Development and evaluation of an efficient and real-time monitoring system for the vector mosquitoes,Aedes albopictus and Culex quinquefasciatus

BackgroundThe surveillance of vector mosquitoes is essential for prevention and control of mosquito-borne diseases. In this study, we developed an internet-based vector mosquito monitor, MS-300, and evaluated its efficiency for the capture of the important vector mosquitoes, Aedes albopictus and Culex quinquefasciatus, in laboratory and field trials.Methodology/Principal findingsThe linear sizes of adult Ae. albopictus and Cx. quinquefasciatus were measured and an infrared window was designed based on these data. A device to specifically attract these two species and automatically transmit the number of captured mosquitoes to the internet was developed. The efficiency of the device in capturing the two species was tested in laboratory, semi-field and open field trials. The efficiency results for MS-300 for catching and identifying Ae. albopictus in laboratory mosquito-net cages were 98.5% and 99.3%, and 95.8% and 98.6%, respectively, for Cx. quinquefasciatus. In a wire-gauze screened house in semi-field trials, the efficiencies of MS-300 baited with a lure in catching Ae. albopictus and Cx. quinquefasciatus were 54.2% and 51.3%, respectively, which were significantly higher than 4% and 4.2% without the lure. The real-time monitoring data revealed two daily activity peaks for Ae. albopictus (8:00–10:00 and 17:00–19:00), and one peak for Cx. quinquefasciatus (20:00–24:00). During a 98-day surveillance trial in the field, totals of 1,118 Ae. albopictus and 2,302 Cx. quinquefasciatus were captured by MS-300. There is a close correlation between the number of captured mosquitoes and the temperature in the field, and a positive correlation in the species composition of the captured samples among the mosquitoes using MS-300, BioGents Sentinel traps and human landing catches.Conclusions/SignificanceThe data support the conclusion that MS-300 can specifically and efficiently capture Ae. albopictus and Cx. quinquefasciatus, and monitor their density automatically in real-time. Therefore, MS-300 has potential for use as a surveillance tool for prevention and control of vector mosquitoes.     

Mating system shifts a species’ range

Understanding the ecological and evolutionary mechanisms that shape a species’ range is an important goal in evolutionary biology. Evidence indicates that mating system is an effective predictor of the global range of native species or naturalized alien plants, but the mechanisms underlying this predictability are not elaborated. Here, we develop a theoretical model to account for the ranges of plants under different mating systems based on migration‐selection processes (an idea proposed by Haldane). The model includes alternation of gametophyte and sporophyte generations in one life cycle and the dispersal of haploid pollen and diploid seeds as vectors for gene flow. We show that the interaction between selfing rates and gametophytic selection determines the role of mating system in shaping a species’ range. Selfing restricts the species’ range under gametophytic selection in nonrandom mating systems, but expands the species’ range under the absence of gametophytic selection in any mating system. Gametophytic selection slightly restricts the species’ range in random mating. Both logarithmic and logistic models of population demography yield similar conclusions in the case of fixed or evolving genetic variance. The theory also helps to explain a broader relationship between mating system and range size following biological invasion or plant naturalization.     

High and Economical Nattokinase Production with Acetoin as a Useful Byproduct from Soybean Milk and Glucose

Probiotics and Antimicrobial Proteins - Nattokinase (NK) is a potent fibrinolytic enzyme with wide pharmaceutical and nutraceutical applications. Safe and high NK-yielding strains are urgently...     

利用寡核苷酸芯片分析Smad3基因敲除小鼠关节软骨细胞基因表达谱的改变

此前发现 Smad3 基因敲除小鼠(Smad3ex8/ex8)的关节软骨细胞异常肥大分化,出现类似于人类骨关节炎的表型。为了进一步明确转化生长因子-β(TGF-β)/Smad3 信号通过调节哪些靶基因的表达来抑制关节软骨细胞的肥大分化,以及研究骨关节炎发病的分子机制,利用寡核苷酸芯片技术分析了 5 日龄 Smad3 基因敲除小鼠与野生型对照小鼠关节软骨细胞基因表达谱的改变。通过对差异表达基因的分析,发现在 Smad3 基因敲除小鼠软骨细胞中骨形态发生蛋白(BMP)与 TGF-β/细胞分裂周期基因 42(Cdc42)信号通路活性增强。此外,还发现其他信号通路,如生长激素(growth hormone)/胰岛素样生长因子 1(Igf1)以及成纤维细胞生长因子(Fgf)信号通路相关基因表达的改变。值得注意的是,还发现了 Smad3 基因敲除小鼠软骨细胞中蛋白合成与电子传递链相关基因的表达水平普遍上调,这意味着蛋白质合成速率的加快与细胞有氧呼吸的增强可能与关节软骨细胞的肥大分化和骨关节炎的发生相关。     

DISC1-related signaling pathways in adult neurogenesis of the hippocampus

Disrupted-in-schizophrenia 1 (DISC1) is a multifunctional scaffold protein which plays an important role in neurogenesis and neural development in the adult brain, especially in the dentate gyrus (DG) of the hippocampus. Accumulated research has unveiled the role of DISC1 in several aspects of neural development and neurogenesis, such as neuronal maturation, proliferation, migration, positioning, differentiation, dendritic growth, axonal outgrowth, and synaptic plasticity. Studies on the function of this protein have explored multiple facets, including variants and missense mutants in genetics, proteins interactivity and signaling pathways in molecular biology, and pathogenesis and treatment targets of major mental illness, and more. In this review, we present several signaling pathways discussed in recent research, such as the AKT signaling pathway, GABA signaling pathway, GSK3β signaling pathway, Wnt signaling pathway, and NMDA-R signaling pathway. DISC1 interacts, directly or indirectly, with these signaling pathways and they co-regulate the process of adult neurogenesis in the hippocampus.     

Research progress of RNA quadruplex

RNA/DNA sequences rich in guanine (G) can form a 4-strand structure, G-quadruplex, which has been extensively researched and observed in mammalian, fungi, and plants, with in vivo existence in eukaryotic cells. Compared with DNA quadruplex, the potential existence of RNA quadruplex appears to be generally rare; however, it is believed by some researchers to be more inevitable in vivo and speculated to play an important role where it exists. Recently, researches concerning the function of G-quadruplexes in RNAs commence, making much progress. However, there is no available review particularly focusing on RNA quadruplex till now as we know. Therefore, we decide to give a review to comprehensively summarize research progress on it. This review highlights the diverse topologies for RNA quadruplex structure and its effect factors; outlines the current knowledge of RNA quadruplex's physiological functions in biological systems, especially in gene expression; and presents the prospects of RNA quadruplex.     

中华双扇蕨中一个新的贝壳杉烷型二萜

从中华双扇蕨（Dipteris chinemis）中分离得到一个新的对映贝壳杉烷型二萜和反式桂皮酸的二聚体：16β—hydroxy-17-[（Z）-p-coumaroyl]-ent-kauran-19-oic acid,命名为dipterinoid A（1）。同时首次从该植物中分离得到其他13个已知化合物。