ZONG-YUN LI^1,2*, MEI-LI FU¹, FANG-FANG HU¹, SHU-FENG HUANG¹, YUN-CHUN SONG²

BIOCELL, Vol.30, No.1, pp. 27-32, 2006, DOI:10.32604/biocell.2006.30.027

Abstract The ribosomal DNA (45S rDNA) behaviors during the cell cycle were analyzed on interphase nuclei, prophases, metaphases, pachytene chromosomes and extended DNA fibers in rice (Oryza,sativa ssp.indica cv.Guangluai No.4) by using high-resolution fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH). The results show that 45S rDNA is located at the ends of short arms of chromosomes 9 and 10. But the signals are much more intense on chromosome 9 than on chromosome 10 in metaphase. Pachytene chromosome has rDNA signal arrays on chromosome 9. Different phases are described and discussed. These results indicate that the activity of rDNA at individual loci may also… More >

JUAN LIN¹, XUANWEI ZHOU², JIONG FEI², ZHIHUA LIAO¹, WANG JIN¹, XIAOFEN SUN^1,*, KEXUAN TANG^1,2,*

BIOCELL, Vol.30, No.1, pp. 15-25, 2006, DOI:10.32604/biocell.2006.30.015

Abstract A gene encoding a mannose-binding lectin, Pinellia pedatisecta agglutinin (PPA), was isolated from leaves of Pinellia pedatisecta using genomic walker technology. The ppa contained an 1140-bp 5’-upstream region, a 771-bp open reading frame (ORF) and an 829-bp 3’-downstream region. The ORF encoded a precursor polypeptide of 256 amino acid residues with a 24-amino acid signal peptide. There were one putative TATA box and six possible CAAT boxes lying in the 5’-upstream region of ppa. The ppa showed significant similarity at the nucleic acid level with genes encoding mannose-binding lectins from other Araceae species such as Pinellia ternata, Arisaema heterophyllum, Colocasia… More >

R. SEHGAL, S. ROY, V.L. KUMAR*

BIOCELL, Vol.30, No.1, pp. 9-13, 2006, DOI:10.32604/biocell.2006.30.009

Abstract In the present study we have utilized the Allium cepa root tip meristem model to evaluate the cytotoxic and anti-mitotic activities of latex of Calotropis procera (DL) and podophyllotoxin. Standard cytotoxic drug cyclophosphamide and non-cytotoxic drugs cyproheptadine and aspirin served as controls. Like cyclophosphamide, both DL and podophyllotoxin significantly inhibited the growth of roots and mitotic activity in a dose-dependent manner. However, podophyllotoxin was more potent in this regard and produced root decay. Cyproheptadine and aspirin, on the other hand, showed a marginal effect on the root growth and mitotic activity at much higher concentrations. More >

JUAN B. CAVAGNARO, MARÍA T. PONCE, JAVIER GUZMÁN, MIGUEL A. CIRRINCIONE

BIOCELL, Vol.30, No.1, pp. 1-7, 2006, DOI:10.32604/biocell.2006.30.001

Abstract Argentinean Vitis vinifera cultivars although originated from Europe, have clear ampelographic and genotypic differences as compared with the European cultivars currently used in wine making. In vitro evaluation of salt tolerance has been used in many species. Our hypothesis was that Argentinean cultivars are more tolerant to salinity than European ones. Three European cultivars, Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay and four Argentinean cultivars, Cereza, Criolla Chica, Pedro Gimenez and Torrontes Riojano were tested by in vitro culture. Treatments included: 1) Control, 2) 60 mEq/L of a mixture of three parts of NaCl and one part of CaCl₂ and 3) 90… More >

A. C. PONTAROLI, E. L. CAMADRO

BIOCELL, Vol.29, No.3, pp. 313-317, 2005, DOI:10.32604/biocell.2005.29.313

Abstract Callus growth and plant regeneration from long-term callus cultures were studied in two elite clones of Asparagus officinalis cv. Argenteuil, to establish a suitable protocol for a prospective in vitro selection program. Callus initiation and growth was evaluated on MS medium with 3% sucrose, 0.9% agar, 1 mg.l^-1 kinetin, and three levels of 2,4-D. The highest callus relative growth was obtained on medium with 1.5 mg.l^-1 2,4-D and 1 mg.l^-1 kinetin. Shoot primordia (SP) induction from >18-months-old calluses was evaluated on several media; the highest percentage of SP induction (89%) and average number of SP per callus (8.6) were obtained… More >

K. HIDALGO¹, I. G. ROJAS², A. B. PENISSI³, M. I. RUDOLPH¹

BIOCELL, Vol.29, No.3, pp. 303-311, 2005, DOI:10.32604/biocell.2005.29.303

Abstract TNFα has been associated with both, tumor survival and apoptosis. This cytokine is also involved in promoting cell migration during wound healing and tumorigenesis. SW756 is a HPV18-positive cervical carcinoma cell line, which has been used to study different mechanisms of cervical cancer progression. An in vitro assay of scratch wound healing onto monolayers of SW756 cells was used to assess the effect of TNFα on cell migration into a wound space. It was found that SW756 cells have the ability to migrate, but not proliferate in response to scratch wounding in a serum-free medium supplemented with TNFα. RT-PCR analysis… More >

KARINA SAYURI UTSUNOMIYA*, MARIA SUELY PAGLIARINI*, CACILDA BORGES DO VALLE**

BIOCELL, Vol.29, No.3, pp. 295-301, 2005, DOI:10.32604/biocell.2005.29.295

Abstract The genus Brachiaria (Trin.) Griseb. has achieved considerable importance to cattle production systems, as a result of the good production and adaptation of a few cultivars to poor and acid soils of the Brazilian savannas. Many of its species and accessions are polyploid and apomictic, which limits direct hybridization. To assist the breeding program, cytogenetic characterization has been undertaken on the accessions of Brachiaria collection at the Embrapa Beef Cattle Research Center. In this study, chromosome number and meiotic behavior are reported for the Brachiaria nigropedata (Ficalho & Hiern) Stapf collection. The 20 available accessions are tetraploid (2n = 4x… More >

ROBERTO YUNES, PEDRO FERNÁNDEZ, GUSTAVO F. DONCEL, ANÍBAL A. ACOSTA

BIOCELL, Vol.29, No.3, pp. 287-293, 2005, DOI:10.32604/biocell.2005.29.287

Abstract Our objective was to determine the effect of phosphodiesterase (PDE) inhibition on: 1) tyrosine phosphorylation of human spermatozoa at the tail level; and 2) sperm motion parameters and hyperactivated motility. The study was conducted with normozoospermic and asthenozoospermic samples incubated under in vitro capacitating conditions. The main outcome measures were computer-assisted sperm motion analysis and fluorescent immunodetection of phosphotyrosine-containing proteins. Pentoxifylline (PTX) was used as PDE inhibitor because of its wide use in the clinic. PTX-treatment significantly increased sperm velocity, hyperactivated motility and tyrosine-phosphorylation, both in normo and asthenozoospermic samples. Tyrosine-phosphorylation of tail proteins was highly conspicuous in both types… More >

CARLOS A. BUSSO*, BARRY L. PERRYMAN**

BIOCELL, Vol.29, No.3, pp. 279-285, 2005, DOI:10.32604/biocell.2005.29.279

Abstract Seed size is a crucial plant trait that may potentially affect not only immediate seedling success but also the subsequent generation. We examined variation in seed weight of Wyoming sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata ssp. wyomingensis Beetle and Young), an excellent candidate species for rangeland restoration. The working hypothesis was that a major fraction of spatial and temporal variability in seed size (weight) of Wyoming sagebrush could be explained by variations in mean monthly temperatures and precipitation. Seed collection was conducted at Battle Mountain and Eden Valley sites in northern Nevada, USA, during November of 2002 and 2003. Frequency distributions of seed… More >

SONIA ROSENFELDT, BEATRIZ G. GALATI

BIOCELL, Vol.29, No.3, pp. 271-278, 2005, DOI:10.32604/biocell.2005.29.271

Abstract The correlation between the ontogeny of Ubisch bodies and pollen development in Oxalis articulata was studied with Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM). The ultrastructural changes observed during the different stages of development in the tapetal cells are related to Ubisch bodies, sporopollenin and pollen-kitt formation. The pro-orbicules have the appearance of lipid globuli and their formation is related to the endoplasmic reticulum of rough type (ERr). The lipid globules or pro-orbicules disappear in the mature Ubisch bodies, and the places that they occupied remain free of contents or with pollen-kitt. More >