Phage display in the study of infectious diseases

Microbial infections are dependent on the panoply of interactions between pathogen and host and identifying the molecular basis of such interactions is necessary to understand and control infection. Phage display is a simple functional genomic methodology for screening and identifying protein-ligand interactions and is widely used in epitope mapping, antibody engineering and screening for receptor agonists or antagonists. Phage display is also used widely in various forms, including the use of fragment libraries of whole microbial genomes, to identify peptide-ligand and protein-ligand interactions that are of importance in infection. In particular, this technique has proved successful in identifying microbial adhesins that are vital for colonization.     

多位点测序分型技术在病原微生物分型鉴定中的应用

多位点测序分型(Multilocus sequence typing,MLST)技术是一种以核苷酸序列为基础的病原菌分型方法,它是高通量测序技术与成熟的群体遗传学相结合的产物。该方法简单易行,重复性强,可以通过国际互联网对某一致病菌株在全球范围内的传播分布情况进行追踪监控。目前,MLST技术已被广泛应用于原核病原菌及一些真核病原菌(如真菌)的分型鉴定中。主要对MLST技术的原理及其在一些常见病原菌分型鉴定中的应用进行了简要的阐述。     

Target identification of bioactive compounds

To fully understand the regulation of cellular events, functional analysis of each protein involved in the regulatory systems is required. Among a variety of methods to uncover protein function, chemical genetics is a remarkable approach in which small molecular compounds are used as probes to elucidate protein functions within signaling pathways. However, identifying the target of small molecular bioactive compounds isolated by cell-based assays represents a crucial hurdle that must be overcome before chemical genetic studies can commence. A variety of methods and technologies for identifying target proteins have been reported. This review therefore aims to describe approaches for identifying these molecular targets.     

Identification of differentially expressed gene categories in microarray studies using nonparametric multivariate analysis

MOTIVATION: The field of microarray data analysis is shifting emphasis from methods for identifying differentially expressed genes to methods for identifying differentially expressed gene categories. The latter approaches utilize a priori information about genes to group genes into categories and enhance the interpretation of experiments aimed at identifying expression differences across treatments. While almost all of the existing approaches for identifying differentially expressed gene categories are practically useful, they suffer from a variety of drawbacks. Perhaps most notably, many popular tools are based exclusively on gene-specific statistics that cannot detect many types of multivariate expression change. RESULTS: We have developed a nonparametric multivariate method for identifying gene categories whose multivariate expression distribution differs across two or more conditions. We illustrate our approach and compare its performance to several existing procedures via the analysis of a real data set and a unique data-based simulation study designed to capture the challenges and complexities of practical data analysis. We show that our method has good power for differentiating between differentially expressed and non-differentially expressed gene categories, and we utilize a resampling based strategy for controlling the false discovery rate when testing multiple categories. AVAILABILITY: R code (www.r-project.org) for implementing our approach is available from the first author by request.     

结合基因表达数据和ChIP-chip数据的酵母转录调控模块的识别

活细胞依赖其众多的转录调控模块来实现复杂的生物功能,识别转录调控模块对深入理解细胞的功能及其转录机制有着重要的意义。本文结合酵母基因表达数据和ChIP-chip数据,提出了一种转录调控模块识别算法。该算法通过采用不同的P值阈值分别得到了核心集和粗糙集,然后对核心集和粗糙集进行判别,最后对基因进行扩展之后得到基因转录调控模块。将该算法运用到两个酵母基因表达数据中,得到了一些具有显著生物学意义的基因转录调控模块。与其它算法相比,该算法不仅可以识别含有较多基因的转录调控模块,而且可以识别一些其它算法不能识别的基因转录调控模块。识别得到的基因转录调控模块有着不同的生物学功能,并且有助于进一步理解酵母的转录调控机制。     

中药材蛤蚧的特异性PCR鉴定

以线粒体Cytb、COI、12SrRNA、16SrRNA基因序列为基础,探讨特异性PCR技术鉴定蛤蚧及伪品的可行性。本研究以所扩增的16条COI序列为引物设计依据序列设计了1对位点特异性引物COISF,COISR,同时从Gen-Bank上下载30条序列,设计了CytbSF,CytbSR;16S rRNASF,16S rRNASR;12S rRNASF,12S rRNASR另外3对位点特异性引物,因此共用4对位点特异性引物分别扩增蛤蚧及伪品实验样本。结果表明在复性温度为65℃时,4对引物都出现了理想的结果,即蛤蚧正品出现了扩增条带,而伪品没有扩增条带。同时对市售的蛤蚧商品进行了检测,在所供的7号标本中,有4号为蛤蚧正品,其余3号为蛤蚧伪品。本研究所设计的位点特异性引物可快捷、准确的鉴定蛤蚧及伪品,且在药检工作中具有极大的应用前景。     

一种快速分离检测产脂肽类生物表面活性剂枯草芽孢杆菌的方法

脂肽(Lipopeptide)是由枯草芽孢杆菌(Bacillus subtilis)等微生物产生的一类具有较强表面活性的生物表面活性剂.枯革杆菌磷酸泛酰巯基转移酶基因(afp)是枯草芽孢杆菌中参与脂肽代谢的功能性基因.采用sfp基因PCR对从环境中得到的一组产生表面活性剂的微生物进行筛选,结合Tricine-SDS-PAGE电泳对PCR结果呈阳性的菌蛛的代谢粗初提物进行检测,初步鉴定得到两株枯草芽孢杆菌.进一步利用16S rDNA序列的系统发育学分析确定这两种菌株为枯草芽孢杆菌,并利用TLC、HPLC鉴定其产物为脂肽类表面活性剂,从而建立了一套快速分离检测产生脂肽类生物表面活性剂的枯草芽孢杆菌方法.     

Simple screening method for differentially methylated regions of the genome using a small number of cells

Genomic DNA methylation is a major epigenetic mechanism controlling the expression of genetic information. Therefore, identifying regions of the genome that are differentially methylated in different cells is a useful strategy for the study of biological phenomena. To date, several useful screening methods have been established for identifying differentially methylated genomic regions. However, it is impossible to use these methods in fields of study in which it is difficult to obtain a large number of uniform cells, because considerable amounts of genomic DNA are required. Given this situation, we developed a method for preparing large genomic DNA from a small number of cells, and a simple and highly sensitive method for screening for differentially methylated sites. Combined, these two methods comprise a simple screening method, which we named "Differential Methylation Site Scanning" (DMSS), for identifying differentially methylated regions of the genome from a small number of cells. Just 10 cells are sufficient for the method described here.     

Gender identification of shovelnose sturgeon using ultrasonic and endoscopic imagery and the application of the method to the pallid sturgeon

Monthly sampling of shovelnose sturgeon Scaphirhynchus platorynchus , a biological surrogate for the endangered pallid sturgeon Scaphirhynchus albus , was conducted to develop a multi‐seasonal profile of reproductive stages. Data collected included histological characteristics of gonads from wild caught fish and laboratory and field ultrasonic and endoscopic images. These data were used to compare effectiveness of ultrasonic and endoscopic techniques at identifying gender of adult shovelnose sturgeon at different reproductive stages. The least invasive method ( i.e . ultrasound) was least effective while the most invasive ( i.e . endoscope through an abdominal incision) was the most effective at identifying shovelnose sturgeon gender. In most cases, success rate for identifying males was greater than females, with success at identifying both genders greater in more advanced reproductive stages. Concomitantly, for most months average reproductive stage was more advanced for males than females. April and May were the months with the most advanced reproductive stage, and were the months when ultrasound was most effective. Methods were also applied in the Upper Missouri River to validate their use on pallid sturgeon Scaphirhynchus albus . Ultrasound was successful at identifying pallid sturgeon gender, however, endoscopic examination through the urogenital duct was only successful at identifying pallid sturgeon gender when the urogenital duct was not opaque.     

ResBoost: characterizing and predicting catalytic residues in enzymes

Background  

Identifying the catalytic residues in enzymes can aid in understanding the molecular basis of an enzyme's function and has significant implications for designing new drugs, identifying genetic disorders, and engineering proteins with novel functions. Since experimentally determining catalytic sites is expensive, better computational methods for identifying catalytic residues are needed.     

微生物硅化作用模拟实验

硅化保存微体化石结构的识别和鉴定一直存在争议,现代人工模拟生物硅化实验有助于对硅化作用保真度(silicification fidelity)等问题的理解。本实验通过人工配置浓度为1000ppm的硅溶液模拟自然硅化环境,观察杆状细菌(bacillus)在该环境中的早期硅化作用。实验发现这种细菌可以在该硅化环境中快速硅化,并较好地保存其形态。硅化细菌表面硅质微颗粒(nano-spheres)沉积明显分两层,紧密规则的内层硅质微颗粒较好地保存了细菌表面结构,外层硅质微颗粒仅保存细菌轮廓。实验结果期望能为硅质细菌类微体化石的鉴别提供有益参考,并为其成因探讨提供更多实证依据。     

Beneath the rhetoric: the role of rights in the practice of non-anonymous gamete donation

The use of rights based arguments to justify claims that donor offspring should have access to information identifying their gamete donor has become increasingly widespread. In this paper, I do not intend to revisit the debate about the validity of such rights. Rather, the purpose is to examine the way that such alleged rights have been implemented by those legislatures that have allowed access to identifying information. I will argue that serious inconsistencies exist between the claim that donor offspring have a right to know the identity of their gamete donor and the way such a right is currently met in practice. I hope to show that in systems where non-anonymous donation is practised, an understanding of the proclaimed right of donor offspring to know their genetic identity is one composed of two different rights – the right to know the circumstances of their conception and the right to information identifying the gamete donor – can provide important insights into this important area of public policy.     

The Kautsky curve is a built-in barcode.

We identify objects from their visually observable morphological features. Automatic methods for identifying living objects are often needed in new technology, and these methods try to utilize shapes. When it comes to identifying plant species automatically, machine vision is difficult to implement because the shapes of different plants overlap and vary greatly because of different viewing angles in field conditions. In the present study we show that chlorophyll a fluorescence, emitted by plant leaves, carries information that can be used for the identification of plant species. Transient changes in fluorescence intensity when a light is turned on were parameterized and then subjected to a variety of pattern recognition procedures. A Self-Organizing Map constructed from the fluorescence signals was found to group the signals according to the phylogenetic origins of the plants. We then used three different methods of pattern recognition, of which the Bayesian Minimum Distance classifier is a parametric technique, whereas the Multilayer Perceptron neural network and k-Nearest Neighbor techniques are nonparametric. Of these techniques, the neural network turned out to be the most powerful one for identifying individual species or groups of species from their fluorescence transients. The excellent recognition accuracy, generally over 95%, allows us to speculate that the method can be further developed into an application in precision agriculture as a means of automatically identifying plant species in the field.     

Constitution and common law in bioethics

The use of rights based arguments to justify claims that donor offspring should have access to information identifying their gamete donor has become increasingly widespread. In this paper, I do not intend to revisit the debate about the validity of such rights. Rather, the purpose is to examine the way that such alleged rights have been implemented by those legislatures that have allowed access to identifying information. I will argue that serious inconsistencies exist between the claim that donor offspring have a right to know the identity of their gamete donor and the way such a right is currently met in practice. I hope to show that in systems where non-anonymous donation is practised, an understanding of the proclaimed right of donor offspring to know their genetic identity is one composed of two different rights – the right to know the circumstances of their conception and the right to information identifying the gamete donor – can provide important insights into this important area of public policy.     

一种融合表达谱相关性信息的激活子网辨识算法

传统表达谱数据分析方法集中于寻找差异表达基因和共表达基因集合,没有考虑基因表达产物之间已知的相互作用.近年来在系统生物学的研究中发展了将基因表达谱与蛋白质相互作用网络进行整合分析的方法.现有方法未能综合考虑基因表达差异性和相关性信息,容易导致辨识结果中重要功能分子缺失且生物学功能相关度不高.提出一种融合表达谱差异性和相关性信息的激活子网辨识算法,能够在蛋白质相互作用网络中辨识高功能相关度的激活子网.应用到人免疫缺陷病毒HIV-1感染过程的研究,结果表明,该算法可以有效避免仅考虑基因表达差异性所引入的偏差,揭示了高相关性低表达差异基因在相关通路中的关键性作用.     

Tools and resources for identifying protein families, domains and motifs

With the large influx of raw sequence data from genome sequencing projects, there is a need for reliable automatic methods for protein sequence analysis and classification. The most useful tools use various methods for identifying motifs or domains found in previously characterized protein families. This article reviews the tools and resources available on the web for identifying signatures within proteins and discusses how they may be used in the analysis of new or unknown protein sequences.     

Revealing signaling pathway deregulation by using gene expression signatures and regulatory motif analysis

Gene expression signatures consisting of tens to hundreds of genes have been found to be informative for different biological states. Recently, many computational methods have been proposed for biological interpretation of such signatures. However, there is a lack of methods for identifying cell signaling pathways whose deregulation results in an observed expression signature. We present a strategy for identifying such signaling pathways and evaluate the strategy using six human and mouse gene expression signatures.     

Anthropogenic influences on primate antipredator behavior and implications for research and conservation

Predation risk affects prey species' behavior, even in the absence of a direct threat, but human-induced environmental change may disturb ecologically significant predator–prey interactions. Here, we propose various ways in which knowledge of antipredator tactics, behavioral risk effects, and primate–predator interactions could assist in identifying human-caused disruption to natural systems. Using behavior to evaluate primate responses to the ongoing environmental change should be a potentially effective way to make species conservation more predictive by identifying issues before a more dramatic population declines. A key challenge here is that studies of predation on primates often use data collected via direct observations of habituated animals and human presence can deter carnivores and influence subjects' perception of risk. Hence, we also review various indirect data collection methods to evaluate their effectiveness in identifying where environmental change threatens wild species, while also minimizing observer bias.     

基因芯片技术在检测肠道致病菌方面的应用

基因芯片技术具有高通量、自动化、快速检测等特点,因此被广泛地应用于各种研究领域,如细菌分子流行病学、细菌基因鉴定、致病分子机理、基因突变及多态性分析、表达谱分析、DNA测序和药物筛选等。现介绍基因芯片检测肠道致病菌方面的国外研究进展,基因芯片应用于检测肠道致病菌的3个方面:结合多重PCR对致病菌的毒力因子或者特异性基因进行鉴定;直接检测细菌的DNA或者RNA;以致病细菌核糖体RNA作为检测的靶基因同时检测多种肠道致病菌。由于其检测的高效率,该技术要优于其他分子生物学检测方法。基因芯片技术在肠道致病菌检测中有着巨大的应用价值,具有广阔的应用前景。