Characterization of pNiXa,a serpin of Xenopus laevis oocytes and embryos,and its histidine-rich,Ni(II)-binding domain

A Ni(II)-binding serpin, pNiXA, is abundant in Xenopus oocytes and embryos. Kinetic assays show that purified pNiXa strongly inhibits bovine α-chymotrypsin (K₁ = 3 mM), weakly inhibits porcine elastase (K₁ = 0.5 μM), and does not inhibit bovine trypsin. The reversible, slow-binding inhibition of α-chymotrypsin by pNiXa is unaffected by Ni(II). Ovochymase in egg exudates is inhibited by pNiXa, but to a limited extent, even at high pNiXa concentrations. An octadecapeptide that models the His-rich domain (-HRHRHEQQGHHDSAKHGH-) of pNiXa forms six-coordinate, octahedral Ni(II)-complexes when the N-terminus is acetylated, and a square-planar Ni(II)-complex when the N-terminus is unblocked. Spectroscopy reveals two distinct types of octahedral Ni(II)-coordination to the N-acetylated octadecapeptide, involving, respectively, 3–4 and 5–6 imidazole nitrogens; the octadecapeptide undergoes partial, reversible precipitation in pH-and Ni(II)-dependent fashion, suggesting an insoluble, Ni(II)-coupled (Hx)_n-dimer. Such (Hx)_n-peptide interaction is confirmed by an enzyme-linked biotin-avidin assay with N-biotin-KHRHRHE-amide and N-acetyl-KHRHRHE-resin beads, which become coupled after adding Ni(II) or Zn(II). H₂O₂ oxidation of 2′-deoxyguanosine to mutagenic 8-hydroxy-2′deoxyguanosine is enhanced by the octahedral Ni(II)-octadecapeptide complex, although the effect is more intense with the square-planar Ni(II) octadecapeptide complex. Immunoperoxidase staining of whole mounts wish pNiXa antibody shows that pNiXa is distributed throughout gastrula-stage embryos and is localized during organogenesis in the brain, eye, spinal cord, myotomes, craniofacial tissues, and other sites of Ni(II) induced anomalies. Patterns of pNiXa staining are similar in controls and Ni(II)-exposed embryos. Binding of Ni(II) to pNiXa may cause embryotoxicity by enhancing oxidative reactions that produce tissue injury and genotoxicity. Although the natural target proteinases for pNiXa inhibition have not been established, pNiXa may be an important regulator of proteolysis during embryonic development. © 1996 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

茯苓基本生物学特性研究

以11个不同来源的茯苓菌株为材料,研究了茯苓菌丝体、子实体和担孢子的形态特征及适宜的生长、发育条件。结果表明,茯苓菌丝体为少分枝、有隔膜、无锁状联合的多核菌丝,茯苓担孢子核相以双核为主,双核孢子,单核孢子和无核孢子分别占87.2%,4.7%和8.1%。配对试验结果表明,同一菌株及不同菌株原生质体分离株间的配对均能融洽生长,同一菌株担孢子间的配对均产生拮抗线,但其中有少数配对在交接区形成扇形区域,拮抗线随后消失,而不同菌株担孢子间的配对则全部形成稳定的栅栏型菌落,暗示茯苓担孢子中的两个细胞核是具遗传互补性,能形成独立个体的异双核,茯苓可能是一种次级同宗结合菌。     

陆地棉GhSDP1及其启动子的克隆与表达分析

三酰基甘油脂肪酶(SDP1)是催化三酰甘油降解的关键酶,在植物油脂代谢调控中起着重要作用。克隆棉花SDP1并研究其在3种胁迫下的表达分析,为解析棉花SDP1的生物学功能提供依据。以陆地棉品种冀丰1271为试材,克隆GhSDP1编码序列和上游启动子序列;利用PlantCARE分析GhSDP1启动子区顺式作用元件;qRT-PCR检测逆境胁迫下GhSDP1的表达谱;通过烟草瞬时表达pGhSDP1启动子+GUS载体检测启动子活性。结果表明,GhSDP1的编码序列为2 541 bp,其在盐、低温和干旱胁迫下呈差异表达模式。pGhSDP1除具有启动子所必需的TATA-box和CAAT-box等基本顺式作用元件外,还含有多个与光响应、激素响应及逆境应答等相关的顺式作用元件。棉花pGhSDP1启动子能驱动GUS蛋白高效表达,具有较强的启动子活性。研究揭示了棉花GhSDP1参与胁迫应答的新功能。     

鲫鱼视网膜锌离子分布的光、电镜观察

本文应用ｎｅｏ－Ｔｉｍｍ染色法,观察了鲫鱼视网膜内锌离子的分布情况以及明,暗适应条件下鲫鱼视网膜内锌离子分布的变化。结果发现,明适应条件下,外网层、部分光感受器、双极细胞、无长突细胞以及神经节细胞胞体锌离子着色明显,含锌光感受器和双极细胞的突起伸入外网层,暗适应条件下,外网层锌离子染色减弱或消失（Ｐ〈０．０１）。外核层胞体锌离子染色阴性,少数散在分布的视锥细胞呈锌离子阳性,上述资料提示,明适应条件     

Intracellular location of catalase-peroxidase hydroperoxidase I of Escherichia coli

The catalase-peroxidase hydroperoxidase I of Escherichia coli has been confirmed to be located in the cytoplasm using two independent methods. Catalase activity was found predominantly (> 95%) in the cytoplasmic fraction following spheroplast formation. The cytoplasmic enzyme glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase and the periplasmic enzyme alkaline phosphatase were used as controls. The second method of immunogold staining for the enzyme in situ revealed an even distribution of the enzyme across the cell.     

Isolating Mortierella alpina strains of high yield of arachidonic acid

AIMS: To develop a fast isolation method for arachidonic acid-producing fungi of high yield. METHODS AND RESULTS: Relation between the staining degree of mycelia of Mortierella alpina stained with triphenyltetrazolium chloride (TTC) and arachidonic acid content in the fungal lipids was investigated. Results showed that staining degree of mycelia stained with TTC increased when arachidonic acid content in mycelia lipids increased. This finding was used to isolate strains of high arachidonic acid yield. Arachidonic acid producing fungi were selectively isolated from soil at a low temperature of 4 degrees C and the mycelia of these isolates were stained with TTC. CONCLUSIONS: The strain M. alpina M6 that had the highest staining degree had the highest arachidonic acid content (72.3%). The yield of arachidonic acid in this strain reached 4.82 g l(-1). SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: A fast and effective method to isolate strains of high arachidonic acid yield was established according to the finding that staining degree of mycelia of M. alpina was positively correlated with arachidonic acid content in mycelia lipid.     

Rapid and reliable DNA extraction techniques from trypan-blue-stained mycorrhizal roots: comparison of two methods

Two improved DNA extraction techniques from trypan-blue-stained root fragments were developed and compared for rapid and reliable analyses. In Method A, 1 cm trypan-blue-stained mycorrhizal root fragments were individually isolated, crushed by bead beating, and purified with Chelex-100 (Bio-Rad). In Method B, DNA extraction was carried out using an UltraClean microbial DNA isolation kit (MoBio Laboratories). DNA was extracted from the mycorrhizal roots of four plant species, quantified by UV absorbance, and PCR-amplified with primers specific to arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi. Although PCR inhibitors might still exist when using Method A, appropriate dilution and employment of nested-PCR overcame this problem. Method B removed PCR inhibitors, but sometimes, depending on the mycorrhizal colonization within the root fragments, it also required nested PCR. In conclusion, both methods enabled us to handle many samples in a short time. Method B provided greater reliability and Method A provided better cost performance. Both techniques can be useful for PCR-based applications to identify species and estimate species composition after measuring mycorrhizal colonization rate with trypan blue staining.     

Gram-staining characterisation of activated sludge filamentous bacteria by automated colour analysis

An automated image analysis method has been developed for the monitoring of the Gram-staining characteristics of filamentous bacteria in activated sludge. The binary method of pixel classification agreed with manual estimation (level of correlation of 0.9 for Gram-positive bacteria). Its robustness has been assessed by repeatability tests. Population shifts in terms of Gram-staining characteristics have been monitored in laboratory-scale experiments with two feeding schedules using this technique.Revisions requested 22 September 2004; Revisions received 11 October 2004     

The application of image cytometry to viability assessment in dual fluorescence-stained fish spermatozoa

The viability of spermatozoa has been assessed using SYBR 14 staining for DNA of living cells and propidium iodide staining for DNA of degenerate cells. This dual staining was performed on four fish species (Siberian sturgeon, Acipenser baerii; common carp, Cyprinus carpio; tench, Tinca tinca and wels, Silurus glanis) and the proportions of live and dead spermatozoa were assessed by epifluorescence microscopy and image cytometry. Ten phase contrast and epifluorescent images were recorded per sample, corresponding images were overlaid, and the blended images were evaluated for live and dead spermatozoa, represented by green and red fluorescence signals. Live/dead proportions were assessed, after dual thresholding, by imaging software that counted absolute numbers of objects and computed their frequencies. All sperm heads were found to be labelled, emitting either green or red light. Mean numbers of spermatozoa per image were in the ranges 32-113, 61-105, 48-104 and 29-91 for Siberian sturgeon, common carp, tench and wels, respectively. The corresponding proportions of live spermatozoa were in the ranges 83.56-94.59%, 93.92-97.02%, 76.14-97.76% and 79.45-83.76%. Standard deviations did not exceed 5% of the means. The image cytometric system using dual staining with SYBR 14 and propidium iodide was clearly suitable for assessing the viability of freshwater fish spermatozoa.