Nucleic acids in mummified plant seeds: screening of twelve specimens by gel-electrophoresis,molecular hybridization and DNA cloning

Summary Twelve seed specimens of varying ages and from different archaeological sites were analyzed for the presence of polymerized DNA and RNA. Amongst the samples tested, one of Vitis vinifera from an archaeological site in Iran (2,000–3,000 B.C.) was found to be completely devoid of nucleic acids. Zea mais seeds of Precolumbial age from Peru (about 800 A.D.) contained depolymerized DNA and RNA. Samples of Vitis vinifera and Rubus sp. from a Lombard archaeological site (800 A.D.) as well as radiocarbon dated seeds from the site of the Spring Sanctuary near Metaponto (I–IV century B.C.) were found to contain polymerized DNA and rRNA bands. However the electrophoretic properties of the rRNAs in one case and hybridization experiments performed with cloned seed DNA in the other, clearly demonstrated that the polymerized nucleic acids were not of plant origin.     

Gene introduction into mouse blastocysts via “pricking”

It is a well-known phenomenon that cultured mammalian cells that have been pricked in the presence of foreign DNA can be transformed. This micromanipulation ‘pricking’ technique was applied to mouse blastocysts to determine whether uptake of exogenous DNA would occur in the embryos. The middle region of the inner cell mass (ICM) was pricked three times in each blastocyst in a medium containing a linearized plasmid DNA. When the 60 treated blastocysts were transferred to the uterine horns of pseudopregnant females, 30 developing fetuses (50%) at the mid-gestation stage were obtained. Twenty-two of the 30 fetuses (73%) had less than 1 copy of the foreign DNA per diploid cell, as revealed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-Southern analysis, a sensitive technique combined with Southern blot processing of the PCR products. The 8 other fetuses were negative for the foreign DNA. When blastocysts were pricked in the presence of vector DNA coupling E. coli β-galactosidase (β-gal) gene to a mouse metallothionein-I (MT-I) promoter and assessed for β-gal activity histochemically after 1 and 5 days of culture in the presence of 1 μM CdCI₂, at least 65% of the embryos exhibited β-gal activity mainly in the ICM region. These results indicate that mouse blastocysts can be transfected with a relatively high efficiency after pricking, and that the introduced gene expression occurs. This approach provides a means of mapping the regulatory elements of genes that are active in the mouse blastocyst ICM, and may be useful in investigating the fate of the ICM cells in an intact blastocyst by labeling them via pricking technique. © 1993 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Ferritin as an exogenous yolk protein in snails

Summary A main yolk component in the oocytes of the pulmonate snailPlanorbarius corneus L. has been isolated and identified as the iron storage protein ferritin by its ultrastructure, iron content, immuunological properties and behaviour in disc electrophoresis. As judged from acrylamide electrophoresis data and ultrastructural observations, yolk ferritin is an exogenous protein which is synthesised in the hepatopancreas and taken up by the oocytes by endocytosis.     

林可链霉菌黑色素生物合成基因的克隆与表达

以pIJ702的melCl－C2基因为探针杂交林可链霉菌（Streptomyceslincolnensis）78－11染色体DNA,呈现出3．2kb的BamHI片段和2．6kb的SphI片段等一系列阳性条带。构建了含3．0～3．5kbBamHI片段的林可链霉菌78-11基因文库,从中分离克隆了黑色素生物合成基因melCl和melC2,并测定了含有mel基因的重组子pRSB336插入片段的全部DNA顺序。3152bpBamHI片段含有5个开放阅读框架,其中melCl和melC2与链霉菌属三个种的相应基因具有较高的同源性。此外,林可链霉菌78－11的melC2基因产物与人和鼠的酪氨酸酶轻微同源,分别为17．3％和24．5％。种种迹象表明,melCl、melC2和orf3组成黑色素生物合成操纵子结构。为了进一步鉴定上述克隆的林可链霉菌78-11黑色素生物合成基因,构建了分别含有新霉素抗性基因启动子和正反方向mel基因的重组质粒pPZ518和pPZ519,并转化变铅青链霉菌TK23。随机挑选的12个pPZ518转化子在R2YE培养基上均能分泌淡褐色色素,而所有的pPZ519和pES1转化子则都呈白色。     

ICAM-1 expression in vaginal cells as a potential biomarker for inflammatory response

This study aimed to elucidate the mechanisms that may lead to an efficient strategy to induce a suitable host response of the vaginal mucosa upon exposure to intravaginally delivered exogenous compounds. It was hypothesized that the upregulation of intercellular adhesion molecule (ICAM)-1 gene expression may reflect the inflammatory response evoked by exogenous compounds. Major emphasis was placed on ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid (EDTA) which was added as a synergistic agent to conventional spermicidal agents or anti-HIV drugs. The levels of ICAM-1 mRNA were examined as a surrogate marker for inflammatory response in human vaginal epithelial cells upon exposure to EDTA or interleukin (IL)-1β (i.e. positive control, 25 mM). The effects of estrogen on EDTA-induced ICAM-1 expression were also evaluated for the estrogen involvement in the inflammatory process of the vaginal mucosa. ICAM-1 expression in human vaginal cells (VK2/E6E7 cells) increased as EDTA concentration added to human vaginal cell lines increased. The effects of estrogen on EDTA-induced ICAM-1 expression in human vaginal epithelial cells were estrogen-concentration dependent; estrogen at lower concentrations (～1–10 nM) did not affect ICAM-1 expression, whereas estrogen at higher concentrations (～100 nM–1 µM) attenuated ICAM-1 expression. The influence of estrogen in ICAM-1 expression suggests the beneficial effects of estrogen on the regulation of vaginal homeostasis. Identification and quantification of specific surrogate markers for the inflammatory response evoked by exogenous compounds and their regulation by estrogen will lead to an efficient strategy against sexually transmitted diseases including AIDS.     

Estrogen-alpha and progesterone receptor expression in cystic endometrial hyperplasia and pyometra in the bitch

Estrogen-alpha receptor (ER) and progesterone receptor (PR) were examined immunohistochemically in uteri of normal bitches, in uteri of bitches with cystic endometrial hyperplasia-mucometra (CEH-M) and in uteri of bitches with endometritis-pyometra (E-P), under exogenous progesterone treatment.In the CEH-M group, the ER- and PR-scores of all uterine cell types were higher than the ER- and PR-scores of normal uteri, although these differences were not always statistically significant. The ER-scores of E-P group were significantly lower than the ER-scores of the normal uteri and CEH-M group. The PR-scores of the E-P group tended to be higher than the PR-scores of the normal uteri, except for the surface epithelium, although these differences were not statistically significant. Exogenous progesterone treated bitches with CEH-M or E-P showed reduced ER- and PR-scores in the different uterine cell types, compared with the corresponding nontreated CEH-M or E-P group.The differences in ER and PR expression between CEH-M and E-P suggest different factors in the pathogenesis of both entities. Although, these changes in ER and PR expression do not seem to be directly involved in the pathogenesis of CEH-M and E-P. It is suggested that for CEH-M and progestin induced CEH-M a hormone dependent pathway is responsible. For P, the trigger may be bacterial infection.     

Exogenous Ca2+ Regulation of Pollen Tube Growth and Division of Generative Nucleus in Nicotiana tabacum

Cytological and statistical studies on the effects of exogenous Ca2 + on in vitro pollen tube growth and generative nucleus (GN) division of tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L. ) were conducted in an artificial experimental system. Under normal cultured conditions, the rate of GN division increased logarithmically in general, and reaches the climax at about 10 - 18 h. Among the treatments with various Ca2 + concentrations, 10- 3 mol/L was the optimal concentration for pollen tube growth, whereas other Ca2+ concentrations showed increasing inhibitory effect with the time of culture. Generally, Ca2 + concentrations at 10-2 and 10-3 mol/L favored GN division more than the others. Compared with 10-3 mol/L Ca2 + concentration at 10-2 mol/L benefitiated GN division at earlier stage of the treatment, but afterwards showed inhibitory effect gradually. Besides, the authors designed another series of experiments, in which 10-2, 10-1 mol/L Ca2+ (final concentrations) or 2,10 mmol/L EG-TA was respectively added to the medium containing 10-3 mol/L Ca2+ at 10 h of culture. Pollen tube growth was inhibited by the high Ca2+ treatments, especially being severely effected by 10-l mol/L Ca2 + from which wall, thickening of the tube tip, amitotic division of GN leading to micronucleus formation occurred. 10-2 mol/L Ca2 + treatment, however, promoted GN division at the earlier stage of treatment ( 10 - 12 h). EGTA treatments inhibited both pollen tube growth and GN division.     

外源DAN导入黄瓜引起变异的研究

利用花粉管通道技术,以抗黄瓜霜霉病的“苦瓜”“津四”黄瓜为供体,用“长春密刺”为受体,进行外源DNA直接导入,获得突变体,并得到遗传。