Preferable stimulation of PON1 arylesterase activity by phosphatidylcholines with unsaturated acyl chains or oxidized acyl chains at sn-2 position

To examine the effect of phospholipids on PON1 activities, purified PON1 was exposed to phospholipids prior to the determination of arylesterase and paraoxonase activities. Phosphatidylcholines with saturated acyl chains (C10-C16) showed a stimulation of both activities, chain length-dependent, with a greater stimulation of arylesterase activity, suggesting the implication of lipid bilayer in the stimulatory action. Such a preferable stimulation of arylesterase activity was more remarkable with phosphatidylcholines with polyunsaturated acyl chains or oxidized chains at sn-2 position, implying that the packing degree of acyl chain may be also important for the preferable stimulation of arylesterase activity. Separately, 1-palmitoyl-lysoPC also stimulated arylesterase activity preferably, indicating that the micellar formation of lipids around PON1 also contributes to the stimulatory action. Additionally, phosphatidylglycerols slightly enhanced arylesterase activity, but not paraoxonase activity. In contrast, phosphatidylserine and phosphatidic acid (≥0.1 mM) inhibited both activities Further, such a preferable stimulation of arylesterase activity by phosphatidylcholines was also reproduced with VLDL-bound PON1, although to a less extent. These data indicate that phosphatidylcholines with polyunsaturated acyl chains or oxidized chain, or lysophosphatidylcholine cause a preferable stimulation of arylesterase activity, thereby contributing to the decrease in the ratio of paraoxonase activity to arylesterase activity.     

Efficient and repetitive production of leaf-derived somatic embryos of Oncidium

Oncidium cultivars gave different embryogenic responses of leaf explants when affected by auxins (2,4-D, IAA, IBA and NAA), cytokinins (2iP, BA, kinetin, TDZ and zeatin), sucrose, NaH₂PO₄, casein hydrolysate, peptone, and glutamine. The best embryogenic responses of cv. Sweet Sugar were at 20 g dm⁻³ sucrose, 85 mg dm⁻³ NaH₂PO₄ and 3 mg dm⁻³ kinetin, respectively. The development of somatic embryos on leaf explants of cv. Sweet Sugar was delayed for about 10 – 20 d in comparison with cv. Gower Ramsey. On growth regulator-free medium, about 40 % of leaf derived embryos of cv. Gower Ramsey were fused together in their basal parts and so called multiple-state embryos. However, under the same condition, the embryos of cv. Sweet Sugar were all in multiple-state form.     

嗜盐菌素HalC8基因簇克隆与分析

采用基因组部分文库及锚定PCR技术,克隆了嗜盐菌素HalC8编码基因及其上下游可能的相关基因共约9.3kb的DNA序列。序列分析表明已知序列至少含有6个ORF,包括上游编码跨膜蛋白的halU基因、编码可能的调节蛋白的halR基因,编码嗜盐菌素HalC8及其免疫蛋白HalⅠ的proC8基因、以及位于proC8基因下游的编码可能的转运蛋白的halT1,halT2和halT3基因。这是国际上首次对嗜盐菌素基因簇可能的相关基因的克隆。     

史氏鲟两种促性腺激素β亚基cDNA克隆及序列进化分析

从史氏鲟(Acipenserschrenkii)脑垂体中提取总RNA,利用GeneRacerTM技术,分别克隆得到促性腺激素Ⅰ(GTHⅠ)和Ⅱ(GTHⅡ)的β亚基cDNA全长。史氏鲟GTHⅠ-β亚基cDNA全长为1088bp,开放阅读框为384bp,编码128个氨基酸(Genbank序列登录号为:AY575920);GTHⅡ-β亚基cDNA全长为616bp,开放阅读框为408bp,编码136个氨基酸(Genbank序列登录号为:AY575921)。与其他脊椎动物进行了两种基因的氨基酸序列同源性比较表明:史氏鲟GTHⅠ-β与西伯利亚鲟相似性最高,为99·1%;与硬骨鱼类中鲈形目相似性最低,为34·5%。GTHⅡ-β与西伯利亚鲟相似性为98·3%,与其他硬骨鱼类除鲈形目外都超过60%,与鸟类的相似性最低,为42·8%。两个基因成熟肽构建的MP树显示:GTHⅠ与FSH的β亚基和GTHⅡ与LH的β亚基构成两个明显的聚类。用Mega2软件计算了所比对物种间开放读码框的核苷酸遗传距离并构建了NJ树和MP树,两个基因β亚基的NJ系统树和MP系统树拓扑结构相似,鲟鱼与真骨鱼类分别聚类,共同形成硬骨鱼纲聚类,与传统分类学一致。成熟肽相似性、遗传距离和系统树分支长度显示GTHⅠ-β亚基在真骨鱼类进化速率显著快于其他脊椎动物,而LH-β亚基在羊膜动物中进化比其他脊椎动物快。暗示这两种糖蛋白基因的进化伴随物种进化而显示其功能[动物学报52(2):362-375,2006]。     

The influence of cholesterol and lipid metabolism on host cell structure and hepatitis C virus replication.

The hepatitis C virus (HCV) replicates on a membrane protein complex composed of viral proteins, replicating RNA, and altered cellular membranes. Small-molecule inhibitors of cellular lipid-cholesterol metabolism such as 25-hydroxycholesterol, cerulenin, lovastatin, and GGTI-286 all show a negative effect on HCV replication. Perturbation of host cell lipid and cholesterol metabolism can disrupt replication complexes by altering membranous structures where replication occurs. Changes in cholesterol and (or) lipid composition can have a general effect on membrane structure. Alternatively, metabolic changes can exert a more subtle influence over replication complexes by altering localization of host proteins through alterations in lipid anchoring. Here, we use Huh-7 cells harboring subgenomic HCV replicons to demonstrate that 25-hydroxycholesterol, cerulenin, lovastatin, and GGTI-286 do not disrupt the membranous web where replication occurs, whereas cholesterol-depleting agents such as beta-cyclodextrin do. Cellular imaging suggests that the HCV RNA can remain associated with subcellular compartments connected with replication complexes in the presence of metabolic inhibitors. Therefore, at least 2 different molecular mechanisms are possible for the inhibition of HCV replication through the modulation of cellular lipid and cholesterol metabolism.     

Role of nitrate in biological phosphorus removal in a sequencing batch reactor

Summary The effects of nitrate on phosphorus release and uptake in a sequencing batch reactor for biological phosphorus removal was investigated. The addition of nitrate decreased phosphorus release in the anaerobic stage. The synthesis of poly(hydroxyalkanoates) was decreased with the presence of nitrate, possibly due to the competitive utilization of the carbon source by PHA synthesis and denitrification of nitrate. Instead of oxygen, nitrate could be used as an electron acceptor for phosphorus removal. However, the simultaneous addition of nitrate and acetate greatly reduced the phosphorus removal rate. Phosphate and nitrate could be removed simultaneously with nitrate as the electron acceptor, and the continuous and steady feeding of nitrate was beneficial to phosphate removal.     

生态风险评价研究进展

20多年来,生态风险评价研究经历了从环境风险到生态风险到区域生态风险评价的发展历程,风险源由单一风险源扩展到多风险源,风险受体由单一受体发展到多受体,评价范围由局地扩展到区域景观水平.区域生态风险评价就是大尺度上研究复杂环境背景下包含多风险源、多风险受体的综合风险研究.目前,区域生态风险评价的理论框架已经搭建起来,统计方法多采用相对评价法.区域生态风险评价未来的发展方向为继续加强实验和野外调查,进一步减小不确定性,逐步解决尺度推移问题.区域生态风险评价必须与经济、社会、文化相结合,才能充分发挥它在管理决策中的作用.     

长江江豚和瓶鼻海豚的血清转铁蛋白

血清转铁蛋白(Serum transferrin,Tf)是广泛存在于血清中的β球蛋白,其主要功能是将铁离子以安全的形式(Fe3 )在机体的吸收、储存和利用部位之间进行传递,为细胞生长提供铁(Fe3 )(Welch,1990);同时具有保护细胞、促进细胞分化和生长、抑菌和杀菌的作用(Paezetal.,2002;Liuet al     

Estimation of breed contributions to present and future genetic diversity of 44 North Eurasian cattle breeds using core set diversity measures

Extinction of breeds threatens genetic diversity of livestock species. The need to conserve genetic diversity is widely accepted but involves in general two questions: (i) is the expected loss of diversity in a set of breeds within a defined future time horizon large enough to establish a conservation plan, and if so (ii) which breeds should be prioritised for such a conservation plan? The present study uses a marker assisted methodology to address these questions. The methodology combines core set diversity measures with a stochastic method for the estimation of expected future diversity and breed marginal diversities. The latter is defined as the change in the total diversity of all breeds caused by a one unit decrease in extinction probability of a particular breed. The stochastic method was validated by means of simulations. A large field data set consisting of 44 North Eurasian cattle breeds was analysed using simplified determined extinction probabilities. The results show that the expected loss of diversity in this set within the next 20 to 50 years is between 1 and 3% of the actual diversity, provided that the extinction probabilities which were used are approximately valid. If this loss is to be reduced, it is sufficient to include those three to five breeds with the highest marginal diversity in a conservation scheme.     

野牡丹科十属植物研究进展

本文综述了野牡丹科十属植物的化学成分、生物活性以及临床应用等内容,是对该科属植物近40多年来相关研究的首次较系统的归纳总结,为相关植物的进一步研究和开发利用提供参考.