1α,25-dihydroxy-24-oxo-16-ene vitamin D3, a metabolite of a synthetic vitamin D3 analog, 1α,25-dihydroxy-16-ene vitamin D3, is equipotent to its parent in modulating growth and differentiation of human leukemic cells

1α,25(OH)₂-16-ene-D₃, a synthetic analog of the steroid hormone, 1α,25(OH)₂D₃, has great potential to become a drug in the treatment of leukemia and other proliferative disorders, because of its minimal in vivo calcemic activity associated with a potent inhibitory effect on cell growth. However, at present, the mechanisms through which 1α,25(OH)₂-16-ene-D₃ expresses its biological activities are still not completely understood. Our previous in vitro study in a perfused rat kidney indicated for the first time that 1α,25(OH)₂-16-ene-D₃ and 1α,25(OH)₂D₃ are metabolized differently. 1α,25(OH)₂-24-oxo-16-ene-D₃, an intermediary metabolite of 1α,25(OH)₂-16-ene-D₃ formed through the C-24 oxidation pathway, accumulated significantly in the perfusate when compared to 1α,25(OH)₂-24-oxo-D₃, the corresponding intermediary metabolite of 1α,25(OH)₂D₃. In a subsequent in vivo study, we also reported that 1α,25(OH)₂-24-oxo-16-ene-D₃ exerted immunosuppressive activity equal to its parent, without causing significant hypercalcemia. In order to establish further the critical role of 1α,25(OH)₂-24-oxo-16-ene-D₃, in generating some of the key biological activities ascribed to its parent, we performed the present in vitro study using a human myeloid leukemic cell line (RWLeu-4) as a model. Comparative target tissue metabolism studies indicated that 1α,25(OH)₂-16-ene-D₃ and 1α,25(OH)₂D₃ are metabolized differently in RWLeu-4 cells, and the differences were similar to the ones we previously observed in the rat kidney. The significant finding was the accumulation of 1α,25(OH)₂-24-oxo-16-ene-D₃ in RWLeu-4 cells because of its resistance to further metabolism. Biological activity studies indicated that both 1α,25(OH)₂-16-ene-D₃ and its 24-oxo metabolite produced growth inhibition and promoted differentiation of RWLeu-4 cells to the same extent, and these activities were several fold higher than those exerted by 1α,25(OH)₂D₃. In addition, the genomic action of each vitamin D compound was assessed in a rat osteosarcoma cell line (ROS 17/2.8) by measuring its ability to transactivate a gene construct containing the vitamin D response element of the osteocalcin gene linked to the growth hormone reporter gene. In these studies, both 1α,25(OH)₂-16-ene-D₃ and its 24-oxo metabolite exerted similar but potent transactivation activity which was several fold greater than that exerted by 1α,25(OH)₂D₃ itself. In summary, our results indicate that the production and slow clearance of the bioactive intermediary metabolite, 1α,25(OH)₂-24-oxo-16-ene-D₃, in RWLeu-4 cells contributes significantly to the final expression of the enhanced biological activities ascribed to its parent analog, 1α,25(OH)₂-16-ene-D₃.     

RT－cDNA克隆－PCR法获取犬瘟热病毒融合蛋白基因（F）

纯化鸡胚成纤维细胞培养的犬瘟热病毒（ＣａｎｉｎｅＤｉｓｔｅｍｐｅｒＶｉｒｕｓ,ＣＤＶ）,获得病毒基因组ＲＮＡ后,反转录合成双链病毒Ｆ基因ｃＤＮＡ。将此双链ｃＤＮＡ平端插入ＰＵＣ１９质粒ＳａｍⅠ位点构建重组质粒,进行ｃＤＮＡ克隆。以重组克隆质粒为模板ＰＣＲ扩增,获得ＣＤＶ全长Ｆ基因。将此Ｆ基因插入表达载体ＰＢＶ２２０,在大肠杆菌中表达,通过对表达产物的最终鉴定,可确认所获片段为ＣＤＶ全长Ｆ基因．     

GM_3对小鼠腹腔巨噬细胞磷脂代谢转换率的影响

神经节苷脂ＧＭ_３对小鼠腹腔常驻巨噬细胞（Ｒ－Ｍ）和Ｇｅ－１３２体内激活的巨噬细胞（Ｇｅ－１３２－Ｍ）的磷脂代谢转换有显著的影响,当这两种Ｍ在体外用ＧＭ_３处理时,表现出［￣（３２）Ｐ］Ｐｉ和［￣３Ｈ］肌醇参入ＰＩ降低,参入ＰＩＰ、ＰＩＰ_２增加;但在［￣（３２）Ｐ］Ｐｉ和［￣３Ｈ］胆碱参入ＰＣ上,Ｒ－Ｍ与Ｇｅ－１３２－Ｍ不同,即ＧＭ_３促进同位素前体参入Ｒ－Ｍ的ＰＣ,抑制它们参入Ｇｅ－１３２－Ｍ的ＰＣ．以上结果表明ＧＭ３可能提高了ＰＩ或ＰＩＰ的磷酸激酶的活性,致使［￣（３２）Ｐ］ＰＩＰ和［￣（３２）Ｐ］ＰＩＰ_２增多,［￣（３２）Ｐ］ＰＩ减少．激活的Ｍ（Ｇｅ－１３２－Ｍ）本身ＰＣ代谢转换率较Ｒ－Ｍ高,当Ｇｅ－１３２－Ｍ再受ＧＭ_３刺激,ＰＣ代谢转换率降低,这提示ＧＭ_３对激活的Ｍ的ＰＣ代谢转换有调节作用．     

RFLP tagging of a salt tolerance gene in rice

A salt tolerant rice mutant (M-20) was obtained through selection in vitro. Its tolerance was stably inherited over eight generations and most traints between M-20 and its sensitive original 77–170 (Oryza sativa) were very similar. By deriving an F₂ population of M-20 × 77–170 and splitting every F₂ individual into two parts, with one part planted in normal conditions and another part in saline conditions, the inheritance of salt tolerance in rice was studied. Under normal conditions, there was no apparent segregation among F₂ individuals. Under saline conditions, however, the segregation of traits was obvious. According to our standards, the ratio of salt sensitive:moderately-tolerant:tolerant plants was 25:42:18, in accordance with a 1:2:1 ratio. It suggested that the improvement of salt tolerance in our materials was induced by the mutation of a major tolerant gene which showed incomplete dominance. By use of 130 RFLP probes distributed throughout the rice genome, the gene was tagged by a single copy DNA probe, RG4, which was located on chromosome 7. The genetic distance between the salt tolerant gene and RG4 was 7.0 ± 2.9 cM. Based on the split method, a method which could be currently used to evaluate the damage of salt stress in rice was proposed.     

走马胎的组织培养与快速繁殖

以走马胎(Ardisia gigantifolia)幼嫩茎段为外植体, 通过腋芽增殖的方式进行组织培养和快速繁殖研究。结果表明, 培养基MS+1.0 mg·L ^-1 6-BA+0.2 mg·L ^-1NAA和MS+0.5 mg·L ^-1 ZT均可用于腋芽的诱导和前期继代培养, 诱导率分别为89.3%和85.7%; 芽增殖最佳培养基为MS+0.5 mg·L ^-16-BA+0.1 mg·L ^-1ZT+0.1 mg·L ^-1NAA, 增殖系数为4.3倍; 根诱导最佳培养基为1/2MS+1.5 mg·L ^-1 IAA+1.0 mg·L ^-1 NAA, 生根率达92.3%, 且根系发达, 植株健壮; 生根苗在混合基质园土:泥炭:珍珠岩=3:1:1 (v/v/v )中移栽成活率为82%。该研究建立了走马胎种苗的组织培养快速繁殖技术体系, 且可应用于规模化生产。     

大刍草稀有等位基因促进玉米密植高产

密植是提高作物单位面积产量、促进粮食增产的重要途径之一。叶夹角是影响玉米(Zea mays)密植的关键因子。中国农业大学田丰课题组最近克隆了2个调控玉米叶夹角的数量性状位点(QTL)——UPA1和UPA2, 揭示了这2个位点的功能基因(brd1和ZmRAVL1)通过油菜素内酯(BR)信号通路调控叶夹角。UPA2位于ZmRAVL1上游9.5 kb, 可与DRL1蛋白结合。另一个影响玉米叶夹角的蛋白LG1可以激活ZmRAVL1的表达; DRL1蛋白与LG1蛋白直接互作抑制LG1对ZmRAVL1的激活表达。玉米祖先种大刍草(teosinte)的UPA2位点序列与DRL1蛋白结合能力更强, 导致大刍草ZmRAVL1的表达受到更强的抑制, 下调表达的ZmRAVL1进一步使下游基因brd1的表达下调, 进而降低叶环区的内源BR水平, 导致叶夹角变小。将大刍草的UPA2等位基因导入到玉米中或对玉米中ZmRAVL1进行基因编辑, 在密植条件下均可显著提高玉米产量。上述发现为高产玉米品种的分子育种改良提供了重要理论基础和基因资源。     

高效液相层析法纯化人胎盘谷胱甘肽硫转移酶

足月分娩的新鲜胎盘组织制成匀浆后,经高速离心、超速离心,谷胱甘肽(GSH)Sepharose 6B亲合层析,Amicon pM-10膜超过滤及高效液相层析,最终经SDS-PAGE鉴定,结果呈现单一亚基区带,其亚基分子量为25000。 根据我们现有高效液相设备条件,用ODS柱代替RadulovicL等报道的特异阴离子柱,用磷酸盐洗脱液代替含谷胱甘肽、二硫苏糖醇及氯化钾的梯度洗脱液,从人胎盘组织成功地制备了谷胱甘肽硫转移酶(GST)纯酶,全过程在15min内完成,保留时间及主峰面积的重复性均较理想,7次实验结果的变异系数为0.2％,最终纯化578.9倍。本研究为各种形式GST的纯化制备提供了一个新的、重复性好、分辨率高及回收理想的简易方法。     

Chemical modification of Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. thuringiensis (HD-524) trypsin-activated endotoxin: implication of tyrosine residues in lepidopteran cell lysis

A purified protein fraction from a solubilized and trypsin-digested extract of Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. thuringiensis (HD-524) fermentation powder was lytic to cells from several lepidopteran lines. Maximum yield was obtained by alkaline carbonate-thiocyanate solubilization of washed powder followed by trypsin digestion and Sephacryl (S-300) chromatography. The alkaline carbonate-solubilized fraction consisted predominantly of two bands on sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis with MW of 144 +/- 0.9 kDa and 134 +/- 1.4 kDa. After trypsin treatment and column chromatography, the cytolytic fraction consisted of a major band with a MW of 60.0 +/- 1.8 kDa and a minor band of 69 +/- 0.9 kDa. Cells from Trichoplusia ni (TN368) were most susceptible to lysis with 50% of cells lysed at 3 micrograms/ml, followed by Spodoptera frugiperda cells (SF21AE) exhibiting 50% cell lysis at 5 micrograms/ml and Lymantria dispar cells (Ld652Y) showing 40% lysis at 10 micrograms/ml. Chemical modification of the polypeptides was performed to determine the role of certain amino acid residues in the cytolytic activity. The group-specific reagent tetranitromethane was used to nitrate and oxidize tyrosine and cysteine residues, respectively. Cysteine residues alone were also modified with p-hydroxymercuribenzoic acid. Lysine residues were modified with O-methylisourea. Of the three types of amino acid residues, only the modification of tyrosine resulted in reduced cell lysis.