ABSTRACT
The effects of an aqueous extract of Ferula hormonis on social aggression, fertility and some physiological and biochemical parameters were investigated in male mice. The ingestion of 3 mg/kg of aqueous extract of F. hormonis for six weeks clearly inhibited social aggression. Body wet weight and other sex accessory organ weights were significantly reduced by this treatment. The ingestion of this extract by male mice resulted in a significant reduction of their fertility. This treatment caused a significant decrease in the number of pregnant females, number of implantations and viable fetuses in females impregnated by males that ingested this extract. Additionally, the numbers of epididymal sperm and their motility were dramatically reduced in F. hormonis-treated mice. Concomitant increases in sperm abnormalities were also observed when compared with control. These data indicate that F. hormonis exposure during this period puts the exposed animals at significant risk for reduced reproductive capacity in adulthood.
Subject(s)
Aggression/drug effects , Fertility/drug effects , Ferula , Plant Extracts/pharmacology , Plant Roots , Sexual Maturation , Animals , Body Weight/drug effects , Female , Genitalia, Male/anatomy & histology , Male , Mice , Organ Size/drug effects , Pregnancy , Sperm Count , Sperm Motility/drug effectsABSTRACT
We have isolated and sequenced a Neurospora crassa gene encoding a single copy of ubiquitin (UBI) fused to the S27a ribosomal (r) protein. We have opted to name this gene the ubiquitin/cytoplasmic r-protein gene 6 (ubi::crp-6). The ubi::crp-6 gene generates a 700-nucleotide (nt) transcript. It shares a 700-bp regulatory region with the cytoplasmic r-protein gene 5 (crp-5), a gene encoding the N. crassa S26 r-protein. The two genes are transcribed divergently from the common regulatory region and their mRNA levels are regulated in parallel during growth on a variety of carbon sources.
Subject(s)
Genes, Fungal , Neurospora crassa/genetics , Ribosomal Proteins/genetics , Ubiquitins/genetics , Amino Acid Sequence , Base Sequence , DNA, Fungal/genetics , Gene Expression Regulation, Fungal , Molecular Sequence Data , RNA, Messenger/genetics , Restriction Mapping , Sequence Alignment , Sequence Homology, Amino AcidABSTRACT
A Neurospora crassa cytoplasmic ribosomal protein gene, crp-5, has been isolated and characterized. The cDNA was isolated by a differential screening of a cDNA library for glucose-inducible genes. The cDNA was subsequently used to identify and isolate crp-5 genomic sequences. Computer analysis of the DNA sequences showed that they contain an open reading frame which encodes a protein homologous to the rat ribosomal protein S26. The crp-5 mRNA levels are regulated in a carbon-source-dependent manner. The organization of the gene and the region upstream of the coding sequences are discussed.