3,3′,4,4′,5-Pentachlorobiphenyl influences mitochondrial apoptosis pathway in granulosa cells

3,3′,4,4′,5-Polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB126) is a persistent organic environmental pollutant which can affect various biological activities of organisms, such as immunity, neurological function, and reproduction. In our study, we aimed to investigate the effects of PCB126 on granulosa cells (GCs). GCs were collected from ovaries in PMSG-treated mice, after 24 hours culture. GCs were then incubated with 10 pg/mL, 100 pg/mL, and 10 ng/mL of PCB126 for another 24 hours. Following these steps, exposed GCs were collected for further experimentation. Our data showed that the number of GCs in the 10 ng/mL PCB126 decreased. Meanwhile, pyknotic nuclei and condensed chromatin increased, while the apoptotic cells in the 10 ng/mL PCB126 group were significantly increased. Furthermore, the expression of the apoptotic executive protein caspase-3 increased after PCB126 treatment. The expression of Bax, Bcl-2, and Bim related to the mitochondrial apoptosis pathway were also influenced to different degrees. Thus, our data suggested that PCB126 affect the GCs apoptosis, and mitochondrial apoptosis pathway was involved in this process.     

陕西镇安黄家湾早更新世哺乳动物群及其伴生植物

记述了发现于陕西镇安黄家湾早更新世晚期的一个大型哺乳动物群。动物群包括哺乳动物4目、11科、24种,它们是：Canis variabilis, Hyaenidae gen. et sp. indet. , Homotherium sp. , Megantereon sp. , Lynx cf. shansius , Panthera pardus , Elephantidae gen. et sp. indet. , Equus qingyangensis , Hesperotherium sinense , Ancylotherium sp. , Megatapirus augustus, Rhinocerotidae gen. et sp. indet. , Dicerorhinus lantianensis, Sus sp. , Moschus moschi ferus , Cervus unicolor , Cervus sp. 1, Cervus sp. 2, Hydropotes sp. , Capreolus sp. , Strepsiceros annectens , Leptobos sp. , Bubalus sp. 和 Budorcas taxicolor等。动物群伴生植物孢粉分析表明,当时在化石产地生长着下列植物：Selaginella sp. , Pinaceae gen. et sp. indet. , Picea sp. , Cotinus coggygria , Juglans regia , Quercus sp. , Myrica rubra , Meliaceae gen. et sp. indet. , Celtis sp. , Oleaceae ( Syringa sp. ?) gen. et sp. indet. , Chenopodiaceae gen. et sp. indet. ,Kobresia sp. , Scrophulariaceae gen. et sp. indet. , Humulus sp. , Gramineae gen. et sp. indet. , Ranunculaceae gen. et sp. indet. , Sparganium sp. ,Celastraceae gen. et sp. indet. ,Elaeagnaceae gen. et sp. indet. ,Compositae gen. et sp. indet. ,Aremisia sp. , Xanthium sibiricum 和Carex sp.等。分析了动物群生活时栖息地的气候、植被和地貌特征,结果表明,动物群栖息在温暖、湿润、有森林、灌丛草地并富有水体的生境中,当时秦岭腹地存在着相当开阔的河谷地带,山势没有现在这么险峻,因此阻断秦岭南北动物交流的天然屏障当时可能还未真正形成,秦岭南北两侧的动物可以沿着开阔的河谷地带随季节和气候的变化互相扩散迁移。     

木兰突细蛾生物学特性及其防治

木兰突细蛾Gibbovalvaurbana(Meyrick)为木兰科植物叶部的重要害虫之一。在广州年发生 8代 ,世代重叠 ,以蛹越冬。翌年 2月下旬、3月上旬成虫羽化、交配、产卵。幼虫孵化后潜入叶表皮取食叶肉组织造成叶枯黄凋落。用 5 0 %久效磷乳油、5 0 %甲胺磷乳油、40 %氧化乐果乳油常规喷雾有良好防治效果。幼虫期、蛹期主要天敌有姬小蜂科 2种。蛹期还有一种病菌感染。     

极小种群植物水松群落系统发育多样性分析

极小种群植物水松（Glyptostrobus pensilis（Staunton ex D.Don）K.Koch）是著名的孑遗植物,被列为我国Ⅰ级重点保护和极小种群野生植物,在IUCN红色名录中被评估为"极危"等级,且种群数量仍在继续减少。水松主要分布于我国华南和东南地区以及越南和老挝。本研究对我国42个水松种群周边植被、种群健康状况、群落干扰类型、外来植物入侵状况等进行了调查,采用系统发育多样性相关指数对该物种所在群落进行了研究。结果显示,系统发育多样性指数对水松种群状况具有一定的指示性,人为干扰对所在群落的影响越严重,种群的健康状况愈差;具有较高系统发育多样性水平（PD值）的群落内水松种群状况良好;入侵物种的存在会使群落系统发育结构聚集,系统发育多样性水平降低。因此,在对水松种群进行保护时,要尽量减少群落中人为恶性干扰因素和外来植物的入侵威胁,以增强水松种群和个体的健康水平,维持群落系统发育的多样性,从而提高水松种群抵抗力和恢复力的稳定性。     

记陕西洛南张坪洞穴群中更新世绒(鼠平)(Caryomys)

详细描述了陕西洛南张坪洞穴群中中更新世的洮州绒(鼠平)(Caryomys eva)和苛岚绒(鼠平) (C.inez),讨论了绒(鼠平)属的分类地位。分析显示,C.eva各齿测量的平均值小于C.inez;两种臼齿形态从约493 kaBP以来无显著变化,显示出该属的原始性质。     

Effects of waterlogging on amyloplasts and programmed cell death in endosperm cells of Triticum aestivum L.

The effects of waterlogging on amyloplasts and programmed cell death (PCD) in endosperm cells in Chinese wheat (Triticum aestivum L.; cv: Hua mai 8) are here discussed. Four water treatments were established from anthesis to maturity: they were 3 days of waterlogging treatment (DWT), 7 DWT, 12 DWT, and moderate water supply (the control). Lugol staining and scanning electron microscopy showed decreases in the number of amyloplasts and partially filled circular cavities under the waterlogging treatments. These resulted in serious deformities in the endosperm cells. Evans blue staining analysis and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated fluorescein deoxyuridine triphosphate nick-end labeling assays indicated that the PCD progression of endosperm cells occurred earlier under waterlogging treatments than in the control, so did the internucleosomal DNA fragmentation, which accompanies PCD in endosperm cells. Electron transmission microscopy analysis showed similar results. Under waterlogging treatments, the following PCD characteristics appeared earlier and were more pronounced than in normal endosperm cells: chromatin condensation, degradation of the nuclear envelope, swelling, and degradation of the mitochondrial cristae. Our study concluded that under waterlogging conditions, the number of amyloplasts tended to decrease and PCD was likely to appear ahead of time.     

水晶兰属植物的染色体

对国产水晶兰属植物水晶兰（Monotropa uniflroa L．）和毛花松下兰（M．hypopitys var．hirsutea Roth）的花粉母细胞减数分裂进行了观察,它们的减数分裂中期Ⅰ的染色体数目均为n=24。结合前人所做的研究,确定该属的染色体基数为x=8,并对该属的染色体基数和倍性变异与地理分布区的关系进行了初步探讨。通过对鹿蹄草亚科和水晶兰亚科的染色体基数比较,结合两个亚科的生长习性和花药开裂方式的不同,作者赞同哈钦松系统将水晶兰亚科作为科的处理。     

Adenoviral-mediated transfer of human wild-type p53, GM-CSF and B7-1 genes results in growth suppression and autologous anti-tumor cytotoxicity of multiple myeloma cells in vitro

Multiple myeloma (MM) remains incurable despite the use of high-dose chemotherapy and stem cell transplantation. However, immunotherapy is expected to offer long-term disease control, or even possibly a cure. We have previously demonstrated the suppressive effect of a recombinant adenovirus carrying human wild-type p53, granulocyte–macrophage colony-stimulating factor, and B7-1 genes (Ad-p53/GM-CSF/B7-1) on the growth of laryngeal cancer cells. In the present study, we evaluated the effects of an Ad-p53/GM-CSF/B7-1-modified myeloma cell vaccine strategy aimed to induce apoptosis and to augment the immunogenicity of MM cells. Both MM cell lines and purified primary myeloma cells were infected with Ad-p53/GM-CSF/B7-1. High expression levels of these three genes were confirmed separately by Western blot, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and flow cytometry. When wild-type p53, GM-CSF and B7-1 genes were introduced, the growth of MM cells was inhibited via enhanced apoptosis and the immunogenicity of tumor cells was augmented. The combinatorial effect of these three genes on inducing cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) was more evident than that of p53 individually or any combinations of two (p53 plus GM-CSF or p53 plus B7-1). Furthermore, significant proliferation of autologous peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBLs) and specific cytotoxicity against autologous primary MM cells were induced in vitro. These results suggest that myeloma cell vaccination co-transferred with p53, GM-CSF and B7-1 genes may be a promising immunotherapeutic approach against MM.     

Corilagin inhibits breast cancer growth via reactive oxygen species‐dependent apoptosis and autophagy

Corilagin is a component of Phyllanthus urinaria extract and has been found of possessing anti‐inflammatory, anti‐oxidative, and anti‐tumour properties in clinic treatments. However, the underlying mechanisms in anti‐cancer particularly of its induction of cell death in human breast cancer remain undefined. Our research found that corilagin‐induced apoptotic and autophagic cell death depending on reactive oxygen species (ROS) in human breast cancer cell, and it occurred in human breast cancer cell (MCF‐7) only comparing with normal cells. The expression of procaspase‐8, procaspase‐3, PARP, Bcl‐2 and procaspase‐9 was down‐regulated while caspase‐8, cleaved PARP, caspase‐9 and Bax were up‐regulated after corilagin treatment, indicating apoptosis mediated by extrinsic and mitochondrial pathways occurred in MCF‐7 cell. Meanwhile, autophagy mediated by suppressing Akt/mTOR/p70S6K pathway was detected with an increase in autophagic vacuoles and LC3‐II conversion. More significantly, inhibition of autophagy by chloroquine diphosphate salt (CQ) remarkably enhanced apoptosis, while the caspase inhibitor z‐VAD‐fmk failed in affecting autophagy, suggesting that corilagin‐induced autophagy functioned as a survival mechanism in MCF‐7 cells. In addition, corilagin induced intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, when reduced by ROS scavenger NAC, apoptosis and autophagy were both down‐regulated. Nevertheless, in SK‐BR3 cell which expressed RIP3, necroptosis inhibitor Nec‐1 could not alleviate cell death induced by corilagin, indicating necroptosis was not triggered. Subcutaneous tumour growth in nude mice was attenuated by corilagin, consisting with the results in vitro. These results imply that corilagin inhibits cancer cell proliferation through inducing apoptosis and autophagy which regulated by ROS release.     

广州市珍稀濒危植物资源状况及保护策略

目前调查到广州市有20种国家重点保护植物和5种广东省重点保护植物。在野外调查的基础上,根据植物居群的大小和数量以及受威胁等级,建议将广州市分布的14种野生植物列为市级重点保护对象。通过分析植物的生存现状和受威胁因素等,对广州市野生珍稀濒危植物的保护提出了相应对策。