植物DNA条形码、物种形成和分类学

<正>DNA条形码最大的特点是用一段标准DNA序列就可以鉴定生物材料(特别是不具有分类特征的残缺或来自幼小个体的材料)和生物产品的物种来源(Hebert et al.,2003)。已有研究发现,动物中线粒体基因组的COI基因序列能鉴定多个动物类群的物种,被认为是理想的DNA条形码片段(Ward et al.,2005;TavaresBaker,2008)。而植物DNA条形码序列的确定还存在争议,例如应选择一个片段还是多     

DNA条形码在生物多样性编目与评价中的应用

<正>DNA条形码是基于基因组中一段或几段短的、通用的标准DNA序列对生物物种进行识别和鉴定的技术(Hebert et al.,2003;Kress et al.,2005;Hollingsworth et al.,2011)。该技术突破了对经验的过度依赖,可实现标本鉴定过程的自动化和标准化,而且能对生物残片而非完整的生物标本进行鉴定,是传统分类学与物种鉴定的有力补充(罗亚皇等,2013)。随着DNA条形码技术十多年来的不断发展,     

植物克隆性的生态学意义

克隆性（Clonality）是指生物在自然状况下自发地产生遗传结构相同的后代个体的生物学习性（Jackson et al．,1985;Stuefer et al．,2002）,包括克隆生长（Clonal growth）和克隆生殖（Clonal reproduction）两大类（de Kroon ＆ van Groenendael,1997）。克隆性普遍存在于植物界,以不同的比例分布在许多不同的分类单元中。     

系统遗传学与合成生物学——21世纪的生物工程产业化

基因型-表现型复杂生物系统由多基因群调控,细胞发生的信号传导路径、多基因相互作用与细胞系谱定位形成生物系统的结构-图式发生遗传学,但分子、细胞和器官的结构、图式形成机理还不很清楚。复杂生物系统的图式演化是细胞的物种进化、细胞形态发育的细胞发生非线性动力学过程,包括：1）物种基因组结构内等位基因替代构成物种内基因多样性调控;2）物种间进化的基因组结构层次级别的自组织化。系统理论应用于系统生态学（Van Dyne GM．1966）、系统生理学（Sagawa K．1973）、系统心理学（Titchener EB．1992）、系统生物医学（Kamada T．1992）、系统生物学（zieglgansherger W,Tolle TR．1993）、系统生物工程与系统遗传学（Zengg：BJ.1994）的建立,以及遗传学机理的生物系统分析。细胞的基因组结构自组织化形成生物的系统发生,基因组的结构变化形成物种的适应变异,生物体结构的基因组复制与表达的细胞自组织化构成生物个体发生。基于系统遗传学的工程应用,合成生物学探索生物系统泛进化,包括人工生物体的遗传工程、基因调控和仿生智能的纳米生物机器,构成生物系统的人工引导进化。     

尼罗鳄线粒体基因组全序列分析及鳄类系统发生关系的探讨

大多数脊椎动物的线粒体基因组（约16—18kb）的组成是相对较稳定的,但在不同类群中,线粒体基因组在基因结构和基因排列方式等方面均显示了极大的多样性,这种多样性可能反映了真核细胞不同的进化路线（Saccone et al．,1999）。就目前的研究而言,线粒体基因组是惟一一个能够从基因组水平上来分析动物系统发生的分子标记,可以从线粒体基因组序列信息、基因组成及基因排列方式等进行多方位的分子进化研究,因而线粒体基因组全序列将成为动物分子系统发生最有力的证据（Saccone et al．,1999）。     

短尾猴陈旧粪便中DNA的提取

分子粪便学（Molecular scatology）是一门将传统粪便分析方法与分子生物学技术相结合,以动物粪便为实验材料进行多领域研究的学科（魏辅等,2001）。虽然该方法已在野生濒危动物保护遗传学和分子生态学研究中发挥了很大作用（Kohnand Wayne,1997）,但目前大多数分子粪便学研究中使用的材料是新鲜粪便,从保存时间很长的陈旧粪便中很难提取到高质量的DNA用于PCR扩增以及序列分析,严重制约了分子粪便学的广泛应用（Wasser et al．,1997;Constable et al．,2001;Murphy et al．．2002）。     

High-accuracy mapping of protein binding stability on nucleosornal DNA using a single-molecule method

Dear Editor, The conformation of nucleosomal DNA is significantly different from that of B-form double stranded DNA （dsDNA） （Richmond and Davey, 2003）. In nucieosomal DNA, specific DNA sequences are less flexible and less accessible than in free dsDNA, which might be due to the tight association of histone cores. The allosteric effect via DNA has been documented recently （Kim et al., 2013）, suggesting that DNA is not merely a solid rod providing recognition sequences. Previous studies of nucleosomal DNA-protein interactions only demonstrated the key mechanism involved--histone shielding （Li and Wrange, 1993; Hinz et al., 2010; Sahu et al., 2010）.     

斜带石斑鱼PACAP的原核表达及活性分析

自1989年从绵羊下丘脑提取物发现垂体腺苷酸环化酶激活多肽（Pituitary adenylate cyclase activating polypeptide,PACAP）以来（Miyata et al．,1989）,已证明它能促进垂体激素释放,同时还具有神经递质、神经调质和神经营养等作用,使对PACAP的研究成为十分活跃的领域。PACAP属于血管活性肠肽（VIP）-胰高血糖素-生长激素释放因子-分泌素家族（Campbell and Scanes,1992）成员,已鉴别出包含27和38个氨基酸两种类型。对原索动物（McRory et al．,1997）、两栖类（蛙）（Alexandre et al．,2000）、爬行类（蜥蜴）（Pohland Wank,1998）、鸟类（鸡）（McRory et al．,1997）,啮齿类（鼠）（Ghatei et al．,1993）等脊椎动物PACAP的研究多集中在结构与进化方面,对功能了解甚少。     

DNA指纹技术在污染土壤生态毒理诊断中的应用

生物标记物能在细咆或分子水平上指示暴露．效应关系,是进行污染土壤生态毒理诊断的主要技术手段之一。随着分子生物学技术的飞速发展,出现了一系列以聚合酶链式反应为基础的、在分子水平上检测污染物质导致的生物体DNA损伤的DNA指纹技术。DNA指纹技术的主要类型有：随机扩增多态性DNA（RAPD）、聚合酶链式反应．单链构象多态性（PCR-SSCP）、扩增片段长度多态性（AFLP）、任意引物聚合酶链式反应（AP—PCR）、差异显示反转录聚合酶链式反应（DDRT）、短DNA重复序列（SSR）及限制片段长度多态性（RFLP）等。这些技术与检测基因突变、染色体畸变和损伤为主的一系列经典研究方法如彗星分析、微核实验等相比具有简便、快速、灵敏等优点。本文着重介绍了随机扩增多态性DNA、聚合酶链式反应．单链构象多态性、扩增片段长度多态性3种重要的DNA指纹技术在污染土壤诊断中的应用。     

Genome-Wide Prediction of Highly Specific Guide RNA Spacers for CRISPR-Cas9-Mediated Genome Editing in Model Plants and Major Crops

Dear Editor,
RNA-guided genome editing （RGE） using the Streptococcus pyogenes CRISPR-Cas9 system （Jinek et al., 2012; Cong et al., 2013; Mall et al., 2013b） is emerging as a simple and highly efficient tool for genome editing in many organisms. The Cas9 nuclease can be programmed by dual or single guide RNA （gRNA） to cut target DNA at specific sites,     

Land,livestock, and livelihoods: Changing dynamics of gender,caste, and ethnicity in a Nepalese Village

Over the past 10 years, Ghusel VDC, Lalitpur District has moved from primarily subsistence agriculture into the wider cash economy aided by the Small Farmers' Development Program (SFDP), which provides credit to farmers mainly for the purchase of buffalo for milk production, and by the National Dairy Corporation, which supports local dairy cooperatives. Analysis reveals that buffalo-keeping and milk sales are increasing the well-being of many households, while at the same time creating new inequalities in gender roles and responsibilities, greater inequities between Brahmin and Tamang residents in Ghusel, and placing pressures on the ecosystem for increased supplies of fodder and fuelwood. Evidence suggests that there is critical, need for attention to the social, and particularly gender-based, implications of maintaining livestock for milk sales and to the ecological underpinnings of this livelihood system.     

Influence of Fluoride on Rat Kidney Antioxidant System: Effects of Methionine and Vitamin E

The aim of the study has been to determine and compare the influence upon the kidney antioxidative system, exercised by administration of vitamin E, and vitamin E in combination with methionine, under conditions of oxidative stress induced by sodium fluoride. The experiment was carried out on Wistar FL rats (adult males) that, for 35 days, were administered water, NaF, NaF with vitamin E, or vitamin E with methionine (doses: 10 mg NaF/kg of body mass/24 h, 3 mg vitamin E per 10 μl per rat for 24 h, 2 mg methionine per rat for 24 h). The influence of administered sodium fluoride and antioxidants upon the antioxidative system in kidney was examined by analyzing the concentration of malondialdehyde (MDA) and the activity of the most important antioxidative enzymes (SOD, total and both its isoenzymes, GPX, GST, GR, and CAT). The studies carried out confirmed the disadvantageous effect of the administered dose of NaF upon the antixodiative system in rats (increase in the concentration MDA, decrease activity of all antioxidative enzymes). The administration of vitamin E increased the activity of studied enzymes with the exception of glutathione reductase GR; it also reduced the procesess of lipid peroxidation. It has been found that combined doses of vitamin E and methionine were most effective in inhibiting lipid peroxidation processes. The results confirmed the antioxidative properties of methionine.     

Reorientation of Microfibrils and Microtubules at the Outer Epidermal Wall of Maize Coleoptiles During Auxin-Mediated Growth

Auxin-mediated elongation growth of isolated subapical coleoptile segments of maize (Zea mays L.) is controlled by the extensibility of the outer cell wall of the outer epidermis (Kutschera et al., 1987). Here we investigate the hypothesis that auxin controls the extensibility of this wall by changing the orientation of newly deposited microfibrils through a corresponding change in the orientation of cortical microtubules. On the basis of electron micrographs it is shown that cessation of growth after removal of the endogenous source of auxin is correlated with a relative increase of longitudinally orientated microfibrils and microtubules at the inner wall surface. Conversely, reinduction of growth by exogenous auxin is correlated with a relative increase of transversely orientated microfibrils and microtubules at the inner wall surface. These changes can be detected 30–60 min after the removal and addition of auxin, respectively. The functional significance of directional changes of newly desposited wall microfibrils for the control of elongation growth is discussed.     

Identification of specific binding sites for leukotriene C4 in human fetal lung

Specific leukotriene C₄ (LTC₄) binding sites were identified in membrane preparations from human fetal lung. Specific binding of [³H]-LTC₄ represented 95 percent of total binding, reached steadystate within 10 minutes and was rapidly reversible upon addition of excess unlabeled LTC₄. Binding assays were performed at 4°C under conditions which prevented metabolism of [³H]-LTC₄ (80 mM serineborate, 10 mM cysteine, 10 mM glycine). Under these conditions, greater than 95 percent of the membrane bound radioactivity, as analyzed by high performance liquid chromatography, co-eluted with the LTC₄ standard. Computer-assisted analyses of saturation binding data showed a single class of binding sites with a dissociation constant (K_d) of 26 + 6 nM and a density (B_max) of 84 ± 18 pmol/mg protein. Pharmacological specificity was demonstrated by competition studies in which specific binding of [³H]-LTC₄ was displaced by LTC₄ and its structural analogs with inhibition constants (K_j) of 10 to 30 nM, whereas LTD₄, diastereoisomers of LTD₁, LTE₄ and the end organ antagonist FPL 55712 were 150 to 700 fold less potent competitors than LTC₄. These results provide evidence for specific, reversible, saturable, high affinity binding sites for [³H]-LTC₄ in human fetal lung membranes.     

多马胺能药物对鲇鱼促性腺激素（GtH）分泌活动的影响

以珠江流域鲇鱼（silurus asotus)为实验材料,研究了多巴胺（DA）能药物（DA及其D－2型受体拮抗物 ,DOM）对鲇鱼促性腺激素（GtH)释放的影响,结果表明,在性腺发育的各个时期,单独注射DOM（5ug/g)均不能显著提高鲇鱼血液基础GtH水平,当DOM与LHRH－A联合注射时能显著增强LHRH－A刺激GtH释放的作用;DA只能抑制GnRH诱导的GtH释放,对基础GtH释放无抑制作用,这种生殖内分泌调节方式与鲇形目的革胡子鲇（Clarias gariepinus)和大鳍Hu（Mystus macropterus)相似,而与鲤形目的鲁科（Cyrpindiae)鱼类不同。     

Gamma-glutamylcysteine protects ergothioneine-deficient Mycobacterium tuberculosis mutants against oxidative and nitrosative stress

Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M.tb.), the causative agent of tuberculosis (TB), cannot synthesize GSH, but synthesizes two major low molecular weight thiols namely mycothiol (MSH) and ergothioneine (ERG). Gamma-glutamylcysteine (GGC), an intermediate in GSH synthesis, has been implicated in the protection of lactic acid bacteria from oxidative stress in the absence of GSH. In mycobacteria, GGC is an intermediate in ERG biosynthesis, and its formation is catalysed by EgtA (GshA). GGC is subsequently used by EgtB in the formation of hercynine-sulphoxide-GGC. In this study, M.tb. mutants harbouring unmarked, in-frame deletions in each of the fives genes involved in ERG biosynthesis (egtA, egtB, egtC, egtD and egtE) or a marked deletion of the mshA gene (required for MSH biosynthesis) were generated. Liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry analyses (LC-MS) revealed that the production of GGC was elevated in the MSH-deficient and the ERG-deficient mutants. The ERG-deficient ΔegtB mutant which accumulated GGC was more resistant to oxidative and nitrosative stress than the ERG-deficient, GGC-deficient ΔegtA mutant. This implicates GGC in the detoxification of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species in M.tb.     

Interactions of an antitumor platinum compound with deoxyribonucleic acid, histones, L-amino acids, poly-L-amino acids, nucleosides and nucleotides

Interaction of cis-dichloro(dipyridine)platinum(II) (cis-PPC) with calf thymus DNA, calf thymus histone, l-amino acids, poly-l-amino acids, nucleosides, and nucleotides has been evaluated by equilibrium dialysis technics. At least a 28 % decrease in the association of cis-PPC with DNA occurs when the platinum compound is pre-incubated with l-amino acids. The greatest decrease in association is seen upon pre-incubation of the platinum compound with the free amino acids. Glut, Asp, Lys, Arg, and CySH, before the addition of a sack containing a solution of DNA. The low level of association between DNA and the amino acids tends to rule out competition between cis-PPC and amino acids for DNA association sites. cis-PPC was repelled from sacks containing positively charged poly-l-Lys, poly-l-Arg, and calf thymus histone; however, in the presence of poly-l-Glut and poly-l-Asp, cis-PPC associated with these negatively charged polymers to a considerable degree. Enhanced chloride dissociation from cis-PPC was observed in the presence of all of the amino acids and the nucleotides GMP, CMP, UMP, and TMP, but not in the presence of AMP or the nucleosides rG and dG. In the presence of calf thymus histone, the association of cis-PPC with calf thymus DNA was reduced by more than 50% at histone/DNA ratios of 0.8–1.0.These data suggest that cis-PPC or cis-Pt(II) may associate with electron-rich areas of not only nucleic acids and proteins but also with body pools of free nucleotides and amino acids. The presence of positively charged histones shielding DNA strands in vivo suggests that the most probable point of platinum-DNA association would be at de-repressed areas of DNA which are undergoing RNA synthesis. The aquated form of the platinum complex may also associate with acidic proteins which appear to be involved in the positive control of RNA synthesis and, as a result, this interaction may be of pharmacological significance.     

Tuning of electronic properties of one-dimensional cyano-bridged Cu-Ni, Cu-Pd, and Cu-Pt bimetallic assemblies by stereochemistry of ligands

Preparations, XPS and electronic spectroscopy, and magnetism of seven new one-dimensional cyano-bridged coordination polymers, chiral [Cu(RR-chxn)₂][Pd(CN)₄] · 2H₂O (1), [Cu(trans-chxn)₂][M(CN)₄] · 2H₂O (2, 4, and 6 for M = Pd, Ni, and Pt), and [Cu(cis-chxn)₂][M(CN)₄] · 2H₂O (3, 5, and 7 for M = Pd, Ni, and Pt) (RR-chxn = cyclohexane-(1R,2R)-diamine, trans-chxn = racemic trans-cyclohexane-(1,2)-diamine, and cis-chxn = racemic cis-cyclohexane-(1,2)-diamine) have been reported in view of tuning of their electronic properties by stereochemistry of chxn ligands and metal-substitution. Comparison of Cu 2p_1/2 and 2p_3/2 peaks of XPS and broad d-d bands around 18 000 cm⁻¹ of electronic spectra are described systematically for 1-7. Variable-temperature magnetic measurement shows that complexes 1-7 indicate weak antiferromagnetic interactions via cyano-bridges. Because of semi-coordination coupled with pseudo Jahn-Teller elongation and electrostatic interaction for 1, the axial Cu-N coordination bond distances of 2.330(7) and 3.092(8) Å are considerably longer than those of equatorial ones in the range from 2.016(6) to 2.030(6) Å. The former bond distances of 1 are intermediate values among the related Ni (2.324(6) and 3.120(8) Å) and Pt (2.34(1) and 3.09(1) Å) complexes.     

Biofortification of crops with seven mineral elements often lacking in human diets – iron, zinc, copper, calcium, magnesium, selenium and iodine

The diets of over two-thirds of the world's population lack one or more essential mineral elements. This can be remedied through dietary diversification, mineral supplementation, food fortification, or increasing the concentrations and/or bioavailability of mineral elements in produce (biofortification). This article reviews aspects of soil science, plant physiology and genetics underpinning crop biofortification strategies, as well as agronomic and genetic approaches currently taken to biofortify food crops with the mineral elements most commonly lacking in human diets: iron (Fe), zinc (Zn), copper (Cu), calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), iodine (I) and selenium (Se). Two complementary approaches have been successfully adopted to increase the concentrations of bioavailable mineral elements in food crops. First, agronomic approaches optimizing the application of mineral fertilizers and/or improving the solubilization and mobilization of mineral elements in the soil have been implemented. Secondly, crops have been developed with: increased abilities to acquire mineral elements and accumulate them in edible tissues; increased concentrations of 'promoter' substances, such as ascorbate, β-carotene and cysteine-rich polypeptides which stimulate the absorption of essential mineral elements by the gut; and reduced concentrations of 'antinutrients', such as oxalate, polyphenolics or phytate, which interfere with their absorption. These approaches are addressing mineral malnutrition in humans globally.     

八种脑-肠肽侧脑室内注射对大鼠基础胃酸分泌的影响

用乌拉坦麻醉大鼠作急性实验,采用连续灌流胃并收集流出液的方法,观察向侧脑室内注射微量脑-肠肽对大鼠基础胃酸分泌的影响。实验结果如下:(1)雨蛙肽、八肽胆囊收缩素、促甲状腺素释放激素及四肽胃泌素均使总酸排出量增加;(2)生长抑素、胰多肽、P 物质、胰高血糖素则使总酸排出量减少;(3)上述肽类用侧脑室注射的剂量作肌肉注射,除四肽胃泌素也产生明显的刺激胃酸分泌作用外,对胃酸分泌均无明显影响。以上结果提示,脑内的一些肽类可能以神经递质或调制物的方式,参与中枢对胃酸分泌的调节。