谷子体细胞无性系变异和抗除草剂基因转化研究

谷子是我国北方具有区域重要性的禾谷类粮食作物。谷子的体细胞无性系变异和外源基因转化相对其它作物研究较少。本研究利用谷子生产的育种中应用的多个优良品种为材料，分析了谷子体细无性系变异发生的影响因素、变异性和频率、DNA分子水平变异和育种应用等问题;采用基因枪法和花粉管通道法，进行了谷子抗除草剂基因转化研究。 主要结果包括： 1. 通过几种外植体的愈伤组织诱导分析,找到了小花分化期前后的谷子幼穗是愈伤组织诱导的最好外植体.提出谷子愈伤组织可按生长状态和结构划分为质密型、松软型和松散型三种基本类型的观点。前两种为胚性愈伤组织并可相互转换，松软型愈伤组织生长状态稳定，可塑性好，是继代培养和因基化的首选类型。供试品种中豫谷1号、高39、郑407和矮宁黄为易培养品种，矮88、豫谷2号、系238、冀14号、C445和青丰谷为相对难培养品种。这些结果为谷子组织培养和生物技术操作提供了基础资料。 2. 首次对多个谷子品种较大群体的无性系变异进行了分析。结果表明，以R_2株系为单位的谷子体细胞无性系表现型变异频率平均为13.0%，不同基因型的变幅为4.3～32.9%;变异涉及株高、抽穗期、穗粒重、出谷率、叶鞘色、育性、抗病性、米色、穗型等多个性状，多数变异为株高和抽穗期等数量性状，少数为矮秆等质量性状：变异的性状多数能在R_3稳定并遗传给后代。从谷子体细胞无性系变异中选出了一批农艺性状得到改良的新品系，其中系103已进入省区域试验，并提供给多家育种单位作为亲本应用。 3. 将RAPD分析技术引入谷子体细胞无性系变异研究。豫谷2号无性系的RAPD多态性变化既有亲本带的缺失，也有新带的产生。用RAPD多态性变化的SMC值度量无性系同亲本相比DNA水平变异的大小，表现型发生变异的无性系,其SMC值分别为0.905～1.0;表现型未发生变异的无性系，RAPD多态性也可能发生变化，其SMC值分布为0.953～1.0。 4. 通过Gus基因瞬时表达单位数的比较，优化了JQ－700基因枪转化谷子松型愈伤组织的操作参数：质粒DNA用量3μg/mg钨粉，CaCl_2农度1.5M，亚精胺浓度40mM，样品室高度7cm，粗弹头为微弹载体，每皿愈伤组织用量1～2g，每次轰击钨粉用量50μg，轰击前4小时和轰击后16～20小时，用含蔗糖150g/l的高渗培养基处理。利用该技术体系，以bar基因为目的基因转化豫谷2号愈伤组织。经选择培养和植株再生，首次获得了抗0.1% bialaphos的正常可育植株，经PCR和Southern blot分析，bar基因已整合到转化体的基因组中，为创造抗除草剂的谷子新种质提供了材料和技术基础。 5. 研究了花粉管通道法转化和花粉介导的基因枪转化谷子的可行性。花粉管通道法转化后代中，获得了抗0.1% bialaphos的抗性植株，经X-gluc组织化学检测，抗性植株叶片的Gus反应为阳性。初步说明该植株可能为转化体，在谷子上为花粉管通道法转化的可行性提供了佐证。花粉介导的基因枪转化未获得转化体。 本文对体细胞无性系变异形成的原因和应用、无性系变异的分子生物学分析、以及谷子的外源基因转化方法等问题进行了讨论。

The research pathway to developing a health promotion intervention for the high school curriculum

Introduction: Schools provide the opportunity to reach a large number of adolescents in a systematic way however there are increasing demands on curriculum providing challenges for health promotion activities. This paper will describe the research processes and strategies used to design an injury prevention program.----- Methods: A multi-stage process of data collection included: (1) Surveys on injury-risk behaviours to identify targets of change (examining behaviour and risk/ protective factors among more than 4000 adolescents); (2) Focus groups (n= 30 high-risk adolescents) to understand and determine risk situations; (3) Hospital emergency outpatients survey to understand injury types/ situations; (4) Workshop (n= 50 teachers/ administrators) to understand the target curriculum and experiences with injury-risk behaviours; (5) Additional focus groups (students and teachers) regarding draft material and processes.----- Results: Summaries of findings from each stage are presented particularly demonstrating the design process. The baseline data identified target risk and protective factors. The following qualitative study provided detail about content and context and with the hospital findings assisted in developing ways to ensure relevance and meaning (e.g. identifying high risk situations and providing insights into language, culture and development). School staff identified links to school processes with final data providing feedback on curriculum fit, feasibility and appropriateness of resources. The data were integrated into a program which demonstrated reduced injury.----- Conclusions: A comprehensive research process is required to develop an informed and effective intervention. The next stage of a cluster randomised control trial is a major task and justifies the intensive and comprehensive development.

Osteoarthritic cartilage chondrocytes alter subchondral bone osteoblast differentiation via MAPK signalling pathway involving ERK1/2

Osteoarthritic subchondral bone is characterized by abnormal bone density and enhanced production of bone turnover markers, an indication of osteoblast dysfunction. Several studies have proposed that pathological changes in articular cartilage influence the subchondral bone changes, which are typical of the progression of osteoarthritis; however, direct evidence of this has yet to be reported. The aim of the present study was to investigate what effects articular cartilage cells, isolated from normal and osteoarthritic joints, may have on the subchondral bone osteoblast phenotype, and also the potential involvement of the mitogen activated protein kinase (MAPK) signalling pathway during this process. Our results suggest that chondrocytes isolated from a normal joint inhibited osteoblast differentiation, whereas chondrocytes isolated from an osteoarthritic joint enhanced osteoblast differentiation, both via a direct and indirect cell interaction mechanisms. Furthermore, the interaction of subchondral bone osteoblasts with osteoarthritic chondrocyte conditioned media appeared to significantly activate ERK1/2 phosphorylation. On the other hand, conditioned media from normal articular chondrocytes did not affect ERK1/2 phosphorylation. Inhibition of the MAPK–ERK1/2 pathways reversed the phenotype changes of subchondral bone osteoblast, which would otherwise be induced by the conditioned media from osteoarthritic chondrocytes. In conclusion, our findings provide evidence that osteoarthritic chondrocytes affect subchondral bone osteoblast metabolism via an ERK1/2 dependent pathway.

The hedgehog pathway inhibitor GDC-0449 shows potential in skin and other cancers

Background: The hedgehog signaling pathway is vital in early development, but then becomes dormant, except in some cancer tumours. Hedgehog inhibitors are being developed for potential use in cancer. Objectives/Methods: The objective of this evaluation is to review the initial clinical studies of the hedgehog inhibitor, GDC-0449, in subjects with cancer. Results: Phase I trials have shown that GDC-0449 has benefits in subjects with metastatic or locally advanced basal-cell carcinoma and in one subjects with medulloblastoma. GDC-0449 was well tolerated. Conclusions: Long term efficacy and safety studies of GDC-0449 in these conditions and other solid cancers are now underway. These clinical trials with GDC-0449, and trials with other hedgehog inhibitors, will reveal whether it is beneficial and safe to inhibit the hedgehog pathway, in a wide range of solid tumours or not.

Magnocellular and parvocellular pathway mediated luminance contrast discrimination in amblyopia

To evaluate whether luminance contrast discrimination losses in amblyopia on putative magnocellular (MC) and parvocellular (PC) pathway tasks reflect deficits at retinogeniculate or cortical sites. Fifteen amblyopes including six anisometropes, seven strabismics, two mixed and 12 age-matched controls were investigated. Contrast discrimination was measured using established psychophysical procedures that differentiate MC and PC processing. Data were described with a model of the contrast response of primate retinal ganglion cells. All amblyopes and controls displayed the same contrast signatures on the MC and PC tasks, with three strabismics having reduced sensitivity. Amblyopic PC contrast gain was similar to electrophysiological estimates from visually normal, non-human primates. Sensitivity losses evident in a subset of the amblyopes reflect cortical summation deficits, with no change in retinogeniculate contrast responses. The data do not support the proposal that amblyopic contrast sensitivity losses on MC and PC tasks reflect retinogeniculate deficits, but rather are due to anomalous post-retinogeniculate cortical processing of retinal signals.

How do our 'quicks' generate pace? A cross sectional analysis of the Cricket Australia pace pathway

Technique and physical contributions to ball delivery speed in fast bowling have been popular research topics in sports science. However, a common limiting factor of this work is the level of expertise of participants and lack of within bowler investigations (Salter et al., 2007). The relationship between technique, anthropometry and ball speed has not been comprehensively investigated among elite fast bowlers. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between technique, anthropometric variables and ball speed using both within- and betweenbowler analyses in a cross section of the Cricket Australia high performance pace pathway.

Inhibition of p38 pathway leads to OA-like changes in a rat animal model

Objectives The p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signal transduction pathway is involved in a variety of inflammatory responses, including cytokine generation, cell differentiation proliferation and apoptosis. Here, we examined the effects of systemic p38 MAPK inhibition on cartilage cells and osteoarthritis (OA) disease progression by both in vitro and in vivo approaches. Methods p38 kinase activity was evaluated in normal and OA cartilage cells by measuring the amount of phosphorylated protein. To examine the function of p38 signaling pathway in vitro, normal chondrocytes were isolated and differentiated in the presence or absence of p38 inhibitor; SB203580 and analysed for chondrogenic phenotype. Effect of systemic p38 MAPK inhibition in normal and OA (induced by menisectomy) rats were analysed by treating animals with vehicle alone (DMS0) or p38 inhibitor (SB203580). Damage to the femur and tibial plateau was evaluated by modified Mankin score, histology and immunohistochemistry. Results Our in vitro studies have revealed that a down-regulation of chondrogenic and increase of hypertrophic gene expression occurs in the normal chondrocytes, when p38 is neutralized by a pharmacological inhibitor. We further observed that the basal levels of p38 phosphorylation were decreased in OA chondrocytes compared with normal chondrocytes. These findings together indicate the importance of this pathway in the regulation of cartilage physiology and its relevance to OA pathogenesis. At in vivo level, systematic administration of a specific p38 MAPK inhibitor, SB203580, continuously for over a month led to a significant loss of proteoglycan; aggrecan and cartilage thickness. On the other hand, SB203580 treated normal rats showed a significant increase in TUNEL positive cells, cartilage hypertrophy markers such as Type 10 collagen, Runt-related transcription factor and Matrix metalloproteinase-13 and substantially induced OA like phenotypic changes in the normal rats. In addition, menisectomy induced OA rat models that were treated with p38 inhibitor showed aggravation of cartilage damage. Conclusions In summary, this study has provided evidence that the component of the p38 MAPK pathway is important to maintain the cartilage health and its inhibition can lead to severe cartilage degenerative changes. The observations in this study highlight the possibility of using activators of the p38 pathway as an alternative approach in the treatment of OA.

Osteopontin is a downstream effector of the PI3-kinase pathway in melanomas that is inversely correlated with functional PTEN

The tumor suppressor PTEN antagonizes phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K), which contributes to tumorigenesis in many cancer types. While PTEN mutations occur in some melanomas, their precise mechanistic consequences have yet to be elucidated. We sought to identify novel downstream effectors of PI3K using a combination of genomic and functional tests. Microarray analysis of 53 melanoma cell lines identified 610 genes differentially expressed (P<0.05) between wild-type lines and those with PTEN aberrations. Many of these genes are known to be involved in the PI3K pathway and other signaling pathways influenced by PTEN. Validation of differential gene expression by qRT-PCR was performed in the original 53 cell lines and an independent set of 18 melanoma lines with known PTEN status. Osteopontin (OPN), a secreted glycophosphoprotein that contributes to tumor progression, was more abundant at both the mRNA and protein level in PTEN mutants. The inverse correlation between OPN and PTEN expression was validated (P<0.02) by immunohistochemistry using melanoma tissue microarrays. Finally, treatment of cell lines with the PI3K inhibitor LY294002 caused a reduction in expression of OPN. These data indicate that OPN acts downstream of PI3K in melanoma and provides insight into how PTEN loss contributes to melanoma development.