Liushagang formation (Eocene-Early Oligocene) in the northern part of South China Sea

In the northern part of South China Sea, including Tonkin Gulf, Hainan lsland, Leizhon Peninsula and some basin of Guangdong Province, Paleogene deposits are composed of three formations: the Weizhon, the Liushagang and the Changliu formations arranged in descending order. The paper on the palynoflora of the Weizhon Formation (early and middle Oligocene) is in press^[2]. This paper deals only with the palynoflora of the Liushagang Formation, with may be divided into four main stages: The first stage is represented by Monocolpollenites tranquillus and Crassoretitriletes sp., assigned to early Eocene The second stage is characterized by Salixipollenites, Momipites triletipollenites and Operculumpollis. Its age is middle Eocene. The third stage is dominated by some species of Quercoidites and Ulmipollenites and also characterized by the presence of Platycaryapollenites and Prominangularia dogyingensis, This sporo-pollen assemblage suggests a late Eocene in age. The fouth stage is marked by profusion of some alga of brockish water, such as Rugasphera corrugia, Granodiscus gronulatus and some pollen types of Liquidambarpollenites minutus, Multiporopollenites puctatus and Tricolporopollenites minutus. The age of the last stage is assigned to early oliocene. In generaly, the palynoflora of the Liushagang Formation is quite different from that of the Weizhou Formation. The main types of spores and pollen are common with those found in Europe and North America of the same age, while the Weizhou Formation has many elements common both in this region and Borneo. During Eocene and early Oligocene this area was of continental phase with brackish basins. At the beginning the climate was rather moist and hot, but then itbecame moist and warmtemperate.     

A loss-of-function model for cystogenesis in human autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease type 2.

Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) is genetically heterogeneous, with at least three chromosomal loci (PKD1, PKD2, and PKD3) that account for the disease. Mutations in the PKD2 gene, on the long arm of chromosome 4, are expected to be responsible for approximately 15% of cases of ADPKD. Although ADPKD is a systemic disease, it shows a focal expression, because <1% of nephrons become cystic. A feasible explanation for the focal nature of events in PKD1, proposed on the basis of the two-hit theory, suggests that cystogenesis results from the inactivation of the normal copy of the PKD1 gene by a second somatic mutation. The aim of this study is to demonstrate that somatic mutations are present in renal cysts from a PKD2 kidney. We have studied 30 renal cysts from a patient with PKD2 in which the germline mutation was shown to be a deletion that encompassed most of the disease gene. Loss-of-heterozygosity (LOH) studies showed loss of the wild-type allele in 10% of cysts. Screening of six exons of the gene by SSCP detected eight different somatic mutations, all of them expected to produce truncated proteins. Overall, >/=37% of the cysts studied presented somatic mutations. No LOH for the PKD1 gene or locus D3S1478 were observed in those cysts, which demonstrates that somatic alterations are specific. We have identified second-hit mutations in human PKD2 cysts, which suggests that this mechanism could be a crucial event in the development of cystogenesis in human ADPKD-type 2.     

Leishmanicidal activity of combretastatin analogues and heteroanalogues.

We have investigated the in vitro leishmanicidal activity of representative members from series II-V of combretastatin analogues and heteroanalogues. Most of them exhibited different degrees of activity against various strains of Leishmania spp. The diaryl(heteroaryl)ethane system or the more complex fused heterocyclic stilbenoids, constitute useful skeletal bases to support some kind of antiparasitic activity. Particularly, the incorporation of 2-furyl substituents led to potent antileishmanial compounds, which have been selected for in vivo testing on murine models.     

几类异质1BL／1RS小麦雄性不育系诱导孤雌生殖性的研究

系统调查了4种异质（即偏凸,粘果,易变和二角山羊草细胞质）1BL/1RS小麦雄性不育系与其一系列异质同核系,同质异核系,异质异核系杂交,回交世代诱导孤雌生殖性的遗传变异规律,染色体分裂行为和对外表现特点,结果表明：1、异源细胞质与小麦1BL/1RS核型专一互作,有着消弱同源染色体配对,提高中期单价体细胞率的作用;2、特定细胞质背景下,专一核型内细胞单价体频率高低与诱导孤雌生殖性的频率直接相关;3、1BL/1RS易位染色体中易位片所存在系列差异以及1BL/1RS易位染色体外基因型背景不同,诱导孤雌生殖性的频率明显不同;4、提高或抑制不同杂交,回交世代间孤雌生殖频率,不育系母本或不同基因型父本有着同等重要的作用。选择最佳父母本组合杂交可明显提高或降低后代群体中的孤雌生殖性频率。     

植物体细胞无性系变异的细胞学和分子生物学研究进展

植物体细胞无性系变异是植物组织培养中的普遍现象,关于这些变异的起源存在多种观点,如转座因子的活化、ＤＮＡ甲基化等。本文综述了植物体细胞无性系的研究进展,从细胞学和分子生物学两个层次对无性系变异的起源进行了讨论     

Interacting processes in protein coagulation.

A strong interest is currently focused on protein self-association and deposit. This usually involves conformational changes of the entire protein or of a fragment. It can occur even at low concentrations and is responsible for pathologies such as systemic amyloidosis, Alzheimer's and Prion diseases, and other neurodegenerative pathologies. Readily available proteins, exhibiting at low concentration self-association properties related to conformational changes, offer very convenient model systems capable of providing insight into this class of problems. Here we report experiments on bovine serum albumin, showing that the process of conformational change of this protein towards an intermediate form required for coagulation occurs simultaneously and interacts with two more processes: mesoscopic demixing of the solution and protein cross-linking. This pathway of three interacting processes allows coagulation even at very low concentrations, and it has been recently observed also in the case of a nonpeptidic polymer. It could therefore be a fairly common feature in polymer coagulation/gelation. Proteins 1999;37:116-120.     

An abnormal CD34+ myeloid/CD34+ lymphoid ratio at the end of chemotherapy predicts relapse in patients with acute myeloid leukemia.

During conventional follow-up of patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML), the emergence of cytopenias is considered to be a sign of impending relapse, and it represents an example of how leukemic hematopoiesis affects normal hemopoietic differentiation. In the present study, we have explored the possible value of the analysis of the distribution of CD34+ myeloid and CD34+ lymphoid progenitor cells in follow-up complete remission bone marrow samples from de novo AML patients as a prognostic parameter for predicting relapse. A total of 213 bone marrow samples from 36 AML patients in morphological complete remission, obtained at the end of induction, consolidation, and intensification therapy and every six months thereafter were analyzed. The normal CD34+ myeloid/CD34+ lymphoid ratio ranged between 2.4 and 8.9. In contrast, in most AML cases an abnormally high ratio (> or =10) was observed at the end of induction and consolidation therapy: 96% and 75% of cases, respectively. On the other hand, at the end of intensification, 70% of the patients displayed a normal CD34+ ratio. Patients with a myeloid/lymphoid CD34+ ratio higher than 10 at the end of intensification showed a significantly lower overall survival (median survival of 19 months versus median not reached, P = 0.05), as well as a lower disease-free survival (median of 7 months versus 30 months, P = 0.0001). Regarding sequential studies, 67% of the relapses were preceded by the re-appearance of an abnormal CD34 ratio, whereas relapse was not predicted in four patient with leukemia classified as M3 undergoing maintenance therapy. From the remaining 18 patients who are still in continuous complete remission, all except 3 cases (17%) displayed a normal CD34 myeloid/lymphoid ratio. In summary, the present study shows that the persistence at the end of chemotherapy of an abnormally high (> or =10) ratio between CD34+ myeloid and CD34+ lymphoid progenitors in the bone marrow of AML patients is associated with high risk of relapse and a shorter overall survival.     

SO_2对冷藏枇杷果实品质及活性氧和多胺代谢的影响

以“大红袍”枇杷果实为试材 ,研究了SO2 处理对冷藏枇杷果实活性氧代谢和内源多胺含量变化的影响及与果实木质化败坏的关系。结果表明 ,SO2 可提高超氧物歧化酶 (SOD)和过氧化氢酶 (CAT)活性 ,抑制过氧化物酶 (POD)活性的上升 ,减少H2 O2 的积累。经SO2 处理的果实 ,精胺 (Spm)和亚精胺 (Spd)含量的变化很小 ,基本维持在贮前水平上 ,腐胺 (Put)的积累则受到极大抑制 ,贮藏 5周后的果实不出现木质化败坏症状。这些结果表明 ,SO2 可能通过维持活性氧代谢的平衡 ,抑制活性氧的积累 ,从而防止果实木质化的发生