High Altitude Frogs (Rana kukonoris) Adopt a Diversified Bethedging Strategy in the Face of Environmental Unpredictability

Environmental unpredictability can influence strategies of maternal investment among eggs within a clutch. Models predict that breeding females should adopt a diversified bet-hedging strategy in unpredictable environments, but empirical field evidence from Asia is scarce. Here we tested this hypothesis by exploring spatial patterns in egg size along an altitudinal gradient in a frog species(Rana kukunoris) inhabiting the Tibetan Plateau. Within-clutch variability in egg size increased as the environment became variable(e.g., lower mean monthly temperature and mean monthly rainfall at higher altitudes), and populations in environments with more unpredictable rainfall produced eggs that were smaller and more variable in size. We provide support for a diversified bet-hedging strategy in high-altitude environments, which experience dynamic weather patterns and therefore are of unpredictable environmental quality. This strategy may be an adaptive response to lower environmental quality and higher unpredictable environmental variance. Such a strategy should increase the likelihood of breeding success and maximize maternal lifetime fitness by producing offspring that are adapted to current environmental conditions. We speculate that in high-altitude environments prone to physical disturbance, breeding females are unable to consistently produce the optimal egg size due to physiological constraints imposed by environmental conditions(e.g., duration of the active season, food availability). Species and populations whose breeding strategies are adapted to cope with uncertain environmental conditions by adjusting offspring size and therefore quality show a remarkable degree of ability to cope with future climatic changes.     

Engineering lysine‐rich caleosins as carrier proteins to render biotin as a hapten on artificial oil bodies for antibody production

It has been demonstrated that caleosin alone is sufficient to stabilize artificial oil bodies. A series of recombinant caleosins, mutated with 3, 5, 8, 11, 13, 15, and 17 extra Lys residues and over‐expressed in Escherichia coli, were used as carrier proteins to render biotin as a hapten on the surface of artificial oil bodies for antibody production. Biotinylation levels of the recombinant caleosins were step‐wisely elevated as the number of extra Lys residues increased, and the biotinylated Lys residues were identified by mass spectrometric analysis. Polyclonal antibodies against biotin were successfully generated in rats injected with artificial oil bodies constituted with each of the biotinylated caleosins. Moreover, those generated via the biotinylated caleosins with eight or more extra Lys residues no longer recognized caleosin. It appears that engineered Lys‐rich caleosins are suitable carrier proteins for the production of antibodies against small molecules. © 2011 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog., 2011     

电针镇痛时人脑脊液中β-内啡肽样免疫活性物质的含量与痛阈的关系

用β-内啡肽放射免疫分析法测定10例无疼痛主诉的患者电针前后侧脑室脑脊液中B-内啡肽样免疫活性物质(B-EPIS)的含量,其中6例用弹簧棒测定了痛阈和耐痛阈。结果表明,每 ml 脑脊液中β-EPIS 的含量比针前增加126.7 fmol/ml(P<0.02),病人的痛阈比针前升高29.5%,耐痛阈升高28.1%(P<0.05)。β-EPIS 含量的增加量与痛阈、耐痛阈的升高值呈直线相关,r_1=0.776,r_2=0.741(P<0.05)。表明电针能促使脑内释放β-内啡肽,释放增加的β-内啡肽参与镇痛作用,这可能是电针镇痛机制的重要环节之一。     

Comparative morphology of the foliage leaf epidermis, with emphasis on papillae characters, in key taxa of woody bamboos of the Asian tropics (Poaceae: Bambusoideae)

The foliage leaf epidermis of 35 species representing 12 key genera of woody bamboos of the Asian tropics was investigated using light and scanning electron microscopy. The results indicated that papillae forms and distributional patterns around the stomatal apparatus of the abaxial foliage leaf epidermis were usually constant and were of great taxonomic significance at the specific and generic levels. However, papillae characters were not suitable for dividing subtribes within woody bamboos of the Asian tropics. On the basis of papillae characters, Schizostachyum s.s. and Cephalostachyum were confirmed, but their delimitations should be modified. The transfer of Leptocanna chinensis and Schizostachyum sanguineum into Cephalostachyum was supported, and Cephalostachyum virgatum and C .  pergracile were confirmed to be members of Schizostachyum s.s. The subtribe Racemobambosinae did not obtain support and Racemobambos appeared to be better placed in subtribe Bambusinae. Neomicrocalamus was supported as a close relative and better treated as a synonym of Racemobambos . Gigantochloa was closely related to Dendrocalamus .  © 2008 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society , 2008, 156 , 411–423.     

Solution structure of the N‐terminal domain of DC‐UbP/UBTD2 and its interaction with ubiquitin

DC‐UbP/UBTD2 is a ubiquitin (Ub) domain‐containing protein first identified from dendritic cells, and is implicated in ubiquitination pathway. The solution structure and backbone dynamics of the C‐terminal Ub‐like (UbL) domain were elucidated in our previous work. To further understand the biological function of DC‐UbP, we then solved the solution structure of the N‐terminal domain of DC‐UbP (DC‐UbP_N) and studied its Ub binding properties by NMR techniques. The results show that DC‐UbP_N holds a novel structural fold and acts as a Ub‐binding domain (UBD) but with low affinity. This implies that the DC‐UbP protein, composing of a combination of both UbL and UBD domains, might play an important role in regulating protein ubiquitination and delivery of ubiquitinated substrates in eukaryotic cells.     

内蒙古部分地区骆驼和羊寄生蜱虫病毒组学分析

为了解内蒙古地区蜱虫病毒组学的本底数据,采用病毒宏基因组学方法对在内蒙古阿拉善盟左旗、右旗和四子王旗地区3个采样点采集骆驼和羊体表寄生的1789只蜱虫样品进行病毒宏基因组学分析,并对特定病毒进行巢式PCR扩增和测序,通过Clustal W和MEGA7.0等生物信息学软件对获得的病毒基因序列进行遗传进化分析.数据显示,蜱虫样品携带包括植物、脊椎动物和非脊椎动物等来源的17个病毒科和一些未分类的病毒;其中,2株弹状病毒具有丰富的遗传多样性,与新疆地区和长江地区的弹状病毒的同源性达到98.5％和96.26％,提示蜱虫弹状病毒可能是通过羊和骆驼等动物贸易导致了新疆和内蒙古地区,以及内地的跨区域传播;细小病毒仅在羊来源的蜱虫中检测到,与中国河北地区的山羊血清中的细小病毒形成同一进化分支,我们推测蜱虫细小病毒在国内不同地区间可跨区域传播,在进化分析过程中,发现这种病毒与多种的细小病毒的同源性都不低于50％,提示细小病毒可能具有遗传稳定性;Tamdy病毒与来自阿塞拜疆、乌兹别克斯坦和美国的Tamdy病毒均具有极高的同源性,结果显示该病毒在内蒙古地区已经出现,并存在潜在流行的可能,有必要对Tamdy病毒进行进一步的监测;在本研究中,我们鉴定的白蛉病毒与来自新疆的亚洲璃眼蜱所携带的博乐蜱虱病毒形成同一个进化分支,与新型布尼亚病毒和Heartland virus病毒的同源性达到50％以上,该结果提示,我们发现的蜱虫白蛉病毒可能具有潜在的致病性,需要对其流行情况和致病性进行监测和研究.本研究为完善内蒙古部分地区蜱虫病毒的多样性和本底情况提供了重要的基础数据.     

Significant longevity-extending effects of EGCG on Caenorhabditis elegans under stress

Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), a main active ingredient of green tea, is believed to be beneficial in association with anticarcinogenesis, antiobesity, and blood pressure reduction. Here we report that EGCG extended Caenorhabditis elegans longevity under stress. Under heat stress (35°C), EGCG improved the mean longevity by 13.1% at 0.1 μg/ml, 8.0% at 1.0 μg/ml, and 11.8% at 10.0 μg/ml. Under oxidative stress, EGCG could improve the mean longevity of C. elegans by 172.9% at 0.1 μg/ml, 177.7% at 1.0 μg/ml, and 88.5% at 10.0 μg/ml. However, EGCG could not extend the life span of C. elegans under normal culture conditions. Further studies demonstrated that the significant longevity-extending effects of EGCG on C. elegans could be attributed to its in vitro and in vivo free radical-scavenging effects and its up-regulating effects on stress-resistance-related proteins, including superoxide dismutase-3 (SOD-3) and heat shock protein-16.2 (HSP-16.2), in transgenic C. elegans with SOD-3∷green fluorescent protein (GFP) and HSP-16.2∷GFP expression. Quantitative real-time PCR results showed that the up-regulation of aging-associated genes such as daf-16, sod-3, and skn-1 could also contribute to the stress resistance attributed to EGCG. As the death rate of a population is closely related to the mortality caused by external stress, it could be concluded that the survival-enhancing effects of EGCG on C. elegans under stress are very important for antiaging research.