miRNA研究进展

近年来,在许多真核生物中发现了一类内源性的、长度约22个核苷酸的单链非编码RNA-微RNA,研究发现它与基因表达、细胞周期及个体发育过程都有关系,因此,微RNA的研究可能对基因功能研究、人类疾病防治及生物进化探索具有重要意义。就近几年来对微RNA的研究作简要概述。     

miRNA及其功能研究

近年来,在许多真核生物中发现了一类内源性的、长度约22个核苷酸的小分子RNA-miRNA(microRNA)。miRNA的主要功能是调节内源基因表达,参与细胞周期调控及个体发育过程,同时与在RNAi中发现的siRNA具有很大的相关性,可能对基因功能研究、人类疾病防治及生物进化探索有重要意义。     

广西杉木两类型染色体核型初步究研

本文对广西杉木(Cunninghamia lanceolata)两个类型(油杉C.lanceolata cv.‘lanceolata’和糠杉C.lancolata cv.‘glauca’)的核型进行了初步研究。二者的染色体数目为2n=22,均由具有9对中央着丝点染色体,1对近中着丝点染色体(No.6),1对带随体染色体(No.1)组成。在部分油杉细胞里发现有B染色体,而在糠杉细胞里未发现B染色体,油杉染色体长度4.29—15.10微米,糠杉染色体长度4.74—14.54微米。     

湖北宜昌寒武系水井沱组古杯化石上蓝菌类及其微型钻孔

湖北宜昌下寒武统水井沱组灰岩中富含大量壳体化石,主要包括腕足动物以及少量古杯化石。研究发现部分古杯化石表面保存丰富的微生物个体及其微型钻孔,同时发现有的微型钻孔内原位保存微生物个体,这种保存方式表明微生物体与微型钻孔之间具有直接联系。微生物体呈丝管状,空心,弯曲程度不等,横切面呈圆形,直径约7—10μm,长度可达500μm。钻孔直径15—25μm,横截面为圆形。微钻孔保存在古杯板间室(intersept)内,大多与板间室侧表面平行,少数与板间室侧表面斜交。形态研究表明这些微生物体可能为钻孔蓝菌类Endoconchialata。古杯骨骼上发现的这些微型钻孔及其原位保存的蓝菌类化石的研究对理解前寒武纪-寒武纪界线附近发现的微型钻孔化石的成因和生物属性有重要启示。     

模式生物与microRNA研究

microRNA（miRNA）是一类内源性、长度在19~25个碱基的小分子非编码RNA,其在基因的转录后调控中发挥重要功能.miRNA的研究在最近得到了快速发展,模式生物在这一过程中起到了重要作用.本文介绍了不同模式生物在miRNA的发现、作用机制和生物学功能研究中的作用.     

河流干支流水质与土地利用的相关关系

为探索不同等级河流水质状况及其对土地利用构成响应的差异,以江苏北部的灌河流域为研究对象,基于2006—2007年两个年度灌河及其支流的水质监测数据和研究区的Landsat TM影像,在河流两侧长度0.0—10.0 km、宽度0.0—0.5 km的范围内,运用多元回归分析,对研究区干、支流主要水质指标及其与相应土地利用构成的关系进行了研究。结果表明:2006—2007年间,研究区干流水质总体上显著好于支流,支流的总氮(TN)、总磷(TP)等营养盐指标显著高于干流,而干流的有机污染指标显著高于支流;比较不同观测尺度上土地利用构成对河流水质变化的方差贡献率发现,缓冲区宽度一定时,支流在所有观测尺度上的土地利用构成与水质变化皆存在显著相关关系,而干流仅在缓冲区长度0.0—4.0 km的观测尺度上其土地利用构成与水质变化的相关关系显著;缓冲区长度一定时,干、支流河道两侧0.0—0.3 km间土地利用状况对水质变化的解释能力较大。同时发现,氮、磷等营养盐浓度多与较大尺度上的土地利用构成相关,而化学需氧量(COD)、生化需氧量(BOD)等多与较小尺度上的土地利用构成相关。研究结果显示,有必要区分不同河流等级,选择适宜的观测尺度,分别研究不同水质指标与土地利用构成间的相关关系。     

昆虫长链非编码RNA的研究进展

长链非编码RNA(lncRNA)是一类长度大于200 nt的非编码RNA基因,在生物体内具有重要的生物学功能,近年来逐渐引起人们的重视。利用生物信息学预测流程,可以从RNA-seq测序数据中发现大量的lncRNA基因。迄今为止,已在果蝇、家蚕、褐飞虱等11种昆虫中发现了47 049个lncRNA基因。目前lncRNA的分类标准尚未统一,有的根据其在基因组上的位置进行分类,有的根据其长度大小进行分类,也有的根据其功能进行分类。研究发现,大量的lncRNA在果蝇形态转变的关键时期、小菜蛾抗药性品系、褐飞虱高繁殖力种群及埃及伊蚊感病毒细胞中高水平表达,显示其在昆虫变态发育、抗药性形成、繁殖力和抗病毒中具有重要的功能。lncRNA还参与调控昆虫剂量补偿效应、睡眠行为、性别决定等重要生命活动过程。本文简要综述了lncRNA的分类、预测、昆虫lncRNA的发现、昆虫lncRNA功能研究的最新进展。     

斜纹夜蛾泛素基因的克隆及表达

泛素介导的蛋白质降解途径对脑内蛋白的选择性降解起着重要作用。设计一对简并引物,从斜纹夜娥(Spodoptera litura)细胞中克隆了泛素基因的编码区,CenBank登录号AF436066。序列分析表明,该编码区的长度为228bp,编码由76个氨基酸组成的、分子质量为8．56kD的蛋白,其等电点为6．56。同源性比较发现,斜纹夜峨泛素基因不仅与其它真核生物的泛素基因在氨基酸水平上具有96％以上的相似性,而且与斜纹夜蛾核多角体病毒(SpltMNPV)泛素基因的同源性为84％。RT—PCR分析发现,泛素基因在所检测的斜纹夜蛾幼虫多种组织,尤其是脂肪体中均有表达。采用构建的原核表达载体pQEUB,在大肠杆菌M15中诱导并高效表达出了带有His—tag的重组融合蛋白,薄层扫描分析得知靶蛋白约占总蛋白的37％。利用Ni—NTA亲和层析胶纯化得到重组融合蛋白,经SDS—PAGE鉴定为单一区带,为进一步研究S．litura泛素在SpltMNPV感染中的作用打下了基础。     

恒河猴基因组SINEs和Alu元件的数量和分布

哺乳动物的基因组中富含各种类型的重复序列,其中的微卫星作为分子标记在相关研究中得到了广泛的应用。而重复序列中的SINEs元件,在各类群物种的分子系统发育、遗传多样性等方面的研究也得到了使用。其中,灵长类物种特有的SINEs元件、Alu元件,也在灵长类物种的进化研究中得到了成功的使用。本研究对于重要的医学模式动物恒河猴的基因组中SINEs和Alu元件进行了搜索,并进一步统计分析其分布规律、长度等信息。在恒河猴基因组的20条常染色体上共发现了Alu元件1 093 185个,在性染色体X上发现了45 215个。长度为200 bp至300 bp区间的Alu元件分布最多;Alu元件中75%的分化值至少都为10,而只有6.2%左右的元件分化值能达到至少20,这一结果表明绝大部分的Alu元件都比较年轻。本研究的统计结果为后续应用SINEs和Alu元件作为分子标记的研究提供了重要的信息。     

基因组中基因长度分布研究进展

基因组中基因长度分布就是指基因组中预测的所有基因的长度变化范围及其每类长度的基因在基因组中所占的比例,它可以从基因和蛋白质两个水平上来分析描述,是比较基因组学研究的一个内容。本文综述了国内外基因组中基因长度分布研究进展状况,并讨论其研究发展方向以及面临的重要任务。     

A Unique Protease Cleavage Site Predicted in the Spike Protein of the Novel Pneumonia Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) Potentially Related to Viral Transmissibility

正Dear Editor,In December 2019, a novel human coronavirus caused an epidemic of severe pneumonia(Coronavirus Disease 2019,COVID-19) in Wuhan, Hubei, China(Wu et al. 2020; Zhu et al. 2020). So far, this virus has spread to all areas of China and even to other countries. The epidemic has caused 67,102 confirmed infections with 1526 fatal cases     

Curcuminoids as inhibitors of thioredoxin reductase: A receptor based pharmacophore study with distance mapping of the active site

Curcumin is the yellow pigment of turmeric that interacts irreversibly forming an adduct with thioredoxin reductase (TrxR), an enzyme responsible for redox control of cell and defence against oxidative stress. Docking at both the active sites of TrxR was performed to compare the potency of three naturally occurring curcuminoids, namely curcumin, demethoxy curcumin and bis-demethoxy curcumin. Results show that active sites of TrxR occur at the junction of E and F chains. Volume and area of both cavities is predicted. It has been concluded by distance mapping of the most active conformations that Se atom of catalytic residue SeCYS498, is at a distance of 3.56 from C13 of demethoxy curcumin at the E chain active site, whereas C13 carbon atom forms adduct with Se atom of SeCys 498. We report that at least one methoxy group in curcuminoids is necessary for interation with catalytic residues of thioredoxin. Pharmacophore of both active sites of the TrxR receptor for curcumin and demethoxy curcumin molecules has been drawn and proposed for design and synthesis of most probable potent antiproliferative synthetic drugs.     

Comparative morphology of the carpel in the Liliaceae: Hewardieae, Petrosavieae, and Tricyrteae

The young pistils in the melanthioid tribes, Hewardieae, Petrosavieae and Tricyrteae, are uniformly tricarpellate and syncarpous. They lack raphide idioblasts. All are multiovulate, with bitegmic ovules. The Petrosavieae are marked by the presence of septal glands and incomplete syncarpy. Tepals and stamens adhere to the ovary in the Hewardieae and the Petrosavieae but not in the Tricyrteae. Two vascular bundles occur in the stamens of the Hewartlieae and Tricyrtis latifolia. Ventral bundles in the upper part of the ovary of the Hewardieae are continuous with compound septal bundles and placental bundles in the lower part. Putative ventral bundles occur in the alternate position in the Tricyrteae and putative placental bundles in the opposite. position in the Petrosavieae. The dichtomously branched stigma in each carpel of the Tricyrteae is supplied by a bifurcated dorsal bundle.     

Selection with two alleles and complete dominance

For a plant selection model with frequency-independent viabilities, fertilities and selfing rates, it is shown that apart from global fixation, for certain parameter combinations a protected polymorphism and facultative fixation (either allele may become fixed according to initial frequencies) may both occur. Facultative fixation requires different selling rates for the dominant and recessive type. Protection of the polymorphism requires resource allocation for male and female function. In this connection the problem of purely genetically caused population extinction is discussed.
For general frequency dependence and regular segregation, the chances for establishment of a completely recessive gene are compared to those of a completely dominant gene. It is proven that the process of establishment of the recessive gene, despite a fitness advantage, may be considerably endangered by drift effects if random mating prevails. The recessive gene may reach the same effectivity in establishment as a dominant gene, only if the recessive homozygote mates exclusively with its own type during the period of establishment.     

Composition and diversity of bird communities in Swedish farmland–forest mosaic landscapes

CapsuleThe amount of forest (at local and landscape scales) and occurrence of residual habitats at the local scale are shown to be the major factors influencing bird community composition in farmland–forest landscapes in central Sweden.

Aims To investigate the importance of local habitat and landscape structure for breeding birds in farmland–forest landscapes in central Sweden.

Methods Breeding birds were censused at 292 points. A detailed habitat mapping was made within 300 m of the points. Within a 300–600 m radius only two major habitats (forests and arable fields) were identified.

Results Cluster analyses of bird communities identified three site types that also differed in habitat composition: (i) partially forested sites in forested landscapes; (ii) heterogeneous sites with residual habitats in mosaic landscapes; and (iii) field-dominated farmland sites in open landscapes. A total of 19 of 25 farmland bird species (restricted to farmland or using both farmland and forest) had the highest abundance in farmland sites with mosaics of forest and farmland, while only six farmland species had the highest abundance in field-dominated sites. The bird community changed from being dominated by farmland species to being dominated by forest species (common in forest landscapes without farmland) at small proportions (10–20%) of forest at the local scale. A major difference in habitat composition between heterogeneous and field-dominated sites was the occurrence of different residual habitats (e.g. shrubby areas and seminatural grasslands). These habitats seemed to influence bird community composition more than land-use, despite covering <10% of the area. Seminatural grasslands were important for bird community composition and species-richness, but grazing seemed to be less important. Among different land-use types, cereal crops were the least preferred fields. Set-asides with tall vegetation and short rotation coppices were positively associated with species-richness of farmland birds.

Conclusion In general, the composition of the landscape was important for bird community composition, although amount and distribution of forests, occurrence of residual habitats and land-use of fields at the local scale had the strongest influence on bird community composition. The possible implications of these patterns for managing farmland–forest landscapes are discussed.     

Chemical constituents from the fruits of Rhus typhina L. and their chemotaxonomic significance

This work describes the isolation and characterization of twenty-nine compounds from the fruits of Rhus typhina L., including eleven flavonoids (1–11), eleven phenols (12–22), two pentacyclic triterpenes (23–24), two organic acids (25–26), one lumichrome (27), one courmarin (28) and one pyrimidine (29) on the basis of their spectroscopic data. Compounds apigenin (1), daidzein (4), orobol (5), 3′, 5, 5′, 7-tetrahydroxyflavanone (6), naringenin (7), butein (8), (-)-catechin (9), quercetin-3-O-α-L-(3″-O-galloyl)-rhamnoside (11), 2-hydroxybenzoic acid (13), 4-hydroxybenzaldehyde (14), vanillin (15), methyl 3,4-dihydroxybenzoate (16), 3,5-dihydroxybenzamide (18), tyrosol (19), caffeic acid (20), 3-(2,4,6-trihydroxyphenyl)-1-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-propan-1-one (21), phlorizin (22), friedelin (23), oleanolic acid (24), 4,4-dimethyl-heptanedioic acid (25), anthranilic acid (26), lumichrome (27), scoparone (28) and uracil (29) have not been recorded before in this plant. This is the first report on the occurrence of compounds 4–7, 9, 11, 13–14, 16, 18–21, 25–29 from the genus Rhus. Moreover, the chemotaxonomic significance of these isolated compounds was also summarized.