Comparative morphology of the foliage leaf epidermis, with emphasis on papillae characters, in key taxa of woody bamboos of the Asian tropics (Poaceae: Bambusoideae)

The foliage leaf epidermis of 35 species representing 12 key genera of woody bamboos of the Asian tropics was investigated using light and scanning electron microscopy. The results indicated that papillae forms and distributional patterns around the stomatal apparatus of the abaxial foliage leaf epidermis were usually constant and were of great taxonomic significance at the specific and generic levels. However, papillae characters were not suitable for dividing subtribes within woody bamboos of the Asian tropics. On the basis of papillae characters, Schizostachyum s.s. and Cephalostachyum were confirmed, but their delimitations should be modified. The transfer of Leptocanna chinensis and Schizostachyum sanguineum into Cephalostachyum was supported, and Cephalostachyum virgatum and C .  pergracile were confirmed to be members of Schizostachyum s.s. The subtribe Racemobambosinae did not obtain support and Racemobambos appeared to be better placed in subtribe Bambusinae. Neomicrocalamus was supported as a close relative and better treated as a synonym of Racemobambos . Gigantochloa was closely related to Dendrocalamus .  © 2008 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society , 2008, 156 , 411–423.     

Heritability of Eating Behavior Assessed Using the DEBQ (Dutch Eating Behavior Questionnaire) and Weight‐related Traits: The Healthy Twin Study

The heritability of eating behavior and body weight–related traits in Asian populations has not been reported. The purpose of this study was to estimate the heritability of eating behavior and the body weight–related traits of current weight and self‐reported past weight among twins and their families. Study subjects were 2,144 Korean, adult, same‐sex twins and their families at the ages between 20 and 65 years (443 monozygotic (MZ) and 124 dizygotic (DZ) twin pairs, and 1,010 individuals of their family). The Dutch Eating Behavior Questionnaire (DEBQ) was used to assess three eating behavior subscales measuring restraint, emotional eating, and external eating. A variance component approach was used to estimate heritability. After consideration of shared environmental effects and adjustment for age and sex effects, the heritability estimates ± s.e. among twins and their family members were 0.31 ± 0.036 for restraint, 0.25 ± 0.098 for emotional eating, 0.25 ± 0.060 for external eating, 0.77 ± 0.032 for measured current body weight, and 0.70 ± 0.051 for self‐reported weight at 20 years old. The three DEBQ subscales were associated with all weight related traits after adjustment for age and sex. These results suggest eating behaviors and weight‐related traits have a genetic influence, and eating behaviors are associated with obesity indexes. Our findings from Korean twin family were similar to those reported in Western populations.     

U-Shape Suppressive Effect of Phenol Red on the Epileptiform Burst Activity via Activation of Estrogen Receptors in Primary Hippocampal Culture

Phenol red is widely used in cell culture as a pH indicator. Recently, it also has been reported to have estrogen-like bioactivity and be capable of promoting cell proliferation in different cell lines. However, the effect of phenol red on primary neuronal culture has never been investigated. By using patch clamp technique, we demonstrated that hippocampal pyramidal neurons cultured in neurobasal medium containing no phenol red had large depolarization-associated epileptiform bursting activities, which were rarely seen in neurons cultured in phenol red-containing medium. Further experiment data indicate that the suppressive effect of the phenol red on the abnormal epileptiform burst neuronal activities was U-shape dose related, with the most effective concentration at 28 µM. In addition, this concentration related inhibitory effect of phenol red on the epileptiform neuronal discharges was mimicked by 17-β-estradiol, an estrogen receptor agonist, and inhibited by ICI-182,780, an estrogen receptor antagonist. Our results suggest that estrogen receptor activation by phenol red in the culture medium prevents formation of abnormal, epileptiform burst activity. These studies highlight the importance of phenol red as estrogen receptor stimulator and cautions of careful use of phenol red in cell culture media.     

Selection and proliferation of rapid growing cell lines from embryo derived cell cultures of yew tree (Taxus cuspidata Sieb. et Zucc)

Calli were induced from 300,000 embryos isolated from immature to mature stage of seeds collected on late September from 14 elite trees. When the embryos were cultured onto plastic Petri-dish containing 20 mL of modified B5 basal medium supplemented with 3% (w/v) sucrose, 500 mg/L casein hydrolysate, 250 mg/L myo-inositol, 0.5% (w/v) polyvinyl polypyrrolidon (PVPP), 2×MS vitamins, 0.5 mg/L gibberellic acid, and 10 mg/L 2,4-D after 2 weeks of culture, yellowish-white calli were immediately formed on the surfaces of embryos, and subcultured for 4 weeks in same culture medium. Because most of calli maintained for more than 3 months were revealed differences in their colors, surface texture, and growth rate, visual selection was made for first round screening. When the size of visually selected calli larger than 19 mm in their diameter were inoculated, persistent proliferation was observed. Among the plating methods tested for the selection of rapid growing cell lines at single cell and/or small cell aggregate level, 2-layer spread plating revealed as the best for single cell cloning. To enhance cell growth and maintain high rate of viability for long-term culture of yew cells in bioreactor, final cell volume less than 50% in SCV seemed to be the best. Time course study revealed that 30% of inoculum density was suitable for fed batch culture. Among the tested conditional media, the rate of 1∶2 (old medium: fresh medium) was recorded at the best for cell growth.     

A Low-Moisture-Content Limit to Logarithmic Relations Between Seed Moisture Content and Longevity

Seeds of quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.), sunflower (Helianthusannuus L.) and linseed (Linum usitatissimum L.) showed negativelogarithmic relations between longevity and moisture contentsbetween 4.4 and 15.4, 3.2 and 13.0, and 3.2 and 15.5%, respectively,in hermetic storage at 65 °C. However, between 1.8 and 3.1,1.1 and 1.9, and 1.1 and 2.1%, respectively, longevity did notvary. The critical moisture content, below which further reductionin moisture content no longer increased longevity in hermeticstorage at 65 °C, for each species was 4.1, 2.04 and 2.7%,respectively. Quinoa, Chenopodium quinoa Willd., sunflower, Helianthus annuus L., linseed, Linum usitatissimum L., seed storage, improved viability equation, seed longevity, seed moisture content     

康定虫草主要寄主斜脉蝠蛾的研究

冬虫夏草是一味名贵的中药材.四川康定虫草的主要寄主斜脉蝠蛾翅面色斑多变异,可区分成“黑白斑”和“黄毛斑”两大色斑型.经交配试验和成虫形态特征(触角、口器、翅脉、前足、雌雄外生殖器和鳞片的超微结构等)的观察,证明为同一种,经鉴定是斜脉蝠蛾(Hepialus oblifurcus Chu et Wang)^**.     

Construction and expression of nonsense suppressor tRNAs which function in plant cells

An Arabidopsis thaliana L. DNA containing the tRNA(TrpUGG) gene was isolated and altered to encode the amber suppressor tRNA(TrpUAG) or the ochre suppressor tRNA(TrpUAA). These DNAs were electroporated into carrot protoplasts and tRNA expression was demonstrated by the translational suppression of amber and ochre nonsense mutations in the chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) reporter gene. DNAs encoding tRNA(TrpUAG) and tRNA(TrpUAA) nonsense suppressor tRNAs caused suppression of their cognate nonsense codons in CAT mRNAs, with the tRNA(TrpUAG) gene exhibiting the greater suppression under optimal conditions for expression of CAT. The development of these translational suppressors which function in plant cells facilitates the study of plant tRNA gene expression and will make possible the manipulation of plant protein structure and function.     

Quantal Response of Seed Germination in Brachiaria humidicola, Echinochloa turnerana, Eragrostis tef and Panicum maximum to Photon Dose for the Low Energy Reaction and the High Irradiance Reaction

Various daily photon doses (daily net number of photons perunit area), provided by varying both photon flux density andphotoperiod, were applied to dormant seed populations of fourgraminaceous species tested for germination in alternating-temperatureregimes on filter papers moistened with either water or a solutionof potassium nitrate. In all four species germination was dependentupon daily photon dose, the product of photon flux density andduration, and quantified by linear relations between the probitof percentage germination and the logarithm of the daily photondose determined by probit analysis. Photon flux density andphotoperiod only influenced germination indirectly as factorsof daily photon dose, except in Echinochloa turnerana (Domin)J.M. Black at high daily photon doses where lower germinationwas observed in continuous light than in 8 h d^–1 photoperiod.The low energy reaction, in which increasing dose promotes seedgermination, was observed in Echlnochloa turnerana and Eragrostistef(Zucc.) Trotter but not in the populations of Brachiariahumidicola (Rendle) Schwcickerdt and Panicum maximum Jacq. usedin this study. The high irradiance reaction, in which increasingthe photon dose reduces germination, was, however, observedin all four species. In Eragrostis tef potassium nitrate influencedthe response of seed germination to light, but in the remainingspecies its influence on this relationship was either additive(Panicum maximum) or nil (Brachiaria humidicola and Echinochloaturnerana) in the alternating-temperature regimes used in thisstudy. The implications of the quantal response to photon dosefor devising optimal light regimes to be applied in laboratorytests intended to maximize seed germination are discussed. Key words: Light, seed germination, seed dormancy, grasses     

流行性感冒病毒重组株京生75-29 R2 T1及冷适应株31-广的基因分析

用聚丙烯酰胺凝胶电泳方法分析了流行性感冒病毒重组株京生75-29R2 T1(H3N2)及冷适应株31-广(H3N2)的RNA及多肽。重组株京生75-29R2 T1的HA及M基因系来自流行病毒亲本株/甲/北京/29/75(H3N2),而P_2、NA、NP及NS基因则来自温度敏感母株福R3(H2N2)。流行病毒株甲/穗/03/68(H3N2)在低温条件下经鸡胚尿囊腔传递24代而获得的冷适应疫苗毒株31-广(H3N2)其基因型与野毒株一致。