Application of Xenopus laevis in ecotoxicology (I)——Introduction and quality control of laboratory animal

According to WHO statistics, 80% of human dis- eases are related to environmental pollution[1,2]. Espe- cially in recent years, there are increasing reports onendocrine disorder, reproductive dysfunction, sexual reversal, ecoenvironmental deterioration, b…     

In vitro development ofXenopus skin glands producing 5-hydroxytryptamine and caerulein

The granular glands of amphibian skin synthesize and store a large amount of bioactive amines and peptides which are structurally similar to mammalian brain-gut peptides. To investigate the development of peptide- and amine-producing cells in the granular glands, pieces of dorsal skin taken at various stages fromXenopus laevis tadpoles were cultured, and the contents of caerulein and 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) were measured. When pieces of skin from tadpoles at stages 57 to 60 (Nieuwkoop and Faber stages) were cultured in a medium containing 10% fetal calf serum (FCS medium) or one containing FCS treated with charcoal (chFCS medium), the caerulein and 5-HT levels were increased for the six days of the incubation period. The caerulein content was lower in the chFCS medium than in the FCS medium. Addition of thyroxine to the chFCS medium had no significant effect on the caerulein content. These results show that the caerulein-and 5-HT-producing cells of the granular glands can develop in a culture system with FCS- or chFCS-containing media, and suggest that FCS contains substances which are absorbed by charcoal and stimulate development of the amine- and peptideproducing cells of the glands. In a preliminary search for correlation between caerulein and 5-HT synthesis, addition of 5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP), a precursor to 5-HT, to the FCS medium increased 5-HT content and, conversely, caused significant decrease in caerulein content, suggesting that accumulation of caerulein in the granular glands is influenced by the amount of 5-HT synthesis. These studies indicate that this culture system is a useful model for investigating the development of peptide- and amine-producing cells.     

野木瓜注射液对爪蟾坐骨神经传导的影响

野木瓜注射液（Ｉｎｊｅｃｔｉｏｎｓｔａｕｎｔｏｎｉａｅ，ＩＳ）涂布于脊爪蟾（ＸｅｎｏｐｕｓＬａｅｖｉｓ）坐骨神经４ｍｍ长的一段上．电刺激跗部皮肤，记录半膜肌肌电．１０％ＩＳ使肌电的潜伏期和问期分别延长（１．５１±１．１５）ｍｓ和（２６．６±１６．１）ｍｓ（Ｐ＜０．０１，ｎ＝９）；５０％ＩＳ则使潜伏期延长（２．８４±２．１８）ｍｓ和幅度下降到原来的０．２１±０．２６（Ｐ＜０．０１，ｎ＝７）．ＩＳ对神经传导的阻滞作用是量效关系，给药８ｍｉｎ后电刺激坐骨神经干能使已受５０％ＩＳ影响而刺激跗部皮肤几乎不再引起肌电的半膜肌产生同对照一样的肌电．这表明在给药期内５０％ＩＳ主要阻滞传入纤维的传导，而不影响传出纤维的功能．     

黄角苔叶绿体rbcL基因编码区的序列分析

测定了黄角苔（Ｐｈａｅｏｃｅｒｏｓｌａｅｖｉｓ（Ｌ．）Ｐｒｏｓｋ）叶绿体ｒｂｃＬ基因编码区的１３９８个核苷酸序列,并且由此推导出对应的氨基酸序列．此基因中密码子的第２和第３位上Ａ／Ｔ所占的比例较高,分别为５３６％和７７５％．黄角苔ｒｂｃＬ基因的编码区与花旗松、菠菜、玉米和雷氏衣藻间在核苷酸序列上的同源性分别为８４０％,８１５％,７９３％和７６３％;在氨基酸序列上的同源性分别为９１．０％,８９．９％,８８．５％和８９．３％．为研究角苔植物的系统发育提供了核苷酸序列方面的资料．     

运用爪蟾变态实验检测镉的甲状腺激素干扰效应

将NF51阶段非洲爪蟾(Xenopus laevis)蝌蚪暴露于Cd2+浓度为0.01,0.1和1mg.L-1的溶液中21d,观测Cd2+对爪蟾的生长、变态和甲状腺组织结构的影响.1mg.L-1Cd2+暴露组爪蟾蝌蚪与对照组相比,7d后,平均体重减少了0.39倍,体长和后肢长分别减少了0.17倍和0.27倍,发育阶段稍有延缓;21d后,1mg.L-1Cd2+暴露组爪蟾蝌蚪后肢长减小了0.11倍,延缓了1个发育阶段.其余各浓度组在7d和21d暴露后,体重、体长、后肢长和发育阶段与对照组无显著差异.21d后,Cd2+各浓度组甲状腺组织结构出现滤泡数目减少、胶质减少甚至空泡化等现象,1mg.L-1Cd2+暴露组甲状腺滤泡之间还出现溶通现象.结果表明CdCl2具有甲状腺激素干扰效应,并可能是由于该化合物直接作用于甲状腺组织引起.由此可见,爪蟾变态实验可以有效检测重金属盐的甲状腺激素干扰效应.     

Effect of Calcium on Spontaneous Quantal Transmitter Secretion from ACh-Loaded Myocytes

Introduction Transmitter secretion requires specialized secretory or- ganelles, the synaptic vesicles, for the packaging, stor- age, and exocytotic release of the transmitters[1,2]. The neurotransmitter acetylcholine (ACh) is released at the neuromuscular…     

抗爪蟾角蛋白单克隆抗体的研究

本实验以非洲爪蟾(Xenopus laevis)成体皮肤角蛋白免疫的BALB/c鼠脾细胞与小鼠Sp2/0骨髓瘤细胞在PEG的作用下进行融合,经HAT选择培养、ELISA筛选、反复克隆化及冻存复苏,获得四株稳定分泌抗体的杂交瘤细胞株。对其中一株杂交瘤细胞KD_(10)及其分泌的抗体进行了较全面的研究。     

Two new Falcaustra Lane, 1915 species (Nematoda: Kathlaniidae) from African pipids (Anura)

Two new species of Falcaustra Lane, 1915 are the first to be reported in amphibians from mainland sub-Saharan Africa. Falcaustra puylaerti n. sp. occurs in hosts of the Xenopus (Silurana) tropicalis group in Sierra Leone, Togo and Nigeria. Falcaustra hinkeli n. sp. infects Xenopus (Xenopus) fraseri group hosts at localities in the Cameroon and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Falcaustra hinkeli and F. puylaerti are probably sister species with respect to described congeners and can be differentiated from each other by the form of the cheilostomal structures, the morphometrics of the anterior body, and by a large difference in male spicule length. Both lack a precloacal pseudosucker and are separated from other Falcaustra spp. which share this characteristic by the pattern of male caudal papillae and by a cheilostomal ring with associated sclerotized elements and posteriorly directed projections. Evolutionary aspects of the host-parasite relationship are discussed. Although alternative hypotheses are possible, the distinctive cheilostomal morphology, the sister species relationship and the host specificity pattern of F. hinkeli and F. puylaerti are consistent with their having undergone an extended evolutionary association with the host genus.     

Nicotiana ovule extracts in duce nuclear reconstitution of demembranated Xenopus sperm in cell-free system

s Nicotiana tabaccum ovule extracts induced nuclear reconstitution of demembranated Xenopus leavis sperm in a ceil-free system. Demembranated Xenopus sperm began to swell after 15 rmin of incubation with Nicotiana ovulde extracts. Accompanying the process of incubation,Xenopus sperm decondensed and their shapes changed gradually from long and ellipse to round. The completely decondensed chromatin was surrounded with membrane structure, which was a mixture envelope of a double membrane and a single membrane. Nucleosome assembly was verified by means of micrococcal nuclease digestion to reconstituted nuclei and DNA electrophoresis. Nicotiana ovule extracts supplied one more experimental model and system.The new system could promote powerfully the research on mechanisms of cell division and cell cycle regulation.