利用烟草表达人凝血IX因子(hFIX)的研究

血友病B是凝血IX因子(hFIX)缺乏所导致的一种出血性疾病,通过输血和hFIX浓缩剂进行治疗疗效显著,但存在治疗费用高和安全隐患,因而获得安全、廉价的人凝血IX因子对血友病B治疗具有重要意义。植物系统表达外源蛋白在生产成本和安全性方面具有优势。为此,构建含人凝血IX因子基因(hFIX,2.8kb)植物双元表达载体p35s2300∷gus∷noster,用农杆菌介导法转化烟草“百日红”,通过PCR和Southernblot分析证实获得4株独立转基因植株,hFIX在转基因烟草基因组中的拷贝数为1～4个;RTPCR和ELISA检测结果表明,hFIX在转录和翻译水平已成功表达,hFIX在转基因烟草叶片中的表达量为2.5～8.8ng/g·FW,并具有免疫活性。为利用植物系统表达hFIX的后续研究作了必要准备,也为利用植物系统表达其他药用蛋白研究提供了一些理论和实验参考。     

Anion channel SLAH3 functions in nitrate‐dependent alleviation of ammonium toxicity in Arabidopsis

Slow anion channels (SLAC/SLAH) are efflux channels previously shown to be critical for stomatal regulation. However, detailed analysis using the β‐glucuronidase reporter gene showed that members of the SLAC/SLAH gene family are predominantly expressed in roots, in addition to stomatal guard cells, implicating distinct function(s) of SLAC/SLAH in the roots. Comprehensive mutant analyses of all slac/slah mutants indicated that slah3 plants showed a greater growth defect than wild‐type plants when ammonium was supplied as the sole nitrogen source. Ammonium toxicity was mimicked by acidic pH in nitrogen‐free external medium, suggesting that medium acidification by ammonium‐fed plants may underlie ammonium toxicity. Interestingly, such toxicity was more severe in slah3 mutants and, particularly in wild‐type plants, was alleviated by supplementing the media with micromolar levels of nitrate. These data thus provide evidence that SLAH3, a nitrate efflux channel, plays a role in nitrate‐dependent alleviation of ammonium toxicity in plants.     

treegraph: automated drawing of complex tree figures using an extensible tree description format

treegraph assists in producing complex ready‐to‐publish figures of phylogenetic trees. The TGF format used by the program automates formatting of several different statistical support value types (confidence estimates) per tree node. Moreover, internal text and graphical labels are automatically arranged at the nodes as are annotations for clades or groups of terminals. treegraph imports nexus trees and related file formats. Beyond common tree edit operations, simultaneous pruning of subtrees (simplification of the tree to higher order clades) and saving of subtrees is possible. treegraph exports to the standard vector graphics formats Scalable Vector Graphics and PostScript.     

Ferricrocin synthesis in Magnaporthe grisea and its role in pathogenicity in rice

Iron is an essential element for the growth of nearly all organisms. In order to overcome the problem of its low bioavailability, microorganisms (including fungi) secrete siderophores, high-affinity iron chelators. As the acquisition of iron is also a key step in infection processes, siderophores have been considered as potential virulence factors in several host–pathogen interactions. Most fungi produce siderophores of the hydroxamate-type, which are synthesized by non-ribosomal peptide synthetases (NRPSs). Magnaporthe grisea , the causal agent of rice blast disease, produces ferricrocin as intracellular storage siderophore and excretes coprogens. In the M. grisea genome we identified SSM1 , an NRPS gene, and a gene encoding an l -ornithine N5-monooxygenase ( OMO1 ) that is clustered with SSM1 and responsible for catalysing the first step in siderophore biosynthesis, the N⁵ hydroxylation of ornithine. Disruption of SSM1 confirmed that the gene encodes ferricrocin synthetase. Pathogenicity of these mutants towards rice was reduced, suggesting a role of this siderophore in pathogenicity of M. grisea .     

The youngest split in sympatric schizothoracine fish (Cyprinidae) is shaped by ecological adaptations in a Tibetan Plateau glacier lake

Although new empirical evidence shows that sympatric speciation has occurred in some species, there are few indisputable model organisms for this process of speciation. The two subspecies ( Gymnocypris eckloni eckloni and G . e . scoliostomus ) of the schizothoracine Gymnocypris fish species complex from a small glacier lake in the Tibetan Plateau, Lake Sunmcuo, fit several of the key characteristics of the sympatric speciation model. We used combined mitochondrial control region sequences and the cytochrome b gene (1894 bp) to address the phylogenetics and population genetics of 232 specimens of G . e . eckloni and G . e . scoliostomus , as well as all of its closely related sister species. We found that: (i) a total of four old lineages were uncovered in the widespread G . e . eckloni , of which only one was shown to be shared with all G . e . scoliostomus individuals and (ii) the new subspecies ( G . e . scoliostomus ) evolved in Lake Sunmcuo from the ancestral G . e . eckloni population within approximately 0.057 Ma. These two taxa of the species complex are morphologically distinct, and reproductive isolation is further suggested. Ecological disruptive selection based on morphological traits (e.g. mouth cleft characters) and food utilization may be a mechanism of incipient speciation of two sympatric populations within Lake Sunmcuo. This study provides the first genetic evidence for sympatric speciation in the schizothoracine fish.     

失血性休克引起大鼠肠系膜动脉平滑肌依钙K~ 通道活动改变

在由股动脉放血制备的失血性休克大鼠模型急性分离的肠系膜动脉平滑肌细胞上 ,利用膜片箝单通道记录技术观察了血管平滑肌依钙K 通道 (BKCa)的活动。发现在对去甲肾上腺素 (NE)反应性增高的休克代偿期 ,BKCa的开放概率 (Po)和单位电导都显著较正常动物的低 ,Po 的改变主要是由通道的慢关闭时间常数 (τcs)增大引起关闭时间延长所致 ;而处于对NE反应性降低的休克失代偿期 ,BKCa的Po 和单位电导都高于正常动物 ,Po的变化也主要是τcs减小所致。     

广州市园林植物多样性及其效应的调查研究

选取广州市信园为研究个案,同时先取市内有代表性的5个生态园林区作对比进行植物多样性调查,计算物种多样性指数(SW指数).并把计算结果分别与园区内其它生物多样性的调查结果和环境指标(温度、湿度、土壤含水量、有机质质量分数、含氮量)的检测结果进行分析.结果表明:①有机质质量百分比随植物SW指数上升呈增高趋势, 良好的土壤环境又会促进植物多样性发展;②鸟类、其他小型动物的种类数随植物SW指数上升呈现增高趋势,即植物多样性决定动物物种丰富程度.建议广州市园区的SW指数不应低于2.5.     

食道癌组织miR-21、miR-182表达与临床病理特征及预后的关系

目的:探讨食道癌组织微小RNA-21(miR-21)、微小RNA-182(miR-182)表达与临床病理特征及预后的关系。方法:选取2011年4月到2013年7月期间在我院接受手术治疗的食道癌患者84例,取患者的癌组织和癌旁正常组织作为检验标本,比较癌组织和癌旁正常组织中miR-21、mi R-182的表达水平,并分析食道癌组织中mi R-182、mi R-21的表达与临床病理特征及预后的关系。结果:癌组织中mi R-21、mi R-182的相对表达量明显高于癌旁正常组织,差异有统计学意义(P<0.05)。食道癌组织中mi R-21的表达与淋巴结转移、临床分期有关(P<0.05),与性别、年龄、分化程度、肿瘤大小无关(P>0.05);食道癌患者癌组织中miR-182的表达与年龄、性别、肿瘤大小无关(P>0.05),与分化程度、临床分期、淋巴结转移有关(P<0.05)。食道癌癌组织中miR-21、miR-182高表达患者的中位生存时间均低于低表达患者,差异有统计学意义(P<0.05)。结论:食道癌组织mi R-21、mi R-182表达与患者的部分临床病理特征及预后有关,两者有望成为食道癌新的治疗靶点。