The efficiency of water use in water stressed plants is increased due to ABA induced stomatal closure

Gas exchange and abscisic acid content of Digitalis lanata EHRH. have been examined at different levels of plant water stress. Net photosynthesis, transpiration and conductance of attached leaves declined rapidly at first, then more slowly following the withholding of irrigation. The intercellular partial pressure of CO₂ decreased slightly. The concentration of 2-cis(S)ABA increased about eight-fold in the leaves of non-irrigated plants as compared with well-watered controls. A close linear correlation was found between the ABA content of the leaves and their conductance on a leaf area basis. In contrast, the plot of net assimilation versus ABA concentration was curvilinear, leading to an increased efficiency of water use during stress. After rewatering, photosynthesis reached control values earlier than transpiration, leaf conductance and ABA content. From these data it is concluded that transpiration through the stomata is directly controlled by the ABA content, whereas net photosynthesis is influenced additionally by other factors.Possible reasons for the responses of photosynthesis and water use efficiency to different stress and ABA levels are discussed.Abbreviations A net CO₂ assimilation - ABA abscisic acid - C_i intercellular CO₂ concentration - g stomatal conductance - T transpiration - WUE water use efficiency     

Phycobilisome from Anabaena Variabilis Kütz. and its Model Conjugates

The model conjugates phycocyanin-allophycocyanin (C-PC-APC) and phycoerythrocyanin-phycocyanin-allophycocyanin (PEC-C-PC-APC) were synthesized by using a heterobifunctional coupling reagent N-succinimidyl-3-(2-pyridyldithio)propionate. The rod-core complex (αβ)₆ ^PCL_RC ²⁷(αβ)₃ ^APCL_C ^8.9 and phycobilisomes were separated from Anabaena variabilis. Energy transfer features for the conjugates and the complexes were compared. The absorption and fluorescence emission spectra indicated that the linker-peptides mediate interaction of phycobiliproteins and prompt energy transfer. The energy transfer in the conjugates was detected by fluorescence emission spectra and confirmed by the addition of dithiothreitol. The conjugates may be used as models for studying the energy transfer mechanism in phycobilisomes. This revised version was published online in September 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Pergolide Presynaptically Inhibits Calcium-Stimulated Release of γ-Aminobutyric Acid

The release of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) in rat dorsolateral striatum was studied using in vivo microdialysis. Dialysis was conducted 2 days after probe implantation in awake, freely moving rats using a modified Ringer solution. Calcium induced a reversible increase in GABA release that was abolished by tetrodotoxin but was only slightly attenuated by a maximally effective dose of pergolide, a D2 receptor agonist. It was thus concluded that pergolide inhibits calcium-stimulated release of GABA presynaptically by a mechanism distinct from that of tetrodotoxin.     

盐度和CO2倍增环境下碱蓬幼苗呼吸酶活性的变化

研究了生长在正常大气ＣＯ２和ＣＯ２倍增环境中的盐生植物碱蓬（Ｓｕａｅｄａｓａｌｓａ）幼苗呼吸酶活性对ＫＣｌ和ＮａＣｌ的反应．结果表明,在ＣＯ２倍增（７００μｌ·Ｌ－１）和正常大气ＣＯ２（３５０μｌ·Ｌ－１）下,３００ｍｍｏｌ·Ｌ－１ＫＣｌ和ＮａＣｌ均能抑制琥珀酸脱氢酶（ＳＤＨ）和苹果酸脱氢酶（ＭＤＨ）活性,而异柠檬酸脱氢酶（ＩＤＨ）活性为ＮａＣｌ抑制、ＫＣｌ促进;ＮａＣｌ和ＫＣｌ明显抑制细胞色素氧化酶（ＣＯ）和光呼吸中乙醇酸氧化酶（ＧＯ）、羟基丙酮酸还原酶（ＨＰＲ）活性;并指出在ＫＣｌ胁迫下,ＣＯ２使三羧酸循环（ＴＣＡＣ）的运行变慢,ＮａＣｌ胁迫下使其加快,ＴＣＡＣ运行限速步骤与ＭＤＨ无关,ＣＯ为盐对呼吸代谢影响的重要位点．另外,Ｋ＋、Ｎａ＋对蛋白表达的影响有差异,ＣＯ２可使盐胁迫下的碱蓬幼苗蛋白表达降低．     

奶牛卵泡超数同步发育及其卵母细胞的发育潜能

目的建立促奶牛卵泡超数同步发育的方法,并利用体细胞核移植和分子技术评价来自这些卵泡的卵母细胞发育潜能。方法用E2-P4对淘汰的高产奶牛进行联合处理后,分别对其实施不同组合的外源促性腺激素处理[FSH12h组,FSH48h组,FSH48h-LH6h组（简称LH6h组）,FSH48h-LH26h组（简称LH26h组）]以促进其卵泡超数同步发育;然后从卵泡中回收COCs进行体外成熟,排放第一极体的卵供作优质种牛的体细胞核转移（nucleartransfer,NT）受体,以评价卵的发育潜能。结果E2-P4能成功地诱导奶牛卵巢中产生一个新的卵泡起始波,并能保证卵泡在外源促性腺激素作用下实现超数同步发育;上述四组不同组合外源促性腺激素处理的卵母细胞衍生的NT重构胚经体内培养7d后,后3组的囊胚发育率显著高于FSH12h组和对照组（P〈0.01）;将这些克隆囊胚移植同步发情的受体牛子宫后,仅LH26h组的卵所获得的克隆胚能实现全程发育（直至克隆小牛出生）。经RT-PCR分析颗粒细胞中FSHr、LHr和连接蛋白43（Connexin43,Cx43）等mRNA含量变化,以及Western印迹分析其Bcl-2和Bax蛋白表达水平的变化,证实该组卵巢提供的同步发育卵泡为早期闭锁卵泡。结论E2-P4-FSH48h-LH26h组合处理可人为调控牛卵泡的同步发育;处于早期闭锁状态卵泡的卵母细胞具备较高的发育潜能。     

一步法扩增克隆IBDV上海超强毒VP2-4-3基因

分离、纯化了鸡传染性法氏囊病病毒超强毒 (vvIBDV) 上海株SH95的病毒核酸dsRNA,应用随机引物将RNA反转录成cDNA,以此为模板一步扩增出A片段前体融合蛋白基因即VP2-4-3基因,将其克隆入pGEM-T载体,并进行序列分析,其与超强毒株HK46的核苷酸序列的同源性达98%,整个基因有5个氨基酸差异,同源性达99.51%(1007/1012).     

The inhibitory effect of BSP-A1/-A2 on protein kinase C and tyrosine protein kinase

Bovine seminal plasma contains a group of similar proteins, namely BSP-A1, BSP-A2, BSP-A3, and BSP-30-kDa (collectively called BSP proteins), and they are secreted by the seminal vesicles. In our study, we purified the BSP-A1/-A2 through affinity chromatography and found for the first time that BSP-A1/-A2 can inhibit the activity of protein kinase C (PKC) and tyrosine protein kinase (TPK). The inhibition was dose dependent. When the PKC and TPK activities are expressed as the logarithm of percentage activity taking the activity in the absence of the BSP-A1/-A2 as 100%, there is a linear relationship between the their activities and the dose of BSP-A1/-A2.     

Characterization of Acetylcholine-induced Increases in Cytosolic Free Calcium Concentration in Individual Rat Pancreatic β-cells

The intracellular free Ca²⁺ ion concentration ([Ca²⁺]i) was measured using fura-2 microspec-trofluorimetry in individual rat pancreatic β-cells prepared by enzymatic digestion and fluorescence-activated cell sorting. The mean basal concentration of [Ca²⁺]i in β-cells in the presence of 4.4 mM glucose and 1.8 mM Ca²⁺ was 112±1.6 nM (n=207). The action of acetylcholine (ACh) was concentration-dependent, and raising the concentration resulted in [Ca²⁺]i spikes of increasing amplitude and duration in some, but not all of the β-cells. In addition, the β-cells demonstrated variable sensitivity to ACh. The increases in [Ca²⁺]i were rapid, transient and were blocked by atropine at 10^-6M. A brief exposure to 50 mM K⁺ resulted in a transient increase in [Ca²⁺]i similar to that induced by ACh, but resistant to atropine. A high concentration of ACh (100μL 10^-4M or 10^-3M) induced [Ca²⁺]i oscillations in 11 out of 57 β-cells in the presence of 4.4 mM glucose. Using calcium channel blockers and Ca²⁺ free medium, the source of the increase in [Ca²⁺]i was deduced to be from extracellular spaces. Changing the temperature from 22 to 37°C did not affect the action of ACh on [Ca²⁺]i. These data strongly suggest that ACh exerted a direct action on [Ca²⁺]i in normal rat pancreatic β-cells and support a role for Ca²⁺ as a second messenger in the action of ACh.     

乙型脑炎病毒SA14—14—2株E蛋白主要抗原片段的高效表达

在本实验室已构建的原核表达载体(含乙脑疫苗株SA14-14-2株E蛋白基因主要抗原片段)的基础上用巴斯德毕赤酵母系统表达,该片段长1113bp,编码371个氨基酸残基,将其亚克隆入酵母表达载体pPICZα-A,以电穿孔法转化酵母X-33,用Zeocin平板筛选重组子,经甲醇诱导表达后,SDS-PAGE和免疫印迹分析表达产物.由于糖基化不同,所表达产物有两种,其相对分子质量分别为44kDa和50kDa,表达量较高,约为290mg/L,经Western印迹验证,有较好的抗原性.在ELISA试验中,我们直接以PBS透析后的酵母上清包被,能够很明显地区分出乙脑阴阳性血清,与RT-PCR检测的相符率达95%,为制备JEV的诊断抗原和基因工程疫苗提供了依据.