中国人ε珠蛋白基因5′侧序列中多态性Hinc Ⅱ位点的进一步研究

本文进一步研究了我国不同民族的正常个体以及β地中海贫血患者θ珠蛋白基因5′侧序列中的多态性HincⅡ位点及其遗传性质。在广西壮族正常个体和β地中海贫血纯合子中,该多态性位点的发生频率均为75％,与正常汉族人测得值相近。家系分析资料表明,该多态性位点完全按照孟德尔规律进行遗传。     

江西井冈山地区灰胸竹鸡的遗传多样性研究

灰胸竹鸡Bambusicola thoracica是我国特有鸟类.本文采用聚合链式反应和直接测序的方法测定井冈山地区灰胸竹鸡3个种群线粒体DNA(mtDNA)控制区1142 bp的序列,分析其序列变异和种群遗传多样性.30个样本共发现16个变异位点和10种单倍型,其中hapl广泛分布,占所分析样本的23.33%,是其祖先单倍型.3个种群的平均单倍型多样性和核苷酸多样性分别为0.815和0.00243.青原区种群与其它两个种群遗传分化显著,基因交流受限制.受隔离影响,青原区种群遗传多样性最低.在系统发生树上,10种单倍型形成两支,井冈山种群和永新县种群聚在一起,与其地理位置相一致.     

长柄双花木愈伤组织诱导及植株再生

以长柄双花木当年生嫩梢上的叶柄、嫩茎、嫩叶为外植体,对影响长柄双花木愈伤组织诱导和继代、分化主要因素进行研究。结果表明:在培养基MS+NAA0.5mg/L+2,4-D2.0mg/L上,三种外植体均可诱导出愈伤组织,其中叶片愈伤组织诱导率最高。该培养基还可作为愈伤组织继代培养基,但继代培养周期不超过2周。愈伤组织接种在MS+BA2mg/L上分化不定芽,根的诱导在1/2MS+IBA0.5mg/L培养基上进行。     

Melanoma central nervous system metastases: An update to approaches,challenges, and opportunities

In February 2018, the Melanoma Research Foundation and the Moffitt Cancer Center hosted the Second Summit on Melanoma Central Nervous System (CNS) Metastases in Tampa, Florida. In this white paper, we outline the current status of basic science, translational, and clinical research into melanoma brain metastasis development and therapeutic management. We further outline the important challenges that remain for the field and the critical barriers that need to be overcome for continued progress to be made in this clinically difficult area.     

The structural basis for substrate and inhibitor selectivity of the anthrax lethal factor

Recent events have created an urgent need for new therapeutic strategies to treat anthrax. We have applied a mixture-based peptide library approach to rapidly determine the optimal peptide substrate for the anthrax lethal factor (LF), a metalloproteinase with an important role in the pathogenesis of the disease. Using this approach we have identified peptide analogs that inhibit the enzyme in vitro and that protect cultured macrophages from LF-mediated cytolysis. The crystal structures of LF bound to an optimized peptide substrate and to peptide-based inhibitors provide a rationale for the observed selectivity and may be exploited in the design of future generations of LF inhibitors.     

水稻黄绿叶调控基因YGL18的克隆与功能解析

叶色突变体往往伴随着叶绿素含量变化及叶绿体结构异常,是研究叶绿体发育与光合作用相关基因功能的重要材料。该研究通过甲基磺酸乙酯(EMS)诱变籼稻(Oryzasativasubsp.indica)品种华占(HZ)获得黄绿叶突变体,将其命名为ygl18 (yellow-green leaf 18)。与野生型相比,黄绿叶突变体ygl18自三叶期起叶片开始变黄且程度不断加深,同时伴随着光合速率与叶绿素含量下降,且结实率、千粒重及有效穗数均显著降低。透射电镜观察结果显示, ygl18的叶绿体结构紊乱,基质片层疏松,发育受到抑制,与叶片出现黄绿色表型一致。遗传分析表明, ygl18突变性状受1对隐性等位核基因控制,这对等位基因位于水稻第3号染色体长臂标记InDel2和InDel3之间115.2 kb范围内。进一步研究发现该突变体表型是编码铁氧还蛋白FdC2的基因LOC＿Os03g48040的5’UTR发生突变所致。通过CRISPR转基因实验验证了该基因对表型的控制作用。研究结果揭示了叶色调控网络的遗传基础,可为今后选育高光效水稻品种提供新线索。     

Bnip3 mediates the hypoxia-induced inhibition on mammalian target of rapamycin by interacting with Rheb

The mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) is a central controller of cell growth, and it regulates translation, cell size, cell viability, and cell morphology. mTOR integrates a wide range of extracellular and intracellular signals, including growth factors, nutrients, energy levels, and stress conditions. Rheb, a Ras-related small GTPase, is a key upstream activator of mTOR. In this study, we found that Bnip3, a hypoxia-inducible Bcl-2 homology 3 domain-containing protein, directly binds Rheb and inhibits the mTOR pathway. Bnip3 decreases Rheb GTP levels in a manner depending on the binding to Rheb and the presence of the N-terminal domain. Both knockdown and overexpression experiments show that Bnip3 plays an important role in mTOR inactivation in response to hypoxia. Moreover, Bnip3 inhibits cell growth in vivo by suppressing the mTOR pathway. These observations demonstrate that Bnip3 mediates the inhibition of the mTOR pathway in response to hypoxia.     

Protrusive waves guide 3D cell migration along nanofibers

In vivo, cells migrate on complex three-dimensional (3D) fibrous matrices, which has made investigation of the key molecular and physical mechanisms that drive cell migration difficult. Using reductionist approaches based on 3D electrospun fibers, we report for various cell types that single-cell migration along fibronectin-coated nanofibers is associated with lateral actin-based waves. These cyclical waves have a fin-like shape and propagate up to several hundred micrometers from the cell body, extending the leading edge and promoting highly persistent directional movement. Cells generate these waves through balanced activation of the Rac1/N-WASP/Arp2/3 and Rho/formins pathways. The waves originate from one major adhesion site at leading end of the cell body, which is linked through actomyosin contractility to another site at the back of the cell, allowing force generation, matrix deformation and cell translocation. By combining experimental and modeling data, we demonstrate that cell migration in a fibrous environment requires the formation and propagation of dynamic, actin based fin-like protrusions.     

Direct synthesis of Rev peptide-conjugated gold nanoparticles and their application in cancer therapeutics

We have developed a simple approach for generating peptide-conjugated gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) from the Rev peptide and gold aqueous solution. The peptide functions as both a reducing agent and a capping molecule. AuNPs of various sizes (20-300 nm) and shapes (spheres, triangular plates, and polygons) can be obtained upon modulating the ratio of gold ions to the Rev peptide. Transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and UV-vis spectroscopy were utilized to characterize these nanoparticles. Fourier-transform infrared and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy measurements were performed to investigate chemical interactions between the Rev peptide and AuNPs. Lactate dehydrogenase and 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assays revealed that the Rev peptide-AuNP nanocomposites exhibited exceptionally high cytotoxic effects toward mouse ovarian surface epithelial cell lines, relative to the effects of equal doses of the free Rev peptide. Our study suggests a new way of utilizing biomolecule-conjugated AuNPs as potentially effective anticancer drugs.