国际互联网上的生命科学信息资源

1　了解生命科学新进展在众多的网站中 ,“Science”(http://www.china.sciencemag.org)和“Nature”(http://www.natureasia.com/)可以说是世界上最权威的科技期刊 ,发表的论文代表当今生命科学的研究进展及方向 ;“木子新闻”(http://dailynews.muzi.com/tp/chinese/Biology.sh-tml)、中华基因网 (http://www.nju.edu.cn )、“ScienceUpdates” (http://www.gene.com/ae/WN/SU/)和“Science Daily Magazine”(http://www.sciencedaily.com/)以科技新闻为主 ,从中可以了解世界范围内关于生命科学的最新报道。当然 ,还有更多的网站可供…     

基于核磁共振波谱的盐芥盐胁迫代谢组学分析

以甲醇/水(1∶1)作为溶剂,利用高分辨核磁共振氢谱分析了盐生模式植物盐芥(Thellungiella salsuginea)代谢组对盐胁迫的响应。根据1H核磁共振(NMR)波谱,在盐芥莲座叶中准确鉴定出23种代谢产物,包括11种氨基酸、4种糖类、6种有机酸和2种其他代谢产物。主成分分析表明,150、300 mmol/L NaCl处理盐芥的代谢组与对照均有显著差异(P<0.05),两种浓度的NaCl处理对盐芥代谢组的影响也不相同。盐胁迫处理以后,盐芥23种代谢产物含量均发生显著变化,除天冬氨酸、延胡索酸受盐胁迫诱导含量下降以外,其余代谢物含量均不同程度升高。这些代谢物主要参与了糖类代谢途径、氨基酸合成途径、三羧酸循环和甜菜碱合成途径,这些代谢途径在盐芥响应盐胁迫过程中有重要作用。     

植物学名校订工具

<正>近年来,随着植物信息数字化的普及,植物学领域出现了众多名称索引系统,如英国皇家植物园(邱园)和密苏里植物园共同创办并维护的The Plant List(http://www.theplantlist.org/),密苏里植物园维护的Tropicos(http://www.tropicos.org/),邱园、哈佛大学标本馆和澳大利亚国家标本馆共同维护的The International Plant Names Index(IPNI,http://www.ipni.org/),中国科学院植物研究所维护的中国高等植物信息系统(http://www.etaxonomy.ac.cn/)等,这     

基于转录组测序的扎龙湿地野大麦耐盐性分析

通过转录组测序技术对扎龙湿地野大麦幼苗在200 mmol/L NaCl胁迫2 d后的叶片进行分析。对测序结果进行De novo拼接后,将差异表达基因在GO、KEGG数据库中进行比对注释。结果表明:NaCl胁迫2 d后,对照组与处理组分别获得Unigene序列61038个和46754个,检测到差异表达基因25465个,差异基因GO功能注释到3个大类的55个功能组。差异表达基因被注释到135个Pathway上,直观地显示出NaCl胁迫下野大麦幼苗体内发生调节及改变的代谢过程和信号通路,其中主要涉及光合作用、脯氨酸代谢、叶绿素代谢等途径。通过对野大麦幼苗叶片转录组分析,发掘相关耐盐基因,有助于培育野大麦及其近缘作物新品种,并对揭示植物耐盐性分子机制及相关代谢途径具有重要意义。     

水稻条纹病毒胁迫下的水稻全基因组表达谱

水稻条纹叶枯病由水稻条纹病毒(Rice stripe virus, RSV)引起,对我国水稻生产危害严重.为了明确RSV侵染对水稻基因表达谱的影响,采用Affymetrix水稻全基因组芯片对RSV接种后出现条纹症状第7天的武育粳3号水稻病叶和相应的健康叶片进行了全基因组表达谱分析,得到3 517个差异基因,其中2 002个表达上调,1 515个表达下调.根据TIGR数据库注释(http://www.tigr.org/tdb/e2k1/osa1/)和MIPS基因功能分类标准(http://mips.gsf.de/projects/funcat)将差异基因归类为15个功能类别,多数差异基因与植物防御、信号传导及蛋白质、碳水化合物的代谢相关,一些转录因子的表达也发生了明显的变化.代谢途径分析表明,RSV侵染后磷酸戊糖途径、类黄酮合成途径和芸苔素合成途径的相关基因表达明显增强,赤霉素合成途径相关基因的表达受到了抑制.     

盐度胁迫对幼体大海马基因转录表达的影响

为探究大海马(Hippocampus kuda Bleeker)幼体在高盐、低盐胁迫条件下的基因表达水平的变化规律,对实验条件下的大海马幼体的肝脏样品进行了转录组测序。对照组(CK, 25‰)、高盐(HS-test, 31‰)和低盐(LS-test, 17‰)胁迫组共获得71794个单基因簇(Unigenes), N50为1780 bp,平均长度为820.71 bp。高盐胁迫组与对照组比较,共获得2740个差异表达基因(DEGs),其中495个DEGs上调, 2245个DEGs下调;与对照组相比,低盐胁迫组共获得3715个DEGs,其中1854个DEGs上调, 1861个DEGs下调。高/低盐胁迫组DEGs经KEGG数据库富集发现,高/低盐度胁迫均能导致大海马幼体体内氨基酸代谢、免疫代谢、能量和脂肪酸代谢相关基因受到影响。其中,低盐胁迫时能量代谢和氨基酸代谢的相关基因显著上调,高盐胁迫时脂肪酸代谢的相关基因显著下调,而高/低盐胁迫时免疫代谢的相关基因都显著上调。从经过盐度胁迫的大海马幼体的肝脏转录组中分别筛选到免疫相关基因Gst、Hsp70、Hsp90、Sod、Bcl-2、Gadd45...     

基于转录组分析铜绿假单胞菌DN1降解荧蒽特性

[背景]铜绿假单胞菌DN1是一株从石油污染土壤中分离筛选到的具有广谱降解功能的菌株。[目的]深入了解荧蒽胁迫条件下铜绿假单胞菌DN1降解污染物过程中重要的降解相关基因信息。[方法]通过高通量测序技术对铜绿假单胞菌DN1进行转录组测序,对其所有的转录本进行KEGG (kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes)分类和Pathway注释、GO (gene ontology)分类和富集分析。[结果]转录组测序显示:与对照组相比,荧蒽诱导组检测到6 189个基因,其中1 919个基因上调表达,1 603个基因下调表达。KEGG注释分析显示差异上调表达基因匹配到了112个KEGG代谢途径,注释到"代谢途径"的1 408个基因(约占总差异基因的73.4%)中有317个基因参与了碳氢化合物代谢及含有苯环结构的异源生物质的生物降解,占"代谢途径"的16.53%,暗示了菌株DN1降解荧蒽可能与这些途径有密切关系。另外,主要代谢途径中的差异表达基因主要集中在ABC转运系统、氨基酸生物合成、双组分系统及碳代谢,这些途径大多数参与了底物的识别转运、信号转导及基因表达调控。[结论]进一步拓展了铜绿假单胞菌DN1在荧蒽胁迫条件下的代谢途径和逆境反应,也为微生物修复环境污染物研究夯实了理论基础。     

基于转录组学的蓖麻耐盐基因的挖掘

为获取蓖麻耐盐基因的序列信息,挖掘盐胁迫下差异表达基因及相关代谢途径,本研究以盐胁迫（300 mmol/L NaCl）处理0、12和24 h后通篦5号的幼苗真叶为试验材料,借助高通量测序技术进行转录组测序分析。结果表明,在盐胁迫12 h和24 h分别有4822和3103个差异表达基因。对共有的1872个差异表达基因进行共表达模式聚类分析,发现这些基因共有3种表达模式。KEGG代谢通路分析结果显示,缬氨酸、亮氨酸和异亮氨酸降解（ko00280）、植物昼夜节律调控（ko04712）以及淀粉和蔗糖代谢（ko00500）3个通路在盐胁迫适应过程中显著富集;GO功能富集分析结果显示,多数差异表达基因被富集到生物过程中,其中细胞进程（GO:0009987）和响应非生物胁迫（GO:0009628）过程富集到差异表达基因的数目最多。另外,共有19个转录因子参与蓖麻的盐胁迫响应。植物激素信号转导通路中有42个差异表达基因,其中有97.6%的基因分别在12 h和24 h是上调表达的。此外,还筛选出包括光合作用途径、抗氧化调节、Na+、K+和Ca2+转运相关参与蓖麻幼苗盐胁迫的差异表达基因。qRT-PCR结...     

盐胁迫对4个水稻种质抗逆性生理的影响

为筛选水稻(Oryza sativa)耐盐种质资源,研究了水稻耐盐相关生理指标。结果表明,盐胁迫下,耐盐种质Pokkali、Fl478、JX99的电导率较低,细胞膜透性较小,叶片叶绿素含量较高,受盐害程度较弱。盐胁迫促进了丙二醛的大量积累,加剧了细胞膜脂过氧化程度,而耐盐种质的丙二醛积累较少,但高盐胁迫下3个耐盐种质的丙二醛含量升高,破坏了细胞膜的完整性。感盐种质R29的临界饱和亏的增幅较大,耐盐种质相对含水量降幅小。应用模糊隶属函数法综合评价,4个水稻种质的耐盐性依次为JX99PokkaliFL478IR29。     

干旱胁迫下丹参数字基因表达谱分析

丹参是中国传统大宗药材,具有重要的药用价值,但其品质受干旱胁迫影响较大,而对丹参响应干旱胁迫的应答机制尚不明确。本研究基于数字基因表达谱技术,对干旱胁迫处理后的丹参植株cDNA文库进行了差异基因表达谱分析。分析结果表明,共有5 740条基因受干旱胁迫诱导差异表达,其中1 143条表达上调,4 597条表达下调。Gene Ontology (GO)功能显著性富集分析表明,干旱胁迫应答基因的生物学功能主要集中在催化活性和结合活性中。Pathway显著性富集分析结果表明,上调基因显著富集在黄酮生物合成途径、核糖体途径、苯基丙酸类生物合成途径、半胱氨酸蛋氨酸代谢途径和植物激素生物合成等途径,下调基因则主要富集在鞘糖脂的合成途径、糖胺聚糖降解途径、卟啉代谢和叶绿素代谢途径上。随机抽取9个差异表达基因进行实时荧光定量PCR验证,其结果与EDG检测结果一致。本研究的分析结果有助于进一步了解丹参响应干旱胁迫的分子机制,为干旱应答功能基因的筛选奠定基础。     

AraCyc: a biochemical pathway database for Arabidopsis

AraCyc is a database containing biochemical pathways of Arabidopsis, developed at The Arabidopsis Information Resource (http://www.arabidopsis.org). The aim of AraCyc is to represent Arabidopsis metabolism as completely as possible with a user-friendly Web-based interface. It presently features more than 170 pathways that include information on compounds, intermediates, cofactors, reactions, genes, proteins, and protein subcellular locations. The database uses Pathway Tools software, which allows the users to visualize a bird's eye view of all pathways in the database down to the individual chemical structures of the compounds. The database was built using Pathway Tools' Pathologic module with MetaCyc, a collection of pathways from more than 150 species, as a reference database. This initial build was manually refined and annotated. More than 20 plant-specific pathways, including carotenoid, brassinosteroid, and gibberellin biosyntheses have been added from the literature. A list of more than 40 plant pathways will be added in the coming months. The quality of the initial, automatic build of the database was compared with the manually improved version, and with EcoCyc, an Escherichia coli database using the same software system that has been manually annotated for many years. In addition, a Perl interface, PerlCyc, was developed that allows programmers to access Pathway Tools databases from the popular Perl language. AraCyc is available at the tools section of The Arabidopsis Information Resource Web site (http://www.arabidopsis.org/tools/aracyc).     

Pathway Miner: extracting gene association networks from molecular pathways for predicting the biological significance of gene expression microarray data

We have developed a web-based system (Pathway Miner) for visualizing gene expression profiles in the context of biological pathways. Pathway Miner catalogs genes based on their role in metabolic, cellular and regulatory pathways. A Fisher exact test is provided as an option to rank pathways. The genes are mapped onto pathways and gene product association networks are extracted for genes that co-occur in pathways. The networks can be filtered for analysis based on user-selected options. AVAILABILITY: Pathway Miner is a freely available web accessible tool at http://www.biorag.org/pathway.html     

MetaCyc and AraCyc. Metabolic pathway databases for plant research

MetaCyc (http://metacyc.org) contains experimentally determined biochemical pathways to be used as a reference database for metabolism. In conjunction with the Pathway Tools software, MetaCyc can be used to computationally predict the metabolic pathway complement of an annotated genome. To increase the breadth of pathways and enzymes, more than 60 plant-specific pathways have been added or updated in MetaCyc recently. In contrast to MetaCyc, which contains metabolic data for a wide range of organisms, AraCyc is a species-specific database containing only enzymes and pathways found in the model plant Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana). AraCyc (http://arabidopsis.org/tools/aracyc/) was the first computationally predicted plant metabolism database derived from MetaCyc. Since its initial computational build, AraCyc has been under continued curation to enhance data quality and to increase breadth of pathway coverage. Twenty-eight pathways have been manually curated from the literature recently. Pathway predictions in AraCyc have also been recently updated with the latest functional annotations of Arabidopsis genes that use controlled vocabulary and literature evidence. AraCyc currently features 1,418 unique genes mapped onto 204 pathways with 1,156 literature citations. The Omics Viewer, a user data visualization and analysis tool, allows a list of genes, enzymes, or metabolites with experimental values to be painted on a diagram of the full pathway map of AraCyc. Other recent enhancements to both MetaCyc and AraCyc include implementation of an evidence ontology, which has been used to provide information on data quality, expansion of the secondary metabolism node of the pathway ontology to accommodate curation of secondary metabolic pathways, and enhancement of the cellular component ontology for storing and displaying enzyme and pathway locations within subcellular compartments.     

DNA methylation changes detected by methylation-sensitive amplified polymorphism in two contrasting rice genotypes under salt stress

DNA methylation,one of the most important epigenetic phenomena,plays a vital role in tuning gene expression during plant development as well as in response to environmental stimuli.In the present study,a rnethylation-sensitive amplified polymorphism (MSAP) analysis was performed to profile DNA methylation changes in two contrasting rice genotypes under salt stress.Consistent with visibly different phenotypes in response to salt stress,epigenetic markers classified as stable inter-cultivar DNA methylation differences were determined between salttolerant FL478 and salt-sensitive IR29.In addition,most tissue-specific DNA methylation loci were conserved,while many of the growth stage-dependent DNA methylation loci were dynamic between the two genotypes.Strikingly,salt stress induced a decrease in DNA methylation specifically in roots at the seedling stage that was more profound in IR29 than in the FL478.This result may indicate that demethylation of genes is an active epigenetic response to salt stress in roots at the seedling stage,and helps to further elucidate the implications of DNA methylation in crop growth and development.     

Integrative omics - from data to biology

Introduction: Multi-omic approaches are promising a broader view on cellular processes and a deeper understanding of biological systems. with strongly improved high-throughput methods the amounts of data generated have become huge, and their handling challenging.

Area Covered: New bioinformatic tools and pipelines for the integration of data from different omics disciplines continue to emerge, and will support scientists to reliably interpret data in the context of biological processes. comprehensive data integration strategies will fundamentally improve systems biology and systems medicine. to present recent developments of integrative omics, the göttingen proteomics forum (gpf) organized its 6th symposium on the 23rd of november 2017, as part of a series of regular gpf symposia. more than 140 scientists attended the event that highlighted the challenges and opportunities but also the caveats of integrating data from different omics disciplines.

Expert commentary: The continuous exponential growth in omics data require similar development in software solutions for handling this challenge. Integrative omics tools offer the chance to handle this challenge but profound investigations and coordinated efforts are required to boost this field.