Molecular genetics of cell death in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans

In C. elegans, cell death can be readily studied at the cellular, genetic, and molecular levels. Two types of death have been characterized in this nematode: (1) programmed cell death, which occurs as a normal component in development; and (2) pathological cell death which occurs aberrantly as a consequence of mutation. Analysis of mutations that disrupt programmed cell death in various ways has defined a genetic pathway for programmed cell death which includes genes that perform such functions as the determination of which cells die, the execution of cell death, the engulfment of cell corpses, and the digestion of DNA from dead cells. Molecular analysis is providing insightinto the nature of the molecules that function in these aspects of programmed cell death. Characterization of some genes that mutate to induce abnormal cell death has defined a novel gene family called degenerins that encode putative membrane proteins. Dominant alleles of at least two degenerin genes, mec-4 and deg-1, can cause cellular swelling and late onset neurodegeneration of specific groups of cells. © 1992 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Primers for the amplification of sequence‐characterized loci in Cryphonectria cubensis populations

We describe the development of DNA markers for the fungal pathogen of Eucalyptus, Cryphonectria cubensis. These markers originated from cloned intershort sequence repeat polymerase chain reactions, which enrich for medium to highly repetitive DNA sequences. In total, 10 markers were isolated, eight of which were polymorphic, and these can subsequently be applied to study populations of C. cubensis.     

湖北贝母单鳞片砂培繁殖研究

本文针对湖北贝母生产中存在繁殖系数低的问题,研究了单鳞片砂培繁殖对提高鳞茎繁殖率的效果和原理。试验结果表明:1.单鳞片繁殖率为对照种鳞茎的5—9倍,2.低温(2—10℃)预处理4—8周和暗条件培养,能有效地提高子球形成率,促使子球迅速长大,3.植物激素(6-BA、KT、2,4-D)处理,有利于促进鳞片不定芽原基的分化,繁殖率为种茎繁殖的9—11倍;4.单鳞片繁殖的小鳞茎主要发生在鳞片基部的茎盘上,还可发生在鳞片的远轴面上,但不发生在近轴面。     

The in vitro screening of methylated 4-oxypiperidine compounds for inhibition of protein synthesis in a rabbit reticulocyte cell-free translation system

A variety of methylated 4-oxypiperidine derivatives were tested for their ability to inhibit protein synthesis in vitro. A direct correlation was found between the extent of methylation of these compounds and their inhibitory activity in a rabbit reticulocyte lysate cell-free translation system.Abbreviation IC₅₀ 50% inhibitory concentration     

Effects of N,N′-dicyclohexylcarbodiimide on isolated and reconstituted cytochrome b-c1 complex from bovine heart mitochondria

N,N′-Dicyclohexylcarbodiimide (DCCD) inhibits the activity of ubiquinol-cytochrome c reductase in the isolated and reconstitued mitochondrial cytochrome b-c₁ complex. DCCD inhibits equally electron flow and proton translocation (i.e., the $\text{H}{}^{\mathrm{+}}\text{e}{}^{\mathrm{?}}$ ratio is not affected) catalysed by the enzyme reconstituted into phospholipid vesicles. The inhibitory effects are accompanied by structural alterations in the polypeptide pattern of both isolated and reconstituted enzyme. Cross-linking was observed between subunits V (iron-sulfur protein) and VII, indicating that these polypeptides are in close proximity. A clear correlation was found between the kinetics of inhibition of enzymic activity and the cross-linking, suggesting that the two phenomena may be coupled. Binding of [¹⁴C]DCCD was also observed, to all subunits with the isolated enzyme and preferentially to cytochrome b with the reconstituted vesicles; in both cases, however, it was not correlated kinetically with the inhibition of the enzymic activity.     

Systemic amyloidosis in transgenic mice carrying the human mutant transthyretin (Met 30) gene

To analyze the pathologic processes of amyloid deposition in type I familial amyloidotic polyneuropathy (FAP), mice were made transgenic by introducing the human mutant transthyretin (TTR) gene(MT-hMet 30). An inbred strain of mouse, C57 BL/6, was chosen. Transgenic mice were killed using ether anesthesia at 3-mo intervals up to 24 mo after birth. In these transgenic mice, amyloid deposition started in the gastrointestinal tract, cardiovascular system, and kidneys and extended to various other organs and tissues with advancing age. The pattern of amyloid deposition was similar to that observed in human autopsy cases of FAP, except for its absence in the choroid plexus and in the peripheral and autonomic nervous systems. We extracted the amyloid fibrils from kidneys of these mice with a human mutant TTR gene and analyzed them immunochemically and electronmicroscopically. Deposited amyloid was shown to be composed of human mutant TTR and mouse serum amyloid P component. Amyloid fibril from transgenic mice was morphologically and immunohistochemically similar to that of human FAP. The most striking pathologic feature of the transgenic mice was the absence of amyloid deposition in the peripheral and autonomic nervous tissues. Thus, other intrinsic factors may be involved in amyloid deposition in the nervous tissues of human FAP.     

谷子显性雄性不育基因“Ms~（ch）”的细胞质转换

通过种间杂交和连续置换回交,选育出具有轮生狗尾草（Ｓ,ｖｅｒｔｉｃｉｌｌａｔａ（Ｌ．）Ｂｅａｕｖ．）细胞质的谷子（Ｓｅｔａｒｉａｉｔａｌｉｃａ（Ｌ．）Ｂｅａｕｖ．）核质杂种,以带有上位基因Ｒｆ的显性核不育植株为父本与此核质杂种杂交,已将显性核不育基因导入轮生狗尾草细胞质中,从其分离后代中选出了具有显性核不育基因的新核质杂种,为谷子的三系选育和细胞质研究创造了新工具,也为核互作杂优利用增加了核质互作优势新机制。     

Primary structure effects on peptide group hydrogen exchange

The rate of exchange of peptide group NH hydrogens with the hydrogens of aqueous solvent is sensitive to neighboring side chains. To evaluate the effects of protein side chains, all 20 naturally occurring amino acids were studied using dipeptide models. Both inductive and steric blocking effects are apparent. The additivity of nearest-neighbor blocking and inductive effects was tested in oligo-and polypeptides and, suprisingly, confirmed. Reference rates for alanine-containing peptides were determined and effects of temperature considered. These results provide the information necessary to evaluate measured protein NH to ND exchange rates by comparing them with rates to be expected for the same amino acid sequence is unstructured aligo- and polypeptides. The application of this approach to protein studies is discussed. © 1993 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Dominant rotifers of Võrtsjärv (Estonia)

Rotifers form 71% of the zooplankton of the strongly eutrophic (total N 2 g m^–3, total P 53 mg m^–3) Võrtsjärv (Estonia). Altogether 150 taxa of rotifers occur. Species characteristic of oligo- and mesotrophic waters have totally disappeared during the last 30 years, or are disappearing now. Species whose numbers and biomass reached 20% or more of total zooplankton were considered dominants. These were Anuraeopsis fissa, Keratella cochlearis, K. quadrata frenzeli, Polyarthra dolichoptera, P. luminosa, Synchaeta verrucosa and Trichocerca rousseleti. The contribution of dominant rotifers to total zooplankton and its biomass is as follows: S. verrucosa 25% and 39%, P.dolichoptera 34% and 25%, K. cochlearis 25% and 7%, K. quadrata frenzeli 9% and 7%, A. fissa 28% and 0.4%, T. rousseleti 20% and 0.6%, respectively.