简并密码子增强人甲状旁腺激素(1-34)在大肠杆菌中的表达

利用氨基酸密码子的简并性及大肠杆菌中高表达真核基因时,转录起始区的结构特点:①在起始密码子ATG后使用富含嘌呤的密码子延长其mRNA同tRNA反密码子loop的互补;②通过应用富含A/U的密码子,避免mR-NA形成稳定的二级结构;③减少潜在的第二个Shine-Dalgarno序列。通过聚合酶链式反     

真核生物细胞质tRNA生物合成研究的进展

tRNA是蛋白质翻译机器中的必需成分,它对细胞的生长和增殖及器官的发育起着决定性作用.tRNA生物合成包括tRNA基因的转录、转录后的加工和修饰.对tRNA生物合成的研究还包括tRNA在细胞中的运输、tRNA生物合成的质量监控及其与其他重要细胞途径（如mRNA生物合成、DNA损伤应答和细胞周期）之间的相互作用,以及tRNA生物合成在生长发育和疾病中的作用.本文主要介绍了近年来真核生物细胞质tRNA生物合成研究的一些重要进展.     

mRNA翻译起始区二级结构改变对干扰素基因在大肠杆菌中翻译的影响

为研究mRNA翻译起始区结构与基因表达的关系,利用密码子的简并性,在不改变表达产物氨基酸序列的前提下定点突变α8干扰素及αA干扰素衍生物基因的5′端若干位点,使其与表达载体重组后转录形成的mRNA翻译起始区结构发生改变。SDS-PAGE及活性测定证实这些改变提高了外源基因的表达水平。RNA斑点印迹表明突变前后基因转录水平差别不大,表达水平的提高主要由于翻译效率的提高。mRNA翻译起始区二级结构预测提示其生成自由能(ΔG)的变化可能与表达水平的提高有关。     

高等植物的发育与信使核糖核酸(mRNA)

植物的生长和发育是基因有序表达的过程。基因的表达包含两方面意义:转录出有功能的rRNA、tRNA等核酸分子和转录出mRNA,并通过它指导合成蛋白质。mRNA携带着蛋白质基因的信息,是基因表达的基本产物。它作为生命过程中很敏感的信息大分子,直接体现着遗传物质信息流的状态,因而能够反映基因表达及其调控的基本情况。     

高粱叶绿体psbA基因的结构特征及其5'-非编码区的调控效应

报道高粱叶绿体光系统ⅡpsbA基因的结构特征及其5'-非编码区的调控效应.比较分析表明,C4植物高粱与C3植物水稻psbA基因的核苷酸序列及其推测的氨基酸序列的一级结构之间,存在着高度的同源性.高粱psbA基因5'-非编码区,含有类似原核的-10和-35保守的启动子元件,以及类似于真核的TATA盒启动子元件,但与水稻的相比,前者比后者在mRNA的前导序列区多出了一段7 bp的额外序列,这在有关文献中尚未见报道.应用体外分析体系,证实在高粱叶绿体蛋白质提取物中存在着与psbA基因5'-非编码区特异性结合的蛋白质因子.荧光素酶表达量的检测结果是,在大肠杆菌中,带有高粱psbA基因前导序列区的表达质粒pALqs,其荧光素酶表达量,要比带有水稻相应结构的表达质粒pALqr的高出2～5倍.     

RNA组学：后基因组时代的科学前沿

历史表明,每当DNA研究取得重大突破后,都会出现一个RNA研究的高潮.1953年DNA双螺旋结构的解析掀起了在RNA转录和翻译水平解读遗传信息的高潮,导致mRNA,tRNA和rRNA的发现以及遗传密码和“中心法则”的建立.1977年分裂基因（split gene）的发现极大地促进了在RNA转录后加工水平解读遗传信息表达的过程及机制．     

鲤鱼线粒体tRNA^phe基因结构的特异性

在脊椎动物线粒基因组的研究中。迄今为止已测定了人、牛、大鼠、爪蟾、鲸鱼、海豹、鸡等动物线粒体基因组的全序列。结果表明,脊椎动物线粒体基因组结构排列非常紧密。22个tRNA基因分布于结构基因和rRNA基因之间,并随其临近的基因一起转录,随后被精确地剪切焉,继续加工成熟。线粒体tRNA与细胞质tRNA相比有许多不同之处,如D环碱基数明显减少：TψC环中缺少T54－C－Pu－A序列：且各个臂上有高比例的碱基错配;同时在线粒体rRNA中A＋U含量很高。目前有报道指出线粒体中某些tRNA三叶草结构的变化与物种的进化相关联,但这一说法是否具有普遍性尚须探讨。我们最近完成了鲤鱼线粒体tRNA^phe基因的结构分析（图一）,并将其与上述已报导的几种脊椎动物粒体tRNA^phe基因进行了比较（表一）,发现这些tRNA^phe基因的D臂上都存在一个13bp的强保守区,而其它21种线粒体tRNA基因上的这一区域都是最不保守的。我们将此保守区前7个碱基与真核生物RNAPollIII识别的A区相比较,发现RNAPolIII识别的A区的3个强保守碱基在大事箕类型与碱基排列位置上完全与此保守区相同（图二）。考虑到tRNA^phe基因在线粒体基因组上位于置换环区和线粒体rRNA基因编码区之间这一特殊区域内,这种结构上的特殊性暗示着tRNA^phe基因与其它tRNSA基因在功能上存在着差异。鲤鱼线粒体tRNA^phe基因位于D环与12sRNA基因之间,由重链编码,长度为67bp,同哺乳动物线粒体tRNA基因一样,也不编码3′端的CCA序列。鲤鱼线料体tRNA^phe基因G＋C／A＋U＝0．76,可见其A＋U含量明显高于细胞质tRNA,从其二级结构上看,其氨基酸臂富含GC 对,存在二个错配碱基对,TψC环无TψC序列,T茎也有高比例的错配,且无细胞质tRNSA中特有的那组G－C对,D环由6个碱基组成,其D臂完全互补配对。在已知种类的线粒体其他tRNA基因结构中,反密码环最为保守,其次为氨基酸臂,D环和T环及其相应的臂最不保守。但是在tRNA^phe基因中最保守的却是D环的臂。这种tRNA^phe基因结构上的不寻常性,显示了其功能上的不寻常性,目前人们普遍的看法是线粒体tRNA^phe基因在其转录过程中,还起着识别转录本加工信号的作用,但这一过程的细节目前还不甚清楚。从结构上看,tRNA^phe基因 位于线粒体基因组D环一侧,而D环上具有重链复制启动始点和重链轻链转录调控区。在绝大多数由重链编码的基因中,tRNA^phe基因是被首先转录的基因,同时也是在各种成熟RNA转录本中,必须被剪切下来的tRNA。由此可见tRNA^phe基因在转录水平以及转录后的加工水平上均具有特殊的调控作用。我们推测脊椎动物tRNSA^phe其D臂上强保守结构的存在,也正是这种作用的一种反映。关于tRNA^phe基因结构与功能的关系及其表达调控特性的研究正在进行中。     

内含子对真核基因表达调控的影响

大多数真核基因都含有非编码的间隔序列--内含子,根据剪接机制的不同,可将内含子分为3类:真核mRNA内舍子、自我剪接内含子和真核tRNA内含子.在多数情况下,真核mRNA内含子的存在可以提高基因的表达水平.因为其剪接过程会影响mRNA新陈代谢的多个阶段,包括转录、RNA编辑、pre-mRNA的加工、mRNA的出核运输、翻译和无义衰变等.真核mRNA内含子在真核生物基因表达调控中起着重要的作用,是转基因研究中提高外源基因表达的重要元件之一.就真核mRNA内含子的特性、剪接机制及其对真核基因表达调控的影响作一概述.     

猪CFL2b 基因cDNA克隆初步分析

利用基因表达谱芯片分析法筛选出与大白猪高肌肉产量-肌纤维形成有关的CFL2b基因.参考人和小鼠CFL2b基因序列,采用SMART-RACE技术结合EST序列拼接技术,从猪骨骼肌肌肉中首次克隆了猪CFL2b的全长cDNA序列（GenBank登录号EU561660,EU561661）,Northern杂交检测CFL2b基因 mRNA.结果表明,猪CFL2b基因含有2个转录本,长转录本3　012 bp,短转录本1　466 bp .CFL2b基因在多种真核生物中都有表达,且编码区序列非常保守,开放式读码框501 bp编码了166个氨基酸的蛋白质.氨基酸序列分析表明,猪CFL2基因与人和小鼠氨基酸同源性分别为100%和99.1%.核苷酸序列相似性分别为88.1%和74.9%.     

翻译过程的模拟

“基因指导蛋白质的合成”是一个教学重点,也是一个教学难点,尤其是翻译过程,由于其中存在mRNA与tRNA、tRNA与氨基酸、氨基酸序列与蛋白质等多个对应环节．因此相当一部分学生在学习这部分知识时有困难。鉴于此,怎样突破这个教学难点？这个问题一直在脑海中萦绕。     

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.