Comparative study on the surface ultrastructures of fertilized eggs of three Sebastes species

Fertilized eggs of Sebastes schlegelii, Sebastes pachycephalus and Sebastes hubbsi are morphologically similar under stereomicroscope. However, under the scanning electron microscope, significant differences in the ultrastructures of the egg surface among the three species were observed, and herein, a taxonomic key was proposed for future applications. A clustering analysis based on the ultrastructures of the egg surface and the diameter of the oil globule suggested that among the three species, S. hubbsi and S. pachycephalus were more genetically similar, while S. schlegelii had diverged earlier. The results agree with the conclusions drawn from morphological and molecular analyses on adult samples of the same species.     

Comparative proteomics and physiological characterization of Arabidopsis thaliana seedlings in responses to Ochratoxin A

Ochratoxin A (OTA) is a mycotoxin that is primarily produced by Aspergillus ochraceus and Penicillium verrucosum. This mycotoxin is a contaminant of food and feedstock worldwide and may induce cell death in plants. To investigate the dynamic growth process of Arabidopsis seedlings in response to OTA stress and to obtain a better understanding of the mechanism of OTA toxicity towards Arabidopsis, a comparative proteomics study using 2-DE and MALDI-TOF/TOF MS/MS was performed. Mass spectrometry analysis identified 59 and 51 differentially expressed proteins in seedlings exposed to 25 and 45 μM OTA for 7 days, respectively. OTA treatment decreased root elongation and leaf area, increased anthocyanin accumulation, damaged the photosynthetic apparatus and inhibited photosynthesis. Treatment of the seedlings with 25 μM OTA enhanced energy metabolism, whereas higher concentration of OTA (45 μM) inhibited energy metabolism in the seedlings. OTA treatment caused an increase of ROS, an enhancement of antioxidant enzyme defense responses, disturbance of redox homeostasis and activation of lipid oxidation. Glutamine and S-adenosylmethionine metabolism may also play important roles in the response to OTA. In conclusion, our study provided novel insights regarding the response of Arabidopsis to OTA at the level of the proteome. These results are expected to be highly useful for understanding the physiological responses and dissecting the OTA response pathways in higher plants.     

组蛋白乙酰化与卵母细胞及胚胎的体外发育

组蛋白乙酰化及去乙酰化是表观遗传修饰一个重要部分,其对哺乳动物卵母细胞成熟和胚胎发育具有重要的调节作用。因此深入研究组蛋白乙酰化的发生机制,对于改善卵母细胞和早期胚胎的发育具有重要意义。对哺乳动物卵母细胞及胚胎发育过程中的组蛋白乙酰化动态修饰进行综述。     

Increasing ethanol titer and yield in a gpd1Δ gpd2Δ strain by simultaneous overexpression of GLT1 and STL1 in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

We have investigated whether simultaneous modification of cofactor metabolism and glycerol in a strain of Saccharomyces cerevisiae can eliminate glycerol synthesis during ethanol production. Two strains, S812 (gpd1Δ gpd2Δ PGK1p-GLT1) and LE17 (gpd1Δ gpd2Δ PGK1p-GLT1 PGKp-STL1) were generated that showed a 8 and 8.2 % increase in the ethanol yield, respectively, compared to the wild type KAM-2 strain. The ethanol titer was improved from 90.4 g/l for KAM-2 to 97.6 g/l for S812 and 97.8 g/l for LE17, respectively. These results provide a new insight into rationalization of metabolic engineering strategies for improvement of ethanol yield through elimination of glycerol production.     

Life: Self-Directing with Unlimited Variability on Self-Speeding

Abstract

The crystal structure of the deoxyoctamer d(G-G-^Br U-A-^BrU-A-C-C) was refined to a resolution of 1.7Å using combined diffractometer and synchrotron data. The analysis was carried out independently in two laboratories using different procedures. Although the final results are identical the comparison of the two approaches highlights potential problems in the refinement of oligonucleotides when only limited data are available.

As part of the analysis the positions of 84 solvent molecules in the asymmetric unit were established. The DNA molecule is highly solvated, particularly the phosphate-sugar backbone and the functional groups of the bases. The major groove contains, in the central ^BrU-A-^BrU-A region, a ribbon of water molecules forming closed pentagons with shared edges. These water molecules are linked to the base O and N atoms and to the solvent chains connecting the O-1 phosphate oxygen atoms on each strand. The minor groove is also extensively hydrated with a continuous network in the central region and other networks at each end. The pattern of hydration is briefly compared with that observed in the crystal structure of a B-dodecamer.     

Genomic Resources for Gene Discovery,Functional Genome Annotation,and Evolutionary Studies of Maize and Its Close Relatives

Maize is one of the most important food crops and a key model for genetics and developmental biology. A genetically anchored and high-quality draft genome sequence of maize inbred B73 has been obtained to serve as a reference sequence. To facilitate evolutionary studies in maize and its close relatives, much like the Oryza Map Alignment Project (OMAP) (www.OMAP.org) bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) resource did for the rice community, we constructed BAC libraries for maize inbred lines Zheng58, Chang7-2, and Mo17 and maize wild relatives Zea mays ssp. parviglumis and Tripsacum dactyloides. Furthermore, to extend functional genomic studies to maize and sorghum, we also constructed binary BAC (BIBAC) libraries for the maize inbred B73 and the sorghum landrace Nengsi-1. The BAC/BIBAC vectors facilitate transfer of large intact DNA inserts from BAC clones to the BIBAC vector and functional complementation of large DNA fragments. These seven Zea Map Alignment Project (ZMAP) BAC/BIBAC libraries have average insert sizes ranging from 92 to 148 kb, organellar DNA from 0.17 to 2.3%, empty vector rates between 0.35 and 5.56%, and genome equivalents of 4.7- to 8.4-fold. The usefulness of the Parviglumis and Tripsacum BAC libraries was demonstrated by mapping clones to the reference genome. Novel genes and alleles present in these ZMAP libraries can now be used for functional complementation studies and positional or homology-based cloning of genes for translational genomics.     

Periodic density functional theory study of the high-pressure behavior of energetic crystalline 1,4-dinitrofurazano[3, 4-b]piperazine

A detailed study of the structural, electronic, and optical absorption properties of crystalline 1,4-dinitrofurazano[3,4-b]piperazine (DNFP) under hydrostatic pressures of 0–100 GPa was performed using periodic density functional theory. As the pressure increases, the lattice constants and cell volumes calculated by LDA gradually approach those obtained by GGA-PW91. It was found that the structure of DNFP is much stiffer in the b direction than along the a and c axes, indicating that the compressibility of the crystal is anisotropic. As the pressure increases, the band gap gradually decreases, and this decrease is more pronounced in the low-pressure range than in the high-pressure region. An analysis of the density of states showed that the electronic delocalization in DNFP gradually increases under the influence of pressure. DNFP exhibits relatively high optical activity at high pressure. As the pressure increases, the bands in the fundamental absorption region of the absorption spectrum of DNFP become more numerous and intense.     

畜禽中药-益生菌复合微生态制剂的研究进展

畜禽中药-益生菌复合微生态制剂是指采用现代发酵技术将益生菌与中药联合发酵,发挥两者的协同作用,以提高畜禽免疫功能、保护畜禽健康的一种新型动物微生态制剂。文中通过调研近几年关于益生菌及中药微生态制剂等方面的文献,综述了畜禽中药-益生菌复合微生态制剂的产生背景及菌种特点,并重点阐述了畜禽中药-益生菌复合微生态制剂的作用机制、在畜禽养殖中的应用及存在问题与建议,以期为畜禽中药-益生菌复合微生态制剂的深入研究提供参考和依据。