Soluble expression and purification of Brucella cell surface protein (BCSP31) of Brucella melitensis and preparation of anti-BCSP31 monoclonal antibodies

Brucella cell surface protein (BCSP31) is potentially useful for diagnosing brucellosis. We aimed to establish a monoclonal antibody (MAb) against Brucella melitensis BCSP31 and to investigate its distribution in diagnosis. Soluble recombinant BCSP31 was successfully expressed and purified. Two MAbs (1F1 and 1E5) against B. melitensis BCSP31, effective in detecting both recombinant and cellular proteins, were obtained and characterized. The MAbs did not react with Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, or Bacillus aeruginosus, but strongly reacted with BCSP31 and B. melitensis by ELISA and Western blot analysis. We also tested different Brucella species and brucellosis using the prepared anti-BCSP31 MAbs. BCSP31 and anti-BCSP31 MAbs may play important roles in future research in diagnosing brucellosis.     

番茄的耐盐性与耐盐转基因番茄

由于土壤盐渍化的日益加剧导致作物大量减产,通过基因工程的方法将耐盐基因转入作物,培育耐盐作物新品种是开发利用盐碱地的一种经济、有效的手段.番茄是一种栽培广泛,具有重要经济价值的蔬菜,又是基因工程的模式生物之一,开展番茄耐盐性研究具有重要意义.分析了番茄的耐盐性和转耐盐基因番茄的研究现状.     

假单胞菌DLL-E4尿黑酸降解基因的克隆与功能的初步分析

通过接合转移将质粒pSC123上的转座子Tn5随机插入到DLL-E4基因组DNA中,从大约8,000个突变子中筛选到1株在LB培养基上积累红褐色物质的突变株M18,该突变株不能以L-苯丙氨酸(L-Phenylalanine, Phe)为唯一碳源生长。SEFA-PCR扩增转座子侧翼序列发现其与已报道的尿黑酸1,2-双加氧酶基因hmgA的同源性为92%。将hmgA定向克隆至表达载体pET-29a中,转化至Escherichia coli BL21,经IPTG诱导后可表达分子量约为48kD的蛋白;诱导后转化子粗酶液对尿黑酸有很好的降解效果。将hmgA连入自杀性载体pEX19Gm,通过同源重组整合至M18染色体中,使其恢复了DLL-E4利用Phe的能力,证实了HmgA是尿黑酸苯环裂解酶。     

Changes in landscape pattern of alpine wetlands on the Zoige Plateau in the past four decades

Based on RS, GIS and Apack software, the indices of landscape pattern such as landscape area index, landscape diversity index and landscape fragmentation index were chosen in order to describe changes in the spatial pattern of alpine wetland landscape on the Zoige Plateau during 1966–2000. Results showed that alpine wetland landscape was characteristic of marsh wetlands, which had the biggest patch number and the largest area. The alpine wetland landscape had higher spatial heterogeneity. The largest area appeared in Zoige County with the highest wetland ratio; comparatively, Aba County and Luqu County had much lower wetland ratio. The total area of alpine wetland landscape decreased rapidly during 1966–1986, but it began to increase after 1986. The wetland landscape area shrank by 59857.83 hm² during 1966–2000. The alpine wetland landscape showed the characteristics of concentrated distribution in the past four decades, with higher convergence and dominance indices. The centroid of wetland landscape moved 12.54 km in the northwest direction firstly, 11.33 km in the southeast direction, and then 1.1 km in the north direction.     

树突状细胞对海藻酸钙纳米胶囊的吞噬作用与功能诱导

本研究采用量子点标记方法，证实了人外周血来源树突状细胞对海藻酸钙纳米胶囊的吞噬作用，并对其体外成熟诱导和接受偶联有牛血清白蛋白的纳米胶囊刺激之后的自体T淋巴细胞免疫作用进行了探讨。实验结果表明，树突状细胞在吞噬海藻酸钙纳米胶囊后被诱导成熟，而且偶联有牛血清白蛋白的纳米胶囊可诱导自体T淋巴细胞增殖，显示该海藻酸钙纳米胶囊可能成为具有载体功能的癌症细胞免疫治疗佐剂。     

Physiochemical properties of n-n heterostructured TiO2/Mo-TiO2 composites and their photocatalytic degradation of gaseous toluene

The composite TiO₂/Mo-TiO₂ were prepared by a modified sol-gel method. The prepared catalysts were characterized by X-ray diffraction, BET analysis, SEM, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and UV–vis diffused reflectance spectroscopy techniques. The structural characterization results demonstrated that Mo was successfully doped into the TiO₂ lattice and caused slight changes in the physiochemical properties. The UV–vis DRS showed a red shift of the adsorption edge to the visible region. The photocatalytic decomposition efficiencies of the catalysts were examined with toluene as a typical VOC in a continuous flow reactor. The photocatalytic activity of the n-n heterogeneous TiO₂/Mo-TiO₂ was greater than that of pure TiO₂ and Mo-TiO₂, and the catalyst containing a Mo/Ti mole ratio of 2.5% exhibited optimum photocatalytic properties. In general, a relative humidity of 35%, a higher oxygen content, a lower initial toluene concentration, and a higher UV intensity were beneficial for toluene decomposition.     

Three-dimensional perfused cell culture

Compelling evidence suggests the limitation and shortcomings of the current and well established cell culture method using multi-well plates, flasks and Petri dishes. These are particularly important when cell functions are sensitive to the local microenvironment, cell–cell and cell–extracellular matrix interactions. There is a clear need for advanced cell culture systems which mimic in vivo and more physiological conditions. This review summarises and analyses recent progress in three dimensional (3D) cell culture with perfusion as the next generation cell culture tools, while excluding engineered tissue culture where three dimensional scaffold has to be used for structural support and perfusion for overcoming mass transfer control. Apart from research activities in academic community, product development in industry is also included in this review.