Cilia regeneration in the sea urchin embryo: evidence for a pool of ciliary proteins

Late gastrulae of paracentrotus lividus regenerated cilia after being deciliated in hypertonic sea water. Regeneration was not affected by actinomycin D or puromycin. Actinomycin D also did not affect ciliary protein synthesis during regeneration, although overall embryonic synthesis was depressed. Puromycin inhibited both total embryonic and ciliary protein synthesis. The data indicate that ciliary protein synthesis is controlled by a stable template and that the regenerating cilia are formed from a pool of ciliary proteins. It is suggested that the proteins of the mitotic apparatus and of the ciliamay be related.     

Alginase in the sea urchin Strongylocentrotus purpuratus

Viscosimetric evidence of alginase activity is given for the intestine and the intestinal contents of a sea urchin. The alginase activity of the gut wall and that of the contents of the gut differ in pH optima; this suggests that there may be two sources of alginase. The enzyme (or enzymes) depolymerizes algin.     

Protein synthesis in micromeres of the sea urchin egg

A method was developed for isolating large quantities of micromeres from the 16-cell stage of the sea urchin, and measurements were made of their ability to incorporate C(14)-L-valine into protein as compared with that of a mixed suspension of micromeres, mesomeres, and macromeres. Per cell, the rate of incorporation was considerably less for the micromeres than for the suspension of mixed cells. Per unit volume, however, the two types of suspensions showed no significant differences.     

Actinomycin D: uptake by sea urchin eggs and embryos

Actinomycin D is excluded from unfertilized eggs and developing embryos of the sea urchin Arbacia punctulata until the blastula hatches. The rate of uptake of actinomycin D by embryos doubles as development progresses after hatching to the gastrula stage.     

The genome of the sea urchin Strongylocentrotus purpuratus

We report the sequence and analysis of the 814-megabase genome of the sea urchin Strongylocentrotus purpuratus, a model for developmental and systems biology. The sequencing strategy combined whole-genome shotgun and bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) sequences. This use of BAC clones, aided by a pooling strategy, overcame difficulties associated with high heterozygosity of the genome. The genome encodes about 23,300 genes, including many previously thought to be vertebrate innovations or known only outside the deuterostomes. This echinoderm genome provides an evolutionary outgroup for the chordates and yields insights into the evolution of deuterostomes.     

中间球海胆精子超低温冷冻损伤的研究

应用透射电镜技术研究了超低温冷冻保存对中间球海胆Strongylocentrotus intermedius精子超微结构的影响。结果表明：不加抗冻剂的情况下,精子线粒体和顶体结构不完整,质膜、鞭毛破损。加入保护剂后,多数精子结构完好,部分精子细胞器受损,表现为质膜褶皱或膨胀举起,与核膜的间隙明显增大;顶体肿胀、破裂或脱落;线粒体嵴间隙增大,内部出现空泡,甚至线粒体内膜破损,内嵴减少,呈弥散状;鞭毛被膜肿胀,呈波浪状,＂9＋2＂型结构模糊;细胞核结构没有明显变化。应用单细胞凝胶电泳技术研究了精子冷冻保存前后DNA的损伤。结果表明,不加抗冻剂的冷冻组及添加抗冻剂的试验组精子DNA损伤情况与鲜精相比均无显著差异（P〉0.05）,冷冻对精子结构的损伤是造成精子活力及受精率下降的主要原因。     

中间球海胆精子超低温冷冻保存方法的研究

对中间球海胆Strongylocentrotus intermedius精子的超低温保存技术进行了研究。以煮沸消毒海水为基础液,添加体积分数为10%的DMSO、体积分数为6%的甘油以及25 mmol/L海藻糖配制成冷冻保护液,与鲜精液按体积比以1∶1混合,在4℃下平衡15 min,于液氮面上方15、3 cm处分别停留3 min和5 min,然后浸入液氮保存。结果表明:用此方法保存的精子解冻后其存活率可达58.2%,受精率达24.7%;解冻后精子受精时,在受精海水中分别添加0、28、56、112、280 mmol/L的葡萄糖,56 mmol/L组的受精率高于其他组,受精率达26%;精子解冻后受精时,在受精海水中添加适量葡萄糖有助于提高受精率。本试验表明,冷冻过程中降温方式、冷冻保护液、平衡时间对精子的冷冻保存效果均有较大影响,各个因素通过优化组合可以大大提高解冻后精子的存活率和受精率。     

中间球海胆精子超低温冷冻保存方法的研究

对中间球海胆Strongylocentrotus intermedius精子的超低温保存技术进行了研究。以煮沸消毒海水为基础液,添加体积分数为10%的DMSO、体积分数为6%的甘油以及25 mmol/L海藻糖配制成冷冻保护液,与鲜精液按体积比以1∶1混合,在4℃下平衡15 min,于液氮面上方15、3 cm处分别停留3 min和5 min,然后浸入液氮保存。结果表明：用此方法保存的精子解冻后其存活率可达58.2%,受精率达24.7%;解冻后精子受精时,在受精海水中分别添加0、28、56、112、280 mmol/L的葡萄糖,56 mmol/L组的受精率高于其他组,受精率达26%;精子解冻后受精时,在受精海水中添加适量葡萄糖有助于提高受精率。本试验表明,冷冻过程中降温方式、冷冻保护液、平衡时间对精子的冷冻保存效果均有较大影响,各个因素通过优化组合可以大大提高解冻后精子的存活率和受精率。     

中间球海胆精子超低温冷冻损伤的研究

应用透射电镜技术研究了超低温冷冻保存对中间球海胆Strongylocentrotus intermedius精子超微结构的影响。结果表明:不加抗冻剂的情况下,精子线粒体和顶体结构不完整,质膜、鞭毛破损。加入保护剂后,多数精子结构完好,部分精子细胞器受损,表现为质膜褶皱或膨胀举起,与核膜的间隙明显增大;顶体肿胀、破裂或脱落;线粒体嵴间隙增大,内部出现空泡,甚至线粒体内膜破损,内嵴减少,呈弥散状;鞭毛被膜肿胀,呈波浪状,9+2型结构模糊;细胞核结构没有明显变化。应用单细胞凝胶电泳技术研究了精子冷冻保存前后DNA的损伤。结果表明,不加抗冻剂的冷冻组及添加抗冻剂的试验组精子DNA损伤情况与鲜精相比均无显著差异(P>0.05),冷冻对精子结构的损伤是造成精子活力及受精率下降的主要原因。     

用改良的TRIZOL法快速提取仿刺参和中间球海胆的总RNA

用改良的TRIZOL法和普通TRIZOL法分别提取仿刺参Apostichopus japonica体壁、肠、体腔液和中间球海胆Strongylocentrotus intermedius的管足、性腺、齿间肌的总RNA。结果表明:用普通TRIZOL法提取时间长,电泳条带不很清晰,存在降解且各个组织提取的状况不稳定,杂质量多;而用改良TRIZOL法能够快速提取仿刺参、海胆组织的总RNA,电泳后得到的28S rRNA和18S rRNA条带清晰、完整性好、纯度高、得率高,其A/A为2.04².14,总RNA浓度为44.962.14,总RNA浓度为44.96¹15.02 ng/μL。     

用改良的TRIZOL法快速提取仿刺参和中间球海胆的总RNA

用改良的TRIZOL法和普通TRIZOL法分别提取仿刺参Apostichopus japonica体壁、肠、体腔液和中间球海胆Strongylocentrotus intermedius的管足、性腺、齿间肌的总RNA。结果表明:用普通TRIZOL法提取时间长,电泳条带不很清晰,存在降解且各个组织提取的状况不稳定,杂质量多;而用改良TRIZOL法能够快速提取仿刺参、海胆组织的总RNA,电泳后得到的28S rRNA和18S rRNA条带清晰、完整性好、纯度高、得率高,其A/A为2.04~2.14,总RNA浓度为44.96~115.02 ng/μL。     

Transmission of integrated sea urchin histone genes by nuclear transplantation in Xenopus laevis

Sea urchin histone genes contained in a recombinant plasmid pSp102 were microinjected into the cytoplasm of fertilized eggs of Xenopus laevis. By the late blastula stage, plasmid DNA sequences were detected comigrating with the high molecular weight cellular DNA (greater than 48 kilobases). Analysis of the DNA from injected embryos digested with various restriction endonuclease demonstrated that the injected DNA was integrated into the frog genome. Clones of embryos containing the pSp102 DNA sequences were produced by means of nuclear transplantation. Individuals of the same clone contain the pSp102 sequences integrated into similar chromosomal locations. These sites vary between different clones.     

Genomic insights into the immune system of the sea urchin

Comparative analysis of the sea urchin genome has broad implications for the primitive state of deuterostome host defense and the genetic underpinnings of immunity in vertebrates. The sea urchin has an unprecedented complexity of innate immune recognition receptors relative to other animal species yet characterized. These receptor genes include a vast repertoire of 222 Toll-like receptors, a superfamily of more than 200 NACHT domain-leucine-rich repeat proteins (similar to nucleotide-binding and oligomerization domain (NOD) and NALP proteins of vertebrates), and a large family of scavenger receptor cysteine-rich proteins. More typical numbers of genes encode other immune recognition factors. Homologs of important immune and hematopoietic regulators, many of which have previously been identified only from chordates, as well as genes that are critical in adaptive immunity of jawed vertebrates, also are present. The findings serve to underscore the dynamic utilization of receptors and the complexity of immune recognition that may be basal for deuterostomes and predicts features of the ancestral bilaterian form.     

Fertilization-induced changes in membrane fluidity of sea urchin eggs

By use of a spin label fatty acid, 5-doxylstearate, an increase in bulk membrane fluidity was observed after fertilization of two species of sea urchin eggs. Eggs partially activated by ammonia showed a similar effect. The data suggest that a structural change involving membrane lipids accompanies activation.     

Free-solution, label-free molecular interactions studied by back-scattering interferometry

Free-solution, label-free molecular interactions were investigated with back-scattering interferometry in a simple optical train composed of a helium-neon laser, a microfluidic channel, and a position sensor. Molecular binding interactions between proteins, ions and protein, and small molecules and protein, were determined with high dynamic range dissociation constants (Kd spanning six decades) and unmatched sensitivity (picomolar Kd's and detection limits of 10,000s of molecules). With this technique, equilibrium dissociation constants were quantified for protein A and immunoglobulin G, interleukin-2 with its monoclonal antibody, and calmodulin with calcium ion Ca2+, a small molecule inhibitor, the protein calcineurin, and the M13 peptide. The high sensitivity of back-scattering interferometry and small volumes of microfluidics allowed the entire calmodulin assay to be performed with 200 picomoles of solute.