Mosaic RASopathies

“RASopathies” are a group of developmental syndromes with partly overlapping clinical symptoms that are caused by germline mutations of genes within the Ras/MAPK signaling pathway. Mutations affecting this pathway can also occur in a mosaic state, resulting in congenital syndromes often distinct from those generated by the corresponding germline mutations. For syndromes caused by mosaic mutations of the Ras/MAPK signaling pathway, the term “mosaic RASopathies” has been proposed. In the following article, genetic and phenotypic aspects of mosaic RASopathies will be discussed.     

由高粱花叶病毒和甘蔗花叶病毒引发的浙江甘蔗花叶病害

从浙江省5个地区采集表现花叶症状的甘蔗病叶,用马铃薯Y病毒科简并引物做PCR扩增及测序鉴定.序列分析表明,5个甘蔗样品均含有高粱花叶病毒(SrMV),其中3个样品中还存在甘蔗花叶病毒(SCMV)的复合侵染.序列比较和系统进化树分析表明,浙江甘蔗样品中的SrMV序列彼此很相似,核苷酸同源性大于93%,与已报道的4个美国分离物在CP区域同源性很高,但是3′非编码区的同源性却仅为70%左右.SCMV欧洲和中国玉米分离物及美国、南非和澳大利亚甘蔗分离物分别形成两个远缘群体,浙江甘蔗分离物群体位于两者之间;群体间CP氨基酸序列同源性均大于80%.甘蔗和玉米上的SCMV差异明显,多为无义突变.     

A New Strain of Cucumber Mosaic Virus Causing Mosaic Disease of Muskmelon

The virus causing mosaic of muskmelon in the Punjab is transmitted through seed, sap and aphids but not through beetle, whitefly, fungi or contact. It systemically infected Nicotiana tabacum (var. “White Burley” and CTRI-Special), N. glutinosa, N. rustica and Capsicum annuum besides various cucurbit hosts when inoculated mechanically. The virus gave positive reaction with the antiserum of cucumber mosaic virus and the particles are spherical in shape. The virus has been identified as a distinct strain of cucumber mosaic virus and is designated as muskmelon strain of cucumber mosaic virus (CMV-mst.).     

Mosaic evolution of prepropancreatic polypeptide

Pancreatic polypeptide, a 36-amino acid peptide hormone, is synthesized in pancreatic islets of Langerhans and acts as a regulator of pancreatic and gastrointestinal functions. We isolated cDNA clones encoding rat pancreatic polypeptide precursor from an islet cDNA library and determined their nucleic acid sequences. Rat pancreatic polypeptide was found to be flanked on the amino terminus by a putative signal peptide and on the carboxyl terminus by Gly-Lys-Arg followed by a 30-amino acid peptide. Nucleotide and amino acid sequences of the signal peptide and the pancreatic polypeptide of the rat were highly homologous to those of the human (Boel, E., Schwartz, T. W., Norris, K. E., and Fill, N. P. (1984) EMBO J. 3, 909-912). On the other hand, the rat carboxyl-terminal peptide differed markedly from the corresponding domain of the human precursor and did not contain any sequence similar to the icosapeptide, which has so far been known to be a second stable product from mammalian pancreatic polypeptide precursors (Schwartz, T. W., Hansen, H. F., Hakanson, R., Sundler, F., and Tager, H. S. (1984) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U. S. A. 81, 708-712). The mosaicism of sequence conservation and divergence in prepropancreatic polypeptides may be a unique example in the evolution of prohormones.     

Mosaic convergence of rodent dentitions

Background

Understanding mechanisms responsible for changes in tooth morphology in the course of evolution is an area of investigation common to both paleontology and developmental biology. Detailed analyses of molar tooth crown shape have shown frequent homoplasia in mammalian evolution, which requires accurate investigation of the evolutionary pathways provided by the fossil record. The necessity of preservation of an effective occlusion has been hypothesized to functionally constrain crown morphological changes and to also facilitate convergent evolution. The Muroidea superfamily constitutes a relevant model for the study of molar crown diversification because it encompasses one third of the extant mammalian biodiversity.

Methodology/Principal Findings

Combined microwear and 3D-topographic analyses performed on fossil and extant muroid molars allow for a first quantification of the relationships between changes in crown morphology and functionality of occlusion. Based on an abundant fossil record and on a well resolved phylogeny, our results show that the most derived functional condition associates longitudinal chewing and non interlocking of cusps. This condition has been reached at least 7 times within muroids via two main types of evolutionary pathways each respecting functional continuity. In the first type, the flattening of tooth crown which induces the removal of cusp interlocking occurs before the rotation of the chewing movement. In the second type however, flattening is subsequent to rotation of the chewing movement which can be associated with certain changes in cusp morphology.

Conclusion/Significance

The reverse orders of the changes involved in these different pathways reveal a mosaic evolution of mammalian dentition in which direction of chewing and crown shape seem to be partly decoupled. Either can change in respect to strong functional constraints affecting occlusion which thereby limit the number of the possible pathways. Because convergent pathways imply distinct ontogenetic trajectories, new Evo/Devo comparative studies on cusp morphogenesis are necessary.     

植被的镶嵌体系

植被是一个镶嵌体，其镶嵌单位具有特定的时空尺度和等级系统．在空间上构成了镶嵌群落、镶嵌生态系统的镶嵌体或镶嵌复合体等静态镶嵌．在时间上则构成了镶嵌季相、镶嵌更新和镶嵌演替等动态镶嵌．静态镶嵌和动态镶嵌是相对的并彼此密切相关．它们构成了一个完整的植被镶嵌体系．     

杭州地区发生的玉米花叶病由甘蔗花叶病毒引起

从杭州地区呈现玉米矮花叶典型症状的玉米病组织中提纯得到大量线状病毒粒子,大多数长度为750nm。病组织中含有大量风轮状内含体和板状集结体,病毒外壳蛋白为33.6kD。病毒RNA1 3'端序列（1.8kb）与甘蔗茶花经叶病毒（SCMV）同源性最高,达71.5%-99.1%,与高梁花叶病毒（SrMV）同源性次之,为67.8%-68.5%,与玉米矮花叶病毒（MDMV）同泊性最低,仅为38.4%-48.4%,从而初步认为此病害由SCMV引起。根据已发表的SCMV外壳蛋白氨基酸序列作亲缘性分析,表明SCMV可分为美国、南非、澳大利亚、德国和中国三大类。     

杭州地区发生的玉米花叶病由甘蔗花叶病毒引起

从杭州地区呈现玉米矮花叶典型症状的玉米病组织中提纯得到大量线状病毒粒子,大多数长度为750?nm。病组织中含有大量风轮状内含体和板状集结体。病毒外壳蛋白为33.6 kD。病毒RNA13’端序列(1.8 kb)与甘蔗花叶病毒(SCMV)同源性最高,达71.5%～99.1%,与高梁花叶病毒(SrMV)同源性次之,为67.8%～68.5%,与玉米矮花叶病毒(MDMV)同源性最低,仅为38.4%～48.4%,从而初步认为此病害由SCMV引起。根据已发表的SCMV外壳蛋白氨基酸序列作亲缘性分析,表明SCMV可分为美国、南非、澳大利亚;德国和中国三大类。     

小麦黄花叶病毒和小麦梭条斑花叶病毒的生物学和分子生物学研究

线状土传小麦花叶病毒病在欧洲、亚洲和北美洲等地均有发生.这类病毒由根肿菌纲的禾谷多粘菌(Polymyxa graminis)传播,并归类于马铃薯Y病毒科(Potyviridae)的大麦黄花叶病毒属(Bymovirus).