中华菊头蝠不同组织基因组DNA甲基化分析

DNA甲基化在动物组织发育和分化等生物过程中发挥至关重要的作用。本研究采用荧光标记甲基化敏感扩增多态性(fluorescence-labeled methylation sensitive amplified polymorphism, F-MSAP)技术分析了中华菊头蝠(Rhinolophus sinicus)脑、心、肾、肝、肌肉、棕脂和白脂等7种组织的基因组DNA甲基化模式和水平,及其组织差异性。结果表明,中华菊头蝠具有较高的总甲基化水平(平均58.5%),且组织间具有差异显著性(p = 0.002);全甲基化为主要甲基化模式(平均36.8%),半甲基化也占据比较高的比例(平均21.7%),表明这两种甲基化模式在组织分化中可能均起到重要作用。相对于心、肌肉、棕脂和白脂等4个组织,脑、肾和肝与之具有较显著的表观遗传差异(p 0.001),其潜在功能有待进一步深入研究。本研究为进一步深入研究翼手目动物组织发育和分化、冬眠、免疫和环境适应性的内在表观遗传机制提供了基础数据。     

基于线粒体16S rRNA基因部分序列探讨贵州9种菊头蝠(翼手目:菊头蝠科)的分子系统进化关系

依据部分线粒体16S rRNA基因序列,我们对贵州九种菊头蝠进行了分子系统进化关系研究.结果表明:马铁菊头蝠与其他菊头蝠亲缘关系较远,它可能是最原始的种类.中华菊头蝠和贵州菊头蝠聚在同一分支,表明它们之间亲缘关系非常接近,高鞍菊头蝠和贵州菊头蝠的DNA差异百分比最小(1.13%),因此认为这两个种亲缘关系也非常接近.     

形态和声波相似的中华菊头蝠与中菊头蝠的共存机制

研究了同域分布的中华菊头蝠(Rhinolophus sinicus)与中菊头蝠(Rhinolophus affinis)的食性、形态、回声定位声波及捕食时间.中华菊头蝠与中菊头蝠均属于中等体型的菊头蝠,前臂长分别为(51.25±0.22) mm和(52.40±0.37) mm;悬挂状态下的回声定位声波均为典型的调频-恒频-调频(FM-CM-FM)型叫声,峰频分别为(82.07±0.17) kHz和(84.41±0.48) kHz.粪便分析显示中华菊头蝠与中菊头蝠分别捕食9目和7目昆虫,均以鳞翅目(Lepidiptera)和鞘翅目(Coleoptera)昆虫为主要食物(体积百分比总和> 90%),捕食鳞翅目昆虫的体积百分比差异显著,对猎物大小(以鞘翅目昆虫体长衡量)的选择无显著差异.中华菊头蝠与中菊头蝠的营养生态位宽度分别为2.38和2.28,重叠度达0.91,营养生态位未发生明显分化,但充足的食物资源促进了二者的共存.另外,2种菊头蝠的感官生态位和时间生态位未发生明显分化.由2种菊头蝠的翼载和峰频的差异推测二者发生了空间生态位和捕食微生境的分化,这也可能促进了二者的共存.     

癌症相关的DNA甲基化连锁区域

DNA甲基化是重要的表观遗传标记之一,在转录调控中起直接作用。DNA甲基化的异常与癌症的发生发展密切相关。高通量测序使得在单碱基分辨率下检测全基因组的DNA甲基化水平成为可能。本文基于临近CpGs位点甲基化水平的相关性挖掘DNA甲基化连锁区域。结果发现DNA甲基化连锁区域的甲基化水平和模式在癌症中存在异常,而且显著富集到分化/发育相关的生物学功能。DNA甲基化连锁区域的挖掘有助于对具有生物学功能的表观遗传标记的进一步理解,有助于对癌症诊断的表观遗传标记的挖掘。     

DNA甲基化与动脉粥样硬化

DNA甲基化是一种重要的表观遗传调控方式,可在转录前水平调节基因的表达.近年来的研究表明,动脉粥样硬化的发生发展与DNA甲基化密切相关. 对DNA甲基化模式改变在动脉粥样硬化发病的相关机制做深入研究,可能为动脉粥样硬化的诊治提供一种新的途径.本文将从基因组低甲基化、相关基因异常甲基化以及动脉粥样硬化危险因素的DNA甲基化等方面重点阐述DNA甲基化与动脉粥样硬化的关系.     

利用F-MSAP分析菜心表观遗传多样性

菜心杂交除了引起DNA序列变化,还可能引起不依赖于DNA序列的表观遗传变化,为揭示菜心表观遗传多样性形成机理,该文利用F-MSAP检测49份菜心的DNA甲基化水平和模式变化。结果表明:(1)F-MSAP检测效率较高,菜心DNA甲基化多态性较高,杂交可以提高DNA甲基化多态性。(2)菜心表观遗传多样性较低,均质化严重,大部分遗传变异来源于种内,自交增加自交系的表观遗传差异,杂交增加杂种的表观遗传差异。(3)49份菜心的DNA甲基化水平较高,以全甲基化模式为主,自交降低DNA甲基化水平,杂交通过DNA甲基化模式变化增加自交系杂种的DNA甲基化水平。(4)49份菜心分成五类,聚类分析和主成分分析结果基本一致,杂种倾向于按照母本亲缘关系分类。该研究利用F-MSAP检测菜心表观遗传多样性,提高了菜心的鉴定效率和准确性,为进一步开展杂交育种提供了理论基础和技术支持。     

前列腺癌的DNA甲基化及其临床应用

目前认为恶性肿瘤的形成是遗传和表观遗传机制共同作用的结果。表观遗传机制包括DNA甲基化、组蛋白修饰和miRNA。DNA异常甲基化(高甲基化和低甲基化)是前列腺癌最具特征的表观遗传改变, 它能够导致基因组不稳定, 调控基因的异常表达, 在前列腺癌的形成和发展中起到重要作用。同时, DNA甲基化作为前列腺癌表观遗传研究的一个热点, 为临床前列腺癌的早期诊断、预后评估及药物治疗提供新的方法和途径。文章根据前列腺癌的DNA高甲基化和低甲基化的最新研究成果阐述了前列腺癌形成的表观遗传学机制, 并且讨论了它们在前列腺癌临床转化方面的最新研究进展。     

二斑叶螨不同发育时期基因组DNA甲基化的F-MSAP分析

DNA甲基化是表观遗传调控的重要机制,在真核生物基因表达调控中发挥重要作用。本研究通过荧光标记的甲基化敏感扩增多态性技术(F-MSAP,fluorescence-labeled methylation-sensitive amplified polymorphism)对二斑叶螨Tetranychus urticae Koch 4个龄期(卵、幼螨、若螨、成螨)基因组DNA中CCGG位点的胞嘧啶甲基化水平和模式进行分析。研究结果显示3种甲基化模式:无甲基化(TypeⅠ),半甲基化(TypeⅡ),全甲基化(TypeⅢ)在4个龄期均有出现,扩增的总甲基化位点共有641个,其中半甲基化率(TypeⅡ)均高于全甲基化率(TypeⅢ),各个龄期的平均总甲基化率(TypeⅡ+TypeⅢ)为16.01%,平均半甲基化率为10.24%,平均全甲基化率为5.77%。F-MSAP分析结果表明不同发育时期的二斑叶螨基因组DNA的甲基化水平和模式存在差异。     

DNA甲基化修饰与干细胞分化

干细胞自我更新及分化潜能一方面是内源性转录因子相互协调控制的结果,另一方面表观遗传修饰也起着重要的作用。该文综述了DNA甲基化修饰的机理、哺乳动物DNA甲基化的特点以及干细胞分化的DNA甲基化修饰。     

DNA甲基化在精子发生中的作用

精子发生(spermatogenesis)是一个高度特化的细胞复杂分化过程,其中DNA二核苷酸CpG甲基化变化与基因转录激活、染色质改构以及遗传印记相关,并且该甲基化与基因表达之间的关系是非直接的,其可通过染色质结构的改变或DNA与蛋白质的相互作用来介导。本文着重介绍精子发生过程中DNA甲基化及其跨代遗传风险、DNA甲基转移酶的调控机制以及DNA甲基化与男性不育之间的关系等,为不育症的防治、精子表观遗传质量评价以及降低辅助生殖技术后代表观遗传疾病风险等提供基础资料。     

Scurvy in capybaras bred in captivity in Argentine

In order to determine if the absence of vitamin C in the diet of capybaras (Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris) causes scurvy, a group of seven young individuals were fed food pellets without ascorbic acid, while another group of eight individuals received the same food with 1 g of ascorbic acid per animal per day. Animals in the first group developed signs of scurvy-like gingivitis, breaking of the incisors and death of one animal. Clinical signs appeared between 25 and 104 days from the beginning of the trial in all individuals. Growth rates of individuals deprived of vitamin C was considerably less than those observed in the control group. Deficiency of ascorbic acid had a severe effect on reproduction of another population of captive capybaras. We found that the decrease in ascorbic acid content in the diet affected pregnancy, especially during the first stages. The results obtained suggest that it is necessary to supply a suitable quantity of vitamin C in the diet of this species in captivity.     

Changes in lactate dehydrogenase activity in chicken tissues in hyperthyreosis in ontogenesis

The lactate dehydrogenase activity in reactions of lactate oxidation and synthesis was studied in subfractions of the chicken brain, heart and liver at the embryonal, early postembryonal and adult stages of development after thyroxine administration. It has been shown that during embryogenesis thyroxine predominantly enhanced the rate of lactate oxidation in the mitochondrial tissues. A marked increase in the lactate synthesis was found in cytoplasm of the adult chicken tissues. Specificity of enzyme activity alterations was detected in the chicken brain during ontogenesis after thyroxine administration.     

Role for dopamine in malonate-induced damage in vivo in striatum and in vitro in mesencephalic cultures

Defects in mitochondrial energy metabolism have been implicated in the pathology of several neurodegenerative disorders. In addition, the reactive metabolites generated from the metabolism and oxidation of the neurotransmitter dopamine (DA) are thought to contribute to the damage to neurons of the basal ganglia. We have previously demonstrated that infusions of the metabolic inhibitor malonate into the striata of mice or rats produce degeneration of DA nerve terminals. In the present studies, we demonstrate that an intrastriatal infusion of malonate induces a substantial increase in DA efflux in awake, behaving mice as measured by in vivo microdialysis. Furthermore, pretreatment of mice with tetrabenazine (TBZ) or the TBZ analogue Ro 4-1284 (Ro-4), compounds that reversibly inhibit the vesicular storage of DA, attenuates the malonate-induced DA efflux as well as the damage to DA nerve terminals. Consistent with these findings, the damage to both DA and GABA neurons in mesencephalic cultures by malonate exposure was attenuated by pretreatment with TBZ or Ro-4. Treatment with these compounds did not affect the formation of free radicals or the inhibition of oxidative phosphorylation resulting from malonate exposure alone. Our data suggest that DA plays an important role in the neurotoxicity produced by malonate. These findings provide direct evidence that inhibition of succinate dehydrogenase causes an increase in extracellular DA levels and indicate that bioenergetic defects may contribute to the pathogenesis of chronic neurodegenerative diseases through a mechanism involving DA.     

SSTR5 ablation in islet results in alterations in glucose homeostasis in mice

Somatostatin (SST) peptide is a potent inhibitor of insulin secretion and its effect is mediated via somatostatin receptor 5 (SSTR5) in the endocrine pancreas. To investigate the consequences of gene ablation of SSTR5 in the mouse pancreas, we have generated a mouse model in which the SSTR5 gene was specifically knocked down in the pancreatic beta cells (betaSSTR5Kd) using the Cre-lox system. Immunohistochemistry analysis showed that SSTR5 gene expression was absent in beta cells at three months of age. At the time of gene ablation, betaSSTR5Kd mice demonstrated glucose intolerance with lack of insulin response and significantly reduced serum insulin levels. Insulin tolerance test demonstrated a significant increase of insulin clearance in vivo at the same age. In vitro studies demonstrated an absence of response to SST-28 stimulation in the betaSSTR5Kd mouse islet, which was associated with a significantly reduced SST expression level in betaSSTR5Kd mice pancreata. In addition, betaSSTR5Kd mice had significantly reduced serum glucose levels and increased serum insulin levels at 12 months of age. Glucose tolerance test at an older age also indicated a persistently higher insulin level in betaSSTR5Kd mice. Further studies of betaSSTR5Kd mice had revealed elevated serum C-peptide levels at both 3 and 12 months of age, suggesting that these mice are capable of producing and releasing insulin to the periphery. These results support the hypothesis that SSTR5 plays a pivotal role in the regulation of insulin secretion in the mouse pancreas.     

我国葫芦科植物离体培养研究进展

葫芦科植物包括多种瓜类蔬菜,对其进行离体培养研究具有重要的理论和实践意义。综述了国内在葫芦科植物器官培养、体细胞胚胎发生、花药培养、原生质体培养和体细胞杂交及离体遗传转化等方面取得的研究进展,并对葫芦科植物离体培养、遗传转化与育种的前景作了展望。