NKG2D ligand RAE1ε induces generation and enhances the inhibitor function of myeloid‐derived suppressor cells in mice

Expression of surface NKG2D ligands on tumour cells, which activates nature killer (NK) cells and CD8⁺ T cells, is crucial in antitumour immunity. Some types of tumours have evolved mechanisms to suppress NKG2D‐mediated immune cell activation, such as tumour‐derived soluble NKG2D ligands or sustained NKG2D ligands produced by tumours down‐regulate the expression of NKG2D on NK cells and CD8⁺ T cells. Here, we report that surface NKG2D ligand RAE1ε on tumour cells induces CD11b⁺Gr‐1⁺ myeloid‐derived suppressor cell (MDSC) via NKG2D in vitro and in vivo. MDSCs induced by RAE1ε display a robust induction of IL‐10 and arginase, and these MDSCs show greater suppressive activity by inhibiting antigen‐non‐specific CD8⁺ T‐cell proliferation. Consistently, upon adoptive transfer, MDSCs induced by RAE1ε significantly promote CT26 tumour growth in IL‐10‐ and arginase‐dependent manners. RAE1ε moves cytokine balance towards Th2 but not Th1 in vivo. Furthermore, RAE1ε enhances inhibitory function of CT26‐derived MDSCs and promotes IL‐4 rather than IFN‐γ production from CT26‐derived MDSCs through NKG2D in vitro. Our study has demonstrated a novel mechanism for NKG2D ligand⁺ tumour cells escaping from immunosurveillance by facilitating the proliferation and the inhibitory function of MDSCs.     

斑须蝽生物学特性及成虫耐寒性的研究

斑须蝽Dalycoris baccarum(Linnaeus)是多种作物和苗木的重要害虫。在鲁西南一年发生3代，以成虫主要在越冬菜叶夹缝、作物根际、枯枝落叶，树皮及房屋缝隙等处越冬。其越冬成虫结冰点和过冷却点分别为-5．2℃和-8．5℃。冬季极端低温对其越冬成活率有明显影响．第一代发生较轻．第二代发生重。成虫具弱趋光性，第二代上灯量占全年总量的77．56%。     

产甘油假丝酵母胞浆3-磷酸甘油脱氢酶基因（CgGPD）功能分析

【目的】从高产甘油生产菌株产甘油假丝酵母（Candida glycerinogenes）基因组中克隆了NAD+依赖3-磷酸甘油脱氢酶编码基因（CgGPD），但是该基因及其上游调控序列具体的功能还是未知的。本文研究了CgGPD基因及其上游调控序列的功能。【方法】本文以酿酒酵母（Saccharomyces cerevisiae）及其渗透压敏感型突变株为宿主，构建3种不同的酵母表达载体导入酵母细胞，研究了不同酵母转化子在渗透压胁迫条件下CgGPD基因表达对细胞的耐高渗透压胁迫应答及其细胞的甘油合成能力的影响。【结果】实验结果表明无论是以来源于S. cerevisiae 的TPI启动子还是来源于CgGPD基因的启动子，过量表达CgGPD基因的转化子均能够显著加速葡萄糖消耗速度和提高甘油合成能力，在gpd1/gpd2突变株中表达CgGPD基因能够消除细胞对外界高渗透压的敏感性，同时转化子胞内甘油大量积累。【结论】CgGPD基因在野生型酵母S. cerevisiae W303-1A表达显著提高细胞的甘油合成能力，在gpd/1gpd2突变株中能够互补GPD1基因的功能，CgGPD基因表达受渗透压诱导 调控。     

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.     

利用回交导入系剖析水稻苗期和分蘖期耐盐性的遗传重叠

以籼稻品种IR64为受体，来自伊朗的粳稻农家品种Binam为供体培育的99个BC2F8回交导入系为材料，定位了水稻在2叶1心期和分蘖期控制耐盐相关性状的数量性状基因座（QTL）．共检测到影响苗期叶片盐害级别、幼苗存活天数和地上部钾、钠离子浓度的QTL 13个，影响分蘖期株高、分蘖数和地上部鲜重的QTL 22个．多数分蘖期QTL对盐胁迫表现出明显的表达差异，根据表达情况将这些QTL分成3组，第1组为在对照条件下表达的11个QTL；第2组为在对照和盐胁迫条件下共同表达的5个QTL，其中有3个（QPh5，QPh8，QTn9）在两种环境下的基因效应大小和方向一致，其表达受盐胁迫影响较小；第3组为受盐胁迫诱导表达的6个QTL．检测到13个影响胁迫与对照差值即性状稳定性的QTL，除QPh4，QTn2和QFw2a外，其余10个基因座增加性状稳定性或提高耐盐性的等位基因均来自Binam．上述受盐胁迫影响较小的3个QTL和影响性状稳定性的13个QTL对耐盐性有贡献，属耐盐QTL．比较苗期和分蘖期耐盐QTL的分布，发现多数（69％）影响苗期和分蘖期的耐盐QTL在遗传上相互独立，仅在第1，2，8和11染色体的4个相同或相邻区域定位到影响两个时期的耐盐QTL，表明苗期和分蘖期的耐盐性存在部分的遗传重叠．通过标记辅助选择将苗期和分蘖期的重要耐盐QTL进行累加，或针对苗期和分蘖期的重叠耐盐QTL进行选择，有可能培育出苗期和分蘖期均耐盐的水稻品种．     

黑龙江4种铁线莲色谱指纹特征比较分析

运用化学计量学方法,比较分析黑龙江4种铁线莲植物,辣蓼铁线莲、棉团铁线莲、褐毛铁线莲、齿叶铁线莲根及根茎石油醚提取物的色谱指纹特征。色谱-光谱数据的多元分辨结果表明4种铁线莲的色谱指纹特征中,总计至少有45种化学成分存在,共有的化学成分为14种,单独的化学成分分别为3、6、2及2种。聚类分析显示,辣蓼铁线莲与棉团铁线莲间的相似程度在4种铁线莲全部两-两组合的相似程度中最小。     

凡纳滨对虾血蓝蛋白与病原菌凝集作用靶标的鉴定

血蓝蛋白是一种具有多种非特异性免疫学活性的多功能蛋白，以前的研究发现,血蓝蛋白具有凝集活性.本研究采用凝集抑制实验和亲和蛋白质组学等方法探索凡纳滨对虾血蓝蛋白与病原菌的凝集作用靶标.结果显示，大肠杆菌K12和副溶血弧菌外膜蛋白可以抑制血蓝蛋白对7种细菌的凝集活性，其中大肠杆菌K12中2种分子质量分别为16 kD、18 kD （命名为 p16、p18）的外膜蛋白可以与血蓝蛋白发生特异性的结合，经MALDI-TOF/MS鉴定，p16、p18 分别与大肠杆菌外膜蛋白OmpC、OmpX具有高度同源性.尤其是与大肠杆菌K12野生菌株相比，血蓝蛋白对 ΔOmpX 的凝集特异性明显降低，后者仅为前者的25％.由此推测，OmpX 应为血蓝蛋白与病原菌的凝集作用靶标.     

Mapping QTLs and meta-QTLs for two inflorescence architecture traits in multiple maize populations under different watering environments

Drought significantly affects the architectural development of maize inflorescence, which leads to massive losses in grain yield. However, the genetic mechanism for traits involved in inflorescence architecture in different watering environments, remains poorly understood in maize. In this study, 19 QTLs for tassel primary branch number (TBN) and ear number per plant (EN) were detected in 2 F_2:3 populations under both well-watered and water-stressed environments by single environment mapping with composite interval mapping (CIM); 11/19 QTLs were detected under water-stressed environments. Moreover, 21 QTLs were identified in the 2 F_2:3 populations by joint analysis of all environments with a mixed linear model based on composite interval mapping (MCIM), 11 QTLs were involved in QTL × environment interactions, seven epistatic interactions were identified with additive by additive/dominance effects. Remarkably, 12 stable QTLs (sQTLs) were simultaneously detected by single environment mapping with CIM and joint analysis through MCIM, which were concentrated in ten bins across the chromosomes: 1.05_1.07, 1.08_1.10, 2.01_2.04, 3.01, 4.06, 4.09, 5.06_5.07, 6.05, 7.00, and 7.04 regions. Twenty meta-QTLs (mQTLs) were detected across 19 populations under 51 watering environments using a meta-analysis, and 34 candidate genes were predicted in corresponding mQTLs regions to be involved in the regulation of inflorescence development and drought resistance. Therefore, these results provide valuable information for finding quantitative trait genes and to reveal the genetic mechanisms responsible for TBN and EN under different watering environments. Furthermore, alleles for TBN and EN provide useful targets for marker-assisted selection to generate high-yielding maize varieties.