Somatic polyploidy in extraembryonic membranes of the snake,Elaphe guttata

Summary Video-densitometric DNA measurements of Feulgenstained tissues of 42 day old eggs of the corn snake,Elaphe g. guttata (Columbridae, Serpentes), revealed a basic DNA content of 2C=2.17 pg, with somatic polyploidy in the allantois, the chorioallontois, the yolk sac, and other extraembryonic membranes. The maximum value determined was 128C (in binucleate cells 2×128C) at the distal pole of the egg. This is the first report of somatic polyploidy in a snake, and one of the first in reptiles in general.     

Ensembles of endothelial and mural cells promote angiogenesis in prenatal human brain

1. Download : Download high-res image (311KB)
2. Download : Download full-size image

     

Development of fertilized ovules and their role in the growth of the pea pod

The histological development of fertilized ovules during fruit-set and development in pea ( Pisum sativum L. cv. Alaska) has been investigated. Killing the ovules on day 0 (anthesis) or day 1 prevented fruit-set and resulted in ovary degeneration. When the ovules were destroyed at later stages the ovaries developed, though the rate of growth of the pod was reduced significantly. Pollination in pea occurs normally the day before anthesis, and fertilization of the egg cell 32 to 48 h later. The first divisions of the zygote and endosperm nuclei started simultaneously (ca 48 h after pollination) but the endosperm developed more rapidly than the embryo; the embryo sac cavity was lined with free endosperm nuclei at the time of beginning suspensor elongation. Extracts of endosperm and ovule coats from ovules at day 7 after anthesis showed fruit-set activity in pea, the latter material having about 3 times more activity than the former per ovule basis. These results indicate that fertilization of the ovule is necessary for fruit-set in pea, and that compounds which induce fruit-set are probably synthesized in the ovules following fertilization.     

垂体后叶素和加压素对离体心肌的直接作用

本实验采用大鼠离体右心房和右心室肌条模型,观察了垂体后叶素和加压素对右心房和右心室肌的直接作用。结果表明:垂体后叶素对右心房的自主性收缩频率和幅度及右心室肌的收缩幅度均有剂量依赖性抑制作用;加压素对右心房和右心室肌收缩幅度也有剂量依赖性抑制作用,但对右心房自主节律无影响;催产素对右心房的收缩频率和幅度则均无影响。加压素V_1、V_2受体拮抗剂d(CH_2)_5Tyr(Me)AVP和d(CH_2)_5(D-Ile~2,Ile~4,Ala(NH_2)~9)AVP对垂体后叶素的负性变力作用具有不同程度的阻断作用,但对垂体后叶素的负性变时作用无阻断作用。以上结果提示,垂体后叶素的负性变力作用主要是由加压素产生的,加压素对心肌有直接的负性变力作用;垂体后叶素的负性变时作用可能是非加压素和催产素成分的作用结果。     

Inhibition of rat yolk sac tumour growth in vivo by a monoclonal antibody to the retroviral molecule P15E

Summary A monoclonal mouse IgG2b antibody 19F8, directed towards a determinant on the retroviral transmembranous molecule p15E, binds selectively to certain rat tumours, including all tested yolk sac tumours, one rat colon carcinoma, one spontaneous kidney carcinoma and an adenovirus-type-9-induced rat breast tumour, as tested by antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) and immunohistochemistry. Groups of rats receiving yolk sac tumour F56 isografts intraperitoneally (i.p.) or subperitoneally (s.p.) were treated with this monoclonal antibody (mAb), 19F8, inoculated twice a week in doses of 100 µg. Parallel control groups received analogous inoculations of an isotype-matched monoclonal antibody. A significant growth inhibitory effect was observed with 19F8. In 5/10 rats isografted i.p., tumour outgrowth was completely inhibited and in the other 5 rats the outgrowth was delayed compared to the 10 rats in the control group, which all developed tumours. All rats of the control group developed large volumes of ascites, whereas the 5 rats in the therapy group with eventual tumour outgrowth had little or no ascites. In two experiments with rats carrying subperitoneal isografts and treated with the 19F8 mAb, tumour grew out in 4/5 and 5/10 rats, though growth was delayed compared to the control groups, in which 5/5 and 9/9 rats developed tumours. The tumours grew significantly more slowly in the therapy groups compared to the controls. All rats that developed tumours in the therapy groups showed an anti-idiotypic response against mAb 19F8. The single tumour-free rat in the first experiment and 1/5 tumour-free rats in the other showed no such response. The draining lymph node cells from the tumour-free animals showed a specific proliferative response to yolk sac tumour F56 cells in a mixed lymphocyte tumour cell culture (MLTC), and the MLTC-induced cells were cytotoxic to F56 but not to the natural-killer-sensitive rat T cell lymphoma G1—Tc1. The cytotoxic cell population was more than 90% CD4⁺. It is concluded that the two test systems for identification of the epitope of p15E detected by mAb 19F8 correlated well in detection of the epitope in the cells (immunohistochemistry) and at the cell surface (ADCC). It is also concluded that mAb 19F8 has a growth-inhibitory effect on yolk sac tumour F56 and that, as a result of the treatment, T cells with specificity for F56 are appearing in draining lymph nodes of tumour-free animals.     

Single-channel analysis of a potassium inward rectifier in myocytes of newborn rat heart

Summary Unitary K⁺ currents in single cells isolated from ventricular muscle of newborn rat hearts were measured in response to different potentials and [K] _o . TheI/V curves were linear for potentials more negative than the zero-current voltage: especially in high [K] _o (150nm KCl), no clear outward currents could be detected indicating a drastic rectification in the inward direction. The channel is mainly selective to K⁺ but Na⁺ ions are also carried (P _Na/P _K=0.056). The channel conductance is proportional to the square root of [K] _o but Na⁺ ions seem to have a facilitatory effect on _K, the single-channel conductance. The channel activity, measured asP _o, i.e. the probability to find the channel in open state, decreased as the membrane was hyperpolarized. This behavior was tentatively explained by an inactivation process as the membrane becomes more negative. The rate constants of the transitions between the different states were calculated according to a C–O–C model. A control of the gating process by permeant ion K⁺ was postulated, based on the increase of one of the rate constants from the closed to the open state with [K] _o . Finally, the macroscopicI/V curves calculated fromP _o and i, the unit current, were found to be characteristic of a ion-blocked inward rectifier.     

蓝斑复合核区内微量注射去甲肾上腺素对刺激兔下丘脑诱发室性期前收缩的影响

在72只乌拉坦、氯醛糖麻醉兔,静脉注射三碘季铵酚后,在人工呼吸下进行实验。结果观察到,在家兔蓝斑复合核(Lo-So)区微量注射去甲肾上腺素(NE)或可乐宁(Clonidine)能减少刺激下丘脑诱发的室性期前收缩(HVE)数。而微量注射β-肾上腺素能受体阻断剂心得安、α_1肾上腺素激动剂甲氧胺(Methoxamine)或苯肾上腺素(Phenylephrine)、α肾上腺素能阻断剂育亨宾(Yohimbine)或阿片受体阻断剂纳洛酮则对 HVE 无明显影响。在 Lo-So 区微量注射 NE 对 HVE 的抑制效应不能被事先在该区注射心得安所阻断但能被事先静脉或 Lo-So 区注射育亨宾所阻断。NE 或可乐宁的抑制效应也均可被育亨宾所翻转。可乐宁的抑制效应还可被纳洛酮所翻转。电解损毁延髓中缝大核区可消除在 Lo-So 区微量注射 NE 或可乐宁对HVE 的抑制效应。上述结果提示,Lo-So 区α_2受体的兴奋可减少 HVE 数,这些作用可能依赖于延髓中缝大核区的完整。可乐宁对 HVE 的抑制作用可能有阿片受体的参与。     

Amino acid sequence of rabbit ventricular myosin light chain-2: Identity with the slow skeletal muscle isoform

Many studies have established a correlation of differences in the activities of various muscle types with differences in the expression of myosin isoforms. In this paper we report the sequence determination of myosin light chain-2 from rabbit slow skeletal (LC2s) and ventricular (LC2v) nmscles. We sequenced tryptic peptides from LC2v which account for all except a few terminal amino acid residues. The major part (87 residues) of the rabbit LC2s sequence, obtained from tryptic and cyanogen bromide (CNBr) peptides, was found to be identical to rabbit LC2v. Our results provide the first sequence information on LC2s from any species, and lend strong support to the hypothesis that LC2s and LC2v are identical. Comparisons of rabbit LC2v and LC2s with rabbit LC2f (from fast skeletal muscle), and also with chicken LC2f and LC2v, show clearly that LC2s and LC2v from mammalian and avian species are more closely related to each other than they are to LC2f isoforms from the same species.     

落葵的花粉粒和胚囊的形成与发育

落葵(Basella rubra L.)小孢子的发育为同时型,四分体呈四面体排列。在花粉母细胞减数分裂过程中,可清楚地看到胼胝壁的消长变化。三胞花粉,具散沟和网状纹饰。腺质绒毡层。 胚囊的发育为蓼型。反足细胞早期退化。内珠被突出形成珠被喙,同时,在其珠孔区域,有由内珠被的内表皮细胞所发育而来的类似盖状结构。 本文还注意到同一花中以及相邻花朵之间,花粉粒与胚囊发育进程的相关。花粉粒的发育略早于胚囊的发育,但以后由于胚囊母细胞形成胚囊的进程较为迅速,以致花粉粒与胚囊能够同时成熟。