我国沿海棱鳀属鱼类的物种鉴定与系统发育

利用DNA条形码技术对中国沿海分布的6种棱鳀属(Thryssa)鱼类样品进行了物种鉴定, 并每种取5尾用于探讨该属系统发育关系。结果显示: 棱鳀属鱼类的主要形态鉴别特征为上颌骨伸达位置和第一鳃耙的下鳃耙数量。在525 bp的目的片段上有175个变异位点, 其中简约信息位点172个, 单一信息位点3个, 无插入缺失现象, 转换数为182, 颠换数为57。A+T含量明显高于G+C含量, 并且表现出明显的反G偏倚。结合GenBank中相关的同源序列进行比较发现, 所有序列明显分为10个组群, 表明已提交的棱鳀属鱼类COI基因序列中仍存在一定的问题。从各组群间的遗传距离和氨基酸遗传差异水平可以看出, 10个组群应为不同的有效种, 但是否存在隐存种还有待于进一步确定。从NJ树上可以看出, 长颌棱鳀(T. setirostris)是最先分化出的物种, 保持着最原始的特征, 而中颌棱鳀(T. mystax)与黄吻棱鳀(T. vitrirostris)聚类到一起, 二者间存在共享单倍型。棱鳀属鱼类最早分化于中新世早期。在今后的研究中仍需要结合更多的分子标记对中颌棱鳀和黄吻棱鳀的分类地位作进一步的探讨。     

木霉属3个中国新记录种

对来自黑龙江的木霉属真菌进行系统分类研究,报道了该属3个中国新记录种：平展橙红木霉Trichoderma auranteffusum,塔梗木霉T. pyramidale 和革菌生木霉T. thelephoricola,对其宏观和微观特征提供了详细描述及图示,系统发育分析为上述种的分类地位提供了佐证。     

Ultradian Photosynchronization in Tetrahymena Pyriformis Glc is Related to Modal Cell Generation Time: Further Evidence for a Common Timer Model

This study contains the first report of the photosynchronization of Tetrahymena in the ultradian mode of cell division. Ultradian mode cultures of T. pyriformis GLC were grown at low cell titers in a nephelostat under five different ultradian photocycles and also under constant conditions of illumination.

Entrainment was achieved only when the period of the synchronizer did not exceed the nearest modal generation time observed in free-running single cells. Thus, the discrete ranges for photentrainment of ultradian rhythms in Tetrahymena were restricted to modal windows for the generation times in free-run. Cell division was found to be a function of the phase of the ultradian zeitgeber cycle. The cells did not behave as if they had been forced into synchrony by physiological shock; the synchronous populations obtained by this technique behaved like the populations commonly used in circadian studies, which had been phased by a cyclic variation within the tolerance range of the organism.     

The metallothionein genes of Mytilus galloprovincialis: genomic organization, tissue expression and evolution

Recently, increasing interest has been directed to the study of metallothioneins (MTs), which are small proteins that are able to bind metal ions. The induction of MT synthesis after exposure to metal or other environmental contaminants in a large number of aquatic invertebrates makes these proteins good biomarkers in water monitoring programs. Within bivalves, the species Mytilus galloprovincialis and Mytilus edulis represent model organisms for these types of studies, as well as for molecular studies regarding the expression and characterization of MT encoding genes. In the present paper, we focused on the genomic characterization, evolutionary, and tissue-expression analyses of the MT-10, MT-10 Intronless, and MT-20 genes in M. galloprovincialis. The comparison of the genomic sequences showed the presence of long nucleotide stretches within the introns of the MT genes that are conserved between M. galloprovincialis and M. edulis. These non-coding conserved sequences may contain regulatory motifs. Real-Time RT-PCR experiments revealed that, at the basal conditions, the MT-10 and MT-10 Intronless genes are expressed at levels considerably higher than the MT-20 gene, mainly in the digestive gland and gill tissue. The strong induction of the MT-20 gene expression detected in a field-collected sample is associated with the up-regulation of both the MT-10 and MT-10 Intronless genes. Evolutionary analysis revealed signals of localized positive selection that, together with the tissue-expression data, support a possible functional diversification between the MTs encoded by the MT-10 and MT-10 Intronless genes.     

(Cu,Zn)-metallothioneins from fetal bovine liver. Chemical and spectroscopic properties

Two metallothioneins (MTs) from bovine fetal liver were purified by a combination of gel filtration and ion-exchange chromatography. The primary structures of the isoproteins MT-1 and MT-2 were elucidated by peptide and amino acid sequence analysis. The amino-terminal part was deduced from automated Edman degradations of the pyridylethylated CNBr-cleaved derivatives. The remaining part of the sequence was established by a comparison of the carboxamidomethylated tryptic peptides to those from equine liver MT-1A and MT-2B. Peptides differing in either amino acid composition or retention time from high pressure liquid chromatography were further subjected to manual Edman degradations or carboxypeptidase Y digestion. The two isoproteins consist of 61 amino acids and show a sequence identity of 90%. When compared with the primary structures of other mammalian MTs, the 20 cysteinyl residues are totally conserved, in agreement with their function as metal ligands. The two isoproteins contain Cu and Zn at a ratio of 3:4. Spectroscopic data reveal absorption properties typical for both Cu- and Zn-thiolate transitions. The marked differences of MT-1 and MT-2 in the Cu-thiolate CD features can be attributed to the six amino acid substitutions occurring exclusively in the amino-terminal parts of the molecules. It is proposed that in bovine fetal MTs also the three copper ions are preferentially bound to the first 9 cysteinyl residues (cluster B) and the four zinc ions to the remaining 11 cysteinyl residues (cluster A) suggested previously by 113Cd NMR spectroscopy of calf liver MTs (Briggs, R. W., and Armitage, I. M. (1982) J. Biol. Chem. 257, 1259-1262).     

木霉属5个中国新记录种及2种木霉在中国的新分布

对来自北京、广东、黑龙江、河南、湖北、湖南、吉林、内蒙古、浙江的木霉属资源进行系统分类研究,报道了该属5个中国新记录种：桤木木霉Trichoderma alni,絮状木霉T. floccosum,近洋大戟草木霉T. parapiluliferum,普丽西拉木霉T. priscilae和森吉木霉T. songyi,并提供了其宏观和微观特征的详细描述及图示。基于联合rpb2和tef1基因序列的系统发育分析,为确定上述种的分类地位提供了佐证。此外,表明近渐绿木霉T. paraviridescens和西蒙斯木霉T. simmonsii在我国广泛分布。     

Cloning, sequencing, and expression of the cellulase genes of Humicola grisea var. thermoidea

We have cloned an endoglucanase (EGI) gene and a cellobiohydrolase (CBHI) gene of Humicola grisea var. thermoidea using a portion of the Trichoderma reesei endoglucanase I gene as a probe, and determined their nucleotide sequences. The deduced amino acid sequence of EGI was 435 amino acids in length and the coding region was interrupted by an intron. The EGI lacks a hinge region and a cellulose-binding domain. The deduced amino acid sequence of CBHI was identical to the H. grisea CBHI previously reported, with the exception of three amino acids. The H. grisea EGI and CBHI show 39.8% and 37.7% identity with the T. Reesei EGI, respectively. In addition to TATA box and CAAT motifs, putative CREA binding sites were observed in the 5′ upstream regions of both genes. The cloned cellulase genes were expressed in Aspergillus oryzae and the gene products were purified. The optimal temperatures of CBHI and EGI were 60 °C and 55–60 °C, respectively. The optimal pHs of these enzymes were 5.0. CBHI and EGI had distinct substrate specificities: CBHI showed high activity toward Avicel, whereas EGI showed high activity toward carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC).     

Plastome phylogenomic analysis of Torreya (Taxaceae)

Torreya Arn., a small genus of Taxaceae, consists of six species occurring in North America and eastern Asia. Several phylogenetic studies have previously been undertaken to reveal relationships within this genus, although only a few DNA segments or species were used. In the present study, we sequenced five Torreya plastomes and combined these with two existing plastomes from the genus to investigate plastome evolution and phylogenetic relationships within Torreya. All sequenced Torreya plastomes shared the same complement of 82 protein‐coding genes, 4 ribosomal RNA genes, and 31 transfer RNA genes. Phylogenetic inference using a maximum likelihood framework consisted of an 82‐gene, 17‐taxon dataset, including all species of Torreya, resolved Torreya as a monophyletic clade. Strongly supported relationships within the genus include the position of the early diverging T. jackii Chun, the two sister pairs T. fargesii Franch.–T. nucifera (L.) Siebold & Zucc. and T. grandis Fortune ex Lindl.–T. californica Torr., and the monophyly of the clade including T. fargesii var. yunnanensis, T. fargesii, and T. nucifera. In addition to the inference of species relationships, divergence time estimation and biogeographical analysis were carried out. The diversification of Torreya was estimated to be approximately 8.9 Ma. Ancestral state reconstruction of the geographical area suggested China/eastern North America as the most likely ancestral region for the six extant Torreya species.     

Out of the Middle East: New phylogenetic insights in the genus Tamarix (Tamaricaceae)

Tamarix is one of the taxonomically most complex genera among the angiosperms, and there is little consensus regarding its infrageneric classification. Here we present the most complete phylogenetic reconstruction of the genus to date. This includes a DNA phylogenetic tree based on nuclear ribosomal ITS, and a plastid DNA phylogeny based on three intergenic spacers (trnS‐trnG, ndhF‐rpl32, and trnQ‐rps16). In total, both nuclear and plastid phylogenetic analyses include more than 70 samples of 39 species from 27 countries, which represent close to 60% of the diversity of the genus. Two complementary trees, based only on one plastid marker, are also included. The first, based on trnS‐trnG, is used to increase the number of species related to T. amplexicaulis. The second, based on ndhF‐rpl32, is used to investigate the separation between T. tetrandra and T. parviflora. The incongruence between the available infrageneric classifications and the molecular results is confirmed. A reticulate evolution is inferred from the trees, showing characters such as vaginate leaves appearing at different stages along the evolutionary history of the genus. The presence of T. canariensis outside the Canary Islands is cast into doubt, and all such records from NW Africa and Europe are here considered to belong to T. gallica. The results also suggest independence of T. karelinii from T. hispida, and T. parviflora from T. tetrandra. Relationships between a number of species are still not resolved, and additional studies will be needed to further refine the complex taxonomy of Tamarix.     

Analysis of the SAG5 locus reveals a distinct genomic organisation in virulent and avirulent strains of Toxoplasma gondii

We have recently characterised, in the virulent strain RH of Toxoplasma gondii, three glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchored surface antigens related to SAG1 (p30) and encoded by highly homologous, tandemly arrayed genes named SAG5A, SAG5B and SAG5C. In the present study, we compared the genomic organisation of the SAG5 locus in strains belonging to the three major genotypes of T. gondii. Southern blot analysis using a SAG5-specific probe produced two related but distinct hybridisation patterns, one exclusive of genotype I virulent strains, the other shared by avirulent strains of either genotype II or genotype III. To understand the molecular bases of this intergenotypic heterogeneity, we cloned and sequenced the SAG5 locus in the genotype II strain Me49. We found that in this isolate the SAG5B gene is missing, with SAG5A and SAG5C laying contiguously. This genomic arrangement explains the hybridisation profiles observed for all the avirulent strains examined and indicates that the presence of SAG5B is a distinctive trait of genotype I. Furthermore, we identified two novel SAG1-related genes, SAG5D and SAG5E, mapping respectively 1.8 and 4.0 kb upstream of SAG5A. SAG5D is transcribed in tachyzoites and encodes a polypeptide of 362 amino acids sharing 50% identity with SAG5A-C, whereas SAG5E is a transcribed pseudogene. We also evaluated polymorphisms at the SAG5 locus by comparing the coding regions of SAG5A-E from strains representative of the three archetypal genotypes. In agreement with the strict allelic dimorphism of T. gondii, we identified two alleles for SAG5D, whereas SAG5A, SAG5C and SAG5E were found to be three distinct nucleotide variants. The higher intergenotypic polymorphism of SAG5A, SAG5C and SAG5E suggests that these genes underwent a more rapid genetic drift than the other members of the SAG1 family. Finally, we developed a new PCR–restriction fragment length polymorphism method based on the SAG5C gene that is able to discriminate between strains of genotype I, II and III by a single endonuclease digestion.     

Rapid cultivation of stable aerobic phenol-degrading granules using acetate-fed granules as microbial seed

cDNA-encoding pyranose 2-oxidase (P2O) from Trametes pubescens was sequenced and cloned into Escherichia coli strain BL21/DE3 on a multicopy plasmid under the control of trc promoter. The synthesis of P2O was studied in a batch culture in M9-based mineral medium: the enzyme was synthesized constitutively at 28 °C in amount corresponding to 8% of the cell soluble protein (0.6 U mg⁻¹). Only small portion of P2O (11%) was in the form of non-active inclusion bodies. Purified recombinant enzyme has similar physico-chemical and kinetic parameters with other P2Os. When compared to the expression of p2o of Trametes ochracea, a ratio of the mature enzyme to inclusion bodies found in the same E. coli host at 28 °C is as much as nine times higher. The finding makes the enzyme from T. pubescens preferable for the large-scale production by recombinant bacteria. The difference in amino acid sequences of the P2O from T. ochracea and T. pubescens may explain the favourable trait of the latter enzyme regarding protein folding.     

用传统分离培养法和高通量测序技术分析印度块菌子囊果内细菌的群落结构

块菌是重要的经济真菌, 在其生长发育过程中, 细菌扮演了重要角色。本文利用传统分离培养方法和高通量测序技术分析了印度块菌(Tuber indicum)子囊果内细菌的群落结构。共分离得到细菌532株, 根据物种累积曲线, 选取其中的112株细菌进行了16S rRNA基因序列分析, 共鉴定出4属40种, 其中假单胞菌属(Pseudomonas)菌株占所测菌株数的80%, 不动杆菌属(Acinetobacter)占12.5%, 链霉菌属(Streptomyces)占5%, 贪噬菌属(Variovorax)占2.5%。通过对印度块菌子囊果16S rRNA基因的V1-V3区高通量测序分析, 共获得细菌序列9,862条, 分属于7门43属220种, 其中变形菌门、拟杆菌门和放线菌门的物种占总物种数的99.7%, 是印度块菌子囊果内的优势细菌。黄杆菌属(Flavobacterium)、壤霉菌属(Agromyces)、微杆菌属(Microbacterium)、剑菌属(Ensifer)和寡养食单胞菌属(Stenotrophomonas)的物种数占总物种的86.3%, 是印度块菌子囊果内细菌的优势属。研究结果表明, 采用胰蛋白大豆培养基仅分离得到印度块菌子囊果内少数细菌物种, 而采用高通量测序技术分析发现, 印度块菌子囊果内细菌物种种类丰富, 群落结构复杂。     

基于Survey分析的濒危植物四合木基因组研究

评价濒危植物四合木（Tetraena mongolica）基因组的大小及复杂程度,开展基因组研究可揭示四合木的超旱生机制,进一步挖掘其特色基因资源。为更好破解四合木的全基因组信息,采用第二代高通量测序技术的基因组Survey分析技术开展四合木基因组大小估测研究,并利用生物信息学方法估计了四合木杂合率、重复序列和GC含量等基因组信息。结果表明：四合木基因组大小为1 079.25 Mb,修正后的基因组大小为1 065.84Mb,杂合率为0.76%,重复序列比例为75.25%,GC含量为33.57%。在经过四合木基因组初步组装后,获得3502 126条contigs,总计682 Mb,其N50为187 bp,推测四合木基因组属于同源四倍体复杂基因组,全基因组测序组装难度较大。由于四合木的高杂合率,后续可采用第三代高通量测序技术（单分子测序）同时结合染色质区域捕获技术,有望最终获得高质量的四合木全基因图谱。