Horseradish peroxidase: a reliable or a misleading tool for the investigations on the origin of the proteins of the aqueous humor?

The concept of the blood-aqueous barrier is largely based on the use of horseradish peroxidase (HRP). The present investigation was designed to check its reliability as a macromolecular tracer, especially with regard to the transport of plasma proteins. Rabbits were killed 5 min to 24 h after being intravenously injected with HRP. The tracer diffused rapidly, reaching the aqueous humor of the eye in 3 min or less and was detected at high concentration in the narrow space between the outer epithelial layer of the ciliary epithelium and the wall of the pervious capillaries in the stroma of the processes. HRP appeared to migrate from the blood to the posterior chamber, permeating the tight junctions, viz., the anatomical basis of the blood-aqueous barrier. It was detected at higher concentration at the anterior surface of the iris, at short time intervals; this was interpreted as penetration of the tracer from the aqueous humor of the anterior chamber. The choroid was also labeled in continuation with the reaction in the stroma of the pars plana of the ciliary body which, in turn, sometimes reached the iris root. Therefore, the pervious blood vessels of the choroid could be a source of macromolecules for the iris root. HRP also induced the formation of lysosomes in the ciliary epithelium. This can hardly be accepted as the way in which plasma proteins are physiologically transported to the aqueous humor. However, the pathway of HRP migration over short time intervals seems to be in agreement with previous research indicating that the entrance of serum albumin into the posterior chamber is the first step of its incorporation into the aqueous humor. Received: 7 June 1996 / Accepted: 15 January 1997     

Comparison of carbohydrate utilization and energy charge in the yellow flag iris (Iris pseudacorus) and garden iris (Iris germanica) under anoxia

Carbohydrate and energy metabolism of the flooding- and anoxia-tolerant Iris pseudacorus and the intolerant Iris germanica rhizomes were investigated under experimental anoxic conditions. Rhizomes of I. pseudacorus and I. Germanica were incubated in the absence of oxygen from 0 to 60 and 16 days, respectively. Amounts of glucose, total reducing sugars and non-reducing sugars (starch, fructan and oligosaccharides) in the rhizomes were measured. Ethanol concentration and adenylate energy charge were determined enzymatically. Glucose content of I. pseudacorus rhizomes decreased gradually during the first 30 days under anoxia and then increased at the same time as adenylate energy charge values started to decline. In I. germanica rhizomes the changes were more dramatic and the time scale was much shorter than in I. pseudacorus but the changes were similar. Non-reducing sugar content of I. pseudacorus rhizomes decreased rapidly during the first 15 days under oxygen deprivation and then increased again, to near starting levels at 35 days. In I. germanica the amount of non-reducing sugars decreased gradually during the anoxic incubation. Under aerobic control conditions, adenylate energy charge (AEC) of I. pseudacorus and I. germanica rhizome tissue was 0.87±0.01 and 0.81±0.01, respectively. In I. pseudacorus AEC remained high until 30 days under anoxia. In contrast, the energy charge of I. germanica rhizome tissue remained above 0.6 for 4 days only. Large amounts of ethanol were found in anoxic rhizome tissues of I. pseudacorus (up to 0.21 M ) and I. germanica (0.06 M ) after 45 days and 8 days, respectively. The results are discussed in relation to flooding tolerance of these species.     

Formation of zeatin allylic phosphate by the microsomal fractions of bulb disks of Iris × hollandica Tub. and tubers of Helianthus tuberosus L.

It is shown that in bulbous Iris zeatin originates from a nucleotide. This nucleotide is probably zeatin-allylic-phosphate, in which a phosphate group is attached to the isoprenoid side-chain of zeatin. The formation of zeatin-allylic-phosphate from t-zeatin and 8-[¹⁴C]-zeatin by the microsomal fractions of Iris bulb disks and Helianthus tubers was demonstrated. The responsible enzyme was partially purified. 5-AMP was found to be a phosphate group delivering substrate. Adenosine and adenine inhibited the enzyme reaction. The significance of the results is discussed in relation to cytokinin biosynthesis and the occurrence of bud blast in Iris.     

濒危植物毛柄小勾儿茶种子休眠与萌发生理的初步研究

毛柄小勾儿茶（Berchemiella wilsonii （Schneid．）Nakai var．pubipetiolata H．Qian）为中国特有种,国家三级保护植物。TTC染色法测得毛柄小勾儿茶种子的生活力较低,仅为32％,空粒和无生活力的种子分别为28％和40％,说明毛柄小勾儿茶发育完全的种子较少。种子吸水速度试验证明毛柄小勾儿茶种皮透水性较差,不利于种子萌发时对水分的吸收,发芽抑制物的生物鉴定结果表明,毛柄小勾儿茶种子的不同部位都存在发芽抑制物,且种胚中的含量最高,不利于种子的萌发,使毛柄小勾儿茶种子处于休眠状态之中。几种不同浓度GA。溶液浸种24h的预处理可以不同程度地提高毛柄小勾儿茶种子的发芽率和发芽指数,其中300mg／L GA3的效果最显著,并且300mg／L GA3的预处理可以在萌发初期（萌发前3天）显著地提高毛柄小勾儿茶种子中过氧化物酶、过氧化氢酶和脱氢酶的活性。毛柄小勾儿茶种子生活力低,且处于休眠状态,再加上与种子发芽力有关的几种酶的活性较低,致使毛柄小勾儿茶种子的发芽率较低,同时这些也是从种子萌发生理方面导致毛柄小勾儿茶濒危的重要原因。     

Metabolic profiling of rhizomes of native populations of the strictly endemic Croatian species Iris adriatica

Iris adriatica Trinajsti? ex Miti? (Iridaceae L.) is a strictly endemic taxon from Croatia. It is a rhizomatous dwarf plant from the I. pumila complex with a distribution area limited to the Croatian part of the Mediterranean area, mainly central Dalmatia. The genus Iris is known for its richness in isoflavonoids which also play a significant role in chemotaxonomy and biological activity. Hence, in the current study, different plant batches of I. adriatica collected in early spring of 2016 were analysed for their phytochemical profiles and qualitatively compared. UHPLC-PDA-ESI-MS analyses of methanolic rhizome extracts were performed. Altogether, 36 compounds, representing isoflavonoids (including 6,7-methylendioxy derivatives), benzophenones and xanthones were found as aglycones or in glycosidically bound form to be the main constituent groups of I. adriatica rhizomes. Qualitative results were identical between different batches of plant material from collection sites in central Dalmatia, they differed only in quantity. For some phenolic compounds of I. adriatica, chemotaxonomic relevance was detected.     

Author and type of the name Iris cengialti (Iridaceae)

Abstract

A. Kerner is correctly the author of the name Iris cengialti previously ascribed to Ambrosi, and consequently the type of the species is here selected, as lectotype, among Kerner's original material kept in WU.     

鸢尾属1新变型——白花宽柱鸢尾

描述了鸢尾科鸢尾属宽柱鸢尾(Iris latistyla Y.T.Zhao)的1个新变型——白花宽柱鸢尾(I.latistyla Y.T.Zhao f.albifloraJ.Luo)。原变型的花被为蓝紫色,而新变型花被为白色。并对其潜在的药用研究价值进行了讨论。     

Effects of Corticotropin-(1–24)-Tetracosapeptide on Polyphosphoinositide Metabolism and Protein Phosphorylation in Rabbit Iris Subcellular Fractions

Abstract: Effects of the neuropeptide corticotropin-(1–24) -tetracosapeptide (ACTH) on the endogenous and exogenous phosphorylation of lipids and endogenous phosphorylation of proteins were investigated in microsomes and a 110,000 ×g supernatant fraction [30–50% (NH₄)₂SO₄ precipitate; ASP_30–50] obtained from rabbit iris smooth muscle. Subcellular distribution studies revealed that both of these fractions are enriched in diphosphoinositide (DPI) kinase. The ³²P labeling of lipids and proteins was measured by incubation of the subcellular fractions with [γ-³²P]ATP. The labeled lipids, which consisted of triphosphoinositide (TPI), DPI, and phosphatidic acid (PA) were isolated by TLC. The microsomal and ASP_30–50 fractions were resolved into six and nine labeled phosphoprotein bands, respectively, by sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The basal labeling of both lipids and proteins was rapid (30–60 s), and it was dependent on the presence of Mg²⁺ in the incubation medium; in general it was inhibited by high concentrations (>0.2 mM) of Ca²⁺. ACTH stimulated the labeling of TPI and inhibited that of PA in a dose-dependent manner, with maximal effect observed at 50–100 μ of the peptide. ACTH appears to increase TPI labeling by stimulating the DPI kinase. Under the same experimental conditions ACTH (100 μM) inhibited significantly the endogenous phosphorylation of six microsomal phosphoproteins (100K, 84K, 65K, 53K, 48K, and 17K). In the ASP_30–50 fraction, ACTH inhibited the phosphorylation of three phosphoproteins (53K, 48K, and 17K) and stimulated the labeling of six phosphoprotein bands (117K, 100K, 84K, 65K, 42K, and 35K). The effects of ACTH on lipid and protein phosphorylation are probably Ca²⁺-independent; thus the neuropeptide effects were not influenced by either 1 μM EGTA or low concentrations of Ca²⁺ (50 μ.M). We conclude that a relationship may exist between polyphosphoinositide metabolism and protein phosphorylation in the rabbit iris smooth muscle.     

黄菖蒲叶片对水分的生物学响应及其净化水质作用

为解决漓江流域水质下降和生态系统退化的关键问题,开展黄菖蒲抗逆性以及水质净化作用研究,为漓江水陆交错带生态修复的植物选择提供科学依据。采用盆栽试验,研究了黄菖蒲在不同基质内不同淹水胁迫下的叶片生长情况,共设5个处理,并在全土基质中开展净化水质实验。结果表明:随着水淹深度的增加,黄菖蒲叶片数明显下降;半淹处理对黄菖蒲生长最有利;水淹时间对黄菖蒲叶片数、叶长、叶宽与叶面积有极显著影响;黄菖蒲叶片长度、宽度和叶片数随淹水处理没有明显差异,基质对黄菖蒲的生长无显著差异;水分比基质对黄菖蒲生长影响大;种植黄菖蒲处理后pH减小为中性,在一定程度上可以净化水质,但对氮磷的净化效果不明显。