Plant cells response to water deficit through a variety of physiological processes. In this work, we studied the function of microtubule cytoskeleton during dehydration/rehydration cycle in moss (Atrichum undulatum) protonemal cells as a model system. The morphological and cytological change of protonemal cells during dehydration and rehydration cycle were first investigated. Under normal conditions, protonemal cells showed bright green colour and appeared wet and fresh. Numerous chloroplasts distributed regularly throughout the cytoplasm in each cell. After dehydration treatment, protonemal cells lost most of their chlorophylls and turned to look yellow and dry. In addition, dehydration caused plasmolysis in these cells. Upon rehydration, the cells could recover completely from the dehydrated state. These results indicated that moss had a remarkable intrinsic ability to survive from the extreme drought stress. Microtubule, an important component of cytoskeleton, is considered to play crucial roles in the responses to some environmental stresses such as cold and light. To see if it is also involved in the drought tolerance, dynamic organization of microtubules in protonemal cells of Atrichum undulatum subjected to drought and rehydration were examined by indirect immunofluorescence combined with confocal lasersharp scanning microscopy. The cortical microtubules were arranged into a fine structure with a predominant orientation parallel to the long axis of the cells in the control cells. After dehydration, the microtubule organization was remarkablly altered and the fine microtubule structure disappeared whereas some thicker cables formed. When the cells were grown under rehydration conditions, the fine microtubule arrays reappeared. These results provided a piece of evidence that microtubules play a role in the cellular responses to drought stress in moss. Furthermore, we analyzed the effects of the microtubule-disrupting agent colchicine on the morphology recovery of the protonemal cells during rehydration process. The cells were incubated with colchicine, followed by drought stress treatment and rehydration in the presence of colchicine to prevent recovery of microtubule organization. Results from immunofluorescence showed that microtubule arrays were broken down into smaller fragments. Compared to the cells treated with drought stress alone, the cells treated with drought stress in the presence of colchicine could not recover after rehydration treatment. The morphology resembled those of the drought treated cells, with obvious plasmolysis phenomena and loss of chlorophyll content. These results support the notion that microtubules were involved in the deccication tolerance mechanism in Atrichum undulatum.
Bryophyta ; metabolism ; physiology ; Droughts ; Gene Expression Regulation, Plant ; physiology ; Microscopy ; Microtubules ; metabolism

Forry-two symptomatic hands of 29 patients with carpal tunnel syndrome operated during the period from Marth 1986 to December 1993 were analized in clinical aspect. Among 29 patients, 3(10.3%) were male and 26(89.7%)were female. The syndrome occured on the right side in 10(34.5%) patients, on the left in 6(20.7%) patients, and on both in 13(44.8%) patients. The causes of the syndrome were idiopathic(90.5%), trauma(7.1%), mass(2.4%). Paresthesia(57.1%) was the most common chief complanit, followed by numbness(35.7%), pain(21.4%), weakness(9.5%). Thenar muscie atrophy occured in 84.8%, positive Tinel sign in 83.3% and positive Phalen sign in 90.0%. Delay of motor conduction velocity of median nerve was noted in all cases and delay of sensory nerve conduction velocity in all cases. Denervation finding such as fibrillation or sharp waves were seen in all cases. The carpal tunnel release was performed in all cases, and 31 cases were treated by carpal tunnel tunnel release with internal neurolysis. 35 cases(83.3%) were excellent or good results. The cases were long duration were poorer results. No significant difference was found between the results in cases treated by carpal tunnel release alone and those in cases treated by carpal tunnel release with internal neurolysis of median nerve.
Atrophy ; Bryophyta ; Carpal Tunnel Syndrome ; Denervation ; Female ; Hand ; Humans ; Male ; Median Nerve ; Neural Conduction

Muscle pains following administration of succinylcholine, first reported by Bourne et al in 1952, remain a common problem. A number of methods for preyenting muscle pains or decreasing their severity have been suggested but none of the techniques has proved entirely effective. This study was performed in order to observe muscle pains following administration of succinylcholine in 80 patients at the Department of Anesthesiology, Ewha Womans University Hospital from September to November, 1980. The patients were divided into 2 groups and the first group was anesthetized with diazepam and demerol, and the second with halothane. The first group was subdivided into 3 groups according to the dose of succinylcholine(1 mg/kg, 1.5mg/kg. 2mg/kg) respectively and the second group received l. 5mg/kg. The results were as follows: 1) The age distribution was from 11 to 61 years and the average age was 27.1 years. The male female ratio was 1: l. 5. 2) The average duration of anesthesia of both groups was 107 minution 3) Almost all cases had to moderate fasciculation (75 cases, 93.7%). 4) Good and fair muscle relaxation were seen in 66 cases (82. 5%). 5) Average incidence of muscle pain in both groups was 15%, and balanced anesthesia was 5 cases (8.3%) and halothane group 7 cases (35%). 6) Normal body habitus was 45 cases(56.25%). 7) In the sex distribution of the patients complained of muscle pain, female were 5 times more than male and almost all cases were mild or moderate in severity of muscle pain.
Age Distribution ; Anesthesia ; Anesthesiology ; Balanced Anesthesia ; Bryophyta* ; Diazepam ; Fasciculation ; Female ; Halothane ; Humans ; Incidence ; Male ; Meperidine ; Muscle Relaxation ; Myalgia ; Sex Distribution ; Succinylcholine*

The authers observed one case of typical poikilodermatomyositis who was 47 year old female. The poikiIodermatomyositis is a rare disease which is a variant of dermatomyositis and has never been reported in Korea. This patient complained of a weakness of left lower leg and tingling sensation of both fingers since one year ago, And she has a difficulty of both finger flexion since 20 days ago. The skin lesions revealed mottled dark brownish pigmentation, hardness, scattered atrophic patches and telangiectasia in the lesion on the left lower leg since one year ago. The same skin changes appeared on the thigh, lower abdomen and upper chest on 4 months ago. Histopathologically, a biopsy was performed from the skin of lower leg, the skin shows typical poikiloderma, i.e. the epidermis shows moderate atrophy of the stratum malpighii, flattened rete ridges and hydropic degeneration of the hasal cells. The dermis is edematous and a band like dense lymphocytic cellular infiltration. And the muscIe biopsy from gastrocnemius muscle shows dermatomyositis finding which the muscle bundles are edematous and degenerative. Many inflammatory cells present between muscle bundles but there is no suppurative change. Diagnosis was confirmed by clinical appearance, histopathologically and other laboratory studies. The patient was markedly improved by the prednisolone 80 mg and vasculat (vascular dilatator) 100 mg daily.
Abdomen ; Atrophy ; Biopsy ; Bryophyta ; Dermatomyositis ; Dermis ; Diagnosis ; Epidermis ; Female ; Fingers ; Hardness ; Humans ; Korea ; Leg ; Middle Aged ; Muscle, Skeletal ; Pigmentation ; Prednisolone ; Rare Diseases ; Sensation ; Skin ; Telangiectasis ; Thigh ; Thorax

The authers observed one case of typical poikilodermatomyositis who was 47 year old female. The poikiIodermatomyositis is a rare disease which is a variant of dermatomyositis and has never been reported in Korea. This patient complained of a weakness of left lower leg and tingling sensation of both fingers since one year ago, And she has a difficulty of both finger flexion since 20 days ago. The skin lesions revealed mottled dark brownish pigmentation, hardness, scattered atrophic patches and telangiectasia in the lesion on the left lower leg since one year ago. The same skin changes appeared on the thigh, lower abdomen and upper chest on 4 months ago. Histopathologically, a biopsy was performed from the skin of lower leg, the skin shows typical poikiloderma, i.e. the epidermis shows moderate atrophy of the stratum malpighii, flattened rete ridges and hydropic degeneration of the hasal cells. The dermis is edematous and a band like dense lymphocytic cellular infiltration. And the muscIe biopsy from gastrocnemius muscle shows dermatomyositis finding which the muscle bundles are edematous and degenerative. Many inflammatory cells present between muscle bundles but there is no suppurative change. Diagnosis was confirmed by clinical appearance, histopathologically and other laboratory studies. The patient was markedly improved by the prednisolone 80 mg and vasculat (vascular dilatator) 100 mg daily.
Abdomen ; Atrophy ; Biopsy ; Bryophyta ; Dermatomyositis ; Dermis ; Diagnosis ; Epidermis ; Female ; Fingers ; Hardness ; Humans ; Korea ; Leg ; Middle Aged ; Muscle, Skeletal ; Pigmentation ; Prednisolone ; Rare Diseases ; Sensation ; Skin ; Telangiectasis ; Thigh ; Thorax

OBJECTIVETo study the chemical constituents from herb of Rhodobryum roseum.

METHODThe compounds were isolated by column chromatography, and identified by IR, NMR data.

RESULT8 compounds were isolated and identified. They are piperine (1), caffeic acid methyl ester (2), uracil glucoside (3), ursolic acid (4), 5alpha, 8alpha-epidioxy-methylcholesta-6, 22-dien-3beta-ol (5), 5alpha, 8alpha-epidioxy-methylcholesta-6,9(11), 22-trien-3beta-ol (6), beta-sitosterol (7), daucosterol (8).

CONCLUSION7 compounds (1-6,8) were isolated from this plant for the first time.

Alkaloids ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Benzodioxoles ; Bryophyta ; chemistry ; Caffeic Acids ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Piperidines ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Polyunsaturated Alkamides ; Sitosterols ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Triterpenes ; chemistry ; isolation & purification

Taxol is a kind of isoprenoid with strong anticancer activity. It is difficult to be obtained because of its low concentration in nature, which hinders its application in cancer treatment. Recently, biosynthesis methods for taxol production have attracted more attentions. Several systems including Escherichia coli, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Physcomitrella patens, Arabidopsis, tomato and ginseng were explored. This review focuses on the advance in biosynthesis of taxol in different systems and features the bottleneck of scale fermentation for producing the intermediates. At the same time some advices for the further were given. At last, the future and character of Physcomitrella patens system used in taxol combinatorial biosynthesis were analyzed based on our lab's research.
Biotechnology ; trends ; Bryopsida ; metabolism ; Fermentation ; Genetic Engineering ; Paclitaxel ; biosynthesis

OBJECTIVETo study the chemical constituents from Rhodobryum roseum.

METHODThe compounds were isolated and purified by recrystallization and chromatography with silica gel and sephadex LH-20 column. Their structures were identified by physicochemical properties and spectral analysis.

RESULTEight compounds were isolated and identified as apigenin (1), quercetin (2), oleanolic acid (3), 2alpha-hydroxyoleanolic acid (4), 2alpha-hydroxyursolic acid (5), protocatechuic acid (6), p-hydroxybenzoic acid (7), p-hydroxycinnamic acid (8).

CONCLUSIONCompounds 1-8 were isolated from R. roseum for the first time.

Apigenin ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Bryopsida ; chemistry ; Oleanolic Acid ; analogs & derivatives ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Triterpenes ; chemistry ; isolation & purification

Cold acclimation can improve freezing tolerance. Here cDNA amplified fragment length polymorphism (cDNA-AFLP) was used to isolate differentially expressed cDNAs and a Pp-LIM only A cDNA was isolated and identified in the cold acclimation of Physcomitrella patens. Real-time RT-PCR indicated it is obviously up-regulated at 6 h, 12 h, 24 h, 48 h and 72 h after cold acclimation. After comparing the cDNA with the gene sequence, seven introns and eight exons were identified in the cDNA. The cDNA putatively encodes a protein of 345 amino acid residues and only contains one LIM domain which has highly similarity with the PDZ/LIM domains of the protein family in animals. We proposed that Pp-LIM only A be a new gene coding for the LIM-domain containing protein and enhance stability of cell membrane via their effects on cytoskeleton during cold acclimation in P. patens.
Acclimatization ; genetics ; physiology ; Amino Acid Sequence ; Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphism Analysis ; Base Sequence ; Bryopsida ; genetics ; physiology ; Cloning, Molecular ; Cold Temperature ; DNA, Complementary ; genetics ; DNA, Plant ; genetics ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Transcription Factors ; genetics