Does in vitro activation of postsynaptic alpha 2-adrenoceptor utilize intracellular Ca2+ for contraction in dog saphenous vein?

Dog saphenous vein spiral strips were employed to determine whether an intracellular source of Ca2+ is used for contraction upon activation of the alpha 2-adrenoceptor by B-HT 920 in Ca2+-free Krebs solution containing 50 microM EGTA. The studies were carried out in parallel with the activation of the alpha 1-adrenoceptor by phenylephrine (Phe) under the condition that B-HT 920 (10(-5) M) and Phe (2 x 10(-6) M) gave rise to a similar level of responses in Ca2+-containing Krebs solution. A similar level of responses to these agonists at equieffective concentrations in Ca2+-free medium were also observed. Such responses to Phe and B-HT 920 were inhibited by 10(-7) M rauwolscine and 10(-7) M prazosin, respectively, and were not affected by 10(-7) M nifedipine or 5 mM Mn2+. The responses to B-HT 920 (10(-5) M) and submaximal concentration of Phe (2 x 10(-6) M) in Ca2+-free medium were additive. However, if the vascular strips were first contracted maximally with 10(-4) M Phe in Ca2+-free medium to deplete the intracellular Ca store, subsequent addition of B-HT 920 failed to induce additional response. Our results strongly suggest that activation of alpha 2-adrenoceptor in dog saphenous vein in Ca2+-free medium indeed utilizes intracellular Ca2+ for contraction. We also found that the failure of earlier studies to demonstrate the contractile effects of B-HT 920 in dog saphenous vein was due to experimental artifacts derived from the use of high concentration of EGTA and artificial pH-buffering reagent.     

An alternative excited-state proton transfer pathway in green fluorescent protein variant S205V

Wild-type green fluorescent protein (wt-GFP) has a prominent absorbance band centered at approximately 395 nm, attributed to the neutral chromophore form. The green emission arising upon excitation of this band results from excited-state proton transfer (ESPT) from the chromophore hydroxyl, through a hydrogen-bond network proposed to consist of a water molecule and Ser205, to Glu222. Although evidence for Glu222 as a terminal proton acceptor has already been obtained, no evidence for the participation of Ser205 in the proton transfer process exists. To examine the role of Ser205 in the proton transfer, we mutated Ser205 to valine. However, the derived GFP variant S205V, upon excitation at 400 nm, still produces green fluorescence. Time-resolved emission spectroscopy suggests that ESPT contributes to the green fluorescence, and that the proton transfer takes place approximately 30 times more slowly than in wt-GFP. The crystal structure of S205V reveals rearrangement of Glu222 and Thr203, forming a new hydrogen-bonding network. We propose this network to be an alternative ESPT pathway with distinctive features that explain the significantly slowed rate of proton transfer. In support of this proposal, the double mutant S205V/T203V is shown to be a novel blue fluorescent protein containing a tyrosine-based chromophore, yet is incapable of ESPT. The results have implications for the detailed mechanism of ESPT and the photocycle of wt-GFP, in particular for the structures of spectroscopically identified intermediates in the cycle.     

榆梨绵蚜一些型与卵的新发现和记述（同翅目：蚜总科：瘿绵蚜科）

对榆梨绵蚜Ｅｒｉｏｓｏｍａ ｌａｎｕｇｉｎｏｓｕｍ ｄｉｌａｎｕｇｉｎｏｓｕｍ Ｚｈａｎｇ,１９８０的干母,无翅干雌,有翅干雌,无翅侨蚜,有翅性母,雌,雄性蚜放卵进行了描述,除有翅干雌外,其余各型与卵均为首镒记述。所有研究用标本均保存在中国科学院动物研究所昆虫标本馆内。     

Molecular cloning and expression analysis of RrNHX1 and RrVHA-c genes related to salt tolerance in wild Rosa rugosa

Salt stress is one important factor influencing the growth and development of plants, and salt tolerance of plants is a result of combined action of multiple genes and mechanisms. Rosa rugosa is not only an important ornamental plant, but also the natural aromatic plant of high value. Wild R. rugosa which is naturally distributed on the coast and islands of China has a good salt tolerance due to the special living environment. Here, the vacuolar Na⁺/H⁺ reverse transporter gene (NHX1) and the vacuolar H⁺-ATPase subunit C gene (VHA-c) closely related to plant salt tolerance were isolated from wild R. rugosa, and the expression patterns in R. rugosa leaves of the two genes under NaCl stress were determined by real-time quantitative fluorescence PCR. The results showed that the RrNHX1 protein is a constitutive Na⁺/H⁺ reverse transporter, the expression of the RrNHX1 gene first increased and then decreased with the increasing salt concentration, and had a time-controlled effect. The RrVHA-c gene is suggestive of the housekeeping feature, its expression pattern showed a similar variation trend with the RrNHX1 gene under the stress of different concentrations of NaCl, and its temporal expression level under 200 mM NaCl stress presented bimodal change. These findings indicated that RrNHX1 and RrVHA-c genes are closely associated with the salt tolerance trait of wild R. rugosa.     

Cardiac restricted overexpression of kinase-dead mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) mutant impairs the mTOR-mediated signaling and cardiac function

Mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) is a key regulator for cell growth through modulating components of the translation machinery. Previously, numerous pharmacological studies using rapamycin suggested that mTOR has an important role in regulating cardiac hypertrophic growth. To further investigate this assumption, we have generated two lines of cardiac specific mTOR transgenic mice, kinase-dead (kd) mTOR and constitutively active (ca) mTOR, using alpha-myosin heavy chain promoter. alpha-Myosin heavy chain (alphaMHC)-mTORkd mice had a near complete inhibition of p70 S6k and 4E-BP1 phosphorylation, whereas alphaMHC-mTORca had a significant increase in p70 S6k and 4E-BP1 phosphorylation. Although the cardiac function of alphaMHC-mTORkd mice was significantly altered, the cardiac morphology of these transgenic mice was normal. The cardiac hypertrophic growth in response to physiological and pathological stimuli was not different in alphaMHC-mTORkd and alphaMHC-mTORca transgenic mice when compared with that of nontransgenic littermates. These findings suggest that the mTOR-mediated signaling pathway is not essential to cardiac hypertrophic growth but is involved in regulating cardiac function. Additional analysis of cardiac responses to fasting-refeeding or acute insulin administration indicated that alphaMHC-mTORkd mice had a largely impaired physiological response to nutrient energy supply and insulin stimulation.     

Amelioration of β^654-thalassemia in mouse model with the knockdown of aberrantly spliced β-globin mRNA

Large amounts of aberrantly spliced mRNA from the β654 allele was present in erythroid cells, which might impair the erythropoiesis.A therapeutic strategy for β-thalassemia was explored by knocking down the aberrantly spliced mRNA of β-globin. Lentiviral vector with siRNA fragment targets on the specific portion of β654-globin aberrantly spliced pre-mRNA was constructed. In HeLa β654 cells, the siRNA vector could reduce approximately 60% of aberrantly spliced mRNA, which was assessed by RT-PCR and qRT-PCR. Furthermore, a disease model of β654 thalassemia mice with lentiviral-mediated siRNA was produced by subzonal injection (named Hβi-Hbbth-4/Hbb+transgenic mice). Our results showed that the hemotological parameters were improved in Hβi-Hbbth-4/Hbb+ transgenic mice. This study provides a potential way for β654-thalassemia therapy by knocking down the aberrantly spliced β-globin mRNA, whilst supporting that the aberrantly spliced β-globin mRNA may aggravate the disease.     

乙肝病毒表面抗原preS1与人肿瘤坏死因子α融合基因的表达

用ＰＣＲ法获得了ＨＢｓＡｇｐｒｅＳ１（１－６５）肽段基因,将该基因融合在肿瘤坏死因子（ｈＴＮＦα）之后,插入表达载体ＰＳＢ－９２中,使融合基因的５′端直接置于大肠肝菌ＰＬ启动子下游,采用３０℃培养,４２℃诱导,获得了ＴＮＦ与ｐｒｅＳ１（１－６５）融合蛋白的表达产物。ＳＤＳ－ＰＡＧＥ电泳显示表达产物为２５ｋＤ,约占细菌总蛋白的３５％。表达产物经Ｗｅｓｔｅｒｎｂｌｏｔ验证,能分别特异地与ｈＴＮＦα抗体与ｐｒｅＳ１抗体结合,稀释复性后,该融合蛋白还具有ＴＮＦ的生理功能（对Ｌ９２９细胞的细胞毒活性）。经ＤＮＡ序列测定,ｐｒｅＳ１（１－６５）肽基因正确地融合在ｈＴＮＦα基因之后。该结果提供了一种制备ｐｒｅＳ１的新方法,为进一步开展治疗肝癌和乙肝的导向药物打下基础。     

长江三峡库区及其邻近地区的残存稀有濒危植物群落

长江三峡库区及其邻近地区的残存稀有濒危植物群落属于中亚热带绿落叶阔叶混交林。群落所处自然环境少生境独特;群落中有数种至十余种稀有濒危植物群聚生长,且以其中的部分稀有濒危植物为优势种。独特的生增昨良好的群落结构被认为是该类群落得以保存的主要原因,应加强对该类群落的就地保护研究。