Rapid Fishery Assessment by Market Survey (RFAMS) – An Improved Rapid-Assessment Approach to Characterising Fish Landings in Developing Countries

The complex multi-gear, multi-species tropical fisheries in developing countries are poorly understood and characterising the landings from these fisheries is often impossible using conventional approaches. A rapid assessment method for characterising landings at fish markets, using an index of abundance and estimated weight within taxonomic groups, is described. This approach was developed for contexts where there are no detailed data collection protocols, and where consistent data collection across a wide range of fisheries types and geographic areas is required, regardless of the size of the site and scale of the landings. This methodology, which was demonstrated at seven fish landing sites/fish markets in southern Indonesia between July 2008 and January 2011, provides a rapid assessment of the abundance and diversity in the wild catch over a wide variety of taxonomic groups. The approach has wider application for species-rich fisheries in developing countries where there is an urgent need for better data collection protocols, monitoring future changes in market demographics, and evaluating health of fisheries.     

Probing the Tumor Suppressor Function of BAP1 in CRISPR-Engineered Human Liver Organoids

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Design and visualization of second‐generation cyanoisoindole‐based fluorescent strigolactone analogs

Strigolactones (SLs) are a family of terpenoid allelochemicals that were recognized as plant hormones only a decade ago. They influence a myriad of both above‐ and below‐ground developmental processes, and are an important survival strategy for plants in nutrient‐deprived soils. A rapidly emerging approach to gain knowledge on hormone signaling is the use of traceable analogs. A unique class of labeled SL analogs was constructed, in which the original tricyclic lactone moiety of natural SLs is replaced by a fluorescent cyanoisoindole ring system. Biological evaluation as parasitic seed germination stimulant and hypocotyl elongation repressor proved the potency of the cyanoisoindole strigolactone analogs (CISAs) to be comparable to the commonly accepted standard GR24. Additionally, via a SMXL6 protein degradation assay, we provided molecular evidence that the compounds elicit SL‐like responses through the natural signaling cascade. All CISAs were shown to exhibit fluorescent properties, and the high quantum yield and Stokes shift of the pyrroloindole derivative CISA‐7 also enabled in vivo visualization in plants. In contrast to the previously reported fluorescent analogs, CISA‐7 displays a large similarity in shape and structure with natural SLs, which renders the analog a promising tracer to investigate the spatiotemporal distribution of SLs in plants and fungi.     

基于网络药理学的杜仲-山茱萸配伍治疗糖尿病的作用机制

为探讨杜仲-山茱萸治疗糖尿病的作用机制。研究利用网络药理学的方法,首先通过中药系统药理学数据库筛选出杜仲和山茱萸的活性成分和相关靶点,再利用DisGeNET、DrugBank等数据库筛选出糖尿病的潜在靶点。以STRING数据库对活性靶点构建蛋白互作网络(PPI)分析,采用Cytoscape3.7.0软件绘制其“成分-靶点-通路”的相互作用网络,通过CludterProfiler对靶蛋白进行生物过程、细胞组分及分子功能分析;京都基因与基因组(KEGG)的代谢通路分析。实验结果筛选得到杜仲-山茱萸有效成分30个,其中槲皮素、山奈酚、β-谷甾醇等成分对PTGS2、DPP4、ADRB2、PPARG等相关靶点通过IL-17信号通路、钙信号通路、脂肪细胞脂解的调控等参与氮化合物代谢过程、血液循环、脂肪细胞分化和血压调节等过程。综上,杜仲-山茱萸配伍治疗糖尿病存在多成分和多重药理作用机制,为进一步研究其治疗糖尿病药理实验提供了参考,也为其他中药的相关研究提供借鉴和参考。     

Targets,models and challenges in osteoarthritis research

Osteoarthritis is a chronic degenerative disorder of the joint and represents one of the most common diseases worldwide. Its prevalence and severity are increasing owing to aging of the population, but treatment options remain largely limited to painkillers and anti-inflammatory drugs, which only provide symptomatic relief. In the late stages of the disease, surgical interventions are often necessary to partially restore joint function. Although the focus of osteoarthritis research has been originally on the articular cartilage, novel findings are now pointing to osteoarthritis as a disease of the whole joint, in which failure of different joint components can occur. In this Review, we summarize recent progress in the field, including data from novel ‘omics’ technologies and from a number of preclinical and clinical trials. We describe different in vitro and in vivo systems that can be used to study molecules, pathways and cells that are involved in osteoarthritis. We illustrate that a comprehensive and multisystem approach is necessary to understand the complexity and heterogeneity of the disease and to better guide the development of novel therapeutic strategies for osteoarthritis.KEY WORDS: Osteoarthritis, Cartilage, Bone, Animal models     

纳豆激酶基因的优化设计、合成及其在烟草叶片中的瞬时表达

根据植物偏爱密码子优化设计、合成纳豆激酶基因sNK,利用重叠延伸PCR法在其中插入番茄果实特异性表达基因E8的第一内含子构成sNKi基因,通过农杆菌渗透法将这两种基因渗入到烟草NC89叶片中并实现瞬时表达。通过RT-qPCR法将两种基因在烟草叶片中转录水平的表达量进行比较,结果表明两种基因在烟草叶片中均表达,且sNKi基因的表达量显著高于sNK基因;通过纤维蛋白平板法在两种基因的瞬时表达样品中均能检测到纤溶酶活性,表明目的基因在烟草叶片中可正常翻译并表现出溶栓活性,且sNKi基因在翻译水平的表达量显著高于sNK基因。表明内含子对人工合成的纳豆激酶基因的瞬时表达具有显著的促进作用。     

杂色山雀的婚外父权与配偶间的遗传相容性无关

婚配制度作为一种进化稳定对策是动物对某一环境包括种群内部环境适应的结果。据统计,约92%的鸟类为社会性单配制,但单配制鸟类中很多都存在婚外父权现象,表现出社会性婚配制度与遗传性婚配制度的不一致性。杂色山雀(Parus varius)是一种社会性单配制的小型森林洞巢鸟,其是否存在婚外父权现象至今尚未见报道。通过对杂色山雀进行亲权鉴定以确定其有无婚外父权现象及婚外父权的比例,结果显示:45.45%(20/44)的巢存在婚外父权,14.39%(38/264)的后代为婚外子代,说明杂色山雀具有较高的婚外父权水平。进一步探究其婚外父权的发生原因,结果如下:(1)有、无婚外父权巢的社会性亲本之间的遗传相似性无显著差异(P=0.504);(2)有婚外父权巢中婚内子代和无婚外父权巢中子代的杂合度(P=0.118)以及有婚外父权巢中婚外子代与婚内子代的杂合度(P=0.206)均无显著差异。(3)有婚外父权巢中的婚内子代与婚外子代间8项体征指标比较,差异均不显著(Ps0.05)。综上,社会性单配制杂色山雀婚外父权的发生与配偶间的遗传相容性无关,还有待从其他角度进行探究。     

马铃薯杂种无性株系的SSR鉴定及花粉育性和染色体构型分析

为明确马铃薯‘MB09’ב陇薯7号’杂种F1无性株系在DNA和细胞遗传学水平上的差异,该试验以亲本材料为对照,利用SSR分子标记技术对其20个优良无性株系(F1无性系一代)的DNA指纹特征进行分析,并采用常规制片镜检方法对已选出的8个杂种优良株系(F1无性系二代)的花粉育性及花粉母细胞减数分裂中期Ⅰ(PMCMⅠ)的染色体配对构型进行了研究,为马铃薯杂交新品系选育提供分子细胞遗传学依据。结果显示:(1)试验共筛选出2对SSR特异引物C57和S25,通过PCR扩增建立了能识别出这20个杂种株系及其双亲的SSR指纹图。(2)杂种优异株系F1-1、F1-2、F1-7、F1-11、F1-13、F1-14、F1-15和F1-20的花粉可育率变幅为36.73%~87.08%,并以株系F1-7最高(87.08%),而且显著超过高亲(83.33%),说明各优良株系花粉育性有一定差异。(3)对8个优异株系花粉母细胞的PMCMⅠ观察发现,各优良株系的染色体配对构型明显不同,均包括单价体、二价体、三价体和四价体4类,其中二价体构型的比例最高,其介于49.13%~82.91%之间,其中以株系F1-7的二价体比例最高(82.91%)。该研究明确了20个马铃薯杂种优良株系的SSR指纹特征和8个优异株系的花粉育性及染色体配对构型差异。