东方粉蝶幼虫马氏管的超微构造分化

东方粉蝶幼虫有6条马氏管,每条管可以简易地分为四个部分:直肠导,迴肠纲,黄色段和白色段,所有这四个部分首要细胞的顶面都折叠形成微绒毛(特别是迴肠纲,其顶面进一步折叠形成微道),线粒体几乎延伸到微绒毛顶端。在基部,大量基膜折叠形成细胞内管道,向细胞顶部延伸。在细胞质中,有许多线粒体,糙面内质纲和空泡。每一个细胞的细胞核中有一些散的染色质物质,并且外形呈不规则形。在黄色段首要细胞中,有大量证明是由矿物质沉积形成的电子密集颗粒,及猜疑为微孢子原虫的细胞质囊球。上述每段可能具有的功能会在这报告中讨论。     

Serologic Response to SARS-CoV-2 in COVID-19 Patients with Different Severity

Virologica Sinica - The immense patient number caused by coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) global pandemic brings the urge for more knowledge about its immunological features, including the...     

捕食风险的种群动态效应及其作用机理研究进展

捕食者不但可以通过直接捕杀猎物而控制猎物的种群数量,还可以通过捕食风险效应影响猎物种群的繁殖和动态,并且在某些情况下,捕食风险效应对猎物种群动态的控制作用甚至大于捕食者的直接捕杀.关于捕食风险效应对猎物动物繁殖产出和种群动态变化的作用及其机理方面的野外研究越来越受到国内外学者重视.本文介绍了近年来捕食风险效应的研究进展,重点关注了美国黄石国家公园中捕食者对马鹿(Cervus elephus)、加拿大育空地区的捕食者对白靴兔(Lepus americanus)的捕食风险效应等案例研究,以阐明捕食风险效应对猎物种群动态影响的重要性,以及关于捕食风险效应影响猎物种群繁殖和动态机理的两个假说(捕食者敏感食物假说、捕食应激假说).并结合我国在捕食者与猎物之间关系的研究现状,提出了进一步在野外开展捕食风险效应对濒危有蹄类猎物种群动态影响研究的建议,阐释了开展这些研究的重要意义.     

狸獭繁殖生理与人工授精技术的研究

人工受精技术已成为当代畜牧业重要技术手段之一,它能最大限度地发挥公畜种用价值,提高繁殖率,加速育种工作的速度,增殖和改良畜种,愈来愈受到世界各国的普遍重视.     

荷斯坦奶牛红毛性状的基因检测及红毛形成机制的探讨

荷斯坦奶牛黑素皮质素受体1(MC1R)基因310G缺失突变产生e等位基因,导致红白花毛色。实验利用PCR-RFLP和DNA测序技术建立了荷斯坦奶牛红毛性状的基因检测方法,并在4个荷斯坦奶牛全同胞家系中得到了证实,可见其可用于鉴定携带e等位基因的种公牛,以指导奶牛育种。通过分析黑素皮质素(MC)受体蛋白家族序列,找到了MC1R蛋白结构与功能的区域(TM3、TM6、TM7和EL3)。利用VHMPT软件预测MC1R突变蛋白的结构,结果显示其丢失了TM3、TM6、TM7和EL3区,也失去了与α-促黑素(α-MSH)结合的区域,最终导致红毛的产生。     

Anthocyanins from red flowers of Camellia reticulata LINDL

Ten anthocyanins, cyanidin 3-sambubioside, 3-glucoside and their acylated derivatives, cyanidin 3-lathyroside and cyanidin 3-galactoside, were isolated from red flowers of Camellia reticulata. Their structures were determined on the basis of spectroscopic analyses, and the chemotaxonomic distribution of the accumulated anthocyanins in the petals of wild Camellia reticulata and C. pitardii var. yunnanica is discussed.     

A conserved cysteine motif is critical for rice ceramide kinase activity and function

Background

Ceramide kinase (CERK) is a key regulator of cell survival in dicotyledonous plants and animals. Much less is known about the roles of CERK and ceramides in mediating cellular processes in monocot plants. Here, we report the characterization of a ceramide kinase, OsCERK, from rice (Oryza sativa spp. Japonica cv. Nipponbare) and investigate the effects of ceramides on rice cell viability.

Principal Findings

OsCERK can complement the Arabidopsis CERK mutant acd5. Recombinant OsCERK has ceramide kinase activity with Michaelis-Menten kinetics and optimal activity at 7.0 pH and 40°C. Mg²⁺ activates OsCERK in a concentration-dependent manner. Importantly, a CXXXCXXC motif, conserved in all ceramide kinases and important for the activity of the human enzyme, is critical for OsCERK enzyme activity and in planta function. In a rice protoplast system, inhibition of CERK leads to cell death and the ratio of added ceramide and ceramide-1-phosphate, CERK''s substrate and product, respectively, influences cell survival. Ceramide-induced rice cell death has apoptotic features and is an active process that requires both de novo protein synthesis and phosphorylation, respectively. Finally, mitochondria membrane potential loss previously associated with ceramide-induced cell death in Arabidopsis was also found in rice, but it occurred with different timing.

Conclusions

OsCERK is a bona fide ceramide kinase with a functionally and evolutionarily conserved Cys-rich motif that plays an important role in modulating cell fate in plants. The vital function of the conserved motif in both human and rice CERKs suggests that the biochemical mechanism of CERKs is similar in animals and plants. Furthermore, ceramides induce cell death with similar features in monocot and dicot plants.     

结核分枝杆菌16-kDa α晶体蛋白的原核表达及纯化

目的:利用基因工程技术原核表达并纯化结核分枝杆菌α晶体蛋白(Acr)。方法:以结核分枝杆菌H37Rv株基因组DNA为模板,通过PCR方法扩增Acr的编码基因,以pCold为载体构建重组质粒,再转化到表达宿主菌大肠杆菌BL21(DE3)中,用IPTG诱导表达,经SDS-PAGE和Western印迹分析和纯化该表达产物。结果:构建了具有正确基因序列的Acr重组表达质粒,重组Acr在大肠杆菌BL21(DE3)中经低温诱导得到可溶性表达;分别用6×His的单克隆抗体和16-kDa单克隆抗体对表达产物进行Western印迹分析,结果显示在相对分子质量约19 000处均有特异性条带,与预计大小吻合;纯化后蛋白纯度达90%,浓度达0.8 mg/mL。结论:表达了重组可溶性Acr,为深入研究该蛋白的生物学、免疫学活性奠定了基础。     

Research progress on banana functional genomics involved in fruit quality

Banana is one of the most important tropical fruits and main economical resource for tropical people. Banana quality is always becoming a focus for people to follow with interest. Here, we reviewed recent research progresses on isolation and identification of banana genes involved in fruit quality such as ripening, softening, glycometabolism, and scent, which will help us explore their functions and facilitate banana quality improvement.