磷酸肌醇激酶FAB1调控拟南芥根毛伸长

FAB1/PIKfyve是介导PI(3,5)P₂ (磷脂酰肌醇3,5-二磷酸)生物合成的磷酸肌醇激酶。在动物和酵母(Saccharomyces cerevisiae)中, PI(3,5)P₂参与调控胞内膜运输, 但在植物中的研究较少。该文通过分析拟南芥(Arabidopsis thaliana) FAB1的T-DNA插入突变体的表型解析PI(3,5)P₂的生物学功能。拟南芥FAB1基因家族包含FAB1A、FAB1B、FAB1C和FAB1D四个基因。研究发现, fab1a/b呈现雄配子体致死的表型。利用遗传杂交获得fab1b/c/d三突变体, 发现FAB1B、FAB1C和FAB1D功能缺失导致根毛相比野生型变短, 经FAB1特异性抑制剂YM201636处理后的野生型中也观察到相似的短根毛表型。此外, fab1b/c/d三突变体中DR5转录水平降低。同时, 外源施加生长素类似物2,4-D和NAA能部分恢复fab1b/c/d植株短根毛的表型, 但fab1b/c/d突变体对生长素转运抑制剂(1-NOA和TIBA)的敏感性与野生型相似。此外, FAB1B/C/D功能缺失使根毛中ROS的含量减少且影响肌动蛋白的表达。上述结果表明, FAB1B/C/D通过调控生长素分布、ROS含量和肌动蛋白的表达影响拟南芥根毛伸长。     

5-Hydroxytryptamine stimulates Rb efflux from pancreatic β-cells

The effects of 5-hydroxytryptamine and 5-hydroxytryptophan on ⁸⁶Rb⁺ efflux from prelabelled ob/ob-mouse islets were studied to better understand the cellular mechanisms underlying the effects of 5-hydroxytryptamine and 5-hydroxytryptophan on insulin release. 5-Hydroxytryptophan (4 mM) had no effect on ⁸⁶Rb⁺ efflux either at a low (3 mM) or at a high (20 mM) d-glucose concentration, whereas 5-hydroxytryptamine (4 mM) stimulated ⁸⁶Rb⁺ efflux at both glucose concentrations. These results indicate that 5-hydroxytryptamine may reduce glucose-induced insulin release by inhibiting early steps in the β-cell stimulus-secretion coupling.     

K+(Rb+) and Ca2+ fluxes in young winter wheat plants exposed to sub-zero temperatures

Ice crystal formation temperature was determined in the region of the crown in one group of 7-day-old intact unhardened high-salt plants of winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L. cv. Weibulls Starke II) with TA (Thermal Analysis) and DTA (Differential Thermal Analysis) methods. After exposure of another group of plants, grown for the first 7 days in the same way as the first group, to various sub-zero temperatures (-1 to 5°C), influx in roots of Rb⁺(⁸⁶Rb⁺) and Ca²⁺(⁴⁵Ca²⁺) and contents of K⁺ and Ca²⁺ were determined at intervals during 7 days of recovery. Ice crystal formation in the crown tissue was probably extracellular and took place at about -4°C. There was a large loss of K⁺ from the roots after treatment at sub-zero temperatures. This loss increased as the temperature of the sub-zero treatment decreased. During recovery, roots of plants exposed to -1, -2 and -3°C gradually reabsorbed K⁺. Reabsorption of K⁺ in roots of plants exposed to -4°C was greatly impaired. Rb⁺ influx decreased and Ca²⁺ influx increased after sub-zero temperature treatments of the plants. Active Rb⁺ influx mechanisms and active extrusion of Ca²⁺ were impaired or irreversibly damaged by the exposure. While Rb⁺ influx mechanisms were apparently repaired during recovery in plants exposed to temperatures down to -3°C, Ca²⁺ extrusion mechanisms were not. The temperature for ice crystal formation in the region of the crown tissue coincides with the temperature at which the plants lost the ability to reabsorb K⁺ and to repair Rb⁺ influx mechanisms during the recovery period. Plants were lethally damaged at temperatures below ?4°C.     

Gradients in maize roots: local elongation and pH

The elongation rate, the gradient of the local elongation rate and the surface pH of maize roots were measured over 12 h. A data bank was constituted by storing these values. By sorting these results on the basis of different elongation rates, different classes of root were obtained. Two classes were chosen: the low-growth roots and the high-growth roots. The mean growth of these two root classes was stable with time and differed significantly from one another. The surface pH of the elongation zone was the same for the roots of these two classes, but the roots selected for their higher growth rate had a larger acid efflux in this zone.     

Direct somatic embryogenesis from axes of mature peanut embryos

Summary Plant regeneration via somatic embryogenesis was obtained in peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) from axes of mature zygotic embryos. The area of greatest embryogenic activity was a 2-mm region adjacent to and encircling the epicotyl. Somatic embryogenesis was evaluated on Murashige and Skoog media supplemented with a variety of auxin treatments. Maximum production occurred on medium supplemented with 3 mg · liter⁻¹ 4-amino-3,5,6-trichloropicolinic acid. Explant cultures were transferred to half-strength medium supplemented with 1 mg · liter⁻¹ gibberellic acid for somatic embryo germination and early plantlet growth. Plantlets, transferred to soil, were placed in a greenhouse and grown to maturity.     

Pinocytic uptake and intracellular degradation of N-(2-hydroxypropyl)methacrylamide copolymers a potential drug delivery system

Synthetic ¹²⁵I-labelled N-(2-hydroxypropyl)methacrylamide copolymers containing four different, potentially degradable peptidyl side chains were incubated with rat visceral yolk sacs cultured in vitro. All copolymers were captured by fluid-phase pinocytosis and three of the side chains were susceptible to lysosomal hydrolysis, resulting in release of [¹²⁵I]iodotyrosine back into the culture medium. Uptake and degradation was completely inhibited by 2,4-dinitrophenol. The thiol-proteinase inhibitor leupeptin did not affect the rate of pinocytosis, but caused different degrees of inhibition of hydrolysis depending on side chain composition.     

Albino inflorescence proliferation of Dendrocalamus latiflorus

Summary Inflorescence proliferation is a plant tissue culture technique that, can be used to obtain in vitro inflorescences year-round without the intervening development of vegetative organs. In this study, we used albino mutant inflorescences of Dendrocalamus latiflorus as the original explant material to investigate, the effect of plant growth regulators on long-term inflorescence proliferation. The albino inflorescences proliferated on solidified Murashige and Skoog (MS) basal medium supplemented with thidiazuron (TDZ), and the optimal concentration for successful long-term inflorescence proliferation was 0.45 μM TDZ. A combination of α-naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA) with 0.45 μM TDZ inhibited the inflorescence proliferation. Inflorescences cultured on a TDZ-free medium supplemented with 26.82 μM NAA rooted in 21 d, vegetative shoots formed by 42 d and, in one case, flowering occurred after 63 d. The auxins 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D, 4.52 μM) and pieloram (4.14 μM) induced shoot formation. The protocol described can be used to produce large numbers of mutant inflorescences within a relatively short period of time.     

JAR human placental choriocarcinoma cells actively synthesize,take up and release polyamines

Uptake of polyamines has been investigated extensively in many cells, but not in placenta, where the polyamine– polyamine oxidase system is supposed to have an immunoregulatory function in pregnancy. Due to the importance of the transfer in this tissue, we have started this study. JAR human placental choriocarcinoma cells in monolayer at confluency were used as a model for measuring the key enzymes of polyamine synthesis and interconversion, rate of uptake and efflux, and the polyamine content. Polyamines were taken up by JAR cells and released by an independent mechanism. Ornithine decarboxylase and spermidine acetyltransferase activities and the rate of transport in and out of the cell were much higher than in other cells, such as L1210 cells. However the systems used for uptake and release appear in many respects to be similar to those observed in L1210 cells, but different from others. The uptake appears to be regulated by an inhibitory protein. Moreover, protein kinase C appears to be involved in the process. The efflux also is regulated as in L1210 cells, through control of H⁺ and Ca²⁺ concentration. In conclusion, this study shows that, in JAR cells, ornithine decarboxylase and spermidine acetyltransferase activities were much higher than in other cells, and so was the rate of transport in and out of the cells. As a result, a much higher polyamine content was observed.     

Anatomical and ultrastructural examination of adventitious root formation in stem slices of apple

Adventitious root formation in vitro in 1-mm stem slices cut from microshoots of apple cv. Jork 9 was studied using light and electron microscopy. When indole-3-butyric acid (IBA) had been added to the medium, starch grains accumulated during the first 24 h of culture in cells of the cambial region and in cells in the vicinity of vascular tissue and in the primary rays. This accumulation occurred only in the basal part of explants. After that, the nuclei in these cells were activated, and the density of the cytoplasm and the number of cell organelles increased, whereas starch was broken down. Cambium cells started to divide transversely and at 96 h, after several divisions, a continuous ring of isodiametric cytoplasmic cells had appeared around the xylem near the basal cutting surface. The cells in this ring were rich in cell structures, and did not contain large starch grains and a central vacuole. Root meristemoids regenerated from the portions of the ring that were localized in the primary rays. From the other cells in the ring, callus developed. The meristemoids did not grow into the direction of the epidermis as in shoots, but along the vascular bundles. After emergence from the cutting surface, the meristemoids were transformed into small, dome-like primordia. They developed a typical root apex with root cap, root ground meristem and tracheid connection with shoot vascular tissue. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.