MicroRNA对不完全变态昆虫变态及生殖调控作用的研究进展

MicroRNAs(miRNAs)是一类在真核生物中由内源基因编码的小分子RNA,参与昆虫变态、生殖发育、细胞分化等多种重要生物学过程,在转录水平上发挥重要作用.在完全变态昆虫中,大量调控其变态及生殖的miRNA被广泛报道且进行了深入的研究,但miRNA调控不完全变态昆虫的变态及生殖发育的研究仍比较少,对其具体的调控机制也需要进一步阐明.为此,本文综述了近年来miRNA在调控不完全变态昆虫(以直翅目飞蝗Locusta migratoria、半翅目褐飞虱Nilaparvata lugens和蚜虫以及部分蜚蠊目昆虫为代表)的变态及生殖方面的研究进展,以期深化理解miRNA对不完全变态昆虫变态和生殖发育方面的机制,为害虫生态治理和综合防控提供科学依据.     

昆虫线粒体基因组重排的研究进展

动物线粒体基因组通常组成稳定,基因排列也相对保守,极少发生重组。但是昆虫的线粒体基因组具有重排的可能性,而且这些重排事件可能为系统发育研究提供重要的信息。因此,深入研究昆虫线粒体基因组的重排可能有助于解决具有争议的系统发生关系。本文对昆虫线粒体基因组的重排类型、重排机理和重排在昆虫系统发育分析中的应用等方面的研究进展进行了介绍。     

昆虫共生微生物及其功能研究进展

昆虫体内共生微生物能够占到昆虫生物量的1％～10％,主要包括细菌、真菌、古菌和病毒.昆虫与共生微生物共进化形成共生体,共生微生物在昆虫生物学性状、多样性形成、生态适应性与抗逆性等多方面发挥着重要的作用.昆虫中的农作物害虫严重影响农业生产.本文对2000年以来农业害虫共生微生物的多样性、研究方法和功能机制、共生微生物之间...     

美国军方研制纳米芯片可控制昆虫成“间谍”

据国外媒体报道,美国军方目前正在秘密资助一项用于间谍任务的“生物武器”计划,该计划将利用甲虫或其他体型较小的昆虫,来实现窃听或拍照等秘密任务。据悉,美国国防部科技计划局已经花费数年时间,研制出了一种可以执行秘密间谍任务的电子生物武器。科研人员将一个微型的电子芯片植入甲虫大脑,通过笔记本电脑实现无线遥控“间谍甲虫”。据科研人员介绍,美军计划利用这种植入设备,通过刺激甲虫的大脑来振动翅膀,控制甲虫的起飞、飞行和降落等活动。这种设备是纳米级的芯片,遥控者可以通过控制甲虫一侧或另一侧的基底肌肉使翅膀振动,从而实现控制方向。同时,科研人员还将一个微型电池和一个带有收发器的微型控制器植入了甲虫体内。     

昆虫气味结合蛋白的研究进展

昆虫主要依赖其复杂且灵敏的化学感受系统来识别并区分外界环境中的各种化学信号。嗅觉是负责嗅觉信号传导的感官方式,能够引起昆虫觅食、产卵、交配和躲避天敌等对生存和繁殖至关重要的行为反应。在嗅觉感知过程中,气味结合蛋白(odorant binding proteins, OBPs)最先与外界脂溶性化学物质相互作用,并将其转运至化学受体神经元上,激活树突膜表面分布的嗅觉受体(olfactory receptors, ORs),是嗅觉系统正常运行的必需蛋白。近年来,随着高通量测序和分子生物学技术的快速发展,越来越多的昆虫OBPs相继得以鉴定并开展功能研究。昆虫OBPs是一类可溶性的小分子蛋白,一般由6个α-螺旋构成一个稳定、紧密的疏水性结合腔,其构象变化因昆虫种类和配体结构不同而有所差异。OBPs的分布不受限于嗅觉器官,还在口器、足、中肠、腺体等非嗅觉组织中表达,具有嗅觉识别、味觉感受、营养物质转运、信息素合成与释放、组织发育与分化等生理功能。OBPs行使以上功能的共同特性为结合和溶解包括信息素组分、普通气味分子和非挥发性物质等的疏水性小分子物质。昆虫OBPs的稳定性和多功能性暗示其可广泛应用于...     

昆虫对环境低氧的适应:生理和分子机制研究进展

氧是机体进行新陈代谢和维持生存的必要因素。低氧环境在自然界普遍存在,也是许多重大疾病(如癌症)发生过程中基本的病理生理特征。生物包括昆虫在其生存和发育过程中经常面对低氧的挑战,它们发展出了各自的适应策略以求得生存和繁荣壮大。昆虫对于低氧环境适应包括在气管系统通气量、气体交换模式、体型大小和发育时间等生理机制上的改变。为揭示昆虫低氧适应机制,研究人员针对不同昆虫采用了来自人工选择或者自然选择的品系(种群),使用了基因芯片表达和转录组测序、基因组重测序技术和基因操作等技术。基于这些方法研究发现,在分子机制方面,昆虫可以通过抑制能量代谢、提高氧气利用率来适应低氧环境;还可以通过胰岛素通路、低氧诱导因子(HIF)信号通路等来调节自身代谢活动从而适应环境低氧;除此之外,昆虫的气管系统可以在基因调控下通过代偿性生理和形态变化来适应低氧环境。昆虫低氧适应机制的研究为探求昆虫数亿年进化过程中体形改变、物种形成、种群动态等提供提供新的视野,也增进对动物应对低氧或缺氧机理的深入理解,特别是为研究人类重大疾病的发生提供重要启示。     

杆状病毒-昆虫细胞表达系统在复合体重组表达应用中的研究进展

真核细胞大部分生命活动是通过复合体催化的。因此,系统了解这些复合体的生物学功能,将在健康和疾病方面具有重要意义。由于内源性复合体存在低丰度和异质性特点,因而直接提取复合体存在一定的困难。杆状病毒-昆虫细胞表达系统可成功表达复合体,为研究复合体的结构和功能提供新的手段。综述近年来利用杆状病毒-昆虫细胞表达系统进行蛋白质复合体结构和功能研究的进展。     

Mas-allatotropin in the developing antennal lobe of the sphinx moth Manduca sexta: distribution, time course, developmental regulation, and colocalization with other neuropeptides

The paired antennal lobes (ALs) of the sphinx moth Manduca sexta serve as a well-established model for studying development of the primary integration centers for odor information in the brain. To further reveal the role of neuropeptides during AL development, we have analyzed cellular distribution, developmental time course, and regulation of the neuropeptide M. sexta allatotropin (Mas-AT). On the basis of morphology and appearance during AL formation, seven major types of Mas-AT-immunoreactive (ir) cells could be distinguished. Mas-AT-ir cells are identified as local, projection, and centrifugal neurons, which are either persisting larval or newly added adult-specific neurons. Complementary immunostaining with antisera against two other neuropeptide families (A-type allatostatins, RFamides) revealed colocalization within three of the Mas-AT-ir cell types. On the basis of this neurochemistry, the most prominent type of Mas-AT-ir neurons, the local AT neurons (LATn), could be divided in three subpopulations. The appearance of the Mas-AT-ir cell types occurring during metamorphosis parallels the rising titer of the developmental hormone 20-hydroxyecdysone (20E). Artificially shifting the 20E titer to an earlier developmental time point resulted in the precocious occurrence of Mas-AT immunostaining. This result supports the hypothesis that the pupal rise of 20E is causative for Mas-AT expression during AL development. Comparing localization and developmental time course of Mas-AT and other neuropeptides with the time course of AL formation suggests various functions for these neuropeptides during development, including an involvement in the formation of the olfactory glomeruli.     

Biomechanics and biomimetics in insect-inspired flight systems

Insect- and bird-size drones—micro air vehicles (MAV) that can perform autonomous flight in natural and man-made environments are now an active and well-integrated research area. MAVs normally operate at a low speed in a Reynolds number regime of 10⁴–10⁵ or lower, in which most flying animals of insects, birds and bats fly, and encounter unconventional challenges in generating sufficient aerodynamic forces to stay airborne and in controlling flight autonomy to achieve complex manoeuvres. Flying insects that power and control flight by flapping wings are capable of sophisticated aerodynamic force production and precise, agile manoeuvring, through an integrated system consisting of wings to generate aerodynamic force, muscles to move the wings and a control system to modulate power output from the muscles. In this article, we give a selective review on the state of the art of biomechanics in bioinspired flight systems in terms of flapping and flexible wing aerodynamics, flight dynamics and stability, passive and active mechanisms in stabilization and control, as well as flapping flight in unsteady environments. We further highlight recent advances in biomimetics of flapping-wing MAVs with a specific focus on insect-inspired wing design and fabrication, as well as sensing systems.This article is part of the themed issue ‘Moving in a moving medium: new perspectives on flight’.     

Direct peptide profiling of lateral cell groups of the antennal lobes of Manduca sexta reveals specific composition and changes in neuropeptide expression during development

The paired antennal lobes are the first integration centers for odor information in the insect brain. In the sphinx moth Manduca sexta, like in other holometabolous insects, they are formed during metamorphosis. To further understand mechanisms involved in the formation of this particularly well investigated brain area, we performed a direct peptide profiling of a well defined cell group (the lateral cell group) of the antennal lobe throughout development by MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry. Although the majority of the about 100 obtained ion signals represent still unknown substances, this first peptidomic characterization of this cell group indicated the occurrence of 12 structurally known neuropeptides. Among these peptides are helicostatin 1, cydiastatins 2, 3, and 4, M. sexta-allatotropin (Mas-AT), M. sexta-FLRFamide (Mas-FLRFamide) I, II, and III, nonblocked Mas-FLRFamide I, and M. sexta-myoinhibitory peptides (Mas-MIPs) III, V, and VI. The identity of two of the allatostatins (cydiastatins 3 and 4) and Mas-AT were confirmed by tandem mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF/TOF). During development of the antennal lobe, number and frequency of ion signals including those representing known peptides generally increased at the onset of glomeruli formation at pupal Stage P7/8, with cydiastatin 2, helicostatin 1, and Mas-MIP V being the exceptions. Cydiastatin 2 showed transient occurrence mainly during the period of glomerulus formation, helicostatin 1 was restricted to late pupae and adults, while Mas-MIP V occurred exclusively in adult antennal lobes. The power of the applied direct mass spectrometric profiling lies in the possibility of chemically identifying neuropeptides of a given cell population in a fast and reliable manner, at any developmental stage in single specimens. The identification of neuropeptides in the antennal lobes now allows to specifically address the function of these signaling molecules during the formation of the antennal lobe network.     

人源抗体制备及临床应用研究进展

与常规治疗药物相比,抗体药物具有靶向性强、特异性好等优点,其作为一类重要的治疗性药物,近年来在临床中的应用逐渐增多,为疾病的治疗提供了新的选择,应用范围逐渐从肿瘤、自身免疫性疾病及慢性炎症扩展到心血管和感染性等疾病中。人源抗体的全部结构是由人类抗体基因所编码的,因此避免了异种蛋白长期应用引起的不良反应,加之人源抗体制备技术的不断发展完善,使其逐渐成为治疗性抗体研发的首要选择。综述了近年来治疗性人源抗体的主要制备技术及其在临床中应用的最新进展,同时探讨了人源抗体制备技术的不足之处,以期为人源抗体的发展提供借鉴和思路。     

微重力环境影响植物生长发育的研究进展

微重力是最独特的空间环境条件之一,研究微重力对不同植物种类以及不同植物部位的影响是空间生物学的重要内容之一,对于建立生物再生式生命保障系统意义重大。生物再生式生命保障系统是未来开展长期载人空间活动的核心技术,其优势在于能在一个密闭的系统内持续再生氧气,水和食物等高等动物生活必需品,植物部件是生物再生式生命保障系统的重要组成部分。了解和掌握微重力对植物生长发育的影响,有助于采取有效的作业制度确保其正常生长发育和繁殖,是成功建立生物再生式生命保障系统的首要关键。该文就植物在空间探索中的地位和作用,地面模拟微重力的装置以及国内外有关微重力对植物的影响做一综述。现有的研究结果包括,未来长期的载人航天任务需要植物通过光合作用为生物再生式生命保障系统提供部分动物营养、洁净水以及清除系统中的固体废物和二氧化碳;三维随机回旋装置是目前地面上模拟微重力效应的主要装置之一,尤其适用于植物材料的长期模拟微重力处理;国内外有关微重力对植物影响的报道生理生化水平多集中在植物的生长发育和生理反应,比如表型变化或者与重力相关的激素或者钙离子的再分配,细胞或亚细胞水平主要有细胞壁、线粒体、叶绿体以及细胞骨架等,基因和蛋白质表达水平的研究对象主要为拟南芥。由于实验方法和材料之间的差异,微重力对不同植物或者植物不同部位在各个水平的影响效果并不一致,未来需要开展更多的相关研究工作。     

A Technical Perspective in Modern Tree-ring Research - How to Overcome Dendroecological and Wood Anatomical Challenges

Dendroecological research uses information stored in tree rings to understand how single trees and even entire forest ecosystems responded to environmental changes and to finally reconstruct such changes. This is done by analyzing growth variations back in time and correlating various plant-specific parameters to (for example) temperature records. Integrating wood anatomical parameters in these analyses would strengthen reconstructions, even down to intra-annual resolution. We therefore present a protocol on how to sample, prepare, and analyze wooden specimen for common macroscopic analyses, but also for subsequent microscopic analyses. Furthermore we introduce a potential solution for analyzing digital images generated from common small and large specimens to support time-series analyses. The protocol presents the basic steps as they currently can be used. Beyond this, there is an ongoing need for the improvement of existing techniques, and development of new techniques, to record and quantify past and ongoing environmental processes. Traditional wood anatomical research needs to be expanded to include ecological information to this field of research. This would support dendro-scientists who intend to analyze new parameters and develop new methodologies to understand the short and long term effects of specific environmental factors on the anatomy of woody plants.     

植物无融合生殖的筛选和鉴定研究进展

植物无融合生殖具有复杂的发育过程,与细胞学、遗传学、生物化学和分子生物学等相关的各种技术均被应用于植物无融合生殖的筛选和鉴定.本文结合新近发表的研究文献,介绍了常规的植物无融合生殖筛选和鉴定技术的新应用,评介了流式细胞种子筛选技术、胚珠整体透明技术、外源标记基因转入法等植物无融合生殖筛选和鉴定的新技术,并对各种筛选和鉴定技术的优势和不足进行了评述.     

外泌体在疾病诊断和药物递送系统中的应用研究进展

外泌体是直径为 30~100 nm 的内吞衍生囊泡,由多种活细胞分泌,含有大量的与其来源和功能密切相关的蛋白质、脂质和 RNA 分子,可以在细胞间传递。已有研究表明癌症患者血液中的外泌体浓度比正常人高,且其中包含癌症标志分子,因此其有潜力成为疾病诊 断的生物标志物。此外,作为一种天然的物质运输载体,外泌体已经被作为一种新型的药物递送系统,用于肿瘤及阿尔茨海默病等疾病的治疗。 对外泌体作为疾病诊断标记物以及药物递送载体的研究进展进行综述。     

水产品病原菌及其检测与控制技术研究进展

病原微生物一直以来是影响水产品质量安全的重要因素, 本文阐述了当前水产品中存在的主要病原微生物及其污染现状, 介绍了病原微生物快速检测新技术的研究进展, 并就如何控制水产品中病原微生物的污染, 提出预防措施和建议。     

抗体类生物治疗药物活性测定方法

抗体类生物治疗药物的活性测定在质量控制中至关重要。目前抗体药物的活性分析方法主要是体外(in vitro)检测,其中基于细胞的分析方法由于其具有操作简便,周期短,特异性好,变异度小等优点得到广泛应用。为了获得反应性理想的细胞和简便易行的检测方法,构建转基因细胞成为目前常用的策略之一。此外,一些新型技术也快速应用于抗体类药物的活性评价中。结合抗体类生物治疗药物活性测定方法的现状以及发展趋势,主要从基于细胞、转基因细胞以及新技术应用三方面对抗体药物活性测定方法进行简要综述,为抗体药物的研发和质量控制提供新思路。