中国妮蛾蜡蝉属分类研究(半翅目:蛾蜡蝉科)

综述了妮蛾蜡蝉属Neosalurnis Distant的分类研究历史,研究妮蛾蜡蝉属种类,同意网纹妮蛾蜡蝉Neosalurnis reticulates Distant是妮蛾蜡蝉Neosalurnis gracilis（Melichar））的异名。记述中国妮蛾蜡蝉属4种,包括1新种——大刺妮蛾蜡蝉N.magnispinata,sp．nov．,1新记录种——短刺妮蛾蜡蝉Neosalurnis bonenda Medler。提供了分种检索表。模式标本保存在西北农林科技大学昆虫博物馆。     

中国碧蛾蜡蝉属的分类研究(半翅目:蛾蜡蝉科)

综述了碧蛾蜡蝉属Geisha Kirkaldy的分类研究历史,研究了中国碧蛾蜡蝉属种类,同意莎碧蛾蜡蝉G．sauteri Jacobi是碧蛾蜡蝉G．distinctissima（Walker）的异名。记述了中国碧蛾蜡蝉属4种,包括2新种——二叉碧蛾蜡蝉G．bifurcata,sp．nov．,秦岭碧蛾蜡蝉G．qinlingensis,sp．nov．。提供了分种检索表。模式标本保存在西北农林科技大学昆虫博物馆。     

中国埃蛾蜡蝉属分类研究（同翅目：蛾蜡蝉科）

综述了埃蛾蜡蝉属 Exoma Melichar的分类研究历史,研究了中国埃蛾蜡蝉种类,同意Leocerus属是埃蛾蜡蝉属Exoma的异名,将其归入埃蛾蜡蝉属并记述了1个新种——基斑埃蛾蜡蝉 Exoma basimacula,sp．nov．。提供了分种检索表。模式标本保存在西北农林科技大学昆虫博物馆。     

中国蛾蜡蝉科一新记录属并记一新种(半翅目:蛾蜡蝉科:涩蛾蜡蝉族)

报道了中国新记录属长蛾蜡蝉属Gomeda Distant,1906,该属隶属于蛾蜡蝉科Flatidae、涩蛾蜡蝉族Selizini,综述了该属的分类研究历史,并记述1新种——素长蛾蜡蝉Gomeda unicolorata,sp.nov.,提供了新种的形态和雌性外生殖器特征图,编制了本属分种检索表。新种模式标本保存在中国科学院动物研究所。     

中国缘蛾蜡蝉属分类与二新纪录种(半翅目,蛾蜡蝉科)

记述蛾蜡蝉科:Flatidae缘蛾蜡蝉属Salurnis Stal中国2新纪录种:海缘蛾蜡蝉S.hesita Medler,1992和埃缘蛾蜡蝉S.estora Miedler,1992,提供了形态及雄性外生殖器等特征图.制作了本属分布于中国的5个种的分种检索表.     

中国蛾蜡蝉科一新记录属及一新记录种

记述采自中国云南省的蛾蜡蝉科1新记录属：宽额蛾蜡蝉属Byhopsyma Melichar及1新记录种：宽额蛾蜡蝉Bythopsyrna circulata(Guerin—Meneville),绘了成虫特征图。     

中国络蛾蜡蝉属Lawana分类与二新记录种

记述蛾蜡蝉科Flatidae络蛾蜡蝉属Lawana中国2新记录种——LawanaradiataDistant,1906和L.conspersa(Walker),1851。提供了形态描述、分布及形态图。制作了分种检索表。     

蒙瓢蜡蝉属Mongliana Distant的分类研究（同翅目：蜡蝉总科：瓢蜡蝉科）

综述蒙瓢蜡属的分类研究历史，记述中国蒙瓢蜡蝉属Mongliana Distant 7种，其中包括5新种：柔尖蒙飘蜡蝉Mongoliana lanceolata,sp.nov.,三角蒙飘蜡蝉Mongoliana triangularis,sp.nov，锯缘蒙瓢蜡蝉Mongoliana serrata,sp.nov.,褐斑蒙瓢蜡蝉Mongoliana naevia,sp.nov.和曲纹蒙瓢蜡蝉Mongoliana sinuata,sp.nov.绘制了雄性外生殖器及前翅主要特征图，并列有分种检索表。新种模式标本均保存在西北农林科技大学昆虫博物馆。     

蒙瓢蜡蝉属Mongoliana Distant的分类研究(同翅目: 蜡蝉总科: 瓢蜡蝉科)

综述蒙瓢蜡蝉属的分类研究历史,记述中国蒙瓢蜡蝉属Mongoliana Distant 7种,其中包括5新种矛尖蒙瓢蜡蝉Mongoliana lanceolata, sp. nov.,三角蒙瓢蜡蝉Mongoliana triangularis, sp. nov.,锯缘蒙瓢蜡蝉Mongoliana serrata, sp. nov.,褐斑蒙瓢蜡蝉Mongoliana naevia, sp. nov. 和曲纹蒙瓢蜡蝉Mongoliana sinuata, sp. nov.;绘制了雄性外生殖器及前翅主要特征图,并列有分种检索表.新种模式标本均保存在西北农林科技大学昆虫博物馆.     

中国瓢蜡蝉科一新记录属--德里瓢蜡蝉属

报道了瓢蜡蝉科中国1新记录属——德里瓢蜡蝉属Delhina Distant及中国新记录种德里瓢蜡蝉D.eurybrachydoides Distant,绘制了其主要外形特征,首次描记雄性外生殖器特征。     

(A)GGG(A), (A)CCC(A) and other potential 3' splice signals in primate nuclear pre-mRNA sequences

Several 3' splice signals in nuclear precursor mRNAs have already been known for some time: the AG doublet on the left-hand side of the splice and a run of pyrimidines just upstream of it. More recently it has been noted that the YNYTRAY sequence (where Y is a pyrimidine, R a purine and N any base) is a branching-sequence participating in formation of a lariat structure. Keller and Noon have shown the existence of several putative consensus sequences at this site. In this work, extensive computations of the distributions of 256 quartets in all primate nuclear pre-mRNA intron sequences present in GenBank have been carried out. Several putative signals upstream and downstream of the 3' splice have been detected. These have been compared with the results obtained in analogous computations carried out on all nuclear pre-mRNA introns present in a combined eukaryotic file containing mammal, non-mammalian vertebrate, invertebrate and plant sequences. The distributions of the more interesting oligomers are shown here. Of particular interest are the putative (A)GGG(A) signal 60 nucleotides upstream of the 3' splice site and (A)CCC(A) 3-40 nucleotides downstream of it. A possible splicing model explaining these data and involving formation of alternative hairpin loop structures is proposed.     

Assembly of GABA(A) receptors (Review)

GABA(A) receptors are the major inhibitory transmitter receptors in the central nervous system. They are chloride ion channels that can be opened by gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and are the targets of action of a variety of pharmacologically and clinically important drugs. GABA(A) receptors are composed of five subunits that can belong to different subunit classes. The existence of 19 different subunits gives rise to the formation of a large variety of distinct GABA(A) receptor subtypes in the brain. The majority of GABA(A) receptors seems to be composed of two alpha, two beta and one gamma subunit and the occurrence of a defined subunit stoichiometry and arrangement in alphabetagamma receptors strongly indicates that assembly of GABA(A) receptors proceeds via defined pathways. Based on the differential ability of subunits to interact with each other, a variety of studies have been performed to identify amino acid sequences or residues important for assembly. Such residues might be involved in direct protein-protein interactions, or in stabilizing direct contact sites in other regions of the subunit. Several homo-oligomeric or hetero-oligomeric assembly intermediates could be the starting point of GABA(A) receptor assembly but so far no unequivocal assembly mechanism has been identified. Possible mechanisms of assembly of GABA(A) receptors are discussed in the light of recent publications.     

Phospholipase A(2)

Considerable progress has been made in characterizing the individual participant enzymes and their relative contributions in the generation of eicosanoids, lipid mediators derived from arachidonic acid, such as prostaglandins and leukotrienes. However, the role of individual phospholipase (PL) A(2) enzymes in providing arachidonic acid to the downstream enzymes for eicosanoid generation in biologic processes has not been fully elucidated. In this review, we will provide an overview of the classification of the families of PLA(2) enzymes, their putative mechanisms of action, and their role(s) in eicosanoid generation and inflammation.     

Chimpanzee lipoprotein(A): Relationship between apolipoprotein(A) isoform size and the density profile of lipoprotein(A) in animals with different heterozygous apo(A) phenotypes

In a previous study [C. Doucet et al., J. Lipid Res 35:263–270, 1994], we have shown that plasma lipoprotein (a) [Lp(a)] levels were significantly elevated in a population of unrelated chimpanzees as compared to those in normolipidemic human subjects. Nonetheless, the inverse correlation between Lp(a) levels and apolipoprotein (a) [apo(a)] isoforms typical of man was maintained in the chimpanzee. In the present study, we describe the density profiles of apo B- and apo A1-containing lipoproteins and of Lp(a) in chimpanzee plasmas heterozygous for apo(a) isoforms after fractionation by single spin ultracentrifugation in an isopycnic gradient. The distribution of apo(a) isoforms in the density gradient was also examined by SDS-agarose gel electrophoresis and immunoblotting using chemiluminescence detection. In all double-band phenotypes examined, the smallest isoform was present along the entire length of the density gradient. The density distribution of the second isoform varied according to the size difference between the respective isoforms. Two isoforms close in size (difference in apparent molecular mass ? 60 kDa) were present together in every gradient subfraction. On the contrary, when the two isoforms displayed distinct molecular mass (maximal difference in apparent molecular mass = 340 kDa), then the largest was principally present in the densest fractions of the gradient (d > 1.1 mg/ml). These observations suggest that Lp(a) particles with small apo(a) isoforms are more susceptible to interact with other lipoproteins than are Lp(a) particles with large isoforms.     

Subunit specificity and interaction domain between GABA(A) receptor-associated protein (GABARAP) and GABA(A) receptors

GABARAP (GABA(A) receptor-associated protein) interacts with both microtubules and GABA(A) receptors in vitro and in vivo and is capable of modulating receptor channel kinetics. In this study, we use the intracellular loop of 15 GABA(A) receptor subunits to show that the interaction between GABARAP and GABA(A) receptor is specific for the gamma subunits. Pharmacological characterization of proteins purified by GABARAP affinity column indicates that native GABA(A) receptors interact with GABARAP. Quantitative yeast two-hybrid assays were used to identify the interaction domain in the gamma2 subunit for GABARAP binding, and to identify the interaction domain in GABARAP for GABA(A) receptor binding. A peptide corresponding to the GABARAP interaction domain in the gamma2 subunit was used to inhibit the interaction between GABARAP and the gamma2 subunit. In addition, the ability of GABARAP to promote cluster formation of recombinant receptors expressed in QT-6 fibroblasts was inhibited by a membrane-permeable form of this peptide in a time-dependent manner. The establishment of a model for GABARAP-induced clustering of GABA(A) receptors in living cells and the identification of subunit specificity and interaction domains in the interaction between GABARAP and GABA(A) receptors is a step in dissecting the function of GABARAP in GABA(A) receptor clustering and/or targeting.     

A taxonomic review of Phlebotomus (Idiophlebotomus) (Psychodidae)

Five known species (asperulus Quate & Fairchild, erebicolus Quate, pholetor Quate & Fairchild, sejunctus Quate, and stellae Quate) of the caverni-colous subgenus Phlebotomus (Idiophlebotomus) are discussed in relation to newly recognized species from West Malaysia and India. P. frondifer n.sp. and P. tubifer n.sp. are described and a key to the adults of all seven species is given. General features of the subgenus are discussed, with particular reference to the functional relationships between the specialized morphology of the mouthparts and the probable bat hosts of these species.     

Trafficking of 5-HT(3) and GABA(A) receptors (Review)

The 5-HT(3) and GABA(A) receptors are members of the Cys-loop family of neurotransmitter-gated ion channels that also include receptors for glycine and acetylcholine. The 5-HT(3) and acetylcholine receptors (cationic ion channels) and the GABA(A) and glycine receptors (anionic ion channels) generally depolarize or hyperpolarize, respectively, the neuronal membrane. Within the amino-terminal extracellular region, all members of this family exhibit a similar architecture of ligand binding domains and a number of key residues are completely conserved. The molecular characterization of their ligand binding and gating characteristics has benefited from the existence of a large repertoire of individual subunits that contribute to the pentameric ion channel. Although differences do exist, advances in our knowledge of one member offers valuable insight into the family as a whole. Each member of the Cys-loop receptors (and all other multimeric ion channels) must face the same challenges: How to assemble individual subunits into an ion channel and which subunits to use? How are assembled receptors distinguished from those that are unassembled or misassembled, then exported from the endoplasmic reticulum and delivered to the cell surface? How are they targeted to, and anchored at synaptic and extrasynaptic sites? How and when are they to be removed from these sites to provide long-term regulation of neuronal activity? In this review, we summarize our current knowledge for the 5-HT(3) and GABA(A) receptors that have provided complementary information and helped us build an overall picture of how receptor biogenesis and trafficking occurs.