Expression of betaine aldehyde dehydrogenase gene and salinity tolerance in rice transgenic plants

Betaine as one of osmolytes plays an important role in osmoregulation of most high plants. Betaine aldehyde dehydrogenase C BADH) is the second enzyme involved in betaine biosynthesis. The BADH gene from a halophite, Atriplex hortensis, was transformed into rice cultivars by bombarment method. Totally 192 transgenic rice plants were obtained and most of them had higher salt tolerance than controls. Among transgenic plants transplanted in the saline pool containing 0.5% NaCl in a greenhouse, 22 survived, 13 of which set seeds, and the frequency of seed setting was very low, only 10% . But the controls could not grow under the same condition. The results of BADH ac-tivity assay and Northern blot showed that the BADH gene was integrated into chromosomes of transgenic plants and expressed.     

Sequence variation and genetic diversity in the giant panda

About 336–444 bp mitochondrial D-loop region and tRNA gene were sequenced for 40 individuals of the giant panda which were collected from Mabian, Meigu, Yuexi, Baoxing, Pingwu, Qingchuan, Nanping and Baishuijiang, respectively. 9 haplotypes were found in 21 founders. The results showed that the giant panda has low genetic variations, and that there is no notable genetic isolation among geographical populations. The ancestor of the living giant panda population perhaps appeared in the late Pleistocene, and unfortunately, might have suffered bottleneck attacks. Afterwards, its genetic diversity seemed to recover to some extent. Project supported by the “8.5” Key Project of Chinese Academy of Sciences, the Chairman Foundation of Chinese Academy of Sciences, K. C. Wang Education Foundation, the Applied Basic Research Foundation of Yunnan, the National Natural Science Foundation of China, the Special Foundation for Returned Chinese Scientists, and Zoological Society of San Diego.     

中缝核提取液对体外培养的中脑黑质神经元存活和生长的影响

中脑黑质是中缝核５－ＨＴ神经元最早期的靶组织之一。为了分析神经元对其靶细胞的作用是受某种特异性蛋白或神经营养因子的影响,本文用中缝核提取液作用于体外培养的中脑黑质神经元,证明了该提取液能促进中脑黑质神经元的存活和生长,其活性部分是分子量大于３０ｋＤ的组份,经ＳＤＳ－聚丙烯酰胺梯度凝胶电泳,呈现一条主带,分子量在４３ｋＤ左右。     

The interaction of RepC initiator with iterons in the replication of the broad host-range plasmid RSF1010.

The replication origin of the broad host-range plasmid RSF1010 contains 3.5 copies of a 20mer iteron sequence that bind specifically to the plasmid-encoded initiator, RepC. Here we demonstrated that even a single iteron was bent upon binding of RepC. Moreover, the bending angle seems to become larger along with the increment of the number of iterons. In a mutational analysis of the iteron sequence, we isolated seven kinds of base-substitution mutants of iterons, and estimated the replication activity of these mutants in vivo. We found that each of the subsections in the 20mer iteron sequence made a distinct contribution to the initiation of RSF1010 DNA replication. With the binding assay of RepC and mutated iterons in vitro, we found that the formation of a productive RepC-iteron complex was required for the initiation of plasmid DNA replication.     

Targeted disruption of the TGA3 locus in Arabidopsis thaliana

A major drawback to study gene functions in plant systems is the lack of an effective gene knockout strategy. With a large number of plant genes isolated and the accelerating pace by which this collection is growing, the need for their functional analyses at the whole plant level has become increasingly urgent. Here evidence is reported for the first successful disruption of a non-selectable gene in Arabidopsis thaliana by creating a mutant of the TGA3 locus via targeted insertion of the bacterial neo gene conferring kanamycin (Km) resistance. A β-glucuronidase (GUS) expression unit outside the region of homology was used as a screenable marker to distinguish homologous recombination events from those of ectopic insertions. PCR amplification coupled with Southern blot screening identified two putative homologous recombination events among 2580 Km^r calli. One callus line was subsequently isolated and the structure of the targeted TGA3 allele confirmed by Southern blot analyses. This study demonstrates the feasibility of targeting a non-selectable locus in Arabidopsis. Combined with future improvements in negative selection strategies and efficient, transformation methodologies, gene replacement studies in plants could become a routine technique.     

脊髓灰质炎病毒感染赤麂细胞株的实验研究

脊髓灰质炎病毒的敏感细胞范围一直局限于灵长类动物细胞。用该病毒感染处理非灵长类的赤麂肺二倍体细胞(KIZ-7901),可诱导9.0—14.7%的细胞出现染色体畸变,除见有染色体或单体断裂外,还见有断片、双着丝粒、环、互换、易位和缺失等。也可引致姐妹染色单体交换率(SCE)的显著提高。脊髓灰质炎病毒感染赤麂细胞后,不产生特异的CPE,不明显影响细胞群体的增殖。应用病毒滴定、包涵体检查,间接免疫荧光试验和电镜检查,都可查见细胞内有病毒或其抗原物质存在。这提示脊髓灰质炎病毒在非灵长类的赤麂细胞内呈现非杀细胞性感染。     

光刺激参数控制器

本文介绍一种能准确而迅速改变光刺激器光学参数(波长、强度等)的远距控制装置。将具有不同光学参数的滤光片(或孔径)置于转盘的不同位置,并对其编码。通过对编码值与预置值的比较,驱动步进马达带动转盘到所需的位置。仪器操作简便,有良好的重复性。     

性信息素对红铃虫雄蛾近距离性行为的抑制效应

鳞翅目昆虫雄蛾在交配之前的性行为可以分为远距离对雌蛾的定向和包括着陆、搜索、交配等直接导致雌、雄蛾交配成功的近距离行为。这两类不同的行为可由复合性信息素中的不同化学成分引起(Roelofs et al.,1977)或者由同种物质不同浓度所诱发,即雄蛾接受较低浓度刺激时出现远距离定向飞行;而高浓度诱发雄蛾近距离的交配性行为反应(Bartell et al.,1969)。从棉花红铃虫[Pectinophora gossypiella(Saund.)]雌蛾体内已经鉴定得到两种化学成份,顺-7,顺-11-十六碳二烯醇醋酸酯和顺-7,反-11-十六碳二烯醇醋酸酯。这两种成份的1:1混合物称为红铃虫性诱素(Gossyplure)(Hummel et al.,1973),它具有在田间引诱红铃虫雄蛾和诱发雄蛾近距离行为反应的作用。 在田间释放性信息化合物来扰乱雌、雄蛾之间的性信息联系,从而抑制其交配和繁殖是一种有希望的害虫防治方法。用红铃虫性诱素扰乱红铃虫交配的田间试验已取得一定成效(Gaston et al.,1977)。但是我们在田间试验中发现,性诱素抑制红铃虫雄蛾远距离定向后,田间还有相当比例的雌蛾发生了交配,这个现象表明,性诱素还未能完全抑制红铃虫雄蛾的近距离行为。为此我们进行了本项试验,用以阐明环境中红铃虫性诱素的存在对雄蛾近距离性行为的影响。     

梨小食心虫性外激素不同诱芯对诱蛾活性及持效期的影响

梨小食心虫[Grapholitha molesta(Busck)]是一种为害梨、桃、李、杏和苹果等的果树大害虫。自从Roelofs等(1969)鉴定其性外激素的主要成份为顺-8-十二碳烯-1-基醋酸酯以来,用合成的性外激素防治梨小食心虫的研究迅速开展。目前,包括我国在内的许多国家已经成功地将性外激素诱捕器用作虫情测报;大量诱杀和迷向法防治梨小食心虫也取得了可喜的进展(Roelofs,1975;孟宪佐,1979)。 诱芯,也叫散发器,是释放合成性外激素的载体,其性能对性外激素的诱蛾效果有很大影响。本文对天然橡胶、硅橡胶和聚乙烯塑料等载体以及性外激素的剂量、载体的配比、诱芯的形状等对性外激素的诱蛾活性和持效期的影响等进行了研究,现将结果报道如下。     

UPRE-lac Z为报告基因评价酵母UPR响应初步研究 *

目的: 未折叠蛋白质反应UPR是酵母最重要蛋白质质量控制机制之一,研究UPR响应规律有助于优化异源蛋白分泌途径合成和应对酸醇等胁迫因子的细胞自我保护。方法: 选择实验室菌株W303-1A和工业菌株An-a,以UPRE启动子控制下的Lac Z为报告基因,利用CRISPR/Cas9技术构建得到指示菌株W303-1A (leu 2::UPRE-lac Z)和An-a (leu 2::UPRE- lac Z),分别简称WZ和AZ。结果: 生长曲线测定显示WZ和AZ与亲本菌株的生长接近;添加下述试剂孵育4h后测定β-半乳糖苷酶酶活:1μg/ml衣霉素、8%(v/v)乙醇、0.3%(v/v)乙酸、5%(v/v)乙醇+0.1%(v/v)乙酸;菌株AZ的比酶活分别是对照值的8.2、26.4、1.1和7.9倍,而菌株WZ则分别为12.6、2.4、1.0和1.0倍;进一步以YEplac195为载体表达β-葡萄糖苷酶,AZ和WZ转化子在2%纤维二糖中生长24h的β-葡萄糖苷酶酶活值分别为0.35和6.12U/ml,相应的LacZ则分别为对照值的3.1和5.4倍。结论: 两个菌株显示了在抑制物和异源蛋白表达UPR响应和调控能力上的显著差异,为其改造利用提供了方向;研究也为分析抑制物耐受性和异源蛋白表达关键制约因素、优化酵母ER和UPR信号通路的调控奠定了初步方法基础。