Differences in the Biophysical Properties of the Benzodiazepine/γ-Aminobutyric Acid Receptor Chloride Channel Complex in the Long-Sleep and Short-Sleep Mouse Lines

Significant differences in the thermal stability of benzodiazepine receptors were found in cerebral cortical membranes prepared from the long-sleep (LS) and short-sleep (SS) selected mouse lines. Thus, benzodiazepine receptors from LS mice were heat inactivated (55 degrees C) at a significantly faster rate than those from SS mice. Although gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) reduced the rate of heat inactivation in both lines, the more rapid rate of inactivation in the LS line was maintained. Furthermore, the potency of GABA to enhance [3H]flunitrazepam binding decreased threefold in membranes from LS mice as the incubation temperature was increased from 0 degrees to 37 degrees C, but was unaltered in membranes from SS mice. These differences in the biophysical properties of the benzodiazepine/GABA receptor chloride channel complex ("supramolecular complex"), together with a higher KD for t-[35S]butylbicyclophosphorothionate in membranes from LS compared to SS mice, suggest that the supramolecular complex may modulate the differential sensitivity to some depressants and convulsants in these lines.     

Nitrogen fixation (15N dilution) with soybeans under Thai field conditions

Controlled environment and field studies were conducted to determine relationships between various measurements of N₂ fixation using soybeans and to use these measures to evaluate a number ofBradyrhizobium japonicum strains for effectiveness in N₂ fixation in Thai soils.¹⁵N dilution measurements of N₂ fixation showed levels of fixation ranging from 32 to 161 kg N ha⁻¹ depending on bacterial strain, host cultivar and location. Midseason measures of N₂ fixation were correlated with each other, but not related measures taken at maturity. Ranking ofB. japonicum strains based on performance under controlled conditions in N-free media were highly correlated with rankings based on soybean seed yields and N₂ fixation under field conditions. This study showed that inoculation of soybeans with effectiveB. japonicum strains can result in significant increases in yield and uptake of N through fixation. The most effective strains tested for use in Thai conditions were those isolated from Thai soils; however, effective strains from other locations were also of benefit.     

Inorganic-carbon uptake by a small-celled strain of Stichococcus bacillaris

Air-grown cells of a marine, small-celled (2 m diameter) strain of Stichococcus bacillaris contained appreciable carbonic-anhydrase activity but this was repressed when cells were grown on air enriched with 5% (v/v) CO₂. Assay of carbonic-anhydrase activity using intact cells and cell extracts showed all activity was intracellular in this Stichococcus strain. Measurement of inorganic-carbon-dependent photosynthetic O₂ evolution at pH 5.0, where CO₂ is the predominant form of inorganic carbon, showed that the concentration of inorganic carbon required for half-maximal rate of photosynthetic O₂ evolution [K_0.5(CO₂)] was 4.0 M for both air- and CO₂-grown cells. At pH 8.3 the K_0.5(CO₂) was 0.3 mM for air-grown and 0.6 mM for CO₂-grown cells. Sodium ions did not enhance bicarbonate utilization. Measurement of the internal inorganic-carbon pool (HCO ₃ ^– +CO₂) by the silicone-oil-layer centrifugal filtering technique showed that air- and CO₂-grown cells were able to concentrate inorganic carbon up to 20-fold in relation to the external medium at pH 5.0 but not at pH 8.3. In this alga the high affinity for CO₂ and inorganic-carbon accumulation in CO₂- and air-grown cells results from active CO₂ transport that is not dependent on carbonic-anhydrase activity.Abbreviation Hepes 4-(2-hydroxyethyl)-1-piperazine ethanesulfonic acid     

不同动物制备的抗血清对病毒抗原免疫反应的差异

血清学技术是病毒诊断、鉴定、分类及亲缘关系分析的重要手段。一般常用以制备抗病毒血清的动物是家兔,但也有采用其它动物的,如蛙、羊、豚鼠、鸡及小鼠等。本文比较了Balb/c小鼠、昆明种小鼠和新西兰大白兔对长叶车前花叶病毒上海分离株(RMVsh)和烟草花叶病毒普通株(TMVc)的免疫反应特征。     

Effect of exogenous hormones on the ovulation of primary and secondary oocytes in LT/Sv strain mice

LT/Sv strain mice ovulate both primary and secondary oocytes. These are fertilizable and give rise to digynic triploid and normal diploid conceptuses, respectively. A previous study [Kaufman and Speirs, 1987] had indicated that just over 20% of embryos recovered on the 10th day of gestation from spontaneously ovulating females had a triploid chromosome constitution. This value was considerably lower than might have been expected by extrapolation from earlier studies in which LT/Sv mice had been given exogenous gonadotrophins. In the present study, therefore, cytogenetic analysis of fertilized eggs was performed at the first cleavage mitosis in (1) spontaneously ovulating females mated to F1 hybrid males, and (2) superovulated females mated to similar males. Additional females from group (1) were autopsied on the 10th day of gestation, and the ploidy of embryos isolated at this stage of gestation was determined. Exposure to exogenous gonadotrophins significantly increased the proportion of eggs that were ovulated as primary oocytes (34.4%), compared to the situation observed following spontaneous ovulation (24.4%). All the triploids encountered in both series were of the digynic type and characteristically (for LT/Sv mice) had an oocyte-derived set with 40 chromosomes present, and a sperm-derived set containing 20 chromosomes. Similar numbers of eggs were recovered from spontaneously ovulating females on the 1st and 10th days of gestation, and the incidence of triploidy observed on the 10th day was 22.1%. The influence of exogenous hormones in increasing the “spontaneous” level of triploidy in LT/Sv and in other strains of mice is briefly reviewed.     

两种品系油菜植株成分与蚜虫种群消长及成蚜翅型的关系

本文研究两种品系油菜植株成分与桃蚜(Myzus persicae(Sulzer))、萝卜蚜(Lipaphis erysimi(Kaltenbach))的种群消长及成蚜翅型的关系.经分析得出如下结果:1.桃蚜种群消长与苏氨酸、赖氨酸、组氨酸、丙氨酸、硬脂酸等含量有关;桃蚜成蚜无翅率与精氨酸、谷氨酸、酪氨酸、异亮氨酸等含量有关.2.萝卜蚜种群消长与苏氨酸、蛋氨酸、异亮氨酸、苯丙氨酸、酪氨酸、含水量有关;萝卜蚜成蚜无翅率与含水量.亚麻酸.苏氨酸、油酸,天门冬氨酸、丝氯酸、亚油酸等含量有关.     

热刺激在植物体内的传递效应

以高粱(Sorghum bicolor)和大豆(U.S.Soybean)幼苗为材料研究了仅植物很部受到热刺激时,其未直接受到温度影响的叶组织细胞的反应。当13天龄的高粱幼苗根部经受45℃4小时热处理时,发现其未直接受到热刺激的叶细胞内合成了一些异常的蛋白质,估测的分子量分别为80kD、70kD、33kD和17kD。最明显的两条蛋白质谱带是70kD和17kD。6天龄的大豆幼苗,当其根部经受40℃3小时热处理时,在其叶细胞内也检测到两条较为明显的蛋白质谱带,其分子量分别为60kD和17kD。观测到的这些异常蛋白质命名为‘热应激效应蛋白’,并与热应激蛋白在分子量大小分布上进行了比较。另外,还报道了利用蛋白质合成抑制剂,亚胺环己酮(cyclohexlmide)探讨了热应激蛋白与植物热耐性方面的可能关联。     

Triploidy induction in Nile tilapia,Oreochromis niloticus L. using pressure,heat and cold shocks

Summary The results of a study aimed at the identification of treatment optima for triploidy induction in recently fertilised Oreochromis niloticus L. eggs by altering the intensity, duration and timing of application of pressure, heat and cold shocks are reported. Preliminary, but not directly comparable, trials suggested the following treatments to be close to the individual agent optima. Pressure: 8,000 psi 2-min duration applied 9 min after fertilisation (a.f.); heat: 41 °C, 3.5-min duration applied 5 min a.f., cold: 9°C, 30-min duration applied 7 min a.f. In a directly comparable trial in which the eggs of eight different females were separately exposed to the optimum shocks listed above, individual triploid yields were more variable following cold shocks and mean triploid yields were, therefore, higher following pressure and heat shock. These and other results obtained are presented and the light they shed on the timing of the second meiotic division in this species is discussed.