Mammalian Myosin-18A,a Highly Divergent Myosin

The Mus musculus myosin-18A gene is expressed as two alternatively spliced isoforms, α and β, with reported roles in Golgi localization, in maintenance of cytoskeleton, and as receptors for immunological surfactant proteins. Both myosin-18A isoforms feature a myosin motor domain, a single predicted IQ motif, and a long coiled-coil reminiscent of myosin-2. The myosin-18Aα isoform, additionally, has an N-terminal PDZ domain. Recombinant heavy meromyosin- and subfragment-1 (S1)-like constructs for both myosin-18Aα and -18β species were purified from the baculovirus/Sf9 cell expression system. These constructs bound both essential and regulatory light chains, indicating an additional noncanonical light chain binding site in the neck. Myosin-18Aα-S1 and -18Aβ-S1 molecules bound actin weakly with K_d values of 4.9 and 54 μm, respectively. The actin binding data could be modeled by assuming an equilibrium between two myosin conformations, a competent and an incompetent form to bind actin. Actin binding was unchanged by presence of nucleotide. Both myosin-18A isoforms bound N-methylanthraniloyl-nucleotides, but the rate of ATP hydrolysis was very slow (<0.002 s⁻¹) and not significantly enhanced by actin. Phosphorylation of the regulatory light chain had no effect on ATP hydrolysis, and neither did the addition of tropomyosin or of GOLPH3, a myosin-18A binding partner. Electron microscopy of myosin-18A-S1 showed that the lever is strongly angled with respect to the long axis of the motor domain, suggesting a pre-power stroke conformation regardless of the presence of ATP. These data lead us to conclude that myosin-18A does not operate as a traditional molecular motor in cells.     

Optogenetic control of cell function using engineered photoreceptors

Over the past decades, there has been growing recognition that light can provide a powerful stimulus for biological interrogation. Light‐actuated tools allow manipulation of molecular events with ultra‐fine spatial and fast temporal resolution, as light can be rapidly delivered and focused with sub‐micrometre precision within cells. While light‐actuated chemicals such as photolabile ‘caged’ compounds have been in existence for decades, the use of genetically encoded natural photoreceptors for optical control of biological processes has recently emerged as a powerful new approach with several advantages over traditional methods. Here, we review recent advances using light to control basic cellular functions and discuss the engineering challenges that lie ahead for improving and expanding the ever‐growing optogenetic toolkit.     

傅家边丘陵山地滨梅根围AM真菌与土壤酶活性的关系

为揭示AM真菌对宿主滨梅（Prunus maritima）的作用特点及对根部土壤酶活性的影响,于2009年4月、7月和10月分别从江苏傅家边丘陵山地滨梅根围分0～10、10～20、20～30、30～40、40～50 cm 5个土层采集土壤样品,观察滨梅AM菌根结构,测定了AM真菌侵染率、孢子密度、土壤磷酸酶、脲酶活性及有效磷、碱解氮含量,着重分析了AM真菌与土壤酶活性之间的关系。结果表明,滨梅能与AM真菌形成良好的共生关系,共生体为泡囊-丛枝结构;AM真菌侵染率和孢子密度分别在7月份和10月份最高,均出现在0～20 cm土层,并随土层加深而下降;AM真菌侵染率与土壤酸性磷酸酶、中性磷酸酶、碱磷酸酶活性显著正相关,而与脲酶活性无相关性;AM真菌孢子密度与碱性磷酸酶、脲酶活性呈极显著正相关关系;孢子密度与土壤有效磷、土壤碱解氮含量显著正相关,但AM真菌侵染率仅与土壤有效磷含量显著正相关;孢子密度与菌根侵染率之间无相关性。可见,滨梅AM真菌侵染率与孢子密度有明显的时空分布并与土壤因子尤其是某些土壤酶活性密切相关,且AM菌根的形成是滨梅适应丘陵山地干旱贫瘠环境的有效对策之一。     

稃的有无对大赖草种子扩散与萌发特性的影响

对大赖草[Leymus racemosus（Lam．）Tzvel．]带稃种子和去稃种子的扩散性、萌发率、活力及吸水性和失水性的差异进行了比较。结果表明：在静止空气中带稃种子的降落速度显著小于去稃种子,分别为3．96和4．81m·s-1;而在风速1和4m·s-1的水平气流中带稃种子的扩散距离（15．26和11．86cm）均显著大于去稃种子（27．80和21．60cm）。培养20d后,带稃种子和去稃种子的萌发率分别为99％和97％,差异不显著;在自然条件及60℃高温条件下,带稃种子和去稃种子的活力无显著差异。带稃种子的吸水饱和时间和吸水量均显著大于去稃种子,而其失水速率小于后者但二者差异不显著。研究结果显示：稃对大赖草种子萌发和活力均无显著影响,但可增加种子的风媒扩散能力、有效保持种子含水量并能降低种子失水速率,对大赖草适应干旱的沙漠环境具有重要作用。     

独脚金内酯调控植物侧枝发育的分子机制及其与生长素交互作用的研究进展

对独脚金内酯（strigolactones,SLs）调控植物侧枝发育的分子机制及其与生长素相互作用的相关研究结果进行了总结和归纳,在此基础上提出今后的重点研究方向。相关的研究结果显示：在拟南芥[Arabidops~thaliana（Linn．）Heynh．]、豌豆（Pisum sativum Linn．）和水稻（Oryza sativa Linn．）等植物多枝突变体中SLs作为可转导信号参与侧枝发育的分子调控,从这些植物中已克隆获得参与SLs生物合成及信号应答途径的一些基因。作为一种植物激素,SLs在侧枝发育调控网络中与生长素相互作用;腋芽发育与其中生长素的输出密切相关,SLs通过调控芽中生长素的输出间接抑制腋芽发育和侧枝生长,而生长素则在SLs生物合成中起调节作用。     

低温胁迫后抗寒茶树品种‘紫阳圆叶’的基因差异表达分析

采用DDRT—PCR技术,对低温（4℃）胁迫处理不同时间（0、8、12、24和48h）后茶树[Camellia sinensis（Linn．）O．Ktze．]抗寒品种‘紫阳圆叶’（‘Ziyangyuanye’）叶片中差异表达的基因进行分离和测序,并采用半定量RT-PCR对差异表达基因的表达特性进行了比较。结果表明：有12个引物对扩增出有明显差异的cDNA片段,其中3个片段是与抗寒性相关的差异片段,分别被命名为Csgsf．Cscafl和Cscaf2,碱基数分别为217、316和232bp。比对结果显示：Cscaf与茶树品种‘安吉白茶’（‘Anjibaicha’）和‘龙井43’（‘Longjing43’）的谷氨酰胺合成酶基因的同源性分别为96％和91％,与菜豆（Phaseolus vulgaris Linn．）、蒺藜苜蓿（Medicago truncatula Gaertn．）、油棕（ElaeisguineensisJacq．）、西洋参（Panax quinquefolius Linn．）和水稻（Oryza sativa Linn．）等植物的谷氨酰胺合成酶的基因序列同源性均达到90％以上,因此,Cscafl应为茶树谷氨酰胺合成酶基因片段;Cscaf2与干旱胁迫条件下茶树表达的cDNA的同源性为100％,为茶树应答干旱和低温胁迫的基因片段;Cscafl未检索出同源序列,推测其为与冷胁迫相关的未知基因片段。半定量RT—PCR分析结果表明：Cscafl和Cscafl在低温胁迫的初始期即开始表达且表达量随低温胁迫时间延长逐渐下调;而Cscaf2的表达量随低温胁迫时间延长逐渐上调并在胁迫48h后达到最大,3个片段的表达特性均与差异扩增结果相符。     

胃肝样腺癌的临床病理特征

目的探讨胃肝样腺癌（hepatoid adenocarcinoma of the stomach,HAS）的临床病理学特点、发生机制和免疫组化特征,以提高诊断水平。方法收集并分析5例胃肝样腺癌的临床特征和病理资料,采用HE染色、免疫组化方法,并复习文献。结果组织学胃肝样腺癌具有管状腺癌、粘液性癌和肝样分化腺癌的移行过渡,肿瘤细胞呈小梁状、巢团状,间质为丰富的血窦。免疫表型胃肝样腺癌AAT（5／5）、ACT（5／5）、CEA（5／5）、AFP（4／5）均为阳性,Heppar1灶性阳性（2／5）。结论胃肝样腺癌是一种少见的高度恶性、侵袭性强的特殊类型胃癌,组织学呈肝细胞样腺癌,免疫表型AFP、AAT和ACT阳性有助诊断。