Single UV excitation of Hoechst 33342 and propidium iodide for viability assessment of rhesus monkey spermatozoa using flow cytometry

Many fluorescent probes excited by visible light have been used to assess sperm quality by flow cytometry. Developing a viability evaluation method using UV excited stains would be useful for multiparameter analysis of sperm function. This investigation was conducted to determine the efficacy of Hoechst 33342 (H342) and propidium iodide (PI) dual staining for evaluating rhesus monkey sperm viability through use of flow cytometry and excited by a single UV laser. The results showed that the live cells stained only with H342 strongly correlated with expected sperm viability, and flow cytometric analyses were highly correlated with fluorescence microscopic observation. Using H342/PI/SYBR-14 triple staining method, it was found that the live/dead sperm distributions were completely concordant in both H342/PI and SYBR-14/PI assays. In addition, this dual staining was extended with fluorescein isothiocyanate-conjugated peanut agglutinin (FITC-PNA) to simultaneously analyze viability and acrosome integrity of sperm cryopreserved using two different extenders, TTE and TEST, and indicated that TTE offered better Preservation of plasma and acrosome integrity than TEST Therefore, the H342/PI dual staining provides an accurate technique for evaluating viability of rhesus monkey sperm and should be valuable for multiparameter flow cytometric analysis of sperm function.

小麦TaRanBP基因功能的初步分析

小G蛋白（small GTPases）是真核生物中广泛存在的一类调节各种生命活动的信号分子。根据结构与功能的不同，小G蛋白家族成员可分成五个亚家族，分别为Ras，Rab，Rho，Arf和Ran。五类小G蛋白通过其活化态（GTP结合态）和非活化态（GDP结合态）的相互转换行使着各种功能。Ras GTPases在酵母和哺乳动物中调节细胞增殖过程; Rho GTPases调控肌动蛋白重组过程，并参与MAP 激酶的细胞信号转导过程等; Rab GTPases和Arf GTPases分别在膜转运过程中起着不同的重要作用;而Ran GTPases则在核孔位置调节着蛋白和RNA分子的运输过程。 小G蛋白附属蛋白调节着小G蛋白活化态与非活化态之间的转换，其中鸟核苷酸交换因子(guanine nucleotide exchange factors, GEFs)可以催化小G蛋白转换为GTP结合形式，即活化态;而GTPase 激活蛋白(GTPase-activating proteins, GAPs)和小G蛋白结合蛋白(small GTPases binding proteins)可以激活小G蛋白自身的水解活性，从而将其转变成非活化态形式。 相比其它小G蛋白，Ran GTPases及其附属蛋白在真核生物中的研究相对较少。已有的成果表明它们主要在核质运输过程中及对相应的信号转导途径起调节作用。而针对Ran GTPases及其附属蛋白在真核生物尤其是高等植物个体发育过程中的作用，目前报道还很少。 为了揭示Ran结合蛋白(Ran binding protein, RanBP)在植物发育过程中的作用，本文通过转基因手段对其功能进行 了研究。在此之前，本实验室已从小麦cDNA文库中成功克隆Ran结合蛋白基因：TaRanBP。该基因cDNA全长1035 bp，编码207个氨基酸。通过农杆菌介导叶圆片法，分别用正义、反义及TaRanBP与GFP融合蛋白等表达载体转化烟草，并成功获得转基因植株。亚细胞定位观察发现TaRanBP蛋白主要定位于细胞质内，尤其是在核膜附近富集。生理学和细胞学等方面的研究分析发现，TaRanBP基因在烟草个体发育过程中产生重要作用。过量表达TaRanBP基因的转基因植株在一定数量上表现出愈合的花冠筒上出现不同程度开裂，花冠筒上有附生舌状花瓣，及带有花瓣状颜 色的花萼等异常花表型。同时，转反义基因在一定程度上促进了转基因植株初生主根的生长（为对照烟草的2.3倍），而转正义基因烟草与对照烟草的初生主根长度差异不明显。用碘化丙锭(Propidium Iodide, PI)进行根部细胞染色。观察发现，不同的转基因烟草与对照烟草之间在根的各个不同形态区域的细胞大小差异不明显，推测根长的差异可能是由于整体细胞数目变化的原因导致。向重力性实验发现，转反义基因烟草幼苗较对照烟草的向重力性反应增加，而转正义基因的则表现为降低。激素吲哚乙酸(Indoleacetic Acid, IAA)的添加处理可以恢复转反义基因烟草的向重力性异常表型，而对转正义基因烟草几乎无影响。添加激动素(Kinetin, KT)的处理发现不同转基因烟草和对照烟草的向重力性均有减弱。观测后期，转正义基因的向重力敏感性较对照烟草得到恢复。测量不同转基因株系T1代幼苗鲜重，发现不同转基因烟草和对照烟草的幼苗鲜重动态变化在各个时间点有差异，且差异情况不尽相同。而不同转基因幼苗T1代幼苗可溶性蛋白含量较对照烟草有不同程度的下降。这种下降并没有影响转基因烟草的整体生长进程，开花期和结实情况与对照烟草相比也无明显变化。

Genetic heterogeneity and ploidy level analysis among different gynogenetic clones of the polyploid gibel carp

Background: Some triploid and tetraploid clones have been identified in the gynogenetic gibel carp, Carassius auratus gibelio Bloch, by karyotypic and cytologic analyses over many years. Further, 5-20% males and karyotypic diversity have been found among their natural and artificial populations. However, the DNA contents and the relation to their ploidy level and chromosome numbers have not been ascertained, and whether normal meiosis occurs in spermatogenesis needs to be determined in the different clones. Methods: The sampled blood cells or sperms were mixed with blood cells from chicken or individual gibel carp and fixed in 70% pre-cooled ethanol overnight at 4degreesC. The mixed cell pellets were washed 2-3 times in 1x phosphate buffered saline and then resuspended in the solution containing 0.5% pepsin and 0.1 M HCl. DNA was stained with propidium iodide solution (40 mug/mL) containing 4 kU/ml RNase. The measurements of DNA contents were performed with Phoenix Flow Systems. Results: Triploid clones A, E, F, and P had almost equal DNA content, but triploid clone D had greater DNA content than did the other four triploid clones. DNA content of clone M (7.01 +/- 0.15 pg/nucleus) was almost equal to the DNA content of clone D (5-38 +/- 0.06 pg/nucleus) plus the DNA content of common carp sperm (1.64 +/- 0.02 pg/nucleus). The DNA contents of sperms from clones A, P, and D were half of their blood cells, suggesting that normal meiosis occurs in spermatogenesis. Conclusions: Flow cytometry is a powerful method to analyze genetic heterogeneity and ploidy level among different gynogenetic clones of polyploid gibel carp. Through this study, four questions have been answered. (a) The DNA content correlation among the five triploid clones and one multiple tetraploid clone was revealed in the gibel carp, and the contents increased with not only the ploidy level but also the chromosome number. (b) Mean DNA content was 0.052 pg in six extra chromosomes of clone D, which was higher than that of each chromosome in clones A, E, F, and P (about 0.032 pg/ chromosome). This means that the six extra chromosomes are larger chromosomes. (c) Normal meiosis occurred during spermatogenesis of the gibel carp, because DNA contents of the sperms from clones A, P, and D were almost half of that in their blood cells. (d) Multiple tetraploid clone M (7.01 +/- 0.15 pg/nucleus) contained the complete genome of clone D (5.38 +/- 0.06 pg/nucleus) and the genome of common carp sperm (1.64 +/- 0.02 pg/nucleus). Cytometry Part A 56A:46-52, 2003. (C) 2003 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Total-internal-reflection fluorescence microscopy with W-shaped axicon mirrors

A scheme based on a W-shaped axicon mirror device for total-internal-reflection fluorescence microscopy (TIRFM) is presented. This approach combines the advantages of higher efficiency compared with traditional TIRFM, adjustable illumination area, and simple switching between wide-field and TIRF imaging modes. TIRF images obtained with this approach are free of shadow artifacts and of interference fringes. Example micrographs of fluorescently labeled polystyrene beads, of Convallaria majalis tissue, and of Propidium-iodide-labeled Chinese hamster ovary cells are shown, and the capabilities of the scheme are discussed. (C) 2010 Optical Society of America

Flow cytometry and ultrastructure of cryopreserved red seabream (Pagrus major) sperm

The objectives were to assess motility, fertilizing capacity, structural integrity, and mitochondrial function in fresh versus frozen-thawed (15% DMSO was used as a cryoprotectant) sperm from red seabrearn (Pagrus major). Mean (+/- S.D.) rates of motility, fertilization and hatching of frozen-thawed sperm were 81.0 +/- 5.4, 92.8 +/- 1.9, and 91.8 +/- 5.2%, respectively; for fresh sperm, they were 87.5 +/- 7.7, 95.8 +/- 2.4, and 93.8 +/- 4.2%. Although motility was lower in frozen-thawed versus fresh sperm (P < 0.05), there was no effect (P > 0.05) of cryopreservation on fertilization or hatching. Based on scanning and transmission electron microscopy, 77.8 +/- 5.6% of fresh sperm had normal morphology, whereas for frozen-thawed sperm, 63.0 +/- 7.2% had normal morphology, 20.6 +/- 3.1% were slightly damaged (e.g. swelling or rupture of head, mid-piece and tail region as well as mitochondria), and 16.4 +/- 4.2% were severely damaged. Sperm were stained with propidium iodide and Rhodamine 123 to assess plasma membrane integrity and mitochondrial function, respectively, and examined with flow cytometry. For fresh sperm, 83.9% had an intact membrane and functional mitochondria, whereas for frozen-thawed sperm, 74.8% had an intact membrane and functional mitochondria, 12.7% had a damaged membrane, 9.9% had nonfunctional mitochondria, and 2.6% had both a damaged membrane and nonfunctional mitochondria. In conclusion, ultrastructure and flow cytometry were valuable for assessment of frozen-thawed sperm quality; cryopreservation damaged the sperm but fertilizing ability was not significantly decreased. (c) 2007 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.