抗生素含量测定方法的分析概述

抗生素作为一种抗菌物质,在现代医疗中起着非常重要的作用。2015版中华人民共和国药典共收录抗生素药品363种,所介绍的抗生素含量测定方法有4种。根据抗生素测定方法的统计,在这363种抗生素中,有275种采用高效液相色谱法;有75种采用抗生素微生物检定法;有8 种采用紫外-可见分光光度法;只有5种采用了滴定法。以最新的2015版中华人民共和国药典为基础,对抗生素的测定方法进行了分析概述,期望能在环境抗生素残留量的测定方面提供可借鉴的内容。     

Essential functions of iron-requiring proteins in DNA replication,repair and cell cycle control

Eukaryotic cells contain numerous iron-requiring proteins such as iron-sulfur (Fe-S) cluster proteins, hemoproteins and ribonucleotide reductases (RNRs). These proteins utilize iron as a cofactor and perform key roles in DNA replication, DNA repair, metabolic catalysis, iron regulation and cell cycle progression. Disruption of iron homeostasis always impairs the functions of these ironrequiring proteins and is genetically associated with diseases characterized by DNA repair defects in mammals. Organisms have evolved multi-layered mechanisms to regulate iron balance to ensure genome stability and cell development. This review briefly provides current perspectives on iron homeostasis in yeast and mammals, and mainly summarizes the most recent understandings on iron-requiring protein functions involved in DNA stability maintenance and cell cycle control.     

sgf73+在裂殖酵母中的大规模遗传筛选

遗传相互作用(Genetic interaction, GI)直接提示了生物体内各个基因在功能上的关联性, 为研究一个基因的潜在功能提供了线索。遗传筛选是研究基因遗传相互作用的重要方法。文章以SAGA(Spt-Ada-Gcn5 acetyltransferase)复合物去泛素化模块亚基基因sgf73⁺为查询基因, 在裂殖酵母(Schizosaccharomyces pombe)中进行了大规模遗传筛选。结果显示, 164个基因与sgf73⁺具有负遗传相互作用, 42个基因具有正遗传相互作用。GO(Gene ontology)分析结果表明, 这些基因富集于染色质修饰、DNA损伤修复、压力应答、RNA转录等生物过程。通过组蛋白修饰检测实验首次发现, sgf73⁺的缺失导致组蛋白H3K9、H4K16位点乙酰化水平下降, H3K4位点甲基化修饰水平上升。此外, 系列稀释实验显示sgf73∆菌株对DNA损伤试剂HU和CPT的敏感性提高, 并且Sgf73参与高氧胁迫应答。这些结果显示sgf73⁺参与了染色质修饰、DNA损伤修复和高氧压力应答过程。     

西双版纳地区降雨和食物资源可获得程度对犬蝠分娩时机的影响

繁殖是动物权衡不同自然选择压力和自身生理限制的结果。蝙蝠的繁殖受气候(温度、光周期和降雨量)和食物资源等非生物因素影响。本文通过野外调查犬蝠食物资源、设网捕捉和标志重捕的方法研究西双版纳地区降雨、食物资源可获得程度对犬蝠分娩时机的影响。研究发现,随着3 - 8 月降雨量逐渐增加(19.82 -41.13 kg/ m2 ),犬蝠取食的植物种类呈明显的增加趋势(4 - 9 种)。幼蝠捕捉量与植物资源可获得程度呈显著正相关关系(r = 0. 94,P = 0.01)。西双版纳犬蝠虽然具有一年两次动情和分娩的能力,但是绝大多数个体一年只分娩一次,且集中于3 -5 月。犬蝠分娩时机的选择使得幼蝠飞行学习和捕食时间与食物资源可获得程度高峰期相吻合,有利于提高幼体的生存适合度。     

乙酰转移酶MYST家族的生物学功能

组蛋白乙酰化是表观遗传修饰的重要方式,主要受到组蛋白乙酰转移酶（histone acetyltransferases, HATs)和组蛋白去乙酰化酶（histone deacetylase, HDACs）催化. MYST是人类HATs的4大家族之一,包括MOF(males absent on the first),TIP60 (tat interacting protein 60 kD),结合ORC1的组蛋白乙酰转移酶（histone acetyltransferase binding to ORC1, HBO1),单核细胞白血病锌指蛋白(monocytic leukemia zinc finger protein, MOZ)和MOZ相关蛋白（MOZ related factor, MORF）等,均具有典型的MYST结构域.MYST介导的乙酰化是重要的翻译后修饰,其催化底物包括组蛋白和非组蛋白,如组蛋白H3, H4, H2A, H2A突变体,以及许多参与DNA代谢、细胞增殖和发育调控的蛋白因子. MYST蛋白家族参与许多细胞的生理过程,本文主要综述其在调节基因转录、DNA损伤修复和肿瘤发生发展等方面的生物学功能.     

人XPB基因在核苷酸剪切修复和基因转录中的分子机制

核苷酸剪切修复(NER)途径是维持生物体基因组稳定的重要机制。人着色性干皮病B组(xeroderma pigmentosum group B,XPB)基因又名ERCC3基因,它既是NER途径不可缺少的成员又是转录因子TFIIH的最大p89亚基。它是具有从3’端→5’端依赖ATP的单链DNA解旋酶活性的蛋白质,执行依赖DNA的ATP酶和解旋酶功能,在损伤DNA修复和基因转录中均起重要作用,并将两者有机偶联。该基因突变将导致3种不同的遗传疾病：着色性干皮病(xeroderma pigmentosum,XP),科凯恩氏综合征(cockayne’s syndrome,CS),毛发硫营养不艮(trichothiodystrophy,TTD)。其基因型通过在DNA修复和转录中的功能与表型联系起来。另外,XPB与p53存在物理和功能上的相互作用。现从XPB的3个方面即“一个基因,两种功能,3种疾病”作一综述。     

中国林蛙蝌蚪和大蟾蜍蝌蚪的最适温度、逃避温度及致死温度

报道了中国林蛙蝌蚪 (Ranachensinensis)和大蟾蜍蝌蚪 (Bufogargarizans)在不同驯化温度下的最适温度、逃避温度和致死温度的研究结果。将中国林蛙蝌蚪和大蟾蜍蝌蚪分别在 5、1 5和 2 5℃ 3个不同温度下驯养 3周 ,利用温度梯度装置观察记录 2种蝌蚪的最适温度、逃避温度和最高致死温度。结果表明 ,经过在 5、1 5和 2 5℃ 3个温度下的驯化 ,中国林蛙蝌蚪的最适温度范围分别为 1 3 . 5～ 1 8℃、2 0. 5～2 5℃和 2 3～ 2 7. 5℃ ;大蟾蜍蝌蚪的最适温度范围分别为 1 2～ 1 6 .5℃、2 1～ 2 5. 5℃和 2 2～ 2 6. 5℃。中国林蛙蝌蚪和大蟾蜍蝌蚪的最高致死温均在 3 7～ 3 8℃之间 ,最低致死温均为 0℃。驯化温度对最适温度影响显著 (P <0 .0 1 ) ,对致死温度则没有显著影响。驯化温度对中国林蛙蝌蚪和大蟾蜍蝌蚪的逃避温度产生的影响比最适温度的大。     

Non-enzymatic fast repair of DNA oxidative damage might also exist in cells

Many studies have shown that in a chemical system natural polyphenols can rapidly repair DNA oxidative damage. In this paper we report that in a cellular system the non-enzymatic fast repair activities of two natural polyphenols might also exist. The viability of a Chinese hamster ovary cell line (AA8) highly expressing the XRCC1 gene (a DNA repairing protein) treated with H2O2 is significantly higher than that of a normal Chinese hamster ovary cell line (CHO). Following inhibition of the enzymatic repair system by different inhibitors--methoxyamine (MX), 3-aminobenzamide (3AB) or nicotinamide (NIC)--DNA oxidative damage by H2O2 increased 2-5-fold in both cell lines. However, when natural polyphenols--rosmarinic acid (RA) or verbascoside (VER)--were added, DNA oxidative damage was significantly reduced. This decrease of DNA oxidative damage by RA or VER is not due to their scavenging activity for reactive oxygen species (ROS) because cells suffered from heavy ROS throughout the whole experimental process. Therefore, the decrease of DNA damage might be due to their non-enzymatic fast repair mechanisms. Further investigation showed that H2O2 induced a drop in the mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), and that RA and VER were able to attenuate the drop. Previous studies have shown that H2O2 initiates a chain of events in cells, involving mtDNA damage, a drop in MMP and loss of repair activity. These results, taken together with our present results, suggest that the non-enzymatic fast repair mechanism exists not only in chemical systems but also might exist in cells.     

NUCEL (Cell and Molecular Therapy Center): A Multidisciplinary Center for Translational Research in Brazil

Social and economical development is closely associated with technological innovation and a well-developed biotechnological industry. In the last few years, Brazil’s scientific production has been steadily increasing; however, the number of patents is lagging behind, with technological and translational research requiring governmental incentive and reinforcement. The Cell and Molecular Therapy Center (NUCEL) was created to develop activities in the translational research field, addressing concrete problems found in biomedical and veterinary areas and actively searching for solutions by employing a genetic engineering approach to generate cell lines over-expressing recombinant proteins to be transferred to local biotech companies, aiming at furthering the development of a national competence for local production of biopharmaceuticals of widespread use and of life-saving importance. To this end, mammalian cell engineering technologies were used to generate cell lines over-expressing several different recombinant proteins of biomedical and biotechnological interest, namely, recombinant human Amylin/IAPP for diabetes treatment, human FVIII and FIX clotting factors for hemophilia, human and bovine FSH for fertility and reproduction, and human bone repair proteins (BMPs). Expression of some of these proteins is also being sought with the baculovirus/insect cell system (BEVS) which, in many cases, is able to deliver high-yield production of recombinant proteins with biological activity comparable to that of mammalian systems, but in a much more cost-effective manner. Transfer of some of these recombinant products to local Biotech companies has been pursued by taking advantage of the São Paulo State Foundation (FAPESP) and Federal Government (FINEP, CNPq) incentives for joint Research Development and Innovation partnership projects.     

Plant diversity positively affects short‐term soil carbon storage in experimental grasslands

Increasing atmospheric CO₂ concentration and related climate change have stimulated much interest in the potential of soils to sequester carbon. In ‘The Jena Experiment’, a managed grassland experiment on a former agricultural field, we investigated the link between plant diversity and soil carbon storage. The biodiversity gradient ranged from one to 60 species belonging to four functional groups. Stratified soil samples were taken to 30 cm depth from 86 plots in 2002, 2004 and 2006, and organic carbon contents were determined. Soil organic carbon stocks in 0–30 cm decreased from 7.3 kg C m^?2 in 2002 to 6.9 kg C m^?2 in 2004, but had recovered to 7.8 kg C m^?2 by 2006. During the first 2 years, carbon storage was limited to the top 5 cm of soil while below 10 cm depth, carbon was lost probably as short‐term effect of the land use change. After 4 years, carbon stocks significantly increased within the top 20 cm. More importantly, carbon storage significantly increased with sown species richness (log‐transformed) in all depth segments and even carbon losses were significantly smaller with higher species richness. Although increasing species diversity increased root biomass production, statistical analyses revealed that species diversity per se was more important than biomass production for changes in soil carbon. Below 20 cm depth, the presence of one functional group, tall herbs, significantly reduced carbon losses in the beginning of the experiment. Our analysis indicates that plant species richness and certain plant functional traits accelerate the build‐up of new carbon pools within 4 years. Additionally, higher plant diversity mitigated soil carbon losses in deeper horizons. This suggests that higher biodiversity might lead to higher soil carbon sequestration in the long‐term and therefore the conservation of biodiversity might play a role in greenhouse gas mitigation.