Activation of MEK family kinases requires phosphorylation of two conserved Ser/Thr residues.

MEK is a family of dual specific protein kinases which activate the extracellular signal-regulated kinases by phosphorylation of threonine and tyrosine residues. MEK itself is activated via serine phosphorylation by upstream activator kinases, including c-raf, mos and MEK kinase. Here, we report the activation phosphorylation sites of human MEK1 and yeast STE7 kinase as determined by a combination of biochemical and genetic approaches. In human MEK1, substitution of either serine residue 218 or 222 with alanine completely abolished its activation by epidermal growth factor-stimulated Swiss 3T3 cell lysates or immunoprecipitated c-raf, suggesting that both serine residues are required for MEK1 activation. Phosphopeptide analysis demonstrated that serine residues 218 and 222 of human MEK1 are the primary sites for phosphorylation by c-raf. These two serine residues are highly conserved in all members of the MEK family, including the yeast STE7 gene product, a MEK homolog in the yeast mating pheromone response pathway. Mutation of the corresponding residues in STE7 completely abolished the biological functions of this gene. These data demonstrate that MEK is activated by phosphorylation of two adjacent serine/threonine residues and this activation mechanism is conserved in the MEK family kinases.     

Simultaneous extraction of soil phytoavailable cadmium,copper, and lead by chelating resin membrane

Cadmium, copper, and lead were extracted from suspensions of contaminated soils using metal chelating exchange resin membranes. Nine soils with widely varying properties and Cd, Cu and Pb levels were tested. Soil suspensions made up with 4 g in 40 mL deionized water were equilibrated with 5 cm² Ca-saturated Chelex exchange resin membrane which was retained inside a polypropylene bag and shaken at 150 rpm for 24 hrs. Resin membrane extractable Cd, Cu and Pb of the soils were correlated with Cd, Cu, and Pb uptake by young wheat seedlings grown in these soils and compared with soil Cd, Cu, and Pb extracted by 0.1 M HCl, 0.01 M CaCl₂, and 0.005 M Diethylenetriamine pentaacetic acid (DTPA). The amounts of Cd, Cu and Pb extracted by the Ca-saturated Chelex membrane from all tested soils correlated well with those absorbed by young wheat seedlings. The Ca-saturated Chelex membrane extractable Cd, Cu and Pb of the soil had the strongest correlation with plant uptake Cd, Cu and Pb among the extraction methods we tested. It was demonstrated that the Ca-saturated Chelex membrane extraction is an appropriate method in simultaneously estimating Cd, Cu and Pb phytoavailability of soil and is applicable to a wide range of soils.     

Changes and Relationship of PAF and TNF in Rats with Myocardial Ischaemia and Reperfusion Injury

IN THIS STUDY IT IS REPORTED THAT: (1) the levels of blood platelet-activating factor and serum tumour necrosis factor significantly increased after coronary ligation and reperfusion, compared with sham-ligated controls, in an anaesthetized rat model; (2) compared with vehicle controls, pretreatment with the PAF antagonist BN 50739 (10 mg/kg, i.v.) produced significant decreases in infarct size (from 29.6 +/- 4.0% to 22.4 +/- 2.1%, p < 0.05 after 3 h ligation, and from 28.5 +/- 9.5% to 10.5 +/- 4.5%, p < 0.01 after 4 h reperfusion) and the level of serum TNF (from 10.4 +/- 7.7 U/ml to 3.9 +/- 4.8 U/ml, p < 0.05); and (3) a significan positive correlation was found between the level of blood PAF or serum TNF and infarct size. The present results indicate that PAF and TNF may be important mediators involved in myocardial ischaemia and reperfusion injury, and that PAF antagonists may exert a protective effect on ischaemic or reperfused myocardium by inhibiting the interaction of PAF and TNF.     

中国直背蝗属一新种（直翅目：蝗科）

本文记述采自吉林省长白山蝗虫一新种,黄股直背蝗,新种Ｅｕｔｈｙｓｔｉｒａｌｕｔｅｉｆｅｍｏｒａｓｐ．ｎｏｖ．。该新种近似短翅直背蝗Ｅｕｔｈｙｓｔｉｒａｂｒａｃｈｙｐｔｅｒａ（Ｏｃｓｋ．）。     

人参寡糖素对三七悬浮培养细胞生长的效应

从人参培养细胞的细胞壁中分离纯化到不同分子量的单体人参寡糖素。试验结果表明命名为人参寡糖素Ⅶ和人参寡糖素Ⅷ的两种寡糖素对三七悬浮培养细胞的生长具有明显的促进作用,其增长率分别为１９．３４％和１０．５８％,人参寡糖素Ⅶ的适宜浓度为５—１０ｍｇ／ｌ。在高浓度下（大于２５ｍｇ／ｌ）稍抑制培养细胞生长。在细胞培养２２天（指数生长期）后．加入１０ｍｇ／ｌ的人参寡糖素Ⅶ．然后再培养２天。其生长速率即提高,加入人参寡糖素Ⅷ后．缩短了三七细胞悬浮培养生长的延缓期．提前进入对数生长期和指数生长期,并在对数生长期和指数生长期作用最明显,因而最终收获时培养细胞的产率增加。     

变温对两种昆虫发育速率的影响

报道了松毛虫赤眼蜂和瓜螟在多组恒温、交替变温下的发育历期。对结果的分析表明,温度交替对这两种昆虫在任一温度下的瞬时发育率无明显影响,恒温下和变温下完成发育所需的热量无显著差异或基本相似。     

西洋参胚性细胞和胚状体细胞中的核内含体与细胞质内含体

１９２１年,Ｍｏｌｉｓｈ首先在光镜下发现植物叶片细胞核中有一种晶体状的内含物（见Ｗｅｉｎｔｒａｕｂ等［１］）。后来人们陆续在某些动、植物的细胞核中观察到了这种结构［２—４］,并称之为核内含体（ｉｎｔｒａｎｕｃｌｅａｒｉｎｃｌｕｓｉｏｎｓ）。Ｂｉｇａｚｚｉ［３］曾在４５种桔梗科植物的细胞中看到了核内含体。但在离体培养的植物细胞中发现内含体的报道很少,至今仅在榛子组织培养分生细胞中看到了类似的结构［５］。我们在对西洋参体细胞胚胎发生进行超微结构研究的过程中发现,在胚性愈伤组织和胚状体细胞的核和细胞质…     

向日葵幼苗环旋运动的三维轨迹

采用光学显微镜标尺和垂线原理制作的三维空间点测定仪,对向日葵（Ｈｅｌｉａｎｔｈｕｓ ａｎｎｕｕｓＬ．）幼苗的环旋运动进行了连续测量。结果表明：向日葵环旋运动的轨迹有椭圆型、摆动型和不规则型;同一植株在不同生长阶段所表现的环旋运动轨迹不一定相同,同一株龄的不同个体也不一定具有相同的运动轨迹;运动的方向有左旋和右旋,圆周运动光源可以显著地改变运动方向;从三维角度看,在整个下胚轴生长阶段,环旋运动的振幅存在一个由小变大再由大变小的变化规律     

In situ hybridization to metaphase chromosomes in six species ofPhaseolus andVigna using ribosomal DNA as the probe

In situ hybridization with a biotin-labeled rice ribosomal DNA (rDNA) probe to the somatic metaphase chromosomes of six species ofPhaseolus andVigna (P. angularis, P. calcaratus, P. coccineus, P. vulgaris, V. sesquipedalis andV. sinensis) was done to determine the sites of rDNA. Hybridization signals were present in the terminal and subterminal chromosome regions of each of the six species. The number of rDNA sites was two inP. angularis andP. calcaratus, four inP. coccineus andP. vulgaris, and six inV. sesquipedalis andV. sinensis.     

朱砂藤根化学成分的研究

首次从朱砂藤根中人离并鉴定了β－香树脂醇乙本能酯,蒲公英醇,β－谷甾醇,另有两个结晶尚在鉴定中,将另文报道。