(In)discrete charm of the polyembryony: Evolution of embryo cloning

Polyembryonic development, where multiple embryos are formed from a single zygote, evolved at least 15 times in six different phyla in animals. The mechanisms leading to polyembryony and the forces that shaped the evolution of the polyembryonic developmental program have remained poorly understood. Recent studies of the polyembryonic development in the endoparasitic wasp Copidosoma floridanum have revealed that the evolution of polyembryony is associated with the evolution of developmental novelties such as total cleavage, early specification of embryonic and extra-embryonic fates, and a specific cell proliferation phase. These changes cumulatively result in the formation of thousands of embryos from a single egg. Laser ablation studies and analysis of early cell fate specification have revealed that a single blastomere representing the progenitor of the primordial germ cell regulates the proliferation of the embryos. We propose that evolutionary changes in cell cleavage, cell interactions, and the cell-differentiation program, reminiscent of interactions between the germinal stem cell and stem cell niche in fly ovaries, underlies the evolution of polyembryony. Received 30 January 2007; received after revision 21 June 2007; accepted 11 July 2007     

Coaxing bone marrow stromal mesenchymal stem cells towards neuronal differentiation: progress and uncertainties

Multipotent adult stem cells capable of developing into particular neuronal cell types have great potential for autologous cell replacement therapy for central nervous system neurodegenerative disorders and traumatic injury. Bone marrow-derived stromal mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) appear to be attractive starting materials. One question is whether BMSCs could be coaxed to differentiate in vitro along neuronal or glial lineages that would aid their functional integration post-transplantation, while reducing the risk of malignant transformation. Recent works suggest that BMSCs could indeed be differentiated in vitro to exhibit some cellular and physiological characteristics of neural cell lineages, but it is not likely to be achievable with simple chemical treatments. We discussed recent findings pertaining to efforts in neuronal differentiation of BMSCs in vitro, and results obtained when these were transplanted in vivo. Received 19 January 2006; received after revision 24 February 2006; accepted 12 April 2006     

Stem cells and their niche: a matter of fate

Embryonic stem cells provide an in vitro model for developmental biologists to study cell fate decisions during ontogenesis, while somatic stem cells allow physiologists to understand tissue homeostasis in the adult. The behavior of stem cells is dependent on an intimate relationship with a supportive niche. This brief review highlights some of the most important recent trends in stem cell biology, focusing in particular on the supportive microenvironments for both embryonic and adult stem cells. Known intrinsic and extrinsic molecular players from the best-characterized stem cell types are summarized, illuminating a number of shared environmental cues among tissues originating from all three embryonic germ layers. Received 6 October 2005; received after revision 27 December 2005; accepted 17 January 2006     

红甜菜变异植株无性系建立的研究

以红甜菜变异植株的嫩茎为外植体成功获得再生植株,并建立快速无性繁殖系．嫩茎愈伤组织的诱导及不定芽分化的理想培养基是MS＋BA 1mg／L;不定芽的增殖生长理想培养基为MS＋BA0．1mg／L＋IAA0～0．5mg／L,理想的移栽基质是炉碳渣和河沙．     

石杉碱甲对急性炎症小鼠室旁核和脑干c-Fos和GFAP表达的影响

目的:探讨石杉碱甲对急性炎症小鼠下丘脑室旁核和脑干神经元c-Fos和星形胶质细胞(astrocytes,AST)胶质原纤维酸性蛋白(glial fiberillany acidic protein,GFAP)表达的影响.方法:①采用蛋清致小鼠足趾肿胀模型,检测致炎后30min,1h,2h的小鼠足容积并计算肿胀度;②免疫组化技术检测孤束核、迷走背核及室旁核神经元c-Fos及星形胶质细胞GFAP的表达.结果:①与生理盐水组比较,不同浓度的石杉碱甲均可明显抑制蛋清致小鼠足肿胀(P<0.05或P<0.01).②与对照组相比,致炎组小鼠孤束核和室旁核内Fos免疫阳性神经元(Fos-immunoreactive neurons,Fos-IR)及GFAP免疫阳性星形胶质细胞(GFAP-immunoreactive astrocytes,GFAP-IR)数目均明显增多(P<0.01),而迷走背核增加不显著(P>0.05).与致炎组相比,石杉碱甲给药组孤束核、迷走背核及室旁核内Fos-IR神经元及GFAP-IR星形胶质细胞数目均明显增多(P<0.01).结论:石杉碱甲对蛋清致小鼠足肿胀有明显的抗炎作用;石杉碱甲能够显著增强急性炎症小鼠孤束核、迷走背核及室旁核内神经元和星形胶质细胞的活动.     

色素细胞谱系及其发育调控研究进展

色素干细胞是一种来源于神经嵴并能够分化产生色素细胞的干细胞.了解色素细胞谱系分化和发育的生物学规律,掌握体色形成的分子调控机制,可为临床治疗以及观赏动物的人工培育提供理论基础.概述了动物色素细胞谱系来源和组成,色素干细胞分化发育的分子调控研究进展.     

胶原-壳聚糖复合支架体外三维培养神经干细胞

采用冷冻干燥法制备了胶原-壳聚糖复合支架并通过层粘连蛋白（LN）进行结构修饰,测定其物理性能特征,建立了胎鼠海马神经干细胞（NSCs）的三维培养体系,同时考察了NSCs与胶原-壳聚糖复合支架的生物相容性．孔径、孔隙率、吸水率、降解率等参数的比较表明,体积比为7：3的复合支架更适合于体外细胞培养的要求,并且NSCs在经LN修饰后支架材料上的接种率得到明显提高;激光共聚焦显微镜及扫描电镜观察表明,NSCs能够在胶原-壳聚糖复合支架内良好地生长、增殖及分化．这些结果为NSCs的进一步临床移植应用,以及治疗神经系统疾病的新药筛选和机理研究等奠定了坚实的实验基础．     

平卧菊三七茎段组织培养快速繁殖

在平卧菊三七自然繁殖率偏低的情况下,探讨利用组织培养方法解决繁殖问题。主要利用诱导丛生不定芽培养基培育形成试管苗,移栽成活,能进行大田栽培;同时还试验了3种培养基对茎段带菌液体培养生根生长的影响,研究结果：3种自来水带菌液体培养基对平卧菊三七带顶芽茎段培养长出须根系的条数为：配方3〉配方1〉配方2,诱导培养长出须根的长...     

干细胞研究国际发展态势分析

干细胞以其自我更新和多向分化的能力得到了国际社会的普遍关注,为干细胞疗法的临床应用带来了希望.该文结合文献计量方法,对干细胞以及诱导多能干细胞、胚胎干细胞和间充质干细胞等3个干细胞研究重点领域的科研现状进行了分析,总结了这些领域的发展趋势和重点研究方向,并根据分析结果,对我国干细胞领域采取的措施、今后发展的方向提出了建...     

蒸汽爆破梗丝对卷烟主要化学指标及感官质量的影响研究

为研究蒸汽爆破处理的烟梗梗丝对卷烟化学指标、烟气指标及感官评吸质量的影响,对6个梯度添加爆破梗丝的卷烟样品进行了对比试验.结果发现:①梗丝蒸汽爆破处理后,香气量有所增加,木质气、刺激性和灼口程度有所降低;②随梗丝添加量的增加,卷烟的总糖、还原糖、果胶、总植物碱和蛋白质的含量逐渐降低,纤维素、钾和总有机酸的含量逐渐增大,卷烟主流烟气的总粒相物、焦油量、烟气烟碱量逐渐降低;③爆破梗丝添加量小于20％时,不会对卷烟个整体感官质量造成明显的不良影响.