The origin of homeostasis in the early earth

Summary An equation is developed that describes the condition of homeostasis in a general molecular system containing catalysts. In a prebiotic environment, this condition first results from a critical level of catalytic feedback in feedback loops containing differing organic molecular species. This critical level results in temporary exponential growth in concentrations of those catalyst species participating in the feedback loops, leading to homeostasis as the steady-state endpoint. None of the molecules in any feedback loop need be self-replicating for this autocatalysis to occur. Homeostasis is regarded as a definition of life at the lowest possible hierarchical level. A general mathematical boundary condition is derived for the critical level of catalytic feedback mentioned above-in effect, an origin of life condition. The paper argues that any natural prebiotic system of organic molecules in an H₂O medium will automatically form many catalytic feedback loops, even if of very low catalytic efficiency. The analysis in this paper indicates that high temperatures strongly increase the efficiency of such catalytic feedback. If the temperature and total concentration of carbon in the system (e.g., in CO₂, CH₄, etc.) are sufficiently high, the critical condition for initial exponential growth will be attained. High initial temperatures for the earth are predicted by the planetesimal accretion model.     

Internal lipid synthesis and vesicle growth as a step toward self-reproduction of the minimal cell

One of the major properties of the semi-synthetic minimal cell, as a model for early living cells, is the ability to self-reproduce itself, and the reproduction of the boundary layer or vesicle compartment is part of this process. A minimal bio-molecular mechanism based on the activity of one single enzyme, the FAS-B (Fatty Acid Synthase) Type I enzyme from Brevibacterium ammoniagenes, is encapsulated in 1-palmitoyl-2oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphatidylcholine (POPC) liposomes to control lipid synthesis. Consequently molecules of palmitic acid released from the FAS catalysis, within the internal lumen, move toward the membrane compartment and become incorporated into the phospholipid bilayer. As a result the vesicle membranes change in lipid composition and liposome growth can be monitored. Here we report the first experiments showing vesicles growth by catalysis of one enzyme only that produces cell boundary from within. This is the prototype of the simplest autopoietic minimal cell.     

Methylation of histone H3 at lysine 37 by Set1 and Set2 prevents spurious DNA replication

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松科冷杉属植物的化石历史和现代分布

冷杉是北半球阴暗针叶林的优势种和建群种,现全世界共有52种1亚种12变种,在北半球形成南欧、北美和东亚三个分布中心,这三个地区也是冷杉属化石最丰富的地区。在垂直分布上,冷杉集中分布于1000～2000m（15种）和2500～4000m（13种）两个海拔地段。在中国,冷杉植物呈南北间断分布,集中分布在横断山地区。冷杉属的特有现象和孑遗分布现象都十分突出,有7个种呈孑遗分布。根据冷杉属的地史分布和现代分布的研究并结合最新的系统演化资料,本文推测冷杉属于白垩世中期起源于北半球的中高纬度地区,始新世以后,随着全球气候的变冷,逐步向南迁移,由于喜马拉雅山脉、阿尔卑斯山、落基山脉抬升及东亚季风气候的出现以及第四纪冰期的影响而形成了现代间断的分布格局。冷杉与银杉、金钱松等其它松科植物的形成模式十分相似。     

云南热带雨林:特征、生物地理起源与演化北大核心CSCD

云南热带雨林具有与东南亚低地热带雨林类似的群落结构、生态外貌特征和物种多样性,是亚洲热带雨林的一个类型。它的植物区系组成中有90%的属和多于80%的种为热带分布成分,其中约40%的属和70%的种为热带亚洲分布型,它含属种较多的优势科和在群落中重要值较大的科也与亚洲热带雨林相似,是亚洲热带雨林和植物区系的热带北缘类型。云南西南部、南部与东南部的热带雨林在群落结构和生态外貌上类似,但在南部与东南部之间有明显的植物区系分异,它们经历了不同的起源背景和演化历程。云南的热带雨林在很大程度上由西南季风维持。喜马拉雅隆升导致西南季风气候形成和加强,在云南热带局部地区产生了湿润气候,发育了热带雨林植被。现在的云南热带雨林里或其分布地区有落叶物种或热带落叶林存在,这不仅是季节性气候的影响,推测在晚第三纪或第四纪更新世云南热带地区曾经历了干旱气候。云南热带雨林的分布主要受制于局部生境,并非地区性气候条件。     

基于线粒体基因片段核苷酸多态性的亚洲栽培稻起源进化研究

亚洲栽培稻的祖先是普通野生稻,已成为世界公认的观点,然而亚洲栽培稻的2个亚种:粳稻和籼稻是一次起源还是二次起源仍存在很大争议,其起源地是国内还是国外依然是国际学者间争论的焦点。本文通过对184份亚洲栽培稻和203份普通野生稻3段基因序列cox3、cox1、orf 224和2段基因间序列ssv-39/178、rps2-trnfM的多样性研究,验证了以下观点:1)粳稻起源于中国,籼稻起源于中国和国外;2)亚洲栽培稻的起源为二次起源,即普通野生稻存在偏籼和偏粳2种类型,亚洲栽培稻的2个亚种籼稻和粳稻在进化过程中分别由偏籼型的普通野生稻和偏粳型的普通野生稻进化而来。     

Origin and phylogeny of Oryza species with the CD genome based on multiple-gene sequence data

The CD genome species in the genus Oryza are endemic to Latin America, including O. alta, O. grandiglumis and O. latifolia. Origins and phylogenetic relationship of these species have long been in dispute and are still ambiguous due to their homogeneous genome type, similar morphological characteristics and overlapping distribution. In the present study, we sequenced two chloroplast fragments (matK and trnL-trnF) and portions of three nuclear genes (Adh1, Adh2 and GPA1) from sixteen accessions representing seven species with the C, CD, and E genomes, as well as one G genome species as the outgroup. Phylogenetic analyses using parsimony and distance methods strongly supported that the CD genome originated from a single hybridization event, and that the C genome species (O. officinalis or O. rhizomatis instead of O. eichingeri) served as the maternal parent while the E genome species (O. australiensis) was the paternal donor during the formation of CD genome. In addition, the consistent phylogenetic relationships among the CCDD species indicated that significant divergence existed between O. latifolia and the other two (O. alta and O. grandiglumis), which corroborated the suggestion of treating the latter two as a single species or as taxa within species.We thank Tao Sang of Michigan State University (East Lansing, USA) and Bao-rong Lu of Fudan University (Shanghai, China) for their encouragement and assistance. We are also grateful to the International Rice Research Institute (Manila, Philippines) for providing plant material for this study. This research was supported by the Chinese Academy of Sciences (kscxz-sw-101A), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (30025005) and the Program for Key International S & T Cooperation Project of P. R. China (2001CB711103).     

华东天目山脉、黄山山脉、大别山脉竹类植物区系分析,兼论区系的起源与扩散

华东天目山脉、黄山山脉、大别山脉竹类植物较为丰富,分别有10属/75种(含种下等级)、8/49、7/30.通过对属、种的分布型分析,前二者竹类植物区系属于典型的华东区系,起源的时间不迟于早第三纪的始新世;而大别山脉虽仍属华东区系的范畴,因渗入了不少华中区系的成分,已具有某些经向过渡性特征,且起源的时间较晚.这3个山脉的竹类植物区系均具有显著的亚热带性质.天目山脉不仅是刚竹属Phyllostachys和短穗竹属Brachystachyum的分化变异中心,也极有可能就是它们的起源中心,但它们自此地起源后的散布方式有所不同,刚竹属在我国亚热带为四周放射状顺序渐进,扩散的范围颇广;短穗竹属存在东西南北4条散布路线,但向各方扩散的距离相差甚远.这些山脉与华东其他地区竹类植物区系联系密切,与华中竹类植物区系也有一定的联系,但与华南、西南等地竹类植物区系联系微弱.从地理位置和区系组成来看,黄山山脉的竹类植物区系来源于天目山脉,大别山脉的竹类植物区系又来源于黄山山脉,前者都是在后者扩展的基础上融合了其他区系的一些成分后发展而成,大别山脉又是北方秦岭以东广大丘陵平原地区竹类植物区系的发祥地.