Development of flower buds in thin-layer cultures of floral stalk tissue from tobacco: Role of hormones in different stages

The in vitro development of flower buds was studied on tissue explants of epidermis and subepidermal cortex from the flower stalks of Nicotiana tabacum L. cv. Samsun. The number of flower buds formed depended mainly on cytokinin concentration. Auxin acted as a modifier in a complex way. In early development, NAA at 1 μ M decreased the number of buds initiated and delayed bud emergence. At a later stage, auxin promoted bud outgrowth at the same concentration. Optimal results were obtained when explants were first incubated at low auxin concentration for 3–5 days and subsequently transferred to an elevated auxin level. Physiological processes that lead to flower bud initiation start very soon after the onset of incubation. This was inferred from experiments whereby explants were first cultured at an inductive cytokinin concentration and then transferred to a non-inductive hormone level.     

Phenolic acid effects on peanut growth and oil production

Plants of peanut (Arachis hypogaea L. var. PG No. 1) were given two foliar sprays of phenolic compounds (H-acid, 1, 2, 4-acid, resorcinol and RD-Brown) at 100 and 200 ppm, 35 and 50 days after sowing. In treated plants, shelling %, yield (kg/ha), number of gynophores per plant and number of pods per plant were significantly greater than in the control. Oil content of kernels also showed a significant increase with all the phenolic compounds applied. These compounds increased the linoleic acid concentration so improving nutritional quality. The number of gynophores was significantly correlated with the number of pods per plant and yield per hectare. The effect of phenolic compounds on growth and development was independent of their structural configuration.     

Electrochemical detection of nucleic base mismatches with ferrocenyl naphthalene diimide

Electrochemical detection of nucleic base mismatches was attempted successfully with ferrocenyl naphthalene diimide (FND) in a model system with 20-meric double-stranded oligonucleotides with or without a mismatch(es). Thus, dA(20) or a 20-meric sequence of the lac Z gene was immobilized on a gold electrode and complementary oligonucleotides with different numbers of mismatches were allowed to hybridize in the presence of FND to give rise to an electrochemical signal. The signal intensity varied depending on the number of unpaired bases on the DNA duplex. From experiments with a quartz crystal microbalance, eight molecules of FND were found to bind to the 20-meric double-stranded oligos and this number decreased as the number of mismatches increased. These findings were further supported by matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectroscopy. This novel method will be useful for the analysis of single-nucleotide polymorphisms present on human genes.     

Synthesis and evaluation of naphthalene-based thiosemicarbazone derivatives as new anticancer agents against LNCaP prostate cancer cells

Fourteen new naphthalene-based thiosemicarbazone derivatives were designed as anticancer agents against LNCaP human prostate cancer cells and synthesized. MTT assay indicated that compounds 6, 8 and 11 exhibited inhibitory effect on LNCaP cells. Among these compounds, 4-(naphthalen-1-yl)-1-[1-(4-hydroxyphenyl)ethylidene)thiosemicarbazide (6), which caused more than 50% death on LNCaP cells, was chosen for flow cytometric analysis of apoptosis. Flow cytometric analysis pointed out that compound 6 also showed apoptotic effect on LNCaP cells. Compound 6 can be considered as a promising anticancer agent against LNCaP cells owing to its potent cytotoxic activity and apoptotic effect.     

Phosphatidylcholine and sphingomyelin containing an elaidoyl fatty acid can form cholesterol-rich lateral domains in bilayer membranes

Elaidic acid is a trans-fatty acid found in many food products and implicated for having potentially health hazardous effects in humans. Elaidic acid is readily incorporated into membrane lipids in vivo and therefore affects processes regulating membrane physical properties. In this study the membrane properties of sphingomyelin and phosphatidylcholine containing elaidic acid (N-E-SM and PEPC) were determined in bilayer membranes with special emphasis on their interaction with cholesterol and participation in ordered domain formation. In agreement with previous studies the melting temperatures were found to be about 20 °C lower for the elaidoyl than for the corresponding saturated lipids. The trans-unsaturation increased the polarity at the membrane-water interface as reported by Laurdan fluorescence. Fluorescence quenching experiments using cholestatrienol as a probe showed that both N-E-SM and PEPC were incorporated in lateral membrane domains with sterol and saturated lipids. At low temperatures the elaidoyl lipids were even able to form sterol-rich domains without any saturated lipids present in the bilayer. We conclude from this study that the ability of N-E-SM and PEPC to form ordered domains together with cholesterol and saturated phospho- and sphingolipids in model membranes indicates that they might have an influence on raft formation in biological membranes.     

铜绿假单胞菌PIC－N萘降解基因的研究

铜绿假单胞菌（Ｐｓｅｕｄｏｍｏｎａｓａｅｒｕｇｉｎｏｓａ）ＰＩＣ－Ｎ对萘、邻苯二甲酸、水杨酸等有较强的氧化能力。发现该菌株以禁为底物可诱导产生芳香烃分解酶系。菌株中存在一个５７．４ｋｂ的质粒,经限制性内切酶ＨｉｎｄⅢ处理可产生７个片段,用限制性内切酶ＥｃｏＲⅠ处理可产生８个片段。将以限制性内切酶ＨｉｎｄⅢ部分酶切的片段克隆至大肠杆菌质粒ｐＭＦＹ４３上,获得２９个克隆株。通过对含有菌株ＰＩＣ－Ｎ质粒ＨｉｎｄⅢ片段的７个重组质粒进行限制酶分析,绘出了该质粒ＨｉｎｄⅢ内切酶７个切点的酶切图谱。     

Diversity and correlation of specific aromatic hydrocarbon biodegradation capabilities

This work investigated the biodegradation capabilitiesof indigenous microorganisms exposed to differentcombinations of aromatic hydrocarbons. Considerablediversity was found in the catabolic specificity of 55strains. Toluene was the most commonly degradedcompound, followed by p-xylene, m-xyleneand ethylbenzene. Strains capable of degradingo-xylene and benzene, which were theleast-frequently-degraded compounds, exhibited broaderbiodegradation capabilities. Kappa statistics showeda significant correlation between the abilities todegrade toluene and ethylbenzene, p-xylene andm-xylene, and p-xylene and o-xylene. The ability to degrade naphthalene was correlated tothe ability to degrade other alkylbenzenes, but notbenzene. In addition, the inability to degradebenzene was correlated to the inability to degradeo-xylene. Factorial analysis of variance showedthat biodegradation capabilities were generallybroader when aromatic hydrocarbons were fed asmixtures than when fed separately. Beneficialsubstrate interactions included enhanced degradationof benzene, p-xylene, and naphthalene whentoluene was present, and enhanced degradation ofnaphthalene by ethylbenzene. Such heuristicrelationships may be useful to predict biodegradationpatterns when bacteria are exposed to differentaromatic hydrocarbon mixtures.     

Monitoring the organization and dynamics of bovine hippocampal membranes utilizing Laurdan generalized polarization

Organization and dynamics of cellular membranes in the nervous system are crucial for the function of neuronal membrane receptors. The lipid composition of neuronal cells is unique and has been correlated with the increased complexity in the organization of the nervous system during evolution. Previous work from our laboratory has established bovine hippocampal membranes as a convenient natural source for studying neuronal receptors such as the G-protein coupled serotonin_1A receptor. In this paper, we have explored the organization and dynamics of bovine hippocampal membranes using the amphiphilic environment-sensitive fluorescent probe Laurdan. Our results show that the emission spectra of Laurdan display an additional red shifted peak as a function of increasing temperature in native as well as cholesterol-depleted membranes and liposomes made from lipid extracts of the native membrane. Interestingly, wavelength dependence of Laurdan generalized polarization (GP) in native membranes indicates the presence of an ordered gel-like phase at low temperatures, whereas characteristics of the liquid-ordered phase are observed at high temperatures. Similar experiments performed using cholesterol-depleted membranes show fluidization of the membrane with increasing cholesterol depletion. In addition, results from fluorescence polarization of DPH indicate that the hippocampal membrane is fairly ordered even at physiological temperature. The temperature dependence of Laurdan excitation GP provides a measure of the apparent thermal transition temperature and extent of cooperativity in these membranes. Analysis of time-resolved fluorescence measurements of Laurdan shows reduction in mean fluorescence lifetime with increasing temperature due to change in environmental polarity. These results constitute novel information on the dynamics of hippocampal membranes and its modulation by cholesterol depletion monitored using Laurdan fluorescence.