Fertilization of poplar clones in the nursery

Summary Results of experiments with four poplar clones and various chemical fertilizers in a nursery in southern Greece are presented. At the end of the first growth period the heights of the four clones, without fertilizers, decreased in the order of I-214>I-262>cv. campeator > black poplar 1/64 with significant differences only between black poplar 1/64 and the rest of the clones.Of the fertilizer nutrients N, P, K and Mg only N improved heights of all clones significantly and especially of the clone I-214. One hundred and 200 kg of P fertilizer per ha had minimal or negative effect on height increase of all clones.Ammonium sulfate, ammonium nitrate and potassium nitrate all at 400 kg N per ha were found equally effective in improving height growth of the clone I-214 but ammonium nitrate is the N fertilizer of choice by its higher N content and relatively lower price.Ammonium nitrate at 200 kg N per ha, in two or three equal dosages, during the first growth period, June–July, gave the maximum height increase for two consecutive years of the clone I-214. Six hundred kgs, of N per ha reduced height increase of the same clone and increased losses of N, as NO₃ ^–, in drainage water.     

Gonad development of the sea anemone Anthopleura asiatica in clonal populations

Seasonal fluctuations in relative gonad volume and oocyte size of the sea anemone Anthopleura asiatica were examined in 3 unisexual (male) populations and one bisexual population in the Seto Inland Sea of Japan from December 1982 to December 1985. A distinct annual cycle of gonadal maturation with a peak in the summer was found in all of the populations, although they appeared to be sustained only by asexual reproduction. Spawning occured synchronously between the 2 sexes early in the fall in the bisexual population while it was one to one and a half months later in the unisexual populations.     

The genome-wide screening of yeast deletion mutants to identify the genes required for tolerance to ethanol and other alcohols

A set of homozygous diploid deletion mutants of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae was screened for the genes required for tolerance to aliphatic alcohols. The screen identified 137, 122 and 48 deletion mutants sensitive to ethanol, 1-propanol and 1-pentanol, respectively. A number of the genes required for ethanol tolerance were those also required for tolerance to other alcohols. Numerous mutants with defective genes encoding for vacuolar H+ -ATPase (V-ATPase) were cosensitive to these alcohols. A global screening approach of yeast deletion library mutants was useful in elucidating the mechanisms of alcohol tolerance based on different lipophilicities.     

从cDNA文库中筛选分析阳性克隆的简便方法

cDNA文库中阳性克隆的传统筛选分析法既费时又费力.利用微波炉加热的方法,简化了原位杂交中噬菌斑裂解、DNA变性与固定的程序;进一步运用PCR扩增技术,特异扩增克隆载体中插入的cDNA片段,加快了阳性克隆分析的进程.     

Real-time quantitative RT-PCR analysis of human bone marrow stromal cells during osteogenic differentiation in vitro

We developed and used real-time RT-PCR assays to investigate how the expression of typical osteoblast-related genes by human bone marrow stromal cells (BMSC) is regulated by (i) the culture time in medium inducing osteogenic differentiation and (ii) the previous expansion in medium enhancing cell osteogenic commitment. BMSC from six healthy donors were expanded in medium without (CTR) or with fibroblast growth factor-2 and dexamethasone (FGF/Dex; these factors are known to increase BMSC osteogenic commitment) and further cultivated for up to 20 days with ascorbic acid, beta-glycerophosphate and dexamethasone (these factors are typically used to induce BMSC osteogenic differentiation). Despite a high variability in the gene expression levels among different individuals, we identified the following statistically significant patterns. The mRNA levels of bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP-2), bone sialo protein-II (BSP), osteopontin (OP) and to a lower extent cbfa-1 increased with culture time in osteogenic medium (OM), both in CTR- and FGF/Dex-expanded BMSC, unlike levels of alkaline phosphatase, collagen type I, osteocalcin, and osteonectin. After 20 days culture in OM, BMP-2, BSP, and OP were more expressed in FGF/Dex than in CTR-expanded BMSC (mRNA levels were, respectively, 9.5-, 14.9-, and 5.8-fold higher), unlike all the other investigated genes. Analysis of single-colony-derived strains of BMSC further revealed that after 20 days culture in OM, only a subset of FGF/Dex-expanded clones expressed higher mRNA levels of BMP-2, BSP, and OP than CTR-expanded clones. In conclusion, we provide evidence that mRNA levels of BMP-2, BSP, and OP, quantified using real-time RT-PCR, can be used as markers to monitor the extent of BMSC osteogenic differentiation in vitro; using those markers, we further demonstrated that only a few subpopulations of BMSC display enhanced osteogenic differentiation following FGF/Dex expansion.     

Auxin metabolism and rooting in young and mature clones of Sequoia sempervirens

The capacity of young and mature Sequoia sempervirens clones to produce roots in vitro was studied after wounding and indole-3-butyric acid (IBA) treatments. Rooting was not observed in mature or in young cuttings cultivated for 30 days in medium without IBA. The presence of 25 μ M IBA in the medium resulted in the appearance of roots at the base of the cuttings. More roots appeared and grew faster on cuttings of the young than on the mature clone. This difference in rooting capacity between young and mature cuttings may be related to differences in the hormone levels at the base of the 5 mm long cuttings during the first 4 days of the root inductive period. After HPLC fractionation. IAA. IBA and related compounds, including indole-3-aspartic acid (IAAsp) and IBA-glucose ester (IBA-GE), were determined by MS and MS-MS and their levels measured by ELISA. Another immunoreactive compound was also found and determined to be N,N-dimethyltryptophan (DMT), a compound previously reported to inhibit auxin-enhanced ethylene production. Wounding of the stem without IBA treatment revealed a transient increase in IAA, IAAsp and DMT levels in young cuttings while a dramatic increase in the levels of DMT was observed in mature cuttings. Following IBA treatment. IAA levels increased in both clones, but higher levels were measured in the young than in the mature clone. IBA and IBA-GE were also found but in higher levels in the mature clone. Thus, the difficult-to-root mature clone differs from the young clone in its auxin metabolism.     

酵母双杂交相关方法的改良及应用

对酵母双杂交实验过程中较为耗时的阳性克隆鉴定过程进行改进,以期建立一种快速有效的鉴定方法。分别采用液氮冻融法、超声破碎法、渗透压破壁法以及煮沸裂解法裂解酵母细胞,获得质粒作为PCR模板,直接测序鉴定筛选到的相互作用蛋白。以液氮冻融法和超声破碎法裂解细胞获得的质粒为模板进行PCR,得到特异的产物,测序鉴定结果明确,与经典的鉴定方法相比效果相当,但更加经济快捷;而渗透压破壁法和煮沸裂解法则效果不好。说明前两种方法可代替常规方法用于阳性克隆的鉴定,从而加快酵母双杂交实验中大量阳性克隆的筛查工作。     

三倍体白杨杂种无性系指纹图谱的构建

目的:构建三倍体白杨杂种无性系指纹图谱,鉴定三倍体白杨杂种无性系。方法:分离纯化三倍体白杨杂种DNA模板,采用扩增片段长度多态性(AFLP)分子标记技术构建三倍体白杨杂种无性系指纹图谱。结果:从64对引物组合中筛选出M-CTA/E-CAG、M-CAC/E-CCA、M-ACT/E-CTC和M-CTT/E-CTG等4对多态性较高的引物组合,并应用该引物组合对21个三倍体白杨杂种无性系进行了AFLP分析,构建了21个三倍体白杨杂种无性系指纹图谱。结论:构建无性系指纹图谱是鉴别三倍体白杨杂种无性系的有效方法,能够有效鉴别21个三倍体白杨杂种无性系。本研究为品种鉴定及新品种权保护奠定了基础。     

自然界斜纹夜蛾核型多角体病毒的基因型多态性

【目的】从基因组序列角度进一步揭示自然界斜纹夜蛾核型多角体病毒（Spodoptera litura nucleopolyhedrovirus, SpltNPV）的基因型多态性。【方法】病毒克隆A5, F1, X3 和 X15分别以活体克隆法分离自SpltNPV埃及株、 日本福冈株和日本小笠原株。根据SpltNPV基因组全序列（GenBank登录号: AF325155）和海灰翅夜蛾核型多角体病毒（S. littoralis NPV, SpliNPV）部分基因序列（GenBank登录号: X99377, X99376 和X98924）设计引物, PCR扩增获得A5, F1, X3 和 X15的多角体蛋白（polyhedrin, polh）基因和ORF18~ORF23序列。【结果】根据多角体蛋白基因序列, X3和X15属于SpltNPV型, 而A5和F1属于SpliNPV型。将A5, F1, X3 和 X15的ORF18~ORF23与SpltNPV和SpliNPV相应的基因序列进行同源性比较。结果发现, F1与SpliNPV以及X3与SpltNPV的核苷酸序列相似性高, 但X3的ORF20在172~558 nt处缺失387 bp。尽管依据多角体蛋白基因序列X15属于SpltNPV型, 但对于ORF18~ORF23序列, X15与SpliNPV的相似性高于与SpltNPV的相似性。同样, A5属于SpliNPV型, ORF18~ORF20与SpliNPV相应的核苷酸序列相似性高, 但ORF21与SpltNPV相应的核苷酸序列一致性为100%, 特别是ORF22, SpltNPV的特有序列出现在A5的基因组中, 而且与SpltNPV的ORF22一致性为100%; 反过来, ORF23又与SpliNPV相应的核苷酸序列相似性高。【结论】所有这些都表明, SpltNPV在自然界不仅存在基因型多态性, 而且即使属于同一基因型, 它们的基因组序列也有显著差异。可利用SpltNPV在自然界的这种异质性筛选适宜防治斜纹夜蛾幼虫的株系。     

一种快速提取质粒DNA用于鉴别重组克隆的方法

介绍了一种利用过夜培养的菌液瞬时提取质粒DNA,并用于电泳鉴别含有插入子克隆的方法。事先无需准备许多繁琐的相关试剂,提取质粒的全过程只需3~5min就可完成,非常适合于做重组克隆的快速鉴别。