Quantitative deuterium isotopic profiling at natural abundance indicates mechanistic differences for delta 12-epoxidase and delta 12-desaturase in Vernonia galamensis

Quantitative (2)H NMR spectroscopy can determine the natural abundance ((2)H/(1)H) ratio at each site of a molecule. In natural products, variation in these values is related to the reaction mechanisms in the pertinent biosynthetic pathway. For the first time, this novel approach has been exploited to probe for mechanistic differences in the introduction of different functionalities into a long-chain fatty acid. Vernolic acid, a major component of the seed oil of Vernonia galamensis, contains both an epoxide and a desaturation. The site-specific isotopic distribution ((2)H/(1)H)(i) has been determined for both vernolic acid and linoleic acid isolated from the same V. galamensis oil. It is found that the ((2)H/(1)H) ratio of vernolic acid shows a pattern along the entire length of the chain, consistent with linoleic acid being its immediate precursor. Notably, the C13 relates to the C13 of linoleic acid but not to the C13 of oleic acid. Furthermore, the C12 and C13 positions in vernolic acid are less depleted, consistent with a change in hybridization state from sp(2) to sp(3). However, the C11 position shows a marked relative enrichment in the vernolic acid, implying that it plays a role in the epoxidase but not the desaturase mechanism. Thus, although it can be concluded that the catalytic mechanisms for the epoxidase and desaturase activities are similar, marked differences in the residual ((2)H/(1)H) patterns indicate that the reaction mechanisms are not identical.     

灰树花深层发酵培养基的研究

灰树花具有较宽广的碳源谱和氮源谱,其最佳碳源为马铃薯汁加葡萄糖,最佳氮源为麸皮。在有生长促进剂一板栗壳煮汁作用下,菌丝的增产率达１４０％。培养基的氮源种类和生长促进剂对菌丝生长具显著的影响,两者交互作用明显。培养基中碳源浓度过高不利于菌丝的生长。灰树花深层发酵的较佳培养基为ＱＦ培养基：葡萄糖６０９,ＫＨ_２ＰＯ_４ ｌｇ,ＭｇＳＯ_４ ０．５ｇ,ＣａＣｌ_２ ０．１ｇ板栗壳煮汁 １５０ｇ,水１Ｌ。     

新疆苹果黑星病菌野生型菌株对腈菌唑的敏感性基线

为建立苹果黑星菌对腈菌唑的敏感性基线,对田间苹果黑星菌的抗药性监测和病害防治提供科学指导,选用从新疆长期未施任何化学农药的废弃果园中采集分离的37个苹果黑星菌野生型菌株,采用分生孢子萌发法和菌丝生长速率法进行不同浓度梯度杀菌剂腈菌唑（myclobutanil）的敏感性测定。结果表明：苹果黑星菌对腈菌唑的敏感性分布范围为0.028-1.017mg/L,平均值为0.283mg/L。本研究结果和检测方法对监测施药果园中苹果黑星菌对腈菌唑敏感性的动态变化,以及为指导病害防治有效药剂的选择和风险评估提供了理论依据。     

Engineering hydroxyproline-O-glycosylated biopolymers to reconstruct the plant cell wall for improved biomass processability

Reconstructing the chemical and structural characteristics of the plant cell wall represents a promising solution to overcoming lignocellulosic biomass recalcitrance to biochemical deconstruction. This study aims to leverage hydroxyproline (Hyp)-O-glycosylation, a process unique to plant cell wall glycoproteins, as an innovative technology for de novo design and engineering in planta of Hyp-O-glycosylated biopolymers (HypGP) that facilitate plant cell wall reconstruction. HypGP consisting of 18 tandem repeats of “Ser–Hyp–Hyp–Hyp–Hyp” motif or (SP4)₁₈ was designed and engineered into tobacco plants as a fusion peptide with either a reporter protein enhanced green fluorescence protein or the catalytic domain of a thermophilic E1 endoglucanase (E1cd) from Acidothermus cellulolyticus. The engineered (SP4)₁₈ module was extensively Hyp-O-glycosylated with arabino-oligosaccharides, which facilitated the deposition of the fused protein/enzyme in the cell wall matrix and improved the accumulation of the protein/enzyme in planta by 1.5–11-fold. The enzyme activity of the recombinant E1cd was not affected by the fused (SP4)₁₈ module, showing an optimal temperature of 80°C and optimal pH between 5 and 8. The plant biomass engineered with the (SP4)₁₈-tagged protein/enzyme increased the biomass saccharification efficiency by up to 3.5-fold without having adverse impact on the plant growth.     

Comparison of Bacterial and Fungal Communities Between Natural and Planted Pine Forests in Subtropical China

To improve our understanding of the changes in bacterial and fungal diversity in natural pine and planted forests in subtropical region of China, we examined bacterial and fungal communities from a native and a nearby planted pine forest of the Mt. Lushan by constructing clone libraries of 16S and 18S rRNA genes. For bacterial communities, Proteobacteria and Acidobacteria were dominant bacterial taxa in both two types of forest soils. The Shannon–Wiener diversity index, rarefaction curve analysis, and LibShuff analysis suggest that these two forests contained similar diversity of bacterial communities. Low soil acidity (pH ≈ 4) of our study forests might be one of the most important selection factors determining growth of acidophilic Acidobacteria and Proteobacteria. However, the natural forest harbored greater level of fungal diversity than the planted forest according to the Shannon–Wiener diversity index and rarefaction curve analysis. Basidiomycota and Ascomycota were dominant fungal taxa in the soils of natural and planted forests, respectively. Our results suggest that fungal community was more sensitive than the bacterial community in characterizing the differences in plant cover impacts on the microbial flora in the natural and planted forests. The natural and planted forests may function differently due to the differences in soil fungal diversity and relative abundance.     

2型糖尿病模型大鼠肝脏脂代谢相关基因的筛选及生物信息学分析

肝的脂肪代谢异常和胰岛素抵抗（insulin resistance,IR）对促进2型糖尿病（type 2 diabetes mellitus,T2DM）的发生与发展具有显著影响。但此过程复杂,参与调控基因目前尚未完全清楚。有研究表明,脂肪酸分解、氨基酸代谢、肝糖原合成等生物过程对糖尿病的形成具有促进作用。为了阐明这一调控机制,本文通过基因芯片技术研究GK（Goto-Kakizaki）大鼠和WKY（Wistar-Kyoto）大鼠肝差异基因对肝的脂肪代谢和胰岛素抵抗的影响,探讨可引起2型糖尿病发病的分子机制。从基因表达数据库（GEO）获取GSE13271基因表达谱,并对原始数据进行标准化处理。通过GO（Gene Ontology）、KEGG（Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes enrichment）、String和Cytoscape软件对差异表达基因进行功能分析。结果从GK和WKY大鼠中分别获得179和278个差异基因,同时从排名前10的路径中筛选出21个差异基因(Aldh1a1, Cyp2c22, bp2,Fabp7,Cyp4a3, Acot1, Acot2,Hsd17b2, Ech1, Hmgcl,Bdh1, Crot, Pex11a, Cpt1a, Hadhb, Gda, Elovl2, Prodh, Agpat3, Sardh, Pigu),将这些基因与前10个的GO term取交集。最终得到10个显著差异基因(Aldh1a1, Fabp2, Acot1, Acot2, Ech1, Hmgcl, Bdh1, Crot, Cpt1a, Hadhb),功能分析结果显示,肝组织相关基因通过一系列生物过程对肝的脂肪代谢和胰岛素抵抗产生调节作用,从而也为临床糖尿病的治疗以及新作用靶点的发现提供更多参考依据。     

大丽轮枝孢微菌核的形成条件

以棉花黄萎病菌Verticillium dahliae XJ2008菌株为试材,研究了培养基类型、pH值、温度等因素对棉花黄萎病菌微菌核形成的影响,确立了微菌核形成的最佳培养条件,并对采自新疆、江苏、河南、陕西、山东等地的15个棉花黄萎病菌菌株进行了测试。结果表明,适合于棉花黄萎病菌微菌核大量产生的培养基为基础改良培养基（BMM）、pH值为9.5－11.5、温度为20℃。在该条件下,15个大丽轮枝孢菌株在接种后第12天即可产生大量的微菌核,不同菌株产生微菌核的数量及大小间存在着显著差异,但均与病菌的致病性     

A Model of Two-Way Selection System for Human Behavior

Two-way selection is a common phenomenon in nature and society. It appears in the processes like choosing a mate between men and women, making contracts between job hunters and recruiters, and trading between buyers and sellers. In this paper, we propose a model of two-way selection system, and present its analytical solution for the expectation of successful matching total and the regular pattern that the matching rate trends toward an inverse proportion to either the ratio between the two sides or the ratio of the state total to the smaller group''s people number. The proposed model is verified by empirical data of the matchmaking fairs. Results indicate that the model well predicts this typical real-world two-way selection behavior to the bounded error extent, thus it is helpful for understanding the dynamics mechanism of the real-world two-way selection system.     

The role of microRNAs in ovarian cancer initiation and progression

Epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) has the highest mortality rate of all gynaecological cancers. One of the greatest impediments to improving outcome is an incomplete understanding of the molecular underpinnings of EOC pathogenesis and progression. Recent studies suggest that microRNAs (miRNAs) are involved in ovarian tumorigenesis and cancer development. Several miRNA profiling studies have identified some consensus aberrantly expressed miRNAs in EOC tissues, and these EOC-related miRNAs may play critical roles in the pathogenesis and progression of EOC. Moreover, some of the miRNAs may have diagnostic or prognostic significance. In this review, recent progress to reveal the role of miRNAs in EOC will be addressed, and a model for miRNA functions in ovarian cancer initiation and progression will be proposed.     

纳米疫苗在肿瘤免疫疗法中的应用

近年来肿瘤免疫疗法成为癌症治疗领域的热点,其中结合肿瘤疫苗和纳米技术的纳米疫苗为肿瘤免疫疗法提供了新思路.纳米疫苗可以实现疫苗和佐剂的共载,且智能化的纳米载体进一步实现了抗原有效的靶向递送,促进了抗原的摄取和递呈,激活抗原特异性免疫应答,有效杀伤肿瘤细胞.本文就纳米疫苗的原理、优势、纳米材料的类型、临床疗效进行综述,为后期纳米疫苗的设计提供更可靠的参考依据.