马立克氏病病毒pp38／pp24聚合体结构及其对pp38基因上游双向启动子活性的影响

前期以氯霉素乙酰转移酶（CAT）活性为指标的研究证明了，马立克氏病病毒（Marek’s disease virus，MDV）的pp38和pp24的同时表达可显著增强基因组中pp38基因与1．8kb mRNA转录子之间双向启动子的转录活性．本研究又以增强型绿色荧光蛋白（EGFP）表达水平作为pp38基因上游双向启动转录活性的标志，更直观地证明了只有当同一细胞内同时表达pp38和pp24时，该启动子活性才有完整的启动活性．为了证明这两个蛋白能否相结合，分别以单独表达pp38或pp24的重组质粒pcDNA-pp38或pcDNA-pp24及能同时表达这两个基因的重组质粒pBud-pp38-pp24质粒转染鸡胚成纤维细胞（CEF），用pp38特异的单克隆抗体H19对转染细胞的裂解标记物进行免疫沉淀实验．结果表明，H19可沉淀pp38，但pp24只是在pp38同时存在时才被H19沉淀，而在pcDNA-pp24单独转染的处理样品中不能显示pp24的条带．这证明了，pp24是通过与pp38的结合而被共沉淀下来的，显示pp24和pp38在天然状态下可以形成异二聚体或多聚体．上述两个独立的实验结果表明，pp38和pp24是以聚合体的形式结合于该双向启动子发挥作用的．     

Novel transmembrane protein 126A (TMEM126A) couples with CD137L reverse signals in myeloid cells

Members of the TNF family can promote signals in myeloid cells and both positively and negatively regulate the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines depending on the target myeloid cell type. Using the yeast-two hybrid system, we identified transmembrane protein 126A (TMEM126A) as a binding partner for CD137L (4-1BB ligand). We found that TMEM126A associated and co-localized with CD137L in a mouse macrophage cell line and knockdown of TMEM126A with siRNA abolished the CD137L-induced tyrosine phosphorylation as well as the up-regulation of M-CSF, IL-1β and TN-C expressions. Knockdown of TMEM126A also blocked the down-regulation of IL-1β and IL-6 expressions induced by CD137L in thioglycollate-elicited primary peritoneal macrophages. Knockdown of TMEM126A by stable retroviral TMEM126A shRNA transduction also abolished CD137L-induced tyrosine phosphorylation and cell adherence. These findings identify a novel molecule that bridges TNF family cytokines and pro-inflammatory cytokine secretion in myeloid cells.     

Acceleration Workspace of Cooperating Multi-Finger Robot Systems

We present a mathematical method for acceleration workspace analysis of cooperating multi-finger robot systems using a model of point-contact with friction. A new unified formulation from dynamic equations of cooperating multi-finger robots is derived considering the force and acceleration relationships between the fingers and the object to be handled. From the dynamic equation, maximum translational and rotational acceleration bounds of an object are calculated under given constraints of contact conditions, configurations of fingers, and bounds on the torques of joint actuators for each finger. Here, the rotational acceleration bounds can be applied as an important manipulability index when the multi-finger robot grasps an object. To verify the proposed method, we used a set of case studies with a simple multi-finger mechanism system. The achievable acceleration boundary in task space can be obtained successfully with the proposed method and the acceleration boundary depends on the configurations of fingers.     

Clonal Selection Based Memetic Algorithm for Job Shop Scheduling Problems

A clonal selection based memetic algorithm is proposed for solving job shop scheduling problems in this paper. In the proposed algorithm, the clonal selection and the local search mechanism are designed to enhance exploration and exploitation. In the clonal selection mechanism, clonal selection, hypermutation and receptor edit theories are presented to construct an evolutionary searching mechanism which is used for exploration. In the local search mechanism, a simulated annealing local search algorithm based on Nowicki and Smutnicki＇s neighborhood is presented to exploit local optima. The proposed algorithm is examined using some well-known benchmark problems. Numerical results validate the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm.     

First record of Stigmatijanus Wei (Hymenoptera: Cephidae)from South Korea with description of a new species

The genus Stigmatijanus Wei, 2007 is recorded from Korea for the first time. A diagnosis of the genus is briefly discussed. A new species, Stigmatijanus koreanus sp. nov., is described from Mt. Homyeong, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea. A key to the three species of the genus is provided.     

Fine mapping and candidate gene analysis of dense and erect panicle 3, DEP3, which confers high grain yield in rice (Oryza sativa L.)

Architecture of the rice inflorescence, which is determined mainly by the morphology, number and length of primary and secondary inflorescence branches, is an important agronomical trait. In the current study, we characterized a novel dense and erect panicle (EP) mutant, dep3, derived from the Oryza sativa ssp. japonica cultivar Hwacheong treated with N-methyl-N-nitrosourea. The panicle of the dep3 mutant remained erect from flowering to full maturation, whereas the panicle of the wild type plant began to droop after flowering. The dep3 mutation also regulated other panicle characteristics, including panicle length, grain shape and grain number per panicle. Anatomical observations revealed that the dep3 mutant had more small vascular bundles and a thicker culm than wild type plants, explaining the EP phenotype. Genetic analysis indicated that the phenotype with the dense and EP was controlled by a single recessive gene, termed dep3. The DEP3 gene was identified as the candidate via a map-based cloning approach and was predicted to encode a patatin-like phospholipase A2 (PLA2) superfamily domain-containing protein. The mutant allele gene carried a 408?bp genomic deletion within LOC_Os06g46350, which included the last 47?bp coding region of the third exon and the first 361?bp of the 3??-untranslated region. Taken together, our results indicated that the patatin-like PLA2 might play a significant role in the formation of vascular bundles, and that the dep3 mutant may provide another EP resource for rice breeding programs.