Pollen Typhae Total Flavone Inhibits Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress-Induced Apoptosis in Human Aortic-Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells through Down-Regulating PERK-eIF2α-ATF4-CHOP Pathway.

Objective: To test the hypothesis that the inhibition of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress-induced apoptosis in oxidized low-density lipoproteins (ox-LDL)-induced human aortic-vascular smooth muscle cells (HA-VSMCs) was associated with suppression of the protein kinase RNA-like ER kinase (PERK)-eukaryotic translation initiation factor 2α (eIF2α)-activating transcription factor 4 (ATF4)-CCAAT/enhancer binding protein homologous protein (CHOP) signaling pathway by Pollen Typhae total flavone (PTF).

Methods: Primary HA-VSMCs were cultured and identified. The cultured HA-VSMCs were randomized into 5 groups, including a normal control group, an ox-LDL group (70 μg/mL high ox-LDL), an HPTF group (70 μg/mL high ox-LDL+500 μg/mL PTF), an MPTF group (70 μg/mL high ox-LDL+250 μg/mL PTF), and a LPTF group (70 μg/mL high ox-LDL+100 μg/mL PTF) in the first part; and a normal control group, an ox-LDL group (70 μg/mL high ox-LDL), an MPTF group (70 μg/mL high ox-LDL+250 μg/mL PTF), a shRNA group (transducted with PERK shRNA lentiviral particles), a scramble shRNA group (transducted with control shRNA lentiviral particles), an MPTF+ox-LDL+shRNA group (250 μg/mL PTF+70 μg/mL high ox-LDL+PERK shRNA lentiviral particles) and an ox-LDL+shRNA group (70 μg/mL high ox-LDL+PERK shRNA lentiviral particles) in the second part.

Photooxidation tolerance characters of a new purple pepper.

Huai Zi (HZ) is a new purple mutant of green pepper (PI 631133) that is obtained from the United States Department of Agriculture. The net photosynthetic rate (P N), chlorophyll fluorescence parameters, antioxidant substances, antioxidant enzymes, photosystem 1 (PS1) and PS2 activities were studied through methyl viologen (MV) treatment. The results showed that the P N, actual photochemical efficiency of PS2 (ΦPS2), photochemical quenching coefficient (qP), PS1 and PS2 activities in HZ were lower than those in green pepper.

[Comparison of rDNA internal transcribed spacer sequences in asparagus].

Objective: Using ITS sequence of nine species to identify counterfeiting medicine and analyse phylogenetic of Asparagus.

Methods: Analysing ITS sequences by amplification, cloning,sequencing and alignment.

Results: The length range of ITS sequence of nine species was from 711 to 748 bp, the percentage of G + C content was about 60%.

Comparison of chloroplast DNA between photoperiod-sensitive genic male sterile (PGMS) rice Nongken58S and its derivative sterile lines.

The ORF100, ORF29-TrnC(GCA) spacer, rps16 gene intron and TrnT(UGU)-TrnL(UAA) spacer of chloroplast DNA (cpDNA) of 6 photoperiod-sensitive genic male sterile (PGMS) rice, Nongken58S and its 5 derivatives, were amplified and sequenced. According to the result of ORF100 and ORF29-TrnC(GCA) spacer analysis, the cpDNA of japonica PGMS line Nongken58S was Japonica, and among those PGMS lines derived from Nongken58S, cpDNA of japonica 7001S and 3 indica lines 1103S, Peiai64S and Guangzhan63S were that of japonica, which was in accordance with the cytoplasm pedigree provided by their breeders. But the cpDNA of indica PGMS line W6154S was that of indica, which disaccorded with the cytoplasm pedigree, so we conjectured that the breeders had used the PGMS line as the male parent.