Changes in erythrocyte membrane lipid composition affect the transient decrease in membrane order which accompanies insulin receptor down-regulation

We have recently demonstrated, using electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy, that insulin receptor internalization in response to insulin incubation (down-regulation) in human erythrocytes is accompanied by a transient decrease in membrane order, as measured by the 2T order parameter. Since membrane lipids play such an important role in receptor internalization, we investigated the possible effects that an alteration of the normally-occurring lipid profile might have on down-regulation and the concomitant transient decrease in membrane order. Consequently, human erythrocytes enriched with cholesterol and erythrocytes from cirrhotic patients were examined, because both of these groups of cells have a higher cholesterol/phospholipid molar ratio (CH/PL) than controls. The 5-nitroxystearate spin label, which inserts into the lipid bilayer of cell membranes, was used to monitor changes in 2T for a 3-h period at 37°C. We report here that both cholesterol-enriched and cirrhotic erythrocytes do not down-regulate, as demonstrated by binding assays, and that they do not show the typical transient decrease in membrane order observed in controls. The results seem to indicate that a more ordered membrane inhibits internalization of the insulin receptor in erythrocytes, and that an increase in membrane disorder is necessary for insulin receptor down-regulation.     

葡萄离体培养中胚状体发生的研究Ⅰ.胚状体发生的组织细胞学观察

以葡萄（ＶｉｔｉｓｖｉｎｉｆｅｒａＬ．）的花药和花丝为实验材料，观察了葡萄离体培养中胚状体的发生发育过程．结果表明：（１）葡萄的花药和花丝经诱导都可形成胚性和非胚性两类不同的愈伤组织，与外植体来源无关，胚状体经胚性愈伤组织产生．（２）胚状体多起源于胚性愈伤组织表层或表层以下的单个细胞，这些细胞核大，细胞质浓，染色深，在表层者易于脱落而处于单个离散状态，它们的第一次分裂有均等分裂，也有不等分裂，经２细胞、３细胞、多细胞原胚等阶段发育为成熟的胚状体．（３）葡萄胚状体具有与双子叶植物合子胚相似的发育过程     

Bound lipids in lacustrine sediments in Guchenghu Lake, East China

Conclusion Lipids present in different modes of occurrence in lacustrine sediments vary obviously in their composition. The ester-bound and amide-bound lipids are more likely to be derived from autochthonous input such as bacteria, algae and fungi in the lake, and they were more stable than the free lipids in the process of early diagenesis. Bound lipids record the more actual information about the paleoclimatic and paleoenvironmental changes. Amide-bound P-hydroxy fatty acids can be used as a fingerprint of the past bacterial communities which is informative to the paleoenvironment.     

The egg-lipid composition of the ‘living fossil’ reptile tuatara (Sphenodon punctatus)

Summary The lipid composition of two tuatara eggs was examined. The eggs contained triacylglycerol (80%) and phospholipid (12%) as their major lipid fractions. Fatty acid analyses of the individual lipid classes indicated the presence of essential fatty acids, linoleic and arachidonic acids. The quantity of such acids in the egg yolk lipids would suggest they are factors for survival as illustrated in other species.     

Thiyl radicals in biosystems: effects on lipid structures and metabolisms

Thiyl radicals are intermediates of enzyme- and radical-driven biochemical processes, and their potential as reactive species in the biological environment has been somehow underestimated. From organic chemistry, however, it is known that thiyl radicals isomerize the double bonds of unsaturated fatty acids to a mixture with very dominating trans isomers. Recently, this reaction has been particularly studied for biosystems, focusing on the effect of thiyl radicals on the natural all-cis double bonds of unsaturated phospholipids, which undergo a conversion to the unnatural trans form. In this paper we report briefly the role of thiyl radicals in biosystems, describe the main features of the radical-induced cis-trans isomerization process under both in vitro and in vivo conditions, and reflect on some consequences for membrane structures, lipid metabolism and enzymatic reactions.Received 29 October 2004; received after revision 3 December 2004; accepted 4 January 2005     

Effects of free sterols on the fluidity of polar lipids in rice dry embryo

Free sterols from rice dry embryo reduce the onset phase transition temperature and widen the transition range of total polar lipids and phosphatidylglycerol, which increases the membrane fluidity below their phase transition temperature and decreases the fluidity of membranes above their phase transition temperature. And 50% of free sterols result in a complete disappearance of phase transition. The fluidity of other main components of polar lipids is decreased by free sterols above 0℃. The results confirm that free sterols can modulate membrane lipid fluidity.     

湖相沉积物中有机类脂化合物与古环境重建

湖相沉积物是古环境记录的重要载体之一,为了更清晰的恢复古环境,必须提取湖相沉积物中高分辨率代用指标．有机类脂化合物即为一类分子级的指标,在分析湖相沉积物中有机类脂化合物特性的基础上,结合国内外的研究状况,探讨了几类主要的类脂化合物在古环境重建中的运用,提出目前国内湖相研究中此指标运用中存在的问题和发展前景．     

Molecular organic geochemical peculiarities of lacustrine core sediments in Fildes Peninsula, King George Island, Antarctica

The peculiarities of lipids in lacustrine core sediments from Fildes Peninsula, King George Island, Antarctica, are reported. The origin of high-molecular-weight n-alkanes, alkenes,fatty acids, alcohols is supposed to be related to the abundant moss occurring in the sediments.Abundant iso-and anteiso-fatty acids that occur in the sediments indicate a relatively strong bacterial activity in non-ice-cover zone than in other regions in Antarctica. The C18:2 unsaturated fatty acids mainly originate from autochthonous algae in the sediment pool, and the C18:2/C18:0ratios in the profile are controlled more by paleotemperatures than source assemblies. Long-chain alkenones were identified in freshwater lacustrine sediment in Antarctica for the first time, of which Prymnesiophyceae is assumed to be the source organism. High relative abundance of C37:4honologue in long-chain alkenone well correlates to the severely cold climate in Antarctica.     

薄壳山核桃CiDGAT1基因的克隆及表达模式分析

研究薄壳山核桃（Carya illinoinensis）CiDGAT1基因的结构特征和表达模式，为深入分析CiDGAT1基因功能提供理论参考。