Electrophysiological characterization of Tityus obscurus β toxin 1 (To1) on Na+-channel isoforms

To1, previously named Tc49b, is a peptide neurotoxin isolated from venom of the scorpion Tityus obscurus that is responsible for lethal human poisoning cases in the Brazilian Amazonian region. Previously, To1 was shown to be lethal to mice and to change Na⁺ permeation in cerebellum granular neurons from rat brain. In addition, To1 did not affect Shaker B K⁺ channels. Based on sequence similarities, To1 was described as a β-toxin. In the present work, To1 was purified from T. obscurus venom and submitted to an electrophysiological characterization in human and invertebrate Na_V channels. The analysis of the electrophysiological experiments reveal that To1 enhances the open probability at more negative potentials of human Na_V 1.3 and 1.6, of the insect channel BgNa_V1 and of arachnid VdNa_V1 channel. In addition, To1 reduces the peak of Na⁺ currents in some of the Na_Vs tested. These results support the classification of the To1 as a β-toxin. A structure and functional comparison to other β-toxins that share sequence similarity to To1 is also presented.     

八种野豌豆属植物的核型研究

本文研究了八种野豌豆的核型,并首次报道了长尖野豌豆的染色体数目及其核型和新疆野豌豆的核型。同时提出了野豌豆属核型进化的两种趋势:原始基数的减少,从x=7→x=6→x=5;从多年生进化到一年生,核型的不对称性也随之增加。     

栽培绿豆V2709抗豆象特性遗传分析

利用原产于印度的抗豆象栽培绿豆品种V2709与农艺性状优良的感豆象推广品种中绿1号(VC1973A)杂交,以杂交种F1、F2为试验材料,通过田间农艺性状调查、室内人工接虫鉴定及多元相关分析等,研究V2709中所包含的抗豆象特性的遗传背景。结果表明V2709的抗豆象特性由一对显性基因控制;通过相关性分析发现其抗虫性与植株高度呈极显著正相关,与主茎节数呈显著正相关,而与其他性状无明显相关性。     

外源表达的人copine V诱导细胞死亡的研究

目的：copines蛋白家族是新近发现的一类分布广泛、进化保守的Ca2＋依赖性磷脂结合蛋白,copineV是其成员之一.为研究copineV基因的功能,构建了人copineV基因的真核表达质粒并转染HEK293细胞,以进一步研究其功能.方法：构建人copineV编码区序列的真核表达质粒pCDNA4/copineV,脂质体法转染HEK293细胞.通过RT-PCR、克隆形成实验和Hochesst33342染色等方法观察copineV基因对HEK293细胞生长的影响.结果：外源表达的人copine V可以诱导HEK293细胞死亡,无法筛选到稳定克隆.结论：人copineV可以诱导HEK293细胞死亡,为进一步研究copineV基因的生物功能提供了线索.     

草菇(Volvariella volvacea)、银丝草菇(V.bombycina)原生质体分离研究

本文对草菇、银丝草菇菌丝原生质体制备的最佳条件作了探讨。结果表明,培养两天的草菇菌丝,以0.5MKCI或0.5MMgSO_(4.7)H_2O作渗透压稳定剂,1.5％Lywallzyme(v/m),35℃下酶解1.5—2小时,原生质体产量可达1.5×10~6个/ml以上,培养3天的银丝草菇菌丝,以0.5MKCl作渗透压稳定剂,1.5％Lywallzyme,28℃酶解2—3小时,原生质体产量可达2.8×10~6个/ml以上。此研究对以后的原生质体融合育种打下了基础。     

Effect of concentrating and exposing the bioluminescent bacteria to the non‐luminescent allo‐bacterial extracellular products on their luminescence

Bioluminescence is a biochemical process occurring in many organisms. Bacterial bioluminescence has been investigated extensively that lead to many applications of such knowledge. Quorum sensing in the bioluminescent bacteria is a chemical signal process to recognize the strength of its own population to start luminescence in harmony. There is a mechanism in these bacteria to also recognize inter‐species strength. When there is a higher number of these bacteria, the possibility and frequency of cell–cell physical contact will be high. In this study, the physical proximity was artificially enhanced between cells and the effect on luminescence in the concentrated cells in the normal culture medium and in the presence of other non‐bacterial cell‐free supernatants was investigated. The role of such physical contact in the quorum sensing in the bioluminescence is not known. Increase in the luminescence of V. fischeri when concentrated shows that the presence of physical proximity facilitates the quorum sensing for their bioluminescence. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

东北地区野豌豆属VICIA L.物种生物学研究——Ⅵ.柳叶野豌豆复合种及其近缘种核型分析和细胞地理学研究

本文报道了国产北野豌豆Vicia ramuliflra(Maxim.)Ohwi和日本产V.fauviei Franch.和V.nipponica Matsum.的核型。北野豌豆古莲居群2n=12=2m(2SAT)+8sm+2st, 千山居群2n=12=6m+6sm。V.fauriei 2n=12=2m+8sm+2st, V.nipponica 2n=12=6m(4SAT)+4sm+2st, 核型分析表明核型主要由'm'、'sm'和'st'三种染色体组成, 核型对称性高(2A或3A)。染色体倍性分布格局, 形态特征和现代分布式样揭示黄山-西天目山-庐山-带山地可能是柳叶野豌豆复合种及其近缘种的起源中心和多样化中心, 四倍体的发生可能与第四纪山地冰川有关。     

Neutralising epitopes of simian immunodeficiency virus envelope glycoprotein

Abstract: Monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies with weak SIV neutralising activity bind to the V2 and V4 regions of gp120 or bind to the amino acids DWNND in gp41. Antibodies with the most potent neutralising activity recognise conformation-dependent epitopes involving the V3 and V4 regions of gp120. Monoclonal antibodies that map to the V3 region of SIV_mac failed to neutralise. However, one antibody to SIV AGM neutralised but only in the presence of soluble CD4.     

东北地区野豌豆属VICIAL．物种生物学研究Ⅶ．歪头菜及其近缘种核型分析

本文报道了歪头菜Ｖ．ｕｎｉｊｕｇａＡ．Ｂｒ．及其近缘种Ｖ．ｂｉｆｏｌｉａＮａｋａｉ的核型。歪头菜Ｖ．ｕｎｉｊｕｇａＡ．Ｂｒ．Ｚｎ＝２４＝８ｍ（４ＳＡＴ）＋１２ｓｍ＋４ｓｔ和２ｎ＝１２＝２ｍ（２ＳＡＴ）＋８ｓｍ＋２ｓｔ．ＲｂｉｆｏｌｉａＮａｂａｉ;２ｎ＝１２＝４ｍ（２ＳＡＴ）＋６ｓｍ＋２ｓｔ．核型分析表明四倍体细胞型是一个同源多倍体。二倍体四倍体细胞型分布式样表明二倍体细胞型占据着较为偏北的区域。根据核型一致性,我们认为将Ｖ．ｂｉｆｏｌｉａ仍处理为歪头菜的变种ｖａｒ．ｂｒａｃｔｅａｔａ更为合适。     

油桐和木油数核型的研究

油桐Vernicia fordii (Hemsl.) Airy-Shaw (Aleurites fordii Hemsl.)和木油树V. montana Lour. (A. montana (Lour.) Wils.)为大戟科油桐属Vernicia Lour. 植物,全世界共3种,上述两种为原产我国的重要木本油料植物,长江以南各省(区)广为栽培。细胞学方面,这两个种的染色体计数有过不少报道,均为n=11。本文旨在提供这两种植物核型比较分析的资料,以冀有助于它们选种育种工作。     

Position 4 analogues of [deamino-Cys(1)] arginine vasopressin exhibit striking species differences for human and rat V(2)/V(1b) receptor selectivity.

Arginine vasopressin (AVP) mediates a wide variety of biological actions by acting on three distinct G-protein coupled receptors, termed V(1a) (vascular), V(1b) (pituitary) and V(2) (renal). It also binds to the oxytocin (OT) receptor. As part of a program aimed at the design of selective agonists for the human V(1b) receptor, we recently reported the human V(1b), V(1a), V(2) and OT receptor affinities of the following position 4 substituted analogues of [deamino-Cys(1)] arginine vasopressin (dAVP)-(1) d[Leu(4)]AVP, (2) d[Orn(4)]AVP, (3) d[Lys(4)]AVP, (4) d[Har(4)]AVP, (5) d[Arg(4)]AVP, (6) d[Val(4)]AVP, (7) d[Ala(4)]AVP, (8) d[Abu(4)]AVP, (9) d[Nva(4)]AVP, (10) d[Nle(4)]AVP, (11) d[Ile(4)]AVP, (12) d[Phe(4)]AVP, (13) d[Asn(4)]AVP, (14) d[Thr(4)]AVP: (15) d[Dap(4)]AVP. With the exception of Nos. 7 and 12, all peptides exhibit very high affinities for the human V(1b) receptor. Furthermore, peptides 1-4 exhibit high selectivities for the human V(1b) receptor with respect to the V(1a), V(2) and OT receptors and, with d[Cha(4)]AVP, in functional tests, are the first high affinity selective agonists for the human V(1b) receptor (Cheng LL et al., J. Med. Chem. 47: 2375-2388, 2004). We report here the pharmacological properties of peptides 1-4, 5 (from a resynthesis), 7, 9-13, 15 in rat bioassays (antidiuretic, vasopressor and oxytocic) (in vitro: no Mg(++)) with those previously reported for peptides 5, 6, 8, 14. We also report the rat V(1b), V(1a), V(2) and OT receptor affinities of peptides 1-5 and the rat V(2) receptor affinities for peptides: 7-15.The antidiuretic activities in units/mg of peptides 1-15, are: 1=378; 2=260; 3=35; 4=505; 5=748; 6=1150; 7=841; 8=1020; 9=877; 10=1141; 11=819, 12=110; 13=996; 14=758; 15=1053. Peptides 1-4 exhibit respectively the following rat and human (in brackets) V(2) receptor affinities: 1=3.1 nm (245 nm); 2=3.4 nm (1125 nm); 3=24.6 nm (11,170 nm); 4=0.6 nm (1386 nm). Their rat V(1b) receptor affinities are 1=0.02 nm; 2=0.45 nm; 3=9.8 nm; 4=0.32 nm. Their rat V(1a) receptor affinities are 1=1252 nm; 2=900 nm; 3=1478 nm; 4=32 nm. Their rat oxytocin (OT) receptor affinities are 1=481 nm; 2=997 nm; 3=5042 nm; 4=2996 nm. All four peptides have high affinities and selectivities for the rat V(1b) receptor with respect to the rat V(1a) and OT receptors. However, in contrast to their high selectivity for the human V(1b) receptor with respect to the human V(2) receptor, they are not selective for the V(1b) receptor with respect to the V(2) receptor in the rat. These findings confirm previous observations of profound species differences between the rat and human V(2) receptors. Peptides 1-4 are promising leads to the design of the first high affinity selective agonists for the rat V(1b) receptor.     

An all-taxon microbial inventory of the Moorea coral reef ecosystem

The Moorea Coral Reef Long Term Ecological Research (LTER) Site (17.50°S, 149.83°W) comprises the fringe of coral reefs and lagoons surrounding the volcanic island of Moorea in the Society Islands of French Polynesia. As part of our Microbial Inventory Research Across Diverse Aquatic LTERS biodiversity inventory project, we characterized microbial community composition across all three domains of life using amplicon pyrosequencing of the V6 (bacterial and archaeal) and V9 (eukaryotic) hypervariable regions of small-subunit ribosomal RNA genes. Our survey spanned eight locations along a 130-km transect from the reef lagoon to the open ocean to examine changes in communities along inshore to offshore gradients. Our results illustrate consistent community differentiation between inshore and offshore ecosystems across all three domains, with greater richness in all domains in the reef-associated habitats. Bacterial communities were more homogenous among open ocean sites spanning >100 km than among inshore sites separated by <1 km, whereas eukaryotic communities varied more offshore than inshore, and archaea showed more equal levels of dissimilarity among subhabitats. We identified signature communities representative of specific geographic and geochemical milieu, and characterized co-occurrence patterns of specific microbial taxa within the inshore ecosystem including several bacterial groups that persist in geographical niches across time. Bacterial and archaeal communities were dominated by few abundant taxa but spatial patterning was consistent through time and space in both rare and abundant communities. This is the first in-depth inventory analysis of biogeographic variation of all three microbial domains within a coral reef ecosystem.     

药用钩藤和类钩藤的比较

本文首次从植物形态、种皮纹饰的扫描电镜观察,叶柄、茎组织构造、内部次生代谢产物-吲哚生物碱等方面对茜草科Rubiaceae,钩藤属Uncaria的钩藤Uncaria rhynchophylla (Miq.)Miq.ex Havil.与类钩藤Uncaria rhynchophylloides How进行了详细比较。认为类钩藤应是独立种,钩藤碱的含量在检测量之下,不能混入钩藤同样药用。     

缬草属一些存疑种的考订

本文对缬草属的3个存疑种进行了考证和确定,它们是:鞭枝缬草Valeriana flagellifera Bet.;全叶缬草V.hiemalis Graebn.;毛口缬草V.trichostoma Hand.-Mazz.     

Recombination in Escherichia coli. VI. Characterization of a recombination-deficient mutation with unusual properties

A detailed study of the rec-34 mutation shows that this mutation is located near pheA on the E. coli chromosome, like the recA and recH genes. The rec-34 recipients, which are radiation-sensitive and “reckless”, yield about 0.1–1% of the number of recombinants obtained with a Rec⁺ recipient in conjunction experiments. The recombinants obtained in conjunction experiments, in which rec-4⁺ allele transfer is avoided, are still recombination deficient.rec-34 definitely is not a mutation in the recH gene. Although definite proof is lacking we suggest that rec-34 is an unusual recA mutation.     

The GANC tetraloop: a novel motif in the group IIC intron structure

Tetraloops are a common building block for RNA tertiary structure, and most tetraloops fall into one of three well-characterized classes: GNRA, UNCG, and CUYG. Here, we present the sequence and structure of a fourth highly conserved class of tetraloop that occurs only within the ζ-ζ′ interaction of group IIC introns. This GANC tetraloop was identified, along with an unusual cognate receptor, in the crystal structure of the group IIC intron and through phylogenetic analysis of intron RNA sequence alignments. Unlike conventional tetraloop-receptor interactions, which are stabilized by extensive hydrogen-bonding interactions, the GANC-receptor interaction is limited to a single base stack between the conserved adenosine of the tetraloop and a single purine of the receptor, which consists of a one- to three-nucleotide bulge and does not contain an A-platform. Unlike GNRA tetraloops, the GANC tetraloop forms a sharp angle relative to the adjacent helix, bending by approximately 45° toward the major groove side of the helix. These structural attributes allow GANC tetraloops to fit precisely within the group IIC intron core, thereby demonstrating that structural motifs can adapt to function in a specific niche.     

Engineering-approach accelerates computational understanding of V1–V2 neural properties

We present two computational models (i) long-range horizontal connections and the nonlinear effect in V1 and (ii) the filling-in process at the blind spot. Both models are obtained deductively from standard regularization theory to show that physiological evidence of V1 and V2 neural properties is essential for efficient image processing. We stress that the engineering approach should be imported to understand visual systems computationally, even though this approach usually ignores physiological evidence and the target is neither neurons nor the brain.

Discovery of pheophytin function in the photosynthetic energy conversion as the primary electron acceptor of Photosystem II

This minireview describes the discovery of participation of pheophytin, a metal-free derivative of chlorophyll, in the early steps of photosynthetic solar energy conversion as the primary electron acceptor of Photosystem II. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.