An Ex vivo Model of an Oligodendrocyte-directed T-Cell Attack in Acute Brain Slices

Death of oligodendrocytes accompanied by destruction of neurons and axons are typical histopathological findings in cortical and subcortical grey matter lesions in inflammatory demyelinating disorders like multiple sclerosis (MS). In these disorders, mainly CD8⁺ T-cells of putative specificity for myelin- and oligodendrocyte-related antigens are found, so that neuronal apoptosis in grey matter lesions may be a collateral effect of these cells. Different types of animal models are established to study the underlying mechanisms of the mentioned pathophysiological processes. However, although they mimic some aspects of MS, it is impossible to dissect the exact mechanism and time course of ‘‘collateral’’ neuronal cell death. To address this course, here we show a protocol to study the mechanisms and time response of neuronal damage following an oligodendrocyte-directed CD8⁺ T cell attack. To target only the myelin sheath and the oligodendrocytes, in vitro activated oligodendrocyte-specific CD8⁺ T-cells are transferred into acutely isolated brain slices. After a defined incubation period, myelin and neuronal damage can be analysed in different regions of interest. Potential applications and limitations of this model will be discussed.     

Methods for Culturing Human Femur Tissue Explants to Study Breast Cancer Cell Colonization of the Metastatic Niche

Bone is the most common site of breast cancer metastasis. Although it is widely accepted that the microenvironment influences cancer cell behavior, little is known about breast cancer cell properties and behaviors within the native microenvironment of human bone tissue.We have developed approaches to track, quantify and modulate human breast cancer cells within the microenvironment of cultured human bone tissue fragments isolated from discarded femoral heads following total hip replacement surgeries. Using breast cancer cells engineered for luciferase and enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) expression, we are able to reproducibly quantitate migration and proliferation patterns using bioluminescence imaging (BLI), track cell interactions within the bone fragments using fluorescence microscopy, and evaluate breast cells after colonization with flow cytometry. The key advantages of this model include: 1) a native, architecturally intact tissue microenvironment that includes relevant human cell types, and 2) direct access to the microenvironment, which facilitates rapid quantitative and qualitative monitoring and perturbation of breast and bone cell properties, behaviors and interactions. A primary limitation, at present, is the finite viability of the tissue fragments, which confines the window of study to short-term culture. Applications of the model system include studying the basic biology of breast cancer and other bone-seeking malignancies within the metastatic niche, and developing therapeutic strategies to effectively target breast cancer cells in bone tissues.     

Are Ants Useful Indicators of Restoration Success in Temperate Grasslands?

Assessments of restoration are usually made through vegetation community surveys, leaving much of the ecosystem underexamined. Invertebrates, and ants in particular, are good candidates for restoration evaluation because they are sensitive to environmental change and are particularly important in ecosystem functioning. The considerable resources currently employed in restoring calcareous grassland on ex‐arable land mean that it is important to gather as much information as possible on how ecosystems change through restoration. We compared ant communities from 40 ex‐arable sites where some form of restoration work had been implemented between 2 and 60 years previously, with 40 paired reference sites of good quality calcareous grassland with no history of improvement or cultivation. A total of 11 ant species were found, but only two of these were found to be significantly different in abundance between restoration and reference sites: Myrmica sabuleti was more likely to be present in reference sites, whereas Lasius niger was more likely to be found in restoration sites. Myrmica sabuleti abundance was significantly positively correlated with age of restoration sites. The potential number of ant species found in temperate grasslands is small, limiting the information their assemblages can provide about ecosystem change. However, M. sabuleti is a good indicator species for calcareous grassland restoration success and, alongside information from the plant community, could increase the confidence with which restoration success is judged. We found the survey to be quick and simple to carry out and recommend its use.     

华中五味子ISSR-PCR反应体系优化及引物筛选

系统研究了华中五味子ISSR PCR反应体系中的主要影响因子,确立华中五味子ISSR-PCR最适反应体系,并筛选出12条有效引物。单因子实验结果显示,华中五味子ISSR-PCR反应体系中各主要成分的适宜浓度范围为,Mg²⁺ 1.50~3.50 mmol·L^-1,dNTPs 0.10~0.35 mmol·L^-1,引物0.25~0.60 μmol·L^-1,Taq酶0.50~1.50 U。4因子3水平正交实验确立了最适反应体系,即20 μL体系中包含2.50 mmol·L^-1 Mg²⁺、0.20 mmol·L^-1 dNTPs、0.25 μmol·L^-1引物、1.50 U Taq酶、60 ng DNA模板、2.50 μL 10×PCR Buffer。本研究为华中五味子种质资源的评估及遗传多样性分析奠定基础。     

中国杏属一新种

描述了中国杏属一新种,华仁杏(Armeniaca cathayanaD.L.Fu,B.R.Li et J.H.Li,sp.nov.)。该新种与杏(Armeniaca vulgarisLam.)和山杏(A.sibirica(L.)Lam.)相似,但又有其独特特征,主要区别如下:叶两面疏被短柔毛,边缘具单锯齿和重锯齿,基部全缘;叶柄无腺体;单花或2~3朵花簇生;子房密被白色长柔毛;果核三角状卵球形,腹缝线具5~7条锐纵棱,背缝线具1条浅纵沟;种子大,两侧压扁,种仁质脆,无苦味。该新种由傅大立于2008年7月11日在河北省涿鹿县发现并采集,模式标本存于中国林业科学研究院(CAF),标本号:No.2008071101。     

越香竹——香竹属一新种

报导了从云南省金平县用种子(种子来源于越南莱州省的燕汤)繁殖的幼苗引入四川长宁县栽培的香竹属一新种越香竹(Chimonoca lamus peregrinus Yiet L.S.Ma)。新种与马关香竹(Ch.makuanensis Hsuehet Yi)相近似[1,3～5],但节间幼时微被灰粉,密被紫色小点,在分枝一侧中下部或基部扁平,并具纵脊和沟槽,无毛,刺状气生根较短,长约1～3mm,箨鞘短于节间长度,无不同颜色的纵条纹,箨舌三角形、"山"字形或稀近于截平形,高1～2mm,小枝具叶(4)6～8枚,叶鞘口繸毛2～4枚,长3～4mm,叶片下面淡绿色;也近似角香竹(Ch.bicorniculatusS.F.LietZ.P.Wang)[2,4,5],不同在于节间无毛,在分枝一侧中下部或基部扁平,并具纵脊与沟槽,节上气生根刺离生,箨鞘顶端两侧低于或远低于中部,箨舌高1～2mm,小枝具叶(4)6～8枚,叶片长8.5～13cm,宽6～10mm,次脉3(4)对,笋期在春季和秋季,易于区别。     

石蝴蝶属一新种——黄斑石蝴蝶

描述了苦苣苔科（Gesneriaceae）石蝴蝶属(Petrocosmea Oliv.)一新种——黄斑石蝴蝶(P.xanthomaculata G.Q.Gou et X.Y.Wang)。新种与贵州石蝴蝶（P.cavaleriei Lévl.）相近,但叶多数,20～40枚,叶基心形,花冠白色,在裂片之间具明显黄色斑纹,苞片小,长约1 mm,花柱除上部外密被开展的白色长柔毛而不同。     

Pyramidodinium atrofuscum gen. et sp. nov. (Dinophyceae), a new marine sand-dwelling coccoid dinoflagellate from tropical waters

A new marine sand‐dwelling coccoid dinoflagellate Pyramidodinium atrofuscum Horiguchi et Sukigara gen. et sp. nov. is described from Jellyfish Lake, Republic of Palau. The dinoflagellate alternates a non‐motile vegetative stage with a motile gymnodinioid stage within its life cycle. The non‐motile stage is dominant in the life cycle and the dinoflagellate reproduces itself by means of the production of two motile cells. The released motile cell swims only for a short period and is directly transformed into the non‐motile cell. The non‐motile cell is sessile, pyramidal in shape, with a single longitudinal ridge and a double transverse ridge. The surface of the cell wall is covered with many processes. The motile cell has a Gymnodinium‐like morphology, but no apical groove is present. An ultrastructural study revealed that the dinoflagellate possesses typical dinoflagellate organelles. Based on the unique morphology of the vegetative non‐motile stage, we propose a new genus Pyramidodinium for this dinoflagellate, with the type species Pyramidodinium atrofuscum Horiguchi et Sukigara, gen. et sp. nov.     

翼蓼和中华抱茎蓼挥发油化学成分分析

采用水蒸气蒸馏法分别从翼蓼和中华抱茎蓼中提取其挥发油,并用气相色谱-质谱联用技术(GC-MS)对挥发油中的化学成分进行分离和结构鉴定,运用气相色谱峰面积归一化法确定各成分的相对百分含量.结果表明:翼蓼中总共鉴定出31种成分,中华抱茎蓼中鉴定出21种成分,分别占到挥发油总含量的84.0%和93.8%,翼蓼挥发油中主要成分是表蓝桉醇(15.9%)、甲苯(8.6%)、反式橙花叔醇(6.9%);中华抱茎蓼挥发油主要成分为邻苯二甲酸二异丁酯(19.9%)、2,4-戊二酮(17.2%)、邻苯二甲酸二丁酯(11.7%)、3-甲基-2,3-二氢苯并呋喃(10.7%).