Morphogenesis of Mouse Mammary Epithelium In Vivo in Response to Biomatrix Prepared from a Stimulatory Fetal Mesenchyme

Insoluble "biomatrix" of mesenchyme is a stimulator of mammary cell differentiation in vitro , but its effect in the morphogenesis is unknown. Fetal salivary mesenchyme induces intense local duct formation when implanted into adult mammary gland. We have therefore tested whether biomatrix prepared from fetal salivary mesenchyme retains this abillity to stimulate duct formation in vivo . Salivary mesenchyme isolated from mouse fetuses at 13.5–14.0 days of gestation, extracted sequentially with water and with 1 M NaCl, then digested with DNAse and RNAse was implanted into mammary glands of female mice and left for periods of 1–35 days. In approximately 40% of recipients, the local epithelium either formed cyst like structures, or else "spikes" of mammary epithelium penetrated the matrix forming a simplified ductwork inside it. Similar responses were elicited by salivary mesenchyme killed by freezing and also by biomatrix prepared from fetal mammary fat pad precursor tissue, mesenchyme of fetal lung, and fetal heart, liver, and brain. However when mesenchyme was either fixed with glutaraldehyde or sonicated and embedded in polymer blocks before implantation, no epithelial response was noted. These observations suggest that the biomatrix provides a passive scaffolding that contributes to morphogenesis of mammary ducts, is insufficient to support normal morphogenesis.     

Differentiation of Various Cell Types during Fruiting Body Formation of Dictyostelium Discoideum*

The processes of differentiation of the presumptive cells (prespore and prestalk cens) into mature spores, stalk and basal-disc cells in Dictyotelium discoideum was investigated. The number of stalk and disc cells in pre-labeled culminating cell masses was estimated by determining the radioactivity of the undissociable fraction separated by filtration from the dissociable fraction containing presumptive cells and spores. Changes in the proportion of amoeboid cells stainable with fluorescein-conjugated antispore serum and encapsulated spores were also followed in the dissociable fraction. Formation of stalk and disc cells began at 17 hr of development and was completed at 26 hr, while formation of morphologically identifiable spores began at 18 hr and was completed at 20 hr, long before completion of stalk formation. At the onset of culmination, unstained cells abruptly increased with an accompanying decrease of stained cells, when unstained rear-guard cells appeared in the hind region. Although some of the rear-guard cells soon differentiated into basal-disc cells, the rest remained amoeboid in the upper part of the spore mass (sorus) after complete formation of a fruiting body. Despite the presence of the amoeboid cells in mature sori, the proportion of the sorus to the stalk and disc of a fruiting body was approximately equal to that of stained (prespore) to unstained (prestalk) cells in a migrating slug.     

Analysis In Vitro of Capacity of Fetal Fat Pad to Support Mammary Gland Embryogenesis

Fourteen-day fetal mammary fat pad precursor tissue (FP) has the capacity to support various fetal epithelia allowing them to accomplish their characteristic development in vivo , without their own mesenchyme (1). This capacity decreases with age of fetal fat pad and is lost postnatally. To analyse the molecular mechanism of such interaction, a method for in vitro duplication of organogenesis is necessary. In the present paper, a co-culture system of fetal epithelium with prospective mammary fat pad is described. The explanted mammary epithelium started budding, then grew out forming branched mammary ducts with end buds. Ultrastructurally, the developing ductal structures exhibited the typical mammary gland morphogenesis.
³H-Thymidine incorportion assessed by autoradiography showed that the mammary gland morphogenesis in vitro was due to the proliferation of epithelial cells, not merely to a change of the shape of the epithelium. This supportive capacity of 14-day FP also decreased with aging; explanted mammary epithelium did not grow into 17-day FP. When insoluble, non-living biomatrix was used in place of living FP the epithelium grew into the matrix but the resulting structures lacked characteristic morphology of epithelium on living fetal FP. The difference of capacity between 14-day and 17-day tissues was also lost.     

Early Development of Mouse Anterior Pituitary: Role of Mesenchyme

Epithelial-mesenchymal interaction in the early development of the anterior pituitary gland was examined by chronological observations on fetal pituitary epithelium grafted in vivo with and without its own mesenchyme. At 8.5 days of gestation, the RATHKE'S pouch began to evaginate toward the diencephalon. The mesenchymal tissue around the pouch was at first very sparsely scattered, but then condensed, on day 10 becoming visible under a dissecting microscope. When RATHKE'S pouch epithelia from 10- and 12-day fetuses were transplanted alone under the kidney capsule, they proliferated slightly to form cysts, the cells of which differentiated into ACTH-producing cells, but not into prolactin-producing cells. Pituitary morphogenesis did not occur. When these epithelia were recombined with homotypic mesenchyme and transplanted, the epithelia proliferated remarkably on one side of the wall of the pouch, resulting in formation of a pars distalis that contained both ACTH-producing cells and prolactin-producing cells. Heterotypic mesenchyme, such as lung, dermis and mammary gland mesenchyme, could induce 12-day epithelium, but not 10-day epithelium to develop into pars distalis. Thus, fetal pituitary epithelium has the capacity of autodifferentiation into ACTH-producing cells, not into prolactin-producing cells, and requires mesenchymal support for development of the pars distalis.     

枯草芽孢杆菌产β-甘露聚糖酶固体发酵条件的优化

芽孢杆菌是产甘露聚糖酶的优良菌株,首次研究芽孢杆菌固体发酵条件的优化。以天然麸皮作为基本原料,研究利用枯草芽孢杆菌WY34固体发酵生产β-片露聚糖酶的发酵条件。最佳固体发酵培养条件为：麸皮5g,初始水分含量71％,初始pH7．0,接种量为2mL,1％Tween-80,0.4g魔芋粉,培养温度50℃。在最适条件下培养5d,甘露聚糖酶酶活高达7,650U／g干基,是未优化前酶活的2．78倍。     

TAXONOMY OF QUATERNARY DEEP-SEA OSTRACODS FROM THE WESTERN NORTH ATLANTIC OCEAN

Abstract:  Late Quaternary sediments from Ocean Drilling Program (ODP) Hole 1055B, Carolina Slope, western North Atlantic (32°47.041' N, 76°17.179' W; 1798 m water depth) were examined for deep-sea ostracod taxonomy. A total of 13 933 specimens were picked from 207 samples and c . 120 species were identified. Among them, 87 species were included and illustrated in this paper. Twenty-eight new species are described. The new species are: Ambocythere sturgio , Argilloecia abba , Argilloecia caju , Argilloecia keigwini , Argilloecia robinwhatleyi , Aversovalva carolinensis , Bythoceratina willemvandenboldi , Bythocythere eugeneschornikovi , Chejudocythere tenuis , Cytheropteron aielloi , Cytheropteron demenocali , Cytheropteron didieae , Cytheropteron richarddinglei , Cytheropteron fugu , Cytheropteron guerneti , Cytheropteron richardbensoni , Eucytherura hazeli , Eucytherura mayressi , Eucytherura namericana , Eucytherura spinicorona , Posacythere hunti , Paracytherois bondi , Pedicythere atroposopetasi , Pedicythere kennettopetasi , Pedicythere klothopetasi , Pedicythere lachesisopetasi , Ruggieriella mcmanusi and Xestoleberis oppoae . Taxonomic revisions of several common species were made to reduce taxonomic uncertainty in the literature. This study provides a robust taxonomic baseline for application to palaeoceanographical reconstruction and biodiversity analyses in the deep and intermediate-depth environments of the North Atlantic Ocean.