含Cd2+离子土壤的ESR测定

采用ESR技术对人工合成混合土和天然高岭土,以及混有Cd2+离子的人工合成混合土和天然高岭土进行了室温、低温条件下的测试分析比较.当土壤中有Cd2+离子存在时,Cd2+离子进入硅层结构中,使硅层结构缺陷更趋明显,同时土壤中的铁的ESR特征也因Cd2+离子的存在而出现变化,在低温态时有铁的精细ESR特征出现,因此这些ESR特征反映了土壤中Cd2+离子对硅层结构缺陷和铁的ESR特征的影响.     

9-Methyl-7-bromoeudistomin D,a potent inducer of calcium release from sarcoplasmic reticulum of skeletal muscle

Summary The Ca²⁺-releasing action of several derivatives of eudistomin D isolated from a marine tunicate was compared with that of caffeine. It was found that 9-methyl-7-bromoeudistomin D was approximately 1000 times more potent than caffeine in causing Ca²⁺ release from the sarcoplasmic reticulum.The authors thank Ms A. Muroyama of this institute for her technical assistance and Prof. K. L. Rinehart of University of Illinois for his encouragement.     

The chemoarchitectonics in the forebrain of reptiles

Zusammenfassung Ausgehend vom Vorderhirn der Reptilien als schematischer Typus für Säugerverhältnisse, wurden histochemische Untersuchungen von Monoaminoxydase und Succinodehydrogenase im Vorderhirn der Schildkröten ausgeführt. Die Monoaminoxydasereaktion ist in den visceralen Abteilungen, dem limbischen System, Area preoptica und Hypothalamus stark, während die Succinodehydrogenasereaktion im Neostriatum, Paleostriatum und Nucleus rotundus des Thalamus dorsalis stärker zu sein scheint. Die Befunde lassen die Verteilungen der Enzymaktivität im kompliziert gebauten Vorderhirn der Säuger befriedigend erklären.     

Periostin in vitreoretinal diseases

Proliferative vitreoretinal diseases such as diabetic retinopathy, proliferative vitreoretinopathy (PVR), and age-related macular degeneration are a leading cause of decreased vision and blindness in developed countries. In these diseases, retinal fibro(vascular) membrane (FVM) formation above and beneath the retina plays an important role. Gene expression profiling of human FVMs revealed significant upregulation of periostin. Subsequent analyses demonstrated increased periostin expression in the vitreous of patients with both proliferative diabetic retinopathy and PVR. Immunohistochemical analysis showed co-localization of periostin with α-SMA and M2 macrophage markers in FVMs. In vitro, periostin blockade inhibited migration and adhesion induced by PVR vitreous and transforming growth factor-β2 (TGF-β2). In vivo, a novel single-stranded RNAi agent targeting periostin showed the inhibitory effect on experimental retinal and choroidal FVM formation without affecting the viability of retinal cells. These results indicated that periostin is a pivotal molecule for FVM formation and a promising therapeutic target for these proliferative vitreoretinal diseases.     

Self-organizing optic-cup morphogenesis in three-dimensional culture

Balanced organogenesis requires the orchestration of multiple cellular interactions to create the collective cell behaviours that progressively shape developing tissues. It is currently unclear how individual, localized parts are able to coordinate with each other to develop a whole organ shape. Here we report the dynamic, autonomous formation of the optic cup (retinal primordium) structure from a three-dimensional culture of mouse embryonic stem cell aggregates. Embryonic-stem-cell-derived retinal epithelium spontaneously formed hemispherical epithelial vesicles that became patterned along their proximal-distal axis. Whereas the proximal portion differentiated into mechanically rigid pigment epithelium, the flexible distal portion progressively folded inward to form a shape reminiscent of the embryonic optic cup, exhibited interkinetic nuclear migration and generated stratified neural retinal tissue, as seen in vivo. We demonstrate that optic-cup morphogenesis in this simple cell culture depends on an intrinsic self-organizing program involving stepwise and domain-specific regulation of local epithelial properties.     

Symbioramide,a novel Ca2+-ATPase activator from the cultured dinoflagellateSymbiodinium sp.

Summary A novel sphingosine derivative, symbioramide, has been isolated from the laboratory-cultured dinoflagellateSymbiodinium sp. as a sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) Ca²⁺-ATPase activator, and its structure elucidated to be1 on the basis of spectral and chemical means.Acknowledgments. We thank Ms M. Hamashima and Ms A. Muroyama for their technical assistance.     

A histochemical study on the fundamental plan of the central nervous system

Zusammenfassung Die histochemische Verteilung der Monoaminoxydase- und Succinodehydrogenase-Aktivität im Zentralnervensystem des Hühnerembryos wurde nach der Methode von Glenner und Nachlas geprüft. Die Monoaminoxydasereaktion ist in der visceralen Säule, entlang dem Sulcus limitans, in Hypothalamus, Area preoptica, Hippocampus und Raphe stark, während die Succino-dehydrogenasereaktion nur in den somatischen Teilen stärker zu sein scheint. Auf Grund dieser Befunde ist es wahrscheinlich, dass das Neuralrohr in longitudinale, viscerale und somatische Säulen unterteilt ist.