薏苡胚发育及贮藏营养物质积累的研究

薏苡（Ｃｏｉｘ ｌａｃｒｙｍ ａ－ｊｏｂｉ）胚发育分下列各期：棒形胚前的原胚期、棒形胚期、胚芽鞘期、１叶期、２ 叶期、３叶期、４ 叶期、５ 叶期及６叶期成熟胚。３ 叶期胚具１ 条不定根（种子根）,４ 叶期具２ 条,５ 叶期及成熟胚期具３ 条。不定根与胚根排成１ 纵行。营养物质最先在盾片细胞中积累。开花后９ 天的１ 叶期胚,在盾片、胚芽鞘及胚轴细胞中积累了淀粉,以后遍及成熟胚的各部分。淀粉粒含量与器官发生及生长顺序成正相关,但发育后期,盾片细胞内的淀粉粒含量下降。开花后１０ 天,盾片细胞中形成含晶体的蛋白质体,晶体含蛋白质及植酸钙镁。以后,这种蛋白质体增多、增大。同时,又形成不含晶体的蛋白质体。一定时期,含晶体的蛋白质体消失,不含晶体的蛋白质体增多,直到胚成熟。开花后１３ 天,胚芽鞘上部细胞形成蛋白质体。以后遍及成熟胚的各部分,器官发生越早,所含蛋白质体越多、越大。开花后１０ 天,盾片细胞中产生了脂体,成熟胚的盾片细胞,含有大量的脂体。还观察了胚发育各期与颖果及盾片长度的对应关系     

柱前衍生-RP-HPLC法测定青蒿中青蒿素的含量

采用柱前衍生-RP-HPLC法测定10个不同产地的青蒿药材中青蒿素的含量.采用Lichrospher 100 RP-18e(250 mm×4.6 mm,5μm,Merck KgaA,Germany)色谱柱,甲醇-0.01 mol/L醋酸钠-醋酸缓冲液(pH 5.8)(体积比62:38)为流动相;检测波长:260 nm;流速:0.5 mL/min;柱温:25℃.结果表明该法准确重现性好,可以为青蒿质量标准的制订提供科学依据.     

栓皮栎林的生物量

本文对北京西山海拔300米的26年生人工栓皮栎林的生物量作了测定。粮据十株伐倒的标准木分别取得乔木各部分的干重。采用W=a(D2H)b的幂函数方程,获得每公顷土地上的树干重32.16吨,枝条重9.85吨、叶重1.68吨、根重9.95吨。对灌木和草本植物采用收割法作测定：灌木的地上部分每公顷为1.33吨,地下部分为2.3吨;草本植物的地上部分每公顷为0.15吨,地下部分为0.8吨。所以栓皮栎的地上部分总生物量每公顷为45.17吨,地下部分13.05吨,总计58.22吨。     

Engineering imaging probes and molecular machines for nanomedicine

Nanomedicine is an emerging field that integrates nanotechnology, biomolecular engineering, life sciences and medicine; it is expected to produce major breakthroughs in medical diagnostics and therapeutics. Due to the size-compatibility of nano-scale structures and devices with proteins and nucleic acids, the design, synthesis and application of nanoprobes, nanocarriers and nanomachines provide unprecedented opportunities for achieving a better control of biological processes, and drastic improvements in disease detection, therapy, and prevention. Recent advances in nanomedicine include the development of functional nanoparticle based molecular imaging probes, nano-structured materials as drug/gene carriers for in vivo delivery, and engineered molecular machines for treating single-gene disorders. This review focuses on the development of molecular imaging probes and engineered nucleases for nanomedicine, including quantum dot bioconjugates, quantum dot-fluorescent protein FRET probes, molecular beacons, magnetic and gold nanoparticle based imaging contrast agents, and the design and validation of zinc finger nucleases (ZFNs) and TAL effector nucleases (TALENs) for gene targeting. The challenges in translating nanomedicine approaches to clinical applications are discussed.     

Inhibition of mitochondrial complex I improves glucose metabolism independently of AMPK activation

Accumulating evidences showed metformin and berberine, well‐known glucose‐lowering agents, were able to inhibit mitochondrial electron transport chain at complex I. In this study, we aimed to explore the antihyperglycaemic effect of complex I inhibition. Rotenone, amobarbital and gene silence of NDUFA13 were used to inhibit complex I. Intraperitoneal glucose tolerance test and insulin tolerance test were performed in db/db mice. Lactate release and glucose consumption were measured to investigate glucose metabolism in HepG2 hepatocytes and C2C12 myotubes. Glucose output was measured in primary hepatocytes. Compound C and adenoviruses expressing dominant negative AMP‐activated protein kinase (AMPK) α1/2 were exploited to inactivate AMPK pathway. Cellular NAD⁺/NADH ratio was assayed to evaluate energy transforming and redox state. Rotenone ameliorated hyperglycaemia and insulin resistance in db/db mice. It induced glucose consumption and glycolysis and reduced hepatic glucose output. Rotenone also activated AMPK. Furthermore, it remained effective with AMPK inactivation. The enhanced glycolysis and repressed gluconeogenesis correlated with a reduction in cellular NAD⁺/NADH ratio, which resulted from complex I suppression. Amobarbital, another representative complex I inhibitor, stimulated glucose consumption and decreased hepatic glucose output in vitro, too. Similar changes were observed while expression of NDUFA13, a subunit of complex I, was knocked down with gene silencing. These findings reveal mitochondrial complex I emerges as a key drug target for diabetes treatment. Inhibition of complex I improves glucose homoeostasis via non‐AMPK pathway, which may relate to the suppression of the cellular NAD⁺/NADH ratio.     

Identification of a new mutation in medium-chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase (MCAD) deficiency.

A mutation involving an A-to-G nucleotide replacement at position 985 of the medium-chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase (MCAD) cDNA was found in homozygous form in 18 unrelated MCAD-deficient families and in heterozygous form in 4 families. By PCR amplification and sequencing of cDNA from a compound heterozygote, we have detected a new mutation in an MCAD-deficient patient in whom one MCAD allele produces mRNA that is missing 4 bp in the MCAD cDNA, while the other allele carries the A-to-G-985 mutation. The presence of this 4-bp deletion was confirmed in the patient's genomic DNA by dot-blot hybridization with allele-specific oligonucleotide probes and by restriction analysis of PCR products. A rapid screening test for this 4-bp deletion was developed, based on mismatched primer PCR amplification. The deletion created a new restrictive-enzyme site which yielded two DNA fragments. The 4-bp deletion was not found in the three remaining MCAD chromosomes not harboring the A-to-G-985 mutation, nor it was present in 20 chromosomes from 10 unrelated normal Caucasians. The PCR-based method for screening these two mutations can detect over 93% of all MCAD mutations.     

棉铃虫发生与北太平洋海温的遥相关 及其长期灾变预警

本文分析了山东郓城26年（1974～1999）、德州22年（1978～1999）和江苏丰县20年（1980～1999）棉铃虫百株累计卵量与北太平洋海温的遥相关关系及其时空动态规律,并选出相关显著程度P<0.05概率水平、空间分布范围较大、持续时间较长而稳定的组合作为关键预测因子组建了郓城、德州棉铃虫三代卵,丰县棉铃虫二代卵的预测模型,并筛选出最优长期灾变预警模型。结果表明：① 北太平洋海温场与棉铃虫种群数量消长存在显著或极显著的遥相关区域,其位置及范围随时间变化,但存在若干呈现出空间稳定性和时间持续性的大面积相关显著区域。② 郓城棉铃虫三代卵量和丰县棉铃虫二代卵量与北太平洋海温场的相关区分布形式很相似,与前两年1月份北太平洋月平均海温场存在大片相关显著的区域（35°～ 55°N,135°E～135°W）,持续时间达4个月之久;而德州棉铃虫三代卵量与前两年7～9月份北太平洋低纬度海温有大范围相关显著区（1°～17°N,165°E～120°W）。 ③ 用前两年1～11月份北太平洋海温场相关显著区内各格点的月平均海温距平的平均值做因子建立了棉铃虫长期灾变预警模型,预测检验结果表明：郓城棉铃虫三代卵6年（1994～1999）中报准5年,丰县棉铃虫二代卵5年（1995～1999）中报准3年,德州棉铃虫三代卵5年（1995～1999）全部符合。据此可提前20～27个月做棉铃虫的长期灾变预警。     

Protein phosphatase 5 is required for ATR-mediated checkpoint activation

In response to DNA damage or replication stress, the protein kinase ATR is activated and subsequently transduces genotoxic signals to cell cycle control and DNA repair machinery through phosphorylation of a number of downstream substrates. Very little is known about the molecular mechanism by which ATR is activated in response to genotoxic insults. In this report, we demonstrate that protein phosphatase 5 (PP5) is required for the ATR-mediated checkpoint activation. PP5 forms a complex with ATR in a genotoxic stress-inducible manner. Interference with the expression or the activity of PP5 leads to impairment of the ATR-mediated phosphorylation of hRad17 and Chk1 after UV or hydroxyurea treatment. Similar results are obtained in ATM-deficient cells, suggesting that the observed defect in checkpoint signaling is the consequence of impaired functional interaction between ATR and PP5. In cells exposed to UV irradiation, PP5 is required to elicit an appropriate S-phase checkpoint response. In addition, loss of PP5 leads to premature mitosis after hydroxyurea treatment. Interestingly, reduced PP5 activity exerts differential effects on the formation of intranuclear foci by ATR and replication protein A, implicating a functional role for PP5 in a specific stage of the checkpoint signaling pathway. Taken together, our results suggest that PP5 plays a critical role in the ATR-mediated checkpoint activation.     

BDCA2/Fc?RIγ Complex Signals through a Novel BCR-Like Pathway in Human Plasmacytoid Dendritic Cells

Dendritic cells are equipped with lectin receptors to sense the extracellular environment and modulate cellular responses. Human plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs) uniquely express blood dendritic cell antigen 2 (BDCA2) protein, a C-type lectin lacking an identifiable signaling motif. We demonstrate here that BDCA2 forms a complex with the transmembrane adapter FcɛRIγ. Through pathway analysis, we identified a comprehensive signaling machinery in human pDCs, similar to that which operates downstream of the B cell receptor (BCR), which is distinct from the system involved in T cell receptor (TCR) signaling. BDCA2 crosslinking resulted in the activation of the BCR-like cascade, which potently suppressed the ability of pDCs to produce type I interferon and other cytokines in response to Toll-like receptor ligands. Therefore, by associating with FcɛRIγ, BDCA2 activates a novel BCR-like signaling pathway to regulate the immune functions of pDCs.