Adsorption of phenol and aniline on natural and organically modified montmorillonite: experiment and molecular modelling

Natural and intercalated Wyoming montmorillonite (MMT) with the tetramethylammonium (TMA) cations were used for the adsorption of phenol and aniline. Laboratory experiments characterised by adsorption isotherms were compared with the results of molecular modelling simulations. Aniline adsorbed itself strongly on MMT; while using the TMA intercalates (TMA-MMT), its adsorption decreased. On the contrary, the adsorption of phenol on TMA-MMT was moderately higher than on the MMT surface. The MMT surface models were described by empirical force field used in molecular mechanics and dynamics. The Burchart–Universal force field was used in the Cerius² modelling environment. The modelling results revealed the important role of water forming a moderately concentrated layer on the pure MMT surface. Water molecules enable the adsorption of aniline on MMT and, on the contrary, repel phenol molecules from MMT. In the case of TMA-MMT, lower amount of water near a silicate layer caused decrease in the aniline adsorption and, on the contrary, increase in the phenol adsorption.     

Technical advance: an aniline blue staining procedure for confocal microscopy and 3D imaging of normal and perturbed cellular phenotypes in mature Arabidopsis embryos

A new method is described for fluorescent imaging of mature Arabidopsis embryos that enables their cellular architecture to be visualized without the need for histological sectioning. Mature embryos are stained with aniline blue and cleared with chloral hydrate to allow high-resolution confocal imaging of individual cells within the embryo prior to germination. The technique allows the collection of longitudinal optical sections throughout the cotyledon, hypocotyl and root of wild-type Arabidopsis C24 embryos. Every cell within the mature embryo can be visualized with sufficient clarity and resolution to allow three-dimensional analysis of cellular architecture. Optical sectioning of mutant gnom, short-root and scarecrow embryos, and through root meristems disrupted as a consequence of targeted misexpression of diphtheria toxin, demonstrate the potential of this technique for visualizing the cellular organization of mutant and perturbed embryonic phenotypes.     

Do polyamines contribute to plant cell wall assembly by forming amide bonds with pectins?

Two new reducing glycoconjugates [N-D-galacturonoyl-putrescinamide (GalA-Put) and N,N'-di-D-galacturonoyl-putrescinamide (GalA-Put-GalA)] and homogalacturonan-putrescine (GalAn-Put) conjugates were synthesised as model compounds representing possible amide (isopeptide) linkage points between a polyamine and either one or two pectic galacturonate residues. The amide bond(s) were stable to cold acid and alkali (2M TFA and 0.1M NaOH at 25 degrees C) but rapidly hydrolysed by these agents at 100 degrees C. The amide bond(s) were resistant to Driselase and to all proteinases tested, although Driselase digested GalAn-Put, releasing fragments such as GalA3-Put-GalA3. To trace the possible formation of GalA-polyamine amide bonds in vivo, we fed Arabidopsis and rose cell-cultures and chickpea internodes with [14C]Put. About 20% of the 14C taken up was released as 14CO2, indicating some catabolism. An additional approximately 73% of the 14C taken up (in Arabidopsis), or approximately 21% (in rose), became ethanol-insoluble, superficially suggestive of polysaccharide-Put covalent bonding. However, much of the ethanol-inextractable 14C was subsequently extractable by acidified phenol or by cold 1M TFA. The small proportion of radioactive material that stayed insoluble in both phenol and TFA was hydrolysable by Driselase or hot 6M HCl, yielding 14C-oligopeptides and/or amino acids (including Asp, Glu, Gly, Ala and Val); no free 14C-polyamines were released by hot HCl. We conclude that if pectin-polyamine amide bonds are present, they are a very minor component of the cell walls of cultured rose and Arabidopsis cells and chickpea internodes.     

Determination of aniline and metabolites produced in vitro by liquid chromatography/electrochemistry

A method utilizing reverse-phase liquid chromatography/electrochemistry (LC/EC) was developed for the simultaneous determination of aniline and its hydroxylated derivatives, p-aminophenol, o-aminophenol, m-aminophenol, and N-phenylhydroxylamine. To achieve separation of these compounds, a mobile phase of 3.0% dimethylformamide and 97.0% 0.05 M piperazine acetate, pH 5.4, containing 0.05 M KNO3 was developed. A procedure is also presented for the determination of p-nitrophenol, nitrobenzene, and nitrosobenzene, possible aniline metabolites in higher N-oxidation states, using reductive amperometric detection. The hydroxylated compounds, including the hydroxylamine, and nitrosobenzene are easily detected as metabolites of aniline in mouse liver slice or microsomal preparations. No prior extraction, preconcentration, or derivatization steps are needed for the determinations, which can be accomplished by a direct injection of the incubation mixture. The Km value for the hepatic aniline 4-hydroxylase activity in male Cox-Swiss mice microsomal preparations has been determined to be 0.52 mM; the Vmax value is 2.90 +/- 0.64 nmol min-1 mg microsomal protein-1. Detection limits for all compounds of interest are in the picomole range.     

枸杞胼胝质酶基因克隆及在雄性不育材料中的表达分析

以雄性不育枸杞‘宁杞5号’和正常可育枸杞‘宁杞1号’为材料,提取不同发育时期枸杞花蕾RNA,反转录合成cDNA,利用胼胝质酶的β-1,3-葡聚糖酶属性进行同源克隆和半定量RT-PCR分析.结果表明:(1)所克隆的胼胝质酶基因(LG1)属于植物糖基水解酶第17家族基因,编码344个氨基酸,有5个氨基酸保守区在4种植物的花药β-1,3-葡聚糖酶基因中都存在.(2)LG1在正常可育枸杞花药中高量表达,在雄性不育枸杞花药中表达沉默,但基因序列并没有发生突变.(3)经苯胺蓝染色观察,雄性不育枸杞花药四分体分解受阻与LG1基因表达沉默同步.研究结果提示,LG1基因是受不育基因调控的下游基因,参与了枸杞花粉的败育过程,LG1基因沉默是雄性不育枸杞花粉败育的一个重要原因.     

苯胺嘧啶衍生物X-9通过下调整合素β1表达抑制肝细胞癌迁移侵袭

整合素在许多肿瘤细胞中高表达,并且参与肿瘤细胞的侵袭转移。在肝细胞癌中,整合素β1被报导高表达,并促进肿瘤细胞的侵袭。目前,对于整合素的表达调控癌细胞机制以及干预其表达进而抑制肿瘤细胞转移的研究较少。本研究探讨利用小分子化合物抑制整合素表达来抑制肿瘤细胞迁移和侵袭的可能。首先,对临床肝癌细胞患者癌组织和癌旁组织中的整合素β1的表达进行检测,发现其在癌组织中的表达显著高于癌旁组织（P<0.05）。对TCGA肿瘤数据库的生物信息学分析结果同样显示,整合素β1的高表达与肝癌的分期（P=0.019）和预后（P=0.013）相关。通过筛选发现,苯胺嘧啶衍生物X09可以抑制肝癌细胞中整合素β1的mRNA和蛋白质的表达（P<0.01）。细胞划痕愈合实验和细胞穿孔实验结果显示,苯胺嘧啶衍生物X-9能够抑制肝癌细胞的迁移和侵袭（P<0.01）。进一步的研究证实,在肝癌细胞中外源表达整合素β1可以逆转X-9对肝癌细胞迁移和侵袭的抑制;而在敲低整合素β1的细胞中,X-9对细胞的迁移和侵袭的抑制被消除。因此,鉴定出苯胺嘧啶衍生物X-9可以通过下调整合素β1表达,进而抑制肝癌细胞的迁移和侵袭。     

食药用菌功能性β-葡聚糖荧光法测定研究

以酵母功能性β-1,3/1,6-葡聚糖为对照品,利用苯胺蓝和β-1,3/1,6-葡聚糖特异结合荧光特性,研究了葡聚糖荧光法测定时的各影响因素,建立了荧光法测定食药用菌功能性β-葡聚糖的方法。pH9.6缓冲液,80℃条件下避光反应15min,室温30min冷却后,398nm激发波长,508nm发射波长,20℃下进行荧光测定。在测定浓度2-20μg/mL范围内,荧光强度与浓度具有良好的线性关系(R2=0.9977),其中检出限为45μg/L,测定精密度和加样回收率良好,相对标准偏差(RSD)分别为1.86%和3.40%,并与酶法进行了比对验证,一致性良好,且荧光法更为节约时间和成本,并对灰树花菌、巴氏蘑菇、香菇和鲍氏针层孔菌四种食药用菌β-葡聚糖提取样品进行了葡聚糖纯度和提取率测定。