Adipoparacrinology--vascular periadventitial adipose tissue (tunica adiposa) as an example

Human adipose tissue is partitioned into two large depots (subcutaneous and visceral), and many small depots associated with internal organs, e.g. heart, blood vessels, major lymph nodes, pancreas, prostate gland and ovaries. Since the adipose 'Big Bang' led to the discovery of leptin (Zhang, Proenca, Maffei, Barone, Leopold and Friedman, Nature 1994;372:425-32), adipose tissue has been seen not merely as a lipid store, but as a secretory - endocrine and paracrine - organ, particularly in the pathogenesis of a number of diseases. Accordingly, two major sub-fields of adipobiology have emerged, viz. adipoendocrinology and adipoparacrinology, the latter herein being illustrated by PAAT (periadventitial adipose tissue) in vascular walls. A long-standing paradigm holds that the vascular wall consists of three coats, tunica intima, tunica media and tunica adventitia. It is now imperative that 'to further elucidate vascular function, we should no longer, as hitherto, separate adventitia and PAAT from the vascular wall, but keep them attached and in place, and subject to thorough examination' (Chaldakov, Fiore, Ghenev, Stankulov and Aloe, Int Med J 2000;7:43-9; Chaldakov, Stankulov and Aloe, Atherosclerosis 2001;154:237-8; Chaldakov GN, Stankulov IS, Fiore M, Ghenev PI and Aloe L, Atherosclerosis 2001;159:57-66). From the available data, we propose that it is time to rethink about vascular wall composition, and suggest that the PAAT may be considered the fourth and outermost vascular coat, hence, tunica adiposa (regarding the proximal segment of coronary artery, it is the innermost part of the EAT (epicardial adipose tissue) situated around the coronary adventitia). Its significance in the pathogenesis and therapy of CMDs (cardiometabolic diseases), particularly atherosclerosis and hypertension, requires further basic, translational and clinical studies.     

天然次生林群落中主要树木种群间联结关系的研究

 本文通过对3个天然次生林群落中几个主要树木种群的RA、RD、RF及IV值的比较分析以及种间联结系数的求算,较深入地研究了各主要树木种群间的相互关系,并通过种间联结星座图对此种关系作了较直观的反映。计算结果表明3个群落类型中大多数种对间都表现出正的或负的联结关系,然而通过X2检验,各种对间的联结关系均未达到极显著的程度,文章对此作了深入的理论分析。本文的研究结果对于分析天然次生林群落结构的形成机制具有重要意义。     

Antioxidant and Proteinase Inhibitory Activities of Selected Poppy (Papaver somniferum L.) Genotypes

Poppy seeds (Papaver somniferum L.) belong to tasty food ingredients however, they should be considered also as valuable source of biologically active compounds. Content of selected metabolites, antioxidant and proteinase inhibitory activities were analyzed in vitro in extracts from seeds of fifteen poppy genotypes. Considerable variation in all parameters was detected within the set of analyzed poppy genotypes. The genotype Major expressed the highest antioxidant activity determined by all four methodological approaches (DPPH, ABTS, FRAP, RP). The genotype MS 423 exhibited the highest inhibitory activities against trypsin, thrombin and collagenase. Very specific position among all had the genotype Redy . Its grain extract reached significantly high levels in 9 out of 14 measured parameters (TPC, TFC, TTC, TAC, FRAP, RP, inhibitory activities against trypsin, thrombin, collagenase). Edible grains of poppy are valuable source of natural compounds which may be beneficial in pathological states associated with oxidative stress or increased proteinase activities.     

Ri质粒介导的毛状根体系建立及其在植物次生代谢产物合成中的研究进展

发根农杆菌Ri质粒可诱导植物产生毛状根体系,该体系具有遗传性状稳定且增殖速度快的特点,可用于药用植物次生代谢产物的生产研究,为利用生物反应器技术进行药用植物有效成分工业化水平的发酵培养开辟了新途径。本文主要综述了发根农杆菌Ri质粒介导的植物毛状根体系遗传转化机理,并对毛状根体系在药用植物次生代谢产物生产中的研究现状进行了深入分析,为从基因水平上调控植物次生代谢产物的合成提供新思路。     

Development of shoot inHydrangea macrophylla I. Terminal and axillary buds

The structure of shoots, in particular of winter buds, ofHydrangea macrophylla was examined. The non-flower-bearing shoot is usually composed of a lower and an upper part, between which a boundary is discernible by means of a distinctly short internode. This internode is the lowermost of the upper part, and it is usually shorter than the internodes immediately above and below, although the internodes tend to shorten successively from the proximal to the distal part of the shoot. Variations exist in the following characters among the terminal bud, the axillary bud on the lower part of the shoot and the axillary bud on the upper part: (1) length of bud; (2) character of the outermost pair of leaf primordia; (3) degree of development of secondary buds in the winter bud; and (4) the number of leaf primordia. Usually, the terminal bud contains several pairs of foliage leaf primordia with a primordial inflorescence at the terminal of the bud, but the axiallary bud contains only the primordia of foliage leaves in addition to a pair of bud scales.     

Production and effects of volatile organic compounds during interspecific interactions

Competition between mycelia of saprotrophic cord-forming basidiomycetes occurs both within dead woody resources and in the soil-litter interface, and involves a variety of antagonistic mechanisms including the production of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). The antagonistic potential of VOC profiles from interactions in wood blocks and in soil microcosms was assessed using shared headspace experiments, and the profile of VOCs emitted over the course of interactions elucidated using solid phase microextraction (SPME) with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC–MS). Quantitative and qualitative changes in VOC production occurred in interactions compared to self-pairing controls, with different VOC profiles from fungi growing in wood blocks compared to soil trays. There were both stimulatory and inhibitory effects of VOCs on target mycelial extension rate, hyphal coverage and fractal dimension. VOC-mediated effects were greater in self-pairing controls compared to interactions, and differed depending on the substratum in which the VOC-producing fungi were growing.     

锌离子对氨基酰化酶构象及其稳定性的影响

天然氨基酰化酶和脱谷氨基酰化酶无论在二级结构（用ＣＤ和ＦＴＩＲ监测）还是三级结构上（以荧光发射光谱监测）都有明显的差异,表明了脱锌后酶的有序度降低;当比较天然和脱锌氨基酸化酶对去圬剂的稳定性时,结果表明脱锌后酶的构象的稳定性明显降低．因此可以认为锌离子对维持酶分子活性部位的特定构象以及构象的稳定性具有重要的作用．     

红蕉花部维管束系统的解剖学研究

红蕉花单性、同株 ,雄花与雌花花梗部的维管束均可分为外环维管束、中环维管束及中央维管束区。雌花外环维管束逐渐外移 ,并分支、变小、数目增多 ,至子房室区中部时几乎贴近表皮 ;中环维管束与外环维管束形态基本相似、稍大 ,至延长部中上部时与外环维管束合成一轮 ,最后进入花被片 ,成为花被维管束系统 ;中央维管束区在花梗部时排列为六组 ,组间有一些小的维管束分布。在室下区 ,近轴面隔膜维管束组消失 ,至子房室区基部时 (室下区 )其它五组逐渐聚集成明显五束 ;而组间的小维管束向中央聚拢 ,于子房室区基部时排列成环形 ,接着进入子房室中轴成为胎座维管束 ,随后束形变小 ,且随子房室的变小而外移 ,经延长部最后进入花柱 ,与心皮背束内方的三枚分支一起成为花柱维管束系统。三束心皮背束延伸至延长部时均分裂为内、外两支 ,三枚外方的分支进入三枚外轮雄蕊。两束远轴面隔膜束进入两枚内轮雄蕊。雄花与雌花的维管束系统基本相似 ,差异主要在雄花无子房室区及中轴的胎座维管束消失。     

1H and 15N NMR resonance assignments and solution secondary structure of oxidized Desulfovibrio desulfuricans flavodoxin

Summary Sequence-specific ¹H and ¹⁵N resonance assignments have been made for 137 of the 146 nonprolyl residues in oxidized Desulfovibrio desulfuricans [Essex 6] flavodoxin. Assignments were obtained by a concerted analysis of the heteronuclear three-dimensional ¹H-¹⁵N NOESY-HMQC and TOCSY-HMQC data sets, recorded on uniformly ¹⁵N-enriched protein at 300 K. Numerous side-chain resonances have been partially or fully assigned. Residues with overlapping ¹H^N chemical shifts were resolved by a three-dimensional ¹H-¹⁵N HMQC-NOESY-HMQC spectrum. Medium-and long-range NOEs, ³J_NH coupling constants, and ¹H^N exchange data indicate a secondary structure consisting of five parallel -strands and four -helices with a topology similar to that of Desulfovibrio vulgaris [Hidenborough] flavodoxin. Prolines at positions 106 and 134, which are not conserved in D. vulgaris flavodoxin, contort the two C-terminal -helices.Abbreviations CSI chemical shift index - DQF-COSY double-quantum-filtered correlation spectroscopy - DIPSI decoupling in the presence of scalar interactions - FMN flavin mononucleotide - GARP globally optimized alternating phase rectangular pulse - HMQC heteronuclear multiple-quantum coherence - HSQC heteronuclear single-quantum coherence - NOE nuclear Overhauser effect - NOESY nuclear Overhauser enhancement spectroscopy - TOCSY total correlation spectroscopy - TPPI time-proportional phase increments - TSP 3-(trimethylsilyl)propionic-2,2,3,3-d ₄ acid, sodium salt