On the origin of floral morphological novelties

Floral morphological novelties, like homeotic changes of whorl 1 organs, can easily arise by modifying existing regulatory networks. Ectopic expression of B-function MADS-box genes in whorl 1 leads to a replacement of sepals by petals, as is found in the Liliaceae. In cases where leaf-like sepals or even inflated calyces develop, which ultimately envelop the mature fruit as in Physalis, ectopic expression of a vegetative MADS-box gene seems to be responsible. Current knowledge concerning the origin of such morphological novelties is reviewed.     

Sle1ab mediates the aberrant activation of STAT3 and Ras-ERK signaling pathways in B lymphocytes

The Sle1ab genomic interval on murine chromosome 1 mediates the loss of immune tolerance to chromatin resulting in antinuclear Abs (ANA) production in the lupus-prone NZM2410 mouse. Global gene expression analysis was used to identify the molecular pathways that are dysregulated at the initiation of B lymphocyte autoimmunity in B6.Sle1ab mice. This analysis identified that STAT3 and ras-ERK signaling pathways are aberrantly activated in Sle1ab B lymphocytes, consistent with increased production of IL-6 by splenic B lymphocytes and monocytes in B6.Sle1ab mice. In vitro treatment of splenic mononuclear cells isolated from ANA-positive Sle1ab mice with anti-IL-6 Ab or AG490, an inhibitor of STAT3 signaling pathway, suppressed ANA production in short-term culture, indicating that this pathway was essential to the production of autoantibodies. In vivo treatment of ANA-positive B6.Sle1ab mice with the ras pathway inhibitor, perillyl alcohol, suppressed the increase of ANA. These findings identify IL-6 as a early key cytokine in Sle1ab-mediated disease development and indicate that the STAT3 and ras-ERK signaling pathways are potential therapeutic targets for treating systemic lupus erythematosus.     

Bis(undecatungstogermanate) lanthanates of potassium

The K₁₃[Ln(GeW₁₁O₃₉)₂]·nH₂O (Ln = Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Tm, Yb) have been prepared. Some properties of these compounds have been studied. The change of main bands in their IR spectra with reference to α-GeW₁₂O₄₀⁴⁻ is discussed. v_as (W---O_d) is shifted toward low wavenumber and v_as (W---O_b---W), δ(O---Ge---O) each appear as two distinct bands. X-ray powder diffraction shows that the molecular symmetry of K₁₃[Ln(GeW₁₁O₃₉)₂] is lower than that of α-K₈(GeW₁₁O₃₉). XPS determinations reveals that the Ln---O bond has coordination character and that the shifts of W_4f and O_ls are between K₁₃Ln (GeW₁₁O₃₉₂ and α-H₄(GeW₁₂O₄₀). Magnetic measurement confirms that the lanthanide elements are +3 valent in this complexes and the magnetic moments are very close to the values found by Van Vleck.     

Virus-like particles of recombinant PCV2b carrying FMDV-VP1 epitopes induce both anti-PCV and anti-FMDV antibody responses

Mixed infection of porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) and foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) is devastating to swine populations. To develop an effective vaccine that can protect the pigs from the infection of PCV2 and FMDV, we used the neutralizing B cell epitope region (aa 135–160) of FMDV to replace the regions aa 123–151 and aa 169–194 of the PCV2b Cap protein to generate a recombinant protein designated as Capfb. The Capfb protein was expressed in Escherichia coli system and the purified Capfb protein assembled into virus-like particles (VLPs) through dialysis. The ability of the Capfb protein to induce effective immune response against FMDV and PCV2b was tested in mice and guinea pigs. The results showed that the Capfb-VLPs could elicit anti-PCV2b and anti-FMDV antibody response in mice and guinea pigs without inducing antibodies against decoy epitope. Moreover, the Capfb-VLPs could enhance the percentage and activation of B cells in lymph nodes when the mice were stimulated with inactivated FMDV or PCV2b. These data suggested that the Capfb-VLPs could be an efficacious candidate antigen for developing a novel PCV2b-FMDV bivalent vaccine.

     

Formimidoyltransferase cyclodeaminase prevents the starvation-induced liver hepatomegaly and dysfunction through downregulating mTORC1

The liver is a crucial center in the regulation of energy homeostasis under starvation. Although downregulation of mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) has been reported to play pivotal roles in the starvation responses, the underpinning mechanisms in particular upstream factors that downregulate mTORC1 remain largely unknown. To identify genetic variants that cause liver energy disorders during starvation, we conduct a zebrafish forward genetic screen. We identify a liver hulk (lvh) mutant with normal liver under feeding, but exhibiting liver hypertrophy under fasting. The hepatomegaly in lvh is caused by enlarged hepatocyte size and leads to liver dysfunction as well as limited tolerance to starvation. Positional cloning reveals that lvh phenotypes are caused by mutation in the ftcd gene, which encodes the formimidoyltransferase cyclodeaminase (FTCD). Further studies show that in response to starvation, the phosphorylated ribosomal S6 protein (p-RS6), a downstream effector of mTORC1, becomes downregulated in the wild-type liver, but remains at high level in lvh. Inhibition of mTORC1 by rapamycin rescues the hepatomegaly and liver dysfunction of lvh. Thus, we characterize the roles of FTCD in starvation response, which acts as an important upstream factor to downregulate mTORC1, thus preventing liver hypertrophy and dysfunction.     

节肢动物群落稳定性分析灰典型相关模型及其应用

稳定性是生态系统最重要的特征之一。根据累加生成可增强两单调增序列线性相关性原理,应用典型相关分析方法,以比值mn/mp(mp为害虫个体数,mn为天敌个体数)为测度群落稳定性的指数,构建群落稳定性分析灰典型相关模型。具体做法是:(1)将各种群的数量序列按害虫各次总数量的递增顺序进行重排,用各种群数量序列的极差去除该序列,将其无量纲化,然后对各序列进行累加生成;(2)以害虫各种群为一组变量,天敌各种群为另一组变量,应用典型相关分析的方法,求出各对典型变量。对达到线性拟合要求的典型变量对,以害虫为自变量,天敌为因变量建立回归方程,并对这些方程中的变量进行累减还原;(3)对这些方程进行线性组合,合并成一个方程,组合系数是使这些害虫典型变量的线性组合与害虫总数量序列的线性相关值达到最大;(4)引进转换系数的概念,建立天敌、害虫总量相互转换模型,该模型称之为灰典型相关模型,通过模型可分析各种群在群落稳定性中的作用。将模型应用于福州金山茶园节肢动物群落的稳定性分析,所得结果与实际基本相符,表明建立的灰典型相关模型是可行的。     

节肢动物群落稳定性测度的灰色模型及其应用

证明了累加生成可增大两单调递增序列的协方差,意味着累加生成有可能提高两正相关序列的线性相关性,使之达到线性拟合的要求。在一个节肢动物群落中总个体数与种类数、天敌总个体数与害虫总个体数具有灰正相关关系。以各样本中总个体数m与种类数S及天敌总个体数mn与害虫总个体数mp为变量,利用累加生成和线性回归的方法建立节肢动物群落稳定性测度灰色模型。通过模型求出比值S/m和mn/mp作为测度群落稳定性的指标,其值愈大表明群落稳定性愈好。将该模型应用于福州、安溪、武夷山、福安等四地茶园节肢动物群落稳定性的测度,对所得结果应用灰色聚类法按“好”、“中”、“差”3类对4地茶园节肢动物群落稳定性状况进行灰色聚类评估。评估结果为:福州、安溪茶园为“好”,武夷山茶园为“中”,福安茶园为“差”。这一结果与实际基本相符,表明建立的灰色模型是可行的,并验证了生物多样性可导致群落稳定性这一假说。     

Slow Co-Evolution of the MAGO and Y14 Protein Families Is Required for the Maintenance of Their Obligate Heterodimerization Mode

The exon junction complex (EJC) plays important roles in RNA metabolisms and the development of eukaryotic organisms. MAGO (short form of MAGO NASHI) and Y14 (also Tsunagi or RBM8) are the EJC core components. Their biological roles have been well investigated in various species, but the evolutionary patterns of the two gene families and their protein-protein interactions are poorly known. Genome-wide survey suggested that the MAGO and Y14 two gene families originated in eukaryotic organisms with the maintenance of a low copy. We found that the two protein families evolved slowly; however, the MAGO family under stringent purifying selection evolved more slowly than the Y14 family that was under relative relaxed purifying selection. MAGO and Y14 were obliged to form heterodimer in a eukaryotic organism, and this obligate mode was plesiomorphic. Lack of binding of MAGO to Y14 as functional barrier was observed only among distantly species, suggesting that a slow co-evolution of the two protein families. Inter-protein co-evolutionary signal was further quantified in analyses of the Tol-MirroTree and co-evolution analysis using protein sequences. About 20% of the 41 significantly correlated mutation groups (involving 97 residues) predicted between the two families was clade-specific. Moreover, around half of the predicted co-evolved groups and nearly all clade-specific residues fell into the minimal interaction domains of the two protein families. The mutagenesis effects of the clade-specific residues strengthened that the co-evolution is required for obligate MAGO-Y14 heterodimerization mode. In turn, the obliged heterodimerization in an organism serves as a strong functional constraint for the co-evolution of the MAGO and Y14 families. Such a co-evolution allows maintaining the interaction between the proteins through large evolutionary time scales. Our work shed a light on functional evolution of the EJC genes in eukaryotes, and facilitates to understand the co-evolutionary processes among protein families.