Emended description of the genus Rhodothalassium Imhoff et al., 1998 and proposal of Rhodothalassiaceae fam. nov. and Rhodothalassiales ord. nov

Five strains (JA325, JA389, JA473, JA563 and JA582) of Gram stain-negative, vibrioid to spiral shaped, phototrophic purple bacteria were isolated from solar salterns of India. All strains contained bacteriochlorophyll-a and carotenoids of the spirilloxanthin series as photosynthetic pigments. C_18:1ω7c, C_18:1ω7c 11-methyl and C_16:0 were the major fatty acids of all strains. Diphosphatidylglycerol (DPG), phosphatidylglycerol (PG), ornithine lipid (OL), an unidentified phospholipid (PL), and an unidentified aminolipid (AL) were the major polar lipids of all the strains. According to 16S rRNA gene sequences, all strains clustered phylogenetically with the only species of the genus Rhodothalassium (99.8–99.3% sequence similarity) but only strains JA325 and JA563 were distinctly related (60 + 1.5% DNA–DNA hybridization [DDH]) to the type strain Rhodothalassium salexigens DSM 2132^T. However, the genotypic data of strains JA325 and JA563 was not supported because of a large number of phenotypic differences compared to the type strain, therefore, it is proposed that all five newly isolated strains were R. salexigens-like strains. In addition, phylogenetically, the Rhodothalassium clade represented a distinct lineage and formed a deep branch with less than 90% 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity to other orders of the Alphaproteobacteria, and characteristic phenotypic properties also distinguished these bacteria from other purple non-sulfur bacteria. Therefore, the novel family Rhodothalassiaceae fam. nov. and the novel order Rhodothalassiales ord. nov. are proposed for the distinct phyletic line represented by the genus Rhodothalassium.     

弥散山蚂蝗与大叶拿身草(豆科:蝶形花亚科)的分类学关系

弥散山蚂蝗Desmodium diffusum(新拟)不同于大叶拿身草D. laxiflorum,然而前者在中国却不被承认。弥散山蚂蝗广布于中国,与大叶拿身草相较更为普遍,而大叶拿身草仅分布于中国的广东、广西、台湾及云南南部。崔现举等将弥散山蚂蝗置于单序山蚂蝗D. unibotryosum种中。根据国际命名法规,单序山蚂蝗为一非法名称,属弥散山蚂蝗的异名。本文介绍了弥散山蚂蝗和大叶拿身草的分类历史、种的检索表、种的文献、异名及分布。同时,指定了弥散山蚂蝗的后选模式。     

Comparative analysis of indices of central dopaminergic functions in man

Various postulated indices of central dopaminergic activity - cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) dopamine (DA), dihydroxy-phenylacetic acid (DOPAC), homovanillic acid (HVA), noradrenaline (NA), plasma NA, serum prolactin, serum dopamine-β-hydroxylase (DBH), and platelet monoamine oxidase (MAO) activity - were measured in 30 drug-free inpatients. The mean values and the ranges were similar to those described in the literature. Plasma NA showed significant positive correlation with age. Significant positive correlation was found between CSF DA and its metabolites DOPAC and HVA. Serum DBH activity showed a slight but significant inverse correlation with CSF DA and its two metabolites. CSF NA showed a significant positive correlation with CSF DOPAC, but only in females. Serum DBH activity had no significant correlation either with CSF or with plasma NA levels. These findings suggest that either CSF HVA or DOPAC and DA may be useful indicators of DA metabolism in humans. Serum DBH activity may be in relationship with the central dopaminergic functions.     

Molecular phylogeny supports the morphologically based taxonomic transfer of the “medicagoid”Trigonella species to the genus Medicago L.

 The taxonomic transfer of the 23 Trigonella species previously known as medicagoids to the genus Medicago L. is reanalyzed on the basis of a molecular phylogenetic approach. The internal and external transcribed spacers of 53 Medicago species s. str. and 10 of the 23 medicagoid species were sequenced. Both maximum parsimony or maximum likelihood criteria joined medicagoid species more confidently with Medicago rather than with Trigonella. The basal position of the medicagoid species within the genus Medicago, together with morphologically atypical Medicago species (such as M. radiata and M. platycarpa), raised the question of the expediency to define a new genus and is discussed, relatively to the support of each clade. Using criteria of monophyly and support, it was concluded that the medicagoids are better joined in Medicago rather than placed in a new genus. Received February 6, 2001 Accepted July 17, 2001     

中国卷叶绵蚜属研究及新种记述~①(同翅目:瘿绵蚜科)

本文记述了同翅目瘿绵蚜科卷叶绵蚜属一新种丁香卷叶绵蚜Prociphilus gambosae sp.nov.和白蜡树卷叶绵蚜Prociphilus fraxini(Fabricius,1777)及忍冬卷叶绵蚜Prociphilus xylostei(De Geer,1773)两个中国新记录种。文中系统研究了该属的标本,给出了无翅孤雌蚜的分种检索表。     

Subcellular localization of enterokinase (Enteropeptidase EC 3.4.21.9) in rat small intestine

The subcellular localization of enterokinase is controversial. In this study, enterokinase was extracted from a soluble fraction and a brush border fraction of rat small intestine by differential centrifugation. The soluble fraction contained 41% of the initial enterokinase activity while the brush border fraction contained only 4.6% of the initial activity. In contrast, alkaline phosphatase monitored as a brush border marker, yielded 26.3 in the brush border fraction and only 6% in the soluble fraction. Further separation of the soluble fraction on a Sepharose 4B column revealed three peaks of enterokinase activity. One small peak (3%) of a bound enzyme (M_r, 2·10^?6) and two larger peaks of free enzyme (M_r, 3·10⁵ and 9·10⁵). In contrast, alkaline phosphatase major fraction was in a high molecular weight peak of bound enzyme. When the brush border fraction was chromatographed only a single peak of bound enterokinase and alkaline phosphatase were found. In the lower part of the small intestine, no brush border-bound enterokinase was found, while the peak of alkaline phosphatase was the same as in the upper intestine. These data suggest that enterokinase activity in the rat intestine is mainly in a free form localized in the mucin and soluble fraction and to a negligible extent in the brush border.     

A method for rapid microassay of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA reductase activity

A method is devised for the separation of mevalonolactone (MVL) from hydroxymethylglutarate (HMG) in the assay of HMG-CoA reductase activity. The main steps in the procedure consist of absorbing the reaction mixture on the bottom part of a rectangular filter paper and selectively transfering the MVL into the top part of the paper by upward elution with toluene. Under the experimental conditions deseribed, MVL is recovered in an yield of approximately 60%, with little contamination with HMG. Among the advantages of the method are that it involves simple and very few manipulations, no internal standard is required to calculate the recovery of MVL, and simultaneous analyses of a large number of samples are possible.     

BIMLR: A method for constructing rooted phylogenetic networks from rooted phylogenetic trees

Rooted phylogenetic trees constructed from different datasets (e.g. from different genes) are often conflicting with one another, i.e. they cannot be integrated into a single phylogenetic tree. Phylogenetic networks have become an important tool in molecular evolution, and rooted phylogenetic networks are able to represent conflicting rooted phylogenetic trees. Hence, the development of appropriate methods to compute rooted phylogenetic networks from rooted phylogenetic trees has attracted considerable research interest of late. The C_ASS algorithm proposed by van Iersel et al. is able to construct much simpler networks than other available methods, but it is extremely slow, and the networks it constructs are dependent on the order of the input data. Here, we introduce an improved C_ASS algorithm, BIMLR. We show that BIMLR is faster than C_ASS and less dependent on the input data order. Moreover, BIMLR is able to construct much simpler networks than almost all other methods. BIMLR is available at http://nclab.hit.edu.cn/wangjuan/BIMLR/.     

细疣高山苔——中国高山苔属一新记录种

细疣高山苔Athalamia glauco-virens Shim. & Hatt. 原仅见于日本,在山东省泰山万仙楼石墙上的发现为中国首次记录。该种以孢子的大形乳头突起上具细密疣及弹丝上具细疣而明显区别于本属的其他种。     

Orientisargidae fam. n., a new Jurassic family of Archisargoidea (Diptera,Brachycera), with review?of?Archisargidae from China

A pair of fly impressions is described as a new species of a new genus, Orientisargus illecebrosus gen. et sp. n., referred to a new family Orientisargidae fam. n. within Archisargoidea of Brachycera, Diptera. The systematic position of Orientisargidae is discussed. Daohugosargus gen. n. is proposed for Sharasargus eximius KY Zhang et al., 2008. Uranorhagionidae is a junior synonym for Archisargidae. Meanwhile, Mostovskisarginae is a junior synonym for Uranorhagionidae. Mostovskisargus JF Zhang, 2010 and Strenorhagio KY Zhang et al., 2010 are synonymized with Uranorhagio KY Zhang et al., 2010. Uranorhagio includes three species: Uranorhagio asymmetricus (KY Zhang et al., 2010), comb. n., Uranorhagio daohugouensis KY Zhang et al., 2010 and Uranorhagio deviatus (KY Zhang et al., 2010), comb. n. Strenorhagio grimaldi KY Zhang et al., 2010 is synonymous with Uranorhagio deviatus. Mostovskisargus portentosus JF Zhang, 2010, Mostovskisargus signatus JF Zhang, 2010 and Strenorhagio conjugovenius KY Zhang et al., 2010 are synonymous with Uranorhagio asymmetricus. Brevisolva KY Zhang et al., 2010 is a junior synonym for Mesosolva Hong, 1983. A new specific name, Mesosolva zhangae nom. n., is proposed for Brevisolva daohugouensis KY Zhang et al., 2010. Mesosolva jurassica KY Zhang et al., 2010 should be synonymized under Mostovskisargus sinensis KY Zhang et al., 2010. Sinallomyia nom. n. is proposed for Allomyia Ren, 1998. The systematic positions for Helempis eucalla Ren, 1998, Helempis yixianensis Ren, 1998, Pauromyia oresbia Ren, 1998 and Sinallomyia ruderalis (Ren, 1998) are reassessed. These taxa belong to Archisargidae rather than to Tabanidae, Rhagionidae and Protempididae, respectively.     

豆科长柄山蚂蝗属一新组合

Ohashi和Mill提出长柄山蚂蝗属的正确学名是Hylodesmum H.Ohashi&R.R.Mill,用以取代由来已久的属名Podocarpium（Benth.）Y.C.Yang&P.H.Huang。本文根据该属属名的变化,提出并确定澜沧长柄山蚂蝗的新组合名称为Hylodesmum lancangense（Y.Y.Qian X.Y.Zhu&H.Ohashi。     

Thalassomermis megamphis n. gen., n. sp. (Mermithidae: Nemata) from the Bathyal South Atlantic Ocean

Thalassomermis megamphis n. gen., n. sp. (Mermithidae: Nemata) was extracted from sediment collected off the coast of Brazil at a depth of approximately 1,000 m. Although the food of this new nematode is unknown, the reduction of the stoma and esophagus and presence of a trophosome indicate that it is parasitic in its juvenile stages. Thalassomermis megaraphis n. gen., n. sp. is assigned to Mermithidae because of its similarity to that family in the appearance of the cephalic sensory receptors, the long and tubular vagina, and copulatory muscles of the male extending posteriorly throughout most of the length of the tail. Thalassomermis megamphis n. gen., n. sp. differs from all other members of Mermithidae by the large, lenticular, intracuticular amphidial fovea with coiled, emergent terminal filaments as well as the small amphidial aperture situated over the center of the fovea.     

陕西鸟巢兰属一新种--太白山鸟巢兰

对中国陕西产的兰科新种太白山鸟巢兰Neottia taibaishanensis P H．Yang ＆ K．Y．Lang作了描述和绘图。本新种与尖唇鸟巢兰N acuminata相似,但整个植株为灰黑色,花序轴被贴伏银灰色长柔毛,萼片、花瓣和唇瓣灰黑色而边缘为灰白色,唇瓣宽倒卵形或近圆形,先端具短尖而不同。     

Acidic pH-induced conformational changes in amyloidogenic mutant transthyretin

Several proteins, including transthyretin (TTR), can generate in tissues extracellular insoluble aggregates, in the form of fibrils, that are associated with pathological states known as amyloidoses. To date, more than 80 different TTR point mutations have been associated with hereditary amyloidosis in humans. In vitro, the formation of amyloid fibrils by human TTR is known to be triggered by acidic pH. We show here that, in vitro, the natural amyloidogenic I84S and the non-natural I84A TTR mutant forms exhibit a propensity to produce fibrils in an acidic medium significantly higher than that of wild-type TTR. The two mutant forms have been crystallized at both neutral and acidic pH. Their neutral pH crystal structures are very similar to that of wild-type TTR, consistent with previous evidence indicating that only minor structural changes are induced by amyloidogenic mutations. On the contrary, their crystal structures at moderately low pH (4.6) show significant conformational differences as compared to their neutral pH structures. Remarkably, such changes are not induced in wild-type TTR crystallized at low pH. The most relevant consist of the unwinding of the TTR short alpha-helix and of the change in conformation of the loop connecting the alpha-helix to beta-strand F. Only one monomer of the crystallographic dimer is affected, causing a disruption of the tetrameric symmetry. This asymmetry and a possible destabilization of the tetrameric quaternary structure of TTR may be responsible for the amyloidogenic potential of the two TTR mutant forms at low pH.     

云南百合科球子草属一新种———粗穗球子草

对中国云南百合科一新种———粗穗球子草Peliosanthes pachystachya W.H.Chen&Y.M.Shui进行了描述和绘图。该新种的匍匐茎具长约18cm的节间,与匍匐球子草P.sinica Wang&Tang接近,但因叶具9-13条叶脉,花梗长9-10mm,无小苞片,花被片卵状三角形而明显不同。该新种因花被片卵状三角形,苞片披针形,也近似于长苞球子草P.ophiopogonoides Wang&Tang,但匍匐茎长,叶具9-13条叶脉,花梗长9-10mm,花葶和花序均较短而不同。     

内蒙古顶冰花属（百合科）一新种

报道了产于贺兰山的顶冰花属（百合科）一新种——贺兰山顶冰花Gagea alashanica Y. Z. Zhao & L. Q. Zhao。该种因柱头头状,鳞茎外皮上端向上延伸成圆筒状,抱茎,无附属小鳞茎,植物除基生叶外,茎上具有3-4枚附生叶,无明显总苞片而与新疆顶冰花G. neopopovii Goloskokov相似,但基生叶2枚,半圆筒形;鳞茎外皮向上延伸较短,长约2. 5cm,易于区别。     

中国山茶属(山茶科)一新变种——长蕊西南山茶

描述了山茶科Theaceae一个新变种--长蕊西南山茶Camellia pitardii var. longistaminata J. L. Liu &; Q. Luo。这一新变种与原变种西南山茶Camellia pitardii Cohen-Stuart的区别是花瓣较大, 长4.4-6.2(-8) cm, 宽3.1-4.4 cm; 雄蕊花丝特长, 外轮花丝长4.2-5.1 cm, 在中部或中上部合生, 内轮花丝长2.5-3 cm, 花丝管长2.3-2.8 cm。     

Structural basis of DNA recognition by the alternative sigma-factor, sigma54

The sigma subunit of bacterial RNA polymerase (RNAP) regulates gene expression by directing RNAP to specific promoters. Unlike sigma(70)-type proteins, the alternative sigma factor, sigma(54), requires interaction with an ATPase to open DNA. We present the solution structure of the C-terminal domain of sigma(54) bound to the -24 promoter element, in which the conserved RpoN box motif inserts into the major groove of the DNA. This structure elucidates the basis for sequence specific recognition of the -24 element, orients sigma(54) on the promoter, and suggests how the C-terminal domain of sigma(54) interacts with RNAP.