Redescription of the Chengjiang arthropod Squamacula clypeata Hou and Bergström, from the Lower Cambrian, south-west China

The anatomy of the arthropod Squamacula clypeata Hou and Bergström, 1997 from the Lower Cambrian Chengjiang Lagersta¨tte is redescribed based on four newly excavated specimens. The new material was collected from localities recently discovered in the Kunming area, Yunnan Province, south-west China, and preserves remarkable details of the ventral morphology, revealed by preparation. Squamacula clypeata is dorsoventrally flattened and rounded in outline. The cephalon was covered by a wide, short shield, with a large doublure and a pair of uniramous antennae on the ventral side. The thorax consists of nine somites, each protected by a tergite and carrying at least one pair of biramous limbs. The pygidium is covered with a small rounded tergum. The endopod is segmented, equipped with short spines on the inner margin of the coxa and a claw-like structure distally, and the exopod flap-like, fringed with setae. The limbs in the pygidium are like those in the thorax in shape. Squamacula was most probably a nektobenthic predator. The spinose endopod could walk, grasp and grind. The large flap-like exopod was adapted for swimming and respiration. Its affinities lie with the Arachnomorpha, but the relationships with other known taxa remain ambiguous.     

Increased cyclin B1/CDC 2 kinase activity and phosphorylation of Bcl-2 associated with paclitaxel-induced apoptosis in human nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells

Paclitaxel is a potential cancer chemotherapeutic agent for ovary, breast, and head and neck cancers; its effects on nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) have not been reported previously. This study investigated the cytotoxic mechanism of paclitaxel in two NPC cell lines, NPC-TW01 and NPC-TW04. NPC cells treated with pacli-taxel showed convoluted nuclei, condensed chromatin and decreased cellular and nuclear volume, and also exhibited genomic DNA degradation into multiple oligonucleosomal fragments, suggesting that pacli-taxel induced apoptosis in these cells. The effects of paclitaxel on apoptosis-related proteins including Bcl-2, Bax and CDC 2 were also detected. Although the levels of Bcl-2 and Bax were not changed in NPC cells following treatment with 5 nM-1 μM of paclitaxel, phosphorylation of Bcl-2 was significantly observed in the cells treated with 1 μM of paclitaxel for 12 hours. In addition, cyclin B1-associated CDC 2 kinase was highly activated in the NPC cells exposed to paclitaxel even at low (5 nM) concentration, and this result is associated with the finding that low concentration of paclitaxel is able to induce apoptosis in NPC cells.     

一例智力低下患者7q~ 标记染色体的来源鉴定

以人类染色体显微切割、PCR技术构建的现有人类染色体特异性和染色体区带特异性探针池作为绘画探针,采用正向染色体绘画技术,结合染色体筛查方法,查明了一例7q~ 标记染色体患者的染色体附加片段来源于3q26→3qter。确定该患者的核型为46,XX,-7, der(7)t(7;3)(7pter→7q32::3q26→3qter)。应用这个策略,能够快速有效地鉴定标记染色体的来源。     

Mutational studies of conserved residues in the dimer interface of nerve growth factor.

An understanding of the structure-function relationship of nerve growth factor (NGF) requires precise knowledge of all the residues and regions that participate in NGF receptor binding, receptor activation, and biological activity. Seven recombinant human NGF mutants having alanine substituted for residues located either in the NGF dimer interface or beta-strand region were studied to determine the role of each amino acid residue in NGF biological activity. F86A, T91A, R100A, and R103A remained nearly full active with 61, 120, 91, and 73% of wild-type activity, respectively, in the PC12 cell bioassay. Hydrophobic core and dimer interface residues Y52, F53, and F54 were studied in more detail. Y52A and F54A were expressed in very low levels, suggesting that these two residues may be important for protein stability. Y52A retained full biological activity (91%). F53A had a 20- and 70-fold reduction in biological activity and TrkA phosphorylation, respectively, with only a 5- to 10-fold effect on TrkA binding and no effect on low-affinity receptor binding. F54A had significantly decreased TrkA phosphorylation and biological activity (40-fold). The results suggest that F53 and F54 may play a structural role in TrkA receptor activation subsequent to binding.     

冬小麦根表面氧化还原活力的研究

证实了两个不同品种的冬小麦根系表面存在着氧化ＮＡＤＨ和还原Ｋ３Ｆｅ（ＣＮ）６的氧化的活力。还原铁氰化物活力在ＰＨ５．５到８．５范围内随着ＰＨ值升高而增大,温度在１５℃到４５℃范围内随温度升高还原活力增强,４５℃达最高值,５５℃时活力急剧下降。     

红细胞4．1蛋白与血型糖蛋白C／D结合位点研究进展

红细胞膜骨架与脂双层间存在着相互作用,其中带4.1蛋白与血型糖蛋白C/D间的相互作用对维持正常红细胞的形态和机械稳定性起着重要作用,研究表明,带4.1蛋白在血型糖蛋白C、D上的结合位点分别位于血型糖蛋白C的第82～98位氨基酸残基和血型糖蛋白D的第61～77位氨基酸残基．     

硒对培养人胚肝细胞Ⅲ型前胶原,羟脯氨酸合成的影响

原代培养人胚肝细胞经１．１５６×１０￣(－７）ｍｏｌ／Ｌ硒预处理４ｈ,加入２０ｍｍｏｌ／Ｌ四氟化碳作用２０ｈ,观察硒对其Ⅲ型前胶原（ＰＣⅢ）和羟脯氨酸（Ｈｙｐ）生成的影响。结果培养液中ＰＣⅢ水平、细胞内Ｈｙｐ含量及细胞内外丙二醛（ＭＤＡ）水平均降低,与未加硒对照组比较差别有显著性（Ｐ＜０．０１）。而硒谷腕甘肽过氧化物酶（Ｓｅ－ＧＳＨ－ＰＸ）活性则较对照组显著增高（Ｐ＜０．００１）,且ＰＣⅢ水平与Ｓｅ－ＧＳＨ－Ｐ＿Ｘ／ＭＤＡ比值呈负相关（ｒ＝－０．９１５６,Ｐ＜０．０１）。提示硒可提高Ｓｅ－ＧＳＨ－Ｐ＿Ｘ／ＭＤＡ比值,抑制脂质过氧化激发的肝细胞胶原合成。     

嗜热蓝藻层理鞭枝藻（Mastigocladus laminosus）藻胆体在解离过程中荧光发射光谱和光能传递的研究

研究了层理鞭枝藻藻胆体在不同浓度磷酸缓冲溶液中解离过程中荧光发射光谱的变化和光能传递。完整藻胆体的７７Ｋ荧光光谱中只有一个峰,位于６８５ｎｍ它是末端发射体（核心－膜连接多肽和别藻蓝蛋白－Ｂ）的荧光峰。部分解离藻胆体的荧光光谱的主峰位移至６５２ｎｍ：次峰位于６８５ｎｍ;６６０ｎｍ为一弱荧光发射肩。它们依次为Ｃ－藻蓝蛋白,末端发射体和别藻蓝蛋白的荧光。严重解离藻胆体的荧光主峰移６４４ｎｍ;次峰由６８５ｎｍ移至６８２ｎｍ;６６０ｎｍ荧光发射肩消失。这表明Ｃ－藻蓝蛋白所捕获的光能已不能传递给别藻蓝蛋白,但可传递给末端发射体洞时又表明Ｃ－藻蓝蛋白不仅与别藻蓝蛋白相连接而且还与末端发射体相连接。提出该藻胆体光能传递链如下：核心－膜连接多肽藻红蓝蛋白→Ｃ－藻蓝蛋白→别藻蓝蛋白别藻蓝蛋白－Ｂ     

白浆土－植物系统营养物质转化机制及其有效性研究——Ⅰ．32P同位素示踪法对白浆土中P肥利用率

利用³²P同位素示踪法对白浆土中P肥利用率进行了研究.结果表明,在岗地白浆土上,表层土壤表现出一定程度的供P不足现象,白浆层土壤有效P含量严重缺乏.表层土壤中当季P肥利用率的变幅范围为6.09～12.35%,白浆层土壤P肥利用率为13%左右.施用有机肥能明显提高白浆土Olsen P的含量,加速土壤本身P的活化,各种有机物中,以猪粪对土壤潜在P的活化效果最好.将Olsen P与X值、A值比较,认为Olsen P是评价白浆上P肥力简便易行的可靠指标.