Lethal (2) giant larvae regulates pleural mesothelial cell polarity in pleural fibrosis

Pleural fibrosis is barely reversible and the underlying mechanisms are poorly understood. Pleural mesothelial cells (PMCs) which have apical-basal polarity play a key role in pleural fibrosis. Loss of cell polarity is involved in the development of fibrotic diseases. Partition defective protein (PAR) complex is a key regulator of cell polarity. However, changes of PMC polarity and PAR complex in pleural fibrosis are still unknown. In this study, we observed that PMC polarity was lost in fibrotic pleura. Next we found increased Lethal (2) giant larvae (Lgl) bound with aPKC and PAR-6B competing against PAR-3A in PAR complex, which led to cell polarity loss. Then we demonstrated that Lgl1 siRNA prevented cell polarity loss in PMCs, and Lgl1 conditional knockout (ER-Cre^+/?Lgl1^flox/flox) attenuated pleural fibrosis in a mouse model. Our data indicated that Lgl1 regulates cell polarity of PMCs, inhibition of Lgl1 and maintenance of cell polarity in PMCs could be a potential therapeutic treatment approach for pleural fibrosis.     

Monopolar spindles in meiosis of intergeneric cereal hybrids

Monopolar spindles in pollen mother cells of cereal wide F1 hybrids are described; details of the formation of anastral spindles are discussed.     

Effects of High Temperature on the Development of Pollen Mother Cells and Microspores in Barley Hordeum vulgare L.

Received 15 May 2000/ Accepted in revised form 26 August 2000     

同源四倍体矮牵牛花粉母细胞减数分裂观察

以同源四倍体矮牵牛06P-12为材料,采用常规压片法对花粉母细胞减数分裂过程及染色体行为进行了观察研究,以探明同源四倍体矮牵生育性降低的细胞学原因.结果显示:花粉母细胞减数分裂过程与二倍体基本相同但有其特殊性,主要表现在:终变期染色体的构型复杂,有四价体、三价体和单价体;中期Ⅰ和中期Ⅱ有赤道板外染色体;后期Ⅰ和后期Ⅱ出现落后染色体、丢失染色体、染色体桥及不均等分裂的现象;四分体时期出现一分体、二分休、三分体以及含微核的异常三分体、四分体、多分体.花粉母细胞减数分裂过程中正常细胞平均达78.6%,异常细胞频率平均为21.4%.研究表明,同源四倍体矮牵生育性降低的细胞学原因是减数分裂过程中染色体行为异常.     

广东万年青的细胞遗传学研究

采用常规压片法和去壁低渗法,以生长于广西凭祥和广东深圳的广东万年青（Aglaonema modestumSchott ex Engl.）为材料,对二者的体细胞染色体、花粉母细胞减数分裂染色体配对行为和花粉发育过程进行了观察。结果表明：（1）野生植株为二倍体2n=40,栽培植株为三倍体2n=60;（2）野生种的小孢子母细胞减数分裂前期I终变期均为二价联会,栽培种偶见三价联会;（3）中期I,野生种为20个二价体排列在赤道板上,未见单价体,栽培种的20个二价体排列于赤道板上,20个单价体随机分布于两极,证实其为三倍体;（4）后期I,野生种二价体分离,出现单染色单体桥和断片,几率为10%,栽培种几率为3%,还存在落后染色体,部分不能进入两极的落后染色体和染色体断片在末期I形成微核;（5）四分体时期,野生种未观察到异常孢子,栽培种出现大量败育的四分体或多分体;（6）小孢子进入正常的发育分化,通过两次有丝分裂形成三细胞型花粉。野生种成熟花粉败育率为2.18%,栽培种为88.29%;（7）野生种正常结实,栽培种果实中未发现种子,为高度不育。     

紫鸭跖草花粉母细胞减数分裂细胞核和染色体含有F—肌动蛋白

肌动蛋白间接免疫荧光标记实验观察到紫鸭跖草花粉母细胞减数分裂前期Ⅰ细胞核,中期┘染色体,二分体和四分体均发现较明亮的黄绿色荧光,说明其中含有肌动蛋白。经ＴＲＩＴ－Ｃ鬼等环肽荧光标记后,减数分裂前Ⅰ细胞核,二分枝及中期Ⅰ染色体均发现较明亮的红色荧光;ＣＤ处理后细胞核和染色体的荧光明显减弱或没有荧光,说明其中存在Ｆ－肌动蛋白。     

Formation of division spindles in higher plant meiosis

Depolymerisation of the MT cytoskeleton during late prophase makes it impossible to follow the cytoskeleton cycle in centrosomeless plant meiocytes. This paper describes rearrangements of the MT cytoskeleton during plant meiotic spindle formation in normally dividing pollen mother cells in various higher plant species and forms in which the cytoskeleton does not depolymerise at prophase. In such variants of the wild-type, cytoskeleton rearrangements can be observed at late prophase/early prometaphase. Radial MT bundles coalesce in the meridian plane, reorientate tangentially, curve and give rise to a developed ring-shaped perinuclear cytoskeleton system at the meridian. During nuclear envelope breakdown this ring disintegrates and splits into a set of free MT bundles. Three sub-stages of prometaphase are indicated: early prometaphase (disintegration of perinuclear ring and invasion of MTs into the former nuclear area), middle prometaphase or chaotic stage (formation of bipolar spindle fibres), and late prometaphase (formation of bipolar spindle). Analysis of a range of abnormal phenotypes (disintegrated, multiple, polyarchal, chaotic spindles) reveals two previously unknown processes during late prometaphase: axial orientation and consolidation of the spindle fibres.     

Genetic variations in the hybrids of rice (Oryza sativa) and sorghum (Sorghum vulgare)

Summary Some of results from morphological and cytological observations and esterase-isozyme studies of a rice-sorghum hybrid are presented in this paper. There is a great diversity of morphological characters and some special characteristics in the progenies of the hybrids of rice with sorghum. The meiosis of pollen mother cells in the early generations of the hybrid was found to be abnormal. One main band coinciding with one found in sorghum but lacking in rice appeared in the majority of the hybrid lines. This band is characteristic of a are the specificities of the distant hybridization of rice and sorghum, and is rarely observed in the intervariety hybrids or hybrids between subspecies of Oryza sativa, indica and japonica. On the basis of these facts we concluded that the hybrids obtained are true hybrids of rice and sorghum.     

Syncytes during male meiosis resulting in 2n pollen grain formation in Lindelofia longiflora var.falconeri

Lindelofia longiflora (Royle ex Benth.) Baill.var.falconeri (Cl.) Brand (Family:Boraginaceae) is investigated cytologically (n =12) for the first time from the cold deserts of Pangi Valley,Chamba District (Himachal Pradesh) in India.We report the formation of syncytes and 2n pollen grains in the species.During meiosis,the majority of the pollen mother cells (PMCs) exhibited 12 bivalents,equal segregation of chromosomes during anaphases,regular tetrads,and normal-sized pollen grain formation.Occasionally,two proximate PMCs fused during the early stages ofprophase-I and resulted in the formation of syncytes.The frequency of syncytes in the accession is rather low,at 25 out of 1866 (1.33％).Such syncyte PMCs are detectable during meiosis due to their larger size compared to typical PMCs.The syncytes or polyploid cells showed normal 24 bivalents and depicted perfectly regular meiotic course.But the products of such PMCs yield 2n or larger sized pollen grains that are almost double the size of typical normal or n pollen grains.The origin of syncytes as a consequence of the fusion of meiocytes during the early stages of meiosis-I could be attributed to low temperature stress conditions prevailing in the Pangi Valley,where temperature during May and June dip to below freezing,the time the plants enters the reproductive/flowering bud stage.It is possible that such apparently fertile 2n pollen grains originating from syncytes might play a role in the origin of intraspecific polyploids in the species.     

Syncytes during male meiosis resulting in 2n pollen grain formation in Lindelofia longiflora var. falconeri

Abstract Lindelofia longiflora (Royle ex Benth.) Baill. var. falconeri (Cl.) Brand (Family: Boraginaceae) is investigated cytologically (n= 12) for the first time from the cold deserts of Pangi Valley, Chamba District (Himachal Pradesh) in India. We report the formation of syncytes and 2n pollen grains in the species. During meiosis, the majority of the pollen mother cells (PMCs) exhibited 12 bivalents, equal segregation of chromosomes during anaphases, regular tetrads, and normal‐sized pollen grain formation. Occasionally, two proximate PMCs fused during the early stages of prophase‐I and resulted in the formation of syncytes. The frequency of syncytes in the accession is rather low, at 25 out of 1866 (1.33%). Such syncyte PMCs are detectable during meiosis due to their larger size compared to typical PMCs. The syncytes or polyploid cells showed normal 24 bivalents and depicted perfectly regular meiotic course. But the products of such PMCs yield 2n or larger sized pollen grains that are almost double the size of typical normal or n pollen grains. The origin of syncytes as a consequence of the fusion of meiocytes during the early stages of meiosis‐I could be attributed to low temperature stress conditions prevailing in the Pangi Valley, where temperature during May and June dip to below freezing, the time the plants enters the reproductive/flowering bud stage. It is possible that such apparently fertile 2n pollen grains originating from syncytes might play a role in the origin of intraspecific polyploids in the species.