Karyotype of North American shortnose sturgeon Acipenser brevirostrum with the highest chromosome number in the Acipenseriformes

The shortnose sturgeon Acipenser brevirostrum was revealed to have a larger number of chromosomes than previously reported for other sturgeon species. Its chromosome number ranged from 362 to 372 (of ten specimens examined), showing intraindividual variation. The karyotype of metaphase with the highest chromosome number (372) consisted of 89 pairs of macrochromosomes and 97 pairs of microchromosomes (fundamental number; NF=550). Although the microchromosomes were relatively shorter than the macrochromosomes, most of them had discernible arms and centromeres. Silver-stained nucleolar organizer regions (Ag-NORs) were localized on the telomeric regions of 5 pairs of chromosomes (Ag-NORs=10): 4 were made up of small meta/submetacentrics and 1 of acrocentrics. Polyploidy of A. brevirostrum should be hexaploid based on the karyotype, numerous chromosomes, Ag-NORs, and previously reported large genome size (ca. 13pg DNA/cell).Supplementary material to this paper is available in electronic format at http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10228-004-0257-z     

Construction of a novel human artificial chromosome vector for gene delivery

Potential problems of conventional transgenes include insertional disruption of the host genome and unpredictable, irreproducible expression of the transgene by random integration. Alternatively, human artificial chromosomes (HACs) can circumvent some of the problems. Although several HACs were generated and their mitotic stability was assessed, a practical way for introducing exogenous genes by the HACs has yet to be explored. In this study, we developed a novel HAC from sequence-ready human chromosome 21 by telomere-directed chromosome truncation and added a loxP sequence for site-specific insertion of circular DNA by the Cre/loxP system. This 21HAC vector, delivered to a human cell line HT1080 by microcell fusion, bound centromere proteins A, B, and C and was mitotically stable during long-term culture without selection. The EGFP gene inserted in the HAC vector expressed persistently. These results suggest that the HAC vector provides useful system for functional studies of genes in isogenic cell lines.     

Toward a comprehensive model for induced endoreduplication

Both the biological significance and the molecular mechanism of endoreduplication (END) have been debated for a long time by cytogeneticists and researchers into cell cycle enzymology and dynamics alike. Mainly due to the fact that a wide variety of agents have been reported as able to induce endoreduplication and the diversity of cell types where it has been described, until now no clear or unique mechanism of induction of this phenomenon, rare in animals but otherwise quite common in plants, has been proposed. DNA topoisomerase II (topo II), plays a major role in mitotic chromosome segregation after DNA replication. The classical topo II poisons act by stabilizing the enzyme in the so-called cleavable complex and result in DNA damage as well as END, while the true catalytic inhibitors, which are not cleavable-complex-stabilizers, do induce END without concomitant DNA and chromosome damage. Taking into account these observations on the induction of END by drugs that interfere with topo II, together with our recently obtained evidence that the nature of DNA plays an important role for chromosome segregation [Cortes, F., Pastor, N., Mateos, S., Dominguez, I., 2003. The nature of DNA plays a role in chromosome segregation: endoreduplication in halogen-substituted chromosomes. DNA Repair 2, 719-726.], a straightforward model is proposed in which the different mechanisms leading to induced END are considered.     

中国东北产6种藓类植物的染色体观察

苔藓植物细胞学研究始于 2 0世纪 [1 ] 。我国有关这方面的研究自 1 988年开始 ,据 1 998年周云龙统计 ,国内学者共报道了 94种苔藓植物的染色体数目 ,其中苔类有 1 6科、1 9属、2 3种 ,5种为首次报道 ;藓类有 2 1科、37属、71种 ,2 7种为首次报道[2 ] 。这些研究为苔藓植物的系统学、生态学、遗传学等提供了直接或间接的资料和证据。1 　材料和方法将采集的苔藓植物培养在室内北窗台上。取生长旺盛的茎尖用对二氯苯饱和水溶液预处理 5～ 7h,卡诺固定液 (纯酒精∶冰醋酸 =3∶ 1 )固定 ,95%酒精∶盐酸 ( 1∶ 1 )离析1 0～ 2 0 min后剥离茎尖…     

普通小麦—提莫菲维小麦白粉病抗性渐渗系中渗入片段的准确鉴定

用小麦（ Ｔｒｉｔｉｃｕｍ ａｅｓｔｉｖｕｍ Ｌ．） 第二部分同源群的３６ 个探针,对携带抗白粉病（ Ｅｒｙｓｉｐｈｅ ｇｒａｍｉｎｉｓｆ．ｓｐ ｔｒｉｔｉｃｉ） 基因Ｐｍ６ 的普通小麦提莫菲维小麦（ Ｔ．ｔｉｍｏｐｈｅｅｖｉ Ｚｈｕｋ ．） 渐渗系进行检测,通过这些渐渗系与受体亲本“Ｐｒｉｎｓ”之间杂交谱带多态性的比较,发现所测出多态性标记位点均位于这５ 个渐渗系的２Ｂ 染色体上,但其渗入片段的位置与大小有明显区别。ＩＧＶ１＿４５６ 和ＩＧＶ１＿４５８ 被鉴定为２Ｂ 染色体从短臂标记Ｘｃｄｏ４０５ 到长臂标记Ｘｂｃｄ１３５ 之间的区域已被提莫菲维２Ｇ 染色体区段所代替;而ＩＧＶ１＿４６３ 则在２Ｂ 染色体长臂Ｘｂｃｄ３０７ 到Ｘｃｄｏ６７８ 标记之间的区域被提莫菲维渗入成分所代替;ＩＧＶ１＿４６４ 、ＩＧＶ１＿４６５ ２ＢＬ染色体上的渗入片段更小,即ＩＧＶ１＿４６４ 在２ＢＬ染色体上标记Ｘｐｓｒ９３４ 与Ｘｂｃｄ１３５ 之间的区域有提莫菲维２Ｇ 染色质成分渗入,ＩＧＶ１＿４６５ 仅在Ｘｂｃｄ１３５ 附近有更小的外源成分渗入。根据５个渐渗系渗入成分重叠区段比较可把Ｐｍ６ 定位于２ＢＬ染色体上Ｘｂｃｄ１３５ ２ＢＬ标记的邻近区域内     

The expression of a highly expressed Bacillus subtilis gene is not reduced by introduction of multiple codons normally not present in such genes

A recombinant DNA Proteus mirabilis L-form expression system, LVI (pJS127), was used to synthesize human fusion interferon alpha 1 (f-IFN-alpha 1). In the expression plasmid used, the complete coding sequence of IFN-alpha 1 was linked to the streptococcal speA promoter and the 5' end of the speA structural gene including its signal sequence coding region. LVI (pJS127) was capable of complete secretion into the culture medium of biologically active f-IFN-alpha 1 whose identity was confirmed by immunological and chemical evidence. In particular, bacterial L-forms were for the first time shown to be capable of correct signal peptide processing, as determined by N-terminal sequencing of the secreted f-IFN.     

Production,morphology, and cytogenetic analysis of Elymus caninus (Agropyron caninum) x Triticum aestivum F1 hybrids and backcross-1 derivatives

Summary Intergeneric hybrids were produced between common wheat, Triticum aestivum (2n=6x=42, AABBDD) and wheatgrass, Etymus caninus (Agropyron caninum) (2n=4x=28, SSHH) — the first successful report of this cross. Reciprocal crosses and genotypes differed for percent seed set, seed development and F₁ hybrid plant production. With E. caninus as the pollen parent, there was no hybrid seed set. In the reciprocal cross, seed set was 23.1–25.4% depending upon wheat genotype used. Hybrid plants were produced only by rescuing embryos 12–13 days post pollination with cv Chinese Spring as the wheat parent. Kinetin in the medium facilitated embryo germination but inhibited root development and seedling growth. The hybrids were vigorous, self sterile, and intermediate between parents. These had expected chromosome number (2n=5x=35, ABDSH), very little chromosome pairing (0.51 II, 0.04 III) and some secondary associations. The hybrids were successfully backcrossed with wheat. Chromosome number in the BC₁ derivatives varied 54–58 with 56 as the modal class. The BC₁ derivatives showed unusually high number of rod bivalents or reduced pairing of wheat homologues. These were sterile and BC₂ seed was produced using wheat pollen.     

黄鳝染色体体内SCE检测系统的建立

应用IdU-毛玉米油体内SCE技术,以不同剂量的典型诱变剂MMC和CP对70尾黄鳝的脾、肾、血淋巴细胞进行了体内诱发SCE敏感性测试。结果:三种细胞的染色体SCE自发频率均较低,不同剂量MMC和CP诱发黄鳝三种细胞SCE频率均较对照组显著增加。诱变剂剂量与诱发SCE频率呈线性关系。三种细胞染色体SCE对MMC和CP的敏感性次序为肾>脾>血淋巴细胞。与几种鱼和其它动物比较,黄鳝三种细胞的SCE自发频率均较低,对MMC和CP诱发SCE的敏感性均较高,因此认为黄鳝可作为较理想的体内SCE检测系统。     

热休克法抑制第一次卵裂实现草鱼雌核发育的细胞学观察

用组织切片方法系统地观察了草鱼卵被经辐射处理的鲤精子激活后进行第一次卵裂的发育过程。实验表明：在24℃孵化水温下草鱼卵在被激活后24min进入第一次卵裂胶期,27－30min处于中期,33min进入后期。由此可知被激活的草鱼卵子在第24min时已经完成染色体的复制,使草鱼卵子雌核染色体人工加倍的最佳时期是在被激活后的27－30min这一时间区段内。此外,用不同热休克温度和不同的热休克强度处理已完成染色体复制的被激活草鱼卵,表明草鱼卵经41℃处理2min可得到较高比例的基因纯合型雌核发育二倍体鱼。