[Experimental studies on growing seedlings of Morinda officinalis How]

By using the techniques of growing seedlings in bowshaped shed covered with plastic sheeting plus treatment with plant growth regulator, vegetative and generative propagation tests have been made of Morinda officinalis. Scientific evidences have thus been provided for growing seedlings of Morinda officinalis.

A pink bacterium as a reporter system signaling expression of a recombinant protein

We describe a set of expression vectors, pEX-PINK/0-3, for high-level production of (un)fused target proteins. The vectors incorporate a 'pink' reporter element, which signals in vivo the expression status of a target gene. A target sequence is cloned between the lambda PL promoter and the downstream mammalian cytochrome b5 gene. Thermo-induction drives transcription of a dicistronic mRNA from which the target protein and cytochrome b5 are independently and concurrently synthesized. Positive expression is indicated by visual transformation of bacteria from a grey/translucent to a bright pink color derived from tandemly expressed holocytochrome b5. The signal can be monitored in vivo spectrophotometrically.

Optimized centrifugation for rapid elution of DNA from agarose gels

A simple method has been developed for the isolation of DNA from agarose gels. Centrifugation in a low-cost device for 45 s at low speed provides a high yield of DNA suitable for further manipulation by restriction enzymes, T4 DNA ligase, Taq polymerase, Klenow fragment, and T4 polynucleotide kinase, and also for sequencing. In contrast, centrifugation for greater than 1 min leads to coelution of substances that inhibit DNA ligase.

The HER2 (c-erbB-2) oncogene is frequently amplified in in situ carcinomas of the breast

Amplification and overexpression of the HER2 (c-erbB-2) oncogene was assessed in paraffin-embedded specimens from 27 in situ carcinomas of the breast and from 122 stage II breast cancers. Gene amplification detected in these archival tissues by differential polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was found in 48% of in situ carcinomas and in 21% of stage II lesions (chi 2 = 7.62, p less than or equal to 0.01). In addition, the level of gene amplification correlated with the level of HER2 oncoprotein expression as measured by immunohistochemistry for both in situ cancers (p less than or equal to 0.025) and stage II cancers (p less than or equal to 0.0005). This high incidence of HER2 gene amplification with accompanying overexpression in non-invasive breast tumors suggests that perturbations of the HER2 oncogene are among the earliest and most common genetic lesions in human breast cancer.

Analysis of gene amplification in archival tissue by differential polymerase chain reaction

Oncogene amplification is found in many human tumors, and its detection may have important prognostic value. However, analysis of gene amplification may be hampered by inadequate tissue or poor DNA quality. We have previously described a polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based procedure called differential PCR that can detect variations in gene dosage using miniscule amounts of tumor DNA [Frye, R.A., Benz, C.C. & Liu, E. (1989). Oncogene, 4, 1153-1157]. We now report the optimization of this technique for the analysis of oncogene amplification in paraffin-embedded archival tissues. We find that differential PCR is able to detect amplification of the HER2 (c-erbB-2) and the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) genes and can be used to arrive at a semiquantitative estimate of gene dosage. Furthermore, our approach can determine gene amplification in samples in which the DNA is significantly degraded. Using differential PCR on paraffin-embedded tissues from cases previously investigated by standard DNA extraction and dot-blot procedures, good correlation between the two methods was found. Approaches are described to overcome technical problems posed by factors that affect the differential PCR, including the method of DNA extraction and extreme fragmentation of the DNA (less than 200 base pairs). Furthermore, the resulting analytical algorithm reported herein has proved effective in detecting oncogene amplification in archival breast cancer specimens from standard pathology laboratories. Thus, differential PCR will be particularly helpful in the analysis of tumor specimens that are archived, small in size or rare in occurrence.

Expression of honeybee prepromelittin as a fusion protein in Escherichia coli

Strategies for the expression of precursors of eukaryotic secreted proteins as part of fused proteins in Escherichia coli have been explored. A fusion protein with beta-galactosidase at the N-terminal end and honeybee prepromelittin at the C-terminal end (beta-gal-pM) was expressed in low amounts as a cleaved polypeptide, from which the promelittin portion had been removed. Inclusion in the induction culture of 10 mM MgCl2 or 8.3% (v/v) ethanol, inhibitors of signal peptidase, gave rise to the full-length beta-gal-pM fusion protein. The results suggest that a soluble recombinant fusion protein with a signal peptide in an internal location 660 residues from the N-terminus is recognized by the E. coli translocation apparatus in the inner membrane and by leader peptidase. High-level production (about 45% of total cellular proteins) of prepromelittin was achieved when it was part of a fusion protein at the C-terminus of a truncated insoluble polypeptide from bacteriophage gene 10. This fusion protein separated into inclusion bodies in an aggregated form. In contrast, attempts to express prepromelittin by itself or at the N-terminal end of a fusion with mouse dihydrofolate reductase (pM-DHFR) proved unsuccessful.

An improved and rapid procedure for isolating RNA-free Escherichia coli plasmid DNA

We describe a simple, rapid, and inexpensive procedure for the isolation of plasmid DNA in high yields from Escherichia coli cultures. The procedure entails two main steps, which involve treating intact bacterial cells with phenol/chloroform in the presence of Triton X-100 and LiCl followed by polyethylene glycol precipitation. Plasmid DNA preparations isolated by this method are highly pure and virtually devoid of RNA. The DNA is suitable substrate for restriction mapping, DNA-modifying enzymes, and in vitro transcription with SP6 and T7 RNA polymerases.

[A prospective controlled study of psychosomatic and immunologic change in recently bereaved people]

This research was carried out in 45 bereaved people who were the close relatives of a bus accident victims. Their mental and physical conditions, IgA, IgG, IgM, C3 and C4 levels were measured. It reveals that mental and physical conditions of the investigated group declined and the incidence of infectious diseases increased in comparison with the control group. Subjects antibody and complement functions were inhibited after bereavement. The social support they perceived functions in the way of buffering the stress as well as improving the immunity.

[Study on relationship between human ABO blood groups and type A behavior pattern]

Investigation of the relationship between ABO blood groups (ABO BG) and Type A behavior pattern (TABP) was performed. No significant correlation was found between human ABO BG and TABP (P less than 0.05). However, CH and TH + CH scores in individuals with blood type A and type A personality were significantly lower (P less than 0.05). The values of TH-CH scores among tested people were of no statistical significance (P greater than 0.05). Moreover, nearly half of the examinees (41.32%) had higher CH score and the distribution of the individuals was obviously different in statistics (P less than 0.005). In addition, L score of examinees with blood type A and type B personality was relatively lower.

A novel series of pEX-PINK expression vectors for screening high-level production of (un)fused foreign proteins by rapid visual detection of PINK Escherichia coli clones

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[Influence of Rhizoma pinelliae on the occurrence of micronucleus in bone marrow polychromatic erythrocytes (PCE) in mice and frequencies of SCE in cultured human lymphocytes]

Contradictory effects of Rhizoma Pinelliae have been reported in pregnant mice, rats and rabbits, because the decoction of Rhizoma Pinelliae has obvious embryotoxicity. This paper was obtain an experimental analysis of the frequencies of micronucleus of bone marrow polychromatic erythrocytes (PCE) in mice and sister chromatid exchange (SCE) in cultural lymphocytes of human. The results showed that the decoction of Rhizoma Pinelliae neither induces the occurrencies of micronucleus nor SCE frequencies. Therefore, it may be concluded that the decoction does not have toxicogenetical effects.

Actin genes in the Mediterranean fruit fly, Ceratitis capitata

We have undertaken the study of actin gene organization and expression in the genome of the Mediterranean fruit fly (medfly), Ceratitis capitata. Actin genes have been extensively characterized previously in a wide range of eukaryotic organisms, and they have valuable properties for comparative studies. These genes are typically highly conserved in coding regions, represented in multiple copies per genome and regulated in expression during development. We have isolated a gene in the medfly using the cloned Drosophila melanogaster 5C actin gene as a probe. This medfly gene detects abundant messages present during late larval and late pupal development as well as in thoracic and leg tissue preparations from newly emerged adults. This pattern of expression is consistent with what has been seen for actin genes in other organisms. Using either the D. melanogaster 5C actin gene or the medfly gene as a probe identifies five common cross reacting EcoRI fragments in genomic DNA, but only under less than fully stringent hybridization conditions.

[The treatment of lower leg fractures with Meng He's external fixator]

Within the antagonism existing between the functional intention of treatment methods of the traditional Chinese medicine and the anatomic view of "occidental" medicine, an external fixation device has been developed which is most likely to become the method of choice in fractures of the leg and other bones under the medical conditions of China.

A simple single-step procedure for small-scale preparation of Escherichia coli plasmids

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A procedure for electro-elution of DNA from agarose gels

A simple device is described for efficient and reproducible electro-elution of DNA resolved in agarose gels. DNA (greater than 1 micrograms) is recovered with consistent yields of over 70% into preset elution volumes of 100 to 500 microliters.