Observations on the Host-Symbiont Relationships of Lagenophrys lunatus Imamura*

An epizoic loricate peritrich, Lagenophrys lunatus Imamura, was found in North Carolina, Virginia, and Maryland on the exoskeleton of the palaemonid shrimp, Palaemonetes pugio, P. intermedius, P. vulgaris, P. paludosus, and Macrobrachium ohione. L. lunatus prefers to attach onto or near the appendages of the host where water movement over the exoskeleton is strongest. The symbionts depend for their food on particles of the host's food and phytoplankton swept to them by these water currents. They attach to other areas of the exoskeleton only when the preferred areas are filled. Trophic individuals are stimulated to undergo a special type of division in advance of the molt of the host that results in the evacuation from the old exoskeleton. Conjugation occurs en masse and has only been observed during molting of the host.     

Austro-boreal disjunctions: a remarkable biogeographical pattern illustrated by Nan Ao Island, Guangdong, China

Aim To document disjunct, insular populations of animals separated from similar conspecifics distributed to the north, inland and upland, and compare this pattern with that historically described for northern Florida and the Florida Keys islands. Location Nan Ao Island is on the Tropic of Cancer 117° E in the South China Sea, eastern Guangdong Province, China. There are archipelagos of islets extending south‐east, and several coastal islets around Nan Ao. Methods Five field surveys were made in 1999–2001. Voucher specimens were tagged, catalogued, and deposited in major museum collections. The comparable Floridian disjunct pattern was researched and described in overview. Results Five species – a toad, two lizards and two snakes – collected on Nan Ao and three satellite islands were added to the two previously documented species – a lizard and a snake – that fit the austro‐boreal disjunct pattern. One lizard and one snake are minor range extensions of a hundred or few km. One snake's Nan Ao population is disjunct by about 450 km and one lizard's by about 550 km. The small, semi‐fossorial, short‐legged toad is the most notable, separated from the main area of its range by about 800 km. This is similar to the greatest distance between north Floridian and Keys disjunct populations. Main conclusions (1) Seven Nan Ao species of terrestrial vertebrates are isolated and disjunct from conspecifics found to the north, upland and inland; this compares to five species showing a similar north Florida to Florida Keys pattern. (2) The Nan Ao species have no conspecifics known from the intervening area whereas four of the five Floridian species have conspecific, but dissimilar, populations in the gap. (3) Nan Ao and its satellite islets were high points on a large coastal plain at glacial maximum. (4) Holocene sea level rise and concomitant global warming may have isolated the Nan Ao relicts that had continuous distributions at glacial maximum. (5) The intervening mainland conspecific populations may have been replaced by tropical species that moved north along the mainland but failed to colonize the islands. (6) If so, significant adaptation to a warmer climate must have occurred to enable survival of the Nan Ao relicts to the present.     

Application of otolith mass and shape for discriminating scabbardfishes Aphanopus spp. in the north‐eastern Atlantic Ocean

The otolith was used to investigate the variability between Aphanopus carbo and Aphanopus intermedius inhabiting the north‐eastern Atlantic Ocean. The results indicate a high degree of morphological affinity between species and areas; a noticeable metabolic change in the otolith shape was noted in the specimens of A. carbo, which may be related to migrations of individuals from shallow water (closer to the continental coast) to deeper water (archipelagos of Madeira and the Canary Islands). The results suggest a single population for both species in the north‐eastern Atlantic Ocean, although not conclusively.     

Production of mannitol by Lactobacillus intermedius NRRL B-3693 in fed-batch and continuous cell-recycle fermentations

Improved fermentation processes were developed for the production of mannitol by a heterofermentative lactic acid bacterium (Lactobacillus intermedius NRRL B-3693). A fed-batch fermentation protocol overcame limitations caused by high substrate concentrations. The process was developed using corn steep liquor and glucose as inexpensive industrial nutrient sources, supplemented with a small amount of soy peptone and manganese. The fed-batch process resulted in a concentration of 176 ± 0.5 g mannitol from 184 ± 0 g fructose and 92 ± 0.1 g glucose per L of final fermentation broth in 30 h with a volumetric productivity of 5.9 g/(L h). Further increases in volumetric productivity of mannitol were obtained in a continuous cell-recycle fermentation process that reached more than 40 g/(L h), despite reduced mannitol levels of 78–98 g/L and residual substrate of 10–20 g/L. This is the first report of such a high volumetric productivity of mannitol by a heterofermentative lactic acid bacterium.     

河北兴隆县雾灵山蝮蛇分类地位的探讨

河北兴隆县的蝮蛇分类问题,以往有国外学者进行过报道.国内文献记载河北省只分布有一种蝮蛇即短尾蝮.2006年实地考察和饲养观察研究发现,雾灵山的蝮蛇不是同一种,而是两种蝮蛇.它们的形态、分布和习性均不同,依照中国动物志爬行纲第三卷鉴定,分别为短尾蝮和中介蝮,从而恢复了河北省中介蝮分布的纪录.     

虾夷马粪海胆(Strongylocentrotus intermedius)Vasa基因的克隆与表达

Vasa基因是DEAD-box家族成员中的一种ATP依赖的RNA解旋酶编码基因,在生殖系分化过程中发挥重要作用。采用同源克隆和cDNA末端快速扩增技术(RACE),从虾夷马粪海胆精巢中克隆得到Vasa基因3′端cDNA序列。该3′末端cDNA长1057bp,与太平洋牡蛎、紫球海胆、非洲爪蟾、小鼠及虹鳟经同源进行比对,其中与紫球海胆的同源率最高达到95%,并确定其为DEAD-box家族的Vasa亚家族成员。利用实时定量RT-PCR检测Vasa mRNA在虾夷马粪海胆组织和胚胎发育期的表达情况,研究结果表明Vasa基因在生殖腺表达量最高,雌、雄个体生殖腺中转录水平上的表达差异明显,雄性高于雌性,差异显著(P<0.05),在肠、体腔液、肌肉、围口膜、管足中表达量低,其中体腔液表达量最低。胚胎发育期检测发现Vasa基因在16细胞期时表达量最高,16细胞期后表达量呈下降趋势,囊胚期表达量最低。试验结果为虾夷马粪海胆生殖系统起源、分化研究提供科学依据。对于虾夷马粪海胆生殖系分化途径来讲,Vasa可作为一种有利的研究工具,追溯其生殖系的起源和分化。     

重组白眉蝮蛇去整合素定点突变对其生物活性的影响

RGD为存在于许多糖蛋白配体中的氨基酸序列,对整合素具有识别作用.此序列也发现于许多蛇毒去整合素分子中.采用基因克隆技术从大连产白眉蝮蛇的毒腺中克隆出的去整合素adinbitor是含73个氨基酸残基的去整合素,分子中含有12个半胱氨酸和RGD模体.实验证明,adinbitor作为去整合素的新成员,具有典型的抗ADP诱导的人血小板聚集作用和抗肿瘤血管新生作用.为了将adinbitor的这2种功能分开,采用PCR基因定点突变的方法,将其cDNA序列中RGD模体改变成KGD.重组adinbitor(KGD)在E.coli BL21得到表达,并通过His&#8226;Bind亲和层析予以纯化.实验发现,adinbitor对ADP诱导的人血小板聚集具有明显抑制作用,其IC50=85 nmol/L,明显优于adinbitor(RGD) （IC50=150 nmol/L）.然而,与adinbitor(KGD)相比,adinbitor(KGD)则丧失了对血管生成的抑制作用.结果说明,adinbitor(KGD)可作为专一的抗人血小板聚集药具有潜在的开发前景.     

刺激家鸽上纹状体对丘脑背中腹前核神经元电活动的影响

在氨基甲酸乙酯麻醉的55只鸽上,记录和分析了丘脑背中腹前核(nueleus dorsalis inter-medius ventralis anterior thalami,DIVA)对桡神经传入冲动发生反应的88个躯体感觉单位的放电其中一部分单位还对刺激坐骨神经发生反应。电刺激上纹状体的躯体传入投射区,可引致上述DIVA躯体感觉单位的自发放电和对桡神经传入的反应发生明显抑制。对自发放电抑制的程度与上纹状体的刺激频率和刺激强度呈正相关的关系;对桡神经传入反应的抑制则是使反应潜伏期增长和锋电位减少。以上结果提示,DIVA确实隶属于躯体感觉系统,而上纹状体躯体传入投射区对其躯体感觉单位有下行的抑制性影响,这种下行抑制可能使上纹状体得以对感觉输入进行反馈控制。看来中枢神经系统高级部位与丘脑之间的这种功能联系,在鸟类和哺乳类具有相似之处。     

Human salivary aggregation in Streptococcus intermedius type g strains: relationship with IgA

Bacterial aggregation is an important step in elimination from the human body to protect against infection. Streptococcus intermedius K1K aggregates in human saliva. In this study, the salivary agglutinin was identified. The aggregation level was very strong in sonic-treated saliva and 1-microm filtrate. Preincubation of human saliva with anti-human alpha chain serum or anti-human whole saliva serum completely inhibited aggregation, but preincubation with anti-human micro chain serum or anti-Fc fragment of human IgG serum had no effect. Agglutinin of human saliva that could aggregate the strain K1K was purified using DEAE-Sepharose CL-6B, Phenyl-Sepharose CL-4B and Sephacryl S200HR gel filtration. Purified salivary agglutinin was characterized with electrophoresis and immunological techniques, indicating that purified material was IgA. Bacterial aggregation was dependent on the presence of calcium. Saliva filtrate specimens from eight healthy men and eight women showed different aggregation activities. Three men and one woman had little activity. These data show that the present bacterial aggregation was an immunoreaction between IgA in saliva and the bacteria dependent on the levels of calcium. In addition, the IgA in human saliva related with possible calcium-dependent antigen(s) on the surface of strain K1K.     

Intermedilysin is essential for the invasion of hepatoma HepG2 cells by Streptococcus intermedius

Streptococcus intermedius causes endogenous infections leading to abscesses. This species produces intermedilysin (ILY), a human-specific cytolysin. Because of the significant correlation between higher ILY production levels by S. intermedius and deep-seated abscesses, we constructed ily knockout mutant UNS38 B3 and complementation strain UNS38 B3R1 in order to investigate the role of ILY in deep-seated infections. Strain UNS38 reduced the viability of human liver cell line HepG2 at infection but not of rat liver cell line BRL3A. Isogenic mutant strain UNS38 B3 was not cytotoxic in either cell line. Quantification of S. intermedius revealed that in infected HepG2 cells UNS38 but not UNS38 B3 increased intracellularly concomitantly with increasing cell damage. This difference between UNS38 and UNS38 B3 was not observed with UNS38 B3R1. Invasion and proliferation in BRL3A cells was not observed. Masking UNS38 or UNS38 B3R1 with ILY antibody drastically decreased adherence and invasion of HepG2. Moreover, coating strain UNS38 B3 with ILY partially restored adherence to HepG2 but without subsequent bacterial growth. At 1 day post-infection, many intact UNS38 were detected in the damaged phagosomes of HepG2 with bacterial proliferation observed in the cytoplasm of dead HepG2 after an additional 2 day incubation. These results indicate that surface-bound ILY on S. intermedius is an important factor for invasion of human cells by this bacterium and that secretion of ILY within host cells is essential for subsequent host cell death. These data strongly implicate ILY as an important factor in the pathogenesis of abscesses in vivo by this streptococcus.