Regulating Function of Exogenous Salicylic Acid on Sugar Metabolism in Tomato Seedlings

Aims: SA (Salicylic acid) is a key regulator for sugar metabolic pathway, but the regulating function on sugar metabolism in tomato seedlings is imperfect. In this study, tomato seedlings were sprayed with SA, and then soluble sugar contents, enzyme related to sugar metabolism levels, gene expressions were determined. Study Design: In order to analyze the mechanism of SA in sugar metabolic pathway, tomato seedlings were sprayed with SA, and then soluble sugar contents, enzyme related to sugar metabolism levels, gene expressions were determined. Place and Duration of Study: College of Biological Science and Technology, between December 2021 and May 2022. Methodology: The expressions of genes related to sugar metabolism in tomato were measured by qRT-PCR. The contents of soluble sugar in tomato seedings were measured with HPLC (High performance liquid chromatography). Results: The sugar metabolism in tomato seedlings was affected by SA treatment for 6 h. The contents of fructose, glucose and sucrose were improved in tomato seedlings by SA treatment. Between 6 to 24 h, enzymatic activities of SlAI, SlNI and SlSS were higher than those in controls, while there was little change in enzyme activity of SISPS. Conclusion: The contents of soluble sugar, enzyme activities related to sugar metabolism had changed considerably by SA treatment. Especially from 6 h to 24 h after SA treatment, the contents of fructose and glucose were significantly higher than those of the control group, and the changes of sugar contents were mainly related to the increases of enzyme activities of AI, NI and SS, suggesting that SA treatment mainly affected the activities of SlAI, SlNI and SlSS to promote the accumulations of soluble sugars.

The effect of androgen on wool follicles and keratin production in Hetian sheep / Efeito do androgênio na produção de folículos e queratina em ovinos Hetianos

Abstract To investigate the optimal androgen concentration for culturing Hetian sheep wool follicle and to detect effects of androgen concentration on wool follicle cell proliferation and apoptosis using immunofluorescence labeling and real-time quantitative fluorescence determinations of wool keratin-associated protein gene expression levels. Wool follicles were isolated by microdissection and wool follicles and skin pieces were cultured in various concentrations of dihydrotestosterone (DHT) in culture medium. Next, daily lengthwise growth measurements of wool follicles were obtained using a microscopic micrometer. Cultured Hetian wool follicles were stained using the SACPIC method to reveal wool follicle structure, while sheep skin slices were used to observe cell proliferation by immunostaining and cell apoptosis using the TUNEL method. At the molecular biological level, keratin-associated protein (Kap) gene expression was studied using wool follicles cultured for various numbers of days in vitro. Effects of androgen concentrations on Hetian wool follicle growth and development were experimentally studied. EdU proliferation assays revealed that androgen promoted cell proliferation within wool follicle dermal papillae. TUNEL apoptosis detection demonstrated that androgen treatment could delay cell apoptosis. Quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) results demonstrated that gene expression level patterns of Hetian mountain sheep super-high sulfur protein. Kap1.1, KIF1.2, Kap2.12 and Kap4.2 gene expression level of the mountainous experimental group was significantly higher than plains Hetian sheep. An androgen concentration of 100 nM can promote the growth of Hetian wool follicle cells in vitro, resulting in overexpression of some genes of the Kap family.

Resumo Investigar a concentração ideal de andrógenos em cultura de folículos pilosos de carneiro Hetiano e detectar os efeitos da concentração de andrógenos na proliferação e apoptose de células foliculares, por meio de imunofluorescência e de determinação quantitativa, em tempo real, da fluorescência dos níveis de expressão gênica de proteína associada à queratina. Folículos pilosos foram isolados por microdissecção, e folículos de lã e pedaços de pele foram cultivados em várias concentrações de di-hidrotestosterona (DHT) em meio de cultura. Em seguida, medições diárias de crescimento longitudinal dos folículos capilares foram obtidas usando um micrômetro microscópico. Folículos de lã cultivados de Hetianos foram corados pelo método SACPIC para revelar a estrutura do folículo piloso, enquanto fatias de pele de carneiro foram usadas para observar a proliferação celular por imunocoloração e apoptose celular por meio do método TUNEL. Em âmbito da biologia molecular, a expressão gênica da proteína associada à queratina (Kap) foi estudada usando folículos capilares cultivados por vários dias, in vitro. Os efeitos das concentrações de andrógenos no crescimento e desenvolvimento dos folículos de lã de Hetianos foram estudados experimentalmente. Ensaios de proliferação de EdU revelaram que o andrógeno promoveu a proliferação celular dentro das papilas dérmicas do folículo piloso. A detecção de apoptose por TUNEL demonstrou que o tratamento com andrógeno poderia atrasar a apoptose celular. Os resultados da reação em cadeia da polimerase transcrição reversa quantitativa (qPCR) demonstraram que os padrões de expressão gênica da proteína de enxofre Kap1.1, KIF1.2, Kap2.12 e Kap4.2 foram significativamente maiores no grupo de ovinos Hetianos de montanha. Uma concentração de androgênio de 100 nM pode promover o crescimento de células foliculares de lã de Hetianos in vitro, resultando na superexpressão de alguns genes da família Kap.

The effects of temperature, light and water upon the hatching of the ova of Schistosoma japonicum.

Eggs of Schistosoma japonicum were obtained from infected patients' feces from Yujiang City, China to observe the effects of temperature, light and water on the hatching of eggs. The temperature of water and light played important roles on the hatching of S. japonicum, but the type of water did not. A constant temperature of 28 degrees C and electrical light produced the highest rate of hatching, and reproducible results, whereas a temperature of 4 degrees C or 37 degrees C, and the absence of light inhabited the hatching of eggs. The percentage of eggs hatched during the first 8 hours of 24 hours incubation was 94.90%, so that using the hatching rate of the first 8 hours could approximate the total hatching rate of samples.

Use of polymerase chain reaction in the diagnosis of toxocariasis: an experimental study.

In this paper we report the usefulness of polymerase chain reaction technique in the diagnosis of visceral larva migrans in a mouse model. Liver samples obtained from two set of experimentally infected mice (10, 100, 1,000 and 10,000 embryonated Toxocara canis eggs per mouse) along with the eggs of T. canis, T. cati and Ascaris suum were included in this study. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was performed using Toxocara primers (SB12). The first PCR product electrophoresis revealed very thin positive bands or no bands in liver samples. However, on second PCR a clear-cut bands were observed. No positive band was shown by A. suum eggs. Our findings thus indicate the usefulness of PCR technic in the diagnosis of visceral larva migrans (VLM) in liver biopsy materials specifically by means of double PCR using the primer SB12.

Impact mass chemotherapy with praziquantel on schistosomiasis control in Fanhu village, People's Republic of China.

The paper describes the endemic situation of schistosomiasis japonica in Fanhu village, Poyang Lake region, China and the effect of the strategy of combining annual mass chemotherapy with health education on schistosomiasis control in the community. The results showed that the prevalence of infection with schistosome reduced form 26.0% in 1992 to 10.7% in 1994, the intensity of infection in residents decreased from 1.92 in 1992 to 0.55 in 1994 and the condition of hepatomegaly, splenomegaly and liver fibrosis also improved after chemotherapy in the individuals in the case prospective study. Moreover, the future strategies of schistosomiasis control in this area have been suggested according to the transmission of schistosomiasis in the lake region and the effect of anti-schistosomiasis control indifferent populations.

Combinations of three immunological assays for detecting anti-Toxoplasma IgG in the sera of patients infected with Toxoplasma gondii.

Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), Dot-ELISA and Dot-immunogold silver staining (Dot-IGSS) were simultaneously used to detect the specific IgG against Toxoplasma gondii in 65 patients infected with the protozoa. The positive rates were 86.51%, 92.51% and 98.64%, respectively. When ELISA and Dot-ELISA results were put together, the positive rate increased to 95.38%. When Dot-IGSS results were combined with those of ELISA or Dot-ELISA, the positive rate was raised to 100%. The difference in positive rate between ELISA and Dot-IGSS was significant (x2 = 6.93, p < 0.01), but no statistically significant differences were found between ELISA and Dot-ELISA or between Dot-ELISA and Dot-IGSS. Paired comparison of the reacting intensities of the sera in the 3 assays showed the correlations were highly significant (p < 0.001), with r = 0.608 between Dot-IGSS and Dot-ELISA, r = 0.8194 between Dot-IGSS and ELISA and r = 0.517 between Dot-ELISA and ELISA. Hence combination of different serological assays may increase their sensitivity and specificity for detecting the anti-Toxoplasma antibodies.

An experimental study on application of PCR in detection of kala-azar.

A polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique was developed to detect Kala-azar. Out of 25 patients, 24 were detected, a sensitivity of 96%. The specificity rate, false positive rate, false negative rate, coincidence rate and Youdent's index were 100% (60/60), 0, 4%, 99% and 0.96 respectively. It was shown that the PCR technique can directly detect Kala-azar in samples (1 microliter) from peripheral blood.

Comparative study of Dot-immunogold silver staining and Dot-ELISA for the detection of serum antibodies against Wuchereria bancrofti.

Dot-immunogold silver staining (Dot-IGSS) and Dot-ELISA, using the soluble antigen of Brugia malayi, were employed to detect anti-Wuchereria bancrofti antibodies in 50 cases of Wuchereria bancrofti microfilaremia. The positive rates were 100% and 90% in Dot-IGSS and Dot-ELISA respectively. The average titer in the 45 positive cases was 1:184 (1:10-1:2560) for Dot-IGSS and 1:150 (1:10-1:2560) for Dot-ELISA, with 30 cases showing the same titer in both tests, 13 cases showing higher titer in Dot-IGSS than in Dot-ELISA and 2 cases in the former showing lower titers than in the latter. There was a linear relationship between the titers of antibodies detected by Dot-IGSS and by Dot-ELISA (r = 0.8443). Dot-IGSS, similar to Dot-ELISA, is easy to carry out and the result is easy to read. It is seen that Dot-IGSS is highly sensitive and specific and is practicable for immunodiagnosis and surveillance of filariasis.

Reinfection with Schistosoma japonicum after treatment with praziquantel in Poyang lake region, China.

The study on reinfection with Schistosoma japonicum after treatment was carried out in a cohort of subjects in a heavy endemic village of Poyang lake region, China. After mass treatment with praziquantel in non-transmission time, detailed observations of water contact were estimated using the mean area of skin exposed daily. One year after treatment, the prevalence of infection in study subjects was 54.48%, returning to 83% of initial prevalence. The peak prevalence occurred the 11-15 year age class, but intensity of exposure also varies with age and that age group supporting the higher prevalence of reinfection had high levels of exposure. Among groups of subjects with a similar exposure stratum, young subjects under the age of 21 years were more heavily reinfected, while no heavy reinfection was observed in adults (> or = 25 years). These observations suggest that subjects in this area slowly acquire an increasing degree of immunity to lighten the intensity of infection with S. japonicum.

The use of dot-immunogold-silver staining (dot-IGSS), dot-ELISA and dot-IGSS to detect serum antibodies from clonorchiasis patients: a comparative study.

We report the use of immunogold-silver staining (IGSS), dot-ELISA and dot-IGSS methods in the study of clonorchiasis in China. These methods were employed to detect the antibody in sera from 40 clonorchiasis patients. The positive rates were 100%, 90.0% and 95.0%, respectively. When the three methods were used to examine 40 normal sera, the negative rates were 100%, 97.5% and 97.5%, respectively. These results suggest that IGSS, dot-ELISA and dot-IGSS are highly specific and sensitive in detecting anti-Clonorchis antibody in patients.