来源于蓝藻、铜绿微囊藻的尿苷二磷酸葡萄糖脱氢酶基因的克隆和鉴定

以已知的尿苷二磷酸葡萄糖脱氢酶基因的保守区为基础,自行设计一对简并引物,该对引物从形成水华的蓝藻(Synechocystis PCC6803)铜绿微囊藻FACHB 905株(Microcystis aeruginosa FACHB 905)的基因组DNA中扩增到一个476 bp的DNA片段.通过TAIL-PCR和连接介导的PCR两种方法分离该片段的侧翼序列,最后得到大小约2.5 kb的DNA片段.序列分析揭示其中有一个编码462个氨基酸的开放阅读框,我们将此开放阅读框对应的蛋白命名为Mud.该Mud蛋白的氨基酸序列与蓝藻(73%相同,87%相似)和细菌(Bacillus subtilis)(51%相同,67%相似)的尿苷二磷酸葡萄糖脱氢酶氨基酸序列表现高度的同源性.将该mud基因克隆于p-GEX-4T-1融合表达载体并在大肠杆菌中表达GST-Mud融合蛋白,经过酶活力测定发现,GST-Mud蛋白具有一定的尿苷二磷酸葡萄糖脱氢酶活性.用抗GST-Mud蛋白的多抗对M.aeruginosa FACHB 905的胞质蛋白组分进行Western印迹分析,结果显示一条分子量大小约49 kD的专一条带,这个分子量与从基因推断出的蛋白分子量大小基本一致.综上所述,我们认为从微囊藻克隆到的Mud蛋白基因是尿苷二磷酸葡萄糖脱氢酶基因,该酶在其他生物如植物和细菌中参与多糖合成,是多糖合成的关键酶之一,而在藻类中对尿苷二磷酸葡萄糖脱氢酶开展研究却是首次报道.     

枯草芽孢杆菌葡萄糖脱氢酶基因的克隆及其序列分析

根据Lampel报道的葡萄糖脱氢酶基因序列设计合成两条引物,以野生型枯草芽孢杆菌染色体DNA为模板,PCR扩增得到含有葡萄糖脱氢酶基因的大约780bp的DNA片段,将其克隆到pUC-T载体中。序列分析表明,克隆得到的葡萄糖脱氢酶基因含有783bp,编码261个氨基酸的蛋白质。得到的基因序列与文献报道的进行比较,其核苷酸同源率为75．5％,编码氨基酸序列的同源率为83．9％。     

绿色木霉内切几丁质酶cDNA的克隆及其编码蛋白的序列分析

根据已克隆的内切几丁质酶基因序列的同源性比较,设计引物,采用PCR技术从绿色木霉基因组中分离出一个大小为1467bp的特异DNA片段,采用RT．PeR技术从绿色木霉总RNA中分离出大小约1276bp的eDNA片段。序列对比后发现该内切几丁质酶DNA含有三个内含子,大小分别为52bp,69bp,64bp。同源性分析表明其全长eDNA序列和已经报道的内切几丁质酶序列的同源性高达95％以上,预测其编码蛋白的氨基酸序列含424个氨基酸残基,分子量为46kDa,氨基酸序列分析表明该内切几丁质酶164～172位氨基酸是其活性中心,用同源建模法模拟其空间结构模型,为进一步研究其作用机制奠定了良好基础。     

葡萄风信子谷胱甘肽S转移酶基因克隆与表达分析

以亚美尼亚葡萄风信子为材料,利用本课题组前期获得的葡萄风信子转录组数据库,根据已经获得的葡萄风信子GST基因片段,通过PCR技术克隆得到葡萄风信子GST基因的c DNA序列,命名为Ma GST。Ma GST的c DNA全长为711 bp,开放阅读框为666 bp,编码221个氨基酸,推测蛋白质分子量为54.1 k D,理论等电点p I为5.13。利用生物信息分析软件对Ma GST基因进行同源性比对和系统进化分析表明,结果显示该基因编码的氨基酸具有谷胱甘肽S转移酶典型的C端与N端双结构域,属于GST Tau家族蛋白;与洋葱和小麦GST基因的一致性分别为76.72%和62.50%。实时定量PCR结果显示Ma GST在葡萄风信子各组织器官表达强度相似,属于组成型表达;水杨酸(SA)可以明显诱导Ma GST表达,Ma GST对氯化钠(Na Cl)应答不是很明显,甚至表达量有稍微的下调。     

兽疫链球菌透明质酸合成相关基因hasB的克隆以及性质研究

透明质酸是链球菌荚膜的主要组成部分,有着重要的生理功能。UDP-葡萄糖脱氢酶(HasB)是透明质酸合成中的一个关键酶,而C类链球菌的UDP-葡萄糖脱氢酶编码基因(hasB)尚未被克隆。通过hasB基因的上下游序列设计引物从兽疫链球茵的基因组中克隆出一段序列,测序结果显示其包含一个由1206个碱基组成的开放阅读框,所编码的蛋白序列同化脓链球菌和乳链球菌的UDP-葡萄糖脱氢酶蛋白序列分别有63．1％和70．6％的相似性。将这段基因置于T7启动子下,并在大肠杆菌中进行表达,能够得到一个约47kDa的蛋白,酶活测定显示其具有UDP-葡萄糖脱氢酶活性。这些结果表明所克隆的基因是兽疫链球菌的UDP-葡萄糖脱氢酶编码基因。     

烟夜蛾几丁质酶基因的克隆与表达

运用RT-PCR技术扩增编码烟夜蛾Helicoverpaassulta(Guen啨e)幼虫几丁质酶基因的cDNA片段,将其克隆至pMD18-T载体,获得该基因的成熟蛋白阅读框序列。将该基因重组到表达型质粒pGEX-4T-2中,并转化入原核细胞中表达,序列测定结果表明,烟夜蛾幼虫几丁质酶基因的成熟蛋白阅读框全长1338bp,编码445个氨基酸残基,预测分子量和等电点分别为50.1kDa和9.26;推导的氨基酸序列与其近缘种棉铃虫几丁质酶氨基酸序列的一致性达99%,与其他6种昆虫几丁质酶的氨基酸序列也高度一致(65%~76%),并具有几丁质酶的典型特征。将该基因克隆到原核表达载体pGEX-4T-2上并转化BL21,SDS-PAGE和Western印迹分析表明,经IPTG诱导,76kDa附近没有特异蛋白条带出现,表明烟夜蛾几丁质酶基因不能在原核表达载体pGEX-4T-2中表达。     

荧光假单胞菌TM5-2中D-型氨基酸脱氢酶的鉴定和表达

从荧光假单胞菌TM5-2中得到一个含丙氨酸消旋酶基因的DNA片段(8.8kb),相邻的一个开读框(ORF)与甘氨酸/D-型氨基酸氧化酶基因相似。该ORF经过克隆、表达,并没有检测到甘氨酸/D-型氨基酸氧化酶的活性,推导而得的氨基酸序列与D-型氨基酸脱氢酶序列比较发现,ORF含有D-型氨基酸脱氢酶的所有重要的保守序列。经TTC培养基鉴定,其具有D-型氨基酸脱氢酶的活性,并对一系列D-型氨基酸有作用,最佳作用底物是D-组氨酸。     

血红密孔菌(Pycnoporussanguineus)漆酶基因的克隆与序列分析

为克隆血红密孔菌 (Pycnoporussanguineus)漆酶基因 ,根据真菌漆酶氨基酸序列保守区设计了 1对简并引物 .以血红密孔菌基因组DNA为模板 ,PCR扩增出长 12 2 7bp的漆酶基因片段 .以此序列为基础 ,通过 5′及 3′RACE技术克隆出漆酶全长cDNA序列 ,序列长为 190 2bp ,其 5′端和 3′端非编码区长分别为 5 1bp和 2 97bp ,开放阅读框长 15 5 4bp ,编码 5 18个氨基酸的蛋白 .该蛋白具有 4个铜离子结合区域 ,预测其相对分子量为 5 6 313 2 ,等电点为 5 5 9,其氨基酸序列与Pycnoporuscinnabarinus漆酶 (lcc3 2 )的同源性最高 ,为 96 % .以该cDNA编码区的两端序列为引物 ,PCR扩增得到漆酶的长度为 2 15 4bp的全长DNA序列 ,序列中包括 10个内含子序列 ,长为 5 2～ 70bp     

从猕猴肝脏组织扩增黄嘌呤脱氢酶／氧化酶基因片段

RT-PCR扩增猕猴黄嘌呤脱氢酶／氧化酶（XDH／XO）基因片段,为进一步开展相关研究提供实验资料。方法提取猕猴新鲜肝脏组织总RNA,用RT-PCR二步法进行XDH／XO基因片段扩增,对获得的目的片段进行序列测定,与GenBank上发表的人类（Homosapiens）、小鼠（Musmusculus）、家鼠（Rattusnorvegicus）、野猪（Susscrofa）等物种XDH／XO基因进行该序列同源性比对分析,DNAMAN软件预测该段核苷酸的氨基酸序列,Inter-ProScan及SWISS-MODEL工具进行XDH／XO的编码蛋白结构域及功能预测及三维结构构建。结果RT-PCR产物电泳检测得到了与设计大小相一致的目的条带,序列测定共测到683个核苷酸,DNAMAN软件预测该段核苷酸的氨基酸序列包括了1个编码53个氨基酸的开放阅读框（ORF）,通过该软件包中Multiplealignment对目的基因片段的核苷酸序列与NCBI报道的人类、小鼠、家鼠、野猪XDH／XO基因mRNA互补的cDNA核苷酸序列同源性进行同源性比较分析,结果显示所扩增得到的目的片段与人类同源性最高,为95．6％,与小鼠、家鼠、野猪的同源性分别为85．2％、84．3％、86．1％,说明获得的基因片段是猕猴的XDH／XO基因片段,且该基因在物种间具有较高的相似性。生物信息学预测该段XDH／XO编码蛋白含有醛氧化／脱氢酶的钼喋呤结合点结构域及黄嘌呤脱氢酶结构域。结论在体外成功扩增出猕猴XDH／XO基因片段,为进一步开展高尿酸血症致病机理研究,抗高尿酸血症新药研发奠定工作基础。     

斜纹夜蛾核多角体病毒egt基因的核苷酸全序列分析及同源性比较

测定了斜纹夜蛾核多角体病毒(Spodoptera litura multinucleocapsid nuclear polyhedrosis virus, SlNPV)中山大学分离株(Zhongshan University isolate, ZSU)蜕皮甾体尿苷二磷酸葡糖转移酶(Ecdysteroid UDPglucosyltransferase, EGT)基因的核苷酸全序列。该基因编码框包含1530个核苷酸,有509个氨基酸组成的蛋白质,分子量为58.5kD,TATA框位于ATG上游44处。在终止密码子TAA下游13位,有真核生物基因mRNA转录poly(A)加尾酶信号序列：AATAAA。同源性比较显示,SlNPV egt基因推测的氨基酸序列与其它昆虫杆状核多角体病毒EGT序列同源性很高,与海灰翅夜蛾核多角体病毒(Spodoptera littoralis nuclear polyhedrosis virus, SliNPV)同源性最高,核苷酸和氨基酸序列同源性分别为84%和91%,而且有一些与EGT结构和功能密切相关的氨基酸是绝对保守的;根据EGT蛋白进行分子进化树分析,把昆虫杆状病毒EGT主要分成两大类。     

Ectogenesis and the case against the right to the death of the foetus

Ectogenesis, or the use of an artificial womb to allow a foetus to develop, will likely become a reality within a few decades, and could significantly affect the abortion debate. We first examine the implications for Judith Jarvis Thomson’s violinist analogy, which argues for a woman’s right to withdraw life support from the foetus and so terminate her pregnancy, even if the foetus is granted full moral status. We show that on Thomson’s reasoning, there is no right to the death of the foetus, and abortion is not permissible if ectogenesis is available, provided it is safe and inexpensive. This raises the question of whether there are persuasive reasons for the right to the death of the foetus that could be exercised in the context of ectogenesis. Eric Mathison and Jeremy Davis have examined several arguments for this right, doubting that it exists, while Joona Räsänen has recently criticized their reasoning. We respond to Räsänen’s analysis, concluding that his arguments are unsuccessful, and that there is no right to the death of the foetus in these circumstances.     

On the diversity of the Cladocera in the tropics

The mythical concept of an impoverished tropical cladoceran fauna is refuted. On a planetary scale, around half of the cladoceran species presently known occur exclusively in the tropics-subtropics, often with considerable restriction to particular geographical subzones. On a regional (political) scale, the situation is often unclear because of the continued fragmentary nature of studies, and because political units are not a good basis for biogeographical comparisons. At the finest level of resolution (lake-perlake comparisons), there appears to be an upper limit of c. 50 cladoceran species per individual lake. No significant difference between lakes in the temperate zone and in the tropics could be established here. Daphnia is largely absent from the tropics, but is replaced by more Sidids, Moinids, and Bosminids, such that the average cladoceran community in the limnetic zone of a tropical lake is not characterized by less species but rather by lower population densities. This, in turn, is considered a consequence of higher prevalent predation levels in the tropics.     

Tubular networks in the terminal endings of the visual receptor cells in the human,the monkey,the cat and the dog

Summary A tubular network was found in the terminal endings of the visual receptor cells in the human, the monkey (Macaca mulatta), the cat and the dog. These tubules are arranged in close groups in the vicinity of the synaptic lamellae and the invaginated dendrites. According to the form, diameter, density of the tubules and to the consistence of the network formed by them one can distinguish at these places an initial type (type I), a transitory (type II) and a vesicular one (type III). In the the type III branching, bizarre forms are frequent. The diameter of all the tubules reaches 500–600 Å, their density and walls being the same as in the synaptic vesicles.Similar networks also occur in the axons of the visual receptor cells of the monkey.

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Zusammenfassung In den Endigungen der Photorezeptorzellen von Mensch, Affe (Macaca mulatta), Katze und Hund kommen aus Tubuli bestehende Komplexe vor. Organellenartig in geschlossenen Gruppen angeordnet, liegen sie in Nähe der synaptischen Lamellen und der invaginierten Dendriten. An diesen Stellen kann man nach Form, Durchmesser, Dichte und Konsistenz der von den Tubuli gebildeten Komplexe drei Typen unterscheiden: 1. einen initialen (Typus I), 2. einen Übergangstypus (Typus II) und 3. einen vesiculären Typus (Typus III). In letzterem kommen häufig verzweigte, bizarre Formen vor. Der Durchmesser sämtlicher Tubuli erreicht 500–600 Å. Ihre Dichte und ihre Wand gleicht denen der synaptischen Vesikel.Ähnliche Komplexe fanden wir auch in den Axonen der Photorezeptorzellen vom Affen.

     

Assessing the Physiological State of the Fucoids from the Barents Sea Littoral by the End of the Polar Night

Methods of amperometry and potentiometric titration were used to follow dark respiration (DR) and apparent photosynthesis (AP) in the fucoids Ascophyllum nodosum (L.) Le Jol, Fucus vesiculosus L., and F. serratus L. from the Barents Sea littoral by the end of the 40-day-long polar night. The macroalgae were shown to manifest species-specific low rates of photosynthesis and respiration. However, in spite of their low photosynthetic status due to the effects of subzero temperature and prolonged low or zero illumination, the macroalgae have been able to restore DR and AP to the initial level already by the day 9; the ability to restore AP depended on the level of illumination. The study of the changes in the carbonate–bicarbonate system in the light and darkness demonstrated that the macroalgae grown in darkness, in contrast to those grown in twilight, could absorb bicarbonate in darkness; however, they lost this capacity after two-day-long illumination at an irradiance of 7 mol/(m² s). Bicarbonate uptake in darkness and the capacity to restore the systems of photosynthesis and respiration in fucoid cells are discussed in the context of algal energy metabolism under the polar night conditions.     

Arranging the elements of the potassium channel: the T1 domain occludes the cytoplasmic face of the channel

The voltage-gated potassium channel is currently one of the few membrane proteins where functional roles have been mapped onto specific segments of sequence. Although high-resolution structures of the transmembrane portions of three bacterial potassium channels, the tetramerization domain and the cytoplasmic ball are available, their relative spatial arrangement in mammalian channels remains a matter of ongoing debate. Cryo-electron microscopic images of the six transmembrane voltage-gated Kv channel have been reconstructed at up to 18 Å resolution, revealing that the T1 domain tetramerizes and is suspended below the transmembrane segments. However, the resolution of these images is insufficient to reveal the location of the third piece of the puzzle, the inactivating ball domain. We have used the aberrant interactions observed in a series of chimæric channels to establish that an assembled T1 domain restricts access to the cytoplasmic face of the channel, suggesting that the N-terminal ball and chain may be confined in the space between the T1 domain and the transmembrane portion of the channel.     

Feeding the vertebrate retina from the Cambrian to the Tertiary

The retina of the vertebrate eye is metabolically active and requires nutritive support. During the last 540 million years it has evolved into forms as complicated and nutritionally demanding as those found in avian or primate eyes. Diffusion from the choroid is generally able to supply the metabolic needs of thin retinae. However, when the thickness exceeds the limits of diffusion, structures are needed to supplement the vascular supply from the choroid. These supplemental nutritive devices include the choroidal gland, the falciform process and preretinal vascular plexus of fish, the conus papillaris of lizards, the pecten oculi of birds, the intraretinal vessels of mammals and a few novel systems that remain difficult to classify. These vascular systems are among the most variable features of the vertebrate eye. Here, we review classical and recent findings regarding such retinal nutrition systems, propose a three category classification for them based on histologic origins and speculate on the evolutionary forces which drove their development.     

Observations on the permeability of the choriocapillaris of the eye

Summary The choriocapillaris is a fenestrated capillary bed located posterior to the retinal pigment epithelium. It serves as the main source of supply to the photoreceptors, retinal pigment epithelium, and other cells of the outer retina. The permeability of these capillaries to intravenously injected ferritin (MW — approx. 480,000; mol. diam. 11 nm) was examined in the mouse, rabbit, and guinea pig, each of which is characterized by a different type of retinal vascularization. In all three species, the bulk of the ferritin remained in the capillary lumina, where it appeared to be blocked at the level of the diaphragmed fenestrae. Some ferritin was present in endothelial cell vacuoles. The results confirm previous work on the rat choriocapillaris and indicate that the barrier function of the choriocapillary endothelium is present even among species in which the retinal circulation differs significantly.Supported by NIH grant EY03418