Molecular analysis of the ADH1-C m allele of maize

The Adh1-C ^mallele and each gene in the Adh1-FC ^mduplication have been cloned and restriction-mapped. Of the C ^mallele 6 kb was sequenced. A single amino acid substitution of aspartate for tyrosine at residue 52 accounts for the altered enzymatic properties of the C ^mprotein. Comparison of the nucleotide sequence to that of Adh1-1F and Adh1-1S shows structural and restriction site polymorphisms in the 3 flanking DNA. C ^mlacks the insertion sequence present in 1F and 1S and contains a complex sequence composed of two direct repeats and an inverted repeat. The two genes of the duplication allele have similar restriction maps to C ^mand each other.     

Evolutionary analyses of the avirulence effector AvrStb6 in global populations of Zymoseptoria tritici identify candidate amino acids involved in recognition

We analysed the population genetic diversity of AvrStb6, the first avirulence gene cloned from the wheat pathogen Zymoseptoria tritici, using 142 Z. tritici strains sampled from four wheat fields growing on three continents. Although AvrStb6 was located in a recombination hotspot, it was found in every strain, with 71 polymorphic sites that produced 41 distinct DNA haplotypes encoding 30 AvrStb6 protein isoforms. An AvrStb6 homologue was found in the closest known relative, Z. pseudotritici, but not in three other closely related Zymoseptoria species, indicating that this gene has emerged in Zymoseptoria quite recently. Two AvrStb6 homologues with nucleotide similarities greater than 70% were identified on chromosome 10 in all Z. tritici isolates, suggesting that AvrStb6 belongs to a multigene family of candidate effectors that has expanded recently through gene duplication. The AvrStb6 sequences exhibited strong evidence for non‐neutral evolution, including a large number of non‐synonymous mutations, with significant positive diversifying selection operating on nine of the 82 codons. It appears that balancing selection is operating across the entire gene in natural field populations. There was also evidence for co‐evolving codons within the gene that may reflect compensatory mutations associated with the evasion of recognition by Stb6. Intragenic recombination also appears to have affected the diversity of AvrStb6.     

Extensive intragenic recombination and patterns of linkage disequilibrium at the CSN3 locus in European rabbit

Kappa-casein (CSN3) plays an important role in stabilising the Ca-sensitive caseins in the micelle. The European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) CSN3 has previously been shown to possess two alleles (A and B), which differ deeply in their intronic regions (indels of 100 and 1550 nucleotides in introns 1 and 4, respectively). Furthermore, a correlation between several reproductive performance traits and the different alleles was described. However, all these data were exclusively collected in rabbit domestic breeds, preventing a deeper understanding of the extensive polymorphism observed in the CSN3 gene. Additionally, the techniques available for the typing of both indel polymorphisms were until now not suitable for large-scale studies. In this report, we describe a simple, PCR-based typing method to distinguish rabbit CSN3 alleles. We analyse both ancient wild rabbit populations from the Iberian Peninsula and France, and the more recently derived English wild rabbits and domestic stocks. A new allele (C) showing another major indel (250 bp) in intron 1 was found, but exclusively detected in Iberian wild rabbits. In addition, our survey revealed the occurrence of new haplotypes in wild populations, suggesting that intragenic recombination is important in creating genetic diversity at this locus. This easy and low cost single-step PCR-based method results in an improvement over previous described techniques, can be easily set up in a routine molecular laboratory and would probably be a valuable tool in the management of rabbit domestic breeds.     

Effect of Low Temperature On the In Vitro Growth of Plasmodium falciparum

ABSTRACT. The effect of low incubation temperature on synchronized cultures of Plasmodium falciparum was studied. Young trophozoites that were maintained at 28°C matured slowly and invaded poorly. Growth seemed to arrest when parasites reached a maturation equivalent to 30 h, although they reestablished their growth normally when returned to 37°C. On the other hand, 36-h synchronized parasites that were transferred to 28°C completed their cell cycle with a 12-16 h delay, but without changes in the parasite as seen by light microscopy and without a diminution in the efficiency of the invasion or in the incorporation of ³⁵S-methionine. These results might be useful for obtaining parasites at defined stages of development at the desired time.     

The influence of permethrin-impregnated bednets and mass drug administration on the incidence of Plasmodium falciparum malaria in children in Sabah, Malaysia

A small-scale trial was carried out in the Upper Kinabatangan district of Sabah, Malaysia, to determine the effect of using permethrin-impregnated bednets on malaria transmission. A total of 306 nylon bednets with cotton borders, impregnated at a dose estimated to have been 0.062 g permethrin/m2 of nylon netting, were distributed to 139 households in five villages. At the time of distributing bednets, mass drug administration with Fansidar plus primaquine was also administered to the human population to clear all parasitaemias due to Plasmodium falciparum Welch. In another village, for comparison, mass drug administration was the only intervention. After intervention measures in December 1984 and January 1985, the parasite rates in children declined in all villages during the first month, significantly more in the villages with impregnated bednets than in the control, thus proving that the nets had an impact on malaria. However, after about 2 months, parasite rates started to increase again. After 4-6 months, parasite rates in the villages with bednets approached the rate in the control village without nets. The increase in parasite rates was paralleled by a significant deterioration in the quality, physical condition and the degree of non-utilization of bednets. Entomological evaluation proved the efficacy of permethrin-impregnated nets for controlling Anopheles balabacensis Baisas and other anophelines. Bioassays (1 h exposure) of permethrin-impregnated bednets gave 100% mortality initially and 44-61% mortality after 85-106 days. Mosquito collections in treated bednets were significantly reduced for at least 217 days. The project failed to achieve prolonged suppression of malaria transmission for a combination of entomological, sociological and practical reasons which are discussed in relation to the objectives and implementation of future bednet studies.     

Immunodetection and intracellular localization of caldesmon-like proteins in Amoeba proteus

Summary. Caldesmon immunoanalogues were detected in Amoeba proteus cell homogenates by the Western blot technique. Three immunoreactive bands were recognized by polyclonal antibodies against the whole molecule of chicken gizzard caldesmon as well as by a monoclonal antibody against its C-terminal domain: one major and two minor bands corresponding to proteins with apparent molecular masses of 150, 69, and 60 kDa. The presence of caldesmon-like protein(s) in amoebae was revealed as well in single cells after their fixation, staining with the same antibodies, and recording their total fluorescence in a confocal laser scanning microscope. Proteins recognized by the antibodies bind to filamentous actin. This was established by a cosedimentation assay in cell homogenates and by colocalization of the caldesmon-related immunofluorescence with the fluorescence of filamentous actin stained with rhodamine-labelled phalloidin, demonstrated in optical sections of single cells in a confocal microscope. Caldesmon is colocalized with filamentous actin in the withdrawn cell regions where the cortical actomyosin network contracts and actin is depolymerized, in the frontal zone where actin is polymerized again and the cortical cytoskeleton is reconstructed, inside the nucleus and in the perinuclear cytoskeleton, and probably at the cell-to-substratum adhesion sites. The regulatory role of caldesmon in these functionally different regions of locomoting amoebae is discussed.Correspondence and reprints: Department of Cell Biology, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, ulica Pasteura 3, 02-093 Warsaw, Poland.Received October 7, 2002; accepted December 2, 2002; published online August 26, 2003     

洋葱鳞茎表皮Actin细胞骨架的Rh—Ph荧光和光学显微镜观察

洋葱鳞茎内表皮细胞经Triton X-100处理和多聚甲醛固定之后用Rh-Ph(Rhodamine-Phalloidin)染色,细胞质内可见较丰富的、直径为100—300nm的F-actin束。较粗的F-actin束沿细胞的长轴平行排列,并纵裂成较细的“分枝”,纵裂成的分枝又纵裂成更细的“分枝”。各种大小的F-actin束相互交织在一起构成一个三维的纤丝网络,并且与细胞膜、细胞核和其它细胞器相连。经同样方法处理和固定的细胞用考马斯亮兰R_(250)(Coomassie brilliant blue R_(250))染色之后,细胞质内可见直径为200—300nm的纤丝,形态特征和排列方式和上述在荧光显微镜下看到的F-actin束相同。本研究结果表明洋葱鳞茎内表皮的细胞骨架包含较丰富的F-actin系统;Pena的考马斯亮兰染色法(1980)所显示的结构主要代表F-actin束。     

基因重组卡介苗活载体疫苗的研究进展

基因重组卡介苗（rBCG)是借助分子生物学技术,将外源基因导入BCG中构建而成的多价疫苗,rBCG可诱导长期的体液免疫和细胞免疫,初步的研究结果已显示出rBCG具有广阔的应用前景,有望发展成为一种经济有效的新型疫苗以预防传染病和一些肿瘤。