Genetic variation in BDNF is associated with allergic asthma and allergic rhinitis in an ethnic Chinese population in Singapore

Allergic diseases affect more than 25% of the world population and result from a complex interplay between genetic and environmental factors. Recent evidence has shown that BDNF (Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor) could serve as an important marker of allergic disease. Increased levels of BDNF in blood, bronchoalveolar lavage fluid and nasal lavage fluid positively correlate with disease activity and severity in patients with allergic rhinitis (AR), asthma and atopic eczema. However, reports on the association between genetic variation in BDNF and allergic disease have been controversial. This study therefore aims to clarify the relationship between single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in BDNF and a genetic predisposition to AR and asthma in an ethnic Chinese population of Singapore. Volunteers with a self-reported history of asthma (718 subjects) or a history of AR as determined by a researcher-administered questionnaire (795 subjects) were used in this study, alongside controls with no personal or family history of allergy (717 subjects). The association results identified a significant association for the tagSNP rs10767664 with a significant P_Dominant = 0.0007 and OR = 1.3 for AR and P_Dominant = 0.0005 and OR = 1.3 for asthma (using a dominant model of association). The haplotype based analysis also identified a significant association further confirming the single SNP association. The SNP rs10767664 is strongly linked (r² = 0.95) to the functional polymorphism rs6265 (Val66Met), which has previously been reported to be associated to allergic phenotypes and also shown to affect BDNF expression. BDNF is a therefore a key molecular player in allergy. Further studies on polymorphisms within BDNF may shed light on its role in the pathogenesis of allergic diseases and potentially serve as biomarkers for allergic disease.     

应用微卫星标记研究Dunkin Hartley豚鼠封闭群的遗传背景

目的检测我国现有Dunkin Hartley豚鼠封闭的遗传背景,分析评估其遗传多样性水平和遗传分离情况,为建立标准化的豚鼠封闭群监测方法提供基础资料。方法应用筛选获得的8个微卫星位点,从一个数量为1000的豚鼠封闭群中随机选择72个个体,通过PCR扩增和聚丙烯酰胺凝胶电泳的方法,进行等位基因检测。并根据检测结果分析评估了该豚鼠封闭群的遗传现状。结果共检测到28个等位基因,每个座位的等位基因数为2～5个,有效等位基因数为1.5191～3.4422,平均2.3093。平均期望杂合度为0.5294。各位点多态信息含量在0.3154～0.6545之间,平均值为0.4687。有5个位点显著偏离Hardy-Weinberg平衡。结论豚鼠封闭群的遗传多态性处于中等水平,遗传平衡检测结果提示种群的繁殖过程未能实现完全随机交配,近交现象一定程度上存在。本研究的结果将为豚鼠封闭群遗传监测方法和标准的建立提供基础。     

基于EST数据库进行SNP分子标记开发的研究进展及在猕猴桃属植物中的应用研究

对基于EST数据库开发SNP标记的特点、开发策略等进行了综述,并介绍了在中华猕猴桃复合体(Actinidia chinesis Planch.)中开发EST-SNP的基本思路和初步结果,为后续分子实验验证及其在自然居群中的应用奠定基础,并为其它相关物种的EST-SNP分子标记开发提供借鉴.     

我国西南部喀斯特森林特有濒危树种掌叶木新的微卫星分子标记的开发

采用基因组DNA富集文库法FIASCO(Fast isolation by AFLP of sequences containing repeats)从掌叶木(Handeliodendron bodinieri)基因组中分离和筛选了10个新的微卫星位点,进而对掌叶木茂兰自然分布居群的遗传多样性进行了分析。结果表明, 每个位点在30株掌叶木个体上的平均等位基因数(A)为3.5(3~5个),平均观察杂合度(H_O)为0.650(0.267~0.900),平均预期杂合度(H_E)为0.494(0.224~0.652)。每个位点的第一排除概率值P_r(Ex₁)为0.029~0.240,位点综合值为0.7496。单个位点的第二排除概率P_r(Ex₂)为0.123~0.419,位点综合值为0.9517。这些信息预示着这些微卫星标记可以为研究喀斯特特有濒危树种掌叶木的基因流及居群遗传结构提供有效的遗传工具。     

农杆菌介导的紫花苜蓿高效遗传转化体系的研究

为建立高效的农杆菌介导的紫花苜蓿的遗传转化体系,对影响转化体系的若干因素进行了研究.结果表明,最适宜的条件分别为抗菌素为350 mg/L的羧苄青霉素(Carb);卡那霉素(Kan)筛选的浓度为60 mg/L;基因型为WL-323;外植体为下胚轴;农杆菌菌液浓度OD600值为0.4-0.6;侵染时间10 min;乙酰丁香酮(AS)的浓度为10 mg/L.     

SRAP分子标记在园林植物遗传育种中的应用

相关序列扩增多态性(sequence-related amplified polymorphism,SRAP)分子标记作为一种新型的分子标记技术,以其多态性高、稳定性高、重复性好、操作简便、效率高及成本低等优点,已经在园林植物中广泛应用.简单介绍SRAP标记的原理和特点,综述其目前在遗传多样性评析、亲缘关系分析、遗传图谱构建、种质资源鉴定及基因克隆与基因定位等方面的研究进展,并对该标记在园林植物的遗传育种的应用前景进行了展望.     

Synthesis of novel derivatives of esculentoside A and its aglycone phytolaccagenin, and evaluation of their haemolytic activity and inhibition of lipopolysaccharide-induced nitric oxide production

A series of 46 compounds derived from esculentoside A and its aglycone were synthesized and characterized. The effect of these compounds on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced NO production, haemolytic activity, and cell viability was evaluated. Structure-activity relationship was established by comparing the derivatives of esculentoside A with its aglycone derivatives. Both the aglycone and its derivatives showed higher inhibitory effects on LPS-induced NO production, and lower haemolytic activities than esculentoside A and its derivatives.     

Triterpenes from the fungus Poria cocos and their inhibitory activity on nitric oxide production in mouse macrophages via blockade of activating protein-1 pathway

Two new triterpenes, 29-hydroxydehydrotumulosic acid (1) and 29-hydroxydehydropachymic acid (2), together with six known compounds, dehydropachymic acid (3), dehydrotumulosic acid (4), 29-hydroxypolyporenic acid C (5), polyporenic acid C (6), tumulosic acid (7), and pachymic acid (8), were isolated from the dried sclerotia of Poria cocos. In the in vitro bioassays, these isolated compounds reduced, in a dose-dependent manner, nitric oxide (NO) production from lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced RAW 264.7 cells, with compounds 5 and 6, the IC(50) values of which were 16.8±2.7 and 18.2±3.3 μM, respectively, exhibiting the greatest inhibition activity. Further Western blot analysis conducted on cells pre-treated with compounds 5 and 6, and luciferase assays on activator protein 1-dependent gene expression revealed that the inhibited NO release was attributed to the reduced expression of iNOs (=inducible NO synthase) enzymes, which might be regulated via the blockade of activator protein-1 signaling pathway.     

Topoisomerase I‐Mediated Antiproliferative Activity of 10‐Substituted and 12‐Substituted Homocamptothecins

Homocamptothecin (hCPT) is an E‐ring modified camptothecin (CPT) analogue, which showed pronounced inhibitory activity of topoisomerase I. In search of novel hCPT‐type anticancer agents, two series of hCPT derivatives were synthesized and evaluated in vitro against three human tumor cell lines. The results indicated that the 10‐substituted hCPT derivatives had a considerably higher cytotoxic activity than the 12‐substituted ones. Among the 10‐substituted compounds, 8a, 8b, 9b , and 9i showed an equivalent or even more potent activity than the positive control drug topotecan against the lung cancer cell line A‐549. Moreover, the hCPT analogues 8a and 8b exhibited a higher topoisomerase I inhibitory activity than CPT at a concentration of 100 μM .     

Exploiting powder X-ray diffraction for direct structure determination in structural biology: the P2X4 receptor trafficking motif YEQGL

We report the crystal structure of the 5-residue peptide acetyl-YEQGL-amide, determined directly from powder X-ray diffraction data recorded on a conventional laboratory X-ray powder diffractometer. The YEQGL motif has a known biological role, as a trafficking motif in the C-terminus of mammalian P2X4 receptors. Comparison of the crystal structure of acetyl-YEQGL-amide determined here and that of a complex formed with the μ2 subunit of the clathrin adaptor protein complex AP2 reported previously, reveals differences in conformational properties, although there are nevertheless similarities concerning aspects of the hydrogen-bonding arrangement and the hydrophobic environment of the leucine sidechain. Our results demonstrate the potential for exploiting modern powder X-ray diffraction methodology to achieve complete structure determination of materials of biological interest that do not crystallize as single crystals of suitable size and quality for single-crystal X-ray diffraction.