A DNA-binding fraction of mouse kidney 3-ketosteroid reductase: Comparison with androgen receptors

Since approximately 1% of 3-ketosteroid reductase (which metabolizes dihydrotestosterone [17β-hydroxy-5α-androstan-3-one] to 5α-androstane-3α,17β-diol or 5α-androstane-3α,17β-diol) from mouse kidney cytosol adheres to DNA under conditions that allow virtually complete androgen receptor binding, these two DNA-binding activities were compared in cytosol extracts of mouse kidney and hypothalamus-preoptic area. This DNA-binding fraction of 3-ketosteroid reductase was distinguished from androgen receptor in several ways: (1) its pattern of elution from DNA-cellulose with steps of increasing NaC1 concentration differed from that for receptors from wild-type kidney; (2) it was influenced differently by the mutation Tfm, both in level and in DNA-cellulose elution pattern; (3) in mouse kidney cytosol it was relatively stable at moderate (25°C) temperatures which rapidly inactivated ligand-free androgen receptors in the same cytosols; (4) the DNA-binding was not proportional to androgen receptor levels between two wild-type tissues, the hypothalamus-preoptic area and kidney. By these criteria, a simple relationship of androgen receptors and a DNA-binding fraction of 3-ketosteroid reductase activity is unlikely.     

繁殖期雌性蓝狐性激素检测与 性器官组织学观察

为了研究繁殖期雌性蓝狐(Alopexlagopus)类固醇激素含量、发情表现与性器官组织学结构之间的关系,于2019年选取繁殖期不同发情状况的雌性蓝狐,共18只,分为典型发情、非典型发情和不发情3组。通过无损伤取样法采集粪便与尿液并通过放射免疫法(RIA)测定孕酮(P)和雌二醇(E2)的含量;每组选取1只在发情并输精的当天取卵巢和子宫,进行组织学观察。结果显示,所测定典型发情、非典型发情、不发情蓝狐类固醇激素水平,雌二醇在尿液中的含量显著高于粪便,且在不同组间差异明显,尤其在典型发情组更高,达到(11 065.17±546.76)ng/L;孕酮含量尿液与粪样差异不大,孕酮含量在典型发情雌性蓝狐粪便与尿液含量差异不显著,但在不发情雌性蓝狐中差异显著,为(16.61±0.63)μg/L。粪尿测定孕酮和雌二醇激素含量与三组不同情况的发情表现相比相关性显著。粪、尿作为类固醇激素检测样本,虽然含量有差异,但变化趋势一致,都可使用。卵巢与子宫在典型发情雌性蓝狐中体积较大,卵巢可见各级卵泡和多个黄体,子宫黏膜上皮为柱状上皮,排列紧密,固有层内可见大量腺体;非典型发情雌性蓝狐卵巢、子宫发育状况与典型发情雌性蓝狐相类似;不发情雌性蓝狐卵巢、子宫呈静息状态,卵巢中卵泡多处于闭锁状态,无卵母细胞,也无黄体,固有层间质细胞及肌层肌细胞排列更为紧密。说明检测孕酮和雌二醇激素的含量,可以准确判定蓝狐发情的状态。     

建立多重液相基因芯片方法快速检测狐狸、水貂成分

基于xMAP液相芯片新型生物技术平台,分别以狐狸线粒体DNA D-loop区序列、水貂线粒体DNA细胞色素b基因序列为模板设计特异扩增引物和探针,并对探针进行锁核酸修饰,建立了二重xMAP液相基因芯片方法,用于快速检测狐狸和水貂源性成分。该法能准确鉴定鉴别狐狸和水貂DNA,对其他18种动物物种DNA均呈检测阴性,对狐狸、水貂DNA的检测低限分别为2. 8pg/μl、0. 9pg/μl,对肉类混样检出限为0. 05%(m/m)。对目标源性DNA含量为1%(V/V)的32份饲料与食品核酸添加样本均呈对应目标检测阳性。结果表明,该方法特异性强、灵敏度高,适用于食品与饲料领域相关原料和产品的质量与安全检验。     

含褪黑素微型胶囊促使银狐毛皮提早成熟的效应

本文报道了在扩大实施《控制毛皮动物毛皮生长周期的方法及专用工具》（发明专利号９０１００７５９·５）的基础上，根据动物的种类、体型大小，调整制备了系列含褪黑素微型胶囊，供商品皮兽用。在银狐养殖场的试验结果表明，受试动物手术后４周夏毛即开始脱落，并诱发冬毛生长；除种兽及仔兽（２月龄内）外，对当年商品皮兽，其毛皮可提早４─６周成熟；对大龄（２─５岁龄）商品兽毛皮可提早６０天以上。受试狐毛皮等级率可提高约２０％。受试狐群养殖期大为缩短，提高了饲料报酬，显示了显著的社会经济与生态效益。     

Application of the Kwei equation to model the Tg behavior of binary blends of sugars and salts

Vitrification of sugar-based solutions plays an important role in cryopreservation, lyophilization, and the emerging field of anhydrous preservation. An understanding of the glass transition characteristics of such formulations is essential for determining an appropriate storage temperature to ensure an extended shelf life of vitrified products. To better understand the effect of salts on the glass transition temperature (T_g) of glass-forming sugars, we investigated several data-fitting models (Fox, Gordon–Taylor and Kwei) for sugar–salt formulations using data from the literature, as well as new data generated on blends of trehalose and choline dihydrogen phosphate (CDHP). CDHP has recently been shown to have promise as a stabilizing agent for proteins and DNA. The Kwei equation, which has a specific parameter characterizing intermolecular interactions, provides good fits to the T_g data for sugar–salt blends, and complements other commonly used models that are frequently used to model T_g data.     

Processes leading to a spatial aggregation of Echinococcus multilocularis in its natural intermediate host Microtus arvalis

The small fox tapeworm (Echinococcus multilocularis) shows a heterogeneous spatial distribution in the intermediate host (Microtus arvalis). To identify the ecological processes responsible for this heterogeneity, we developed a spatially explicit simulation model. The model combines individual-based (foxes, Vulpes vulpes) and grid-based (voles) techniques to simulate the infections in both intermediate and definite host. If host populations are homogeneously mixed, the model reproduces field data for parasite prevalence only for a limited number of parameter combinations. As ecological parameters inevitably vary to a certain degree, we discarded the homogeneous mixing model as insufficient to gain insight into the ecology of the fox tapeworm cycle. We analysed five different model scenarios, each focussing on an ecological process that might be responsible for the heterogeneous spatial distribution of E. mulitlocularis in the intermediate host. Field studies revealed that the prevalence ratio between intermediate and definite host remains stable over a wide range of ecological conditions. Thus, by varying the parameters in simulation experiments, we used the robustness of the agreement between field data and model output as quality criterion for the five scenarios. Only one of the five scenarios was found to reproduce the prevalence ratio over a sufficient range of parameter combinations. In the accentuated scenario most tapeworm eggs die due to bad environmental conditions before they cause infections in the intermediate host. This scenario is supported by the known sensitivity of tapeworm eggs to high temperatures and dry conditions. The identified process is likely to lead to a heterogeneous availability of infective eggs and thus to a clumped distribution of infected intermediate hosts. In conclusion, areas with humid conditions and low temperatures must be pointed out as high risk areas for human exposure to E. multilocularis eggs as well.