Early presynaptic changes during plasticity in cultured hippocampal neurons

Long-lasting increase in synaptic strength is thought to underlie learning. An explosion of data has characterized changes in postsynaptic (pstS) AMPA receptor cycling during potentiation. However, changes occurring within the presynaptic (prS) terminal remain largely unknown. We show that appearance of new release sites during potentiation between cultured hippocampal neurons is due to (a) conversion of nonrecycling sites to recycling sites, (b) formation of new releasing sites from areas containing diffuse staining for the prS marker Vesicle-Associated Membrane Protein-2 and (c) budding of new recycling sites from previously existing recycling sites. In addition, potentiation is accompanied by a release probability increase in pre-existing boutons depending upon their individual probability. These prS changes precede and regulate fluorescence increase for pstS GFP-tagged-AMPA-receptor subunit GluR1. These results suggest that potentiation involves early changes in the prS terminal including remodeling and release probability increase of pre-existing synapses.     

猪γ-干扰素在重组杆状病毒中的表达及其抗病毒活性的测定

研究利用Bac-To-Bac杆状病毒表达系统构建含有猪γ-干扰素(porcine interferon-γ,PoIFN-γ)完整开放阅读框的供体质粒pFastBacTM1-PoIFN-γ,转化DH10Bac感受态细胞获得重组穿梭质粒rBacmid-PoIFN-γ,转染sf9昆虫细胞救获表达PoIFN-γ的重组杆状病毒rBac-PoIFN-γ。以抗PoIFN-γ单克隆抗体为一抗进行Western blot、间接免疫荧光(IFA)及间接ELISA检测,结果表明PoIFN-γ在重组杆状病毒rBac-PoIFN-γ感染的昆虫细胞中获得正确表达。抗病毒活性试验显示,重组杆状病毒表达rPoIFN-γ能有效抑制水疱性口炎病毒(VSV)在猪肾细胞系(PK-15)的复制,rBac-PoIFN-γ感染昆虫细胞培养上清抗病毒活性为2×104抑制单位(IU)/mL,其抗病毒活性可以被鼠抗原核表达重组PoIFN-γ免疫血清有效阻断。结果表明rPoIFN-γ在重组杆状病毒rBac-PoIFN-γ在感染昆虫细胞获得有效表达,并具有高效抗病毒活性。     

跑台运动训练和停训对去卵巢大鼠体成分和骨密度的影响

目的：研究中等强度跑台运动训练和停训对去卵巢大鼠骨密度和体成分的影响。方法：将60只成年雌性SD大鼠按体重分层后随机分为假手术组、去卵巢静止组和去卵巢运动组,每组20只。去卵巢运动组大鼠每周进行4次时间45min、速度18m／rain、跑道倾角5℃的跑台训练,持续训练14周时,将各组大鼠又随机分为两个亚组,即：假手术-16周（Sham．16）和假手术32周（Sham-32）组、去卵巢-16周（OVX-16）和去卵巢-32周（OVX-32）组以及去卵巢运动（EX）和停训组（DEX）。分别在末次训练结束36—48小时内或停训16周时,用双能X线骨密度仪检测各组大鼠体成分和骨密度的变化。结果：（1）训练结束时,OVX-16组大鼠体脂重量和含量显著高于Sham-16和EX组,而瘦体含量、全身骨密度和腰椎骨密度显著低于Sham-16和EX组,各组其他检测指标无显著变化。（2）停训16周时,OVX-32组大鼠体重、脂肪重量和体脂含量显著高于Sham-32组,而全身、腰椎和左右股骨骨密度以及瘦体含量显著低于Sham．32组;DEX组大鼠脂肪重量和体脂含量显著高于OVX-32组,而瘦体含量显著低于OVX-32组。结论：跑台运动对去卵巢大鼠体成分和骨密度的改善效应在停训16周时均未能被保持。     

定位于5q31-5q32的DFNA52的20个候选基因的突变筛查

为了克隆定位于5号染色体微卫星标记D5S2056和D5S638之间约8.8 cM的区间内的非综合征性常染色体显性遗传性耳聋 DFNA52 (OMIM: 607683)的致病基因, 文章根据基因在耳蜗组织的表达情况, 筛选出20个候选基因, 设计合成了扩增20个基因外显子及外显子与内含子交界的引物, 用DNA直接测序法进行序列变异分析。结果显示, 在基因外显子及侧翼区共发现了45个单核苷酸多态, 其中42个变异在多态数据库已报道, 其余3个为新发现的单核苷酸多态, 序列变异与疾病表型无共分离现象, 排除了这些基因外显子突变导致遗传性耳聋的可能性。     

北方温带森林不同海拔梯度土壤碳矿化速率及酶动力学参数温度敏感性

采集长白山脉龙岗支脉老秃顶子南坡3个不同海拔梯度森林(岳桦林、针阔混交林、红松林)土壤,进行室内温度梯度培养试验,研究土壤碳矿化速率(C_min)和土壤β-1,4-葡萄糖苷酶(β_G)动力学参数及温度敏感性.结果表明： 海拔和温度对C_min均有显著影响,3种森林土壤C_min均随着培养温度升高而增加,且岳桦林土壤C_min最高.3种森林土壤碳矿化速率温度敏感性\[Q₁₀(C_min)\]大小为岳桦林>红松林>针阔混交林,但差异不显著.3种森林土壤β_G动力学参数最大反应速率(V_max)和米氏常数(K_m)均随培养温度升高而增加,V_max的温度敏感性\[Q₁₀(V_max)\]为1.78～1.90,K_m的温度敏感性\[Q₁₀(K_m)\]为1.79～2.00.岳桦林Q₁₀(V_max)/Q₁₀(K_m)值显著高于红松林和针阔混交林,表明高海拔岳桦林土壤有机碳水解酶动力学参数受温度升高影响最大.     

陕西根螨属一新种记述（蜱螨亚纲：粉螨科）

本文描述根螨属１新种：大蒜根螨Ｒｈｉｚｏｇｌｙｐｈｕｓ ａｌｌｉｉ ｓｐ．ｎｏｖ．,模式标本保存在西南农业大学植物保护系。     

Real Time Measures of Prestin Charge and Fluorescence during Plasma Membrane Trafficking Reveal Sub-Tetrameric Activity

Prestin (SLC26a5) is the outer hair cell integral membrane motor protein that drives cochlear amplification, and has been described as an obligate tetramer. We studied in real time the delivery of YFP-prestin to the plasma membrane of cells from a tetracycline-inducible cell line. Following the release of temperature block to reinstate trans Golgi network delivery of the integral membrane protein, we measured nonlinear capacitance (NLC) and membrane fluorescence during voltage clamp. Prestin was delivered exponentially to the plasma membrane with a time constant of less than 10 minutes, with both electrical and fluorescence methods showing high temporal correlation. However, based on disparity between estimates of prestin density derived from either fluorescence or NLC, we conclude that sub-tetrameric forms of prestin contribute to our electrical and fluorescence measures. Thus, in agreement with previous observations we find that functional prestin is not an obligate tetramer.     

Identification and Characterization of the First Cathelicidin from Sea Snakes with Potent Antimicrobial and Anti-inflammatory Activity and Special Mechanism

Cathelicidins are a family of gene-encoded peptide effectors of innate immunity found exclusively in vertebrates. They play pivotal roles in host immune defense against microbial invasions. Dozens of cathelicidins have been identified from several vertebrate species. However, no cathelicidin from marine reptiles has been characterized previously. Here we report the identification and characterization of a novel cathelicidin (Hc-CATH) from the sea snake Hydrophis cyanocinctus. Hc-CATH is composed of 30 amino acids, and the sequence is KFFKRLLKSVRRAVKKFRKKPRLIGLSTLL. Circular dichroism spectroscopy and structure modeling analysis indicated that Hc-CATH mainly assumes an amphipathic α-helical conformation in bacterial membrane-mimetic solutions. It possesses potent broad-spectrum and rapid antimicrobial activity. Meanwhile, it is highly stable and shows low cytotoxicity toward mammalian cells. The microbial killing activity of Hc-CATH is executed through the disruption of cell membrane and lysis of bacterial cells. In addition, Hc-CATH exhibited potent anti-inflammatory activity by inhibiting the LPS-induced production of nitric oxide (NO) and pro-inflammatory cytokines such as TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6. Hc-CATH directly binds with LPS to neutralize its toxicity, and it also binds to Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4/MD2 complex), which therefore inhibits the binding of LPS to TLR4/MD2 complex and the subsequent activation of LPS-induced inflammatory response pathways. Taken together, our study demonstrates that Hc-CATH, the first cathelicidin from sea snake discovered to have both antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory activity, is a potent candidate for the development of peptide antibiotics.     

完全树构建中的关键领域:rRNA 序列与超级树

20年来,分子系统学在理论和实践方面都有飞速的发展.随着可用分子标记和所涉及阶元数量的增多和范围的扩大,以及计算能力的进步,人们对完全树(universal tree)将地球上所有物种囊括在内、描述其间的亲缘关系的系统发育树的憧憬正在逐步成为现实.由于rDNA/rRNA是惟一作为所有细胞生命形式所共有的分子标记,其在构建完全树的过程中具有不可替代的作用.近5年,超级树(supertree)的技术逐步完善,已经在若干类群中有良好的应用,形成了系统发育与进化生物学领域的研究前沿之一,为最终获得完全树奠定了坚实的基础.