Complete genome sequence of methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus containing a heterogeneic staphylococcal cassette chromosome element

Staphylococcus aureus is a common human bacterium that sometimes becomes pathogenic,causing serious infections.A key feature of S.aureus is its ability to acquire resistance to antibiotics.The presence of the staphylococcal cassette chromosome(SCC) element in serotypes of S.aureus has been confirmed using multiplex PCR assays.The SCC element is the only vector known to carry the mecA gene,which encodes methicillin resistance in S.aureus infections.Here,we report the genome sequence of a novel methicillin-sensitive S.aureus(MSSA) strain:SCC-like MSSA463.This strain was originally erroneously serotyped as methicillin-resistant S.aureus in a clinical laboratory using multiplex PCR methods.We sequenced the genome of SCC-like MSSA463 using pyrosequencing techniques and compared it with known genome sequences of other S.aureus isolates.An open reading frame(CZ049;AB037671) was identified downstream of attL and attR inverted repeat sequences.Our results suggest that a lateral gene transfer occurred between S.aureus and other organisms,partially changing S.aureus infectivity.We propose that attL and attR inverted repeats in S.aureus serve as frequent insertion sites for exogenous genes.     

Basal physiological parameters in domesticated tree shrews(Tupaia belangeri chinensis)

Establishing non-human primate models of human diseases is an efficient way to narrow the large gap between basic studies and translational medicine. Multifold advantages such as simplicity of breeding, low cost of feeding and facility of operating make the tree shrew an ideal non-human primate model proxy. Additional features like vulnerability to stress and spontaneous diabetic characteristics also indicate that the tree shrew could be a potential new animal model of human diseases. However, basal physiological indexes of tree shrew, especially those related to human disease, have not been systematically reported. Accordingly, we established important basal physiological indexes of domesticated tree shrews including several factors: (1) body weight, (2) core body temperature and rhythm, (3) diet metabolism, (4) locomotor rhythm, (5) electroencephalogram, (6) glycometabolism and (7) serum and urinary hormone level and urinary cortisol rhythm. We compared the physiological parameters of domesticated tree shrew with that of rats and macaques. Results showed that (a) the core body temperature of the tree shrew was 39.59±0.05 °C, which was higher than that of rats and macaques; (b) Compared with wild tree shrews, with two activity peaks, domesticated tree shrews had only one activity peak from 17:30 to 19:30; (c) Compared with rats, tree shrews had poor carbohydrate metabolism ability; and (d) Urinary cortisol rhythm indicated there were two peaks at 8:00 and 17:00 in domesticated tree shrews, which matched activity peaks in wild tree shrews. These results provided basal physiological indexes for domesticated tree shrews and laid an important foundation for diabetes and stress-related disease models established on tree shrews.     

A New Species of the Gekko japonicus Group(Squamata: Gekkonidae) from Southwest China

A new species of the Gekko(Squa ma ta:Gekkonidae)is described from the border of Sichuan and Yunnan Province,southwest China,based on distinct morphological and molecular features.Gekko jinjiangensis sp.nov.is distinguished from congeners by a combination of the following characters:size small(SVL 50.2–61.6 mm,n=13);nares in contact with rostral;interorbital scales between anterior corners of the eyes 20–24;ventral scales between mental and cloacal slit 146–169;midbody scale rows 111–149;ventral scale rows 31–47;subdigital lamellae on first toe 8–11,on fourth toe 11–15;no webbing in the fingers and toes;with tubercles on uapper surface of fore and hind limbs;precloacal pores 4–5 in males;postcloacal unilateral tubercles 1–2;dorsal surface of body with 8–9 large greyish brown markings between nape and sacrum.In molecular analyses,the new species is sister to G.scabridus,but separated from them by approximately 9.9%–12.2%in genetic divergence as shown by a fragment of the partial mitochondrial ND2 gene.The new species is the highest Gekko with elevation range from 2000 to 2476 m.Further surveys are recommended to better understand the occurrence and population status of the new species.     

Ecological restoration and recovery in the wind-blown sand hazard areas of northern China: relationship between soil water and carrying capacity for vegetation in the Tengger Desert

The main prevention and control area for wind-blown sand hazards in northern China is about 320000 km2 in size and includes sandlands to the east of the Helan Mountain and sandy deserts and desert-steppe transitional regions to the west of the Helan Mountain.Vegetation recovery and restoration is an important and effective approach for constraining wind-blown sand hazards in these areas.After more than 50 years of long-term ecological studies in the Shapotou region of the Tengger Desert,we found that revegetation changed the hydrological processes of the original sand dune system through the utilization and space-time redistribution of soil water.The spatiotemporal dynamics of soil water was significantly related to the dynamics of the replanted vegetation for a given regional precipitation condition.The long-term changes in hydrological processes in desert areas also drive replanted vegetation succession.The soil water carrying capacity of vegetation and the model for sand fixation by revegetation in aeolian desert areas where precipitation levels are less than 200 mm are also discussed.     

Treatment of osteoarthritis with mesenchymal stem cells

Osteoarthritis(OA)is one of the most prevalent joint diseases with prominent symptoms affecting the daily life of millions of middle aged and elderly people.Despite this,there are no successful medical interventions that can prevent the progressive destruction of OA joints.The onset of pathological changes in OA is associated with deviant activity of mesenchymal stem cells(MSCs),the multipotent precursors of connective tissue cells that reside in joints.Current therapies for OA have resulted in poor clinical outcomes without repairing the damaged cartilage.Intra-articular delivery of culture-expanded MSCs has opened new avenues of OA treatment.Pre-clinical and clinical trials demonstrated the feasibility,safety,and efficacy of MSC therapy.The Wnt/β-catenin,bone morphogenetic protein 2,Indian hedgehog,and Mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling pathways have been demonstrated to be involved in OA and the mechanism of action of MSC therapies.     

Asymmetric or diffusive co-evolution generates meta-populations in fig-fig wasp mutualisms

Co-evolutionary theory assumes co-adapted characteristics are a positive response to counter those of another species,whereby co-evolved species reach an evolutionarily stable interaction through bilateral adaptation.However,evidence from the fig-fig wasp mutualistic system implies very different co-evolutionary selection mechanisms,due to the inherent conflict among interacted partners.Fig plants appear to have discriminatively enforced fig wasps to evolve"adaptation characteristics"that provide greater benefit to the fig,and fig wasps appear to have diversified their evolutionary strategies in response to discriminative enforcement by figs and competition among different fig wasp species.In what appears to be an asymmetric interaction,the prosperity of cooperative pollinating wasps should inevitably lead to population increases of parasitic individuals,thus resulting in localized extinctions of pollinating wasps.In response,the sanctioning of parasitic wasps by the fig should lead to a reduction in the parasitic wasp population.The meta-populations created by such asymmetric interactions may result in each population of coevolved species chaotically oscillated,temporally or evolutionarily.     

Characteristics of dental morphology in the Xinjiang Uyghurs and correlation with the EDARV370A variant

Teeth are one of the most important materials for anthropological studies because they are likely to be preserved in ancient remains.While the frequencies of dental characteristics can provide clues to the phylogeny of populations,genetic studies at the individual level can further reveal the biological mechanisms and evolutionary context of dental characteristics.In this study,by analyzing 38 dental characteristics of 242 Xinjiang Uyghur individuals,we found that(i)the dental characteristics of the Uyghurs showed evidence of admixture between European and East Asian populations.The admixture proportions were in line with those previously reported in population genetic studies;(ii)the Xinjiang Uyghur dental characteristics formed three clusters in pairwise correlation analysis.One of the main clusters consisted of characteristics including incisor shoveling,double shoveling and mesial ridge;and(iii)all the characteristics in this cluster were significantly correlated with the genetic variant EDARV370A.The extracted composite phenotypic factor was also significantly associated with EDARV370A,which explained 18%of the total phenotypic variance.This indicated a pleiotropic effect,i.e.,the same genetic factor affects a number of dental characteristics at the same time.Our results confirmed that EDARV370A,a genetic variant that first originated in East Asia about 30000 years ago,played an important role in incisor shoveling in East Asia.This finding suggested that incisor shoveling in modern humans in East Asia is likely to have appeared after the late Pleistocene.     

Analysis of plastid and nuclear DNA data in plant phylogenetics——evaluation and improvement

Correct combination of plastid(cp)and nuclear(nr)DNA data for plant phylogenetic reconstructions is not a new issue,but with an increasing number of nrDNA loci being used,it is of ever greater practical concern.For accurately reconstructing the phylogeny and evolutionary history of plant groups,correct treatment of phylogenetic incongruence is a vital step in the proper analysis of cpDNA and nrDNA data.We first evaluated the current status of analyzing cpDNA and nrDNA data by searching all articles published in the journal Systematic Botany between 2005 and 2011.Many studies combining cpDNA and nrDNA data did not rigorously assess the combinability of the data sets,or did not address in detail possible reasons for incongruence between the two data sets.By reviewing various methods,we outline a procedure to more accurately analyze and/or combine cpDNA and nrDNA data,which includes four steps:identifying significant incongruence,determining conflicting taxa,providing possible interpretations for incongruence,and reconstructing the phylogeny after treating incongruence.Particular attention is given to explanation of the cause of incongruence.We hope that our procedure will help raise awareness of the importance of rigorous analysis and help identify the cause of incongruence before combining cpDNA and nrDNA data.     

A NEW MACROPETALICHTHYID FROM CHINA, WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO THE HISTORICAL ZOOGEOGRAPHY OF THE MACROPETALICHTHYIDAE (PLACODERMI)

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