Molecular biology-based methods for quantification of bacteria in mixed culture: perspectives and limitations

Species-specific enumeration of mixed community is invaluable as it facilitates a better understanding of the significance of the individual strains, their interactions, and the underlying mechanisms of community dynamics. Mixed microbial community has been characterized by microbiological, biochemical, or molecular biology-based methods. While microbiological and biochemical techniques do not provide adequate quantitative information of the members of the consortia and require additional techniques for a more comprehensive analysis, molecular biology-based methods analyze the microbial consortium based on specific DNA sequences and do not require isolation and culturing of bacteria for quantitative analysis. These methods outshine conventional culture-based techniques in terms of better sensitivity, reproducibility, and reliability. Quantitative molecular biology methods have been classified as PCR-based and probe hybridization methods. The PCR-based methods includes quantitative real-time PCR and terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism, while fluorescent in situ hybridization and DNA microarrays fall under probe hybridization methods. The workflow, the quantification methods, and their potential applications are discussed in this review by highlighting their advantages and possible limitations.     

空气微生物群落解析方法:从培养到非培养

随着世界范围内流行性疾病以及我国空气雾霾事件的不断发生,空气生物性污染的研究开始受到高度重视,其研究方法也随着分子生物学技术的快速发展而不断更新,由早期以生化技术为基础的研究方法转变为以现代分子生物学技术为基础的研究方法。综述了空气微生物群落多样性解析方法从培养到非培养的发展过程,包括培养技术法、BIOLOG技术、生物标记法、基因指纹图谱技术、核酸杂交技术、实时荧光定量PCR、空气微生物宏基因组学及基因芯片技术,阐述了这些技术的基本原理,比较了各种技术的优缺点并重点介绍了它们在空气微生物群落多样性研究中的应用概况,最后展望了空气微生物学研究的发展方向。     

African and Asian perspectives on the origins of modern humans.

The ways in which the cultural evidence - in its chronological context - can be used to imply behavioural patterning and to identify possible causes of change are discussed. Improved reliability in dating methods, suites of dates from different regional localities, and new, firmly dated fossil hominids from crucial regions such as northeast Africa, the Levant, India and China, are essential for clarification of the origin and spread of the modern genepool. Hominid ancestry in Africa is reviewed, as well as the claims for an independent origin in Asia. The cultural differences and changes within Africa, West and South Asia and the Far East in the later Middle and early Upper Pleistocene are examined and compared, and some behavioural implications are suggested, taking account of the evolutionary frameworks suggested by the 'multiregional evolution' and 'Noah's Ark' hypotheses of human evolution. A possible explanation is proposed for the cultural differences between Africa, West Asia and India on the one hand, and southeast Asia and the Far East on the other. The apparent hiatus between the appearance of the first anatomically modern humans, ca. 100 ka ago, and the appearance of the Upper Palaeolithic and other contemporaneous technological and behavioural changes around 40 ka ago, is discussed. It is suggested that the anatomical changes occurred first, and that neurological changes permitted the development of fully syntactic language some 50 ka later. The intellectual and behavioural revolution, best demonstrated by the 'Upper Palaeolithic' of Eurasia, seems to have been dependent on this linguistic development - within the modern genepool - and triggered the rapid migration of human populations throughout the Old World.     

Assessment of current status and the potential for commercial exploitation of biomass gasification in India

India would seem to present a unique opportunity for large scale commercial exploitation of biomass gasification technology for meeting a variety of energy needs, particularly in the agricultural and rural sector. The combination of favourable parameters includes a clear-cut national commitment, prevailing power shortages and high cost of power, vast geographical expanse, specific applications like irrigation pumping and rural electrification as well as availability of the essential infra-structural base. The country already has more than 250 systems covering a spectrum of power ratings and end use applications and while the overall experience has been favourable, a number of problem areas have already been identified for corrective action. While the paper discusses applications like irrigation pumping, village electrification and pump-set energisation in some detail, other significant applications include captive industrial power generation and MW scale grid-fed power generation coupled to energy plantations on wastelands. Economic viability of the available systems is seen to be acceptable to marginal depending on the assumptions made and perspective chosen i.e., macro national policy perspective vis-à-vis micro, individual user perspective. While the entire situational setting is seen to be quite attractive for deployment of this technology, a number of likely constraints in commercial exploitation are identified and discussed. However, a majority of these can be suitably tackled and the overall perception for commercial exploitation of biomass gasification technology would seem to be quite bright for India.     

Transgenic tilapia and the tilapia genome

The tilapia fish (Oreochromis niloticus) has an important place in the aquaculture of the developing world. It is also a very useful laboratory animal, and readily lends itself to the transgenic technology. Through the use of reporter genes, a range of potential gene promoters have been tested in tilapia, both through transient and stable expression of the reporter construct. Using the transgenic technology, growth enhanced lines of tilapia have been produced. These fish have no abnormalities and offer a considerable growth advantage for future exploitation. It is however crucial that transgenic fish, to be exploited in aquaculture, be sterile, and various methods of achieving sterility are considered. These include triploidy, gene knock out of crucial hormone encoding genes via homologous recombination, and knock down of the function of the same genes via ribozyme or antisense technologies.Transgenic tilapia also offer the potential for exploitation as biofactories in the production of valuable pharmaceutical products, and this is also discussed.     

DNA sequence of the transposable element IS1

Summary The nucleotide sequence of an IS1 element recently transposed into the lacI gene is reported. This sequence is nearly identical to one previously reported for another IS1 element (Ohtsubo and Ohtsubo, 1978). The implications of this similarity are discussed. The sizes of potential polypeptides encoded in the IS1 DNA have been determined and possible roles for these peptides in the illegitimate recombination events mediated by the element are considered.     

New evidence in endometriosis

Endometriosis is a recurrent and benign gynecological disorder characterized by the presence of endometrial tissue outside the cavity of the uterus. It is one of the most common diseases in the gynecological field, affecting about 10% of the female population in reproductive age. Despite this, its pathogenesis is still unacknowledged, there is a lack of early diagnostic markers and current therapies are only symptomatic. Considering the relevant health problems caused by endometriosis, all new information on this disease may have important clinical implications. The aim of this article is to summarize the latest advances in the pathogenesis, diagnosis and therapy of endometriosis that have recently been proposed by our research group. The possible clinical implications of these findings will be discussed.     

合成生物学细胞传感技术在食品安全快速检测中的应用

合成生物学细胞传感技术为快速、现场检测食品污染物提供了一种新型替代方法。由于细胞内环境相对稳定,合成生物学细胞传感器有较强的抗干扰能力;由于细胞能够通过自我复制而实现增殖,细胞传感器在生产上具有简单、廉价、快速的特点,因此在食品安全快速检测中具有良好的应用前景。本文综述了合成生物学细胞传感器核心元件的组成、构建方法和类型,介绍了多功能细胞传感器的合成生物学基因回路,列举了细胞传感器在食品安全快速检测中的商业化应用前景,并阐述了细胞传感器在食品安全快速检测中的挑战和发展趋势。     

Repeating sequence homologies in the p36 target protein of retroviral protein kinases and lipocortin, the p37 inhibitor of phospholipase A2

Although considerable information has emerged on the molecular properties of the p36 target protein its function as well as the possible implications of its tyrosine phosphorylation have remained elusive. Here we show that all sequence segments of p36 published so far can be aligned by homology along the complete sequence of lipocortin, which has been reported recently. This alignment extends beyond multiple Geisow motifs, thought to indicate a sequence principle implicated in Ca2+ and/or lipid binding. While the latter properties are already established for p36 one may expect them also for lipocortin, an inhibitor of phospholipase A2 activity. Certain implications of these results are discussed.     

吴县市露采矿区生态重建与环太湖地区生态旅游模式的契合

从景观生态学的定义入手,结合吴县市环太湖地区露采矿区的环境问题现状,提出了吴县市生态重建的基本原则和方法。基于每个废矿区都是一个脆弱的生态系统,在其恢复过程中,首先要在宏观上合理安排生态重建景观格局的规划及布局,然后在微观上创造出合适的生态条件服务于整个生态系统的恢复与重建。同时以生态重建后的矿区所要具有的三大基本功能：生物生产、环境服务、文化支持为依托,构建了生态功能系统图及生态功能区相互关联图。生物生产功能主要是针对农业利用,环境服务是对用于旅游、娱乐、绿化用地的露采矿区,文化支持则是针对作为建筑用地的废弃地,其城镇及居民点用地是人类聚集场所,支撑了工矿企业、旅游商贸服务业及整个城市体系的运行。最后总结了环境生态重建后所产生的环境、生态及经济效益。     

Views of Swedish Commissioning Parents Relating to the Exploitation Discourse in Using Transnational Surrogacy

Transnational surrogacy, when people travel abroad for reproduction with the help of a surrogate mother, is a heavily debated phenomenon. One of the most salient discourses on surrogacy is the one affirming that Westerners, in their quest for having a child, exploit poor women in countries such as India. As surrogacy within the Swedish health care system is not permitted, Swedish commissioning parents have used transnational surrogacy, and the majority has turned to India. This interview study aimed to explore how commissioning parents negotiate the present discourses on surrogacy. Findings from the study suggest that the commissioning parents’ views on using surrogacy are influenced by competing discourses on surrogacy represented by media and surrogacy agencies. The use of this reproductive method resulted, then, in some ambiguity. Although commissioning parents defy the exploitation discourse by referring to what they have learnt about the surrogate mother’s life situation and by pointing at the significant benefits for her, they still had a request for regulation of surrogacy in Sweden, to better protect all parties involved. This study, then, gives a complex view on surrogacy, where the commissioning parents simultaneously argue against the exploitation discourse but at the same time are uncertain if the surrogate mothers are well protected in the surrogacy arrangements. Their responses to the situation endorse the need for regulation both in Sweden and India.     

The mylohyoid bridge in four population samples from India, with observations on its suitability as a genetic marker

Four adult skeletal samples from the states of Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, and Bihar in India have been studied for the incidence of mylohyoid bridge. The incidence, varying between 2.98% and 7.14%, has been compared with frequencies reported for other populations of the world. The range of variation for Indians, as a whole, falls within the lower levels of the spectrum of worldwide variation for this trait, ranging between 0.47% for French Europeans and 33.8% observed among Plains American Indians. While noting its possible significance for clinical purposes, the suitability of the mylohyoid bridge as a population genetic marker has been discussed. It is emphasized that its use as a genetic marker in isolation of other discrete traits has serious limitations. For meaningful population definition and relationships as many discrete variants as possible ought to be utilized.     

Modelling of unexploited and exploited populations of eels, Anguilla anguilla (L.), in the Thames Estuary

Eels were fyke-netted in different zones of the Thames Estuary at various times of year and subsamples sexed, aged and stomachcontentsexamined. Instantaneous mortality coefficients (Z) were calculated for each 3 cm length class for eels > 30 cm and used to construct a compartmental model to assess effects of natural and fishing mortality and migration on different life stages of males and females. Growth rates were good and fishing mortality effects low and masked by effects of emigration/immigration (and, possibly, local migrations). Density-dependent mortality appeared to be having minor effects. Males dominate freshwater sites, females the more saline zone and possible implications of food availability and density are discussed. It is concluded the stock is not being over-exploited but that elver recruitment is relatively low. Means of increasing exploitation are discussed, as are ways of increasing production of females to enhance elver recruitment to the Thames and other European rivers.     

The exploitation of mutualisms

Mutualisms (interspecific cooperative interactions) are ubiquitously exploited by organisms that obtain the benefits mutualists offer, while delivering no benefits in return. The natural history of these exploiters is well-described, but relatively little effort has yet been devoted to analysing their ecological or evolutionary significance for mutualism. Exploitation is not a unitary phenomenon, but a set of loosely related phenomena: exploiters may follow mixed strategies or pure strategies at either the species or individual level, may or may not be derived from mutualists, and may or may not inflict significant costs on mutualisms. The evolutionary implications of these different forms of exploitation, especially the threats they pose to the stability of mutualism, have as yet been minimally explored. Studies of this issue are usually framed in terms of a "temptation to defect" that generates a destabilizing conflict of interest between partners. I argue that this idea is in fact rather inappropriate for interpreting most observed forms of exploitation in mutualisms. I suggest several alternative and testable ideas for how mutualism can persist in the face of exploitation.     

Indirect reciprocity in asymmetric interactions: when apparent altruism facilitates profitable exploitation

Intraspecific cooperation and interspecific mutualism often feature an asymmetry in the scope for exploitation. We investigate the evolution of indirect reciprocity in an asymmetric game, loosely modelled on interactions between cleaner fishes and clients, in which 'actors' can choose to help or to exploit a 'recipient' that approaches them, while recipients can only choose whether or not to approach an actor (based on the observation of its behaviour towards others). We show that when actors vary in state over time, in a manner that influences the potential gains from exploitation, an equilibrium is possible at which recipients avoid actors whom they have observed exploiting others in the past, and actors help when the potential gains from exploitation are low but choose to exploit when the potential gains are high. In this context, helping is favoured not because it elicits reciprocal altruism ('help so that you may be helped'), but because it facilitates profitable exploitation ('help so that you may gain the opportunity to harm'). The cost of helping one recipient is thereby recouped through exploitation of another. Indirect reciprocity is thus possible even in asymmetric interactions in which one party cannot directly 'punish' exploitation or 'reward' helping by the other.     

Karyotype studies in the genusNotopterus (Lacepede). the occurrence and fate of univalent chromosomes in spermatocytes ofN. Chitala

The present report is based on the karyotype studies of two species of fishes,Notopterus chitala andN. notopterus, collected from the river Jumna, Delhi, India. Both species possess a diploid number of 48 chromosomes, 12 of which are metacentric. The primary and secondary spermatocytes of one individual ofN. chitala have been found to possess varying numbers of univalent chromosomes. The possible origin and fate of the univalents are discussed.     

Advances in monoclonal antibody technology: genetic engineering of mice, cells, and immunoglobulins

The ability to produce antibodies that are directed against specific antigens has played a crucial role in advancing scientific discoveries. Recombinant technologies have extended the application of antibodies beyond the research laboratory and into the clinic for the treatment of cancer and other diseases. Creative approaches using these technologies have been used to reduce the antibody to its minimal functional size, and/or make them bifunctional (immunotoxins), bispecific, or less immunoreactive (humanized). Additionally, mice that are engineered to generate antibodies of human genomic origin have been used to produce therapeutic antibodies and are being further developed. As the research and clinical demands for antibodies continue to increase, the development of improved resources (cell lines and animals) to improve production efficiency, generate larger repertoires, and deliver greater yields of antibodies is being explored, and advances in this area are discussed further in this review.     

转基因技术在制备动物乳腺生物反应器中的应用和发展

利用乳腺生物反应器可以高效获得安全、足量的药用蛋白,在制药工业中具有广阔的应用前景。但是,目前采用的转基因技术由于其各自固有的局限性,未能使乳腺生物反应器的研究取得长足的进步。基因打靶技术和核移植技术的发展为乳腺生物反应器的开发注入了新的活力。本文综合近年来国内外文献,阐述了各种转基因技术的优点与缺陷,同时说明了构建“体细胞打靶-克隆技术体系”在制备大动物的乳腺生物反应器中的必要性。     

Metabolic effects of glucose starvation in animal cell cultures.

Cultures of animal cells that have been deprived of glucose or grown in media containing one of several other sugars in lieu of glucose have an enhanced ability to transport radio-labeled glucose. We have investigated the metabolic fate of radio-labeled glucose under these starvation conditions and have observed marked alterations in the accumulation products. These alterations are most prominent in the class of nucleotide sugars. The implications of these observed changes to possible changes in surface architecture and cell phenotype are discussed.     

River inter linking in India: status,issues, prospects and implications on aquatic ecosystems and freshwater fish diversity

India is a vast country in terms of natural resources and considered one of the mega- biodiversity countries in the world. The freshwater aquatic resources of the different river basins are unevenly distributed in space and time and the country is suffering from the increasing population and shortage of all kind of natural resources like water. To fulfill the water demand and mitigate flood and drought, Indian Government has been planning a huge scheme encompassing the Himalayas and most of India, by linking all major rivers through interlinking canals systems and building several dams. Though the concept of interlinking of rivers is novel and new in India, it had rather initiated long back in other countries of ancient civilization. This is considered as one of the options to remedy spatial mismatch in water availability and demand. To overcome those, National Water Development Agency (NWDA) has taken up massive project and nearly 30 links have been proposed to interlink the major rivers. The Government of India has approved the country’s first river interlinking project on Ken–Betwa and a MOU has been signed among the states of Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh and the Union Government. The feasibility report of most of the links have been completed and detailed project reports of Ken–Betwa River link is expected to be finalized soon. Our study indicated presence of rich fish diversity and threatened fishes in river Betwa and improved aquatic environment in river Ken which makes it a high priority area in view of proposed interlinking. The current state of knowledge indicates that large dams, interbasin transfers and water withdrawal from rivers have many negative as well as positive impacts on freshwater aquatic ecosystem. As regards to the impact on fish and aquatic biodiversity, there could be positive as well as negative impacts. The present paper is aimed at explaining and synthesizing the long term plan and its implications, creating baseline database, requirement of appropriate technology, manpower and related issues especially with reference to riverine aquatic ecosystem and conservation of fish biodiversity.