DIRECT SOMATIC EMBRYOGENESIS AND PLANT REGENERATION FROM PROTOPLAST-DERIVED CELLS OF WHEAT (Triticum aestivum L.)

Protoplasts were isolated from embryogenic calli derived from immature embryos ofwheat (Triticum aestivum L. cv. Jinan 177). The protoplasts were cultured in NMB mediumsupplemented with 1mg/L 2,4- D and 500mg/l casein hydrolysate (CH). The regenerated cellsfrom protoplasts divided to form somatic embryos directly. The somatic embryos grown to1.5- 2 mm in size directly developed into complete plants on solid MB medium without hor-mones.     

PLANT REGENERATION FROM IMMATURE COTYLEDONOUS TISSUE CULTURES OF SOYBEAN BY SOMATIC EMBRYOGENESIS

Genetic engineering of soybean is limited because of the difficulty of regeneration of plants via in vitro culture. Here we report that a method of obtaining somatic embryos and regenerated plants of soybean has been developed. It is achieved by culturing immature cotyledons of soybean on modified Murashige-Skoog medium supplemented with high concentration of either napthalene acetic acid (NAA) or 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D). High induction frequencies of 85% and 94% are reached by using 10mg/l NAA and 5mg/l 2,4-D, respectively. A number of regenerated plantlets of soybean are transplanted to sterilized soil and grown into 15 full plants in pots.     

Risk evaluation and protection against ionizing radiation

The advent of nuclear reactors ushered in an era of increasing number of sources of ionizing radiations. However, the potential of ionizing radiations to cause harmful effects was recognized soon after the discovery of x-rays and radioactivityi.e. long before the building of nuclear reactors. Therefore, protection against ionizing radiations has been of paramount concern and has guided the development of atomic energy and related fields. The advances in technology in general resulted in an increase in accidents causing injury and death. It was realised that even medicines, food additives and a host of other substances of daily use had injurious side effects. Smoking was found to be extremely harmful. From these emerged the concepts of quantitative and relative risks. This article discusses briefly the concept of riskvis-a-vis ionizing radiations and approaches to protection against them.     

Mechanism and functional role of antibody catalysis

The light (L) chain of a model antibody (Ab) was deduced to contain a serine protease-like catalytic site capable of cleaving peptide bonds. The catalytic site is encoded by a germline V_L gene. The catalytic activity can potentially be improved by somatic sequence diversification and pairing of the L chain with the appropriate heavy chain. Autoimmune disease is associated with increased synthesis of antigen (Ag)-specific Abs, but the reasons for this phenomenon are not known. Only recently has attention turned to the functional role of the catalytic function. Preliminary studies confirm that the catalytic cleavage of peptide bonds is a more potent means to achieve Ag neutralization, compared to reversible Ag binding. Administration of a monoclonal Ab to VIP in experimental animals induces an inflammatory response in the airways, suggesting that catalytic autoantibodies to this peptide found in airway disease and lupus are capable of causing airway dysfunction. The phenomenon of autoantibody catalysis can potentially be applied to isolate efficient catalysts directed against tumor or microbial Ags by exposing the autoimmune repertoire to such Ags or their analogs capable of recruiting the germline V_L gene encoding the catalytic site.     

苜蓿胚状体的分离及其发育过程中几种酶活性的变化

通过组织培养技术获得了来源于苜蓿下胚轴愈伤组织的胚状体，并对胚状体的分离及发生和发育过程中过氧化物酶、酯酶和超氧化物歧化酶活性的变化进行了研究。结果表明，过氧化物酶和超氧化物歧化酶的活性变化表现出类似的规律性，即在球形胚时期二种酶的活性达到最大值，胚性愈伤组织时期次之，非胚性愈伤组织和子叶胚时期酶的活性较低。酯酶在球形胚、心形胚、鱼雷形胚和子叶胚时期的活性明显高于非胚性愈伤组织时期，且按照胚状体发生和发育的进程，酶活性呈现出上升的趋势。     

Application of computer imaging,stripping voltammetry and mass spectrometry to study the effect of lead (Pb-EDTA) on the growth and viability of early somatic embryos of Norway spruce (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Picea abies</Emphasis> /L./ Karst.)

Image analysis (IA) was used to determine the areas and circumferences of clusters of early somatic embryos (ESEs) of the Norway spruce (Picea abies /L./Karst.). Results obtained from IA were compared with the fresh weights of the ESE clusters and their esterase activities. The areas of the ESE clusters correlated well with both the increases in fresh weight (R ²=0.99) of the ESEs and their esterase activities (R ²=0.99). In addition, we studied the viability of the ESEs, which was determined by (a) double staining with fluorescein diacetate and propidium iodide (the resulting fluorescence was quantified by IA) and (b) determining esterase activity using a spectrofluorimetric detector. The results obtained with IA and esterase assay were comparable (the deviation between the tangents of the bisectors was 6.4%). IA was also used to study the effect of Pb–EDTA chelate (50, 250 and 500 μM) on the viability of the ESEs and on the growth of clusters. The presence of Pb–EDTA markedly slowed the growth of ESEs clusters (by more than 65% with 250 μM of Pb–EDTA after 288 h of cultivation) and decreased the viability of ESEs (by more than 30% with 500 μM of Pb–EDTA after 288 h of cultivation). The lead concentration in the ESEs was determined by differential pulse anodic stripping voltammetry and increased with the external lead concentration and the time of treatment from 100 to 600 pg Pb/100 mg of fresh weight of ESEs. Glutathione is a diagnostic marker of the influence of Pb–EDTA on ESEs and its content was determined by high–performance liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry. The glutathione content changed linearly with treatment time and the applied external lead concentration. The highest glutathione content was obtained at 250 μM of Pb–EDTA after 192 h of cultivation.     

龙牙百合体细胞胚的诱导及植株再生

以龙牙百合鳞片为外植体，以MS为基本培养，通过添加不同浓度的6-BA，2，4-D，研究了其体细胞胚发生的最佳培养条件，并对体细胞胚的发生过程进行了形态学观察。结果表明：影响龙牙百合体细胞胚发生方式的因素是2，4-D。当2，4-D浓度低于0．5mg／L时，体细胞胚以直接方式发生，起源于鳞片表皮下数层细胞或深层的细胞，依次经过多细胞原胚，球形胚，心形胚，成熟胚等阶段，其形态学发育过程与合子胚相似。当2，4-D浓度适中时，体细胞胚以间接方式发生，起源于愈伤组织内部的胚性细胞团，其形态学发育过程也与合子胚相似；诱导胚性愈伤组织的最适培养基为MS＋0．5mg／L6-BA＋2．0mg／L2，4-D，在分化形成体细胞胚时，需降低或去除2，4-D。     

Biosynthesis and deficiencies of glycosylphosphatidylinositol

At least 150 different human proteins are anchored to the outer leaflet of the plasma membrane via glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI). GPI preassembled in the endoplasmic reticulum is attached to the protein’s carboxyl-terminus as a post-translational modification by GPI transamidase. Twenty-two PIG (for Phosphatidyl Inositol Glycan) genes are involved in the biosynthesis and protein-attachment of GPI. After attachment to proteins, both lipid and glycan moieties of GPI are structurally remodeled in the endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi apparatus. Four PGAP (for Post GPI Attachment to Proteins) genes are involved in the remodeling of GPI. GPI-anchor deficiencies caused by somatic and germline mutations in the PIG and PGAP genes have been found and characterized. The characteristics of the 26 PIG and PGAP genes and the GPI deficiencies caused by mutations in these genes are reviewed.     

结合局部一致性和低频振幅探究躯体症状障碍患者大脑自发性活动的改变

躯体症状障碍（somatic symptom disorder,SSD）是一种常见的医学疾病,致病原因涉及生物学、心理学及社会因素.目前关于SSD的神经机制知之甚少.本研究通过静息态功能磁共振成像（functional magnetic resonance imaging,fMRI）,结合低频振幅（amplitudes of low-frequency fluctuation,ALFF）和局部一致性（regional homogeneity,ReHo）分析探究45位SSD患者和43位健康对照自发性脑活动特征的区别.结果发现：与对照组相比,SSD患者右侧扣带回中部的ReHo值显著升高,而右侧楔前叶、左侧颞下回延伸到左侧颞中回和左侧海马旁回、右侧脑桥的ReHo值显著降低.同时,SSD患者扣带回中部延伸至左侧额中回、右侧脑岛延伸至右侧额下回、左侧额中回延伸至左侧前扣带回的ALFF值均显著升高.这些脑区的脑功能与自我加工、情绪处理、身体知觉等有关,与SSD发病机制有重要联系.     

Dynamic Effects of Submillimeter Wave Radiation on Biological Objects of Various Levels of Organization

We have presented an overview of the literature and of our experimental data on the influence of electromagnetic radiation in the submillimeter spectral region on biological objects of molecular, cellular, and organism levels. Possible physical mechanisms involved and the reasons for limited development of the research in this spectral range are discussed.