A New Species of Iris from China

One new species of the genus Iris(Iridaceae), Iris Psammocola Y.T.Zhao, is des-cribed from Ningxia Autonomoeus Region, China.     

Localization of allatostatin-immunoreactive material in the central nervous system,stomatogastric nervous system,and gut of the cockroach Blattella germanica

Immunoreactivity against peptides of the allatostatin family having a typical YXFGL-NH₂ C-terminus has been localized in different areas of the central nervous system, stomatogastric nervous system and gut of the cockroach Blattella germanica. In the protocerebrum, the most characteristic immunoreactive perikarya are situated in the lateral and median neurosecretory cell groups. Immunoreactive median neurosecretory cells send their axons around the circumesophageal connectives to form arborizations in the anterior neuropil of the tritocerebrum. A group of cells in the lateral aspect of the tritocerebrum project to the antennal lobes in the deutocerebrum, where immunoreactive arborizations can be seen in the periphery of individual glomeruli. Nerve terminals were shown in the corpora allata. These terminals come from perikarya situated in the lateral neurosecretory cells in the pars lateralis and in the subesophageal ganglion. Immunoreactive axons from median neurosecretory cells and from cells positioned in the anteriormost part of the tritocerebrum enter together in the stomatogastric nervous system and innervate foregut and midgut, especially the crop and the valve between the crop and the midgut. The hindgut is innervated by neurons whose perikarya are located in the last abdominal ganglion. Besides immunoreactivity in neurons, allatostatin-immunoreactive material is present in endocrine cells distributed within the whole midgut epithelium. Possible functions for these peptides according to their localization are discussed. Arch. Insect Biochem. Physiol. 37:269–282, 1998. © 1998 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Studies On the Pollen Morphology of the Genus Iris in China

In this paper, pollen grains of 32 species of the genus Iris in China were examined under light microscope and scanning elrctron microscope. Pollen grains in Iris of China are navicular or subspheroidal. According to the characters of aperture and shape, pollen grains may be divided into four types: (1) Monocolpate (distal): pollen grains navicular or subspheroidal, exine reticulate. (2) Monocolpate-colpoidal: pollen grains subspheroidal, exine pilate. (3) 2-syncolpate: polen grains subspheroidal or navicular, exine reticulate. (4) No aperture: pollen grains subspheroidal; exine verrucate. The evolutional trends of aperture and exine ornamentation are traced and systematic po-sitions of some species are discussed based on characteristics of pollen grains and other organs.     

保幼激素类似物对德国小蠊卵黄发生及繁殖的影响

应用ELISA、单向免疫扩散法,研究了保幼激素类似物（灭幼宝）对德国小蠊Blattella germanica卵黄发生的影响;同时,观察了灭幼宝对德国小蠊繁殖的影响。灭幼宝促进了德国小蠊脂肪体Vg的合成,使血淋巴Vg的浓度明显增高,出现时间早于对照组;且变化规律不同于对照组,呈双峰模式。灭幼宝处理组昆虫卵巢中Vt的含量在第5天、第7天明显高于对照组,而在第9天明显下降,仅为对照组的50%左右,而此时对照组卵巢的Vt含量则上升到处理组第7天水平。灭幼宝处理新羽化的雌虫,导致不育。     

A microdialysis study of allatostatin degradation in Blattella germanica (L.) (Dictyoptera, Blattellidae)

Allatostatins with a typical C‐terminal sequence YXFGL‐NH₂ are insect neuropeptides with inhibitory properties upon Juvenile Hormone production in the corpora allata, vitellogenin release by the fat body, and gut and dorsal vessel motility. All these biological effects are rapidly reversible, suggesting the occurrence of effective mechanisms for inactivation of the peptides. We have studied the degradation of DRLYSFGL‐NH₂ (BLAST‐2), one of the allatostatins of Blattella germanica, in the internal milieu of adult females of this cockroach. The experimental approach combined the use of the radioiodinated derivative [¹²⁵I‐Tyr⁴]BLAST‐2, microdialysis techniques and HPLC analysis with a radioisotope detector. Under these experimental conditions, the half‐life of BLAST‐2 in the internal milieu of the adult female of B. germanica was between 3 and 6 min. Such a short half‐life explains the high doses of allatostatins required to obtain the expected biological effects when tested in vivo, and suggests that circulating allatostatins are subject to rapid rates of synthesis and degradation in order to be operative physiologically.     

Biochemical characterization and purification of esterases from three strains of German cockroach,Blattella germanica (Dictyoptera: Blattellidae)

Three strains of German cockroach, Blattella germanica (L.) showed varying levels of resistance to chlorpyrifos, methyl parathion, propoxur, bendiocarb, and cypermethrin. The general esterase activity was at least twofold higher than susceptible strain. The subcellular distribution studies revealed that the majority of the esterase activity is present in the 100,000g cytosolic fraction. Only a small portion of the activity was membrane bound. Using non-denaturing gel electrophoresis, ten isozymes were identified in German cockroaches. These isozymes were isolated individually from the gels and analyzed for differences in activity. The isozymes E5, E6, and E7 of resistant strains had significantly higher specific activities when compared with the susceptible strain. The purification process using various column chromatography and preparative gel electrophoresis resulted in 9–11% of total esterase recovery. About double the amount of E6 was recovered from the resistant strains when compared with the susceptible strain. Kinetic analyses of E6 did not indicate differences in K_m and V_max values between the resistant and susceptible strains. Also, inhibition of esterase activity by paraoxon, chlorpyrifos, and propoxur did not suggest any structural differences in esterase E6 between strains. The results suggest that the increased production of E6 esterase contributes to insecticide resistance in German cockroaches. The role of E6 may be sequestration of toxic molecules rather than hydrolysis. © 1996 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

发酵产鸢尾酮真菌的分离鉴定及生香特性的初步研究

从陈化的鸢尾根状茎分离到产鸢尾酮的丝状真菌,以其作用于新鲜鸢尾根状茎,通过固体发酵产生了鸢尾酮。其中1株Rhizopusoryzae（94Y－01）表现最好。对培养基配方、培养温度、培养时间等发酵条件进行了报道。从发酵物提取得到的浸膏和凝脂,其理化指标分析及香气嗅评与传统鸢尾酮产品类似,经薄层层析和气相色谱－质谱（GC／MS）分析,表明含有鸢尾酮。     

Cu胁迫对黄菖蒲和马蔺Cu富集及其他营养元素吸收的影响

研究了不同浓度Cu胁迫下,黄菖蒲(Iris pseudacaorus L.)和马蔺〔I.lacteaPall. var. chinensis(F isch.)Roide〕对Cu的富集作用及对其他营养元素的吸收作用。结果表明,黄菖蒲和马蔺均能超量富集吸收Cu,在55和80 mg.L-1Cu胁迫下,黄菖蒲和马蔺地上部分对Cu的富集量分别达2 933.93和5 614.56μg.g-1、2 586.83和8 846.44μg.g-1,地下部分对Cu的富集量明显高于地上部分,表明这2种植物为潜在的Cu富集植物。低浓度(1、3和5 mg.L-1)Cu胁迫下,2种植物对Mn、Ca、K和Mg的吸收与对照差异不显著,但高浓度Cu胁迫可导致各营养元素吸收代谢失衡。     

Uptake of circulating hyaluronic acid by the rat liver

Summary The present study deals with the localization and development of S-100 protein-like immunoreactivity in the retina, ciliary body and iris of human fetuses. In the retina, numerous astrocytes, densely distributed in the nerve-fiber layer and ganglion-cell layer, were stained strongly with the S-100 antiserum. The first immunoreactive astrocytes occurred at the posterior pole of the retina and spread gradually outward and toward the ora serrata with increasing age. Müller cells were not immunoreactive for S-100 during development, except in the retina of the latest fetus examined. S-100 immunoreactivity was also found in the nonpigmented ciliary epithelium and posterior epithelium of the iris, both of which are developed from the inner wall of the optic cup. On the other hand, the pigmented epithelium extending from retina to iris, derived from the outer layer of the optic cup, was free of S-100 immunoreactivity.     

In Vivo Electrical Stimulation of the Sympathetic Nerve of the Eye Increases Inositol Phosphate Production and Prostaglandin Release in the Rabbit Iris Muscle

The effects of in vivo electrical stimulation of the sympathetic nerve of the eye on phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PIP2) hydrolysis in rabbit iris and release of arachidonate and prostaglandin (PG) E2 into aqueous humor were investigated. myo-[3H]Inositol or [1-14C]arachidonate was injected intracamerally into each eye 3 h before electrical stimulation of one of the sympathetic trunks. Tissue phosphoinositides were determined by TLC, and 3H-labeled inositol phosphates were analyzed by either ion-exchange chromatography or HPLC. The aqueous humor was analyzed for 14C-labeled arachidonate and PGE2 by radiochromatography and for unlabeled PGE2 by radioimmunoassay. The results obtained from this study can be summarized as follows: (a) The rates of in vivo incorporation of myo-[3H]inositol into phosphoinositides and accumulation of 3H-labeled inositol phosphates in the iris muscle increased with time and then leveled off between 3 and 5 h. (b) Distribution of 3H radioactivity in inositol phosphates, as determined by HPLC, showed that of the total radioactivity in inositol phosphates, 53.6% was recovered in myo-inositol 1-phosphate, 36% in myo-inositol bisphosphate, 0.95% in myo-inositol 1,3,4-trisphosphate (1,3,4-IP3), and 2.6% in 1,4,5-IP3. (c) Electrical stimulation of the sympathetic nerve resulted in a significant loss of 3H radioactivity from PIP2 and a concomitant increase of that in IP3, an observation indicating that PIP2 is the physiological substrate for alpha 1-adrenergic receptors in this tissue. (d) Release of IP3 and liberation of arachidonate for PGE2 synthesis are dependent on the duration of stimulation and the intensity (voltage) of stimulus.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)