Development and characterization of 33 polymorphic microsatellite markers in Trachurus japonicus by SLAF-seq technology

Trachurus japonicus is an economically important fish in the northwestern Pacific Ocean. However, its resources have declined seriously and there is an urgent need for a wide-range of investigations of the existing genetic resources. This requires a large number of diverse molecular markers with high discriminating power. In this study, we identified 43,264 perfect SSRs in T. japonicus genome using SLAF-seq technology. Of these, we randomly selected 106 SSRs (tri-nucleotide to hexa-nucleotide) to test for polymorphism. Eventually, we successfully developed a total of 33 loci including 8 tri-nucleotide and 25 long repeat motifs (tetra-nucleotide to hexa-nucleotide). The number of alleles (Na) of these loci ranged from 4 to 24 (mean 12.6). The observed heterozygosity (Ho) and expected heterozygosity (He) varied from 0.258 to 0.969 (mean 0.723) and from 0.452 to 0.962 (mean 0.827), respectively. All loci except TJ6-7 were highly informative (PIC > 0.5). These results showed that the shortlisted 33 loci exhibited moderate to relatively high genetic diversity, of which 18 were regarded as highly polymorphic and well-resolved. In summary, these diverse and potential microsatellites detected in our study provide substantial genetic basis for the screening of polymorphic SSR markers of T. japonicus and also provide a powerful tool to perform further studies on the genetic resource assessment and conservation of T. japonicus.     

MicroRNA profiles in Sorghum exposed to individual drought or heat or their combination

Sorghum is largely grown for food, fodder and for biofuel production in semi-arid regions where the drought or high temperature or their combination co-occur. Plant microRNAs (miRNAs) are integral to the gene regulatory networks that control almost all biological processes including adaptation to stress conditions. Thus far, plant miRNA profiles under separate drought or heat stresses have been reported but not under combined drought and heat. In this study, we report miRNA profiles in leaves of sorghum exposed to individual drought or heat or their combination. Approximately 29 conserved miRNA families represented by 80 individual miRNAs, 26 families represented by 47 members of less conserved or sorghum-specific miRNA families as well as 8 novel miRNA families have been identified. Of these, 25 miRNAs were found to be differentially regulated in response to stress treatments. The comparative profiling revealed that the miRNA regulation was stronger under heat or combination of heat and drought compared to the drought alone. Furthermore, using degradome sequencing, 48 genes were confirmed as targets for the miRNAs in sorghum. Overall, this study provides a framework for understanding of the miRNA-guided gene regulations under combined stresses.

     

新工科背景下生物反应工程课程的多元化教学模式 改革与探索

生物反应工程作为一门理论性与应用性都很强的专业课程,在生物工程等相关专业的课程设置中处于桥梁和纽带地位,对新型应用型工科人才的培养发挥着重要的作用。但由于该课程中公式等抽象理论知识过多,导致学生学习效率十分低下。因此,为了适应新工科教育背景下对创新型人才培养的需求,提高学生的学习兴趣和积极性,并培养学生的自主学习等创新能力,教学团队在课程教学中通过引入虚拟仿真技术、开展微课教学、采用案例式教学模式、利用科研平台等多元化方式,对该课程的教学模式、方法和手段尝试改革和探索,取得了一定的教学效果,并就此进行了一些探讨,以期能为相关课程的教学改革提供一些思路和启示。     

黄芪汤对延缓C离子辐射致大鼠肾组织细胞凋亡的影响及相关机制

目的: 探讨黄芪汤抑制¹²C⁶⁺离子辐射脑模型鼠肾组织细胞凋亡的分子保护机制。方法: 50只SPF级Wistar大鼠随机分为正常对照组,单纯辐射模型组,黄芪汤(高、中、低剂量)组。正常对照组和单纯辐射模型组给予等体积生理盐水灌胃10 ml/(kg·d),黄芪汤治疗组分别灌胃给予黄芪汤18、9、4.5 g/(kg·d),连续给药2周。7 d后除正常对照组外,其余各组大鼠脑组织给予4Gy ¹²C⁶⁺离子束单次照射,辐射后第7日处死各组大鼠。HE染色法观察大鼠肾脏的病理形态变化,ELISA法检测大鼠血清IL-6的含量,实时荧光定量PCR法测定大鼠肾脏Bcl-2、Bax和Caspase-3的基因表达,免疫组化法检测大鼠肾脏Bcl-2、Bax、Caspase-3和NF-κB的蛋白表达。结果: 与正常对照组比较,单纯辐射模型组体重和肾脏指数均显著降低,血清IL-6的含量显著升高,肾脏Bcl-2的基因表达和蛋白表达均显著降低,Bax和Caspase-3的基因表达和蛋白表达均显著升高,NF-κB的蛋白表达也显著升高(P＜ 0.01),单纯辐射组肾小球系膜细胞明显增生,肾小管间质血管明显扩张充血,肾小管管腔狭窄、不规则。与单纯辐射模型组相比,黄芪汤高剂量组体重和肾脏指数均明显升高,黄芪汤各干预组肾脏Bcl-2的基因表达和蛋白表达均显著升高(P＜0.05或P＜0.01);而黄芪汤中、高剂量组Bax和Caspase-3的蛋白表达均显著降低,各干预组血清IL-6的含量显著降低,肾脏Bax和Caspase-3的基因表达均显著降低,肾脏NF-κB的蛋白表达显著下降(P＜0.05或P＜0.01),黄芪汤高剂量组可见肾小球系膜细胞增生情况明显改善,肾小管轮廓清晰。结论: 黄芪汤对¹²C⁶⁺离子辐射脑模型鼠的肾损伤具有一定的防护作用,其作用机制可能与调控Bcl-2/NF-κB信号通路有关。     

Genetic Analysis of Human Adenovirus Type 7 Strains Circulating in Different Parts of China

To investigate the molecular epidemiology and genetic variation of human adenovirus type 7(HAdV-7) in children with acute respiratory infections(ARI) in China. HAdV-7-positive respiratory samples collected from children with ARI in Beijing, Shijiazhuang, Wenzhou and Guangzhou from 2014–2018 were selected for gene amplification and sequence analysis. Fifty-seven HAdV-7 clinical strains with hexon, penton base and fiber gene sequences were obtained. Meanwhile17 strains were selected randomly from different cities for whole genome sequencing. Phylogenetic and variation analyses were performed based on the obtained sequences, HAdV-7 prototype strain Gomen(AY594255), vaccine strains(AY495969 and AY594256) and representative sequences of strains. The phylogenetic trees constructed based on whole genome sequences, major capsid protein genes(hexon, penton base and fiber) and the early genes(E1, E2, E3 and E4) were not completely consistent. The HAdV-7 strains obtained in this study always clustered with most of the circulating strains worldwide from the 1980 s to the present. Compared with the HAdV-7 prototype strain Gomen(AY594255), some amino acid mutations in loop1 and loop2 of hexon and the RGD loop region of the penton base gene were observed. Recombination analysis showed that partial regions of 55 k Da protein and 100 kDa hexon-assembly associated protein genes among all HAdV-7 strains in this study were from HAdV-16 and HAdV-3, respectively. Our study demonstrated the molecular evolution characteristics of HAdV-7 strains circulating in China and provided basic reference data for the prevention, control and vaccine development of HAdV-7.