Variation in tissue-specific gene expression among natural populations

Background  

Variation in gene expression is extensive among tissues, individuals, strains, populations and species. The interactions among these sources of variation are relevant for physiological studies such as disease or toxic stress; for example, it is common for pathologies such as cancer, heart failure and metabolic disease to be associated with changes in tissue-specific gene expression or changes in metabolic gene expression. But how conserved these differences are among outbred individuals and among populations has not been well documented. To address this we examined the expression of a selected suite of 192 metabolic genes in brain, heart and liver in three populations of the teleost fish Fundulus heteroclitus using a highly replicated experimental design.     

冷藏对美洲斑潜蝇蛹期发育和生存的影响

【目的】美洲斑潜蝇Liriomyza sativae Blanchard自20世纪90年代入侵我国后已经成为蔬菜和观赏植物的重要害虫。然而,近些年该昆虫已经逐渐成为研究植物和昆虫、昆虫抗寒性和寄主适应性等热点课题的模式种类。因此,为了实验室条件下更好保藏该虫的种群,本文研究了冷藏(世代发育起点温度8℃)对该斑潜蝇蛹发育和生存的影响。【方法】以化蛹后第3天的蛹为实验对象,8℃低温冷藏,并以冷藏时间(0、7、14、21、28和35 d)为参试因子研究了冷藏时间对美洲斑潜蝇蛹羽化率的影响;化蛹后每24 h解剖观察一次蛹并对蛹期发育阶段进行划分;根据划分的蛹期阶段,对处理中未羽化的蛹进行解剖比对,得到对低温最敏感的蛹期。【结果】随着冷藏时间的增长,美洲斑潜蝇的蛹羽化率逐渐降低。超过14 d后,羽化率明显下降。冷藏至35 d时羽化率为零。解剖正常发育的美洲斑潜蝇的蛹,将蛹期分为预蛹期、隐头蛹期、显头蛹初期、半透明眼期、浅黄色到琥珀色眼期、红褐色眼期、鬃毛蛹期。不同冷藏时间条件下,未羽化的蛹死亡时间主要为鬃毛蛹期,且鬃毛蛹期死亡的蛹的数量与贮藏时间呈正比例关系。【结论】在室内冷藏美洲斑潜蝇时,3日龄蛹8℃贮藏少于14 d为宜;鬃毛蛹期(10~11日龄蛹)对低温比较敏感,冷藏过程中,应避免鬃毛蛹期的蛹。     

过氧化氢酶抑制剂氨基三唑减轻急性酒精性肝损伤

本文旨在通过观察过氧化氢酶(catalase,CAT)抑制剂氨基三唑(aminotriazole,ATZ)对酒精诱导的急性肝损伤的影响,初步探讨CAT在酒精性肝损伤中的可能作用。以雄性Sprague Dawley(SD)大鼠为实验对象,采用酒精腹腔注射诱导急性肝损伤,在造模前30 min腹腔注射不同剂量ATZ(100~400 mg/kg)或相同体积溶剂(对照)。造模24 h后,检测大鼠血浆天冬氨酸转氨酶(aspartate transaminase,AST)、丙氨酸转氨酶(alanine transaminase,ALT)及乳酸脱氢酶(lactate dehydrogenase,LDH)水平,用HE染色法观察肝组织病理改变程度,用试剂盒检测肝组织内CAT活性、过氧化氢(hydrogen peroxide,H2O2)水平及丙二醛(malondialdehyde,MDA)含量,ELISA法检测血浆中肿瘤坏死因子α(tumor necrosis factor-α,TNF-α)及白介素-6(interleukin-6,IL-6)水平。结果显示,ATZ处理可剂量依赖性降低酒精暴露大鼠血浆中ALT、AST及LDH水平,并减轻酒精诱导的肝组织病理损伤;ATZ可抑制酒精暴露大鼠肝组织内CAT活性、降低H2O2水平及MDA含量;ATZ也可下调酒精暴露大鼠血浆中TNF-α和IL-6水平。以上结果表明,ATZ可减轻酒精诱导的大鼠急性肝损伤,提示CAT可能在酒精性肝损伤中发挥了重要的致病作用。     

电磁场的应用与研究进展

随着生物医学工程学发展,物理疗法已经成为当前疾病治疗一个重要手段,因此电磁场治疗及生物电磁的研究成为当前热点。特别是在骨病等相关领域的研究,研究发现电磁场能有效的治疗和预防骨质疏松症。因此本文就电磁场治疗以及机理研究方面进行综述。     

突触后致密物基因与孤独症

孤独症是一种病因不明的广泛性发育障碍疾病,它是孤独症谱系障碍的代表疾病,发病年龄早,大多在3岁以内起病,以社会交往障碍,言语交流障碍,动作行为的重复刻板和兴趣范围狭窄为三大临床核心症状。孤独症发病率呈逐年增高趋势,我国患者量已超过一百万。但是迄今为止仍没有特异的方法与手段对孤独症进行彻底有效地诊治,为社会和家庭带来了沉重的负担,因此,其发病机制是迫切需要研究的难题。目前国际上公认为遗传因素在孤独症的发病中起着重要作用,但对于致病基因的确定仍不明确。突触后致密物(PSD)在中枢神经系统神经递质和信息的传递过程中起重要作用,影响学习记忆及认知相关功能,而孤独症患者存在认知相关功能损伤的表现,二者可能存在一定的联系。本文对PSD基因功能以及与孤独症关系的研究加以综述,希望有助于孤独症的病因学研究,以期早日改善该病的诊疗及预防。     

ESI-Q-TOF-MS直接进样法比较陕西五个不同地区丹参的化学成分差异

该研究采用ESI-Q-TOF-MS直接进样分析法对陕西商州、洛南、大荔、丹凤和铜川等五个地区丹参的化学成分进行了比较分析,通过丹参水溶性和脂溶性成分的质谱丰度差异评价了不同地区丹参化学成分含量的变化,对不同产地丹参的化学成分进行了鉴定,综合分析选出了最优的丹参种植产地。结果表明:五地丹参均含有丹参酮ⅡA、隐丹参酮、丹参酮Ⅰ、二氢丹参酮、丹参酚酮、次丹参醌、丹参醌Ⅱ等9种脂溶性化学成分和丹参素、咖啡酸、阿魏酸、迷迭香酸、原紫草酸、紫草酸、原儿茶醛、丹酚酸A、丹酚酸B等9种水溶性化学成分,其中丹参素钠、紫草酸、丹酚酸B和隐丹参酮的含量普遍较高,质谱丰度均大于30%。但是,随着种植环境不同,不同地区丹参的化学成分含量差异很大,如商州产丹参中含有较多具有生物活性的丹参酮类物质,其中丹参酮Ⅰ含量远远高于其他四个产地,质谱丰度达到72.6%,而其他地区丹参酮Ⅰ的质谱丰度为1.8%～11.3%。这表明丹参质量按照地区排序为商州>铜川>大荔>洛南>丹凤。该方法为中药药材质量评价提供了科学、可靠、便捷的途径,为药材规格等级的制定提供了新途径,为陕西丹参种植区域的选择提供了重要信息。     

PCP degradation is mediated by closely related strains of the genus Sphingomonas

There have been numerous reports in the literature of diverse bacteria capable of degrading pentachlorophenol (PCP). In order to gain further insight into the phylogenetic relationships of PCP-degrading bacteria, we examined four strains: Arthrobacter sp. strain ATCC 33790, Flavobacterium sp. strain ATCC 39723, Pseudomonas sp. strain SR3, and Sphingomonas sp. strain RA2. These organisms were isolated from different geographical locations and all of them degrade high concentrations (100–200 mg/L) of PCP. Southern blot analyses determined that these bacteria all harbour DNA that encodes similar, if not identical, genes involved in PCP degradation. Comparison of the 16S rRNA nucleotide sequences revealed that these organisms were very closely related and, in fact, represent a monophyletic group. The 16S rRNA analyses together with fatty acid and sphingolipid analyses strongly suggest that the four strains are members of the genus Sphingomonas . The close relationship of the four organisms is supported by nucleotide sequence analysis data of the pcpB locus encoding PCP-4-monooxygenase, the first enzyme in the PCP degradative pathway.     

不同水肥一体化方式对苹果氮素吸收利用特性及产量和品质的影响

以‘嘎啦/八棱海棠’为试材,借助¹⁵N同位素示踪技术,研究了撒施(T₁)、滴灌施氮(T₂)和渗灌施氮(T₃)对嘎啦苹果氮素吸收利用、分配特性和产量品质的影响,以期进一步完善苹果园水肥一体化技术,挖掘提高氮素利用率的途径。结果表明: T₃处理苹果叶片的叶面积、叶绿素和氮含量显著高于T₁和T₂处理。各时期土壤矿化氮(N_min)含量在20~40 cm土层表现为T₃＞T₂＞T₁处理,在0~20 cm土层表现为T₂＞T₃＞T₁处理。同一器官的Ndff值(树体各器官从肥料中吸收到的¹⁵N占该器官全氮量的比例)在各时期均以T₃处理最高,T₂其次,T₁处理最低。果实成熟期的树体¹⁵N利用率表现为T₃＞T₂＞T₁处理,其中T₃处理的树体¹⁵N利用率为24.2%,分别是T₂和T₁处理的1.19和1.65倍。果实成熟期T₁处理的¹⁵N分配率在营养器官最高,T₂处理在贮藏器官最高,T₃处理在生殖器官最高。各处理的单果重、产量、可溶性固形物、硬度、可溶性糖及糖酸比均以T₃处理最高,T₂其次,T₁处理最低。渗灌施氮处理显著促进了嘎啦苹果树体叶片生长和氮素利用,并提高了果实产量和品质。     

柔毛淫羊藿及其近缘种叶片非腺毛形态及其分类学意义

柔毛淫羊藿(Epimedium pubescens Maxim.)是中国淫羊藿属植物中分布较为广泛、形态变异较为丰富的物种,柔毛淫羊藿及其近缘种在分类中存在诸多争议。为研究柔毛淫羊藿及其近缘种变异规律和进行种的界限划分,该研究对柔毛淫羊藿31个居群和近缘种星花羊藿3个居群、镇巴淫羊藿1个居群、万源淫羊藿1个居群共36个居群的叶背非腺毛进行了显微观察。结果显示：(1)所观察到的非腺毛分为直毛、曲毛、伏曲毛、长伏毛、拟短伏毛、短伏毛、单细胞毛7个大类19个小类,并发现每个居群或每个个体的叶背面非腺毛是由多种类型构成。(2)共观察到13个居群具有乳突,且69.2%非腺毛较少(非腺毛密度少于50个/mm²)的居群具有乳突;而且共有27个居群中具有单细胞毛,占该研究36个居群的75%。(3)以非腺毛密度、主要类型构成进行居群归类,其中柔毛淫羊藿21个居群为直毛群(A),柔毛淫羊藿7个居群为曲毛群(B),柔毛淫羊藿2个居群、星花淫羊藿3个居群、镇巴淫羊藿1个居群为长伏毛群(D),柔毛淫羊藿1个居群为拟短伏毛群(E),万源淫羊藿1个居群为短伏毛群(F),所有居群均共有直毛类非腺毛,说明直毛类非腺毛为柔毛淫羊藿及其近缘种的核心类型非腺毛。(4)从居群内非腺毛类型组成的角度梳理出了居群间的演化关系,直毛群：AⅠ→AⅡ→AⅢ→AⅣ→AⅤ;曲毛群：BⅠ→BⅡ→BⅢ→BⅣ;长伏毛群：DⅠ→DⅡ→DⅢ;直毛群→曲毛群;短直毛群→短伏毛特化群;短直毛群→拟短伏毛特化群,且居群间的演化关系与地理分布呈现良好的相关性。(5)单细胞毛为淫羊藿属中首次发现。研究认为,单细胞毛可能与主流非腺毛类型(直毛和曲毛)和地理分布有关,但乳突则与叶背面的非腺毛密度可能存在负相关关系;该研究结果支持将星花淫羊藿归为柔毛淫羊藿种下等级的分类处理。     

The Impact of Official Development Aid on Maternal and Reproductive Health Outcomes: A Systematic Review

Background

Progress toward meeting Millennium Development Goal 5, which aims to improve maternal and reproductive health outcomes, is behind schedule. This is despite ever increasing volumes of official development aid targeting the goal, calling into question the distribution and efficacy of aid. The 2005 Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness represented a global commitment to reform aid practices in order to improve development outcomes, encouraging a shift toward collaborative aid arrangements which support the national plans of aid recipient countries (and discouraging unaligned donor projects).

Methods and Findings

We conducted a systematic review to summarise the evidence of the impact on MDG 5 outcomes of official development aid delivered in line with Paris aid effectiveness principles and to compare this with the impact of aid in general on MDG 5 outcomes. Searches of electronic databases identified 30 studies reporting aid-funded interventions designed to improve maternal and reproductive health outcomes. Aid interventions appear to be associated with small improvements in the MDG indicators, although it is not clear whether changes are happening because of the manner in which aid is delivered. The data do not allow for a meaningful comparison between Paris style and general aid. The review identified discernible gaps in the evidence base on aid interventions targeting MDG 5, notably on indicators MDG 5.4 (adolescent birth rate) and 5.6 (unmet need for family planning).

Discussion

This review presents the first systematic review of the impact of official development aid delivered according to the Paris principles and aid delivered outside this framework on MDG 5 outcomes. Its findings point to major gaps in the evidence base and should be used to inform new approaches and methodologies aimed at measuring the impact of official development aid.