Subcellular localization of copper in tolerant and non-tolerant plant

The ability of Elsholtzia splendens Naki(E. splendens) to accumulate copper appears to be governed by its high degree of copper tolerance. However, the tolerance mechanism on the physiological basis is unknown. Using transmission electron microscope(TEM) and energy dispersive analysis of X-rays(EDX), the likely location of copper within the cells of the tolerant and non-tolerant was determined. Here the role of vacuolar and cell wall compartmentalization in this copper tolerant plant were investigated. A direct comparison of copper locations of E. splendens and the non-tolerant Astragalus sinicus L.(A. sinicus) showed that the majority of copper in the tolerant was localized primarily in the vacuolar, cell wall, on the plasmamembrane, beside lipid grains induced by copper pollution, in the chloroplasts and amyloids; but in the non-tolerant, copper precipitates only be observed on the plasmamembrane, in the chloroplasts and cytoplasm under copper exposure conditions that were toxic to both species. This revealed that the tolerant accumulates more copper in the vacuole and cell wall than the non-tolerant, where was regarded as the storage compartment of tolerant plant or hyperaccumulator for heavy metals.

Interaction of Pb and Cd in Soil Water Plant System and Its Mechanism: II. Pb Cd Interaction in Rhizosphere *1

The interaction of Pb Cd can be observed not only in the uptake process of elements by plants and in their influence on the growth, but also in rhizosphere. The changes in extractable Cd and Pb concentrations in the rhizosphere soil of rice plants, root exudates from wheat and wheat plant and their complexing capacity with Pb and Cd were investigated under different Pb and Cd treatments. Results showed that the concentration of extractable Cd in the rhizosphere of rice in red soil was markedly increased by Pb Cd interaction. It increased by 56% in the treatment with Pb and Cd added against that in the treatment with only Cd added in soil. The considerable differences in both composition and amount of root exudate from wheat and rice were found among different treatments. Pb and Cd might be complexed by root exudates. The concentrations of free Pb and Cd in the solution were increased markedly by adding root exudate from wheat and decreased by that from rice due to Pb Cd interaction. The distribution patterns of Pb and Cd in roots were affected by Pb Cd interaction, which accelerated transport of Pb into internal tissue and retarded accumulation of Cd in external tissue.

ORC-GAC-Fe^0 system for the remediation of trichloroethylene and monochlorobenzene contaminated aquifer:1. Adsorption and degradation

Activities at a former Chemistry Triangle in Bitterfeld, Germany, resulted in contamination of groundwater with a mixture of trichloroethylene(TCE) and monochlorobenzene(MCB). The objective of this study was to develop a barrier system, which includes an ORC(oxygen release compounds) and GAC(granular activated carbon) layer for adsorption of MCB and bioregeneration of GAC, a Fe 0 layer for chemical reductive dechlorination of TCE and other chlorinated hydrocarbon in situ . A laboratory-scale column experiment was conducted to evaluate the feasibility of this proposed system. This experiment was performed using a series of continuous flow Teflon columns including an ORC column, a GAC column, and a Fe 0 column. Simulated MCB and TCE contaminated groundwater was pumped upflow into this system at a flow rate of 1.1 ml/min. Results showed that 17%—50% of TCE and 28%—50% of MCB were dissipated in ORC column. Chloride ion, however, was not released, which suggest the dechlorination do not happen in ORC column. In GAC column, the adsorption of contaminants on activated carbon and their induced degradation by adapted microorganisms attached to the carbon surface were observed. Due to competitive exchange processes, TCE can be desorbed by MCB in GAC column and further degraded in iron column. The completely dechlorination rate of TCE was 0.16—0.18 cm -1 , 1—4 magnitudes more than the formation rate of three dichloroethene isomers. Cis-DCE is the main chlorinated product, which can be cumulated in the system, not only depending on the formation rate and its decaying rate, but also the initial concentration of TCE.

A CLONALLY DERIVED CELL LINE,9L-EGFR IS USEFUL FOR THE STUDIES OF CANCER CELLS BEARING EGF RECEPTOR

Since the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is a key regulator in cell signaling pathways of cancer cell. To investigate the mechanism between cancer cells survival and its EGFR expression, drug selection of cancer cells target therapy, we generated a cell line, 9L-EGFR, which stably expressed human EGFR; the parental rat glioma cell line, 9L, does not contain endogenous EGFR message or protein. Our results show that 9L-EGFR cells had high levels of EGFR on their cell surface by using RT-PCR, Western analysis and Flow cytometry analysis. The EGFR transfected into 9L cells was capable of being activated by EGF, in which either phosphorylated (p-EGFR) or total (EGFR) was showed by Western blot. This investigation may contribute to the further studies of cancer cells bearing EGFR.