Molecular phylogeny of the fungus gnat tribe Exechiini (Mycetophilidae, Diptera)

The phylogenetic relationships within the fungus gnat tribe Exechiini have been left unattended for many years. Recent studies have not shed much light on the intergeneric relationship within the tribe. Here the first attempt to resolve the phylogeny of the tribe Exechiini using molecular markers is presented. The nuclear 18S and the mitochondrial 16S, and cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI) genes were successfully sequenced for 20 species representing 15 Exechiini genera and five outgroup genera. Bayesian, maximum parsimony and maximum likelihood analyses revealed basically congruent tree topologies and the monophyly of Exechiini, including the genus Cordyla , is confirmed. The molecular data corroborate previous morphological studies in several aspects. Cordyla is found in a basal clade together with Brachypeza , Pseudorymosia and Stigmatomeria . The splitting of the genera Allodiopsis s.l. and Brevicornu s.l. as well as the sistergroup relationship of Exechia and Exechiopsis is also supported. The limited phylogenetic information provided by morphological characters is mirrored in the limited resolution of the molecular markers used in this study. Short internal and long-terminal branches obtained may indicate a rapid radiation of the Exechiini genera during a short evolutionary period.     

Neutrophils-induced increase of adenosine triphosphate depletion in rat neonatal cardiac myocytes with impaired energy metabolism.

Isolated, cultured rat neonatal cardiac myocytes were placed in medium supplemented with mitochondrial respiratory inhibitor potassium cyanide which caused a rapid adenosine triphosphate (ATP) depletion. These myocytes with the impaired energy metabolism ("hypoxia-like state") were exposed to unstimulated human neutrophils. Effect of human neutrophils on the myocytes in the "hypoxia-like state" was quantified as a total change in the amount of ATP in cardiac cells. After 5 hours of incubation of neutrophils with the myocytes in the "hypoxia-like state" an additional decrease (of 50 per cent) in ATP content was observed. Since catalase (which destroys hydrogen peroxide) prevented the further decline in ATP level in the myocytes with impaired energy metabolism, it seem that hydrogen peroxide and possibly their products are responsible for this effect. These results suggest that unstimulated human neutrophils after activation by the contact with injured cardiac cells caused further decrease of ATP level in target cells.     

Structures and fatty acid compositions of neutral glycosphingolipids of human plasma

Major neutral glycosphingolipids were isolated from human plasma and their structures and fatty acid compositions studied. The four neutral glycosphingolipids of plasma were characterized as Glc beta(1 leads to 1)ceramide, Gal beta(1 leads to 1)- ceramide, Gal beta(1 leads to 4) Glc beta (1 leads to 1)ceramide, Gal alpha(1 leads to 4) Gal beta(1 leads to 4) Glc beta(1 leads to 1)ceramide and GalNAc beta(1 leads to 3) Gal (1 leads to 4) Gal (1 leads to 4) Glc beta(1 leads to 1)-ceramide. The glycosphingolipids contained mostly short chain fatty acids of which most prominent was C16. Erythrocyte glucosylceramide and lactosylceramide exhibited similar fatty acid compositions as their plasma counterparts. Triglycosylceramide and globoside of erythrocytes contained almost exclusively long-chain fatty acids. In lactosylceramide obtained from "p" erythrocytes, an accumulation of long-chain fatty acids was found; this accumulation was not observed, however, in lactosylceramide isolated from "p" plasma. It was concluded that plasma and erythrocyte glycosphingolipids are synthesized at separate sites where short- and long-chain fatty acids, respectively, are available. Plasma and erythrocyte glucosylceramide, and probably a fraction of lactosylceramide, exchange between plasma and erythrocyte pools. The latter conclusion is discussed in the light of the relative roles of carbohydrate and lipid moieties of the glycosphingolipids in maintaining their association with erythrocyte membranes.     

我国分离的肠道病毒71型(SHZH03病毒株)全基因组核苷酸序列分析

对肠道病毒71型(enterovirus 71,EV71)中国(深圳)分离株SHZH03进行了全基因组(未包括多聚腺苷尾)7406个碱基的核苷酸序列测定.结果表明,SHZH03株与其它肠道病毒71型毒株相比,在编码区没有核苷酸的缺失和插入,其5′UTR和3′UTR区的长度和序列有一定的差异.核苷酸同源性比较结果表明,在P1区SHZH03株与SHZH98株、中国台湾流行株(TW2086、TW2272)的同源性较高(分别为92.5%,90.1%和87.9%),与新加坡流行株SIN5666、SIN5865及标准株MS、BrCr的同源性则在81%左右,而与Coxsackievirus A16(Cox.A16)的同源性最低(63.6%).氨基酸同源性比较结果表明,在P1区SHZH03株与Cox. A16的同源性最低,但在P2和P3区SHZH03株与Cox.A16的同源性最高.P1区的遗传进化分析表明,SHZH03株和中国台湾1998年流行的EV71毒株的亲缘关系较近,属于同一型(genogroup),而与标准株BrCr和MS的亲缘关系较远.上述结果有助于肠道病毒71型的基础研究和中国对于EV71所致疾病的预防.     

一步法扩增克隆IBDV上海超强毒VP2-4-3基因

分离、纯化了鸡传染性法氏囊病病毒超强毒 (vvIBDV) 上海株SH95的病毒核酸dsRNA,应用随机引物将RNA反转录成cDNA,以此为模板一步扩增出A片段前体融合蛋白基因即VP2-4-3基因,将其克隆入pGEM-T载体,并进行序列分析,其与超强毒株HK46的核苷酸序列的同源性达98%,整个基因有5个氨基酸差异,同源性达99.51%(1007/1012).     

丁醇基因在大肠杆菌中表达的现状与展望

随着化石能源过度开采带来的能源短缺与环境恶化,丁醇凭借着其优越的理化性质成为了最具潜力的绿色燃料之一。近几年微生物在生物能源生产研究中受到广泛关注,主要集中在梭菌丁醇合成途径的异源表达。目前利用大肠杆菌产丁醇的产量已经接近产丁醇的天然菌株的产量。然而,大肠杆菌产丁醇仍存在很多限制性因素。主要从乙酰辅酶A依赖途径评述大肠杆菌生产丁醇的限制因素,并讨论提高丁醇产量需要解决的问题。