中国原产石蒜属植物的数量分类和主成分分析

应用数量分类学方法对中国原产石蒜属13种2变种的35个性状进行Q、R聚类分析和主成分分析,探讨国产石蒜属植物种间的亲缘关系,并对分类性状进行评价。研究结果显示,Q型聚类可分为2个大类和8小类,安徽石蒜与长筒石蒜的亲缘关系很近,认为将其作为长筒石蒜的变种更为合适,同时支持玫瑰石蒜、红蓝石蒜、乳白石蒜、江苏石蒜、稻草石蒜的杂交起源观点。R型聚类可分为7个组;经主成分分析,35个性状可综合为5个主成分,其累积贡献率达82.55%,根据这5个主成分与性状间的相关性,选出影响比较大的16个性状,其中鳞茎形状、花被片宽和雄蕊长/花被片长的比值最为重要,可作为大类群划分的依据,而花被片是否具条纹、花丝颜色、花色、花葶粗、幼叶尖端及边缘颜色、种子有无等可作为物种划分的重要依据。     

The discovery of triploid Lycoris sprengeri Comes ex Baker from Anhui,China

Lycoris sprengeri Comes ex Baker is endemic to China. Reported in the present paper are the chromosomes number and karyotypes for two wild populations of the species from Anhui. ( 1 )Caishi population has a karyotype 2n=33=9st+21t+3T. The length of chromosomes ranges from 5.58～9.15μm. The karyotype belongs to Stebbin’s (1971) “4A”. (2)Longyashan populations have two karyotypes. The karyotype formula of the type I is 2n=22=8st+14t, with chromosomes ranging from 6.88～9.15μm. The karyotype belongs to “4A”. The karyotype formula of the type Ⅱ is 2n＝22＝1m+1sm+14st+6t, with chromosomes ranging from 7.20～15.80μm. The karyotype belongs to “3B”. The triploid type of L. sprengeri was discovered in Anhui for the first time. The karyotype 2n=22 =1m+1sm+14st+6t in diploid type of this species is here reported for the first time.The Robertsonian change plays a key role in karyotype evolution of Lycoris.     

Isozyme uniformity in a wild extinct insular plant, Lysimachia minoricensis J.J. Rodr. (Primulaceae)

Isozyme analyses were conducted to evaluate the genetic diversity of seed accessions of Lysimachia minoricensis (a Balearic endemic plant that became extinct in the wild) provided by 10 European botanical gardens. No isozyme variation was detected after examination of the electrophoretic patterns of 22 putative loci in more than 150 plants. The lack of genetic variation in L. minoricensis is probably due to the shortage of sample propagules originally recovered in the field before its extinction. Extant plants of L. minoricensis are believed to have originated from a single source, therefore limiting their use as seed stocks for restoration projects.     

Photoautotrophic culture of Coffea arabusta somatic embryos: development of a bioreactor for large-scale plantlet conversion from cotyledonary embryos

Somatic embryos were developed from in vitro-grown leaf discs of Coffea arabusta in modified Murashige and Skoog medium under 30 micromol m(-2) s(-1) photosynthetic photon flux (PPF). Cotyledonary stage embryos were selected from the 14-week-old cultures and were placed under a high (100 micromol m(-2) s(-1) PPF for 14 d. These pretreated embryos were grown photoautotrophically in three different types of culture systems: Magenta vessel; RITA-bioreactor (modified to improve air exchange); and a specially designed temporary root zone immersion bioreactor system (TRI-bioreactor) with forced ventilation. The aims of the study were to achieve large-scale embryo-to-plantlet conversion, and to optimize growth of plantlets under photoautotrophic conditions. The plantlet conversion percentage was highest (84 %) in the TRI-bioreactor and lowest in the modified RITA-bioreactor (20 %). Growth and survival of converted plantlets following 45 d of photoautotrophic culture in each of the three culture systems were studied. Fresh and dry masses of leaves and roots of plantlets developed in the TRI-bioreactor were significantly greater than those of plantlets developed in the modified RITA-bioreactor or Magenta vessel. The net photosynthetic rate, chlorophyll fluorescence and chlorophyll contents were also highest in plantlets grown in the TRI-bioreactor. Normal stomata were observed in leaves of plantlets grown in the TRI-bioreactor, whereas they could be abnormal in plantlets from the modified RITA-bioreactor. Survival of the plants after transfer from culture followed a similar pattern and was highest in the group grown in the TRI-bioreactor, followed by plants grown in the modified RITA-bioreactor and Magenta vessel. In addition, ex vitro growth of plants transferred from the TRI-bioreactor was faster than that of plants from the other culture systems.     

Micropropagation of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Leptadenia reticulata</Emphasis>—A medicinal plant

Summary Leptadenia reticulata (Retz.) Wight. & Arn., an important herbal medicinal plant, belongs to the family Asclepiadaceae. This plant has been known for its medicinal uses since 4500 BC. Presently this is an endangered species. There is a need for applying non-conventional methods of propagation for conservation and sustainable utilization of biodiversity of Leptadenia reticulata. We developed a micropropagation method for mass multiplication of L. reticulata. Explants harvested from greenhouse-maintained and field-grown plants were used to establish cultures of L. reticulata. The nodal shoot segments were surface-sterilized and cultured on Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium along with additives (25 mg l⁻¹ each of adenine sulfate, arginine, and citric acid, and 50 mg l⁻¹ ascorbic acid) containing 0.6 μM indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) and 9 μM N⁶-benzyladenine (BA). Three to four shoots differentiated from each node within 25–30 d at 26±2°C and 36 μmol m⁻² s⁻¹ spectral flux photon (SFP) for 12 hd⁻¹. Shoots were further multiplied by (1) repeated transfer of mother explant on fresh medium containing 0.6 μM IAA and 2.2 μM BA, and (2) subculture of in vitro-differentiated shoots on MS medium with 6.6 μM BA and 0.6 μM IAA. After three or four subcultures, the basal clump with shoot bases was divided into three or four subclumps and multiplied on the fresh medium. From each clump 15–20 shoots regenerated within 25 d. Ninety percent of the in vitro-produced shoots rooted ex vitro if these were pulse-treated with 123 μM each of indole-3-butyric acid and β-naphthoxyacefic acid. The plantlets were transferred to bottles containing sterile ‘soilrite’ (soilless compost and soil conditioner) moistened with half-strength MS macrosalts. Ninety-five percent of the plantlets were hardened in the bottles within 15 d. The hardened plants were then transferred to black polybags in the nursery. Field transferred plants are growing normally and have flowered. The protocol developed is reproducible. From a single nodal segment about 1700 hardened plants could be regenerated within 174 d.     

Cationic lipids derived from glycine betaine promote efficient and non-toxic gene transfection in cultured hepatocytes

Background

The low efficiency and toxicity of transfection in a primary culture of hepatocytes using cationic lipids remains a limiting step to the study of gene function and the setting up of non‐viral gene therapy.

Methods

A novel class of cationic lipids (GBs) derived from natural glycine betaine compounds covalently linked to acyl chains by enzymatically hydrolysable peptide and ester bonds, a structure designed to reduce cytotoxicity, was used to improve transfection efficiency in a primary culture of rat hepatocytes. The relationship between lipid structure, lipoplex formulation and transfection efficiency was studied using six GBs (12‐14‐16, 22‐24‐26) varying in their spacer and acyl chains.

Results

GB12, characterized by short [(CH₂)₁₀] acyl chains and spacer, allowed plasmid uptake in all cells and reporter gene expression in up to 40% of hepatocytes with a low cytotoxicity, a much higher efficiency compared with transfections using other reagents including Fugene6^? and Lipofectin^?. We also showed that numerous cells accumulated high amounts of plasmids demonstrating that GB12 promoted a very efficient DNA transfer through plasma membrane leading to an increase in nuclear plasmid translocation, allowing a much higher gene expression. Moreover, GB12‐transfected hepatocytes survived to injection in normal livers and were found to express the LacZ reporter gene.

Conclusions

The non‐toxic GB12 formulation is a powerful vehicle for plasmid delivery in cultured hepatocytes with relevance in liver gene therapy. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

     

Proliferation of human hematopoietic bone marrow cells in simulated microgravity

Expansion and/or maintenance of hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) potential following in vitro culture remains a major obstacle in stem cell biology and bone marrow (BM) transplantation. Several studies suggest that culture of mammalian cells in microgravity (micro-g) may reduce proliferation and differentiation of these cells. We investigated the application of these findings to the field of stem cell biology in the hopes of expanding HSC with minimal loss of hematopoietic function. To this end, BM CD34+ cells were cultured for 4-6 d in rotating wall vessels for simulation of micro-g, and assessed for expansion, cell cycle activation, apoptosis, and hematopoietic potential. While CD34+ cells cultured in normal gravity (1-g) proliferated up to threefold by day 4-6, cells cultured in micro-g did not increase in number. As a possible explanation for this, cells cultured in simulated micro-g were found to exit G0/G1 phase of cell cycle at a slower rate than 1-g controls. When assayed for primitive hematopoietic potential in secondary conventional 1-g long-term cultures, cells from initial micro-g cultures produced greater numbers of cells and progenitors, and for a longer period of time, than cultures initiated with 1-g control cells. Similar low levels of apoptosis and adhesion molecule phenotype in micro-g and 1-g-cultured cells suggested similar growth patterns in the two settings. These data begin to elucidate the effects of micro-g on proliferation of human hematopoietic cells and may be potentially beneficial to the fields of stem cell biology and somatic gene therapy.     

不同种源太子参的RAPD分析

应用RAPD标记方法分析了15个太子参〔Pseudostellaria heterophylla(Miq.)Pax ex Pax et Hoffm.〕种源间的遗传多样性和亲缘关系。10条随机引物共扩增出65条带,其中多态性条带37条,多态性条带百分率达56.9%。用聚类分析方法可将15个太子参种源分为4类;地理分布越近,太子参种源间的遗传差异越小。来源于安徽宣城的太子参种源遗传变异明显,辽宁凤城的野生太子参与山东地区的太子参栽培种源间的亲缘关系较近,与江苏各地太子参种源的亲缘关系则较远,这些种源均可作为育种材料。自然环境,尤其是生态环境的变化,对太子参的遗传变异有一定的影响。