Melon rugose mosaic virus, the cause of a disease of watermelon and sweet melon

A mechanically transmissible virus with isometric particles c. 32 nm in diameter, was isolated from infected watermelons and sweet melons in the People's Democratic Republic of Yemen. Purified virus preparations contained two major sedimenting components with sedimentation coefficients of 61S and 117S. In isopycn ic centrifugation in CsCl the particles formed a single band of buoyant density 1.39 g cm^-3. Preparations of virus particles comprised of a single polypeptide of mol. wt c. 22 000 and ssRNA of mol. wt 2.1 × 10⁶. The virus was serologically related to three of six subgroups of tymoviruses tested. The name melon rugose mosaic virus is proposed for this newly described virus.     

Signatures of hybridization and speciation in genomic patterns of ancestry*

Genomes sampled from hybrid zones between nascent species provide important clues into the speciation process. With advances in genome sequencing and single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) genotyping, it is now feasible to measure variation in gene flow with high genomic resolution. This progress motivates the development of conceptual and analytical frameworks for hybrid zones that complement well‐established cline approaches. We extend the perspective that genomic distributions of ancestry are sensitive indicators of hybridization history. We use simulations to examine the behavior of the number of ancestry junctions—a simple summary of genomic patterns—in hybrid zones under increasingly realistic scenarios. Neutral simulations revealed that ancestry junction number is shaped by population structure, migration rate, and population size. Modeling multiple genetic architectures of hybrid dysfunction, with an emphasis on epistatic hybrid incompatibilities, showed that selection reduces junction number near loci that confer reproductive barriers. The magnitude of this signature was affected by the form of selection, dominance, and genomic location (autosome vs. sex chromosome) of incompatible loci. Our results suggest that researchers can identify loci involved in reproductive isolation by scanning hybrid genomes for local reductions in junction number. We outline necessary directions for future theory and method development to realize this goal.     

Prospects for association mapping in classical inbred mouse strains

The collection of classical inbred mouse strains displays heritable variation in a large number of complex traits. Many generations of historical recombination have contributed to the panel of classical strain genomes, raising the possibility that quantitative trait loci could be located with high resolution by correlating strain genotypes and phenotypes. Although this association mapping framework has been successful in several empirical applications, its expected performance remains unclear. We used computer simulations based on a publicly available, dense single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) map to measure the power and false-positive rate of association mapping on a genomic scale across 30 commonly used classical inbred strains. Expected power is (i) often low for phenotypic effect sizes that are realistic for complex traits, (ii) highly variable across the genome, and (iii) correlated with linkage disequilibrium, aspects of the allele frequency distribution, and haplotype characteristics, as predicted by theory. Simulations also demonstrate clear potential for spurious associations to be generated by unequal relatedness among the strains. These findings suggest that association mapping in the classical strains is best applied in combination with other procedures, such as QTL mapping.     

番茄SlMYB86基因的原核表达及缺氮胁迫下的表达分析北大核心CSCD

MYB转录因子参与植物细胞形态与模式建成、次级代谢的调控以及生物和非生物胁迫应答等反应。该研究采用RT-PCR方法扩增了番茄SlMYB86基因,并进行了聚类分析和保守域序列分析,构建原核表达载体和诱导纯化蛋白,利用qRT-PCR和Western blot检测SlMYB86在缺氮复氮下的表达水平,为深入探究番茄MYB86转录因子在缺氮胁迫下的功能奠定基础。结果表明:(1)番茄SlMYB86与番茄SlMYB26在进化树上属于同一分支,亲缘关系较近,且SlMYB86含有2个Myb_DNA-binding保守结构域,属于R2R3-MYB型转录因子。(2)qRT-PCR分析发现,SlMYB86基因在番茄根和叶中均有表达,缺氮胁迫下SlMYB86表达较对照显著增加。(3)成功构建pET-28a-SlMYB86原核表达载体并转化E.coli BL21(DE3),SDS-PAGE和Western blot结果表明,SlMYB86蛋白的最佳诱导条件为0.5 mmol/L的IPTG、37℃诱导8 h;目的蛋白相对分子量大约为41 kD,与预期大小一致,并获得较高纯度的SlMYB86原核蛋白。(4)将纯化的SlMYB86蛋白免疫小白鼠获得抗体,利用该抗体进行Western blot分析发现,番茄中SlMYB86蛋白在缺氮胁迫后表达上调,表明番茄SlMYB86基因参与了缺氮胁迫的应答。     

应用稳定性同位素技术（δ13C、δ15N）研究长江中游干流主要鱼类的营养级

应用稳定性同位素技术（δ13C、δ15N）对2011年3月至2013年12月采自长江中游干流宜昌、荆州、石首、监利、城陵矶、鄂州、九江和湖口江段的44种鱼类及3种水生无脊椎动物进行了营养级研究。长江中游干流鱼类的δ13C值范围﹣33.83‰（鳙Aristichthys nobilis） ~ ﹣17.36‰（南方鲇Silurus meridionalis）,δ15N值范围4.83‰（泥鳅Misgurnus anguillicaudatus）~ 15.13‰（翘嘴鲌Culter alburnus）。以梨形环棱螺（Bellamya purificata）的δ15N均值5.48‰作为营养级基准线（营养级 = 2）,计算出该江段水生动物的营养级处于2.42 ~ 4.88,主要集中在2.83 ~ 3.61之间,鱼类平均营养级为3.28。营养级大于2.83的鱼类种类数量占了总生物种数的80.85%。大刺鳅（Mastacembelus armatus）和长春鳊（Parabramis pekinensis）营养级最低,分别为2.42 ± 0.49和2.56 ± 0.52,营养层级大于4.0的高级消费者为太湖新银鱼（Neosalanx taihuensis）、短颌鲚（Coilia brachygnathus）、鳙和长蛇鮈（Saurogobio dumerili）,分别为4.88 ± 0.01、4.37 ± 0.27、4.32 ± 0.35和4.09 ± 0.78,小黄黝鱼（Micropercops swinhonis)、鱤（Elopichthys bambusa）、鱖（Siniperca chuatsi）、翘嘴鲌、青鱼（Mylopharyngodon piceus）和南方鲇的营养级分别3.99、3.92 ± 0.16、3.89 ± 0.27、3.87 ± 0.62、3.59 ± 0.69和3.59 ± 0.57。本研究旨为长江中游渔业资源评估及其合理利用提供基础科学资料,为进一步研究长江中游干流渔业资源营养结构的动态变化及受人为活动干扰影响等提供科学参考依据。     

Cofilin蛋白功能及活性调节

Cofilin是普遍存在于真核细胞的一种肌动蛋白结合蛋白. Cofilin的基本功能是在细胞内结合和解聚F肌动蛋白（F-actin）,其活性是通过磷酸化、去磷酸化、磷酸肌醇、pH改变等进行调节.cofilin介导了细胞内的信号途径,从而调节肌动蛋白骨架的重组,对肌肉形态发育起到重要作用.目前,在各种有机体中发现了许多特征性的cofilin蛋白同系物.其中鼠和人有2种cofilin蛋白：cofilin-1（non-muscle cofilin）和cofilin-2（muscle cofilin）.本文根据目前对cofilin的研究结果,从cofilin蛋白结构、功能、活性调节、在肌肉发育中的作用及相关疾病等方面进行阐述.     

Recombination rate variation in mice from an isolated island

Recombination rate is a heritable trait that varies among individuals. Despite the major impact of recombination rate on patterns of genetic diversity and the efficacy of selection, natural variation in this phenotype remains poorly characterized. We present a comparison of genetic maps, sampling 1212 meioses, from a unique population of wild house mice (Mus musculus domesticus) that recently colonized remote Gough Island. Crosses to a mainland reference strain (WSB/EiJ) reveal pervasive variation in recombination rate among Gough Island mice, including subchromosomal intervals spanning up to 28% of the genome. In spite of this high level of polymorphism, the genomewide recombination rate does not significantly vary. In general, we find that recombination rate varies more when measured in smaller genomic intervals. Using the current standard genetic map of the laboratory mouse to polarize intervals with divergent recombination rates, we infer that the majority of evolutionary change occurred in one of the two tested lines of Gough Island mice. Our results confirm that natural populations harbour a high level of recombination rate polymorphism and highlight the disparities in recombination rate evolution across genomic scales.     

扎龙湿地硅藻植物群落季节变化及其对环境的响应

扎龙湿地位于黑龙江省西部、松嫩平原乌裕尔河下游,是我国北方同纬度地区最完整的湿地。于2012年春、夏、秋3季,对扎龙湿地6个代表性区域进行硅藻标本采集,经观察鉴定,发现硅藻植物140个分类单位,包括121种19变种,隶属于2纲6目9科30属。羽纹纲物种较丰富,占总种类数的95%。硅藻植物群落呈现明显的季节演替,秋季硅藻种类丰富度及相对丰度明显高于春、夏两季,优势种多以淡水、半咸水、喜弱碱的种类为主,优势种与水体的盐度和酸碱度存在一定的响应关系。应用典范对应分析(Canonical Correspondence Analysis,CCA)探讨硅藻植物群落变化与环境因子之间的关系。CCA结果显示在扎龙湿地中,水温、电导率、pH、溶解氧是影响硅藻群落结构变化的主要因素,此外总氮、总磷也是硅藻群落季节演替的重要驱动因子。结合硅藻植物多样性指数和硅藻商对扎龙湿地水质进行综合评价,结果显示扎龙湿地整体为中-寡污带水体,部分水域水质较清洁,少数样点受人为因素影响,呈轻污染。     

汉滩病毒M、S基因不同拼接方式在昆虫细胞中融合表达效果比较

将汉滩病毒囊膜糖蛋白G1与核蛋白(NP)部分片段以不同方式拼 接,构建G1S0.7或S0.7G1嵌合基因,分别插入杆状病毒表达载体pFBD,转化DH10Bac致敏菌, 获得含有嵌合基因的重组穿梭质粒Bacmid,用其转染Sf9细胞,快速筛选出含有G1S0.7或S0.7 G1嵌合 基因的重组杆状病毒,在昆虫细胞中表达外源融合蛋白.利用间接免疫荧光、ELISA和免疫 印迹对表达产物进行检测.结果表明,含G1S0.7嵌合基因之重组杆状病毒可在昆虫细胞中表 达出融合蛋白,该蛋白可被抗汉滩病毒核蛋白及糖蛋白G1特异性单抗所识别,其分子量约97 kD;含S0.7G1嵌合基因之重组杆状病毒在昆虫细胞中表达的融合蛋白,只能被抗汉滩病毒核 蛋白特异性单抗所识别,其分子量约43kD.上述结果提示,G1S0.7嵌合基因可能在昆虫细胞 中表达出完整的具有生物学活性的融合蛋白,S0.7G1嵌和基因的昆虫细胞表达产物不完整 ,且生物学活性不如G1S0.7嵌合基因的表达产物.