Contents of Volume 53

Plant Molecular Biology -     

Mass Collaboration in Earthquake Risk Management

The mechanism of mass collaboration in risk management was studied during the Sichuan earthquake under a Web-based “PeopleFinder” project, where information is contributed and shared among mass contributors. The case study is provided by a great earthquake that happened in Wenchuan County, Sichuan Province, of southwestern China at 2:28 p.m. on May 12, 2008. We witnessed and experienced the rescue and relief efforts for the great earthquake. In this article, two fundamental frameworks are developed to study the mechanism of mass collaboration. Mass collaboration is proven to be effective in a big public crisis such as the Sichuan earthquake.     

The Stress Hormone Corticosterone Increases Synaptic ��-Amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic Acid (AMPA) Receptors via Serum- and Glucocorticoid-inducible Kinase (SGK) Regulation of the GDI-Rab4 Complex

Corticosterone, the major stress hormone, plays an important role in regulating neuronal functions of the limbic system, although the cellular targets and molecular mechanisms of corticosteroid signaling are largely unknown. Here we show that a short treatment of corticosterone significantly increases α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid receptor (AMPAR)-mediated synaptic transmission and AMPAR membrane trafficking in pyramidal neurons of prefrontal cortex, a key region involved in cognition and emotion. This enhancing effect of corticosterone is through a mechanism dependent on Rab4, the small GTPase-controlling receptor recycling between early endosome and plasma membrane. Guanosine nucleotide dissociation inhibitor (GDI), which regulates the cycle of Rab proteins between membrane and cytosol, forms an increased complex with Rab4 after corticosterone treatment. Corticosterone also triggers an increased GDI phosphorylation at Ser-213 by the serum- and glucocorticoid-inducible kinase (SGK). Moreover, AMPAR synaptic currents and surface expression and their regulation by corticosterone are altered by mutating Ser-213 on GDI. These results suggest that corticosterone, via SGK phosphorylation of GDI at Ser-213, increases the formation of GDI-Rab4 complex, facilitating the functional cycle of Rab4 and Rab4-mediated recycling of AMPARs to the synaptic membrane. It provides a potential mechanism underlying the role of corticosteroid stress hormone in up-regulating excitatory synaptic efficacy in cortical neurons.     

De novo purine nucleotide biosynthesis: cloning of human and avian cDNAs encoding the trifunctional glycinamide ribonucleotide synthetase-aminoimidazole ribonucleotide synthetase-glycinamide ribonucleotide transformylase by functional complementation in E. coli.

The trifunctional enzyme encoding glycinamide ribonucleotide synthetase (GARS)-aminoimidazole ribonucleotide synthetase (AIRS)-glycinamide ribonucleotide transformylase (GART) was cloned by functional complementation of an E. coli mutant using an avian liver cDNA expression library. In E. coli, genes encoding these separate activities (purD, purM, and purN, respectively) produce three proteins. The avian cDNA, in contrast, encodes a single polypeptide with all three enzyme activities. Using the avian DNA as a probe, a cDNA encoding the complete coding sequence of the trifunctional human enzyme was also isolated and sequenced. The deduced amino acid sequence of the human and avian polyproteins show extensive sequence homologies to the bacterial purD, purM, and purN encoded proteins. Avian and human liver RNAs appear to encode both a trifunctional enzyme (G-ARS-AIRS-GART) as well as an RNA which encodes only GARS. The trifunctional protein has been implicated in the pathology of Downs Syndrome and molecular tools are now available to explore this hypothesis. Initial efforts to compare the expression of GARS-AIRS-GART between a normal fibroblast cell line and a Downs Syndrome cell line indicate that the levels of RNA are similar.     

人体小卫星DNA探针的制备

根据人体小卫星DNA核心顺序,化学合成长23碱基寡核苷酸探针,筛选人体基因组文库,旨在获得能用作遗传分析探针的小卫星顺序。结果得到15个含小卫星的阳性重组子。随机取其一(C_(35.9))作探针,试做群体分析。所有个体均可检出多条杂交带。其中某些带具有多态性。在一定检测条件下,检出的DNA图谱在有限的个体内具有个体特异性。结果表明筛选文库得到的小卫星顺序可用于小卫星多态性的检测。其它小卫星探针的筛选和应用性研究正在进行。     

咽喉部高频喷射通气调节各参数对狗肺通气效率的影响

用相关和回归处理方法,研究了8条正常狗咽喉部高频喷射通气时,调节驱动压、呼吸比和频率对喷气量、吸入气氧浓度、动脉血气及气道内压的作用。结果显示,驱动压和呼吸此对各观察指标几乎有同等重要的作用,频率的影响很小,喷气量与吸入气氧浓度、动脉血气、气道内压间存在显著的正相关关系。说明调节参数的意义主要在于改变了喷气量。     

糙叶败酱挥发油镇静作用的研究

本文观察了败酱科植物糙叶败酱(Patrinia scabra Bunge)根和根茎中制得的挥发油的镇静作用,井与黄花败酱挥发油做了比较。结果表明,此油灌胃给予数组小鼠,剂量0.45ml/kg,显示如下的作用:[1]能显著延长由于腹腔注射戊巴比妥钠(50mg/kg)引起的小鼠睡眠时间,但其作用强度弱于黄花败酱挥发油。(2)一次灌胃给予小鼠大剂量10.46g/kg的糙叶败酱挥发油,连续观察10天,动物外观正常,无一死亡,体重增加与对照组相似。