Elementary mode analysis: a useful metabolic pathway analysis tool for characterizing cellular metabolism

Elementary mode analysis is a useful metabolic pathway analysis tool to identify the structure of a metabolic network that links the cellular phenotype to the corresponding genotype. The analysis can decompose the intricate metabolic network comprised of highly interconnected reactions into uniquely organized pathways. These pathways consisting of a minimal set of enzymes that can support steady state operation of cellular metabolism represent independent cellular physiological states. Such pathway definition provides a rigorous basis to systematically characterize cellular phenotypes, metabolic network regulation, robustness, and fragility that facilitate understanding of cell physiology and implementation of metabolic engineering strategies. This mini-review aims to overview the development and application of elementary mode analysis as a metabolic pathway analysis tool in studying cell physiology and as a basis of metabolic engineering.     

Overexpression of CaDSR6 increases tolerance to drought and salt stresses in transgenic Arabidopsis plants

The partial CaDSR6 (Capsicum annuum Drought Stress Responsive 6) cDNA was previously identified as a drought-induced gene in hot pepper root tissues. However, the cellular role of CaDSR6 with regard to drought stress tolerance was unknown. In this report, full-length CaDSR6 cDNA was isolated. The deduced CaDSR6 protein was composed of 234 amino acids and contained an approximately 30 amino acid-long Asp-rich domain in its central region. This Asp-rich domain was highly conserved in all plant DSR6 homologs identified and shared a sequence identity with the N-terminal regions of yeast p23^fyp and human hTCTP, which contain Rab protein binding sites. Transgenic Arabidopsis plants overexpressing CaDSR6 (35S:CaDSR6-sGFP) were tolerant to high salinity, as identified by more vigorous root growth and higher levels of total chlorophyll than wild type plants. CaDSR6-overexpressors were also more tolerant to drought stress compared to wild type plants. The 35S:CaDSR6-sGFP leaves retained their water content and chlorophyll more efficiently than wild type leaves in response to dehydration stress. The expression of drought-induced marker genes, such as RD20, RD22, RD26, RD29A, RD29B, RAB18, KIN2, ABF3, and ABI5, was markedly increased in CaDSR6-overexpressing plants relative to wild type plants under both normal and drought conditions. These results suggest that overexpression of CaDSR6 is associated with increased levels of stress-induced genes, which, in turn, conferred a drought tolerant phenotype in transgenic Arabidopsis plants. Overall, our data suggest that CaDSR6 plays a positive role in the response to drought and salt stresses.     

Videomorphometric Analysis of Hypoxic Pulmonary Vasoconstriction of Intra-pulmonary Arteries Using Murine Precision Cut Lung Slices

Acute alveolar hypoxia causes pulmonary vasoconstriction (HPV) - also known as von Euler-Liljestrand mechanism - which serves to match lung perfusion to ventilation. Up to now, the underlying mechanisms are not fully understood. The major vascular segment contributing to HPV is the intra-acinar artery. This vessel section is responsible for the blood supply of an individual acinus, which is defined as the portion of lung distal to a terminal bronchiole. Intra-acinar arteries are mostly located in that part of the lung that cannot be selectively reached by a number of commonly used techniques such as measurement of the pulmonary artery pressure in isolated perfused lungs or force recordings from dissected proximal pulmonary artery segments^1,2. The analysis of subpleural vessels by real-time confocal laser scanning luminescence microscopy is limited to vessels with up to 50 µm in diameter³.We provide a technique to study HPV of murine intra-pulmonary arteries in the range of 20-100 µm inner diameters. It is based on the videomorphometric analysis of cross-sectioned arteries in precision cut lung slices (PCLS). This method allows the quantitative measurement of vasoreactivity of small intra-acinar arteries with inner diameter between 20-40 µm which are located at gussets of alveolar septa next to alveolar ducts and of larger pre-acinar arteries with inner diameters between 40-100 µm which run adjacent to bronchi and bronchioles. In contrast to real-time imaging of subpleural vessels in anesthetized and ventilated mice, videomorphometric analysis of PCLS occurs under conditions free of shear stress. In our experimental model both arterial segments exhibit a monophasic HPV when exposed to medium gassed with 1% O₂ and the response fades after 30-40 min at hypoxia.     

食用色素对菊花的染色效应

探讨6种食用色素对菊花的染色效应。结果表明,菊花对亮兰、柠檬黄适应性较好,其次为胭脂红、苋菜红,对葡萄紫、牛奶巧克力棕适应性较差。不同食用色素适宜的染色浓度和染色时间分别为亮蓝(6g/L、4h)、柠檬黄(6g/L、4h),胭脂红(12g/L、6h),苋菜红(9g/L、6h),葡萄紫(20g/L、8h),牛奶巧克力棕(20g/L、8h);适宜的pH值分别为6.6,10.9,10.9,10.2,10.3,10.4。切花开放程度大时染色速度快,花枝去叶与否对染色效果影响不明显。染色后的菊花瓶插寿命显著缩短,但能达到切花所要求的5~7d的观赏期。     

Evolution of interleukin-1beta

All jawed vertebrates possess a complex immune system, which is capable of anticipatory and innate immune responses. Jawless vertebrates posses an equally complex immune system but with no evidence of an anticipatory immune response. From these findings it has been speculated that the initiation and regulation of the immune system within vertebrates will be equally complex, although very little has been done to look at the evolution of cytokine genes, despite well-known biological activities within vertebrates. In recent years, cytokines, which have been well characterised within mammals, have begun to be cloned and sequenced within non-mammalian vertebrates, with the number of cytokine sequences available from primitive vertebrates growing rapidly. The identification of cytokines, which are mammalian homologues, will give a better insight into where immune system communicators arose and may also reveal molecules, which are unique to certain organisms. Work has focussed on interleukin-1 (IL-1), a major mediator of inflammation which initiates and/or increases a wide variety of non-structural, function associated genes that are characteristically expressed during inflammation. Other than mammalian IL-1β sequences there are now full cDNA sequences and genomic organisations available from bird, amphibian, bony fish and cartilaginous fish, with many of these genes having been obtained using an homology cloning approach. This review considers how the IL-1β gene has changed through vertebrate evolution and whether its role and regulation are conserved within selected non-mammalian vertebrates.     

835型氨基酸分析仪分析中停电的处理方法

本文介绍了日立835-50型氨基酸分析仪分析过程中遇到停电时,仪器管路的冲洗方法。     

月季切花衰老过程中多胺与乙烯的关系

月季切花瓶插过程中,内源腐胺在前2天略有增加,内源亚精胺、精胺、多胺总量则呈下降趋势,乙烯释放速率在第3天达到最高峰;多胺抑制剂甲基乙醛-双咪腙处理抑制了亚精胺、精胺的合成,增加了乙烯的释放速率;乙烯抑制剂氨氧乙酸处理推迟腐胺高峰的到来,降低了乙烯的释放速率,而且在瓶插期的前2天内源亚精胺、精胺含量较高。结果表明,具乙烯跃变型特征的月季切花衰老过程中,多胺与乙烯在其生物合成过程中相互竞争S-腺苷甲硫氨酸作为其合成的前体。     

石蒜凝集素基因转化切花菊及抗蚜性鉴定

以切花菊'神马'叶片为外植体,采用根癌农杆菌介导法将长筒石蒜凝集素基因LLA导入菊花.结果表明,'神马'叶片对潮霉素(Hyg)十分敏感,叶盘再生筛选以8～10 mg·L~(-1)为宜,生根筛选以18 mg·L~(-1)为宜;羧苄青霉素抑菌浓度早期以500 mg·L~(-1)为宜,后期以250～300 mg·L~(-1)为宜.Hyg抗性再生植株经PCR、RT-PCR检测初步证实外源基因已转入7个转化株系的植物基因组DNA中并发生转录.转基因植株幼苗人工接种蚜虫实验表明,不同转化株系的抗蚜性差异较大,蚜口密度抑制率为12.2%～76.8%不等,平均蚜口密度抑制率为41.8%.     

木醋液对鲜切麝香百合的保鲜效应

以木醋液为保鲜液,对鲜切麝香百合进行瓶插保鲜的结果表明：木醋液能增强麝香百合吸收保鲜液的能力,延长其盛花期和瓶插寿命,增强过氧化氢酶（CAT）活性,降低麝香百合瓶插期间的丙二醛（MDA）含量和过氧化物酶（POD）活性,延缓其衰老,其中以3．4g·L^-1木醋液对鲜切百合的保鲜效应最好。