Isolation and pharmacological activities of bromophenols from Rhodomela confervoides

Four bromophenols were isolated from the extract of marine red alga, Rhodomela confervoides by column chromatography and HPLC methods. By means of spectroscopic methods including IR, MS, 1D, and 2D-NMR techniques, their structures were elucidated as (1) 3-bromo-4,5-dihydroxy benzoic acid methyl ester; (2) his (2,3-dibromo-4,5-dihydroxybenzyl) ether; (3) 3,4-dibromo-5-(methoxymethyl)-1,2-benzenediol and (4)3-bromo-4,5-dihydroxy-benzaldehyde. Compound 1 was first isolated from the algae in nature, and 1, 4 were found to have selective cytotoxic activities against KB, Bel 7402 and A549 cells, 2 showed powerful antibacterial activities against Staphylococcus aurens and Pseudomonas aeruginosa.     

Immunosuppressive activities of fucoidan from Laminaria japonica

Effects of fucoidan fromLaminaria japonica on 2,4-dinitrochlorobenzene induced delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) reaction and the serum levels of IgG, IgM, complement C3 and C4 were investigated in the present study. Results showed that oral administration of fucoidan at dose of 150 and 300 mg/(kg· d) for 9 days before the hapten challenge significantly inhibited 2,4-dinitrochlorobenzene induced delayed-type hypersensitivity reaction; and also inhibited the humoral immunity. Serum C3 and C4 levels were markedly reduced by fucoidan at dose of 150 and 300 mg/kg; and serum IgG and IgM levels were reduced by fucoidan at dose of 300mg/kg. The inhibitory effects of fucoidan on delayed-type hypersensitivity suggested that it may be potential medication for chronic inflammatory diseases in the future. This study was supported by National Foundation for New Drug Research & Development (NFND) No.144.     

Purification and characterization of an alkaline protease from Acetes chinensis

An alkaline protease from Acetes chinensis was purified and characterized in this study. The steps of purification include ammonium sulfate precipitation, ion-exchange chromatography with Q-sepharose Fast Flow, gel filtration chromatography with S300 and the second ion-exchange chromatography with Q-sepharose Fast Flow. The protease was isolated and purified, which was present and active on protein substrates (azocasein and casein). The specific protease activity was 17.15 folds and the recovery was 4.67. The molecular weight of the protease was estimated at 23.2 kD by SDS-PAGE. With azocasein as the susbstrate, the optimal temperature was 55°C and the optimal pH value was 5.5. Ion Ca²⁺ could enhance the proteolytic activity of the protease, while Cu²⁺, EDTA and PMSF could inhibit its activity.     

Isolation, cloning and sequencing of AFLP markers related to disease-resistance traits in Fenneropenaeus chinensis

Amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) technique was used to analyze the fingerprinting of four successive generations ofFenneropenaeus chinensis to reveal their disease-resistance traits. Some loci showed quite different genetic frequencies due to artificial selection, which implied that these fragments were putative markers related to the disease-resistance trait. We developed a simple and effective method to further characterize these AFLP fragments. Specific AFLP bands were cut directly from polyacrylamide gels, re-amplified, cloned and sequenced. Eight putative genetic markers were sequenced and their sizes ranged from 63 to 209 bp. The sequences were submitted to dbGSS (database of Genome Sequence Survey); and the BLAST analysis showed low similarity to the function genes, indicating these markers were tightly linked to a disease-resistance trait but were not functional genes. This research was supported by special funds from the National Key Basic Research Program (G1999012007) and the National High-Tech Research and Development Program of China (863 Program. 2001AA620105).     

Preliminary identification of three new isolates in genus Alexandrium (Dinophyceae) from China sea area

The 5.8S ribosomal DNA sequences (5.8S rDNA) and their flanking regions, internal transcribed spacer 1 and spacer 2 (ITS1 and ITS2) of three new isolates in genus Alexandrium (Alexandrium sp. qd1, Alexandrium sp. qd2, Alexandrium sp. gz) from China were amplified, sequenced, and subjected to phylogenetic analysis. Alexandrium sp. gz and Alexandrium sp. qd1 were grouped with high bootstrap values with four strains/species, i.e., A. catenella South Korea strain, A. catenella Japan strain, and two from China, Alexandrium sp. AC03 and Alexandrium sp. AN01 being proposed to be A. catenalla in a previous study. Then Alexandrium sp. gz and Alexandrium sp. qd1 were identified as Alexandrium catenella. As A. catenella was isolated from Qingdao and Guangzhou sea areas, it supposedly distributed at least in these two areas and was genetically different. Alexandrium sp. qd2 differed greatly from species in Alexandrium. It clustered with Symbiodinium californium, Symbiodinium sp. G15 and Gymnodinium sp. Zhao 01 with 100% bootstrap value; so Alexandrium sp. qd2 affiliates to genus Symbiodinium, and is probably a free-living Symbiodinium species.     

Sequence comparison of partial cytochrome b genes of two Coilia species

Sequence variation of partial cytochrome b genes between two Coilia species, C. ectenes and C. mystus, was investigated. Of the 402 nucleotides, twenty-seven (6.72%) are polymorphic and all are synonymous substitutions. At the third positions of genetic condon of cytochrome b gene, the two species show an extreme anti-G bias (<4%) and a pronounced bias towards A and C (>68%). There is no amino acid sequence divergence between the partial cytochrome b genes of the two species, indicating a close genetic relationship between them. The k-2p genetic distance of partial cytochrome b segment of the two species is 0.072, suggesting that the species were separated 3.6 Ma ago, in the middle Pliocene. Our result reveals that the cytochrome b gene is an appropriate marker for studies of population genetic structures and phylogeographic patterns of the two species.     

Observation of female gamete (Carpogonia) germination of Porphyra yezoensis and P. oligospermatangia

Several papers have reported that part or whole leafy thallus seemingly consisting of zygotospores can give rise to both blades and conchocelis in the same culture ofPorphyra. Study on samples of wild and cultivatedPorphyra yezoensis andP. oligospermatangia were conducted to clarify the origination of the young blades in the culture. It is confirmed that single cells on the blade of both species, which normally intermixed with zygotospores, germinated into young blades. TEM and SEM observation has shown that the single cells ofPorphyra yezoensis had typical features of female gamete (carpogonia) but archeospore. Therefore, the female gametes are responsible in developing leafy thalli. This project was sponsored by the NSFC (No. C-0205-05-39770593)     

Properties of proteolytic toxin of Vibrio anguilolarum from diseased flounder

Extracellular products (ECP) produced byVibrio anguillarum strain M3 originally isolated from diseased flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus) were prepared. ECP of M3 showed gelatinase, casinase, amylase and haemolytic activity on agarose plates. High protease activity against azocasin was detected. Bacterium M2 showed highest growth and protease activity at 25°C. The protease present in ECP showed maximal activity at pH 8 and 55°C; was completely inactivated by application of 80°C heat for 30 min; was completely inhibited by EDTA and HgCl₂, and was partially inhibited by PMSF, SDS, MnCl₂ and iodoacetic acid; but not inhibited by CaCl₂ and MgCl₂. The ECP was toxic to flounder fish at LD₅₀ values of 3.1 μg protein/g body weight. The addition of HgCl₂ and application of heat at 50°C decreased the lethal toxicity of ECP. When heated at 100°C, ECP lethality to flounder was completely inhibited. After intramuscular injection of ECP into flounder, it showed evident histopathological changes including necrosis of muscle, extensive deposition of haemosiderin in the spleen, dilated blood vessels congested with numerious lymphocytes in the liver. These results showed that ECP protease was a lethal factor produced by the bacteriumV. anguillarum M3. Contribution No. 4213 from the Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Funded by projects under the Major State Basic Research Development Program, Grant G1999012003.     

The antitumor effect of bromophenol derivatives <Emphasis Type="Italic">in vitro</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Leathesia nana</Emphasis> extract <Emphasis Type="Italic">in vivo</Emphasis>

To investigate the antitumor effect of bromophenol derivatives in vitro and Leathesia nana extract in vivo, six bromophenol derivatives 6-(2,3-dibromo-4,5-dihydroxybenzyl)-2,3-dibromo-4,5-dihydroxy benzyl methyl ether (1), (+)-3-(2,3-dibromo-4,5-dihydroxyphenyl)-4-bromo-5,6-dihydroxy-1,3-dihydroisobenzofuran (2), 3-bromo-4-(2,3-dibromo-4,5-dihydroxybenzyl)-5-methoxymethyl-pyrocatechol (3), 2,2′,3,3′-tetrabromo-4,4′,5,5′-tetrahydroxy-diphenylmethane (4), bis(2,3-dibromo-4,5-dihydroxybenzyl) ether (5), 2,2′,3-tribromo-3′,4,4′,5-tetrahydroxy-6′-ethyloxymethyldiphenylmethane (6) were isolated from brown alga Leathesia nana, and their cytotoxicity were tested by MTT assays in human cancer cell lines A549, BGC-823, MCF-7, B16-BL6, HT-1080, A2780, Bel7402 and HCT-8. Their inhibitory activity against protein tyrosine kinase (PTK) with over-expression of c-kit was analyzed also by ELISA. The antitumor activity of ethanolic extraction of Leathesia nana (EELN) was evaluated on S₁₈₀-bearing mice. All compounds showed very potent cytotoxicity against all of the eight cancer cell lines with IC₅₀ below 10 μg/mL. In PTK inhibition study, all bromophenol derivatives showed moderate inhibitory activity and compounds 2, 5 and 6 showed significant bioactivity with the inhibition ratio of 77.5%, 80.1% and 71.4%, respectively. Pharmacological studies reveal that EELN could inhibit the growth of Sarcoma 180 tumor and increase the indices of thymus and spleen to improve the immune system remarkably in vivo. Results indicated that the bromophenol derivatives and EELN can be used as potent antitumor agents for PTK over-expression of c-kit and considered in a new therapeutic strategy for treatment of cancer. Supported by the National High Technology Research and Development Program of China (863 Program, No. 2007AA09Z410) and Knowledge Innovation Program of Chinese Academy of Sciences (No. KZCX2-YW-209)     

Isozyme analysis of spotted halibut Verasper variegatus temminck et schlegel

To investigate the tissue-specificities of isozymes and the genetic structure of wild spotted halibut (Verasper variegates) population, horizontal starch gel electrophoresis was performed on 45 individuals collected in part of the Yellow Sea. The performances of 17 isozymes in 8 kinds of tissues or organs were screened preliminarily in a TC-7.0 buffer system. The results showed that the screened isozymes displayed remarkable tissue-specificities. Finally, 14 enzymes (AAT, ADH, EST, GPI, G3PDH, IDHP, LAP, LDH, MDH, MPI, PGDH, PGM, SDH and SOD) and 4 kinds of tissues (eye, skeleton muscle, liver and heart) were selected for genetic analysis. Fourteen isozymes are encoded by 20 loci, and 9 of them are polymorphic. The polymorphic loci are AAT-1*. GPI-2* G3PDH*, IDHP-1*, LDH*, MPI*, PGM-1*. PGM-2* and SDH*, and the proportion of polymorphic loci is 0.4500 (P0.99). The mean values of observed and expected heterozygosities are 0.027 8 and 0.026 5, respectively and the average effective number of alleles is 1.067 5.     

Isolation of plasmid from the blue-green algaSpirulina platensis

CCC plasmid was isolated from an economically important blue-green alga —Spirulina platensis (1.7×10⁶ dalton from the S₆ strain and 1.2×10⁶ dalton from the F₃ strain) using a rapid method based on ultrasonic disruption of algal cells and alkaline removal of chromosomal DNA. The difference in the molecular weight of the CCC DNAs from the two strains differing in form suggests that plasmid may be related with the differentiation of algal form. This modified method, which does not use any lysozyme, is a quick and effective method of plasmid isolation, especially for filamentous blue-green algae. Contribution No. 79 of the Experimental Marine Biology Laboratory and 2153 of the Institute of Oceanology, Academia Sinica. This research was supported in part by The President of the Chinese Academy of Sciences Foundation.     

A comparative analysis of four kinds of polysaccharides purified from Furcellaria lumbricalis

Four kinds of polysaccharides (FA, FB, FC and FD) were extracted and purified from a red alga Furcellaria lumbricalis. Their monosaccharide composition, average molecular mass and structural feature were determined by gas chromatography (GC), high performance gel permeation chromatography (HPGPC) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), respectively. The results showed that FA and FB were composed of galactose (Gal), 3,6-anhydro-galactose (AnG) and 4-sulfated-galactose (G4S), which were structurally similar to β-carrageenan and κ-carrageenan. FC was composed of sulfated galactose and small amount of AnG, indicating that it was a hybrid-sulfated galactan. FD was composed of α-1,4-glucose and belonged to floridean starch. The respective yields of FA, FB, FC and FD were 4.84%, 33.74%, 8.76% and 13.5%, and the corresponding were 537 kD, 432 kD, 513 kD and 51 kD respectively. Owning to its high content (>60%) of polysaccharide, F. lumbricalis will be a good source of marine sulfated polysaccharide and shows its potential utilization in food and medicine.     

Molecular identification of Prorocentrum (Dinophyceae) species

A fragment of a large sub-unit ribosomal DNA (LrDNA) of 12 strains ofProrocentrum species was amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The PCR products were digested by 3 restriction endonucleases (Cfo I, Hae III, and RSA I) and then resolved in agarose gels. Results show that different species had different RFLP patterns, except forP. arcuatum (ME 131), which had the same pattern toP. micans (ME160 and 04). The same fragment of 19 strains of the genus was also amplified and subjected to denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE). 11 different patterns were resolved. Different cultures of a same species had the same pattern. The results of RFLP and DGGE analyses showed that eight newly isolated epibenthicProrocentrum species were different from each other, and also from other cultured ones examined in this study.P arcuatum (ME132) could not be differentiated fromP. micans (ME160 and 04), it was probably mis-identified, since they are quite different morphologically.P. redfieldii (ME138) could also not be distinguished formP. triestinium (ME132), it should be regarded as a synonym ofP. triestinium. Unexpectedly, a restriction site was found inP. micans, compared with previous sequence data. Project supported by National Basic Research Priorities Program (2001CB409701, 2001CB409710) and supported by NSFC (40376040, 40025614)     

The ultrastructure of separated and cultured cell of Porphyra yezoensis

There are many reports that cells (protoplasts) separated from the thallus ofPorphyra by enzyme can develop to normal leafy thalli in the same way as monospores. But there are few investigations on the subcellular structure of the isolated vegetative cell for comparison with the subcellular structure of monospores. To clarify whether the separated and cultured cells undergo the same or similar ultrastructure changes during culture and germination as monospores undergo in their formation and germination, we observed their ultrastructure, compared them with those of the monospore and found that the ultrastructure of separated and cultured cells did not have the characteristic feature as that of monospore formation, such as production of small and large fibrous vesicles, but was accompanied by vacuolation and starch mobilization like that in monospore germination. The paper also discusses the relations between monospores and separated and cultured cells. Contribution No. 3875 from the Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Project 39770593 supported by NSFC; Project 96-C01-05-01 of the 9th Five-Year Plan supported by Science and Technology Commision of China.     

An efficient procedure for isolating microsatellite DNAs from sea cucumber (Apostichopus japonicus)

The construction of enrichment library proves to be one of the efficient approaches for isolating microsatellites in this study. The genomic DNA of sea cucumber was digested with HaeIII and size-selected DNA fragments (250–700 bp) were ligated to an adaptor. Microsatellite-containing sequences were captured by using a combination of GA and CA probes, which were attached to a nylon membrane. The microsatellite enrichment library constructed in this study consisted of approximately 700 clones. Two hundred and thirty-two clones reacted positively after the library screening procedure. Of the 50 clones sequenced, all contained at least one microsatellite and one duplicate clone was found. Approximately 86% of the sequenced fragments permitted to design primers for sequence tagged microsatellite site (STMS).     

The occurrence of an exotic bisexual Artemia species, Artemia franciscana , in two coastal salterns of Shandong Province, China

The alien halophilous Artemia species, Artemia franciscana, was found in Chengkou Saltern and Yangkou Saltern of Shandong Province, P.R. China. Although the indigenous parthenogenetic Artemia is detectable, the exotic species is dominant in both salterns. The cross-breeding tests between the exotic A. franciscana and 5 bisexual Artemia species were conducted. The results of hybridization and morphological observations on the exotic A. franciscana are briefly presented in this short communication.     

Effect of germanium dioxide on growth of Spirulina platensis

This study on the effect of different concentrations of germanium dioxide (GeO₂) on the specific growth rate (SGR), pigment contents, protein content and amino acid composition ofSpirulina platensis showed that Ge was not the essential element of this alga; that GeO₂ could speed up growth and raise protein content ofS. platensis, and could possibly influence the photosynthesis system. The concentration range of GeO₂ beneficial to growth ofS. platensis is from 5–100mg/l. GeO₂ is proposed to be utilized to remove contamination byChlorella spp. usually occurring in the cultivation ofSpirulina.     

A new radiolarian species Clathrocorys gracilis from northern South China Sea

A new species,Clathrocorys gracilis nov. spec. of Tripocyrtidae (Radiolarians: Nassellaria) from surface water in northern South China Sea, is described in this paper. The new species has four radial beams arising from the cephalic base centre, each foot with cup-shaped structure and ramified bar in the proximal section (near cephalic base), and each wing with a large mesh in the middle, a medium mesh and a small mesh on each side respectively. Project supported by the NSFC (No. 40276044) and the Chinese Academy of Sciences (No. KSCX2-SW-101B).     

Preparation of polysaccharides in different molecular weights from Ulva pertusa Kjellm (Chorophyta)

As molecular weight controls the biological activities of polysaccharides, screening the optimal molecular weight of polysaccharides is important in drug research and application. In this study, hydrogen peroxide was employed as oxidant, and temperature, reaction time, and concentration of polysaccharides and hydrogen peroxide were examined for their effects on the preparation of polysaccharides in different molecular weights fromUlva pertusa. Our experiment suggested that the optimal degradation concentrations for polysaccharides and hydrogen peroxide were 2.5% (w/v) and 8.0% (v/v), respectively. The range of degradation measured by relative viscosity was mainly controlled by temperature and time. Results revealed that 35°C was the optimal temperature for obtaining low-degradation samples, and 50°C was the most favorable temperature to accelerate the reaction to yield highly-degraded samples. Four samples in different molecular weights A, B, C and D were finally prepared. The controllability was evaluated by the relative standard deviation (RSD) of relative viscosity, and the peak molecular weights and the polydispersity indexes (M_w/M_n) of molecular weights were measured by high performance gel permeation chromatography (HPGPC). This work was supported by the Scientific and Technical Bureau of Shandong Province.