The Physiology of Plant Integrity

The original concept of the plant integration system is presented and exemplified by the data from the studies of the regulatory controls that mediate the effects of red light (R) on the growth of etiolated maize seedlings. The integrity of higher-plant behavior depends on the functional activity and interaction of the dominant (control center). In vegetating plants as the simplest case, these centers include the shoot apex and the distal part of the root comprising the sensory tissues, the zones of the synthesis of specific hormones, and the zones of high morphogenetic and sink capacities. The system of propagating electric signals is usually devoid of the permanent generation centers. The dominant centers recognize the external and internal signals and induce the development of polarity (the bioelectric and physiological gradients), canalized connections (the conducting bundles), and oscillations. Trophic, hormonal, and electrophysiological signals of intercellular regulation are propagated along the conducting bundles and affect the intracellular membrane, metabolic, and genic control systems. The regulatory controls comprise the receptor cells recognizing the external and internal signals, the tissues of connection channels, the effector cells, and the feedback loop elements. When three-day-old etiolated maize (Zea maysL.) seedlings are treated with red light (RL), the photosignal is recognized by the phytochrome in the cells of the mesocotyl intercalary meristem; as a result, the positive biopotential is prolonged in these cells and in the coleoptilar node. An electric field (the receptor potential) thus produced would hamper, by electroosmosis, IAA transport from the coleoptile into the mesocotyl and in this way, would drastically inhibit the growth of the latter and temporarily promote the growth of the former. The primary leaves, also recognize R, as a result R promotes cell growth and the synthesis of gibberellins. The Ukhtomskii's principle of the dominant is used to interpret the plant ability for switching over its physiological systems in response to specific signals.     

Genomic analysis of a novel integrative conjugative element in Vibrio cholerae

Integrative conjugative elements (ICEs) are a class of self-transmissible mobile elements that mediate horizontal gene transfer in bacteria, and play an important role in bacterial evolution. Since 1992, ICEs of the SXT/R391 family have been found to be widely distributed among Vibrio cholerae strains isolated in Asian countries. Here we describe ICEVchB33, an ICE found in the genomes of two V. cholerae O1 Eltor strains, one isolated in India, 1994, and the other from Mozambique, 2004. ICEVchB33 revealed a new genetic organization, different from other ICEs of the SXT/R391 family, demonstrating the genomic plasticity of these elements.     

Lake Erie Microcystis: Relationship between microcystin production, dynamics of genotypes and environmental parameters in a large lake

Cyanobacteria of genus Microcystis sp. have been commonly found in Lake Erie waters during recent summer seasons. In an effort to elucidate relationships between microcystin production, genotypic composition of Microcystis community and environmental parameters in a large lake ecosystem, we collected DNA samples and environmental data during a three-year (2003–2005) survey within Lake Erie and used the data to perform a series of correlation analyses. Cyanobacteria and Microcystis genotypes were quantified using quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR). Our data show that Microcystis in Lake Erie forms up to 42% of all cyanobacteria, and that Microcystis exists as a mixed population of potentially toxic and (primarily) non-toxic genotypes. In the entire lake, the total abundance of Microcystis as well as the abundance of microcystin-producing Microcystis is strongly correlated with the abundance of cyanobacteria suggesting that Microcystis is a significant component of the cyanobacterial community in Lake Erie during summer seasons. The proportion of total Microcystis of all cyanobacteria was strongly linked to the microcystin concentrations, while the percentage of microcystin-producing genotypes within Microcystis population showed no correlation with microcystin concentrations. Correlation analysis indicated that increasing total phosphorus concentrations correlate strongly with increasing microcystin concentrations as well as with the total abundance of Microcystis and microcystin-producing Microcystis.     

具反馈控制的时滞阶段结构种群模型的稳定性

研究具反馈控制的时滞阶段结构种群模型,证明了正平衡点的局部渐近稳定性, 并给出了正平衡点全局渐近稳定的充分条件．     

Platelet serotonin concentration in alcoholic subjects

Serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT) is assumed to play a role in the pathophysiology of different psychiatric disorders including alcoholism. Since platelets and central serotonergic synaptosomes share similar pharmacodynamics of 5-HT, this study determined platelet 5-HT concentration in 148 male and 42 female drug-free subjects with alcohol dependency, according to the DSM-IV criteria, and in sex-and age-matched controls. Male and female alcoholics had significantly lower platelet 5-HT concentration than 110 male and 123 female healthy controls. Sex differences, i.e. higher platelet 5-HT concentration in men than in women, were found both in healthy and alcoholic subjects. Platelet 5-HT concentration differed significantly in male and female alcoholic subjects with or without different psychiatric comorbidities. Platelet 5-HT concentration was higher in male alcoholics with comorbid posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) than in male alcoholics with comorbid anxious-depressive disorder, or depression, or male alcoholics without any psychiatric comorbidities. Comorbid depression in female alcoholics slightly elevated platelet 5-HT levels but these values were still reduced compared to values in healthy women. Smoking status did not affect platelet 5-HT concentration either in healthy or in alcoholic subjects. The data from our study show sex differences, and reduced platelet 5-HT values, regardless of the nicotine dependence, in the large groups of male and female alcoholic subjects. Among male alcoholics the presence of comorbid PTSD partly normalized the decreased platelet 5-HT values. The results of the present study support the hypothesis that alterations in 5-HT system might be related to alcoholism.     

黄土丘陵小流域土壤水分的空间异质性及其影响因子

研究了黄土丘陵小流域土壤水分空间异质性的剖面及时间变化规律，从土壤水分与环境因子的关系分析入手，探讨了景观尺度上土壤水分空间异质性的影响因子，结果表明，黄土丘陵小流域土壤水分的平均值与空间异质性均呈现出明显的剖面变化与季节变化规律，土壤平均含水量从表土层开始，随着土层深度的增加而增高；空间异质性（变异系数）从亚表层开始增加，土壤含水量在降雨后立即升高随后逐渐降低；空间异质性却正好相反，方差分析与相关分析表明，土壤水分的空间异质性是立地尺度（坡度），坡面尺度（坡位与相对高度）和流域尺度（土地利用与降雨）等多重尺度上的环境因子共同作用的结果，这些不同尺度的环境因子对土壤水分空间异质性的影响表现出明显的剖面变化规律与季节变化规律。     

植物区系基本特征的参数综合表达

确定了植物区系６个基本特征的数量描述与处理方法,应用模糊数学中综合评判的方法建立了植物区系基本特征的参数综合表达式,最后通过实例验证,其参数综合表达式计算出来的实际情况一致。     

Relationship between cytotoxicity and induction of sister-chromatid exchanges in mouse foetal cells exposed to several doses of carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic chemicals.

The increase in sister-chromatid exchanges induced by 5 chemicals, with different DNA damaging and carcinogenic activities, was studied in short-term foetal-mouse cultures. A significant increase in SCE was induced by N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine, N-diazoacetylglycine-amide, azaserine and methotrexate. k-Strophantin, on the contrary, was totally inactive. On a molar basis, MNNG was the most active chemical followed by MTX, AZS and DGA, in that order. At equitoxic concentrations (D37), the order of SCE-inducing abilities was MNNG, DGA, AZS and MTX. Compared with previous data, at equitoxic concentrations, the most DNA-damaging agents were also the most effective in inducing SCE. The SCE increase seems to correlate not with unspecific cytotoxicity but more with DNA damage or other damage at the genome level. MTX, a non-mutagen, which induced SCE only at toxic levels, could be considered a false positive because this positivity may reflect an enhancement of incorporation of 5-BrdUrd into DNA. The positive results obtained with AZS suggest a sufficient sensitivity of the method for detecting relatively weak carcinogens.     

Control of DNA synthesis in tissue culture cells

Summary Eukaryotic DNA is functionally divided into thousands of replicons, each of which may be duplicated at a characteristic time within the DNA synthetic (S) period. Our approach toward an understanding of the molecular mechanisms which control orderly eukaryotic DNA synthesis has been: (a) to devise a method of cell synchrony in a suitable tissue culture system wherein all cells in the population enter and traverse the S period with a high degree of synchrony; (b) to determine, utilizing this system, precisely when during the S period critical events and macromolecular syntheses occur; and (c) to examine, by polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis, the spectrum of proteins which become associated with chromatin during the S period in such a way as to suggest their involvement with DNA synthesis. Possible mechanisms for control are discussed based on the results presented here. Presented in the formal symposium on Mechanisms of Cellular Control at the 28th Annual Meeting of the Tissue Culture Association, New Orleans, Louisiana, June 6–9, 1977. The work reported in this communication was supported by NCI Grant CA 18612 to A.B.P.