黑龙江省一株红小豆锈病病原菌鉴定

【目的】为明确发生在黑龙江省大庆市红小豆田中的锈病病原物的分类地位。【方法】从大庆市采集红小豆锈病标样,采用单孢子堆分离法获得一株红小豆锈病菌纯培养物ZXL01。采用观测夏孢子芽孔数目、位置和冬孢子壁厚度等形态学特征结合ITS序列分析的方法,对其进行鉴定。【结果】ZXL01夏孢子发芽孔多为2个,位于孢子赤道部位较远之处,冬孢子壁厚度为2.9μm-3.3μm。在基于r DNA-ITS序列构建的系统发育树中,ZXL01菌株与两株豇豆单胞锈菌(Uromyces vignae)的参比菌株(Gen Bank登录号:AB115718和AB115731)在自举值99%相聚一群。用豇豆单胞锈菌的特异性引物UV-ITSF/R进行检测,ZXL01菌株可扩增出500 bp左右的特征片段。【结论】黑龙江省大庆市红小豆锈病病原菌ZXL01菌株为豇豆单胞锈菌,ZXL01菌株的Gen Bank登录号是KM461700。     

Long-chain Acylcarnitines Reduce Lung Function by Inhibiting Pulmonary Surfactant

The role of mitochondrial energy metabolism in maintaining lung function is not understood. We previously observed reduced lung function in mice lacking the fatty acid oxidation enzyme long-chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase (LCAD). Here, we demonstrate that long-chain acylcarnitines, a class of lipids secreted by mitochondria when metabolism is inhibited, accumulate at the air-fluid interface in LCAD^−/− lungs. Acylcarnitine accumulation is exacerbated by stress such as influenza infection or by dietary supplementation with l-carnitine. Long-chain acylcarnitines co-localize with pulmonary surfactant, a unique film of phospholipids and proteins that reduces surface tension and prevents alveolar collapse during breathing. In vitro, the long-chain species palmitoylcarnitine directly inhibits the surface adsorption of pulmonary surfactant as well as its ability to reduce surface tension. Treatment of LCAD^−/− mice with mildronate, a drug that inhibits carnitine synthesis, eliminates acylcarnitines and improves lung function. Finally, acylcarnitines are detectable in normal human lavage fluid. Thus, long-chain acylcarnitines may represent a risk factor for lung injury in humans with dysfunctional fatty acid oxidation.     

Alternative Transposition Generates New Chimeric Genes and Segmental Duplications at the Maize p1 Locus

The maize Ac/Ds transposon family was the first transposable element system identified and characterized by Barbara McClintock. Ac/Ds transposons belong to the hAT family of class II DNA transposons. We and others have shown that Ac/Ds elements can undergo a process of alternative transposition in which the Ac/Ds transposase acts on the termini of two separate, nearby transposons. Because these termini are present in different elements, alternative transposition can generate a variety of genome alterations such as inversions, duplications, deletions, and translocations. Moreover, Ac/Ds elements transpose preferentially into genic regions, suggesting that structural changes arising from alternative transposition may potentially generate chimeric genes at the rearrangement breakpoints. Here we identified and characterized 11 independent cases of gene fusion induced by Ac alternative transposition. In each case, a functional chimeric gene was created by fusion of two linked, paralogous genes; moreover, each event was associated with duplication of the ∼70-kb segment located between the two paralogs. An extant gene in the maize B73 genome that contains an internal duplication apparently generated by an alternative transposition event was also identified. Our study demonstrates that alternative transposition-induced duplications may be a source for spontaneous creation of diverse genome structures and novel genes in maize.