Relationship between worm burden and male proportion in Schistosoma mansoni experimentally infected rodents and primates. A meta-analytical approach.

This paper investigates the relationship between the worm burden and the male proportion of adult Schistosoma mansoni. This relationship was tested using data from the literature on S. mansoni experimentally infected rodents and primates. The analyses were performed within each animal model (rat, mouse, hamster and monkey) and showed positive linear relationships between worm burden and male proportion. An analysis between the four animal models showed the same positive linear relationship. The role of the genetic diversity of male and female schistosomes in this relationship is discussed.     

日本血吸虫中国大陆株抱雌沟蛋白编码基因的克隆和表达

根据曼氏血吸虫抱雌沟蛋白SmGcp序列和日本血吸虫编码抱雌沟蛋白保守区的基因片段jGcp1分别设计三对引物,以日本血吸虫中国大陆株成虫mRNA为模板 ,用RT－PCR法扩增出大小为1949bp的基因片段。经序列分析推断该基因片段含编码日本血吸虫抱雌沟蛋白基因的阅读框,与SmGcp碱基一致性为85％,其理论推测氨基酸组成与曼氏血吸虫抱雌沟蛋白的一致性为83．7％。将上述扩增的基因片段克隆到表达载体pET28c( )中,在大肠杆菌BL21中获得表达,融合表达产物分子量约为80kD。利用日本血吸虫成虫抗原免疫血清对该表达产物进行Western印迹检测,在预测位置出现了明显的识别条带,说明该编码日本血吸虫中国大陆株抱雌沟蛋白基因的表达产物具有抗原性。     

寄主利它素对稻螟赤眼蜂寄生行为的影响

对稻螟赤眼蜂Trichogrammajaponicum(Ashmead)在寄主定位过程中所利用的寄主利它素的存在部位、作用方式及其应用效果作了初步研究。生测结果表明 :寄主利它素存在于三化螟Tryporyzaincertu las(Walker)卵块盖毛和成虫鳞片中 ,其中以盖毛中利它素含量最高 ,雌蛾鳞片次之 ,雄蛾鳞片含量最少。结果还表明盖毛在卵块上的完整性对稻螟赤眼蜂的寄主搜索行为有明显影响。室内应用效果表明利它素可以使稻螟赤眼蜂对寄主卵寄生率提高 1 0 %以上。     

Complete genomic sequence of nitrogen-fixing symbiotic bacterium Bradyrhizobium japonicum USDA110.

The complete nucleotide sequence of the genome of a symbiotic bacterium Bradyrhizobium japonicum USDA110 was determined. The genome of B. japonicum was a single circular chromosome 9,105,828 bp in length with an average GC content of 64.1%. No plasmid was detected. The chromosome comprises 8317 potential protein-coding genes, one set of rRNA genes and 50 tRNA genes. Fifty-two percent of the potential protein genes showed sequence similarity to genes of known function and 30% to hypothetical genes. The remaining 18% had no apparent similarity to reported genes. Thirty-four percent of the B. japonicum genes showed significant sequence similarity to those of both Mesorhizobium loti and Sinorhizobium meliloti, while 23% were unique to this species. A presumptive symbiosis island 681 kb in length, which includes a 410-kb symbiotic region previously reported by G?ttfert et al., was identified. Six hundred fifty-five putative protein-coding genes were assigned in this region, and the functions of 301 genes, including those related to symbiotic nitrogen fixation and DNA transmission, were deduced. A total of 167 genes for transposases/104 copies of insertion sequences were identified in the genome. It was remarkable that 100 out of 167 transposase genes are located in the presumptive symbiotic island. DNA segments of 4 to 97 kb inserted into tRNA genes were found at 14 locations in the genome, which generates partial duplication of the target tRNA genes. These observations suggest plasticity of the B. japonicum genome, which is probably due to complex genome rearrangements such as horizontal transfer and insertion of various DNA elements, and to homologous recombination.     

兰科虎舌兰属Epipogium种类增补与修订

报道日本虎舌兰Epipogium japonicum Makino在中国四川西部的新记录,并讨论了该种与虎舌兰E. roseum (D. Don) Lindl.的形态差异。过去将日本虎舌兰处理为虎舌兰的异名是不恰当的。日本虎舌兰间断分布于日本和中国的四川西部高海拔地区及台湾。     

Cloning, sequencing and mutational analysis of the cytochrome c552 gene (cycB) from Bradyrhizobium japonicum strain 110

We report the cloning and nucleotide sequence analysis of the cytochrome c552 gene (cycB) of Bradyrhizobium japonicum strain 110. The gene was identified with help of an oligonucleotide that was designed on the basis of the amino acid sequence determined for purified cytochrome c552 of B. japonicum strain CC705. The cycB gene product has an N-terminal 23-amino acid signal peptide that is missing in the mature cytochrome c552 protein. A B. japonicum cycB insertion mutant was constructed which had no observable phenotypic defects in denitrification and symbiotic nitrogen fixation. Thus, the function of c552 remains unknown.     

The regulation of mortality and fecundity in Schistosoma mattheei following a single experimental infection in sheep.

The regulation of mortality and fecundity of Schistosoma mattheei in sheep was examined using a series of mathematical models applied to data culled from the literature. Parasite mortality (μ) was found to be an increasing linear function of the magnitude of the initial infection over the ranges of doses examined (200–91, 000 cercariae) where μ = 9.78 × 10⁻³ + 3.476 × 10^−7* infection dose. Parasite fecundity (λ) was found to be inversely related to the duration of the infection. The best fit model for parasite fecundity was one in which fecundity decreased exponentially with time since initial infection, λ = λ₀e^−δ1−r. There was no evidence for density-dependent regulation of fecundity.     

Ancient Human Parasites in Ethnic Chinese Populations

Whilst archaeological evidence for many aspects of life in ancient China is well studied, there has been much less interest in ancient infectious diseases, such as intestinal parasites in past Chinese populations. Here, we bring together evidence from mummies, ancient latrines, and pelvic soil from burials, dating from the Neolithic Period to the Qing Dynasty, in order to better understand the health of the past inhabitants of China and the diseases endemic in the region. Seven species of intestinal parasite have been identified, namely roundworm, whipworm, Chinese liver fluke, oriental schistosome, pinworm, Taenia sp. tapeworm, and the intestinal fluke Fasciolopsis buski. It was found that in the past, roundworm, whipworm, and Chinese liver fluke appear to have been much more common than the other species. While roundworm and whipworm remained common into the late 20th century, Chinese liver fluke seems to have undergone a marked decline in its prevalence over time. The iconic transport route known as the Silk Road has been shown to have acted as a vector for the transmission of ancient diseases, highlighted by the discovery of Chinese liver fluke in a 2,000 year-old relay station in northwest China, 1,500 km outside its endemic range.