Palaeoenvironmental changes from pollen record in deep sea core PC-1 from northern Okinawa Trough, East China Sea during the past 24 ka

A pollen record of core PC-1 from the northern Okinawa Trough, East China Sea (ECS), provides information on vegetation and climate changes since 24 cal. kaBP. A total of 103 samples were palynologically analyzed at 8 cm intervals with a time resolution of 230 a. Four pollen zones are recognized: zone I (812-715 cm, 24.2-21.1 cal. kaBP), zone II (715-451 cm, 21.1-15.2 cal. kaBP), zone III (451-251 cm, 15.2-10.8 cal. kaBP), zone IV (251-0 cm, 10.8-0.3 cal. kaBP), corresponding to Late MIS 3, Last Glacial Maximum (LGM), deglaciation and Holocene, respectively. The LGM is characterized by the dominance of herbs, mainly Artemisia, and high pollen influx, implying an open vegetation on the exposed continental shelf and a cool and dry climate. The deglaciation is a climate warming stage with Pinus percentage increased and Artemisia percentage decreased and a rapid sea-level rise. The Holocene is characterized by predominance of tree pollen with rapid increase in Castanea-Castanopsis indicating the development of mixed evergreen and deciduous broad-leaved forest and a warm, humid climate. Low pollen influx during the Holocene probably implies submergence of the continental shelf and retreat of the pollen source area. The vegetation indicated by pollen assemblage found in this upper zone is consistent with the present vegetation found in Kyushu, Japan. Originating from the humid mountain area of North Luzon of the Philippines, Tasmania and New Zealand, Phyllocladus with sporadic occurrence throughout PC-1 core probably suggests the influence of Palaeo-Kuroshio Current or intense summer monsoon. The observed changes in Pinus and Herbs percentage indicate fluctuations of the sea level, and high Pinus percentage corresponds to high sea level. Spectrum analysis of the pollen percentage record reveals many millennial-scale periodicities, such as periodicities of 6.8, 3.85 2.2, 1.6 ka.

Origin and Pathway of Equatorial 13 degrees C Water in the Pacific Identified by a Simulated Passive Tracer and Its Adjoint

The origin and pathway of the thermostad water in the eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean, often referred to as the equatorial 13 degrees C Water, are investigated using a simulated passive tracer and its adjoint, based on circulation estimates of a global general circulation model. Results demonstrate that the source region of the 13 degrees C Water lies well outside the tropics. In the South Pacific, some 13 degrees C Water is formed northeast of New Zealand, confirming an earlier hypothesis on the water's origin. The South Pacific origin of the 13 degrees C Water is also related to the formation of the Eastern Subtropical Mode Water (ESTMW) and the Sub-Antarctic Mode Water (SAMW). The portion of the ESTMW and SAMW that eventually enters the density range of the 13 degrees C Water (25.8 < sigma(theta) < 26.6 kg m(-3)) does so largely by mixing. Water formed in the subtropics enters the equatorial region predominantly through the western boundary, while its interior transport is relatively small. The fresher North Pacific ESTMW and Central Mode Water (CMW) are also important sources of the 13 degrees C Water. The ratio of the southern versus the northern origins of the water mass is about 2 to 1 and tends to increase with time elapsed from its origin. Of the total volume of initially tracer-tagged water in the eastern equatorial Pacific, approximately 47.5% originates from depths above sigma(theta) = 25.8 kg m(-3) and 34.6% from depths below sigma(theta) = 26.6 kg m(-3), indicative of a dramatic impact of mixing on the route of subtropical water to becoming the 13 degrees C Water. Still only a small portion of the water formed in the subtropics reaches the equatorial region, because most of the water is trapped and recirculates in the subtropical gyre.

INVOLVEMENT OF CA(2+) SIGNALING PATHWAY DURING OOCYTE MATURATION OF THE NORTHERN QUAHOG MERCENARIA MERCENARIA

In many molluses, it has been found that Ca2+ signaling pathway is involved in the resumption of meiotic maturation in oocytes. To better understand the possible role of Ca2+ signaling pathway in regulating meiotic maturation in oocytes of the northern quahog Mercenaria mercenaria, free extracellular Ca2+, A23187 (calcium ionophore), verapamil (calcium channel blocker), and trifluoperazin (calmodulin antagonist) were used to incubate oocytes or serotonin-induced oocytes by pharmacological methods. Results show that extracellular Ca2+ (50 similar to 200 mM) and A23187 (1 similar to 10 mu M) can stimulate the meiotic maturation. In addition, verapamil (1 similar to 100 mu M) and trifluoperazin (10 similar to 1,000 mu M) could inhibit serotonin-induced oocyte maturation. Therefore, Ca2+ is essential for the reinitiation of meiotic maturation in oocytes of the northern quahog. Moreover, an increase i [Ca2+]i can promote meiotic maturation.

Emodin-induced apoptosis in human breast cancer BCap-37 cells through the mitochondrial signaling pathway

Emodin, a natural anthraquinone compound isolated from the rhizome of rhubarb, is reported to suppress the growth of tumor in many clinical situations. In this study, we focused on the effect of emodin in human breast cancer BCap-37 cells and further understand the underlying molecular mechanism in treating breast cancer. Using MTT assay and flow cytometry, we demonstrated the critical role of emodin in the suppression of the proliferation of BCap-37 cells based on a concentration- and time-dependent manner. The increase of apoptotic rate was also observed after incubation of BCap-37 cells on emodin at 20 mu M and 50 mu M for 48 h. The cells exhibited typical apoptotic features including cellular morphological change, chromatin condensation and membrane blebbing. The results of the study further showed that Bcl-2 level decreased, while Bax and cytosolic cytochrome c levels in sample cells increased after the emodin treatment by using Western blot. The decline in the Bcl-2/Bax ratio and the increase of cytosolic cytochrome c concentration were consistent with the increase of the apoptotic ratio. The results strongly suggest that the disruption of the mitochondrial signaling pathway was involved in emodin-induced apoptosis in BCap-37 cells.

Analysis of saturated free fatty acids from pollen by HPLC with fluorescence detection

A sensitive method for the determination of free fatty acids using 2-(2-(anthracen-10-yl)-1H-naphtho[2,3-dimidazol-1-yl) ethyl-p-toluenesuIfonate (ANITS) as tagging reagent with fluorescence detection has been developed. ANITS could easily and quickly label fatty acids in the presence of the K2CO3 catalyst at 90 degrees C for 40 min in N,N-dimethylformamide solvent. From the extracts of rape bee pollen samples, 20 free fatty acids were sensitively determined. Fatty acid derivatives were separated on a reversed-phase Eclipse XDB-C8 column by HPLC in conjunction with gradient elution. The corresponding derivatives were identified by post-column APCI/MS in positive-ion detection mode. ANITS-fatty acid derivatives gave an intense molecular ion peak at mlz [M+H](+); with MS/MS analysis, the collision-induced dissociation spectra of m/z [M+H](+) produced the specific fragment ions at mlz [M-345](+) and mlz 345.0 (here, m/z 345 is the core structural moiety of the ANITS molecule). The fluorescence excitation and emission wavelengths of the derivatives were lambda(ex) = 250 nm and lambda(em) = 512 nm, respectively. Linear correlation coefficients for all fatty acid derivatives are > 0.9999. Detection limits, at a signal-to-noise ratio of 3 : 1, are 24.76-98.79 fmol for the labeled fatty acids.

Study of a new derivatizing reagent that improves the analysis of amino acids by HPLC with fluorescence detection: application to hydrolyzed rape bee pollen

A simple and sensitive method for evaluating the chemical compositions of protein amino acids, including cystine (Cys)(2) and tryptophane (Try) has been developed, based on the use of a sensitive labeling reagent 2-(11H-benzo[alpha]-carbazol-11-yl) ethyl chloroformate (BCEC-Cl) along with fluorescence detection. The chromophore of the 1,2-benzo-3,4-dihydrocarbazole-ethyl chloroformate (BCEOC-Cl) molecule was replaced with the 2-(11H-benzo[alpha]-carbazol-11-yl) ethyl functional group, yielding the sensitive fluorescence molecule BCEC-Cl. The new reagent BCEC-Cl could then be substituted for labeling reagents commonly used in amino acid derivatization. The BCEC-amino acid derivatives exhibited very high detection sensitivities, particularly in the cases of (Cys)(2) and Try, which cannot be determined using traditional labeling reagents such as 9-fluorenyl methylchloroformate (FMOC-Cl) and ortho-phthaldialdehyde (OPA). The fluorescence detection intensities for the BCEC derivatives were compared to those obtained when using FMOC-Cl and BCEOC-Cl as labeling reagents. The ratios I (BCEC)/I (BCEOC) = 1.17-3.57, I (BCEC)/I (FMOC) = 1.13-8.21, and UVBCEC/UVBCEOC = 1.67-4.90 (where I is the fluorescence intensity and UV is the ultraviolet absorbance). Derivative separation was optimized on a Hypersil BDS C-18 column. The detection limits calculated from 1.0 pmol injections, at a signal-to-noise ratio of 3, ranged from 7.2 fmol for Try to 8.4 fmol for (Cys)(2). Excellent linear responses were observed, with coefficients of > 0.9994. When coupled with high-performance liquid chromatography, the method established here allowed the development of a highly sensitive and specific method for the quantitative analysis of trace levels of amino acids including (Cys)(2) and Try from bee-collected pollen (bee pollen) samples.

Characterization of photosynthetic pathway of plant species growing in the eastern Tibetan plateau using stable carbon isotope composition

The photosynthetic pathway of plant species collected at Menyuan, Henan, and Maduo sites, east of Tibetan Plateau, China, during the growing season were studied using stable carbon isotopes in leaves. The 232 samples leaves analyzed belonged to 161 species, 30 families, and 94 genera. The delta(13)C values (from -24.6 to -29.2 %o) indicated that all the considered species had a photosynthetic C-3 pathway. The absence of plant species with C-4 photosynthetic pathway might be due to the extremely low air temperature characterizing the Tibetan Plateau. The average delta(13)C value was significantly (p < 0.05) different between annuals and perennials at the three considered study sites. Hence the longer-lived species had greater water-use efficiency (WUE) than shorter-lived species, that is, longer-lived species are better adapted to the extreme environmental conditions of the Tibetan Plateau.

Pollen morphology and its in systematic and ecological significance in Rheum (Polygonaceae) from China

Pollen morphology of 40 species of Rheum, belonging to eight sections, was investigated under LM and SEM. Four new exine patterns were found in the species: a) microcchinate-foveolate, b) rugulate, c) verrucate-perforate, and d) verrucaterugulate ornamentation. In addition, two patterns, the Rheum-type pollens with microechinate-perforate and fine-reticulate, as previously described, were also confirmed in the present study. Based on above study the evolution trends of pollen morphology in the taxa involved were discussed phylogenetically as below. As microechinate-perforate exine pattern existed commonly, the pattern is, therefore, regarded as the most primitive among all the six types. The fine-reticulate type was thought as a derivative type, deriving from the basic micro echinate-foveolate-perforate pattern, and followed by the rugulate and verrucate-perforate ornamentation. The verrucate-rugulate ornamentation should be the most advanced. More than one pollen type often exist in most of the sections in Rheum. The pollen morphology of Rheum was strongly correlated with its geographical and ecological distribution. Three medicinally important species R. officinale, R. palmation and R. tanguticum can be palynologically distinguished by their ornamentations.

重庆老龙洞二叠系-三叠系界线地层微生物岩研究

The largest mass extinction in the Phanerozoic happened at the end of the Permian. The microbialites formed in the extreme environments after the mass extinction has become a hotspot for geologists and paleontologists throughout the world. The dendroid microbialites that were described for the first time in 1999 from the Permian-Triassic boundary section at Laolongdong, Chongqing, have been studied by many geologists from China and overseas. Two important viewpoints about their origin have been proposed. Some researchers believed that they resemble Quaternary travertine shrubs in form, and may belong to microbialites. Some other researchers proposed that the dendroid structure is composed of clots formed by coccoidal cynaobacteria, and is microbialite. Our detailed survey on the section reveals that: (1) there is an interval of speckled “microbialite” in the section, and it underlies the dendroid “microbialite”, (2) the dendroid “microbialite” does not always have dendroid appearance; they are dendroid only in very local places; they are not dendroid in most places; for this reason, they are not comparable to recent tufa; (3) the volume of the dendroid structure greatly increases toward the top of the dendroid microbialite interval: accounting to 70% of the whole rock in the top part. This distribution pattern implies that the formation of this structure may be related to downward migration of the diagenetic fluid. Examination of thin sections reveals that the dendroid structure or point-like structure in the “microbialite” look as lighter areas in the thin sections and are composed of large blocky clear calcites containing scattered yellow dirty small calcite rhombi and irregular “points” of relict lime mudstone or wackestone or packstone. Their formation is by any one of the following two processes: (1) dissolution → filling of large blocky calcite; (2) dolomitization → dedolomitization → dissolution by meteoric fresh water → filling by large blocky calcites. It has been found that there are at least two sea-level falls during the P-T transition. As the sea level fall, the carbonate deposits came into supratidal environment, and suffered dolomitization caused by evaporative fluid or mixing water of sea water and meteoric water. Since the fluid migrated downward from the top of the deposits and in random pathway, the dolomitization formed dendroid or speckled dolomitic areas. As the deposits came into subaerial environments, the meteoric fresh water migrated along the dendroid or speckled dolomitic area with higher porosity, and dissolution happened, which caused the rock became spongy or alveolate. In later time, after the strata came into phreatic zone, large clear blocky calcites grew in and filled the pores in the spongy areas. The dendroid and speckled structure were formed in this way, rather than composed of clots formed by coccoid cyanobecteria. The microbial fossils in Laolongdong section include two types. The first is the tube-like cyanobecteria in middle Bed 3, which are generally less than 1 mm in length, taper toward one end, and are internally filled by microspars. They are straight or sinuous, with micritic wall 0.005~0.01 mm thick. Since this kind of microbial fossils are abundant in middle Bed 3, this rock belongs to microbialite. The second type occurs in Bed 5 and lower and middle Bed 6. They are irregular globular in shape, generally 0.2 ~ 0.5 mm in size, with several outward progresses, and internally filled by one layer of needle-like calcite cements on the wall and the large blocky calcite in the inner space. According to their shape and preservation way, it is inferred that this kind of fossils were formed from some kind of bacterial colony. The bacterial colony may be cuticle in composition, since it has some hardness as it is indicated by its resistance to deposit loading. These organisms discomposed during diagenetic time, and formed good porosity. In later diagenetic time, these pores were firstly cemented by needle-like calcites and later filled by large blocky calcites. So, the bacterial colony promoted the formation of dendroid and speckled structures. However, they did not always form such structures. On the other hand, even though no bacterial colony or other microbes or any kind of fossils were present, dendroid or speckled structures can form. Bed 4 of Laolongdong section contains abundant gastropods but no microbial fossils, and is not microbialite, even though it is speckled. The top of Bed 6 is dendroid, but contain no microbial fossils, and is not micrbialite.