Binding characteristics and regulation of the 17,20β,21-trihydroxy-4-pregnen-3-one (20β-S) receptor on testicular and sperm plasma membranes of spotted seatrout (Cynoscion nebulosus)

The binding characteristics of 17,20,21-trihydroxy-4-pregnen-3-one (20-S) to plasma membranes prepared from the testes and sperm of spotted seatrout (Cynoscion nebulosus) were investigated using a filtration method to retain the bound 20-S. A single class of high affinity (K_d = 17.9 nM), low capacity (B_max = 0.072 nM g^-1 testes) binding sites was identified by saturation and Scatchard analyses on testicular membranes of spermiating spotted seatrout. A corresponding receptor (K_d = 22.17 nM, B_max = 0.00261 nM ml^-1 milt) was also detected in spermatozoan membrane preparations. The rates of 20-S association and dissociation were rapid, both had T_halfs of less than 1 min. Competition studies indicated that the receptor was highly specific for 20-S. 17,20-dihydroxy-4-pregnen-3-one, which had the highest affinity of the other steroids tested, had a relative binding affinity (RBA) of 14.3%. Progesterone, 11-deoxycortisol and testosterone competed with an order of magnitude less affinity (RBA's of 7.4, 1.8 and 1.1%, respectively). Estradiol displayed low affinity for the receptor (RBA = 0.4%) and cortisol did not cause any displacement at 1000-fold excess concentration. Specific 20-S receptor binding was detected in plasma membranes from testes of both spermiating and non-spermiating seatrout and on spermatozoa. Prolonged incubation of testicular fragments from a spermiating fish with gonadotropin (15 IU ml^-1 human chorionic gonadotropin) or forskolin (10 µM) caused a 2–3 fold increase in membrane receptor binding. Previous studies have shown that gonadotropin-induced upregulation of the 20-S plasma membrane receptor in seatrout ovaries is required for the oocytes to become responsive to 20-S and undergo final maturation. The existence of a 20-S membrane receptor on sperm and its upregulation in the testes by gonadotropin raises the possibility that final maturation of spermatozoa in male seatrout may be regulated by a similar mechanism.     

In vitro propagation of GF677 hybrid rootstock (Prunus persica × Prunus amygdalus) from mature cotyledons

Adventitious shoot regeneration from mature cotyledons of GF677 rootstock (Prunus persica × Prunus amygdalus) was achieved in vitro. Thidiazuron (N-phenyl-N-1,2,3-thidiazol-5-yl-urea; TDZ) at 32 µM gave the highest percentage of cotyledons forming adventitious shoots (68.8%) and the highest number of shoots per cotyledon (4.8) on Quoirin and Lepoivre (QL) medium. On QL medium containing 32 µM TDZ, exposure of the proximal segments of cotyledons to darkness at the start of culture increased the percentage of cotyledons forming adventitious shoots (62.5%) when compared with those kept under light conditions (15%). A combination of 0.72 µM gibberellic acid and dark treatment resulted in at least 2.7-fold more elongated shoots than non-treated shoots. The highest rooting percentage (100%) occurred on 0.5× Murashige and Skoog medium supplemented with Gamborg (B5) vitamins and 2 mg l^?1 indole-3-butyric acid. Rooted plantlets were acclimatised under greenhouse conditions with a 70% survival rate.     

Repression of SFRP5 promoter activity by hepatitis B virus X protein

AIM: To investigate the molecular mechanism that hepatitis B virus X protein (HBx) inhibits the promoter activity of secreted frizzled-related protein 5 (SFRP5). METHODS: Serial truncated fragments of SFRP5 promoter were amplified and cloned into luciferase reporter vector pGL3-Basic. LO2 cells were transfected with recombinants, and then infected with the adenoviral vector expressing HBx protein (Ad-HBx) or the analogous adenovirus expressing green fluorescent protein (Ad-GFP) for control. The infection efficiency was examined under a fluorescence microscope and the activity of SFRP5 promoter was measured by luciferase assay. RESULTS: Truncated fragments of SFRP5 promoter were successfully constructed. Compared with the pGL3-Basic control, the luciferase activity was 6.32±0.04 of the -478 bp~+47 bp fragment, 5.79±0.32 of the -811 bp~+47 bp fragment, 3.59±0.34 of the -1 235 bp~+47 bp fragment, 3.86±0.39 of the -1 677 bp~+47 bp fragment and 3.26±0.42 of the -2 072 bp~+47 bp fragment, respectively. Overexpression of HBx inhibited the activity of SFRP5 promoter. The average inhibitory rates were 44% for -478 bp~+47b, 46% for -811 bp~+47 bp, 28% for -1 235 bp~+47 bp, 24% for -1 677 bp~+47 bp and 40% for -2 072 bp~+47 bp, respectively. CONCLUSION: HBx suppresses the activity of SFRP5 promoter, leading to down-regulation of SFRP5 expression.     

棕熊精子体外获能及异种穿卵的超微结构研究

对棕熊精子体外获能前后和异种穿卵的超微结构观察表明,棕熊精子全长77μm,由头、颈和尾3部分组成.头部长7.3μm,宽2.5μm,主要由核、顶体及顶体后区组成;颈部由中心粒和9条纵行分节的节往组成;尾部全长68.2μm,其中中段长13.2μm,线粒体为65～68旋,主段中央为“9 2”的微管结构,其外方被9条致密纤维和纤维鞘包裹.精子获能前群集成簇,运动缓慢;获能后精子呈超激活运动.获能的精子质膜膨胀,顶体外膜囊泡化,引起顶体反应,质膜并未参加囊泡化.顶体反应完成后,仅有顶体内膜包在精子核膜的外面.棕熊精子与仓鼠的卵相互作用,多以赤道段和顶体后区附着于卵膜.     

提高奶牛冷冻精液使用效果的措施

如何提高奶牛冷冻精液的使用效果,在奶牛繁殖中是人们一直追求的目标。作者根据多年的实际生产经验,在冷冻精液的解冻液配方、冷冻方式、解冻温度、解冻后的保存温度等方面进行了改进,取得了较好的效果。     

木材无损检测图像处理系统的研究

本文提出了一种应用X射线无损检测技术检测原木内部缺陷的方法。检测过程中应用计算机数字图像处理技术对原始的X射线图象进行中值滤波、图象锐化、使得处理后的图象更加清晰，图象中的目标易于人眼识别。在中文WINDOWS平台上开发编制软件，界面友好，使用方便，操作简单。实验结果表明这种方法行之有效。     

Yield and adaptation of hexaploid spring triticale

Summary Gains in yield and stability were analysed using grain yield data from the 8th to the 14th International Triticale Yield Nursery (ITYN) and differences in adaptation between complete and substituted triticales (X Triticosecale Wittmack) were examined. A trend of improving yield and adaptation was observed. As highly significant genotype × site interaction each year was not adequately described using regression analysis, yield stability was examined by ranking genotypes within sites and summarizing scores for individual genotypes across sites. Cluster analysis was used to study the relationships among sites and among genotypes. There was little evidence of sites grouping on a geographical basis. Grouping of genotypes showed a tendency for complete and substituted triticales to perform differently, suggesting that diversity for adaptation is maximized by utilizing both types in breeding.Progress for grain yield is compared with more spectacular gains in test weight and reasons for the different rates of improvement are postulated.Abbreviations CIMMYT International Maize & Wheat Improvement Centre - ITYN International Triticale Yield Nursery contribution from CIMMYT/Agriculture Canada (No. R-002)     

杂交稻野败胞质对稻瘟病菌、白叶枯病菌感病性的研究

选用3个水稻野败胞质不育系及相应的保持系,3个恢复系及它们相应的野败胞质代换系,这些不育系、保持系同恢复系配组的18个 F_1,分别在秧苗期接种属我国7个稻瘟病生理小种群的21个菌株;在成株期接种15个白叶枯病菌株。结果表明,野败胞质较之正常胞质表现对这两种病菌感病稍轻;这种差异在多数保持系的基因型背景下达到显著水准,     

Agronomical and morphological differentiation among winter and spring triticales

A collection of 299 secondary hexaploid triticale cultivars and advanced breeding lines from 18 countries, which were considered a representative sample of the existing diversity, was evaluated for morphological and agronomical characters with autumn planting at Lleida, Spain, from 1988 to 1991. The entries were classified as having winter (84) or spring (215) growth habit and among this latter group were complete (73) or substituted (147) types according to CIMMYT's terminology. Winter and spring triticales were grouped by cluster and principal component analyses. Winter triticales were taller with longer growth cycles, longer spikes, and more spikelets per spike than spring types. At early stages they also had prostrate growth. Spring-substituted types were separated from complete material. As a group, spring-substituted triticales differed more from winter types than the spring complete genotypes, which showed intermediate characteristics. Complete types of spring habit had tendency to be taller, with longer spikes, more spikelets per spike and bigger and heavier grains than substituted triticales. Greater variation in morphological and agronomical parameters was detected among winter triticales followed by the complete-spring group.