Some factors influencing the proportion of periplasmic hepatitisB virus pre-S2 antigen in the recombinant yeastHansenula polymorpha

Summary A central composite design (CCD) was used to evaluate, for the purpose of future process optimization, the influence of pH, yeast extract and ammonium chloride concentrations on the proportion of periplasmic hepatitisB pre-S2 antigen in the recombinant yeastHansenula polymorpha. Each factor was tested at five levels, and a second order polynomial model for the proportion of periplasmic antigen was fitted to the treatment combinations. pH showed the greatest effect: the proportion of periplasmic antigen was greatly increased at the higher pH levels. At the higher pH levels used, the proportion of periplasmic antigen was enhanced by a high concentration of ammonium chloride. Additional experiments have confirmed both the validity of the selected model and the optimal conditions found. A significant correlation was found between the proportion of periplasmic antigen and the total yield of antigen. These results indicated that is should be possible to modulate the distribution of the pre-S2 antigen between the periplasm and the cytoplasm of the yeast.     

Carnosine attenuates mast cell degranulation and histamine release induced by oxygen-glucose deprivation

Carnosine (beta-alanyl-histidine) is a naturally occurring dipeptide that has been characterized as a putative hydrophilic antioxidant. The protective function of carnosine has been demonstrated in neuronal cells under ischemic injury. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of carnosine on oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD)-induced degranulation and histamine release from mast cells. Cultured mast cells were exposed to OGD for 4 h, and then the degranulation was observed immediately by microscopy. Histamine release was analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). OGD caused degranulation of mast cells, and increased histamine and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release. Carnosine (at a concentration of 5 mM) alone did not produce any appreciable effect on degranulation, histamine, and LDH release from mast cells under normal condition, but significantly inhibited the degranulation, histamine, and LDH release of mast cells induced by OGD. These results indicate that carnosine can protect mast cells from degranulation and histamine release and it may be an endogenous mast cell stabilizer in the pathological processes induced by ischemia.     

Using RNase sequence specificity to refine the identification of RNA-protein binding regions

Massively parallel pyrosequencing is a high-throughput technology that can sequence hundreds of thousands of DNA/RNA fragments in a single experiment. Combining it with immunoprecipitation-based biochemical assays, such as cross-linking immunoprecipitation (CLIP), provides a genome-wide method to detect the sites at which proteins bind DNA or RNA. In a CLIP-pyrosequencing experiment, the resolutions of the detected protein binding regions are partially determined by the length of the detected RNA fragments (CLIP amplicons) after trimming by RNase digestion. The lengths of these fragments usually range from 50-70 nucleotides. Many genomic regions are marked by multiple RNA fragments. In this paper, we report an empirical approach to refine the localization of protein binding regions by using the distribution pattern of the detected RNA fragments and the sequence specificity of RNase digestion. We present two regions to which multiple amplicons map as examples to demonstrate this approach.     

生物成矿作用与生物矿化作用

列举５５种生物矿物，其中包括氧化物，含氧盐，水化物，羟基化物，钙化合物，指出它们通常经历非晶质、过渡、成熟和石化等４个相阶段。根据生物矿物体的元素丰度顺序与岩石圈和生物圈对比，将生矿元素分为６类。提出生矿元素保留于生物体内８种形式，即可溶无机化合物、有机络合物、生矿粒、生矿簇、骨针、骨片、骨壳和骨骼，并以磷为例阐明了生矿元素的富集过程。按照生物作用型式，建议划分生物矿床为堆积、粘结、吸附和储集４种成因类型，分别讨论它们成矿的生物、矿物和矿床，分析形成的环境、过程和阶段，并介绍中国某些著名生物矿床实例。最后总结了生物矿床的地史演化趋向：金属硫化物矿床→条带状硅铁（锰）粘结矿床→叠层状白云岩粘结矿床→磷酸盐和碳酸锰粘结矿床→铅锌和油气储集矿床→煤和油气。     

中国西藏种子植物区系新资料

本文报道了采自西藏喜马拉雅南坡的8个中国种子植物新记录种以及1个西藏新记录属。前者分别是吉隆牛奶菜(Marsdenia roylei)、塔基棕榈(Trachycarpus takil)、喀西蜂斗草(Sonerila khasiana)、旋花锡生藤(Cissampelos convolvulacea)、吉隆角盘兰(Herminium edgeworthii)、尼泊尔西番莲(Passiflora napalensis)、椭穗姜花(Hedychium ellipticum)和藏南象牙参(Roscoea brandisii); 1个西藏新记录属为箭药藤属(Belostemma) (箭药藤 Belostemma hirsutum)。凭证标本存放于中国科学院西双版纳热带植物园标本馆(HITBC)和西藏自治区高原生物研究所标本室(XZ)。     

Assembly of yield heterosis of an elite rice hybrid is promising by manipulating dominant quantitative trait loci

In the past, rice hybrids with strong heterosis have been obtained empirically, by developing and testing thousands of combinations. Here, we aimed to determine whether heterosis of an elite hybrid could be achieved by manipulating major quantitative trait loci. We used 202 chromosome segment substitution lines from the elite hybrid Shanyou 63 to evaluate single segment heterosis (SSH) of yield per plant and identify heterotic loci. All nine detected heterotic loci acted in a dominant fashion, and no SSH exhibited overdominance. Functional alleles of key yield-related genes Ghd7, Ghd7.1, Hd1, and GS3 were dispersed in both parents. No functional alleles of three investigated genes were expressed at higher levels in the hybrids than in the more desirable parents. A hybrid pyramiding eight heterotic loci in the female parent Zhenshan 97 background had a comparable yield to Shanyou 63 and much higher yield than Zhenshan 97. Five hybrids pyramiding eight or nine heterotic loci in the combined parental genome background showed similar yield performance to that of Shanyou 63. These results suggest that dominance underlying functional complementation is an important contributor to yield heterosis and that heterosis assembly might be successfully promised by manipulating several major dominant heterotic loci.     

维生素对体外培养人脐带间充质干细胞生长的影响

该实验以人脐带间充质干细胞（human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells,hUCM—SCs）为研究对象,探讨维生素A对其体外培养的影响。结果显示,添加维生素A培养后,hUCMSCs仍维持其本身生物学特性,表达其标记基因CD29、CD44和干细胞标记基因Oct4、Sox2、Nanog。维生素A促进hUCMSCs的体外增殖,上调增殖基因PCNA、C-myc和干细胞标记基因Nanog的表达,下调凋亡基因Bch的表达。该研究证明了维生素A具有促进hUCMSCs增殖和维持其干细胞特性的作用,对继续探索hUCMSCs的体外快速增殖和维生素A对hUCMSCs增殖调控的机理具有重要意义。