围产期慢性尼古丁摄入对子代小鼠学习与记忆的影响

尼古丁对学习记忆间接作用的研究鲜有报道。昆明小鼠母鼠受孕后随机分为对照组(CON)和尼古丁组(NIC)。CON组母鼠自由饮水,NIC组母鼠饮水中给予浓度为50μg/mL的尼古丁。子代小鼠60日龄时,进行Morris水迷宫实验,之后在体记录海马区穿通纤维通路(perforant pathway,PP)至齿状回(dentate gyrus,DG)的长时程增强(long-term potentiation,LTP)。结果显示,NIC组仔鼠的逃避潜伏期从第3天开始明显大于CON组,目标象限停留时间所占百分比和穿越平台次数均低于CON组,LTP群峰电位幅值和场兴奋性突触后电位斜率也都显著低于CON组。说明由母体摄入的尼古丁,可经胎盘和乳汁明显作用于其子代,导致子代学习记忆功能的明显损伤,其可能机制是因为海马神经元突触传递可塑性的效率显著降低。     

The structural basis for the oligomerization of the N-terminal domain of SATB1

Special AT-rich sequence-binding protein 1 (SATB1) is a global chromatin organizer and gene expression regulator essential for T-cell development and breast cancer tumor growth and metastasis. The oligomerization of the N-terminal domain of SATB1 is critical for its biological function. We determined the crystal structure of the N-terminal domain of SATB1. Surprisingly, this domain resembles a ubiquitin domain instead of the previously proposed PDZ domain. Our results also reveal that SATB1 can form a tetramer through its N-terminal domain. The tetramerization of SATB1 plays an essential role in its binding to highly specialized DNA sequences. Furthermore, isothermal titration calorimetry results indicate that the SATB1 tetramer can bind simultaneously to two DNA targets. Based on these results, we propose a molecular model whereby SATB1 regulates the expression of multiple genes both locally and at a distance.     

Cloning, expression, characterization and application of atcA, atcB and atcC from Pseudomonas sp. for the production of L-cysteine

An isolate of a Pseudomonas sp. uses the l-NCC (N-carbamoyl-l-cysteine) pathway to convert dl-2-amino-Δ²-thiazoline-4-carboxylic acid (dl-ATC) to l-cysteine. Genes encoding ATC racemase (AtcA), l-ATC hydrolase (AtcB) and l-NCC amidohydrolase (AtcC), involved in this pathway, were cloned from the Pseudomonas sp. and expressed in Escherichia coli BL21 via pET-28a(+). The resulting enzymes were purified, their functions identified, and their biochemical properties are described. In vitro catalysis experiments, using these enzymes, revealed that the bioconversion rate of l-cysteine from dl-ATC in the presence of AtcA was more efficient than in the absence of AtcA. This is the first report describing simultaneous cloning and expression of atcA, atcB and atcC and characterization of their enzymes for l-cysteine production from dl-ATC via the l-NCC pathway, enabling the complete l-NCC pathway to be elucidated.     

寡营养细菌及其生态作用和应用的研究进展

寡营养细菌是自然环境中特别是在寡营养环境中广泛分布的一种细菌,对寡营养生态环境起着至关重要的作用。近年来,随着分子生物学技术的飞速发展,寡营养细菌开始被广泛深入的研究。其分离培养技术,细菌形态特征,在生态中的作用和应用是目前微生物领域和环境科学领域的前沿课题,本文对这几个方面近年来的研究状况进行了综述,并展望了未来的发展趋势。     

饮用水微生物的安全快速检测

【目的】为了更好地分析饮用水中的微生物含量。【方法】利用流式细胞术(Flowcytometry,FCM)、ATP测定方法检测瓶装无气饮用水中的微生物数量、可同化有机碳(Assimilable organic carbon,AOC)含量以及微生物活性,并将检测结果与传统的饮用水微生物检测技术相对照。【结果】FCM方法可快速区分水样中的活性细菌和非活性细菌,AOC含量反映了水样中微生物再生能力;而ATP检测方法也能比异养细菌平板计数法(Heterotrophic plate count,HPC)更好地反映瓶装无气饮用水中的实际微生物含量。【结论】FCM、ATP测定方法要明显优于依赖于培养的传统方法。     

铜绿假单胞菌新基因PA0058插入失活对氨基糖苷类抗生素耐药性的影响

【目的】铜绿假单胞菌是一种重要的条件致病菌,临床上常引起难治性和顽固性感染,随着各种抗生素的广泛使用,该菌对多种抗生素呈现耐药性,研究其耐药性机理有着重要意义。【方法】以一株临床分离株Pseudomonas aeruginosa PA68作为出发菌株,应用人工Mu转座技术构建突变文库并从中筛选得到一株对链霉素抗性明显增强的菌株M122,并对突变株M122进行测序分析及表型检测。通过Southern杂交实验证实转座子是否为单拷贝插入,对突变株M122的基因表达谱与野生型PA68菌株进行对比分析。【结果】确定了Mu转座子在M122基因组上为单拷贝插入,插入位点为基因PA0058的第214 bp处。对M122进行表型检测,发现其对多种氨基糖苷类抗生素的耐药性均得到增强,通过转入携带完整基因PA0058的表达质粒可以使突变株M122的耐药性有所降低,利用同源重组的方法,在模式菌株P.aeruginosa PAK中进行PA0058基因敲除,得到的敲除株具有链霉素耐药性升高的表型。基因PA0058的缺失引起多种基因表达水平改变,尤其是katB、ahpC、ahpF等抗氧化酶基因转录表达显著增高。【结论】首次发现铜绿假单胞菌PA0058基因的插入失活提高了细菌对氨基糖苷类抗生素的耐药性,且导致突变株M122中抗氧化酶基因转录表达水平的上调。     

Two retroviruses packaged in one cell line can combined inhibit the replication of HIV-1 in TZM-bl cells

The cellular protein tetherin tethers the HIV-1 viral particles on the cellular membrane to inhibit the replication of HIV-1. However, the HIV-1 accessory protein Vpu counteracts the antiviral function of tetherin. In this study, two retroviral vector plasmids were constructed. One inhibited the vpu gene expression; the other one over-expressed the tetherin. Both retroviral vector plasmids could be packaged in the packaging cell line PT67 to obtain the corresponding retroviruses. The retroviral vector plasmids’ functions of tetherin over-expression or vpu-RNAi were detected at the cell level. Retroviral vector plasmids were transfected to PT67 cells at different ratios from 0T3V to 3T0V, and then mixed retroviruses were harvested. The antiviral functions of mixed retroviruses were detected in HIV-1 infected TZM-bl cells. The results showed that packaged mixed retroviruses could repress the replication of HIV-1 in TZM-bl cells.     

腊肠树的重要害虫--粗鳞蜡螟(鳞翅目,螟蛾科,蜡螟亚科)

海南截获一批危害腊肠豆的害虫,鉴定发现是分布东南亚的粗鳞蜡螟Trachylepidia fructicassiella Ragonot,属腊肠树果实的严重害虫.虽然在我国尚未发现其自然分布,但该害虫的主要寄主--腊肠树Cassia fistula Linn.在我国南方通常被作为行道树或花卉栽培,有较广的分布.本文介绍粗鳞蜡螟的形态特征、分布和危害情况,以引起有关部门的注意.     

Design,synthesis and evaluation of phenylfuroxan nitric oxide-donor phenols as potential anti-diabetic agents

Both nitric oxide (NO) dysfunction and oxidative stress have been regarded as the important factors in the development and progression of diabetes and its complications. Multifunctional compounds with hypoglycemic, NO supplementation and anti-oxidation will be the promising agents for treatment of diabetes. In this study, six phenylfuroxan nitric oxide (NO) donor phenols were synthesized, which were designed via a combination approach with phenylfuroxan NO-donor and natural phenols. These novel synthetic compounds were screened in vitro for α-glucosidase inhibition, NO releasing, anti-oxidation, anti-glycation and anti-platelet aggregation activity as well as vasodilatation effects. The results exhibited that compound T5 displayed more excellent activity than other compounds. Moreover, T5 demonstrated significant hypoglycemic activity in diabetic mice and oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) mice. T5 also showed NO releasing and anti-oxidation in diabetic mice. Based on these results, compound T5 deserves further study as potential new multifunctional anti-diabetic agent with antioxidant, NO releasing, anti-platelet aggregation and vasodilatation properties.     

The energy-environment efficiency of road and railway sectors in China: Evidence from the provincial level

The transportation sector, particularly the road and the railway sectors, is an important source of CO₂ emissions in China. This study combines the non-radial data envelopment analysis (DEA) model with window analysis to measure the energy-environment efficiency of the road and railway sectors of 30 provinces in China, then uses the Tobit regression model to analyze the factors affecting the energy-environment efficiency. The findings suggest that, first of all, although these two sectors are both with high energy-environment efficiency, there is a higher probability for railway sector to improve its energy-environment efficiency than that of road sector, with the average energy-environment efficiency 0.9307 and 0.9815, respectively. Second, the road sector in eastern China with the highest average energy-environment efficiency, lower in the western region, and lowest in the central region. As for the railway sector, the western region has the highest average energy-environment efficiency, followed by the central and the eastern regions. Third, the relationship between energy-environment efficiency and income level in the road and railway sectors follow the U-shaped and inverted U-shaped curves, respectively.