芦芽山针叶林分布上下限土壤温度及含水量的季节差异

山地小气候特征对解释林线位置、形成机制以及生长⁃气候关系具有重要意义。由于高山气象数据匮乏,尤其是土壤水热数据的缺失,使以往对华北地区山地土壤的温湿度变化特征知之甚少。基于5个整年(2012—2016年)的连续监测,分析了华北芦芽山针叶林分布上下限土壤(10cm)温度和含水量的季节变化特征及差异。结果表明:(1)在芦芽山针叶林分布上限,北坡土壤10月末冻结,5月初解冻,南坡土壤冻结和解冻日均滞后于北坡,生长季内南北坡土壤均温、生长季长度无显著差异(122d,8.1℃和110d,7.6℃);(2)南北坡林线土壤含水量最低值都出现在冬季(1月),最高值则在秋季(10月和9月),并且南坡生长季土壤含水量(0.350 m3/m3)显著大于北坡(0.247 m3/m3);(3)与针叶森林的分布下限(2040 m a.s.l.)相比,林线土壤热量指标(年均温、生长季均温、最热月均温和生长季长度)均明显偏低,而土壤生长季内含水量显著偏大。研究结果揭示了亚高山区土壤冻融过程中温度和含水量的耦合关系,并进一步证实了芦芽山地区针叶树木径向生长在低海拔受干旱胁迫而在高海拔受低温限制。     

Identification of promoter motifs regulating ZmeIF4E expression level involved in maize rough dwarf disease resistance in maize (Zea Mays L.)

Maize rough dwarf disease (MRDD, a viral disease) results in significant grain yield losses, while genetic basis of which is largely unknown. Based on comparative genomics, eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4E (eIF4E) was considered as a candidate gene for MRDD resistance, validation of which will help to understand the possible genetic mechanism of this disease. ZmeIF4E (orthologs of eIF4E gene in maize) encodes a protein of 218 amino acids, harboring five exons and no variation in the cDNA sequence is identified between the resistant inbred line, X178 and susceptible one, Ye478. ZmeIF4E expression was different in the two lines plants treated with three plant hormones, ethylene, salicylic acid, and jasmonates at V3 developmental stage, suggesting that ZmeIF4E is more likely to be involved in the regulation of defense gene expression and induction of local and systemic resistance. Moreover, four cis-acting elements related to plant defense responses, including DOFCOREZM, EECCRCAH1, GT1GAMSCAM4, and GT1CONSENSUS were detected in ZmeIF4E promoter for harboring sequence variation in the two lines. Association analysis with 163 inbred lines revealed that one SNP in EECCRCAH1 is significantly associated with CSI of MRDD in two environments, which explained 3.33 and 9.04 % of phenotypic variation, respectively. Meanwhile, one SNP in GT-1 motif was found to affect MRDD resistance only in one of the two environments, which explained 5.17 % of phenotypic variation. Collectively, regulatory motifs respectively harboring the two significant SNPs in ZmeIF4E promoter could be involved in the defense process of maize after viral infection. These results contribute to understand maize defense mechanisms against maize rough dwarf virus.     

Cancer targeting gene-viro-therapy for pancreatic cancer using oncolytic adenovirus ZD55-IL-24 in immune-competent mice

Cancer targeting gene-viro-therapy (CTGVT) may prove to be an effective treatment for pancreatic cancer (PC). This study was intended to explore the anti-tumor effect of ZD55-IL-24 (oncolytic adenovirus ZD55 harboring IL-24) on PC in immune-competent mice. The expression of gene harbored by oncolytic adenovirus ZD55 in PC cells was detected by reporter-gene assays. The in vitro anti PC ability of ZD55-IL-24 was tested by MTT, crystal violet staining and apoptosis assays. The in vivo anti PC effect of ZD55-IL-24 was further observed in an immune-competent mice model by detecting anti-tumor immunity and induction of apoptosis. The expression of gene harbored by ZD55 in PC cells was significantly higher than that harbored by the replicated-deficient adenovirus, and the amount of gene expression was time-dependent and dose-dependent. Both ZD55-IL-24 and ZD55 inhibited PC cells growth, but the anti-tumor effect of ZD55-IL-24 was significantly stronger than that of ZD55, and the ability of ZD55-IL-24 in inducing PC apoptosis was significantly stronger than that of ZD55. The tumor-forming rate of group ZD55-IL-24 was the lowest, and the tumor-growing rate was also significantly lower than that of group ZD55 in immune-competent PC models. Moreover, ZD55-IL-24 mediated more anti-cancer immunity effects by induction of stronger T-lymphocytes response to PC cells, higher levels of γ-IFN and IL-6 cytokines. ZD55-IL-24-mediated CTGVT could inhibit PC growth not only by inducing oncolysis and apoptosis but enhancing the anti-cancer immune effects by inducing T cell response to PC and up-regulating γ-IFN and IL-6 cytokine in immune-competent mice. This may serve as a candidate therapeutic approach for the treatment of PC.     

Molecular Characterization and Phylogenetic Analysis of Hoplolaimus stephanus

Three Hoplolaimus stephanus populations were characterized morphologically, both by morphometrics and by SEM observations. These populations were used to develop a rapid and accurate molecular identification method for the species, which is useful because of the high level of morphological similarity between H. stephanus and H. galeatus. Species-specific primers for H. stephanus, amplifying a distinct fragment (260 bp) of the nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacer1 (ITS1), can be used in multiplex PCR along with previously developed primers for other common Hoplolaimus species. We also infer phylogenetic relationships among H. stephanus, the closely-related H. galeatus, and several other Hoplolaimus species, using sequences of the actin gene, ITS1 and LSUD.     

Stereoselective metabolism and toxicity of the herbicide fluroxypyr methylheptyl ester in rat hepatocytes

We investigated the stereoselective degradation kinetics and toxicity of fluroxypyr methylheptyl ester (FPMH) in rat hepatocytes using a chiral high‐performance liquid chromatographic method. The T_1/2 of (−)‐FPMH was about two times longer than that of (+)‐FPMH after the rat hepatocytes were incubated with 10, 20, and 50 μM of rac‐FPMH. There was no chiral conversion or transformation during their incubation with the hepatocytes. Toxicity differences were observed among the two enantiomers of FPMH and fluroxypyr (FP) in their EC₅₀ values in rat hepatocytes. Of all the tested compounds, FP was most toxic to the rat hepatocytes. The (−)‐FPMH enantiomer showed higher toxicity than the (+)‐FPMH, whereas the racemic mixture displayed intermediate toxicity. The data presented here are important for a more thorough understanding of this pesticide and should be useful for its full environmental assessment. Chirality, 2011. © 2011 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

Stereoselective metabolism of the herbicide fluroxypyr methylheptyl ester in rabbits

We investigated the stereoselective degradation kinetics of fluroxypyr methylheptyl ester (FPMH) in rabbits using a chiral high-performance liquid chromatographic method. In 20% rabbit plasma, the half lives of (+)-FPMH and (-)-FPMH were 2.5 and 10.9 min, respectively. Thus, the enantioselective degradation was faster for (+)-FPMH than for (-)-FPMH in rabbit plasma in vitro, and there was no chiral conversion or transformation during incubation of the plasma. The degradation of (+)-FPMH was also much faster than that of the (-)-FPMH in the kidney, lung, and muscle after the intravenous administration of 50 mg/kg racemic FPMH (rac-FPMH), whereas the concentrations of FPMH were below the limit of quantification in other tissues. Furthermore, 98% rac-FPMH was quickly (within 10 min) hydrolyzed to fluroxypyr (FP) in rabbit liver microsomes. Therefore, we examined FP in rabbit plasma and tissues in vivo. We detected FP in all tissues; its concentration was higher in the urine than in the other tissues. FP was rapidly excreted unchanged, principally in the urine. The data presented here are important for a more thorough understanding of this pesticide and should be useful for its full environmental assessment.     

Parallel-scan based microarray imager capable of simultaneous surface plasmon resonance and hyperspectral fluorescence imaging

With the development of the microarray technology, demands for array detection techniques become higher and higher. For many microarrays, several biomolecular interactions occur simultaneously and the interplay of various factors that affect these interactions remains poorly understood. Detecting such interactions with a single technique can often be a difficult and complicated process. In this work we propose a combined technique which enables simultaneous angle-interrogation surface plasmon resonance (SPR) sensing and hyperspectral fluorescence imaging. This tandem technique offers two-dimensional imaging of the whole array plane. The refractive index information obtained from SPR sensing and the physicochemical properties obtained from fluorescence imaging provide a comprehensive analysis of biological events on the array-chip. In addition, SPR and fluorescence detection techniques confirm each other in experimental results to exclude false-positive or false-negative cases. In terms of SPR sensing performance, the refractive index resolution is 3.86 × 10⁻⁶ refractive index units (RIU), and the detection limit is 10⁴ cfu/ml of Escherichia coli bacteria. The resolving power and detection sensitivity of fluorescence imaging are approximately 20 μm and 0.61 fluors/μm², respectively. Finally, two model experiments, detecting the DNA hybridization and biotin–avidin interactions respectively, demonstrate the biomedical application of this system.     

大黄鱼肝细胞肿瘤相关抗原-127基因克隆及分子特征分析

在构建大黄鱼肌肉组织cDNA文库的基础上,克隆了肝细胞肿瘤相关抗原-127基因.克隆到的基因全长l439bp,其中5′-UTR 124 bp,3′-UTR 640 bp,编码序列675 bp,编码224个氨基酸.生物信息学分析显示,大黄鱼HCA127基因存在多个功能位点,即N端糖基化位点、蛋白激酶C磷酸化位点、酪蛋白激酶Ⅱ磷酸化位点和亮氨酸拉链结构位点.大黄鱼HCA127氨基酸序列具有较高的保守性,与斑马鱼、胡瓜鱼、大西洋鲑等多种鱼类的相似性在80％以上.在检测的9种组织中,肝细胞肿瘤相关抗原-127基因在肝、肾、肠、鳃、眼、脑组织中表达,其中在脑组织中表达最强,肝和鳃组织中次之,肾和眼组织中表达较微弱.     

利用TCGA数据库构建肾透明细胞癌相关miRNA预后模型

利用TCGA数据库中肾透明细胞癌的miRNA与mRNA数据及临床信息,构建由miRNA组成的预后风险评分模型,并筛选与生存预后相关的miRNA-mRNA调控关系对,为研究提供理论依据。下载并整理TCGA[JP+1]数据库中肾透明细胞癌的miRNA与mRNA数据;对数据进行差异分析,将差异表达的miRNA与临床信息进行合并,利用单因素与多因素Cox回归分析,构建预后模型并进行模型评价;对模型中的miRNA进行靶基因预测,结果与差异表达的mRNA进行取交集,构建miRNA-mRNA调控网络;对网络中的mRNA进行生存分析,筛选生存相关的miRNA-mRNA调控关系对。共得到49个差异表达的miRNA与3 613个差异表达的mRNA;预后模型计算公式为:风险值(risk score)=hsa-miR-21-5p表达量×0.603＋hsa-miR-1251-5p表达量×-0.093;调控网络中共纳入31个miRNA-mRNA调控关系对;对mRNA进行生存分析,共得到7个有价值的关系对。所构建预后模型可有效预测肾透明细胞癌患者生存预后情况,筛选到的miRNA-mRNA调控关系对可为相关研究与治疗提供参考。