核桃新品种‘昌宁细香核桃’的选育

‘昌宁细香核桃’核果圆球形,平均单果重10.55 g,平均壳厚0.70 mm,内褶壁纸质或退化,取仁易,可取整仁。仁白,圆润饱满,仁皮上的脉络较明显,灰黑色,仁肉质地细腻,仁甜香,无涩味,味醇香,口感细糯,不油腻。出仁率54.3%~60.8%,综合出仁率57.6%;脂肪含量67.6%,蛋白质含量17.9%。耐贮存,在常温下可保存1年。雄花少,并有退化现象。丰产稳产性好。适宜温湿的气候环境,耐瘠薄,是低纬度温湿地区的一个优良核桃品种。

Two New ent-Kauranoids from Isodon tenuifolia

Two new ent-kauranoids, tenuifolin A (3beta,6alpha, 15beta-trihydroxy-1alpha, 7beta-diacetoxy-11beta, 16beta-epoxy-ent-kaurane) (1) and tenuifolin B (1alpha,6alpha, 11beta-trihydroxy-3beta,7beta-diacetoxy-ent-kaur-16-en-15-one) (2), together with four known compounds were isolated from the aerial parts of Isodon tenuifolia (W. W. Smith) Kudo collected from Zhongdian County, Yunnan Province, China. Their structures were determined by the spectral methods (including 2D NMR techniques).

核桃新品种‘昌宁大尖嘴’的选育

‘昌宁大尖嘴’是在云南省昌宁县鸡飞乡鸡飞村发现的核桃新品种,发现时树龄约80年生。青果微长圆形,坚果微长菱圆形,平均单(干)果重16.43 g;顶部渐尖,缝合线隆起,核果表面麻点窝密;壳厚1.1 mm,内隔基部革质,壁纸质,内褶壁纸质,果仁与果壳内壁分离,可取整仁;果仁黄白色,圆润饱满,仁皮上的脉络明显、灰黑色,肉质细腻,甜香,带糯性,无涩味,风味佳;出仁率53.00%,脂肪含量72.19%,蛋白质含量16.40%;在云南省昌宁县,果实9月上中旬成熟;适宜在云南省高寒山区以及林缘栽植。2013年通过云南省林木品种审定委员会认定。

Effect of Chitinase-Producing Strain V-8 on Controlling Cotton Fusarium Wilt

[Objective] This study aimed to screen endophytic bacteria which is antag- onistic to cotton Fusarium wilt. [Method] Fresh cotton plants collected from cotton- growing areas in Jingzhou City, Hubei Province were used as experimental materials to isolate endophytic bacteria. Through chitinase test and co-culturing both micro-or- ganisms side by side on the same PDA culture plate, antagonistic strains to cotton Fusarium wilt were screened. [Result] A total of 83 bacterial isolates were obtained from cotton plants grown in the fields, six of which were chitinase-productive bacte- ria. Through chitinase test and co-culturing both micro-organisms side by side on the same PDA culture plate, strain V-8 which had the strongest antagonistic effect on Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. vasinfectum was screened. Strain V-8 had a wider anti- fungal spectrum with certain inhibitory effect on all the six important pathogenic fungi including Fusarium oxysporum f. sp niveum; it colonized stably in the rhizospheric soil of cotton, with a colonization density of up to 6.2x10s cfu/g fifty days after inoc- ulation; the relative effect on controlling cotton Fusarium wilt in pot test was 73.2%. The Findings of this study suggested that strain V-8 had great potential for biological control of cotton Fusarium wilt and could be taken as a substantial material for the cloning of chitinase genes. [Conclusion] The results from this study provides bases for the control of cotton fusarium wilt, as well as the exploitation of endophytic bac- teria resources in cotton and the development of novel biological pesticides.

Three New Species of the Genus Caenis from Hong Kong, China (Ephemeroptera: Caenidae)

Three new species of the genus Caenis (Ephemeroptera, Caenidae), Caenis aspera sp nov , Caenis bicornis sp nov and Caenis lubrica sp nov , are described from Hong Kong, China. All type specimens are deposited in the Insect Collection of Department of Entomology, South China Agricultural University, China.

Role of Wall-bound β-Glucanases in Regulating Tip-growth of Lilium longiflorum Pollen Tubes

Glucanases were found in the cell wall of Lilium longiflorum Thunb. pollen tubes grown in vitro . The activity of β_glucanases was, in a certain extent, decreased by nojirimycin, an inhibitor of glucosidase. Pollen germination percentage reduced dramatically when nojirimycin was applied in the culture medium. In case that nojirimycin was added at 0 or 1 h after the onset of incubation, the inhibition rate was 99.6% and 91.4%, respectively. When 3 mmol/L of nojirimycin was applied in the liquid medium at 0, 1, 1.5 and 2 h after the onset of incubation, the growth of pollen tubes was interrupted, which resulted in the morphological change of the pollen tubes such as the newly grown portion of pollen tubes being bent, curved and swollen. Tracing the growth pattern of the individual pollen tube grown in semi_solid medium by video microscopy, the authors demonstrated that pollen tube growth rate was strongly inhibited by nojirimycin at concentrations ranged from 0.003 to 3 mmol/L. Moreover, the cytoplasmic arrangement and the morphology of the pollen tubes were also affected by nojirimycin. The growth inhibition brought about by nojirimycin was reversible. These results indicated that β_glucanases, which degrade 1,3_β_glucan and/or 1,4_β_glucan or 1,3:1,4_β_glucan constructed in the cell wall, are involved in pollen germination and pollen tube growth. It provides new insight into an understanding of the contribution of β_glucanases to the cell wall extensibility and the crucial role of cell wall in regards to the regulation of pollen tube growth.

Essential oil of Curcuma wenyujin induces apoptosis in human hepatoma cells

AIM: To investigate the effects of the essential oil of Curcuma wenyujin (CWO) on growth inhibition and on the induction of apoptosis in human HepG2 cancer cells. METHODS: The cytotoxic effect of drugs on HepG2 cells was measured by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2- yl)-2,5-diphenyltetra-zolium bromide (MTT) assay. DNA fragmentation was visualized by agarose gel electrophoresis. Cell cycle and mitochondrial transmembrane potential (△Ψm) were determined by flow cytometry (FCM). Cytochrome C immunostaining was evaluated by fluorescence microscopy. Caspase-3 enzymatic activity was assayed by the cleavage of Ac-DEVD-R110. Cleaved PARP and active caspase-3 protein levels were measured by FCM using BD? CBA Human Apoptosis Kit. RESULTS: Treatment with CWO inhibited the growth of HepG2 cells in a dose-dependent manner, and the IC50 of CWO was approximately 70 μg/mL. CWO was found to inhibit the growth of HepG2 cells by inducing a cell cycle arrest at S/G2. DNA fragmentation was evidentlyobserved at 70 μg/mL after 72 h of treatment. During the process, cytosolic HepG2 cytochrome C staining showed a markedly stronger green fluorescence than in control cells in a dose-dependent fashion, and CWO also caused mitochondrial transmembrane depolarization. Furthermore, the results clearly demonstrated that both, activity of caspase-3 enzyme and protein levels of cleaved PARP, significantly increased in a dose- dependent manner after treatment with CWO. CONCLUSION: CWO exhibits an antiproliferative effect in HepG2 cells by inducing apoptosis. This growth inhibition is associated with cell cycle arrest, cytochrome C translocation, caspase 3 activation, Poly- ADP-ribose polymerase (PARP) degradation, and loss of mitochondrial membrane potential. This process involves a mitochondria-caspase dependent apoptosis pathway. As apoptosis is an important anti-cancer therapeutic target, these results suggest a potential of CWO as a chemotherapeutic agent.

Cloning and expression analysis of a ubiquitin gene (Ub_(L40)) in the haemocytes of Crassostrea hongkongensis under bacterial challenge

Ubiquitin, a highly conserved stress-related protein, is assigned multiple functions, such as DNA processing, protein degradation, and ribosome synthesis. The Crassostrea hongkongensis ubiquitin gene (designated ChUbL40) was cloned by a combination of suppressive subtractive hybridization (SSH) and rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE). The full-length cDNA of ChUbL40 is 496 bp in length, consisting of a 5' untranslated region (UTR) of 34 bp, a 3'-UTR of 75 bp and an open reading frame of 387 bp encoding a ubiquitin fusion protein of 128 amino acids. Analysis of the amino acid sequence of ChUbL40 reveals that UbL40 is highly conservative during evolution. The expression patterns of ChUbL40 gene in various tissues were examined by real-time PCR. The expression level of ChUbL40 in haemocytes is down-regulated at 4 h and gradually returned to its original level from 6 h to 24 h after Vibrio alginolyticus challenge. Our results suggest that ChUbL40 is ubiquitously expressed and plays an important role in immune defense against bacterial challenge.

Thymic epithelial progenitor cells and thymus regeneration: an update

The thymus provides the essential microenvironment for T-cell development and maturation. Thymic epithelial cells （TECs）, which are composed of thymic cortical epithelial cells （cTECs） and thymic medullary epithelial cells （mTECs）, have been well documented to be critical for these tightly regulated processes. It has long been controversial whether the common progenitor cells of TECs could give rise to both cTECs and mTECs. Great progress has been made to characterize the common TEC progenitor cells in recent years. We herein discuss the sole origin paradigm with regard to TEC differentiation as well as these progenitor cells in thymus regeneration.

In vitro study of radiosensitization by β-Elemene in A549 cell line from adenocarcinoma of lung

Objective： To explore the effect and possible mechanism in vitro of radiosensitization by β-Elemene in A549 cell line from adenocarcinoma of lung. Methods： The A549 cell line from adenocarcinoma of lung was chosen for the study to determine the inhibition ratio by using MTT assay. Morphologic change, growth curve, cloning efficiency, divisional index were observed. Change of cell cycle and apoptosis rate were analyzed by FCM and the expressions of gene P53 and Bcl-2 were detected. Results： Reproductive activity of the group which was under irradiation and β-Elemene was significantly suppressed and its cloning efficiency and divisional index also declined. The apoptosis rate of the group which was under irradiation and β-Elemene was significantly higher at 48 h and 72 h, which was analyzed by FCM. The expression of P53 without Bcl-2 was observed in the group under irradiation and β-Elemene and the group under β-Elemene only at the 48th hour point, while the expression of Bcl-2 without p53 was observed in the group under irradiation only and the control group. Conclusion： β-Elemene is good at radiosensitization and its mechanism may be relevant to the up-regulation of P53, down-regulation of Bcl-2 and inducing apoptosis.

Niuhuang(Bovis Calculus)-Shexiang(Moschus)combination induces apoptosis and inhibits proliferation in hepatocellular carcinoma via PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway

Objective To investigate the effects of Niuhuang(Bovis Calculus,BC)and Shexiang(Moschus)(BC-Moschus)on human hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)cells SMMC-7721 and a nude mouse model of subcutaneous xenografts,and to explore its anti-HCC mechanism.Methods The BC-Moschus combination was applied to two liver cancer models in vivo and in vitro.SMMC-7721 was divided into the BC-Moschus group and the control group,and different doses(rude drug dosage 0.625,1.25,2.5,and 5 mg/m L)of BC-Moschus extract were used for the intervention.The proliferation ability of HCC cells was detected using the Cell Counting Kit-8(CCK-8)assay,and the migration ability was detected by a wound healing assay.A subcutaneous xenograft model was prepared using nude mice with human HCC.Specific pathogen-free-grade BALB/c nude mice(5-week-old)were randomly divided into the following groups(n=6 per group):control(0.9%physiological saline 0.2 m L/d),BC-Moschus[BC 45.5 mg/(kg·d)+Moschus 13 mg/(kg·d)],and cisplatin(DDP,intraperitoneal injection5 mg/kg per week)groups.All groups were administered for 14 d.The volume and mass of the subcutaneous xenografts in nude mice were observed.The expression levels of phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase/protein kinase B/mammalian target of rapamycin(PI3K/AKT/mTOR)pathway,apoptosis-associated factor p70 S6 Kinase(S6K),Bax,Bcl-2,caspase-3,and caspase-9 in nude mice subcutaneous xenografts were measured by real-time quantitative PCR(RT-qPCR)and Western blot.Terminal Deoxynucleotidy Transferase-Mediated d UTP NickEnd Labeling(TUNEL)was used for quantitative analysis of apoptotic cells.Results The CCK-8 assay demonstrated that the BC-Moschus combination inhibited HCC cell proliferation in a superior manner to the use of BC and Moschus alone,and the inhibition effect was dose-and time-dependent(P<0.01).The wound healing assay showed that the BC-Moschus combination inhibited HCC cell migration(P<0.01).In the subcutaneous xenograft model of nude mice with human HCC,we found that the tumor volume and weight of the BC-Moschus group were lower than those of the control group(P<0.01).The levels of the PI3K/AKT/m TOR signaling pathway and S6K protein in the BC-Moschus and DDP groups were significantly decreased(P<0.01).The expression level of the anti-apoptotic gene Bcl-2 was downregulated(P<0.05),and the expression of the pro-apoptotic gene Baxand apoptosis-related factors caspase-3 and caspase-9 were significantly upregulated(P<0.01).The TUNEL assays further confirmed that the combination of the BC-Moschuas could promote HCC(P<0.01).Conclusion The BC-Moschus combination inhibited the proliferation and migration ability of HCC cells SMMC-7721 and effectively inhibited the growth of subcutaneous xenografts in nude mice.The mechanism may be closely related to the downregulation of the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway,regulation of apoptosis-related protein caspase-3,caspase-9,Bcl-2,and Bax expression,and promotion of apoptosis.

The impact of beta-elemene on beta-tubulin of human hepatoma hepg2 cells

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of beta-elemene injection on the growth and beta-tubulin of human hepatocarcinoma HepG2 cells. Methods: Cell proliferation was assessed by MTT assay. Cell cycle distribution was detected by flow cytometry(FCM). The mRNA expression of beta-tubulin was measured by RT-PCR. Western blot analysis was used to determine protein expression of beta-tubulin and the polymerization of beta-tubulin. Results: Beta-elemene injection inhibited HepG2 cells proliferation in a dose- and time-dependent manner; FCM analysis indicated beta-elemene injection induced cell cycle arrested at S phase. RT-PCR and western-blot analysis showed that beta-elemene injection down-regulated beta-tubulin expression at both mRNA and protein levels, presenting a dose-dependent manner. Moreover, beta-elemene injection reduced the polymerization of microtubules in a dose-dependent manner. Conclusion: Beta-elemene injection can inhibit the proliferation of hepatoma HepG2 cells, the mechanism might be partly related to the down-regulation of beta-tubulin and inhibition of microtubular polymerization.

Effect of Phytoestrogen Activity on hFOB 1.19 Osteoblast Cells of Vanilla Siamensis

The unsaponifiable compounds derived from the fresh green beans of Vanilla siamens＆ Rol. ex. Dow were assayed for the first time to detect their estrogenic activity. We used a simple screening method using the yeast two hybrid system based on the binding of a ligand to estrogen receptors. Yeast cells carrying the hER （human estrogen receptor） gene, ERE （estrogen response elements） and lacZ （β-galactosidase gene） are very suitable for screening and sensitive analysis of estrogenic compound. Our results showed that V. siamensis plant extracts bind with relatively affinity to YES- hERa was 2.27-fold the relative potency ofestradiol （E2） in YES-hERa. The effects of phytoestrogen activity on the osteoblast cells were examined on the proliferation of hFOB 1.19 cells and the bone mineralization process. V. siamens＆ was a positive screening result and induced mineralization ofosteoblasts. This study indicated that V. siamensis plant extract exhibited the characteristic effects of a nature bone promoter compound as phytoestrogen.

Antifungal susceptibility analysis of berberine,baicalin,eugenol and curcumin on Candida albicans

Objective:To analyze the antifungal effects of Chinese herb monomers,i.e.berberine,baicalin,eugenol and curcumin,on Candida albicans.Methods:After Candida albicans strain Y01-09 was incubated for 48 h in YEPD broth which contained different concentrations of Chinese herb components,the cell cycle,fluorescent intensity and the size of cell volume were detected by flow cytometry.Results:The 4 Chinese herb monomers could affect the cell cycle of Candida albicans in different ranges.The ratio of cells in S-G2-M period decreased as the agents concentration increased,indicating that the cell division was inhibited.The fluorescent intensity of Candida albicans cells became weaker after being incubated,which reflected the loss of DNA fragments.The higher the concentration was,the weaker the fluorescent intensity became.The cell size,cell diopter and particle size changed much as the agents concentration increased.Conclusion:Chinese herb monomers play the antifungal role in inhibiting cell division.FCM could be used to determine the susceptibility of antifungal agents.

Effect of biologically active fraction of Nardostachys jatamansi on cerulein-induced acute pancreatitis

AIM： To determine if the fraction of Nardostachysjata- mansi （N J） has the potential to ameliorate the severity of acute pancreatitis （AP）. METHODS： Mice were administered the biologically active fraction of N J, i.e., the 4th fraction （N J4）, intra- peritoneally, and then injected with the stable chole- cystokinin analogue cerulein hourly for 6 h. Six hours after the last cerulein injection, the pancreas, lung, and blood were harvested for morphological examination,measurement of cytokine expression, and examination of neutrophil infiltration. RESULTS： N J4 administration attenuated the sever- ity of AP and lung injury associated with AP. It also reduced cytokine production and neutrophil infiltration and resulted in the in vivo up-regulation of heine oxy- genase-1 （HO-1）. Furthermore, NJ4 and its biologically active fraction, N J4-2 inhibited the cerulein-induced death of acinar cells by inducing HO-1 in isolated pan- creatic acinar cells. CONCLUSION： These results suggest that N J4 may be a candidate fraction offering protection in AP and N J4 might ameliorate the severity of pancreatitis by induc- ing HO-1 expression.

Hypoxia induces PGC-la expression and mitochondrial biogenesis in the myocardium of TOF patients

PGC-1α, a potent transcriptional coactivator, is the major regulator of mitochondrial biogenesis and activity in the cardiac muscle. The dysregulation of PGC-la and its target genes has been reported to be associated with congenital and acquired heart diseases. By examining myocardium samples from patients with Tetralogy of Fallot, we show here that PGC-1α expression levels are markedly increased in patients compared with healthy controls and positively correlated with the severity of cyanosis. Furthermore, hypoxia significantly induced the expression of PGC-1α and mitochondrial biogenesis in cultured cardiac myocytes. Mechanistic studies suggest that hypoxia-induced PGC-1α expression is regulated through the AMPK signaling pathway. Together, our data indicate that hypoxia can stimulate the expression of PGC-1α and mitochondrial biogenesis in the cardiac myocytes, and this process might provide a potential adaptive mechanism for cardiac myocytes to increase ATP output and minimize hypoxic damage to the heart.

Comparison of two sampling methods when studying periphyton colonization in Lam Tsuen River, Hong Kong, China

We used standard periphyton samplers to examine the colonization pattern of periphytic algae on artificial substrates (glass slides) in Lam Tsuen River, Hong Kong, in dry (winter) and wet (summer) seasons. In each season, six replicated slides were retrieved randomly and replaced by new slides at weekly intervals over a period of 6 weeks. We thus obtained two batches of slides, both with a series of different exposure times (1 to 6 weeks): one batch was set up at the same time (start of the sampling) and the other was harvested at the same time (end of the sampling). Changes in taxonomic composition, species diversity (Shannon-Wiener diversity index), standing crop (in terms of cell density and cell biovolume), and abundance of the abundant algal species were monitored and compared between the two batches of slides. The succession patterns of the periphytic algae were similar between the two batches in each season, while more remarkable differences were observed between the two seasons, suggesting that either batch would be suitable for a colonization study of periphytic algae. The cell density was dominated by diatoms in both seasons, while the cell biovolume was dominated by diatoms in winter and by green algae in summer. The cell density and biovolume attributed to blue green algae was relatively small. Most of the diatom species exhibited similar colonization patterns throughout the experiment, while green algae showed different succession patterns in different seasons or sampling methods, indicating that diatoms are better bio-indicators than green algae for a periphyton colonization study. In general, the diversity indices and the standing crops reached their maximums at around week 4, and they were higher in summer than in winter.

The Effect of Clove Essential Oil Treatment on the Cell Wall Components of Wheat Straw

The aim of this study was to determine the effects of additions of different doses of clove oil （Syzygium aromaticum L.） on cell wall component of wheat straw. For this purpose, wheat straw was treated with 100 ppm and 200 ppm clove oil and applied at two different time period （1 h and 5 h）. The microscopic analysis was made on cell wall components of untreated and treated of the straw. According to the research findings, with increasing doses and time of clove oil treatment, particularly, neutral detergent fiber （NDF） and acid detergent fiber （ADF） content of straw significantly （P 〈 0.05） reduced, approximately at the level of 15% for NDF and 13% for ADF, respectively. The lowest NDF, ADF, acid detergent lignin （ADL） and cellulose contents were found in 200 ppm dose and 5 h period. However, the lowest stem section thickness likewise was determined in 5 h period （P 〈 0.05）, but there was no significant difference between the dose. Consequently, it could be said that the addition of clove oil have a positive influence on cell wall components and stem section thickness of wheat straw.

Ent-kaurane and ent-abietane diterpenoids from Isodon phyllostachys

Four new diterpenoids, phyllostachysins I-L （1-4）, along with a known one, hebeiabinin B （5）, were isolated from the aerial parts oflsodonphyllostachys （I.phyllostachys）. Compounds 1 and 2 feature an ent-kaurane backbone, and 3, 4 and 5 bear an ent-abietane skeleton. Their structures were elucidated by means of spectroscopic analysis. Compounds 3 and 4 exhibited significant cytotoxic activity against human tumor cell lines （HL-60, SMMC-7721, A-549, MCF-7 and SW-480）, and strongly inhibited NO production in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 cells.

Polysaccharides from Tricholoma matsutake and Lentinus edodes enhance 5-fluorouracil-mediated H22 cell growth inhibition

OBJECTIVE： Few studies have investigated the ef- fects produced by combinations of polysaccharides and chemotherapeutic drugs in cancer treatment. We hypothesized that a combination of polysaccha- rides （COP） from Lentinus edodes and Tricholoma matsutake would improve the efficacy of 5-fluoro- uracil （5-FU）-mediated inhibition of H22 cell growth. METHODS： Mice were injected H22 cells and then treated with either 5-FU, polysaccharides from Tri- choloma matsutake （PTM）, polysaccharides from Lentinus edodes （PL）, PTM ＋ PL, 5-FU ＋ PTM, 5-FU ＋ PL, or 5-FU ＋ COR The tumor weight and volume, and splenic CD4 ＋ and CD8 ＋ T cell frequencies, were determined. Additionally, splenic natural killer （NK） cell and cytotoxic T lymphocyte （CTL） activities were assessed and the serum levels of tumor necro- sis factor-a （TNF-a）, Interleukin-2 （IL-2）, and Interfer- on-y （IFN-y） were measured. RESULTS： Compared with mice from the control,5-FU, PL, PTM, PTM ＋ PL, 5-FU ＋ PL, and 5-FU ＋ PTM groups, mice treated with 5-FU ＋ COP showed： （a） significantly reduced tumor weight and volume （P〈 0.05）, （b） significantly higher serum levels of TNF-α, IL-2, and IFN-y （P〈0.05）, （c） significantly increased CD4＋ and CD8＋ 1 cell frequencies in the spleen （P〈 0.05）, and （d） significantly increased splenic NK cell and CTL activities （P〈0.05）. The tumor weight and volume in mice treated with 5-FU＋PL or 5-FU＋PTM were significantly reduced compared with mice treated with 5-FU alone （P〈0.05）. Serum levels of TNF-α, 11.-2, and IFN-y, frequencies of CD4 ＋ and CD8＋ T cells in the spleen, and splenic NK and CTL activities were also significantly increased in mice treated with 5-FU＋PL or 5-FU＋PTM compared with mice treated with 5-FU alone （P〈0.05）. CONCLUSION： Polysaccharides from Lentinus edodes and Tricholoma matsutake could enhance the efficacy of 5-FU-mediated H22 cell growth inhi- bition.