High affinity iron(III) scavenging by a novel hexadentate 3-hydroxypyridin-4-one-based dendrimer: synthesis and characterization

The synthesis of a novel iron(III)-selective hydroxypyridinone hexadentate-terminated dendritic chelator based on a benzene tricarbonyl core polyamine dendrimer is described. The iron-chelating ability of the dendritic chelator was demonstrated by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) and UV-vis spectroscopy. The physicochemical properties of the isolated hexadentate unit were also investigated. The dendrimer was found to possess an extremely high affinity for iron(III), namely logK=34.8, pFe3+=30.6.     

Determination of enantiomeric composition by negative-ion electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry using deprotonated N-(3,5-dinitrobenzoyl)amino acids as chiral selectors

The ability to use mixtures of deprotonated N-(3,5-dinitrobenzoyl)amino acids as chiral selectors for the determination of enantiomeric composition by electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry is demonstrated. For each experiment, two N-(3,5-dinitrobenzoyl)amino acids were chosen such that each would have opposite selectivity for the enantiomers of the analyte. Electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry, monitored in the negative ion mode, of solutions containing the two N-(3,5-dinitrobenzoyl)amino acids, sodium hydroxide, and the analyte, in a one-to-one mixture of methanol and water, afford peaks in the mass spectrum that correspond to the deprotonated 1:1 analyte-selector complexes. The ratio of the intensities of the complexes in the mass spectrum can be related to the enantiomeric composition of the analyte. Additionally, the sense and extent of chiral recognition is consistent with chromatographic observations, using chiral stationary phases derived from N-(3,5-dinitrobenzoyl)amino acids. Each analysis of enantiomeric composition requires less than 10 s to complete, indicating that this method has great potential for the development of fast-/high-throughput chiral analyses.     

Volume interpolation of CT images from tree trunks

Computerized tomography as a non-destructive scanning method to analyze wood structures has become an important technique in tree research. The possibility to reconstruct three-dimensional volumes based on a number of slices of two-dimensional data from CT scans is strongly dependent on the number of measured slices. Radial basis function methods can be successfully used to interpolate CT images with the aim of obtaining a satisfactory reconstruction of tree trunks. In contrast to standard interpolation techniques, our method takes into account that wood structures differ more in the radial than in the longitudinal direction. Therefore we obtain better interpolation results for wood structures.     

Adult murine skeletal muscle contains cells that can differentiate into beating cardiomyocytes in vitro

It has long been held as scientific fact that soon after birth, cardiomyocytes cease dividing, thus explaining the limited restoration of cardiac function after a heart attack. Recent demonstrations of cardiac myocyte differentiation observed in vitro or after in vivo transplantation of adult stem cells from blood, fat, skeletal muscle, or heart have challenged this view. Analysis of these studies has been complicated by the large disparity in the magnitude of effects seen by different groups and obscured by the recently appreciated process of in vivo stem-cell fusion. We now show a novel population of nonsatellite cells in adult murine skeletal muscle that progress under standard primary cell-culture conditions to autonomously beating cardiomyocytes. Their differentiation into beating cardiomyocytes is characterized here by video microscopy, confocal-detected calcium transients, electron microscopy, immunofluorescent cardiac-specific markers, and single-cell patch recordings of cardiac action potentials. Within 2 d after tail-vein injection of these marked cells into a mouse model of acute infarction, the marked cells are visible in the heart. By 6 d they begin to differentiate without fusing to recipient cardiac cells. Three months later, the tagged cells are visible as striated heart muscle restricted to the region of the cardiac infarct.     

假苍耳的生活史进程中几种生理生化指标的变化

本文试图从生理生化的角度对假苍耳(Iva xanthifolia)生活史进程中可溶性糖类、赤霉素、单宁以及黄酮的变化进行探讨。通过对假苍耳在生长发育期间几种生理生化指标的测定, 结果表明, 在假苍耳生活史进程的不同阶段, 其体内各种代谢产物的含量基本都在种子或芽阶段具有最高含量。此外, 不同发育阶段可溶性还原糖含量的变化规律相似: 芽>花序>苗>成株>种子。除在花序和苗阶段没有测到海藻糖, 其他各阶段海藻糖的含量变化如下: 芽>成株>种子。另外, 只有在种子阶段检测到棉子糖, 其含量为15.43 mg.g-1。赤霉素含量的变化规律如下: 种子＞芽≈苗≈花序＞成株。单宁含量的变化趋势: 种子＞成株＞苗＞芽＞花序。黄酮含量的变化趋势: 种子＞芽＞成株≈花序＞苗。值得注意的是, 当单宁/黄酮的比值接近1时, 植物体内需要的单宁和黄酮的含量则相对较低; 相反, 当单宁/黄酮的比值接近0时, 植物体内需要的单宁和黄酮的含量则较高。     

Studies on water-vapor flux characteristic and the relationship with environmental factors over a planted coniferous forest in Qianyanzhou Station

Water-vapor flux over a planted coniferous forest ecosystem near Qianyanzhou, Jiangxi Province, China, was continuously measured with the eddy covariance technique for 2004. How environmental variables, including net radiation, air temperature, and soil moisture, affected water-vapor flux variation was studied in detail. Results showed that winter had the lowest monthly water-vapor flux value, whereas summer had the highest. The diurnal variation of water-vapor flux showed different patterns for clear and cloudy days. The annual total evapotranspiration was 736.1 mm. Regression analysis showed that daily water-vapor flux was significantly correlated with net radiation, air temperature, soil temperature, and soil heat flux on both clear and cloudy days, all in quadratic relationships. Stepwise regression analysis demonstrated that a different set of environmental factors controlled water-vapor flux on days with different weather conditions. From this study, it was clear that these environmental variables, especially net radiation and soil temperature, regulated water-vapor flux over the planted coniferous ecosystem.     

Isoform-specific Prolongation of Kv7 (KCNQ) Potassium Channel Opening Mediated by New Molecular Determinants for Drug-Channel Interactions

Kv7 channels, especially Kv7.2 (KCNQ2) and Kv7.3 (KCNQ3), are key determinants for membrane excitability in the brain. Some chemical modulators of KCNQ channels are in development for use as anti-epileptic drugs, such as retigabine (D-23129, N-(2-amino-4-(4-fluorobenzylamino)-phenyl)), which was recently approved for clinical use. In addition, several other compounds were also reported to potentiate activity of the Kv7 channels. It is therefore of interest to investigate compound-channel interactions, so that more insights may be gained to aid future development of therapeutics. We have conducted a screen of 20,000 compounds for KCNQ2 potentiators using rubidium flux combined with atomic absorption spectrometry. Here, we report the characterization of a series of new structures that display isoform specificity and induce a marked reduction of deactivation distinct from that of retigabine. Furthermore, KCNQ2(W236L), a previously reported mutation that abolishes sensitivity to retigabine, remains fully sensitive to these compounds. This result, together with mutagenesis and other studies, suggests that the reported compounds confer a unique mode of action and involve new molecular determinants on the channel protein, consistent with the idea of recognizing a new site on channel protein.     

Cajanol,a novel anticancer agent from Pigeonpea [Cajanus cajan (L.) Millsp.] roots,induces apoptosis in human breast cancer cells through a ROS-mediated mitochondrial pathway

Cajanol (5-hydroxy-3-(4-hydroxy-2-methoxyphenyl)-7-methoxychroman-4-one) is an isoflavanone from Pigeonpea [Cajanus cajan (L.) Millsp.] roots. As the most effective phytoalexin in pigeonpea, the cytotoxic activity of cajanol towards cancer cells has not been report as yet. In the present study, the anticancer activity of cajanol towards MCF-7 human breast cancer cells was investigated. In order to explore the underlying mechanism of cell growth inhibition of cajanol, cell cycle distribution, DNA fragmentation assay and morphological assessment of nuclear change, ROS generation, mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm) disruption, and expression of caspase-3 and caspase-9, Bax, Bcl-2, PARP and cytochrome c were measured in MCF-7 cells. Cajanol inhibited the growth of MCF-7 cells in a time and dose-dependent manner. The IC₅₀ value was 54.05 μM after 72 h treatment, 58.32 μM after 48 h; and 83.42 μM after 24 h. Cajanol arrested the cell cycle in the G2/M phase and induced apoptosis via a ROS-mediated mitochondria-dependent pathway. Western blot analysis showed that cajanol inhibited Bcl-2 expression and induced Bax expression to desintegrate the outer mitochondrial membrane and causing cytochrome c release. Mitochondrial cytochrome c release was associated with the activation of caspase-9 and caspase-3 cascade, and active-caspase-3 was involved in PARP cleavage. All of these signal transduction pathways are involved in initiating apoptosis. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report demonstrating the cytotoxic activity of cajanol towards cancer cells in vitro.     

Expression of BjMT2, a metallothionein 2 from Brassica juncea, increases copper and cadmium tolerance in Escherichia coli and Arabidopsis thaliana, but inhibits root elongation in Arabidopsis thaliana seedlings

The protective function of a plant type-2 metallothionein was analysed after expression in Escherichia coli and in Arabidopsis thaliana seedlings. BjMT2 from Brassica juncea was expressed in E. coli as a TrxABjMT2 fusion protein. After affinity chromatography and cleavage from the TrxA domain, pure BjMT2 protein was obtained which strongly reacted with the thiol reagent monobromobimane. Escherichia coli cells expressing the TrxABjMT2 fusion were more tolerant to Cu2+ and Cd2+ exposure than control strains. Likewise, when BjMT2 cDNA was expressed in A. thaliana under the regulation of the 35S promoter, seedlings exhibited an increased tolerance against Cu2+ and Cd2+ based on shoot growth and chlorophyll content. Analysis of transiently transformed cells of A. thaliana and tobacco leaves by confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) revealed exclusive cytosolic localization of a BjMT2::EGFP (enhanced green fluorescent protein) fusion protein in control and heavy metal-exposed plant cells. Remarkably, ectopic expression of BjMT2 reduced root growth in the absence of heavy metal exposure, whereas in the presence of 50 or 100 microM Cu2+ root growth in control and transgenic lines was identical. The results indicate that in A. thaliana, root and shoot development are differentially affected by ectopic expression of BjMT2.     

Newly-formed photosynthates and the respiration rate of girdled stems of Korean pine (Pinus koraiensis Sieb. et Zucc.)

A stem-girdling experiment was carried out on an evergreen conifer, the Korean pine (Pinus koraiensis Sieb. et Zucc.), in mid summer in Northeast China. A 50 % higher respiration rate at the upper part of the stem was observed 3 d after stem girdling, and a stable higher rate (1.2–2.8 times) one week later. However, no higher soluble sugar or starch contents were found in the upper bark of the girdled stems in measurements over three weeks. These findings indicate that most of the newly-formed photosynthates were consumed by the high respiratory activity; this is also implied by the strong correlation between the photosynthetic photon flux over the canopy (PPF) and respiration at the upper parts of girdled stems. Moreover, the maximum PPF and cumulative PPF one day before measurement (PPFmax-Y and CPPF-Y, respectively) were closely correlated with the respiratory difference between the upper and the lower parts, but no such correlation was found with the instantaneous PPF (PPF-I) and cumulative PPF on the current day from sunrise to measured time point (CPPF-C). This shows that photosynthates newly formed by canopy needles need at least one day for transportation in order to increase the stem respiration at tree breast height.