Ecological aspect in the systematics of fungi

The main morphological features of fungi representing different evolutionary lines are discussed.Environmental situations which stimulate morphological changes are regarded.It is suggested to define ecological significance of fungal morphological characters,dividing them to the ecologically inert(the main characters determining evolutionary line) and ecologically active-characters which submerged to the changes with the changing of environmental conditions.Two main strategies for fungi in nature are described:raising competitive ability to win conquer for substratum,for the place in ecosystem,and the second way for less competitive species-to adapt to more stressful natural conditions and to occupy ecological niches becoming free.Some examples of analysis of adaptation to substrata and climatic zones by fungi are shown.     

Soil dematiaceous hyphomycetes from Dahingganling Mountain Range, Inner Mongolia, China Ⅰ

A total of 50 isolates of soil dematiaceous hyphomycetes belonging to 39 species in 18 genera were found from the area of Dahingganling Mountain Range. Among them, Monodictys arxanensis is a new species. Chrysosporium fastidium, Exserohilum pedicellatum, Monodictys asperospora, Papulaspora brachiata, Scolecobasidium anelli, Scolecobasidium verruculosum and Ulocladium tuberculatum are new to China. The other 31 taxa which have been previously reported from China are also listed. Specimens （dried cultures） and living cultures of all fungi studied have been deposited in the Herbarium of Shandong Agricultural University： Plant Pathology （HSAUP）.     

大兴安岭地区土壤中的暗色丝孢菌Ⅰ

A total of 50 isolates of soil dematiaceous hyphomycetes belonging to 39 species in 18 genera were found from the area of Dahingganling Mountain Range. Among them, Monodictys arxanensis is a new species. Chrysosporium fastidium, Exserohilum pedicellatum, Monodictys asperospora, Papulaspora brachiata, Scolecobasidium anelli, Scolecobasidium verruculosum and Ulocladium tuberculatum are new to China. The other 31 taxa which have been previously reported from China are also listed. Specimens (dried cultures) and living cultures of all fungi studied have been deposited in the Herbarium of Shandong Agricultural University: Plant Pathology (HSAUP).     

Signaling events during initiation of arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis

Under nutrient‐limiting conditions, plants will enter into symbiosis with arbuscular mycorrhizal(AM) fungi for the enhancement of mineral nutrient acquisition from the surrounding soil. AM fungi live in close, intracellular association with plant roots where they transfer phosphate and nitrogen to the plant in exchange for carbon. They are obligate fungi,relying on their host as their only carbon source. Much has been discovered in the last decade concerning the signaling events during initiation of the AM symbiosis, including the identification of signaling molecules generated by both partners. This signaling occurs through symbiosis‐specific gene products in the host plant, which are indispensable for normal AM development. At the same time, plants have adapted complex mechanisms for avoiding infection by pathogenic fungi, including an innate immune response to general microbial molecules, such as chitin present in fungal cell walls. How it is that AM fungal colonization is maintained without eliciting a defensive response from the host is still uncertain. In this review, we present a summary of the molecular signals and their elicited responses during initiation of the AM symbiosis, including plant immune responses and their suppression.     

Question of the Animal-Plant-Fungal Divergence

There has been a controversial issue in phylogenetic relationships among animals, fungi, and plants. Before Whittaker and Margulis (1) classified the fungi as a separate kingdom in their five-kingdom classification, fungi traditionally had been considered more closely related to plants than to animals. With the determination of the primary structures of small subunit rRNA and the proteins like actin and α-tubulin in various organisms, these sequences have been used to make molecular trees. Most of these studies show that fungi and animals are sister groups (2-4).     

泰国胡椒科胡椒属三新种

The genus Piper L. is estimated to contain over 1000 species which are distributed mainly in tropical regions of the world. Several species have great economic and cultural importance and are used as foods, medicines, stimulants, antiseptics and antioxidants. Moreover, their essential oil and leaf extracts possess activities against several bacterium strains and fungi. Leaves of P. hispidinervum C. DC. contain a high level of safrole (83%–93%) which is an important raw material for chemical…     

Diversity of fungal isolates from fungus-growing termite Macrotermes barneyi and characterization of bioactive compound from Xylaria escharoidea

Owing to their potential applications,as well as their structural diversity,the discovery of novel secondary metabolites from insect-associated fungi has been of interest to researchers in recent years.The aim of this study was therefore to estimate the diversity of fungi associated with fungus-growing termites and bioprospecting these for potential secondary metabolites.In total,18 fungal species were isolated and described from the gut and comb of Macrotermes barneyi based on 18S ribosomal DNA gene sequence analysis.Antimicrobial activity assays were carried out on all the known fungi,and nine isolates were recorded as active against pathogenic fungi.Xylaria escharoidea,the best performing isolate,was grown at laboratory scale and 4,8-dihydroxy-3,4-dihydronaphthalen-l(2H)was isolated and characterized.The minimum inhibitory concentration of this isolated compound against tested pathogenic organisms was found to be 6.25 fig.In addition,molecular docking studies have revealed that 4,8-dihydroxy-3,4-dihydronaphthalen-l(2H)is a prominent antibacterial agent with a marked interaction with key residues on protein A(agrAc)that regulates the accessory gene.The findings of this study support the drug discovery of antimicrobial properties in insect-associated fungi,which may lead to novel secondary metabolites.     

Specific staining of myo-inositol-1-phosphatase on polyacrylamide gels after electrophoresis

A sensitive staining method was developed to localise the activity of myo-inositol-1-phosphatase on Polyacrylamide gels after electrophoresis. The method can also be used for non-specific phosphatases as well as for those specific phosphatases acting upon inositol polyphosphates which are prime cellular second messengers. One or two nmol of phosphate is sufficient and less than 3 μg of purified protein will facilitate the localisation of phosphatase. If more phosphatases are present in the enzyme preparation, a combination of inhibitors can be used to suppress the activities of unwanted phosphatases and the use of specific substrates will facilitate the localisation of enzyme of interest. For nomenclature of myo-inositol phosphates recent recommendations are followed. ReferBiochem. J.,258, 1–2 (1989) andEur. J. Biochem.,180, 485–486 (1989). L-myo-inositol-1-phosphate is presently otherwise called as D-myo-inositol-3-phosphate. Dedicated to Dr. F. Eisenberg Jr., on his 70th birthday.     

Acknowledgments to reviewers of World Journal of Biological Chemistry

Many reviewers have contributed their expertise and time to the peer review,a critical process to ensure the quality of World Journal of Biological Chemistry.The editors and authors of the articles submitted to the journal are grateful to the following reviewers for evaluating the articles(including those published in this issue and those rejected for this issue)during the last editing time period.     

Acknowledgments to reviewers of World Journal of Biological Chemistry

Many reviewers have contributed their expertise and time to the peer review,a critical process to ensure the quality of World Journal of Biological Chemistry.The editors and authors of the articles submitted to the journal are grateful to the following reviewers for evaluating the articles(including those published in this issue and those rejected for this issue)during the last editing time period.     

Recent advances in the study of Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus replication and pathogenesis

It has now been over twenty years since a novel herpesviral genome was identified in Kaposi's sarcoma biopsies. Since then, the cumulative research effort by molecular biologists, virologists, clinicians, and epidemiologists alike has led to the extensive characterization of this tumor virus, Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus(KSHV; also known as human herpesvirus 8(HHV-8)), and its associated diseases. Here we review the current knowledge of KSHV biology and pathogenesis, with a particular emphasis on new and exciting advances in the field of epigenetics. We also discuss the development and practicality of various cell culture and animal model systems to study KSHV replication and pathogenesis.     

The structure, reproduction and taxonomy of Vidalia and Osmundaria (Rhodophyta, Rhodomelaceae)

Comprises species occurring mostly in subtidal habitats in tropical, subtropical and warm-temperate areas of the world. An analysis of the type species, V. spiralis (Sonder) Lamouroux ex J. Agardh, a species from Australia, establishes basic characters for distinguishing species in the genus. These characters are (1) branching patterns of thalli, (2) flat blades that may be spiralled on their axis, (3) width of the blade, (4) primary or secondary derivation of sterile and fertile branchlets and (5) position of sterile and fertile branchlets on the thalli. Application of the latter two characters provides an important basic method for separation of species into three major groups. Osmundaria , a genus known only in southern Australia, was studied in relation to Vidalia , and its separation from the Vidalia assemblage is not accepted. Species of Vidalia therefore are transferred to the older genus name, Osmundaria. Two new species, Osmundaria papenfussii and Osmundaria oliveae are described from Natal. Confusion in the usage of the epithet, Vidalia fimbriala Brown ex Turner has been clarified, and Vidalia gregaria Falkenberg, described as an epiphyte on Osmundaria pro/ifera Lamouroux, is revealed to be young branches of the host, Osmundaria prolifera.     

New or rare chromosome counts in Artemisia L. (Asteraceae, Anthemideae) and related genera from Kazakhstan

Fifteen chromosome counts of six Artemisia taxa and one species of each of the genera Brachanthemum, Hippolytia, Kaschgaria, Lepidolopsis and Turaniphytum are reported from Kazakhstan. Three of them are new reports, two are not consistent with previous counts and the remainder are confirmations of very scarce (one to four) earlier records. All the populations studied have the same basic chromosome number, x = 9, with ploidy levels ranging from 2x to 6x. Some correlations between ploidy level, morphological characters and distribution are noted.     

肝癌中HBV和HCV基因和抗原的分布及意义

采用原位分子杂交方法检测HCV RNA及HBV X基因;采用免疫组织化学方法研究HCV核心抗原,非结构区C33c抗原及HBxAg在肝细胞肝癌中的定位及分布.结果表明(1)HCV RNA、HBV X基因在肝细胞肝癌组织检出率分别为40%(55/136)和82%(112/136).HCV RNA定位于癌细胞的胞浆内,阳性细胞呈散在、灶状及弥漫分布三种形式;HBV X基因在肝癌细胞中的分布呈胞浆型、核型及核浆型,阳性细胞也呈上述三种分布形式;(2)HCV C33c抗原、核心抗原在肝细胞肝癌中的阳性率为81%(133/164)及86%(141/164).C33c抗原定位于癌细胞及肝细胞的胞浆内;核心抗原既定位于癌细胞核中,又可定位于胞浆中.C33c抗原阳性细胞以灶状分布为主;而核心抗原阳性细     

Selection with two alleles and complete dominance

For a plant selection model with frequency-independent viabilities, fertilities and selfing rates, it is shown that apart from global fixation, for certain parameter combinations a protected polymorphism and facultative fixation (either allele may become fixed according to initial frequencies) may both occur. Facultative fixation requires different selling rates for the dominant and recessive type. Protection of the polymorphism requires resource allocation for male and female function. In this connection the problem of purely genetically caused population extinction is discussed.
For general frequency dependence and regular segregation, the chances for establishment of a completely recessive gene are compared to those of a completely dominant gene. It is proven that the process of establishment of the recessive gene, despite a fitness advantage, may be considerably endangered by drift effects if random mating prevails. The recessive gene may reach the same effectivity in establishment as a dominant gene, only if the recessive homozygote mates exclusively with its own type during the period of establishment.