雪鸡属分类地位探讨

以5种鸡形目鸟类,包括4个藏雪鸡Tetraogallus tibetanus、12个喜玛拉雅雪鸡T.himalayensis、1个阿尔泰雪鸡T.altaicus、1个石鸡Alectoris chuckar和1个斑翅山鹑Perdix dauurica为材料.通过P(永扩增线粒体细胞色素6基因513个碱基,同时从GenBank下载25种鸡形目鸟类细胞色素b基因序列.通过对鸡形目24个属线粒体细胞色素b基因序列的分析,结果表明共有214个变异位点,简约信息位点184个.以鸿雁 Anser cygnoides为外群,在运用不同分析方法得到的拓扑结构基础上,构建了最大简约树(MP)和最大似然树(ML),结果表明鸡形目鸟类鹑族和雉族基本上是多系发生的.结合分子钟和遗传信息分析,可以得出雪鸡属在鹑族中形成的时间相对较晚,约在14.6Myr出现石鸡属的祖先种群;而在约12.6Myr属和鹌鹑属开始出现.雪鸡属的祖先足起源于低海拔环境,后来伴随着青藏高原的逐渐降起和更新世冰期事件的发生各自演化形成现今各个种.     

暗腹雪鸡食管和胃的形态学及组织学观察

为了解暗腹雪鸡(Tetraogallus himalayensis)食管和胃的形态及组织结构特征,利用生物显微技术对暗腹雪鸡的食管和胃进行了观察.结果表明,暗腹雪鸡嗉囊发达.食管壁由黏膜层、黏膜下层、肌层和外膜组成,黏膜层较厚,黏膜上皮为复层扁平上皮,固有膜内食管腺丰富,由腺细胞围成的腺管直接开口于黏膜上皮,食管肌层发达,由内环、外纵平滑肌组成.胃壁由黏膜层、肌层和外膜组成,胃的黏膜下层不发达或缺无,胃肌层的排列则为内纵外环.表明暗腹雪鸡食管和胃的结构可能与其消化功能及其生境密切相关.     

笼养暗腹雪鸡的繁殖

报道了暗腹雪鸡在笼养条件下的配对、领域、求偶行为、巢和卵、卵的受精率及人工孵化等情况。     

高山雪鸡繁殖期觅食和警戒行为的性别差异

2004年和2005年的4～7月,采用聚焦取样的方法,观察研究了甘肃省东大山自然保护区和盐池湾自然保护区高山雪鸡(Tetraogallus himalayensis)繁殖期的两性觅食频率和警戒行为。研究表明,无论是繁殖前期还是孵卵期,雌鸟的觅食频率均高于雄鸟,警戒性则低于雄鸟,而且均有显著差异(P<0.05),同性雪鸡在不同时期的差异不显著(P>0.05);高山雪鸡的雄鸟不参与孵卵和育雏,但在雌鸟产卵和孵卵期担任警戒。另外,本文对野生高山雪鸡的警戒行为进行了分类。     

八种鸡形目鸟类卵壳及壳膜超微结构观察

８种鸡中,高原山鹑卵壳仅由乳突层和栅栏层构成,缺少护膜层,表面无裂纹,外气孔开放。其它种类由乳突层、栅栏层和护膜层构成,表面有裂纹、外气孔有覆盖。栅栏层都有与飞翔相适应的气泡,飞翔能力强,速度快的种类产卵壳气泡密度高的卵。     

东帕米尔高原喜马拉雅雪鸡遗传多样性及系统发育地位

东帕米尔高原作为生物多样性丰富的区域之一,喜马拉雅雪鸡和藏雪鸡在此混群分布。以东帕米尔高原喜马拉雅雪鸡为研究对象,采用PCR和测序技术,研究了mt DNA D-loop区序列特征,下载Gen Bank已提交的雪鸡序列,利用最大似然法构建系统发育树和中介网络关系,以阐明东帕米尔高原喜马拉雅雪鸡遗传多样性水平和系统进化地位。结果表明:东帕米尔高原喜马拉雅雪鸡mt DNA D-loop序列富含A、T碱基,含量为59.8%,存在64个多态位点,占核苷酸总数的5.5%,其中单一多态位点29个,简约信息位点33个,两处插入或缺失,转换发生的频率远远高于颠换;25个个体存在23种单倍型,平均单倍型多样度(Hd)为0.92±0.0001,平均核苷酸多样度(π)为0.00958,平均核苷酸差异度(K)为11.067,说明东帕米尔高原喜马拉雅雪鸡核苷酸多样性较低,单倍型多样性高,具有较为丰富的遗传多样性;系统发育分析显示喜马拉雅雪鸡与藏雪鸡分为明显的两大簇群,本研究涉及的东帕米尔高原喜马拉雅雪鸡出现遗传分化,呈现明显的2个进化支;中介网络关系分析显示雪鸡具有明显的地理分布特征,本研究雪鸡84%的单倍型聚在以东帕米尔高原为中心的进化支上。因此,建议扩大塔什库尔干野生动物自然保护区(位于东帕米尔高原境内)范围,建立国家级自然保护区,恢复生态环境,以提高雪鸡栖息地的生存适宜性。     

A natural mutation-led truncation in one of the two aluminum-activated malate transporter-like genes at the Ma locus is associated with low fruit acidity in apple

Acidity levels greatly affect the taste and flavor of fruit, and consequently its market value. In mature apple fruit, malic acid is the predominant organic acid. Several studies have confirmed that the major quantitative trait locus Ma largely controls the variation of fruit acidity levels. The Ma locus has recently been defined in a region of 150 kb that contains 44 predicted genes on chromosome 16 in the Golden Delicious genome. In this study, we identified two aluminum-activated malate transporter-like genes, designated Ma1 and Ma2, as strong candidates of Ma by narrowing down the Ma locus to 65-82 kb containing 12-19 predicted genes depending on the haplotypes. The Ma haplotypes were determined by sequencing two bacterial artificial chromosome clones from G.41 (an apple rootstock of genotype Mama) that cover the two distinct haplotypes at the Ma locus. Gene expression profiling in 18 apple germplasm accessions suggested that Ma1 is the major determinant at the Ma locus controlling fruit acidity as Ma1 is expressed at a much higher level than Ma2 and the Ma1 expression is significantly correlated with fruit titratable acidity (R (2) = 0.4543, P = 0.0021). In the coding sequences of low acidity alleles of Ma1 and Ma2, sequence variations at the amino acid level between Golden Delicious and G.41 were not detected. But the alleles for high acidity vary considerably between the two genotypes. The low acidity allele of Ma1, Ma1-1455A, is mainly characterized by a mutation at base 1455 in the open reading frame. The mutation leads to a premature stop codon that truncates the carboxyl terminus of Ma1-1455A by 84 amino acids compared with Ma1-1455G. A survey of 29 apple germplasm accessions using marker CAPS(1455) that targets the SNP(1455) in Ma1 showed that the CAPS(1455A) allele was associated completely with high pH and highly with low titratable acidity, suggesting that the natural mutation-led truncation is most likely responsible for the abolished function of Ma for low pH or high acidity in apple.     

基于Cyt b基因的雅鲁藏布江下游墨脱江段及察隅河墨脱裂腹鱼的遗传多样性及种群历史动态分析

以线粒体Cyt b基因为分子标记, 对雅鲁藏布江下游墨脱江段及察隅河的墨脱裂腹鱼进行遗传多样性及种群历史动态分析。结果显示, 167尾墨脱裂腹鱼样本共检测到21个单倍型, 呈现较高的单倍型多样性(h=0.768)和较低的核苷酸多样性(π=0.00167)。基于单倍型构建的分子系统发育树及Network网络关系图表明, 所有来自墨脱江段及察隅河的单倍型不能按照地理分布各自聚类, 而是相互混杂聚在一起。不同地理种群间的遗传分化指数(F_ST)为–0.014—0.771, 其中金珠藏布(JZZB)与其他种群呈现出高度分化(F_ST: 0.372—0.771)。分子方差分析(AMOVA)显示当JZZB种群为一组, 剩余6个种群为一组时, 组间遗传差异最大, 表明JZZB种群与其他种群具有显著分化。相反, 虽然察隅河与墨脱江段的地理距离较远, 但是察隅河与墨脱江段其他种群之间(除了JZZB)的F_ST为0.093—0.169, 仅显示中等分化水平, 表明察隅河种群与雅鲁藏布江种群尚有少量的基因交流。中性检验、错配分析及BSP (Bayesian skyline plot)分析显示, 雅鲁藏布江下游墨脱江段及察隅河的墨脱裂腹鱼种群在末次间冰期(0—0.137 Ma)发生过种群扩张现象。     

53BP2S, interacting with insulin receptor substrates, modulates insulin signaling

It is well known that insulin receptor substrates (IRS) act as a mediator for signal transduction of insulin, insulin-like growth factors, and several cytokines. To identify proteins that interact with IRS and modulate IRS-mediated signals, we performed yeast two-hybrid screening with IRS-1 as bait. Out of 109 cDNA-positive clones identified from a human placental cDNA library, two clones encoded 53BP2, p53-binding protein 2 (53BP2S), a short form splicing variant of the apoptosis-stimulating protein of p53 that possesses Src homology region 3 domain, and ankyrin repeats domain, and had been reported to interact with p53, Bcl-2, and NF-kappaB. Interaction of 53BP2S with IRS-1 was confirmed by glutathione S-transferase pull-down and co-immunoprecipitation assays in COS-7 cells and 3T3-L1 adipocytes. The Src homology region 3 domain and ankyrin repeats domain of 53BP2S were responsible for its interaction with IRS-1, whereas the phosphotyrosine binding domain and a central domain (amino acid residues 750-861) of IRS-1 were required for its interaction with 53BP2S. In CHO-C400 cells, expression of 53BP2S reduced insulin-stimulated IRS-1 tyrosine phosphorylation with a concomitant enhancement of IRS-2 tyrosine phosphorylation. In addition, the amount of the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase regulatory p85 subunit associated with tyrosine-phosphorylated proteins, and activation of Akt was enhanced by 53BP2S expression. Although 53BP2S also enhanced Akt activation in 3T3-L1 adipocytes, insulin-induced glucose transporter 4 translocation was markedly inhibited in accordance with reduction of insulin-induced AS160 phosphorylation. Together these data demonstrate that 53BP2S interacts and modulates the insulin signals mediated by IRSs.     

Role for the BRCA1 C-terminal repeats (BRCT) protein 53BP1 in maintaining genomic stability

p53-binding protein-1 (53BP1) is phosphorylated in response to DNA damage and rapidly relocalizes to presumptive sites of DNA damage along with Mre11 and the phosphorylated histone 2A variant, gamma-H2AX. 53BP1 associates with the BRCA1 tumor suppressor, and knock-down experiments with small interfering RNA have revealed a role for the protein in the checkpoint response to DNA damage. By generating mice defective in m53BP1 (m53BP1(tr/tr)), we have created an animal model to further explore its biochemical and genetic roles in vivo. We find that m53BP1(tr/tr) animals are growth-retarded and show various immune deficiencies including a specific reduction in thymus size and T cell count. Consistent with a role in responding to DNA damage, we find that m53BP1(tr/tr) mice are sensitive to ionizing radiation (gamma-IR), and cells from these animals exhibit chromosomal abnormalities consistent with defects in DNA repair. Thus, 53BP1 is a critical element in the DNA damage response and plays an integral role in maintaining genomic stability.     

NFBD1/MDC1, 53BP1 and BRCA1 have both redundant and unique roles in the ATM pathway

NFBD1/MDC1, 53BP1, and BRCA1 are DNA damage checkpoint proteins with twin BRCT domains. In order to determine if they have redundant roles in responses to ionizing radiation, we used siRNA and shRNA to deplete NFBD1, 53BP1, and BRCA1 in single, double, and triple combinations. These analyses were performed in early passage human foreskin fibroblasts so that checkpoint responses could be assessed in a normal genetic background. We report that NFBD1, 53BP1, and BRCA1 have both unique and redundant functions in radiation-induced phosphorylation and localization events in the ATM-Chk2 pathway. 53BP1, but not NFBD1 and BRCA1, mediates ionizing radiation-induced ATM S1981 autophosphorylation. In contrast, all three mediators collaborate to promote IR-induced Chk2 T68 phosphorylation. NFBD1 and 53BP1, but not BRCA1, work together to mediate pATMS1981, pChk2T68, and NBS1 ionizing radiation induced foci (IRIF). However, the relative importance of NFBD1 and 53BP1 in IRIF formation differ. We also determined the interdependence among mediators in IRIF recruitment. We extend previous findings in cancer cells and mouse cells that NFBD1 is upstream of 53BP1 and BRCA1 to primary human cells. Furthermore, NFBD1 promotes BRCA1 IRIF through both 53BP1-dependent and 53BP1-independent mechanisms.     

柴达木盆地第四系介形类化石带与磁性柱

柴达木盆地东部晚上新世－全新世湖相沉积巨厚,无明显间断,微体化石丰富。区内已建厚度超过２０００ｍ的第四系磁性柱中,记录了布容、松山和高斯极性时带。由于有剖面上部的同位素测年数据和剖面中、下部的介形类化石带序列的对比成果配合验证,布容、松山极性时下限的确定和布拉克、莫纳、琵琶湖、奥尔杜威、马默思等亚极性时的鉴别依据充足可信。据此极性年表标定的晚上新世－第四纪介形类化石带序列中１２个标准化石的时限得以识别。古生态研究与壳体元素分析的资料表明,始见于距今３０５万年的Ｍｉｃｒｏｌｉｍｎｏｃｙｔｈｅｒｅｓｉｎｅｎｓｉｓ指示低温水体,该化石带的出现标志着中新世以来柴达木盆地古气候的首次明显变冷。     

Genetic Variation at the Mitochondrial 16S rRNA Gene among Trichiurus lepturus (Teleostei:Trichiuridae) from Various Localities: Preliminary Evidence of a New Species from West Coast of Africa

The taxonomic classification of large head hairtail (Trichiurus lepturus) is controversial because of similar body appearance and silvery coloration. Ten samples of T. lepturus caught off the west coast of Africa and 43 samples of T. lepturus caught off the western Atlantic coast and Indo-Pacific waters were used for sequence comparison of mitochondrial DNA encoded partial 16S ribosomal RNA(16S rRNA) gene. Ten samples of T. japonicus (obtained from various parts of southern Japan) were also included in the comparative analysis. For the 509 bp sequence determined, 58 sites were variable, of which 53 were parsimony informative. Phylogenetic analyses using maximum parsimony, maximum likelihood and Bayesian algorithm with Eupleurogrammus muticus as outgroup, showed that the haplotypes of T. lepturus obtained from the West coast of Africa, Indo-Pacific and Western Atlantic coast constituted clearly distinct and well supported lineages without any sharing and overlapping between them. Previous morphological analyses and this genetic study strongly indicate that the morphotypes of T. lepturus obtained from the West African coast are genetically distinct and probably represents a separate species.     

Paleovegetation and paleoclimate in middle-late Pliocene, Shanxi, central China

Sequences of lacustrine sediments developed in intermontane basins in the middle-eastern Shanxi Plateau of China have been investigated in order to reconstruct the paleovegetation and paleoclimate for the middle-late Pliocene. According to the magnetostratigraphy and the fossil assemblages, the lacustrine sediments of Yushe and Taigu Basins were deposited between 5.5 and 2.5 Ma BP. The Zhangcun and Xiaobai Formations are considered to cover a similar period, ranging from 3.5 to 2.5 Ma BP. An increase of Picea and Abies shows that the climate began to become cold after about 4.4 Ma BP. A cold-wet episode, with relatively warm-dry and warm-humid intervals, occurred between 3.6 and 2.5 Ma BP in the Yushe and Taigu Basins. An increase Artemisia, Chenopodiaceae and Ephedra shows that the climate became drier after 2.5 Ma BP. The climate changes of this period probably reflect variations of the East Asian winter and summer monsoons, with an increase winter monsoon activity during the early Pleistocene.     

Diversification and extinction patterns among Neogene perimediterranean mammals

The best mammalian fossil record during the Neogene of Western Europe is that of the rodents, the most successful and diversified mammal order. The study of origination and extinction during the Neogene (24-3 Ma BP) in one of the best-documented areas, Spain and southern France, gives an insight into the dynamics of these communities and indicates the possible nature of the driving forces. Three main periods of time show a high rate of origination: the late Burdigalian (17.5 Ma BP), the early Vallesian (11.5-11 Ma BP) and the early Pliocene (4.2-3.8 Ma BP). Two of these high origination-rate periods are immediately followed by important extinction events during which all cohorts are deeply affected (11.5-11 Ma BP and 4.2-3.8 Ma BP). The most important extinction event seems to occur during the early Vallesian (11.5-11 Ma BP), which probably includes the middle/late Miocene boundary. At the Miocene/Pliocene boundary, and during the early Pliocene, the faunal turnover seems to become faster, inducing a strong decrease of the mean species duration. Whereas the main immigration event, which occurs at 17.5 Ma BP, can be related to other faunal migrations in terms of the closure of the Tethys, as it occurs also in eastern Africa and in southwest Asia, the middle/late Miocene boundary event may have been related to a period of ice growth in the Southern Hemisphere. The extinction event that affects the planktonic foraminifera at 12 Ma BP cannot be chronologically correlated to this southwestern European land-mammal extinction event, because the calibration of the marine fossil record during that time-span has to be precise. Some limited terrestrial faunal exchanges that occur during the Messinian between southwestern Europe and northwestern Africa do not deeply affect the general faunal dynamics. Both allochthonous cohorts of immigrants become rapidly extinct. Several endemic rodent faunas, indicating insular conditions, have been reported from the southern edge of the western European continent from the middle Miocene up to the Pliocene. All show low taxonomic diversity, strong endemism and short survival. Some of them, like those of the Gargano Islands during the late Miocene, underwent peculiar morphological changes and also speciation. The large number of rodent genera coevolving in the Gargano Islands is indicative of the large surface areas of these islands. The general geographic pattern of southwestern Europe during the Neogene may therefore correspond to a large continental province including Spain and southern France with some kind of fast-modifying archipelago on its southern rim.     

The 8-kDa dynein light chain binds to p53-binding protein 1 and mediates DNA damage-induced p53 nuclear accumulation

The tumor suppressor protein p53 is known to undergo cytoplasmic dynein-dependent nuclear translocation in response to DNA damage. However, the molecular link between p53 and the minus end-directed microtubule motor dynein complex has not been described. We report here that the 8-kDa light chain (LC8) of dynein binds to p53-binding protein 1 (53BP1). The LC8-binding domain was mapped to a short peptide segment immediately N-terminal to the kinetochore localization region of 53BP1. The LC8-binding domain is completely separated from the p53-binding domain in 53BP1. Therefore, 53BP1 can potentially act as an adaptor to assemble p53 to the dynein complex. Unlike other known LC8-binding proteins, 53BP1 contains two distinct LC8-binding motifs that are arranged in tandem. We further showed that 53BP1 can directly associate with the dynein complex. Disruption of the interaction between LC8 and 53BP1 in vivo prevented DNA damage-induced nuclear accumulation of p53. These data illustrate that LC8 is able to function as a versatile acceptor to link a wide spectrum of molecular cargoes to the dynein motor.     

The direct interaction between 53BP1 and MDC1 is required for the recruitment of 53BP1 to sites of damage

The DNA damage response mediators, 53BP1 and MDC1, play a central role in checkpoint activation and DNA repair. Here we establish that human 53BP1 and MDC1 interact directly through the tandem BRCT domain of MDC1 and residues 1288-1409 of 53BP1. Following induction of DNA double strand breaks the interaction is reduced, probably due to competition between gamma-H2AX and 53BP1 for the binding of the tandem BRCT domain of MDC1. Furthermore, the MDC1 binding region of 53BP1 is required for focus formation by 53BP1. During mitosis the interaction between 53BP1 and MDC1 is enhanced. The interaction is augmented in a phospho-dependent manner, and the MDC1 binding region of 53BP1 is phosphorylated in vivo in mitotic cells; therefore, it is probably modulated by cell cycle-regulated kinases. Our results demonstrate that the 53BP1-MDC1 interaction per se is required for the recruitment of 53BP1 to sites of DNA breaks, which is known to be crucial for an efficient activation of the DNA damage response. Moreover, the results presented here suggest that the interaction between 53BP1 and MDC1 plays a role in the regulation of mitosis.     

A reinvestigation into the taxonomic status of Riccia himalayensis and Riccia discolor based on scanning electron microscopic and chemotaxonomical studies

Riccia himalayensis St. (Ms.) Kashyap is a common species found in the Himalayas from the foot of the mountains to an altitude of 2743 m. Riccia discolor Lehm. et Lindb. on the other hand, is the common and most widely distributed monsoon species, that has been reported from both the western and eastern Himalayas, as well as from the plains of Assam, west Bengal, Madhya Pradesh, south India, etc. Dispute still exists regarding the taxonomic status of R. himalayensis , which is considered a synonym of R. discolor by some taxonomists, according to whom R. himalayensis has no specific status. This has led to a lot of errors in interpreting R. discolor . On the other hand many authors have considered R. himalayensis to be a composite species of R. discolor , R. billardieri and R. gangetica .
The present investigation was aimed to reinvestigate the taxonomic status of R. himalayensis and R. discolor based on morphological analysis of thallus and spore surface by light microscope and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) studies and biochemical analyses of the protein profile by SDS-PAGE. Results reveal that although the two species share certain common morphological features, they are two distinct species chemotaxonomically.     

Potential role for 53BP1 in DNA end-joining repair through direct interaction with DNA

Upon DNA damage, p53-binding protein 1 (53BP1) relocalizes to sites of DNA double-strand breaks and forms discrete nuclear foci, suggesting its role in DNA damage responses. We show that 53BP1 changed its localization from the detergent soluble to insoluble fraction after treatment of cells with x-ray, but not with ultraviolet or hydroxyurea. Either DNase or phosphatase treatment of the insoluble fraction released 53BP1 into the soluble fraction, showing that 53BP1 binds to chromatin in a phosphorylation-dependent manner after X-irradiation of cells. 53BP1 was retained at discrete nuclear foci in X-irradiated cells even after detergent extraction of cells, showing that the chromatin binding of 53BP1 occurs at sites of DNA double-strand breaks. The minimal domain for focus formation was identified by immunofluorescence staining of cells ectopically expressed with 53BP1 deletion mutants. This domain consisted of conserved Tudor and Myb motifs. The Tudor plus Myb domain possessed chromatin binding activity in vivo and bound directly to both double-stranded and single-stranded DNA in vitro. This domain also stimulated end-joining by DNA ligase IV/Xrcc4, but not by T4 DNA ligase in vitro. We conclude that 53BP1 has the potential to participate directly in the repair of DNA double-strand breaks.