A new, sensitive method for enzyme kinetic studies of scarce glucosides

The maize β-glucosidase Zm-p60.1 is important for the regulation of plant development through its role in the targeted release of free cytokinins from cytokinin-O-glucosides, their inactive storage forms. Enzyme kinetics studies using these scarce substrates close to physiological concentrations are difficult due to two reasons: (a) Available methods are mainly suited for end-point kinetics. (b) These methods are not sufficiently sensitive when using scarce glucoside substrates.We developed a glucose assay using a system comprising three enzymes β-glucosidase, glucose oxidase and horseradish peroxidase, with the new substrate N-acetyl-3,7-dihydroxyphenoxazine-Amplex Ultra Red reagent (Molecular Probes). A calibration curve was constructed for resorufin and validation was carried out by comparing our method with the standard spectrophotometric method using p-nitrophenyl-β-d-glucopyranoside. In comparison with the other methods, this method is more sensitive, precise and accurate. The assay is rapid and hence suited for continuous kinetics, it is readily adapted to suit automated procedures, and potential applications include its use in studying the physiological role(s) of enzymes that cleave scarce glucoside substrates.     

Evaluation of an alternative method for the enumeration and confirmation of Clostridium perfringens from treated and untreated sewages

AIMS: Clostridium perfringens is recommended as a suitable indicator bacterium for human enteric viruses, Giardia cysts and Cryptosporidium oocysts in finished water and in the assessment and evaluation of water treatment. Several agars and confirmation procedures were evaluated in parallel with the Australian/New Zealand Standard (AS/NZ) Method for the enumeration of Cl. perfringens from treated and untreated sewage samples. METHODS AND RESULTS: The current AS/NZ method utilizes tryptose sulfite cycloserine agar (TSC), lactose gelatin medium (LG) and nitrate motility medium (NM) at an incubation temperature of 37 degrees C. Sixty treated and untreated sewage samples were used to evaluate TSC agar, membrane Cl. perfringens agar (mCP), Perfringens agar (OPSP) and Perfringens agar with 4-methylumbelliferyl phosphate (OPSP-MUP) for enumeration of Clostridium. An incubation temperature of 44 degrees C for 24 h was used for comparison. Confirmation procedures were also evaluated using 103 isolates and included LG and NM, ortho-nitrophenyl-beta-D-galactopyranoside (ONPG) with MUP (ONPG-MUP) and phosphatase reagent (PR). OPSP compared favourably with TSC agar. One false negative result was obtained from each of the LG/NM and ONPG-MUP procedures. No false results were obtained using the PR confirmation procedure. CONCLUSIONS: OPSP agar and PR were determined as suitable replacements for the AS/NZ Standard procedure with no interference from spreading organisms. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: This is a simple and rapid method for isolating and enumerating Cl. perfringens from sewage samples and confirmed results can be reported more quickly due to shorter analytical turnaround times.     

Cryosectioning Yeast Communities for Examining Fluorescence Patterns

Microbes typically live in communities. The spatial organization of cells within a community is believed to impact the survival and function of the community¹. Optical sectioning techniques, including confocal and two-photon microscopy, have proven useful for observing spatial organization of bacterial and archaeal communities^2,3. A combination of confocal imaging and physical sectioning of yeast colonies has revealed internal organization of cells⁴. However, direct optical sectioning using confocal or two-photon microscopy has been only able to reach a few cell layers deep into yeast colonies. This limitation is likely because of strong scattering of light from yeast cells⁴.Here, we present a method based on fixing and cryosectioning to obtain spatial distribution of fluorescent cells within Saccharomyces cerevisiae communities. We use methanol as the fixative agent to preserve the spatial distribution of cells. Fixed communities are infiltrated with OCT compound, frozen, and cryosectioned in a cryostat. Fluorescence imaging of the sections reveals the internal organization of fluorescent cells within the community.Examples of yeast communities consisting of strains expressing red and green fluorescent proteins demonstrate the potentials of the cryosectioning method to reveal the spatial distribution of fluorescent cells as well as that of gene expression within yeast colonies^2,3. Even though our focus has been on Saccharomyces cerevisiae communities, the same method can potentially be applied to examine other microbial communities.     

Amelioration of cadmium-induced cardiac impairment by taurine

The present study has been designed to investigate the protective role of taurine (2-aminoethanesulfonic acid), a sulfur containing conditionally essential amino acid, against cadmium-induced cardiac dysfunction in mice. Cadmium chloride (CdCl(2)) was used as the source of cadmium and it was administered orally at a dose of 4mg/kg body weight for 6 days. Cadmium exposure caused significant accumulation of the cadmium and iron in mice hearts tissue. Levels of serum specific markers related to cardiac impairments, e.g. total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol and triglyceride were altered due to cadmium toxicity. Reduction in the activities of antioxidant enzymes, namely, superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione-S-transferase (GST), glutathione reductase (GR), glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) have been observed in cadmium exposed mice. Cadmium intoxication also decreased the cardiac glutathione (GSH) and total thiols contents and increased the levels of oxidized glutathione (GSSG), lipid peroxidation end products, protein carbonyl content and the extent of DNA fragmentation. Oral administration of taurine at a dose of 100mg/kg body weight for 5 days, however, prevented all the toxin-induced oxidative impairments mentioned above. "Ferric Reducing/Antioxidant Power (FRAP) assay" showed that taurine could protect the cardiac tissue by preventing cadmium-induced reduction of the intracellular antioxidant power. Histological examination of cardiac segments also supported the beneficial role of taurine against cadmium-induced damages in the murine hearts. Effect of a well established antioxidant, vitamin C has been included in the study as a positive control. Combining all, results suggest that taurine attenuates cadmium-induced impairment in mice hearts.     

柴达木盆地唐古特白刺籽油保护肝损伤作用研究

对柴达木盆地唐古特白刺种籽油保护化学性肝损伤作用进行了研究.将小鼠按体重随机分为白刺籽油高、中、低剂量组,另设空白对照组和联苯双酯、藏茵陈阳性对照组.小鼠连续灌胃给药15 d后,用CCl4进行肝损伤,测定小鼠血清谷丙转氨酶（ALT）、谷草转氨酶（AST）;肝脏过氧化脂质（LPO）降解产物丙二醛（MDA）和谷胱甘肽过氧化物酶（GSH-Px）的含量.结果显示,白刺籽油对血清ALT、AST具有显著的抑制作用,显著拮抗肝脏MDA的升高,显著提高肝脏GSH-Px含量.表明白刺籽油具有明显的保护化学性肝损伤的保健作用.     

沙坡头地区人工固沙植物水分利用及其生态位适宜度过程数值模拟分析

本文以干旱区植物为研究对象,探讨了自然降水资源的时空分布规律以及降水与固沙植物耗水之间的制约关系。通过扩展经典生态位理论的内涵,用数学抽象的方法定义植物水分生态位适宜度为其水分最适生态位点与现实生态位的贴近度,建立相应的数学模型,对固沙植物生态位适宜度进行了定量分析,并建立了生态位适宜度过程模拟方法。依据实验结果进行了有关计算与数值模拟,所做模拟结果与实际观测结果相吻合。结果表明,柠条与油嵩混播为实验条件下的最佳种植方式,密度为5000株／hm^2时其水分生态位适宜度最高,林木覆盖率也最大。文中进一步讨论了有限降水限制和沙地土壤水分亏缺胁迫下油篙和柠条对水分的竞争行为,混播下的生态位适宜度变化及稳定共存格局形成的机理。该结果为干旱区人工林的营建提供了定量依据。     

鲎试剂在抗淋巴细胞免疫球蛋白热原检测中的应用

报道了鲎试剂在抗淋巴细胞免疫球蛋白内毒素检查中的应用。在用鲎试剂检测细菌内毒素时 ,按中国药典的要求对鲎试剂灵敏度进行标定 ,并作干扰实验 (增强或抑制实验 ) ,然后用鲎试法与家兔法同时测定 15批抗淋巴细胞免疫球蛋白。结果发现三批鲎试剂的灵敏度标示值均正确 ,五批抗淋巴细胞免疫球蛋白半成品在最大有效稀释度 (MVD)时对试验无干扰 ,这两种方法测定结果的符合率达到 91.7%。从而表明鲎试法很有可能代替家兔法     

Structure and evolution of the stigmapophysis—A unique repose wing-coupling structure in Psocodea

The gain of foldable wings is regarded as one of the key innovations enabling the present-day diversity of neopteran insects. Wing folding allows compact housing of the wings and shields the insect body from damage. Wing-fixing systems have evolved in some insects, probably to increase the durability of the shielding function by the wings. Bark lice (Psocodea) are known to possess a unique wing-to-wing repose coupling system, but a detailed morphological and evolutionary study of this system is lacking. In this study, we examined this repose coupling structure by SEM in 32 species including representatives of all three suborders of bark lice (Trogiomorpha, Troctomorpha and Psocomorpha). We concluded that the repose wing-coupling apparatus independently evolved twice within Psocodea. In Trogiomorpha, the apparatus is located on the subcostal vein of the forewing and is composed of elongated rib-like structures. In Troctomorpha and Psocomorpha, in contrast, the repose coupling structure is located on the radius vein of the forewing and is formed by a swollen vein. These morphological and developmental differences in the repose coupling structures also provide phylogenetic information at different systematic levels.