In vitro biocompatibility of dextrin: the addition of a low concentration of dextrin in the medium promotes the cell activity of L929 mouse fibroblasts

To develop a bone substitute with shape-generating properties, we focused our attention on dextrin, which has a low viscosity. After considering methods of evaluation for research and development, we started by using cells that are widely used for safe biological evaluations in the field of dentistry and conducted in vitro evaluations. In this experiment, we variously added concentrations of 0.1, 1.0 and 10 mmol/l of dextrin to a culture medium in order to examine the effects on L929 mouse fibroblasts in vitro. As a result, the proliferative activity of the L929 cells was promoted during the culture period as the concentration of added dextrin became lower, and in particular, the 0.1 and 1 mmol/l addition group showed higher values than those of the control group. From the above results, it was revealed that the addition of a low concentration of dextrin in a medium promotes the cell proliferative activity.     

Effects of experimental manipulations on the life history pattern of Lymnaea stagnalis appressa say (pulmonata: lymnaeidae)

Field sampling of an Iowa population of Lymnaea stagnalis appressa Say indicated an annual generation pattern, with survivorship to maturity of i percent or less. Estimates of adult fecundity ranged from about 300 to 800 eggs.Density and food manipulations were performed to determine whether density dependent limitation of growth rates, maturation, or fecundity occurs in this fresh water pulmonate snail. Addition of a high quality food resource, spinach, accelerated growth rates, but did not drastically accelerate maturity, nor increase fecundity. Density increments lowered growth rates, delayed maturity, and lowered fecundity, and the addition of spinach did not counteract high densities. Adult densities are fairly low in the field population, and adults are randomly dispersed, indicating little density dependent regulation of fecundity in this population. However, the low survivorship to maturity, response in growth rates with food addition, and increasing survivorship with age and size indicate that juvenile mortality may play an important role in structuring life history patterns in this population.     

菊芋HtCCR1基因的克隆与表达分析

肉桂酰辅酶A还原酶(cinnamoyl-CoA reductase,CCR)是木质素合成代谢的关键酶。该研究以菊芋(Helianthus tuberosus L.)‘廊芋8号’为材料,克隆到1个菊芋的CCR基因,命名为HtCCR1(GenBank登录号为MN205540),其开放阅读框(ORF)长975bp,编码324个氨基酸,其中含有FR_SDR_e保守结构域。系统进化分析表明,HtCCR1与向日葵CCR蛋白(XP_021989763.1)共聚于一支,二者亲缘关系最近。实时定量PCR分析表明,HtCCR1基因在菊芋茎和叶中的表达量显著高于在根和块茎中;盐(150mmol·L-1 NaCl)胁迫处理6、12和24h后,处理组HtCCR1基因的表达量均显著高于对照组;干旱(20%PEG6000)胁迫6和12h后,处理组HtCCR1基因的表达较对照组均显著上调。成功构建pET-28a-HtCCR1原核表达载体,转化大肠杆菌BL21(DE3)并诱导出了符合预期大小的蛋白,表明HtCCR1重组蛋白已成功表达。该研究结果为进一步研究HtCCR1基因的功能及利用基因工程手段调节菊芋中木质素的生物合成奠定了基础。     

Cation Permeability and Selectivity of a Root Plasma Membrane Calcium Channel

Calcium channels in the plasma membrane of root cells fulfill both nutritional and signaling roles. The permeability of these channels to different cations determines the magnitude of their cation conductances, their effects on cell membrane potential and their contribution to cation toxicities. The selectivity of the rca channel, a Ca²⁺-permeable channel from the plasma membrane of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) roots, was studied following its incorporation into planar lipid bilayers. The permeation of K⁺, Na⁺, Ca²⁺ and Mg²⁺ through the pore of the rca channel was modeled. It was assumed that cations permeated in single file through a pore with three energy barriers and two ion-binding sites. Differences in permeation between divalent and monovalent cations were attributed largely to the affinity of the ion binding sites. The model suggested that significant negative surface charge was present in the vestibules to the pore and that the pore could accommodate two cations simultaneously, which repelled each other strongly. The pore structure of the rca channel appeared to differ from that of L-type calcium channels from animal cell membranes since its ion binding sites had a lower affinity for divalent cations. The model adequately accounted for the diverse permeation phenomena observed for the rca channel. It described the apparent submillimolar K _m for the relationship between unitary conductance and Ca²⁺ activity, the differences in selectivity sequences obtained from measurements of conductance and permeability ratios, the changes in relative cation permeabilities with solution ionic composition, and the complex effects of Ca²⁺ on K⁺ and Na⁺ currents through the channel. Having established the adequacy of the model, it was used to predict the unitary currents that would be observed under the ionic conditions employed in patch-clamp experiments and to demonstrate the high selectivity of the rca channel for Ca²⁺ influx under physiological conditions. Received: 23 August 1999/Revised: 12 November 1999     

大豆查尔酮合成酶(CHS)基因的克隆、表达及其在雪莲提取液中的代谢产物分析

以中国大豆为材料,利用PCR方法克隆查尔酮合成酶（Chalcone synthase,CHS）全基因,采用SOE法克隆得到去掉内含子的查尔酮合成酶基因,核酸序列分析表明,该基因编码区长1170bp,编码390个氨基酸,与已报道的CHS的cDNA序列同源率达到97%。构建pET-GMCHS工程表达质粒,通过大肠杆菌E.coli BL21（DE3）高效表达系统表达大豆CHS。 通过12% SDS-聚丙烯酰胺凝胶电泳分析表明,获得了分子量在42.9KD的一条蛋白质特异表达带。液相色谱分析大肠杆菌E.coli BL21（DE3）高效表达系统在雪莲提取液中的代谢产物,样品和空白对照样对比,样品在273nm,3.0min出现新的吸收峰,质谱分析结果表明CHS利用雪莲提取液中代谢中间产物合成了新的黄酮类物质。     

Comparative ultrastructural properties of pallisade tissue and spongy tissue chloroplasts from normal and mutant leaves of Pisum sativum L.*

Abstract. The ultrastructure of chloroplasts from palisade and spongy tissue was studied in order to analyse the adaptation of chloroplasts to the light gradient within the bifacial leaves of pea. Chloroplasts of two nuclear gene mutants of Pisum sativum (chlorotica-29 and chlorophyll b-less 130A), grown under normal light conditions, were compared with the wild type (WT) garden-pea cv. ‘Dippes Gelbe Viktoria’. The differentiation of the thylakoid membrane system of plastids from normal pea leaves exhibited nearly the same degree of grana formation in palisade and in spongy tissue. Using morphometrical measurements, only a slight increase in grana stacking capacity was found in chloroplasts of spongy tissue. In contrast, chloroplasts of mutant leaves differed in grana development in palisade and spongy tissue, respectively. Their thylakoid systems appeared to be disorganized and not developed as much as in chloroplasts from normal pea leaves. Grana contained fewer lamellae per granum, the number of grana per chloroplast section was reduced and the length of appressed thylakoid regions was decreased. Nevertheless, chloroplasts of the mutants were always differentiated into grana and stroma thylakoids. The structural changes observed and the reduction of the total chlorophyll content correlated with alterations in the polypeptide composition of thylakoid membrane preparations from mutant chloroplasts. In sodium dodecyl sulphate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE), polypeptide bands with a relative molecular mass of 27 and 26 kilodalton (kD) were markedly reduced in mutant chloroplasts. These two polypeptides represented the major apoproteins of the light harvesting chlorophyll a/b complex from photosystem II (LHC-II) as inferred from a comparison with the electrophoretic mobility of polypeptides isolated from the LHC-II.