Mutations in somePolycomb group genes ofDrosophila interfere with regulation of segmentation genes

Mutations in severalPolycomb (Pc) group genes cause maternal-effect or zygotic segmentation defects, suggesting thatPc group genes may regulate the segmentation genes ofDrosophila. We show that individuals doubly heterozygous for mutations inpolyhomeotic and six otherPc group genes show gap, pair rule, and segment polarity segmentation defects. We examined double heterozygous combinations ofPc group and segmentation mutations for enhancement of adult and embryonic segmentation defects.Posterior sex combs andpolyhomeotic interact withKrüppel ² and enhance embryonic phenotypes ofhunchback andknirps, andpolyhomeotic enhanceseven-skipped. Surprisingly, flies carrying duplications ofextra sex combs (esc), that were heterozygous for mutations ofeven-skipped (eve), were extremely subvital. Embryos and surviving adults of this genotype showed strong segmentation defects in even-numbered segments. Antibody studies confirm that expression ofeve is suppressed by duplications ofesc. However,esc duplications have no effect on other gap or pair rule genes tested. To our knowledge, this is only the second triplo-abnormal phenotype associated withPc group genes. Duplications of nine otherPc group genes have no detectable effect oneve. Expression ofengrailed (en) was abnormal in the central nervous systems of mostPc group mutants. These results support a role forPc genes in regulation of some segmentation genes, and suggest thatesc may act differently from otherPc group genes.     

Oxidative mechanisms involved in kainate-induced cytotoxicity in cortical neurons

In our previous experiments, evidence of free radical formation has been demonstrated in gerbil brain after kainic acid (KA) administration. In the present study, the mechanisms involved in KA-induced free radical formation and subsequent cell degeneration were investigated using high density cortical neuron cultures. A free radical trapping agent,a-phenyl-N-tert-butyl-nitrone (PBN), as well as the combined action of superoxide dismutase and catalase attenuated KA neurotoxic effect. Calpain-induced xanthine oxidase (XO) activation may play an important role in KA excitotoxicity since calpain inhibitor I as well as allopurinol, a selective XO inhibitor, significantly protected the cortical neurons from KA-induced cell death. However, XO activation may not be the only source producing free radicals, other free radical generating systems such as nitric oxide synphase may also play a role in KA insult.     

白细胞介素对大鼠海马培养神经元膜电特性的影响

用细胞内微电极记录方法研究了重组人白细胞介素－１β（ｒｈＩＬ－１β）和重组人白细胞介素－２（ｒｈｉＬ－２）对分散培养的新生大鼠海马神经元膜电性质的影响。采用压力脉冲微量给药技术将白介素施加于所记录的细胞表面。结果发现：１００Ｕ／ｍｌ浓度的ｒｈＩＬ－１β使受作用的海马神经元超极化４．２０±１．８６ｍＶ;１００Ｕ／ｍｌ浓度的ｒｈＩＬ－２使５０％受作用的海马神经元去极化１１．１２±３．７１ｍＶ,并伴有强烈的自发放电反应,而１０００Ｕ／ｍｌ浓度的ｒｈＩＬ－２使１００％受作用的神经元超极化３．２５±０．６３ｍＶ,这些神经元的膜阻抗均无明显变化。本实验结果提示ｒｈＩＬ－１β和ｒｈＩＬ－２可显著影响体外培养海马神经元的膜兴奋性。     

红毛五加叶的三萜皂甙

红毛五加（ＡｃａｎｔｈｏｐａｎａｘｇｉｒａｌｄｉｉＨａｒｍｓ）系五加科五加属植物,分布于河北、河南、四川、陕西、甘肃等省,有祛风湿、通关节、强筋骨、治痿痹等功效［１］。其化学成分未见报道。本文报道红毛五加叶的５个三萜皂甙（甙Ⅰ、Ⅱ、Ⅲ、Ⅳ和Ⅴ）的分离鉴定。它们均首次从该属植物发现,其结构如下：　　　　　　　　　　　　　Ｒ１　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Ｒ２　　　　　　　　Ⅰ　ｒｈａｍ－（１→２）－ａｒａ　　　　　Ｈ　　　　　　　Ⅱ　Ｈ　　　ｒｈａｍ－（１→４）－ｇｌｃ－（１→６）－ｇｌｃ　　　　　…     

河西走廊不同生态型芦苇核酸代谢季节动态研究

分布在甘肃河西走廊的４ 种生态型芦苇（Ｐｈｒａｇｍ ｉｔｅｓｃｏｍ ｍ ｕｎｉｓＴｒｉｎ．）的核酸代谢季节变化有差异。盐化草甸芦苇ＲＮＡ 含量持续增加,ＤＮＡ 含量相对稳定,其它３ 种生态型芦苇的ＲＮＡ 和ＤＮＡ 含量以５月份为最高。过渡带芦苇的ＲＮＡ 含量、沼泽芦苇及沙丘芦苇的ＤＮＡ含量９ 月份略有增高。盐化草甸芦苇与过渡带芦苇的ＤＮａｓｅ和ＲＮａｓｅ的活性７ 月份最高,沼泽芦苇与沙丘芦苇的ＤＮａｓｅ和ＲＮａｓｅ活性５—９ 月份呈增高趋势。盐化草甸芦苇的ＤＮＡ 和ＲＮＡ 合成活性不断升高,过渡带芦苇和沼泽芦苇的ＤＮＡ 和ＲＮＡ 合成活性及沙丘芦苇的ＲＮＡ 合成活性５—９月份均降低,仅沙丘芦苇的ＤＮＡ合成活性增强。ＲＮＡ 聚丙烯酰胺梯度凝胶电泳分析结果表明,４ 种生态型芦苇均含有２５Ｓ、２３Ｓ、１８Ｓ、１６Ｓ大分子量ｒＲＮＡ 和小分子量５．８Ｓ、５Ｓ、４．５ＳｒＲＮＡ 及４ＳｔＲＮＡ。大分子量ＲＮＡ 的含量高于小分子量ＲＮＡ 含量。不同生态型及同一生态型芦苇的不同发育时期,相同的ＲＮＡ 组分含量各不相同。且发育过程中２３Ｓ、１８Ｓ、１６ＳｒＲＮＡ 在不同月份发生不同程度的降解。由此,我们认为,核酸代谢的差异性是４ 种生态型由生长转入衰     

三褶脉紫菀中的新二萜甙

三褶脉紫菀（ＡｓｔｅｒａｇｅｒａｔｏｉｄｅｓＴｕｒｃｚ．）系菊科多年生草本植物,遍布全国,是民间常用的中药,有清热解毒、祛痰镇咳的功效［１,２］。化学工作者们曾从其同属植物紫菀（ＡｓｔｅｒｔａｒａｒｉｃｕｓＬ．ｆ．）中分离到紫菀酮（ｓｈｉｏｎｏｎｅ）、槲皮素（ｑｕｅｒｃｅｔｉｎ）、无羁萜（ｆｒｉｅｄｅｌｉｎ）、表无羁萜（ｅｐｉｆｒｉｅｄｅｌｉｎｅｌ）、毛叶醇（ｌａｃｈｎｏｐｈｙｌｌｏｌ）、乙酸毛叶酯（ｌａｃｈｎｏｐｈｙｌｌｏｌａｃｅｔａｔｅ）、茴香醚（ａｎｅｔｈｏｌｅ）以及紫菀三萜皂甙［２—４］…     

人脑髓鞘碱性蛋白cDNA体外扩增、克隆和鉴定

采用聚合酶链反应(PCR)从人脑cDNA文库中扩增出600bp的髓鞘碱性蛋白(MBP)cDNA片段,与载体pGEM-3Zf(+)平端连接.重组质粒DNA转化宿主菌JM109,在含X-gal和IPTG的平板上直接筛选阳性克隆.限制性内切酶分析和成套引物扩增鉴定证明,该克隆含有7个外显子的21.5kD人脑MBP全长编码序列.     

不同性别黄鳝六种组织中LDH同工酶电泳谱的初步研究

本文报告了运用聚丙烯酰胺凝胶圆盘电泳研究不同性别黄鳝的血清、心肌、骨骼肌、肝、肾和生殖腺等六种组织器官中ＬＤＨ同工酶。结果表明六种不同组织中ＬＤＨ同工酶谱各不相同,具有明显的组织特异性。在不同性别中某些同一种组织的ＬＤＨ同工酶谱也发生变化,这说明决定黄鳝ＬＤＨ同工酶表达的因素在不同性别中有差异。     

籼,粳稻及其杂种粗线期的核型分析

研究了典型籼,粳稻及其杂种粗线期的核型,结果表明：（１）籼稻品种南特号具有两对随体染色体,分别为第十和第十二染色体,粳稻品种巴利拉具１对随体染色体,为第十染色体,杂种南特号／巴利拉的随体染色体与南特号相同;（２）在粗线期,两品种均可见单核仁和双核仁的细胞存在,说明细胞贩核仁数目与随体数目并不对应;（３）两品种的对应染色体之间,在染色体相对长度,臂比及染色粒分布上均无明显差异。