Tandem duplication and divergence of a sea urchin protein belonging to the troponin C superfamily

The Spec1 and Spec2 proteins of the sea urchin Strongylocentrotus purpuratus are related to calmodulin, troponin C, and myosin light chains by sequence similarity in their four calcium binding domains. These domains, the EF-hands, are distinct helix-loop-helix structures of about 40 amino acids. The Spec1 and Spec2 genes are expressed specifically in aboral ectoderm cells of the developing embryo; however, the function of the Spec proteins in these cells is unknown. To find conserved regions of the proteins that might be important for structure and function, Spec homologues from Lytechinus pictus, a distantly related sea urchin, were sought. L. pictus embryos do not synthesize detectable amounts of the 14,000-17,000-Da Spec proteins as determined by two-dimensional gel electro-phoresis, but do synthesize three 34,000-Da proteins that cross-react with Spec1 antibodies and display a similar ontogenetic pattern of expression. cDNA clones were isolated by hybridization to a synthetic oligonucleotide corresponding to the EF-hand. One clone, LpS1, encodes an mRNA with developmental properties like those of the S. purpuratus Spec mRNAs. However, LpS1 contains an open reading frame for a protein of 34,000 Da rather than 17,000 Da, and antibodies raised against part of the LpS1 reading frame demonstrate that LpS1 encodes a 34,000-Da protein in L. pictus embryos. The sequence of LpS1 reveals the presence of eight EF-hand domains, which share structural homology with the Spec1 or Spec2 EF-hands; however, little else in the protein sequence is conserved. The results support the hypothesis that the LpS1 gene arose from a duplication of an ancestral Spec gene and that the overall structural features of the Spec family of proteins are more conserved than the amino acid sequences.     

Studies on atrophic change of soleus muscle and its countermeasures in suspended rat

In the environment of microgravity, the disused atrophy of skeletal muscle, especially leg's muscle, would occur. The three purposes of this study were: 1. To observe the dynamic changes of disused atrophy of skeletal muscle under simulated weightlessness; 2. To approach the mechanism of disused atrophy of muscle; 3. To approach the countermeasures for reducing the degree of atrophy of muscle.     

Phospholipid surface density determines the partitioning and permeability of acetic acid in DMPC:cholesterol bilayers

Relationships between the permeability coefficient (P_HA) and partition coefficient (K _m/w) of acetic acid and the surface density of DMPC:cholesterol bilayers have been investigated. Permeability coefficients were measured in large unilamellar vesicles by NMR line broadening. Bilayer surface density, , was varied over a range of 0.5–0.9 by changing cholesterol concentration and temperature. The temperature dependence of P_HA for acetic acid exhibits Arrhenius behavior with an average apparent activation energy (E _a ) of 22±3 kcal/mole over a cholesterol mole fraction range of 0.00–0.40. This value is much greater than the enthalpy change for acetic acid partitioning between bulk decane and water (H° = 4.8±0.8 kcal/mole) and the calculated E _a (= 8.0 kcal/mole) assuming a bulk phase permeability model which includes the enthalpy of transfer from water to decane and the temperature dependence of acetic acid's diffusion coefficient in decane. These results suggest that dehydration, previously considered to be a dominant component, is a minor factor in determining E _a . Values of 1n P_HA decrease linearly with the normalized phospholipid surface density with a slope of = -12.4±1.1 (r = 0.90). Correction of P_HA for those temperature effects considered to be independent of lipid chain order (i.e., enthalpy of transfer from water to decane and activation energy for diffusion in bulk hydrocarbon) yielded an improved correlation ( = -11.7±0.5 (r = 0.96)). The temperature dependence of K_m/w is substantially smaller than that for P_HA and dependent on cholesterol composition. Values of 1n K_m/w decrease linearly with the surface density with a slope of = -4.6±0.3 (r = 0.95), which is 2.7-fold smaller than the slope of the plot of 1n P_HA vs. . Thus, chain ordering is a major determinant for molecular partitioning into and transport across lipid bilayers, regardless of whether it is varied by lipid composition or temperature.This work was supported by grants from Glaxo, INTERx/Merck, and University of Utah Research Committee.     

不同胃疾患胃内微生态变化的研究

本文对75例不同胃疾患胃液内的菌群及影响胃内微生态环境的因素进行了研究,发现健康胃内基本无菌或只有少量口腔细菌,未发现厌氧菌。而不同胃疾患胃内均分离到细菌(log10~n/ml),慢性萎缩性胃炎:3.89±0.99,残胃炎:4.45±0.16,胃癌:4.23,十二指肠球部溃疡治疗前(2.8±0.62)与抗酸治疗后(4.35±0.61)差别显著,慢性浅表性胃炎:3.39±0.98,胃溃疡:3.42±0.29。所分离到的细菌既有来自于口腔的细菌,也有来自于肠道的细菌。影响胃内细菌增殖的主要因素是胃液的PH值,幽门功能失调及幽门切除亦可使胃内细菌过度生长。本研究提示对胃病的治疗亦应进行生态防治。     

陆地生态系统水分利用效率对气候变化的响应研究进展

气候变化显著影响陆地生态系统生产力以及水分利用格局,而水分利用效率(Water Use Efficiency,WUE)是衡量生态系统碳水耦合关系的重要指标之一。研究陆地生态系统水分利用效率对气候变化的响应,有助于深入理解生态系统的变化规律,模拟和预测生态系统碳水过程的发展状况,从而为应对全球气候变化提供新的依据。为了更好地掌握生态系统水分利用效率研究现状以及其对温度、CO2等关键气候因子的响应情况,本文总结了陆地生态系统水分利用效率对气候变化响应的最新研究进展。首先介绍了相关的定义并归纳了两种不同计算方式的差异和特点;接着重点总结了陆地生态系统水分利用效率对大气温度、CO2、水分、干旱以及太阳辐射等影响因素的响应;最后文章总结了目前3个相关的研究态势,主要包括:(1)长时间序列水分利用效率与气候要素的关系研究;(2)土地利用/覆被变化对水分利用效率的影响及其对气候的反馈研究;(3)多尺度水分利用效率综合研究。本研究可为深入研究生态系统过程对气候变化的响应提供参考。     

浙江黑麂栖息地评价及保护对策

运用地理信息系统技术,在分析黑麂栖息地的地形、植被、水系和人为干扰等地理特征的基础上,系统研究九龙山和古田山自然保护区黑麂栖息地分布、栖息地质量与空间格局。结果表明,在九龙山自然保护区有黑麂潜在栖息地3172．6hm^2,由于人类活动的影响导致栖息地丧失501．5hm^2,目前尚存的黑麂适宜栖息地2671．1hm^2。它们主要分布于上寮坑、九龙山、内北坪、外九龙和大岩前附近区域。古田山自然保护区有黑麂潜在栖息地4635．75hm^2,在人类活动影响下丧失栖息地1118．11hm^2,目前尚存的黑麂适宜栖息地3517．64hm^2。它们主要分布于青尖、古田山、巧观尖、催顶尖附近区域。目前九龙山和古田山自然保护区内的黑麂栖息地基本上处于多斑块破碎化状态。为了使黑麂能得到更好的保护,对这两个研究区域黑麂栖息地的恢复和重建工作亟待加强。     

紫外指纹图谱结合化学计量学对黄精基原植物的鉴别

运用紫外光谱技术结合化学计量学,建立快速鉴别不同基原黄精的方法。通过单因素实验确定黄精最佳提取溶剂、时间和用量,制备测试液,采用紫外光谱技术建立3种基原黄精的紫外指纹图谱,光谱数据转化后进行主成分(PCA)和系统聚类分析(HCA)。该方法重现性、精密度、稳定性较好,结果表明不同种类黄精紫外指纹图谱具有指纹特性,3种基原植物黄精紫外光谱图在210 nm、220 nm、280 nm附近差异明显;聚类分析和主成分分析三维投影图反映出不同种类黄精的化学成分积累具有差异,能较好地区分滇黄精(Polygonatumkingianum)、黄精(P.sibiricum)与多花黄精(P.cyrtonema)。紫外光谱结合化学计量学能快速鉴别不同种类黄精,可作为黄精的鉴别和质量控制新方法,为黄精临床应用、资源开发及黄精属植物分类提供辅助方法。     

薏苡胚发育及贮藏营养物质积累的研究

薏苡（Ｃｏｉｘ ｌａｃｒｙｍ ａ－ｊｏｂｉ）胚发育分下列各期：棒形胚前的原胚期、棒形胚期、胚芽鞘期、１叶期、２ 叶期、３叶期、４ 叶期、５ 叶期及６叶期成熟胚。３ 叶期胚具１ 条不定根（种子根）,４ 叶期具２ 条,５ 叶期及成熟胚期具３ 条。不定根与胚根排成１ 纵行。营养物质最先在盾片细胞中积累。开花后９ 天的１ 叶期胚,在盾片、胚芽鞘及胚轴细胞中积累了淀粉,以后遍及成熟胚的各部分。淀粉粒含量与器官发生及生长顺序成正相关,但发育后期,盾片细胞内的淀粉粒含量下降。开花后１０ 天,盾片细胞中形成含晶体的蛋白质体,晶体含蛋白质及植酸钙镁。以后,这种蛋白质体增多、增大。同时,又形成不含晶体的蛋白质体。一定时期,含晶体的蛋白质体消失,不含晶体的蛋白质体增多,直到胚成熟。开花后１３ 天,胚芽鞘上部细胞形成蛋白质体。以后遍及成熟胚的各部分,器官发生越早,所含蛋白质体越多、越大。开花后１０ 天,盾片细胞中产生了脂体,成熟胚的盾片细胞,含有大量的脂体。还观察了胚发育各期与颖果及盾片长度的对应关系     

Determination of cefazedone in human plasma by high performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry: Application to a pharmacokinetic study on Chinese volunteers

A rapid, sensitive and simple high performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC–MS/MS) method was developed for determination of cefazedone in human plasma using metronidazole as internal standard (IS). The chromatographic separation was achieved on an Ultimate XB-CN column (2.1 mm × 150 mm, 5 μm) with an isocratic mobile phase of acetonitrile and 20 mM ammonium acetate in 0.1% formic acid in water (15:85, v/v). Detection was performed using electrospray ionization in positive ion multiple reaction-monitoring mode (SRM), monitoring the transitions m/z 548.2 → 344.1 for cefazedone and m/z 172.2 → 128.1 for IS. Calibration curves were linear over a wide range of 0.20–401.12 μg/mL for cefazedone in plasma. The lower limit of quantification (LLOQ) was 0.20 μg/mL. The intra- and inter-day precisions were less than 7.2%. The average recovery of cefazedone was 90.8–91.0%. The validated method was successfully applied to the pharmacokinetic study of cefazedone in Chinese healthy volunteers following intravenous (IV) administration of 500, 1000 and 2000 mg cefazedone injection.