突触长时程增强形成机制的研究进展

高等动物脑内突触传递的可塑性是近30年来神经科学研究的热点,突触传递长时程增强（long-term potentiation,LTP)是神经元可塑性的反映,其形成主要与突触后机制有关。过去关于LTP机制的研究主要集中于N－甲基－D门冬氨酸（NMDA）受体的特征及该受体被激活后的细胞内级联反应,现认为脑内存在只具有NMDA受体而不具有α－氨基羟甲基恶唑丙酸（AMPA）受体的“静寂突触（silent synapse)”,这一概念的提出,使人们认识到AMPA受体在LTP表达的突触后机制中的重要作用。     

Isochore chromosome maps of the human genome

The human genome is a mosaic of isochores, which are long DNA segments (300 kbp) relatively homogeneous in G+C. Human isochores were first identified by density-gradient ultracentrifugation of bulk DNA, and differ in important features, e.g. genes are found predominantly in the GC-richest isochores. Here, we use a reliable segmentation method to partition the longest contigs in the human genome draft sequence into long homogeneous genome regions (LHGRs), thereby revealing the isochore structure of the human genome. The advantages of the isochore maps presented here are: (1) sequence heterogeneities at different scales are shown in the same plot; (2) pair-wise compositional differences between adjacent regions are all statistically significant; (3) isochore boundaries are accurately defined to single base pair resolution; and (4) both gradual and abrupt isochore boundaries are simultaneously revealed. Taking advantage of the wide sample of genome sequence analyzed, we investigate the correspondence between LHGRs and true human isochores revealed through DNA centrifugation. LHGRs show many of the typical isochore features, mainly size distribution, G+C range, and proportions of the isochore classes. The relative density of genes, Alu and long interspersed nuclear element repeats and the different types of single nucleotide polymorphisms on LHGRs also coincide with expectations in true isochores. Potential applications of isochore maps range from the improvement of gene-finding algorithms to the prediction of linkage disequilibrium levels in association studies between marker genes and complex traits. The coordinates for the LHGRs identified in all the contigs longer than 2 Mb in the human genome sequence are available at the online resource on isochore mapping: http://bioinfo2.ugr.es/isochores.     

Basal euteleostean relationships: a mitogenomic perspective on the phylogenetic reality of the "Protacanthopterygii"

Higher-level relationships of the basal Euteleostei (=Protacanthopterygii) are so complex and controversial that at least nine different morphology-based phylogenetic hypotheses have been proposed during the last 30 years. Relationships of the Protacanthopterygii were investigated using mitochondrial genomic (mitogenomic) data from 34 purposefully chosen species (data for 12 species being newly determined during the study) that fully represented major basal euteleostean lineages and some basal teleosts plus neoteleosts as outgroups. Unweighted and weighted maximum parsimony (MP) and maximum likelihood (ML) analyses were conducted with the data set that comprised concatenated nucleotide sequences from 12 protein-coding genes (excluding the ND6 gene and 3rd codon positions) and 22 transfer RNA (tRNA) genes (stem regions only) from the 34 species. The resultant trees were well resolved and largely congruent, with most internal branches being supported by high statistical values. Monophyly of the protacanthopterygians was confidently rejected by the mitogenomic data. Of the five major monophyletic groups that received high statistical support within the protacanthopterygians, a clade comprising members of the alepocephaloids was unexpectedly nested within the Otocephala, sister-group of the euteleosts. The remaining four major monophyletic groups, on the other hand, occupied phylogenetic positions intermediate between the otocephalans and neoteleosts, with a clade comprising esociforms + salmoniforms being more basal to the argentinoids and osmeroids. Although interrelationships of the latter two clades (argentinoids and osmeroids) with the neoteleosts remained ambiguous, the present results indicated explicitly that the protacanthopterygians as currently defined merely represent a collective, polyphyletic group of the basal euteleosts, located between the basal teleosts (elopomorphs and below) and neoteleosts (stomiiforms and above).     

The Lyon and the LINE hypothesis

X-chromosome inactivation (XCI) was first suggested as an explanation for the variegated phenotypes in mice heterozygous for X-linked colour genes or for X-autosome translocations involving autosomal coat colour genes. The effects seen in X-autosome translocations led to the suggestion of an X-inactivation centre (Xic) from which the inactivation was initiated, and this suggestion has led to major advances in understanding. Another feature of X-autosome translocations is incomplete inactivation of the attached autosomal segment, implying that the X-chromosome is enriched in features favouring inactivation. Interspersed repeat elements, and in particular long interspersed elements (LINEs), have been suggested as the relevant enriching features. Recent evidence concerning this hypothesis is discussed.     

A Bayesian Long‐term Survival Model Parametrized in the Cured Fraction

The main goal of this paper is to investigate a cure rate model that comprehends some well‐known proposals found in the literature. In our work the number of competing causes of the event of interest follows the negative binomial distribution. The model is conveniently reparametrized through the cured fraction, which is then linked to covariates by means of the logistic link. We explore the use of Markov chain Monte Carlo methods to develop a Bayesian analysis in the proposed model. The procedure is illustrated with a numerical example.     

长链非编码RNA(lncRNA)在氧化型低密度脂蛋白诱导血管内皮细胞损伤中表达谱的变化

目的:探讨长链非编码RNA(long noncoding RNA,lnc RNA)在氧化型低密度脂蛋白(oxidized low-density lipoprotein,ox-LDL)诱导的损伤人脐静脉内皮细胞(human umbilical vein endothelial cells,HUVEC)与正常HUVEC中表达谱的差异。方法:采用lnc RNA芯片检测ox-LDL诱导的损伤HUVEC与正常HUVEC中lncRNA及mRNA的表达差异,筛选出HUVEC损伤相关的lncRNA。结果:相对于正常HUVEC,在ox-LDL诱导的损伤HUVEC中表达上调和下调超过2倍的lncRNAs和m RNAs分别有139种和113种,上调和下调超过4倍的lncRNAs和mRNAs分别有35种和28种。结论:与正常HUVEC比较,ox-LDL诱导的损伤HUVEC中lncRNA的表达谱显著变化,lncRNA可能在血管内皮细胞损伤过程中发挥一定作用。     

ST 段抬高心肌梗死靶血管长病变急诊介入治疗的安全性及疗效分析

目的:探讨ST段抬高急性心肌梗死(ST-elevation myocardial infarction,STEMI)患者靶血管长病变(病变>25 mm)急诊经皮冠状动脉介入(percutaneous coronary intervention,PCI)治疗的临床疗效及安全性。方法:回顾性收集2009年1月-2010年6月因STEMI就诊于沈阳军区总医院并急诊行PCI处理的患者442例,以靶病变长度分为两组,即≤25 mm为短病变组(n=235)和>25mm为长病变组(n=207),均急诊行PCI治疗,分析和比较两组患者术前的基线资料、术中资料及并发症的发生情况、辅助措施(临时起搏、IABP、血栓抽吸装置)应用情况,术后30天、2年电话或临床随访,记录主要不良心血管事件(major adverse cardiac events,MACE)的发生情况。结果:与短病变组比较,长病变组吸烟者更多(81.6%vs 62.6%,P=0.000);以三支病变偏多(34.8%vs 24.7%,P=0.037);多枚支架使用率更高(1.47±0.63 vs 1.04±0.28,P=0.000),平均支架总长度显著增加(29.80±7.02 mm vs 22.95±5.58mm,P=0.000),手术成功率、术中并发症及辅助措施应用情况比较差异无统计学意义(P>0.05),30天及2年随访MACE的发生率比较差异无统计学意义(P>0.05)。结论:与急诊PCI治疗的STEMI短病变患者对比,长病变患者虽然病变复杂,多枚支架使用率高,平均支架总长度增加,但术中并发症、30天、2年内MACE与短病变患者相当,提示在以药物洗脱支架为主的介入治疗时代,急诊PCI处理STEMI靶血管长病变具有良好的疗效及安全性。     

Conodont biostratigraphy of Tournaisian shallow-water carbonates in central Guangxi,South China

The conodont faunas of Tournaisian shallow-water carbonates from central Guangxi are described mainly for biostratigraphic purposes. A complete series of samples was collected from the Long’an and Du’an formations in the Long’an section. These formations are characterized by lime-mudstone, skeletal and peloidal wackestone, packstone and grainstone with typical shallow-water biota. Overall, these samples produced 809 identifiable Pl elements, belonging to 50 species in 11 genera, of which one species and one subspecies are new. The fauna enables the establishment of seven biozones (in ascending order): Polygnathus spicatus, Siphonodella homosimplex, S. sinensis, S. dasaibaensis, Polygnathus communis carina Acme, Gnathodus cuneiformis, and P. communis porcatus zones. Based on these new collections from central Guangxi and on data from the literature, a conflated Tournaisian conodont zonation is proposed for shallow-water successions in South China. Most of the conodont zones correlate well with their counterparts recognized in Western Europe, which may be of greater significance in stratigraphic correlation than previously thought.