A supermatrix approach provides a comprehensive genus-level phylogeny for Gentianales

Gentianales consist of Apocynaceae, Gelsemiaceae, Gentianaceae, Loganiaceae, and Rubiaceae, of which the majority are woody plants in tropical and subtropical areas. Despite extensive efforts in reconstructing the phylogeny of Gentianales based on molecular data, some interfamily and intrafamily relationships remain uncertain. We reconstructed the genus-level phylogeny of Gentianales based on the supermatrix of eight plastid markers (rbcL, matK, atpB, ndhF, rpl16, rps16, thetrnL-trnF region, and atpB-rbcL spacer) and one mitochondrial gene (matR) using maximum likelihood. The major clades and their relationships retrieved in the present study concur with those of previous studies. All of the five families of Gentianales are monophyletic with strong support. We resolved Rubiaceae as sister to the remaining families in Gentianales and showed support for the sister relationship between Loganiaceae and Apocynaceae. Our results provide new insights into relationships among intrafamilial clades. For example, within Rubiaceae we found that Craterispermeae were sister to Morindeae + (Palicoureeae + Psychotrieae) and that Theligoneae were sister to Putorieae. Within Gentianaceae, our phylogeny revealed that Gentianeae were sister to Helieae and Potalieae, and subtribe Lisianthiinae were sister to Potaliinae and Faroinae. Within Loganiaceae, we found Neuburgia as sister to Spigelieae. Within Apocynaceae, our results supported Amsonieae as sister to Melodineae, and Hunterieae as sister to a clade comprising Plumerieae + (Carisseae + APSA). We also confirmed the monophyly of Perplocoideae and the relationships among Baisseeae + (Secamonoideae + Asclepiadoideae).     

Proteome analysis of rice uppermost internodes at the milky stage

Uppermost internodes, which connect the part between the ear and lower stem, form an important pathway transporting mineral nutrition from roots and photosynthates from leaves (especially the flag leaf) to the ear. The milky stage is the first stage of seed ripening. The uppermost internodes of rice at the milky stage are critical for seed quality and yield. Total soluble proteins of the uppermost internodes of rice (Oryza sativa L. ssp. indica) at the milky stage were analyzed using proteomic methods. Using 2-DE, 762 reproducible protein spots were detected. Among them, 132 abundant proteins were analyzed using MALDI-TOF-MS. Searching in the National Center for Biotechnology Information database, we could identify 98 proteins, which represent 80 gene products. These proteins belong to 11 functional groups with energy production-associated proteins in the first place. The large accumulation of proteins involved in metabolism, signaling, and stress resistance indicated that the uppermost internodes of rice have a high physiological and stress-resistant activity. In addition, our results will also enrich the database of the rice proteome.     

抗利福平结核分枝杆菌的多药耐药性调查

The correlation between rifampin resistance and multiple drug resistance in 236 clinical isolates of Mycobacterium tuberculosis was investigated in this thesis. It has found that 99.4% of the strains with rifampin resistance were multidrug-resistant strains and 89% of the multidrug-resistant strains were resistant to rifampin. This result showed that the rifampin resistance of Tuberculosis baccilli could be used as the marker of multidrug resistance of Mycobacterium tuberculosis.     

苹果绵蚜种群的空间分布型及其应用——Ⅰ.秋季种群

生物种群的空间分布是一种高度特化的生物学特性,是长期适应自然环境的结果。在理论上,研究种群的空间分布有助于理解种群的生态学特性以及种群与所处环境的相互关系;在实践中,种群的空间分布是确定生物统计分析的资料代换方法和制定抽样技术方案的依据。 苹果绵蚜Eriosoma lanigerum(Hausm.)是苹果树的毁灭性害虫。50年代云南仅昆明地区有苹果绵蚜的分布,现在苹果绵蚜已侵入到云南许多苹果产区。1978年苹果绵蚜侵入到丽江县,其危害相当严重。过去的工作主要集中在生物学和防治方面,空间分     

Energy transfer of aromatic amino acids in photosystem 2 core antenna complexes CP43 and CP47

Energy transfer of aromatic amino acids in photosystem 2 (PS2) core antenna complexes CP43 and CP47 was studied using absorption spectroscopy, fluorescence spectroscopy, and the 0.35 nm crystal structure of PS2 core complex. The energy of tyrosines (Tyrs) was not effectively transferred to tryptophans (Trps) in CP43 and CP47. The fluorescence emission spectrum of CP43 and CP47 by excitation at 280 nm should be a superposition of the Tyr and Trp fluorescence emission spectra. The aromatic amino acids in CP43 and CP47 could transfer their energy to chlorophyll (Chl) a molecules by the Dexter mechanism and the Föster mechanism, and the energy transfer efficiency in CP47 was much higher than that in CP43. In CP47 the Föster mechanism must be the dominant energy transfer mechanism between aromatic amino acids and Chl a molecules, whereas in CP43 the Dexter mechanism must be the dominant one. Hence solar ultraviolet radiation brings not only damages but also benefits to plants.     

SARS-CoV-2 spike protein interacts with and activates TLR41

Dear Editor, Accumulating clinical data suggest the main causes of death by COVID-19 include respiratory failure and the onset of sepsis.1 Importantly,sepsis ha...     

β-Amyloid1–40 Increases Expression of β-Amyloid Precursor Protein in Neuronal Hybrid Cells

Abstract: Studies of cell injury and death in Alzheimer's disease have suggested a prominent role for β-amyloid peptide (β-AP), a 40–43-amino-acid peptide derived from a larger membrane glycoprotein, β-amyloid precursor protein (β-APP). Previous experiments have demonstrated that β-AP induces cytotoxicity in a neuronal hybrid cell line (MES 23.5) in vitro. Here, we demonstrate that β-APP mRNA content is increased 3.5-fold in 24 h after treatment with β-AP_1–40. Accompanying β-AP_1–40-induced cell injury, levels of cell-associated β-APP and a C-terminal intermediate fragment are increased up to 15-fold, and levels of secreted forms of β-APP and 12- and 4-kDa fragments are also increased. Application of β-APP antisense oligodeoxynucleotide reduces both cytotoxicity and β-APP expression. 6-Hydroxydopamine application or glucose deprivation causes extensive cell damage, but they do not increase β-APP expression. These results suggest a selective positive feedback mechanism whereby β-AP may induce cytotoxicity and increase levels of potentially neurotrophic as well as amyloidogenic fragments of β-APP with the net consequence of further neuronal damage.     

镜鲤体长、体高、体厚性状QTL定位分析

以镜鲤全同胞家系为材料,用246个SSR和306个SNP标记构建了鲤鱼的连锁图谱,利用GridQTL软件对体长(SL)、体高(H)、体厚(BT)和体长/体高(SLH)进行了QTL定位分析。结果显示:共检测到14个相关的QTL,分布在7个连锁群上。其中,7个与体长相关的QTL——LG6、LG17、LG21、LG23和LG35连锁群上的QTL为显著水平(P<0.05),LG1和LG28上达到极显著水平(P<0.01),可解释表型变异为6.6%~12.6%;3个与体高相关的QTL均为极显著水平(P<0.01)位于LG17、LG23和LG28上,可解释表型变异分别为11.6%、12.7%和15.6%;2个与体厚相关的QTL均为显著水平(P<0.05)位于LG23和LG28上,可解释表型变异分别为8.6%和7.2%;2个与体长/体高相关的QTL均为显著水平(P<0.05)位于LG21和LG35上,可解释表型变异均为8.2%。     

Mercurial sensitivity of aquaporin 1 endofacial loop B residues

The water channel protein aquaporin-1 (AQP1) has two asparagine-proline-alanine (NPA) repeats on loops B and E. From recent structural information, these loops are on opposite sides of the membrane and meet to form a pore. We replaced the mercury-sensitive residue cysteine 189 in AQP1 by serine to obtain a mercury-insensitive template (C189S). Subsequently, we substituted three consecutive cysteines for residues 71-73 near the first NPA repeat (76-78) in intracellular loop B, and investigated whether they were accessible to extracellular mercurials. AQP1 and its mutants were expressed in Xenopus laevis oocytes, and the osmotic permeability (P(f)) of the oocytes was determined. C189S had wild-type P(f) but was not sensitive to HgCl(2). Expression of all three C189S cysteine mutants resulted in increased P(f), and all three mutants regained mercurial sensitivity. These results, especially the inhibitions by the large mercurial p-chloromercunbenzene-sulfonic acid (pCMBS) ( approximately 6A wide), suggest that residues 71-73 at the pore are accessible to extracellular mercurials. A 30-ps molecular dynamics simulation (at 300 K) starting with crystallographic coordinates of AQP1 showed that the width of the pore bottleneck (between Connolly surfaces) can vary (w(avg) = 3.9 A, sigma = 0.75; hydrated AQP1). Thus, although the pore width would be > or = 6 A only for 0.0026 of the time, this might suffice for pCMBS to reach residues 71-73. Alternative explanations such as passage of pCMBS across the AQP1 tetramer center or other unspecified transmembrane pathways cannot be excluded.