HAR1 mediates systemic regulation of symbiotic organ development

Symbiotic root nodules are beneficial to leguminous host plants; however, excessive nodulation damages the host because it interferes with the distribution of nutrients in the plant. To keep a steady balance, the nodulation programme is regulated systemically in leguminous hosts. Leguminous mutants that have lost this ability display a hypernodulating phenotype. Through the use of reciprocal and self-grafting studies using Lotus japonicus hypernodulating mutants, har1 (also known as sym78), we show that the shoot genotype is responsible for the negative regulation of nodule development. A map-based cloning strategy revealed that HAR1 encodes a protein with a relative molecular mass of 108,000, which contains 21 leucine-rich repeats, a single transmembrane domain and serine/threonine kinase domains. The har1 mutant phenotype was rescued by transfection of the HAR1 gene. In a comparison of Arabidopsis receptor-like kinases, HAR1 showed the highest level of similarity with CLAVATA1 (CLV1). CLV1 negatively regulates formation of the shoot and floral meristems through cell-cell communication involving the CLV3 peptide. Identification of hypernodulation genes thus indicates that genes in leguminous plants bearing a close resemblance to CLV1 regulate nodule development systemically, by means of organ-organ communication.     

基于OpenGL的仿人机器人步行仿真研究

已有的仿真建模中,为了减少复杂性,大多将人足模型简化为点或圆弧,这与实际情况相差较远.在C++Builder 6.0环境下利用“Open GL”图形库建立了3D仿人型机器人双足步行仿真系统,用多关节串联机构模拟足部,实现包括由前脚掌支撑、足部转动的多种步态方式,并分析步行中各种步态间的转换,根据机器人脚跟、脚尖与地面接触状态的变化动态切换不同的步态方式,符合人足步行的实际情况,增强了机器人步行的灵活性与拟人性.该系统的控制部分采用位置反馈与正弦驱动相结合的行走控制方法,通过对人足模型的多关节动力学建模,有效地实现了机器人的稳定步行仿真,并实现了步行过程中的实时步态调整.     

Habituation failure of skin conductance response after intraventricular administration of 6-hydroxydopamine in cats

Summary The effects of intraventricular administration of 6-hydroxydopamine on electrodermal activity were studied in cats. The treatment slowed down or eliminated habituation of the skin conductance response to repeated auditory stimuli. However, the impairment of habituation was not accompanied by an increase in the rate of spontaneous skin conductance fluctuation.     

Effect of win 18501-2 on the content of catecholamines and the number of catecholamine-containing granules in the rabbit hypothalamus

Zusammenfassung Der Hypothalamus von Kaninchen wurde nach Win 18501-2-Injektion biochemisch und elektronenmikroskopisch untersucht. Die Behandlung erzeugte auffallende Veränderungen im Noradrenalingehalt und in der Anzahl der Katecholamine enthaltenden granulierenden Vesiculae im Hypothalamus. Die Resultate scheinen zu zeigen, dass diese charakteristischen Vesiculae nur Noradrenalin enthalten und dass die Sedation des Kaninchens nach der Injektion von Win 18501-2 auf der Verminderung des Noradrenalins und der charakteristischen Vesiculae beruht.     

Mutations affecting components of the SWI/SNF complex cause Coffin-Siris syndrome

By exome sequencing, we found de novo SMARCB1 mutations in two of five individuals with typical Coffin-Siris syndrome (CSS), a rare autosomal dominant anomaly syndrome. As SMARCB1 encodes a subunit of the SWItch/Sucrose NonFermenting (SWI/SNF) complex, we screened 15 other genes encoding subunits of this complex in 23 individuals with CSS. Twenty affected individuals (87%) each had a germline mutation in one of six SWI/SNF subunit genes, including SMARCB1, SMARCA4, SMARCA2, SMARCE1, ARID1A and ARID1B.     

Loss of Siglec-14 reduces the risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease exacerbation

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a leading cause of mortality worldwide. COPD exacerbation, or episodic worsening of symptoms, often results in hospitalization and increased mortality rates. Airway infections by new bacterial strains, such as nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae (NTHi), are a major cause of COPD exacerbation. NTHi express lipooligosaccharides that contain sialic acids, and may interact with Siglec-14, a sialic acid recognition protein on myeloid cells that serves as an activating signal transduction receptor. A null allele polymorphism in SIGLEC14 may attenuate the inflammatory responses to NTHi by eliminating Siglec-14 expression. We asked if the loss of Siglec-14 attenuates the inflammatory response by myeloid cells against NTHi, and if the SIGLEC14-null polymorphism has any effect on COPD exacerbation. We found that NTHi interacts with Siglec-14 to enhance proinflammatory cytokine production in a tissue culture model. Inhibitors of the Syk tyrosine kinase suppress this response. Loss of Siglec-14, due to SIGLEC14-null allele homozygosity, is associated with a reduced risk of COPD exacerbation in a Japanese patient population. Taken together, Siglec-14 and its downstream signaling pathway facilitate the “infection–inflammation–exacerbation” axis of COPD disease progression, and may represent promising targets for therapeutic intervention.     

Aggregation of german cockroach (Blattella germanica) nymphs

Zusammenfassung Die Larven der Schabe,Blattella germanica L., leben in Verbänden, wodurch ihre Wachstumsgeschwindigkeit beschleunigt wird. Der Herdeninstinkt funktioniert auch im Dunkel, nicht aber nach Abschneiden der Fühler. Eine chemische Erregungssubstanz, die für Zusammensitzen verantwortlich ist, wurde im Kot gefunden. Diese wird offenbar im Rectum produziert und im Kot ausgeschieden. Die Substanz wird als eine Art von « Pheromon » angesehen, und es wird vorgeschlagen, da sie für das Zusammensitzen der Schaben verantwortlich ist, sie als « Aggregationspheromon » zu bezeichnen.     

Effect of steviol and its structural analogues on glucose production and oxygen uptake in rat renal tubules

Summary The effect of several natural products ofStevia rebaudiana on glucose production and oxygen uptake in rat renal cortical tubules was investigated. Steviol, isosteviol and glucosilsteviol decreased glucose production and inhibited oxygen uptake. The sweet principle stevioside, and steviolbioside, however, were without effect on gluconeogenesis and oxygen uptake.     

Sperm chymotrypsin-like enzymes of different inhibitor-susceptibility as lysins in ascidians

Inhibitory effects of three peptidyl phenylalaninals on fertilization and on chymotrypsin-like enzyme activity of sperm in three species of ascidians were examined. The results suggest that a sperm chymotrypsin-like enzyme is indispensable for the fertilization in each of the ascidians, and that these enzymes have different susceptibilities to inhibitors.