KLOTHO allele status and the risk of early-onset occult coronary artery disease

We previously identified a functional variant of KLOTHO (termed "KL-VS"), which harbors two amino acid substitutions in complete linkage disequilibrium and is associated with reduced human longevity when in homozygosity. Klotho-deficient mice display extensive arteriosclerosis when fed a normal diet, suggesting a potent genetic predisposition. To determine whether klotho influences atherosclerotic risk in humans, we performed cross-sectional studies to assess the association between the KL-VS allele and occult coronary artery disease (CAD) in two independent samples of apparently healthy siblings of individuals with early-onset (age <60 years) CAD (SIBS-I [N=520] and SIBS-II [N=436]). Occult CAD was defined as the occurrence of a reversible perfusion defect during exercise thallium scintigraphy and/or as an abnormal result of an exercise electrocardiogram (SIBS-I, n=97; SIBS-II, n=56). In SIBS-I, the KL-VS allele conferred a relative odds of 1.90 (95% confidence interval 1.21-2.98) for occult CAD, after adjusting for familial intraclass correlations (P<.005). Logistic regression modeling, incorporating known CAD risk factors, demonstrated that the KL-VS allele is an independent risk factor (P<.019) and that the imposed risk of KL-VS allele status is influenced by modifiable risk factors. Hypertension (P<.022) and increasing high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) levels (P<.022) mask or reduce the risk conferred by the KL-VS allele, respectively, whereas current smoking (P<.004) increases the risk. Remarkably concordant effects of the KL-VS allele and modifying factors on the risk of occult CAD were seen in SIBS-II. These results demonstrate that the KL-VS allele is an independent risk factor for occult CAD in two independent high-risk samples. Modifiable risk factors, including hypertension, smoking status, and HDL-C level, appear to influence the risk imposed by this allele.     

不同稻作方式对稻田杂草群落的影响

运用半试验与调查相结合的方法,以贵州省从江县传统农业区的糯稻和杂交稻为例,研究了在水稻单作（R）、稻-鱼（R-F）和稻-鱼-鸭（R-F-D）3种不同稻作方式下稻田杂草群落的特征.结果表明：糯稻在3种稻作方式下的抑制杂草能力均优于杂交稻;R-F-D显著降低了田间杂草的发生密度,对鸭舌草、节节菜等的抑制效果达到100%,总体抑制杂草效果显著优于其他稻作方式,杂草的物种丰富度及Shannon多样性指数显著降低,Pielou均匀度指数提高,表明群落物种组成发生了很大的改变,降低了原来优势杂草的发生, 是一种较好的可达到抑制杂草效果的稻作方式.     

Isolation of chicken embryonic stem cell and preparation of chicken chimeric model

Chicken embryonic stem cells (ESCs) were separated from blastoderms at stage-X and cultured in vitro. Alkaline phosphatase activity and stage-specific embryonic antigen-1 staining was conducted to detect ESCs. Then, chicken ESCs were transfected with linearized plasmid pEGFP-N1 in order to produce chimeric chicken. Firstly, the optimal electrotransfection condition was compared; the results showed the highest transfection efficiency was obtained when the field strength and pulse duration was 280 V and 75 μs, respectively. Secondly, the hatchability of shedding methods, drilling a window at the blunt end of egg and drilling a window at the lateral shell of egg was compared, the results showed that the hatchability was the highest for drilling a window at the lateral shell of egg. Thirdly, the hatchability of microinjection (ESCs was microinjected into chick embryo cavity) was compared too, the results showed there were significant difference between the injection group transfected with ESCs and that of other two groups. In addition, five chimeric chickens were obtained in this study and EGFP gene was expressed in some organs, but only two chimeric chicken expressed EGFP gene in the gonad, indicating that the chimeric chicken could be obtained through chick embryo cavity injection by drilling a window at the lateral shell of egg.     

湖北单子叶植物新记录

于2011~2013年对湖北神农架国家级自然保护区进行了第四次全国中药资源普查,发现若干湖北植物新记录。该研究报道了湖北单子叶植物2个新记录属——顶冰花属(Gagea Salisbury)和筒距兰属(Tipularia Nuttall),8个新记录种分别为:少花顶冰花[Gagea pauciflora(Turczaninow ex Trautvetter)Ledebour]、凤凰蜘蛛抱蛋(Aspidistra fenghuangensis K.Y.Lang)、卷瓣重楼(Paris undulata H.LiV.G.Soukup)、筒距兰(Tipularia szechuanica Schlechter)、大黄花虾脊兰(Calanthe sieboldii Decaisne ex Regel)、小杜若[Pollia miranda(H.Léveillé)H.Hara]、长耳南星(Arisaema auriculatum Buchet)、大针薹草(Carex uda Maximowicz)。包含3种国家二级保护植物——卷瓣重楼、筒距兰、大黄花虾脊兰。IUCN将筒距兰列为易危级别,卷瓣重楼和大黄花虾脊兰被列为极危级别,其中大黄花虾脊兰还是我国极小种群野生植物资源。该文对这些物种分布新区域的报道,扩大了这些植物的分布范围,也丰富和加深了对湖北植物多样性的认识与了解。     

石臼湖原生动物种群分布及其同质化

石臼湖地处长江中下游,是国内为数不多的通江淡水湖。为探讨湖泊与入湖支流不同生境中原生动物种群结构及其相似性,于2012年平水期和枯水期分别对石臼湖及其周边入湖支流进行原生动物调查,研究河流和湖泊区域原生动物的种类组成及其季节变化,同时与同一地区的相邻湖泊固城湖作对比,通过计算相似性指数,探讨原生动物对生境同质化的响应。结果表明:调查共采集到原生动物57种,平水期种类多于枯水期;石臼湖河流区各站点原生动物相似性指数在Ⅰ~Ⅲ级之间,为完全不同-轻度相似;湖区站点相似性指数在Ⅱ~Ⅳ之间,为极不相似-中度相似;河流区种类季节之间的相似度极低(0.050~0.267),而湖泊区种类季节之间处于中等相似水平(0.250~0.375),说明河流区原生动物种类的季节变化较湖泊区明显,生物组成的异质性也高于湖泊;原生动物分布对水质有很好的响应关系,氮磷元素在影响原生动物种类组成和分布中起了主要作用;通过石臼湖与固城湖及长江中下游其他湖泊的对比分析,表明在一定范围内,随着生境尺度的增加,生境的同质化会提高生物同质化水平,但超过景观尺度,原生动物地域性特征逐渐显现,即使生境同质,其生物也未必同质;且随着距离的增加,不同区域的生物相似性呈降低的趋势。     

武汉地区硅质磷片金藻的初步研究

1986年11月,在武汉植物所的3个池塘及东湖附近的池塘内采集的标本中,含有大量的具硅质磷片的金藻,共11种,分别隶属于Spiniferomonas, Paraphysomonas, Chrysosphaevella, Mallomonas和Synura 5个属。本文提供了这些藻的硅质磷片、刺及毛的电镜照片。这些藻在中国研究得很少,许多种都是第一次报道,它们中的大多数在世界上其它一些地区也是普遍出现的,有些则毫无疑问地属于世界性分布。     

MTH1, an oxidized purine nucleoside triphosphatase, protects the dopamine neurons from oxidative damage in nucleic acids caused by 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine

We previously reported that 8-oxoguanine (8-oxoG) accumulates in the cytoplasm of dopamine neurons in the substantia nigra of patients with Parkinson's disease and the expression of MTH1 carrying an oxidized purine nucleoside triphosphatase activity increases in these neurons, thus suggesting that oxidative damage in nucleic acids is involved in dopamine neuron loss. In the present study, we found that levels of 8-oxoG in cellular DNA and RNA increased in the mouse nigrostriatal system during the tyrosine hydroxylase (TH)-positive dopamine neuron loss induced by the administration of 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP). MTH1-null mice exhibited a greater accumulation of 8-oxoG in mitochondrial DNA accompanied by a more significant decrease in TH and dopamine transporter immunoreactivities in the striatum after MPTP administration, than in wild-type mice. We thus demonstrated that MTH1 protects the dopamine neurons from oxidative damage in the nucleic acids, especially in the mitochondrial DNA of striatal nerve terminals of dopamine neurons.     

小鼠原核期受精卵体外培养系统的筛选

为了筛选出最佳的小鼠原核期受精卵的体外发育培养系统,分别进行了四个试验。试验I:在体外分别用自配的M16、mM16、KSOM、mKSOM、CZB进行体外发育培养,进而筛选出一种最佳的体外培养系统;试验Ⅱ、Ⅲ、Ⅳ分别:探讨了血清、PVA、rhLIF对小鼠胚胎发育的影响。结果,试验I中胚胎发育到2-细胞的比率差异不明显,但是在mM16和mKSOM中,发育到4-细胞的比率94.7%,90.7%(91/96;78/86)和发育到桑椹胚/囊胚的比率分别为78.1%,67.4%(75/96;58/86)均明显高于其他三种培养液;试验II用10?S代替M16中BSA时,胚胎的发育率均下降,即使在mM16中桑椹胚/囊胚率仅为4.8%(12/35)与对照组M16(40.5%)差异显著(p<0.05);试验Ⅲ用PVA取代mM16和mKSOM中的BSA其体外发育率显著下降,胚胎均无一例发育到桑椹胚/囊胚;试验Ⅳ:rhLIF能提高胚胎在体外的发育率可使mM16培养的胚胎囊胚率、囊胚脱出率分别达到84%(47/56)、39.2%(22/56)。结论:在不添减其他成分前提下,只在M16中添加0.1mMolEDTA、0.5mMol牛磺酸、1000IU/mlrhLIF便可获得84%的囊胚率,同时证明在M16或mM16添加血清都会降低其体外发育率;PVA还不能有效的取代mM16、mKSOM中的血清。     

沉默交配型信息调节因子2同源蛋白Sirt1

沉默交配型信息调节因子2同源蛋白1(silent mating type information regulation 2 homolog 1,Sirt1)是哺乳动物中与酵母沉默信息调节蛋白2(silencing information regulator 2,Sir2)高度同源的蛋白质,它是一种依赖NAD+的III类组蛋白去乙酰化酶(HDAC III),在细胞分化、衰老、凋亡、DNA损伤修复、能量及内分泌代谢调节中起重要作用,同时在基因沉默、表观遗传学修饰、转录调控及信号转导调节中发挥重要的生物学功能。本文对其近年的研究进展做一概述。     

Genetic diversity and structure of the tropical seagrass Cymodocea serrulata spanning its central diversity hotspot and range edge

Aquatic Ecology - Persistence of populations at their distributional ranges relies on local population dynamics and the fitness of species with low dispersal potential. We analyzed the population...