Social organization of black-and-white snub-nosed monkeys (Rhinopithecus bieti) at Deqin, China

Data on social organization of two bands of black-and-white snub-nosed monkeys (Rhinopithecus bieti) were collected when the monkeys were crossing an open spot at Nanren and Bamei (northwest of Yunnan, China) using a sampling rule where individuals within one social unit are spatially closer to each other than individuals between social units. The typical pattern of social organization in this sample was multiple adult females (AFs) and their offspring with one adult male (AM) in a one-male unit (OMU), similar to that of many other colobines. In such units, on average one male is associated with 4.0 AFs and 2.5 of their offspring. Moreover, there are multimale/multifemale units and monogamous units besides OMUs. All bisexual units traveled together with at least one all-male unit as a cohesive band. In two bands of monkeys, 87% of AMs in bisexual units were within OMUs, 7.8% within monogamous units and 5.2% within multimale, multifemale units. In the Bamei band, 6.7% of AMs were in the all-male unit. The size of OMUs in the Nanren band was larger than that of the Bamei band, with more AFs and juveniles, which may be related to better conservation in the Nanren band's habitat. For the Nanren band, the average number of AFs in OMUs varied across time, increasing from 4.3 in 1994 to 5.1 in 2001, and then decreasing to 3.8 in 2005. This article suggests three possible explanations for this variation, but more data are needed for these hypotheses to be tested.     

小桐子ISSR-PCR体系的优化

采用正交试验设计方法.建立了小桐子ISSR-PCR反应体系和扩增程序.结果表明,在20μl反应体系中含有1×PCR缓冲液、200μmol/L dNTP、0.5μmol/L引物、2.0mmol/L MgCl2、0.5U Tag DNA聚合酶和90ng模板DNA最适用于小桐子ISSR-PCK扩增.适宜的扩增程序为94℃ 7min;94℃ 1min,44℃～56℃(退火温度随引物不同而定)45s,72℃ 1min,35个循环;72℃7min;4℃保存.     

准噶尔无叶豆的开花物候与生殖特征

 为了研究沙漠稀有植物准噶尔无叶豆(Eremosparton songoricum)的开花物候特征及其对生殖成功的影响, 2005和2006年连续两年对其自然种群的开花物候和开花过程中的花部表型变化进行了观察, 并运用相对开花振幅、开花强度和开花同步性等开花物候指数研究了开花物候特征。结果表明: 准噶尔无叶豆在5月下旬至6月中下旬开花, 其种群、个体、花序和单花的花期分别历时26~29 d、8~10 d、5~7 d和2~3 d。单花开花进程依其形态和散粉特征可分为散粉前期、散粉初期、散粉盛期和凋谢期4个时期。其个体水平的开花物候进程(开花振幅曲线)呈渐进式单峰曲线, 具有很高的开花同步指数, 表现出一种集中开花的模式。开花物候指数与座果数之间的相关分析结果表明, 始花日期与花期持续时间存在负相关关系, 而与开花数和座果数存在正相关关系; 花期持续时间与开花数和座果数存在显著正相关关系。准噶尔无叶豆个体开花物候在很大程度上是由其遗传因子决定的, 而开花物候在年度间的变异, 可能是由于荒漠气候的差异(主要是水分和温度的差异)所引起的。作为沙漠窄域分布特有种, 准噶尔无叶豆在环境和人为干扰的双重选择压力下, 为了吸引更多的传粉者访问而达到生殖成功, 形成了大量集中开花的模式。     

重组PCR技术的应用及优化

重组PCR是通过DNA重叠序列的衔接作用,使多个DNA分子融合在一起的体外扩增技术。它使基因全序列的拼接、基因融合、基因破坏及启动子交换等DNA操作变得简单易行。如今重组PCR已成为DNA分析的有效利器。本研究通过重组PCR在分子进化、基因敲除及基因敲入、启动子研究和转基因植物转化载体的构建等方面的实际应用,分析了该技术的影响因素,并针对引物设计、DNA碱基重叠长度、温度参数等重要反应条件提出了优化方案。     

富铜酵母对西门塔尔牛日粮养分消化率和血液指标的影响

选用16头平均体重420 kg,年龄2.5岁中国西门塔尔牛阉牛,采用随机区组设计,分为4组,以混合精料和风干玉米秸秆为基础日粮,在基础日粮中分别添加富铜酵母0 mg/kg、80 mg/kg、160 mg/kg和240 mg/kg研究富铜酵母对西门塔尔牛营养物质消化代谢和血液指标的影响.结果表明:样品干物质、有机物质、粗蛋白质、无氮浸出物、中性洗涤纤维和酸性洗涤纤维消化率以80 mg/kg和160 mg/kg组较高(P<0.05);粗脂肪消化率以80 mg/kg组较高(P<0.05);80 mg/kg和160 mg/kg组沉积氮和沉积氮/消化氮显著高于对照和240 mg/kg组(P<0.05);160 mg/kg组Ca、P、Fe、Mn、Cu、S、Zn和Mo的存留率显著提高(P<0.05);80 mg/kg和160 mg/kg组血清甘油三酯显著提高(P<0.05);血糖、总胆固醇、白蛋白和总蛋白含量增加(P<0.05);160 mg/kg和240mg/kg组尿素氮显著降低(P<0.05);血清谷草转氨酶、碱性磷酸酶、酸性磷酸酶和乳酸脱氢酶无显著差异(P>0.05).160 mg/kg组血浆铜蓝蛋白显著升高(P<0.05);超氧化物歧化酶显著升高(P<0.05);80 mg/kg和160 mg/kg组谷胱甘肽过氧化物酶显著提高;240 mg/kg组则显著降低(P<0.05);丙二醛呈明显下降趋势.血清Cu含量逐渐增加,160 mg/kg和240 mg/kg组显著高于对照和80 mg/kg组(P<0.05).根据试验结果,富铜酵母添加量以80 mg/kg～160 ms/kg干物质为宜.     

皖油离体培养再生植株体系的建立

甘蓝型油菜(Brassica napus L.)皖油14具柄子叶为外植体,进行安徽省地方性油菜品系离体培养再生植株体系的研究.通过不同浓度的激素组合实验,结果表明:在愈伤组织诱导中,以MS-C7(MS 2 mg/L6-BA 0.2mg/L NAA 0.25 mg/2,4-D 7.5 mg/L AgNO3)培养基的出愈率最高,且可产生大量绿色芽点;以MS-B3(MS 1.0 mg/L6-BA 0.1 mg/L NAA 7.5 mg/L AgNO3)培养基的芽苗分化率最高,可分化出丛生的不定芽;生根培养基MS 0.1 mg/L NAA 7.5 mg/L AgNO3的生根率达100%.7.5 mg/L的AgNO3可以明显减少愈伤组织的褐化,良好的空气流通可以减少玻璃苗的形成.初步建立了皖油14品系的高频再生植株体系.     

A novel <Emphasis Type="Italic">Phex</Emphasis> mutation with defective glycosylation causes hypophosphatemia and rickets in mice

N-ethyl-N-nitrosourea (ENU) mutagenesis is a phenotype-driven approach with potential to assign function to every locus in the mouse genome. In this article, we describe a new mutation, Pug, as a mouse model for X-linked hypophosphatemic rickets (XLH) in human. Mice carrying the Pug mutation exhibit abnormal phenotypes including growth retardation, hypophosphatemia and decreased bone mineral density (BMD). The new mutation was mapped to X-chromosome between 65.4 cM and 66.6 cM, where Phex gene resides. Sequence analysis revealed a unique T-to-C transition mutation resulting in Phe-to-Ser substitution at amino acid 80 of PHEX protein. In vitro studies of Pug mutation demonstrated that PHEX^pug was incompletely glycosylated and sequestrated in the endoplasmic reticulum region of cell, whereas wild-type PHEX could be fully glycosylated and transported to the plasma membrane to exert its function as an endopeptidase. Taken together, the Pug mutant directly confirms the role of Phex in phosphate homeostasis and normal skeletal development and may serves as a new disease model of human hypophosphatemic rickets.     

Preservation of cGMP-induced relaxation of pulmonary veins of fetal lambs exposed to chronic high altitude hypoxia: role of PKG and Rho kinase

The roles of Rho kinase (ROCK) and cGMP-dependent protein kinase (PKG) in cGMP-mediated relaxation of fetal pulmonary veins exposed to chronic hypoxia (CH) were investigated. Fourth generation pulmonary veins were dissected from near-term fetuses ( approximately 140 days of gestation) delivered from ewes exposed to chronic high altitude hypoxia for approximately 110 days (CH) and from control ewes. After constriction with endothelin-1, 8-bromoguanosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (8-Br-cGMP) caused a similar relaxation of both control and CH vessels. Rp-8-Br-PET-cGMPS (a PKG inhibitor) inhibited whereas Y-27632 (a ROCK inhibitor) augmented relaxation of control veins to 8-Br-cGMP. These effects were significantly diminished in CH veins. PKG protein expression and activity were greater whereas ROCK protein expression and activity were less in CH vessels compared with controls. Phosphorylation of threonine 696 (ROCK substrate) and serine 695 (PKG substrate) of the regulatory myosin phosphatase targeting subunit MYPT1 of myosin light chain (MLC) phosphatase was stimulated to a lesser extent in CH than in control veins by endothelin-1 (ROCK stimulant) and 8-Br-cGMP (PKG stimulant), respectively. The phosphorylation and dephosphorylation of MLC caused by endothelin-1 and 8-Br-cGMP, respectively, were less in CH veins than in controls. These results suggest that CH in utero upregulates PKG activity but attenuates PKG action in fetal pulmonary veins. These effects are offset by the diminished ROCK action on MYPT1 and MLC and thus lead to an unaltered response to cGMP.     

Octa-substituted anionic porphyrins: topoisomerase I inhibition and tumor cell apoptosis induction

Beta-octabromo- meso-tetra(4-carboxyl)phenyl porphyrin 6 and beta-octaphenyl- meso-tetra(4-carboxyl)phenyl porphyrin 8 were synthesized and fully characterized by (1)H NMR, UV, and HRMS. Their cytotoxicities to tumor cells were tested using MTT assays. One kind of tumor cell apoptosis induced by these anionic porphyrins under irradiation was examined by flow cytometric analysis. The inhibition of Topo I (Topoisomerase I) indicates that Topo I preferentially binds to the synthesized compounds, thus blocking the interaction between Topo I and DNA. The results implied that compounds 4, 6, and 8 are potential inhibitors to Topo I, which might be one of the important factors inducing apoptosis of tumor cells.     

Synthesis and DNA-recognition and -cleavage properties of multiply charged porphyrin esters

A series of systematically modified porphyrin esters, compounds 1-6, with multiple, permanent positive charges introduced at the meso-positions via N-methylated 4-, 3-, or 2-pyridyl moieties, were prepared and characterized. Their singlet-oxygen production, CT-DNA-binding properties, and plasmid-DNA photocleavage propensities were determined spectroscopically and by gel electrophoresis, and compared to those of the known, fourfold-charged parent porphyrin 4,4',4',4'-porphyrin-5,10,15,20-tetrayltetrakis(1-methylpyridinium) (TMPyP4). Some interesting structure-activity relationships could be established to rationalize effects affecting DNA binding mode and cleavage ability.