Sister chromatid differential staining and NOR activity of BrdU-resistant sublines

Summary Two 30 g/ml BrdU-resistant sublines and two 60 g/ml BrdU-resistant sublines are induced from a Chinese hamster cell line Wg3h (HGPRT^–) by one-step and two-step selections, respectively. By inoculating the cells into BrdU-free medium or by adding more BrdU into the culture medium for 26–27 h, it was found that the two BrdU-resistant sublines analysed have very clear sister chromatid differential (SCD) staining patterns. This indicates that some of the nuclear DNA of the BrdU-resistant cells incorporate with BrdU to reach a kinetic balance. Frequencies of sister chromatid exchange (SCE) of the resistant cells are twice to four times as high as those of the Wg3h cells, depending on which BrdU-resistant subline is analysed. The SCE frequencies of the resistant cells also increase with the BrdU concentration in the medium. Analysis of silver-stained nucleolar organizer regions (NORs) indicates that the NOR activity of three out of the four BrdU-resistant sublines is significantly suppressed, i.e., averages of the Ag-NOR number and number of the chromosomes bearing Ag-NORs per cell decrease significantly. The degree of suppression for different BrdU-resistant sublines may be quite different. The suppressed NOR activity of the resistant cells can gradually be restored when the cells are inoculated into BrdU-free medium, but the recovery speed is far lower than that of the Wg3h cells. The suppression of the NOR activity of the BrdU-resistant sublines should be due to BrdU toxicity.     

A new pollen type,C-banded and fluorochrome counterstained chromosomes,and evolution inGuatteria and related genera (Annonaceae)

Guatteria, Guatteriopsis, Guatteriella andHeteropetalum share the same conspicuous pollen type which is new for theSpermatophyta. It is zonoaperturate with a folded aperture region and an extremely reduced exine. First chromosome counts and karyotype analyses forGuatteriopsis (4 species investigated) andGuatteriella (1 species) are identical with those ofGuatteria (19 species seen): 2n = 28. The genome is characterized by diploidization and partly telocentric chromosomes. Sequentially Giemsa C- and fluorochrome banded chromosomes and interphase nuclei are described. The cuticular folding pattern is distinct forHeteropetalum only. Growth forms and ecology are reported for many species. The evolutionary pattern of theGuatteria group is discussed and compared with other genera and families.     

Characteristics of structural proteins of infectious flacherie virus from the silkworm, Bombyx mori

Structural proteins and the characteristics of infectious flacherie virus (IFV) purified from the silkworm, Bombyx mori, are described. The purified IFV had four major structural proteins, which were detected only in high concentration gels of sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, and a few minor ones. Molecular weights of the major proteins were 35,200 (VP 1), 33,000 (VP 2), 31,200 (VP 3), and 11,600 (VP 4), and numbers per virion were 62, 57, 54, and 31, respectively. Amino acid compositions of VP 1, VP 2, and VP 3 were similar to each other but that of VP 4 was somewhat different. By isoelectric focusing and two-dimensional electrophoresis, high resolution of the structural proteins was obtained with silver staining. The isoelectric points of the four major proteins were determined as 7.7(VP 1), 6.7(VP 2), 4.8(VP 3), and 5.5(VP 4). This work is the first report on insect picornaviruses that presents some discriminative properties of each viral protein that was compared to those of mammalian picornaviruses.     

The Nuclear Envelope of Amoeba proteus During Mitosis as Studied With a Monoclonal Antibody Against a Membrane-Associated Protein

. The behavior of nuclear envelopes during mitosis in Amoeba proteus was studied by means of indirect immunofluo-rescence staining using a monoclonal antibody against a 220-kD membrane-associated protein of amoebae in conjunction with DAPI staining of chromatin. The antibody selectively recognized antigens on nuclear envelopes during interphase but did not react with the nuclear membranes during mitosis until after cytokinesis had been completed. Thus, it appeared that the membrane-associated protein reacting with the monoclonal antibody and normally present on the nuclear membranes was absent from fragmented nuclear membranes or nuclear membranes that were continuous but did not have the honey-comb lamina. The findings suggested that the 220-kD nuclear-membrane protein may be involved in the dissolution and reformation of the honey-comb lamina during mitosis in amoebae.     

The chromosomes ofAzima tetracantha (Salvadoraceae)

Azima tetracantha has an asymmetrical karyotype with large chromosomes and a large amount of heterochromatin. The haploid number (n = 11) may represent the base number of the family. However, a possible secondary origin of this base number is also considered.     

Early nuclear events of in vitro fertilization in the domestic fowl (Gallus domesticus)

In vitro fertilization in the domestic fowl (Gallus domesticus) was investigated by observation of the early nuclear events. Ova retrieved from the fimbria following ovulation were inseminated in vitro with 10(6)-10(7) spermatozoa in Dulbecco's modified Eagle's medium (DMEM) for 10 min and then further incubated in DMEM + albumen for 1, 2, 3, or 4 hr. These eggs were histologically examined by epifluorescent microscopy after staining with 4',6'-diamidino-2-phenylindole (DAPI). Nuclei of spermatozoa at various stages of transformation were observed in the ova incubated for 1-3 hr. Close pairing of two pronuclei, presumed to be male and female juxtaposition, was detected in ova incubated for 4 hr. These data provide direct evidence for the in vitro fertilization of fowl eggs and suggested that the early process of in vitro fertilization is comparable to that of in vivo fertilization.     

小鼠早期胚胎发育期间TGF-β_1免疫组织化学定位

用兔抗人血小板TGF-β_1 N末端1—29氨基酸残基人工合成多肽抗血清作探针以及免疫荧光和免疫酶染色技术,分析了1—12天小鼠早期发育期间胚胎的TGF-β_1物质分布。结果表明,着床前胚胎包括卵裂细胞,桑椹胚和胚泡的ICM及滋养外胚层等细胞均显示TGF-β_1阳性免疫荧光染色。免疫酶染色还证明,沿囊胚腔顶部单层排列的原始内胚层细胞比邻近的ICM细胞有较深的染色反应。随着胚胎着床和进一步发育,7天龄胚胎中胚层早期形成阶段,紧靠中胚层一侧的外胚层胞质中含有浓集的棕色颗粒;各胚层的部分区域也存在着染色强度上差别。8—12天龄胚胎中,体节,心壁、间质细胞和肠道以及卵黄囊的脏壁中胚层均有显著的TGF-β_1免疫酶阳性物质。这些结果表明,着床前小鼠胚胎富含TGF-β_1物质,着床后的胚外组织,例如卵黄囊也为胚胎进一步发育提供了富含TGF-β_1物质的微环境;同时也提示,小鼠早期胚胎发育期间的胚泡形成,ICM细胞分化出原始内胚层,卵柱期中胚层形成,以及以后的神经管、体节和肢芽形成阶段等一系列形态发生和器官形成过程中,TGF-β_1可能是参与重要作用的一种生长调节因子。     

PCR analysis of oilseed rape cultivars (Brassica napus L. ssp. oleifera) using 5′ -anchored simple sequence repeat (SSR) primers

Primers complementary to simple sequence repeats (SSRs) and with variable three-base anchors at their 5 end, were used in PCR analyses to compare pooled DNA samples from various Brassica napus and B. rapa cultivars. Amplification products were resolved on polyacrylamide gels and detected by silver-nitrate staining. The resulting banding patterns were highly repeatable between replicate PCRs. Two of the primers produced polymorphisms at 33 and 23 band positions, respectively, and could each discriminate 16 of the 20 cultivars studied. Combined use of both primers allowed all 20 cultivars to be distinguished. The UPGMA dendrogram, based on the cultivar banding profiles, demonstrated clustering on the basis of winter/spring growth habit, high/low glucosinolate content, and cultivar origin (i.e. the breeder involved). Intracultivar polymorphism was investigated using a minimum of ten individuals for each cultivar and was found to vary considerably between cultivars. It is concluded that anchored SSR-PCR analysis is a highly informative and reproducible method for fingerprinting oilseed rape populations, but that intra-cultivar variation should be investigated before using banding profiles from pooled samples for the identification of individuals.