Effect of anti-mosquito antibodies on the infectivity of the rodent malaria parasite Plasmodium berghei to Anopheles farauti

The effect of mouse anti-mosquito antibodies, present in the bloodmeal, on the infectivity of Plasmodium berghei Vincke to Anopheles farauti Laveran was investigated. Significantly fewer oocysts developed in mosquitoes feeding on mice immunized with sugar-fed mosquito midgut antigens than in mosquitoes feeding on control mice. Mosquitoes feeding on mice immunized with the midgut antigens derived from sugar-fed mosquitoes also showed reduced mortality and had lower infection rates than those fed on unimmunized mice. Blood-fed midgut antigen was less effective in producing these effects than sugar-fed midgut antigen.     

蜚蠊灭菌肽的诱导及初步分离分析

昆虫经诱导盾产生灭菌肽的研究近年来已有很大进展,有关这方面的研究工作绝大多数都是以有翅亚纲内生翅类鳞翅目(主要是蚕类)昆虫和少数双翅目昆虫为材料.本文首次以有翅亚纲外生翅类蜚蠊目的美洲蜚蠊(Ptriplaneta americana L.)为实验昆虫,用Escherichia coil K₁₂ strain D₃₁作诱导源,对不同发育期、不同性别、不同成虫期的蜚蠊进行诱导后,采用含菌培养基平板测活方法,就存在个体数及能产生抗菌物质的个体数进行了初步的研究.发现成虫日龄在10天之内的雄性蜚蠊能够产生抗菌物质的个体百分比最高.抗菌物质出现的高峰期是在诱导后第三、四天.用滴滴涕和溴氰菊酯作诱导源对雄性蜚蠊的诱导实验表明,杀虫剂也能诱导蜚蠊产生抗菌物质,而且所诱导产生抗菌物质的活性强度(用抑菌圈直径表示)高于大肠杆菌所诱导的.滴滴涕和溴氰菊酯的重复诱导可提高蜚蠊产生抗菌物质个体百分比.蜚蠊经诱导后产生的抗菌物质具有广谱性,对苏云金杆菌、金黄色葡萄球菌、枯草杆菌及绿脓杆菌等有较强的抗菌活性,而对大肠杆菌D₃₁、大肠杆菌、粘质沙雷氏杆菌和溶壁微球菌等有较弱的抗菌活性.用肽类物质的指纹图谱法分离蜚蠊血淋巴抗菌物质,发现经诱导后血淋巴中确有新的肽类物质产生,该物质具抗菌活性,用DABITC法分析,其N-末端氨基酸为赖氨酸.     

Effects of Hydroxyurea and Deoxyadenosine on the Synthesis of Deoxycytidine Phosphate and on the Uptake of Nucleosides in Excised Root Tips of Vicia faba

The effects of hydroxyurea and deoxyadenosine on the synthesis of deoxycytidine phosphate was studied by measuring the incorporation of [¹⁴C]-cytidine into acid soluble deoxycytidine phosphate in root tips of Vicia faba. Hydroxyurea and deoxyadenosine both markedly depressed the incorporation of [¹⁴C]-cytidine. Deoxyadenosine had the additional effect of inhibiting the uptake of [¹⁴C]-cytidine. Furthermore, millimolar concentrations of deoxyadenosine inhibited the uptake of micromolar concentrations of adenosine, thymidine, and deoxycytidine. The incorporation of [¹⁴C]-cytidine into RNA was only slightly affected by hydroxyurea. Deoxyadenosine inhibited the incorporation into RNA to about the same extent as the uptake of [¹⁴C]-cytidine. It is suggested that hydroxyurea reduced the incorporation of radioactive cytidine into deoxycytidine phosphate mainly by interfering with ribonucleotide reduction. The depression of [¹⁴C]-cytidine incorporation into deoxycytidine phosphate in the presence of deoxyadenosine is believed to be the result of an inhibition of both ribonucleotide reduction and [¹⁴C]-cytidine uptake.     

大白菜NHX基因家族的鉴定与表达分析

Na+/H+逆向转运蛋白(Na+/H+antiporter,NHX)基因家族在植物响应盐胁迫中发挥重要作用。本研究鉴定了大白菜NHX基因家族成员,并分析了大白菜NHX基因(Brassica rapa ssp.Pekinensis NHX,BrNHXs)响应高温、低温、干旱和盐胁迫等非生物逆境的表达模式。结果表明,在大白菜中共鉴定到9个NHX基因家族成员,分布在大白菜的6条染色体上,其氨基酸数目在513–1154 aa之间,相对分子量集中在56804.22–127856.66 kDa,等电点位于5.35–7.68之间。该基因家族成员主要存在于液泡中,基因结构完整,外显子的数目介于11–22之间。大白菜NHX基因家族编码的蛋白质二级结构都具有α-螺旋、β-转角和不规则卷曲结构,其中α-螺旋发生频率较高。实时荧光定量PCR(quantitative real-time PCR,qRT-PCR)分析显示,该基因家族成员在高温、低温、干旱和盐胁迫下均有不同程度地响应,且在不同时间表达差异显著。以BrNHX02和BrNHX09对这4种胁迫的响应最为显著,表达量在处理72 h时均显著上调,可作为候选基因进一步验证其功能。     

Reproductive success and risk of predation in normal and melanistic colour morphs of the adder, Vipera berus

In a population of adders (Vipera berus) in Southwest Sweden, melanistic males were heavier than normal coloured males of the same length. Victory in male-male sexual combats was positively related to size. Higher risk of predation in the black morph was inferred from experiments showing a high predator attack rate on models of the black morph. Even the bright colour in newly moulted basking males of the normal morph gives cryptic protection. In females, melanism probably also affects body size and risk of predation by visually searching predators. The thermoregulatory influence of black colour, the reproductive success and the maintenance of two colour morphs in the population are discussed.     

On the role of ß-carotene in the reaction center chlorophyll a antennae of photosystem I

Absorption and low temperature fluorescence emission spectra were measured on chloroplast thylakoids and on purified reaction center chlorophyll a-protein complexes of photosystem I, CP-a₁. A clear association between the presence of ß-carotene and the occurrence of far red absorbing and emitting chlorophyll a components of the reaction center antennae of photosystem I was demonstrated. For this study chloroplasts and CP-a₁ were obtained from normal and carotenoid deficient plant material of various sources. The experimental material included 1) lyophilized pea chloroplasts extracted with petroleum ether, 2) the carotenoid deficient mutant C-6E of Scenedesmus obliquus and 3) wheat chloroplasts derived from normal and SAN-9789 treated plants. Removal of carotenoids, most likely principally ß-carotene, caused a loss of long wavelength absorbing chlorophylls in chloroplasts and purified CP-a₁, and the loss or diminution of the long wavelength peak seen in the low temperature fluorescence emission spectrum. This association between ß-carotene and special chlorophyll a forms may explain both the photoprotective and antenna functions ascribed to ß-carotene. In the absence of carotenoids in wheat and in the Scenedesmus mutant, the chlorophyll a antenna of photosystem I was extremely photosensitive. A triplet-triplet resonance energy transfer from chlorophyll a to ß-carotene and a singlet-singlet energy transfer from excited ß-carotene to chlorophyll would explain the photoprotective and antenna functions, respectively. The role of this association in determining some of the fluorescence properties of photosystem I is also discussed.     

Morphology and taxonomic status of the grass snake, Natrix natrix (L.) (Reptilia, Squamata, Colubridae) on the island of Gotland, Sweden

The isolated population of grass snakes, Natrix natrix (L.), on the island of Gotland in die Baltic Sea is described and illustrated. Comparisons are made with the surrounding mainland grass snake. On the basis of morphological and ecological divergence, the conclusion is drawn that the Gotland population represents a new subspecies.     

Neutrophil extracellular traps activate lung fibroblast to induce polymyositis‐related interstitial lung diseases via TLR9‐miR‐7‐Smad2 pathway

Excessive neutrophil extracellular trap (NET) formation may contribute to polymyositis (PM)‐associated interstitial lung diseases (ILD), but the underlying mechanism is not fully revealed. In this study, we found that NET accelerated the progression of ILD and promoted pulmonary fibrosis (PF) in vivo. miR‐7 expression was down‐regulated in lung tissue of PM group than control group, and NETs further decreased miR‐7 expression. TLR9 and Smad2 were up‐regulated in lung tissue of PM group than control group, and NETs further increased TLR9 and Smad2 expressions. In vitro experiments showed that PMA‐treated NETs accelerated the proliferation of LF and their differentiation into myofibroblast (MF), whereas DNase I decreased the promotion effect of NETs. Neutrophil extracellular trap components myeloperoxidase (MPO) and histone 3 also promoted the proliferation and differentiation of LF. In addition, we demonstrated that TLR9 involved in the regulation of NETs on LF proliferation and differentiation, and confirmed the interaction between miR‐7 and Smad2 in LF. Finally, miR‐7‐Smad2 pathway was confirmed to be involved in the regulation of TLR9 on LF proliferation and differentiation. Therefore, NETs promote PM‐related ILD, and TLR9‐miR‐7‐Smad2 signalling pathway is involved in the proliferation of LFs and their differentiation into MFs.     

Epidermal growth factor improves intestinal morphology by stimulating proliferation and differentiation of enterocytes and mTOR signaling pathway in weaning piglets

Epidermal growth factor(EGF) has been shown to improve piglet intestinal morphology and epithelial recovery. In an attempt to further understand the mechanisms behind these improvements, this study tested the hypothesis that dietary EGF may affect intestinal morphology by stimulating the proliferation and differentiation of enterocytes in weaning piglets. In piglets receiving200 μg kg–1 EGF, crypt depth and villus height increased(P0.05). Adding 400 μg kg–1 EGF increased villus height-to-crypt depth ratio(P0.05), but reduced crypt depth(P0.05). Dietary supplementation with 200 μg kg–1 EGF significantly increased the number of Ki67-positive cells(P0.01) and tended to increase the mRNA level of proliferating cell nuclear antigen(P0.10).However, this supplementation decreased the expression level of intestinal fatty acid-binding protein(P0.05). Piglets fed with400 μg kg–1 EGF had an increased mRNA level of intestinal alkaline phosphatase(P0.05). The phosphorylation of m TOR(mammalian target of rapamycin) was observed in the 200 μg kg–1 EGF group. These results suggest that dietary supplementation with a low level of EGF improved piglet intestinal morphology through stimulating the proliferation and differentiation of enterocytes, and the mTOR signaling pathway may partly be involved in this process.