Location of zinc and 65Zn in spinal ganglia of the rat

Following the works of Velazquez et al. (1999), Jo-Seung et al. (2000), Wang et al. (2001), Danscher et al. (2001) and the criteria of Zinc-containing neurons established by Frederickson et al.(2000), we have found the presence and localisation of Zinc in the neurons of the dorsal root ganglia of Wistar rat, by using Timm's thecnique and by studying the autoradiographic uptake of 65Zn. The agreement between the results of both techniques allows us to classify these spinal ganglion neurons as Zinc-containing neurons and also, to confirm some of the results of Velazquez et al. (1999).     

Evolution of arthropod hemocyanins and insect storage proteins (hexamerins)

Crustacean and cheliceratan hemocyanins (oxygen-transport proteins) and insect hexamerins (storage proteins) are homologous gene products, although the latter do not bind oxygen and do not possess the copper- binding histidines present in the hemocyanins. An alignment of 19 amino acid sequences of hemocyanin subunits and insect hexamerins was made, based on the conservation of elements of secondary structure observed in X-ray structures of two hemocyanin subunits. The alignment was analyzed using parsimony and neighbor-joining methods. Results provide strong indications for grouping together the sequences of the 2 crustacean hemocyanin subunits, the 5 cheliceratan hemocyanin subunits, and the 12 insect hexamerins. Within the insect clade, four methionine- rich proteins, four arylphorins, and two juvenile hormone-suppressible proteins from Lepidoptera, as well as two dipteran proteins, form four separate groups. In the absence of an outgroup sequence, it is not possible to present information about the ancestral state from which these proteins are derived. Although this family of proteins clearly consists of homologous gene products, there remain striking differences in gene organization and site of biosynthesis of the proteins within the cell. Because studies on 18S and 12S rRNA sequences indicate a rather close relationship between insects and crustaceans, we propose that hemocyanin is the ancestral arthropod protein and that insect hexamerins lost their copper-binding capability after divergence of the insects from the crustaceans.      

植物抗病基因工程进展(续)

植物抗病基因工程进展（续）洪剑明印莉萍邱泽生（首都师范大学生物系北京１０００３７）ＰＲＯＧＲＥＳＳＯＦＧＥＮＥＴＩＣＥＮＧＩＮＥＥＲＩＮＧＦＯＲＰＬＡＮＴＤＩＳＥＡＳＥＲＥＳＩＳＴＡＮＣＥＨＯＮＧＪｉａｎＭｉｎｇＹＩＮＬｉＰｉｎｇＱＩＵＺｅＳｈ...     

Population structure in the American oyster as inferred by nuclear gene genealogies

Multiple haplotypes from each of three nuclear loci were isolated and sequenced from geographic populations of the American oyster, Crassostrea virginica. In tests of alternative phylogeographic hypotheses for this species, nuclear gene genealogies constructed for these haplotypes were compared to one another, to a mitochondrial gene tree, and to patterns of allele frequency variation in nuclear restriction site polymorphisms (RFLPs) and allozymes. Oyster populations from the Atlantic versus the Gulf of Mexico are not reciprocally monophyletic in any of the nuclear gene trees, despite considerable genetic variation and despite large allele frequency differences previously reported in several other genetic assays. If these populations were separated vicariantly in the past, either insufficient time has elapsed for neutral lineage sorting to have achieved monophyly at most nuclear loci, or balancing selection may have inhibited lineage extinction, or secondary gene flow may have moved haplotypes between regions. These and other possibilities are examined in light of available genetic evidence, and it is concluded that no simple explanation can account for the great variety of population genetic patterns across loci displayed by American oysters. Regardless of the source of this heterogeneity, this study provides an empirical demonstration that different sequences of DNA within the same organismal pedigree can have quite different phylogeographic histories.      

Acute lesions of the ventromedial hypothalamus reduce sympathetic activation and thermogenic changes induced by PGE1

The aim of this experiment was to evaluate the effects of an intracerebroventricular (icv) injection of prostaglandin E1 (PGE₁) on the sympathetic activation and the thermogenic changes in rats with acute lesions of the ventromedial hypothalamus (VMH). Four groups of six Sprague-Dawley male rats were anesthetized with ethyl-urethane. The firing rate of the sympathetic nerves innervating the interscapular brown adipose tissue (IBAT) and the colonic and IBAT temperatures were monitored both before and after one of the following treatments: 1) VMH lesion plus icv injection of PGE₁ (500 ng); 2) VMH lesion plus icv injection of saline; 3) sham lesion plus icv injection of PGE₁; and 4) sham lesion plus icv injection of saline. PGE₁ induced an increase in the firing rate of IBAT nerves and the colonic and IBAT temperatures. These effects were reduced by VMH lesion. The findings indicate that acute lesions of the VMH reduce the effects of PGE₁ and seem to suggest a possible role played by the VMH in the control of the sympathetic activation and the thermogenic changes during PGE₁ hyperthermia.     

Leaf architecture characters of <i>Vachellia tortilis</i> (Forssk.) Galasso and Banfi along longitudinal gradient in Limpopo Province,South Africa

This paper looked at the leaf architecture characteristics of Vachellia tortilis to determine if either there is or not an effect of the tropic line on plants. Vachellia tortilis leaves were sampled along a national road (N1) in Limpopo province. Sampling points were set 10 km apart away from the Tropic of Capricon in opposite directions. Leaf morphology revealed that leaves of V. tortilis are bipinnately compound with alternate arrangement. The venation pattern of the pinnules was eucamptodromus and brochidodromous with imperfect reticulation. Areoles were imperfect and pentagonal or irregular in shape.     

Optimized labeling of bone marrow mesenchymal cells with superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles and <Emphasis Type="Italic">in vivo</Emphasis> visualization by magnetic resonance imaging

Background  

Stem cell therapy has emerged as a promising addition to traditional treatments for a number of diseases. However, harnessing the therapeutic potential of stem cells requires an understanding of their fate in vivo. Non-invasive cell tracking can provide knowledge about mechanisms responsible for functional improvement of host tissue. Superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) have been used to label and visualize various cell types with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). In this study we performed experiments designed to investigate the biological properties, including proliferation, viability and differentiation capacity of mesenchymal cells (MSCs) labeled with clinically approved SPIONs.     

Edible Lepidoptera in Mexico: Geographic distribution, ethnicity, economic and nutritional importance for rural people

In this paper, we reported the butterflies and moths that are consumed in Mexico. We identified 67 species of Lepidoptera that are eaten principally in their larval stage in 17 states of Mexico. These species belong to 16 families: Arctiidae, Bombycidae, Castniidae, Cossidae, Geometridae, Hepialidae, Hesperiidae, Lasiocampidae, Noctuidae, Nymphalidae, Papilionidae, Pieridae, Pyralidae, Saturniidae, Sesiidae, and Sphingidae. Saturniidae, Pieridae, Noctuidae and Nymphalidae were the more species consumed with 16, 11, 9, and 8 species, respectively. The genera with the largest numbers of species were: Phassus, Phoebis, Hylesia and Spodoptera, with three species. Their local distribution, corresponding to each state of Mexico, is also presented.     

Capture and commercialization of blue land crabs ("guaiamum") Cardisoma guanhumi (Lattreille, 1825) along the coast of Bahia State, Brazil: an ethnoecological approach

Background

Blue Land Crab (Cardisoma guanhumi) is one of the most important crustacean species captured and commercialized in Brazil. Although this species is not considered to be threatened with extinction, populations of C. guanhumi are known to be rapidly diminishing due to heavy harvesting pressures and degradation of their natural habitats, highlighting the necessity of developing and implanting management and protection strategies for their populations. There have been no ethnozoological publications that have focused specifically on C. guanhumi, in spite of importance of this type of information for developing efficient management plans of resource utilization. So, the present work describes the ethnoecological aspects of the capture and commercialization of C. guanhumi by a fishing community in northeastern Brazil.

Methods

Field work was carried out in the municipality of Mucuri, Bahia in Brazil, between the months of January and March/2011 through the use of open semi-structured interviews with all of the crustacean harvesters in city who acknowledged their work in capturing this species, totaling 12 interviewees. The informants were identified through the use of the "snowball" sampling technique. In addition to the interviews themselves, the "guided tour" technique and direct observations was employed.

Results

According all the interviewees, the C. guanhumi is popularly called "guaiamum" and is collected in "apicum" zones. They recognize sexual dimorphism in the species based on three morphological characteristics and the harvesters also pointed two stages in the reproductive cycle during the year and another phase mentioned by the interviewees was ecdysis. All of the interviewed affirmed that the size and the quantities C. guanhumi stocks in Mucuri have been diminishing. All of the interviewees agreed that the species and other mangrove resources constituted their principal source of income. The harvesters dedicated three to five days a week to collect Blue Land Crabs and the principal technique utilized for capturing is a trap called a "ratoeira" (rat-trap).

Conclusions

The results of the present work demonstrated that the community retains a vast and important volume of knowledge about C. guanhumi that could subsidize both scientific studies and the elaboration of viable management and conservation strategies for this species.