长白山不同植被带大型真菌多样性调查名录Ⅲ针叶林带

根据2000—2009年间在长白山针叶林带所采集的标本,报道了长白山北坡、西坡和南坡针叶林带分布的大型真菌共计310种,隶属于56科140属。其中,中国新记录种2种,吉林省新记录种38种。根据生态类型划分出腐生菌166种,外生菌根菌136种,菌寄生真菌6种和虫生菌2种。本名录共引证标本900余份,绝大多数标本为首次被引证,包括大型真菌每个种的最新名称和标本号保存于吉林农业大学菌物标本馆(HMJAU)。     

采自内蒙古和黑龙江的中国鳞伞属新记录

报道采自内蒙古和黑龙江的中国鳞伞属Pholiota新记录3种,即阿拉巴马鳞伞Pholiota alabamensis、变黄鳞伞Pholiota flavescens和暗黄鳞伞Pholiota pseudosiparia。研究标本存放在吉林农业大学菌物标本馆（HMJAU）。     

紫红丝膜菌子实体的化学成分研究

从紫红丝膜菌子实体粗提物中分离得到棕榈酸、麦角甾醇、麦角甾醇过氧化物、大黄素甲醚、1-羟基-3-甲基-2-异丙基-6,8-二甲氧基蒽醌5个单体化合物;通过气质联机分析,黄色油状物鉴定出9个化合物,主要为具有香气成分的不饱和脂肪醛类化合物,紫色粉末物鉴定出5个化合物,主要为开链饱和烷烃类化合物。     

疣柄牛肝菌属一中国新记录种

报道了采自内蒙古呼伦贝尔市的中国疣柄牛肝菌属1个新记录种,即假褐疣柄牛肝菌Leccinum pseudoscabrum(Kallenb.)utara.。主要特征为菌肉伤后变红到紫褐色,再到黑褐色,基部菌丝体手触后呈紫褐色;具泡状菌丝,呈栅栏状。比较和讨论了该种与相近种在伤后不同的变色反应及菌丝形态。研究标本存放于吉林农业大学菌物标本馆(HMJAU)。     

The space between: Neutron diffraction studies reveal multiple hydrogen atom coordination numbers in an anionic dysprosium hydride cluster

Our single-crystal neutron diffraction results unambiguously reveal a four-coordinate H atom located in the center of a soluble organometallic tetrahedral complex [Li(THF)₄][(C₅Me₄SiMe₃)₄Dy₄(μ-Cl)(μ-H)₈]. The core of the molecule consists of a tetranuclear cluster with one interstitial, two face-bridging and five edge-bridging hydride ligands. The four Dy-H distances to the interstitial hydride ligand are 2.249(9), 2.255(9), 2.157(12) and 2.160(12) ?. The compound was prepared via the reaction of [(C₅Me₄SiMe₃)₄Dy₄(μ-H)₈(THF)₂] with LiCl. Neutron data collected on a 3 mm³ pale-yellow single crystal on the Quasi-Laue diffractometer VIVALDI at I.L.L. (Grenoble) which gave an agreement factor R = 10.1% in the final structure refinement against 6947 reflections. The existence of a four-coordinate hydrogen reinforces previous results observed with a series of high-connectivity hydride ligands located at the interstitial cavities of molecular clusters. Interestingly, this structure allows us to analyze simultaneously three different types of hydride coordination in the same molecule (M₂(μ₂-H), M₃(μ₃-H), and M₄(μ₄-H)).     

Effect of germinated and heated soybean meals on plasma cholesterol and triglycerides in rats

Soybean may be useful in diets for the prevention of cardiovascular disease and the treatment of type II hyperlipoproteinemia as it lowers blood cholesterol levels. However, unpleasant organoleptic qualities and the presence of antinutritional substances hinder its use. Some of these problems may be partially solved by germinating the seeds or heating the meals. The effects of the duration of soybean germination and of heating the meal were studied in Wistar rats. Dietary meal composition, plasma cholesterol and triglyceride levels were evaluated after feeding rats with various soybean meal or casein diets containing 10% protein for 6 weeks. Plasma cholesterol and triglyceride levels were 0.81 +/- 0.11 and 0.82 +/- 0.23 g/l respectively after the casein diet and 0.90 +/- 0.10 and 0.51 +/- 0.17 g/l after the raw soybean diet. Soybean germination had a hypercholesterolemic effect (1.05 +/- 0.11 g/l after 5 d). Heating the raw meal or germinated soybean meal did not affect cholesterol levels, though it suppressed the hypotriglyceridemic effect. The triglyceride-lowering effect of soybean was probably caused by the presence of thermolabile substances or by the quantity of food ingested. The unexpected increase in blood cholesterol levels may have been due to the effect of the low dietary protein levels.     

Potential role of CCND1 G870A genotype as a predictor for urothelial carcinoma susceptibility and muscle-invasiveness in Taiwan

The cell cycle regulator cyclin D1 (CCND1) is thought to play a major role in the transition of cell cycle from G1 to S phase. It is known that a common CCND1 G870A genotype is associated with bladder cancer in Japan and China, but not in the Western World. There is neither a report about its role in Taiwan's population, nor its genetic role of CCND1 G870A in another worldwide urothelial cancer, upper tract urothelial cancer (UTUC). Therefore, we aimed at investigating the role of CCND1 G870A in both bladder cancer and UTUC in Taiwanese cohorts. The CCND1 G870A genotypes of 171 (101 bladder cancer and 70 UTUC) patients and 243 control subjects were determined by PCR-RFLP and their correlation with clinical and histopathological data was evaluated. The genotype analysis results showed that CCND1 GG genotype was associated with a lower risk overall in urothelial (P = 0.008, OR = 0.44, 95% CI = 0.24-0.81) and bladder cancer patients (P = 0.008, OR = 0.34, 95% CI = 0.15-0.76) than those of the AA genotype. In addition, patients carrying the AG genotype had a 0.29-fold lower odds ratio of muscle-invasive cancer procession (95% CI = 0.12-0.70) compared with those carrying the AA genotype in bladder cancer patients. Surprisingly, the GG genotype had a 5.88-fold higher odds ratio of muscle-invasive cancer procession (95% CI = 1.08-32.01) compared with those carrying the AA genotype in UTUC. No association between any CCND1 G870A genotype and higher-grade risk was found. Our results suggest that the G allele of the CCND1 G870A polymorphism may be a potential predictive and prognostic biomarker to distinguish between bladder cancer and UTUC in Taiwan.     

A low-cost microfluidic chip for rapid genotyping of malaria-transmitting mosquitoes

Background

Vector control is one of the most effective measures to prevent the transmission of malaria, a disease that causes over 600,000 deaths annually. Around 30–40 Anopheles mosquito species are natural vectors of malaria parasites. Some of these species cannot be morphologically distinguished, but have behavioral and ecological differences. Emblematic of this is the Anopheles gambiae species complex. The correct identification of vector species is fundamental to the development of control strategies and epidemiological studies of disease transmission.

Methodology/Principal Findings

An inexpensive, disposable, field-deployable, sample-to-answer, microfluidic chip was designed, constructed, and tested for rapid molecular identification of Anopheles gambiae and Anopheles arabiensis. The chip contains three isothermal amplification reactors. One test reactor operates with specific primers to amplify Anopheles gambiae DNA, another with specific primers for Anopheles arabiensis DNA, and the third serves as a negative control. A mosquito leg was crushed on an isolation membrane. Two discs, laden with mosquito tissue, were punched out of the membrane and inserted into the two test chambers. The isolated, disc-bound DNA served as a template in the amplification processes. The amplification products were detected with intercalating fluorescent dye that was excited with a blue light-emitting diode. The emitted light was observed by eye and recorded with a cell-phone camera. When the target consisted of Anopheles gambiae, the reactor containing primers specific to An. gambiae lit up while the other two reactors remained dark. When the target consisted of Anopheles arabiensis, the reactor containing primers specific to An. arabiensis lit up while the other two reactors remained dark.

Conclusions/Significance

The microfluidic chip provides a means to identify mosquito type through molecular analysis. It is suitable for field work, allowing one to track the geographical distribution of mosquito populations and community structure alterations due to environmental changes and malaria intervention measures.     

In Vitro Reconstitution of Microtubule Plus End-directed, GTPγS-sensitive Motility of Golgi Membranes

Purified Golgi membranes were mixed with cytosol and microtubules (MTs) and observed by video enhanced light microscopy. Initially, the membranes appeared as vesicles that moved along MTs. As time progressed, vesicles formed aggregates from which membrane tubules emerged, traveled along MTs, and eventually generated extensive reticular networks. Membrane motility required ATP, occurred mainly toward MT plus ends, and was inhibited almost completely by the H1 monoclonal antibody to kinesin heavy chain, 5′-adenylylimidodiphosphate, and 100 μM but not 20 μM vanadate. Motility was also blocked by GTPγS or AlF₄⁻ but was insensitive to AlCl₃, NaF, staurosporin, or okadaic acid. The targets for GTPγS and AlF₄⁻ were evidently of cytosolic origin, did not include kinesin or MTs, and were insensitive to several probes for trimeric G proteins. Transport of Golgi membranes along MTs mediated by a kinesin has thus been reconstituted in vitro. The motility is regulated by one or more cytosolic GTPases but not by protein kinases or phosphatases that are inhibited by staurosporin or okadaic acid, respectively. The pertinent GTPases are likely to be small G proteins or possibly dynamin. The in vitro motility may correspond to Golgi-to-ER or Golgi-to-cell surface transport in vivo.