Effects of stress and food deprivation on catfish, Heteropneustes fossilis (Bloch)

No significant changes in plasma cortisol and plasma osmolarity (the indicators of primary and secondary response respectively) were observed when the blood samples were obtained from unanaesthetized, anaesthetized and stressed catfish, H. fossilis. The results suggest that the catfish is fairly hardy and not easily susceptible to stress by routine laboratory handling. The sustained plasma glucose levels and decreased liver and muscle glycogen concentrations during cessation of feeding of the catfish suggest that during period of food deprivation, it draws its energy through glycogenolysis. Hence, in any study dealing with carbohydrate metabolism, the catfish needs to be fed during acclimation and experimental periods.     

The origin of interspersed repeats in the human genome

Over a third of the human genome consists of interspersed repetitive sequences which are primarily degenerate copies of transposable elements. In the past year, the identities of many of these transposable elements were revealed. The emerging concept is that only three mechanisms of amplification are responsible for the vast majority of interspersed repeats and that with each autonomous element a number of dependent non-autonomous sequences have co-amplified.     

Anomalous Cases of Conjugation and Spontaneous Autogamy in Stylonychia mytilus: A Note on the Asexuality of Early Conjugants

Four types of anomalous conjugation were documented in Stylonychia mytilus. Type I pairs were formed between mates of different sizes. These pairs exhibited an abnormal site of fusion in at least one of the mates, and the mates might face each other ventrally throughout conjugation instead of the normal side-by-side position. Type I pairs underwent sexual nuclear development and proceeded with the first cortical reorganization as in normal conjugants. Type II involved pairing at the anterior ends of mates with ventral surfaces facing the same direction. These pairs also underwent sexual nuclear development. Hence, aberrant orientation of the mates, and also ectopic sites of cytoplasmic fusion, if extensive, would permit sexual development. Type III pairs were united ventral-to-ventral with their anterior-left sides at the adoral zone of membranelles, and remained as such throughout conjugation. In these pairs, nuclear and cortical events were typical of the asexual development of physiological reorganization. In Type IV pairs, one mate of the pair possessed a fission furrow and developed two sets of ciliature typical of binary fission, while the other mate might undergo physiological reorganization or binary fission. Type III and Type IV pairs thus reveal the asexual state of early conjugants, which can pursue either one of the two modes of asexual cortical reorganization; these cases reinforce the notion of overlap of asexual and sexual cycles during conjugation of hypotrichs. Spontaneous autogamy was documented for the first time for this genus. The autogamonts proceeded with nuclear development and with the first cortical reorganization. Some probably underwent second and third reorganizations, as in conjugants, but accompanied by abnormalities, particularly in the stages beyond fertilization. Post-autogamous clones were nonviable except for one dubious case.     

Multicellular compartmentation of catharanthus roseus alkaloid biosynthesis predicts intercellular translocation of a pathway intermediate

In situ RNA hybridization and immunocytochemistry were used to establish the cellular distribution of monoterpenoid indole alkaloid biosynthesis in Madagascar periwinkle (Catharanthus roseus). Tryptophan decarboxylase (TDC) and strictosidine synthase (STR1), which are involved in the biosynthesis of the central intermediate strictosidine, and desacetoxyvindoline 4-hydroxylase (D4H) and deacetylvindoline 4-O-acetyltransferase (DAT), which are involved in the terminal steps of vindoline biosynthesis, were localized. tdc and str1 mRNAs were present in the epidermis of stems, leaves, and flower buds, whereas they appeared in most protoderm and cortical cells around the apical meristem of root tips. In marked contrast, d4h and dat mRNAs were associated with the laticifer and idioblast cells of leaves, stems, and flower buds. Immunocytochemical localization for TDC, D4H, and DAT proteins confirmed the differential localization of early and late stages of vindoline biosynthesis. Therefore, we concluded that the elaboration of the major leaf alkaloids involves the participation of at least two cell types and requires the intercellular translocation of a pathway intermediate. A basipetal gradient of expression in maturing leaves also was shown for all four genes by in situ RNA hybridization studies and by complementary studies with dissected leaves, suggesting that expression of the vindoline pathway occurs transiently during early leaf development. These results partially explain why attempts to produce vindoline by cell culture technology have failed.     

犁头霉11α-羟基化制备16β-甲基-11α,17α,21-三羟基孕甾-1,4-二烯-3,20-二酮

选育到一株对16β-甲基,17α,21-二羟基孕甾-1,4-二烯-3,20-二酮(Ⅱa)11α-羟基化活性强的犁头霉A28菌株,并发现底物21-乙酰化(Ⅱb)可明显提高11α-羟基化的能力.在适宜的转化条件下,Ⅱb投料浓度0.5%,产物16β-甲基-11α,11α,21-三羟基孕甾-1,4-二烯-3,20-二酮(Ⅲ)收率为73%,结构经波谱分析确认.     

华北石质山地侧柏人工林C、N、P生态化学计量特征的季节变化

以北京九龙山自然保护区幼龄侧柏人工林为研究对象,对其不同生长季节叶、枝、根(0—10 cm、10—20 cm土层)的碳(C)、氮(N)、磷(P)含量及其生态化学计量学特征进行了分析,深入探讨了生长季节与器官以及两因素交互作用对以上特征的影响,研究有助于理解植物各性状之间的相互作用以及植物生长过程中资源的利用和分配状况。结果表明:1)不同器官间C含量为414.97—461.58 g/kg,枝最大,根(0—10 cm)最小;N含量为6.57—14.28 g/kg,叶最大,枝最小;P含量为0.39—1.28 g/kg,叶最大,根(10—20 cm)最小;C∶N为31.76—70.98,枝最大,叶最小;C∶P为369.93—1099.20,根(10—20 cm)最大,叶最小;N∶P为9.21—23.81,根(0—10 cm)最大,枝最小。整个生长季节中侧柏各器官C含量最稳定,变异系数均小于7%;P含量变异性最大,变异系数均超过15%,N含量变异性介于两者之间;各器官中C∶N和N∶P较C∶P更为稳定,C、N与P具有较好的耦合协同性,C∶P和N∶P的变化主要取决于P的变化。2)器官对C、N、P含量及其化学计量关系均存在显著影响,生长季节对N和P含量存在显著影响,两者交互作用只对P含量存在显著影响,器官对侧柏C、N、P含量及其化学计量变异的贡献大于生长季节。3)侧柏各器官间C、N、P含量及其化学计量比相关性多数未达到显著性水平,仅有叶与枝中的P及C∶P显著相关,说明侧柏器官分化过程中各器官对元素的吸收利用具有特异性。侧柏叶片N∶P14,说明生长季节里幼龄侧柏人工林更多受到N限制。     

Combinational therapeutics to combat cancer

Mono-therapeutics is rarely effective as a treatment option, which limits the survival of patients in advanced grade aggressive cancers. Combinational therapeutics (multiple drugs for multiple targets) to combat cancer is gaining momentum in recent years. Hence, it is of interest to document known data for combinational therapeutics in cancer treatment. An amalgamation of therapeutic agents enhances the efficacy and potency of the therapy. Combinational therapy can potentially target multiple pathways that are necessary for the cancer cells to proliferate, and/or target molecules, which may help cancer to become more aggressive and metastasize. In this review, we discuss combinational therapeutics, which include human γδ T cells in combinations with biologically active anti-cancer molecules, which synergistically may produce promising combinational therapeutics.     

Visual stabilization of the eyes in primates

Observers moving through a texture three-dimensional world experience potentially confusing patterns of optic flow. Recent experiments on monkeys and humans have revealed the existence of rapid, yet cortically mediated, reflex eye movements that automatically single out images in the plane of fixation for stabilization and ignore images that are nearer or further.     

新生隐球菌转录共激活因子MBF1基因的鉴定与敲除

目的构建新生隐球菌转录共激活因子MBF1基因缺陷菌株。方法采用套叠PCR方法 ,构建含有抗性基因NEO以及靶基因上下游同源DNA片段的基因敲除框,通过基因枪将重组片段转化入新生隐球菌,应用PCR筛选和DNA序列测序方法对基因突变株进行鉴定与验证。结果成功构建了新生隐球菌基因突变株mbf1裣。结论通过基因突变株mbf1裣的构建,为深入研究新生隐球菌转录辅助因子Mbf1的功能机制奠定基础。     

Amyloid Form of Ovalbumin Evokes Native Antigen-specific Immune Response in the Host: PROSPECTIVE IMMUNO-PROPHYLACTIC POTENTIAL

Amyloids are highly organized protein aggregates that arise from inappropriately folded versions of proteins or polypeptides under both physiological as well as simulated ambiences. Once thought to be irreversible assemblies, amyloids have begun to expose their more dynamic and reversible attributes depending upon the intrinsic properties of the precursor protein/peptide and experimental conditions such as temperature, pressure, structural modifications in proteins, or presence of chemicals in the reaction mixture. It has been repeatedly proposed that amyloids undergo transformation to the bioactive peptide/protein forms under specific conditions. In the present study, amyloids assembled from the model protein ovalbumin (OVA) were found to release the precursor protein in a slow and steady manner over an extended time period. Interestingly, the released OVA from amyloid depot was found to exhibit biophysical characteristics of native protein and reacted with native-OVA specific monoclonal as well as polyclonal antibodies. Moreover, antibodies generated upon immunization of OVA amyloidal aggregates or fibrils were found to recognize the native form of OVA. The study suggests that amyloids may act as depots for the native form of the protein and therefore can be exploited as vaccine candidates, where slow antigen release over extended time periods is a pre-requisite for the development of desired immune response.