Dizocilpine-induced neuropathological changes in rat retrosplenial cortex are reversed by subsequent clozapine treatment

In this study, we examined the effect of post-treatment with clozapine on the neuropathological changes in the rat retrosplenial cortex induced by the administration of non-competitive NMDA receptor antagonist dizocilpine ((+)-MK-801). The maximal increase in vacuolized neurons, which are representative of neuropathology, was observed 4 hours after a single injection of dizocilpine (0.5 mg/kg s.c.), with a complete reversal of the neuropathology after 16-24 hours. The administration of clozapine (10 mg/kg, i.p.,) 4 hours after the administration of dizocilpine significantly decreased the number of vacuolized neurons in the retrosplenial cortex 6, 8 or 10 hours after administration of dizocilpine, compared to vehicle-treated animals. Furthermore, the administration of clozapine (5, 10 or 20 mg/kg i.p.) 4 hours after the administration of dizocilpine produced a significant decrease in the number of vacuolized neurons in the retrosplenial cortex in a dose-dependent manner when measure 6 hours post-dizocilpine. These results show that neuropathological changes in the rat retrosplenial cortex produced by dizocilpine can be attenuated by post-treatment with clozapine.     

宏基因组学在发现新基因方面的应用

现代分子微生物生态学研究表明,自然环境中约99%的微生物不能用传统的分离培养方法获得其纯培养,使得环境微生物中的多样性基因资源难以得到充分的开发和应用.宏基因组学是近年来发展起来的,通过直接提取特定环境中全部微生物的总基因组DNA并克隆到合适的可培养微生物宿主中,来筛选目的基因的方法.它已在微生物新功能基因筛选、活性物质开发和微生物多样性研究等方面取得了显著成果.该文旨在介绍宏基因组学在新功能基因发现方面的应用概况并结合我们的研究情况,对这一崭新领域中的最近研究进展进行简要综述.     

天台山东南石栎光合生理生态特性

分别对林窗、林缘和林下 3种生境的东南石栎光合生理生态特性进行了研究。结果表明 ,林窗、林缘生境的东南石栎在 6月、8月和 11月晴天 ,净光合速率日进程为双峰型 ,2月晴天为单峰型 ;林下一年不同月份的净光合速率日进程均为单峰型。 8月 ,东南石栎叶片已发育成熟 ,叶绿素含量高 ,硝酸还原酶活力大 ,水热条件优越 ,光照强 ,此时光合能力达到一年中的高峰。在 8月 ,东南石栎的光补偿点最低 ,光饱和点最高 ;东南石栎的光补偿点较低、光饱和点较高 ,其对光适应的生态幅较宽。东南石栎日均净光合速率比伴生种类高 ,有利于其在群落中占领空间取得优势地位     

稀土叶面肥对葡萄园节肢动物群落和食饵功能团的影响

为阐明稀土叶面肥对江淮丘陵和黄河故道葡萄园节肢动物群落、中性昆虫亚群落和食饵功能团组成的影响,通过系统调查和数学分析得出,稀土元素镧、钕和醋(CK2)对肥东葡萄园节肢动物总群落、植食性昆虫亚群落和捕食性天敌亚群落的物种数、个体数和物种丰富度的影响均不显著。稀土叶面肥对萧县总群落的物种数影响显著,镧对总群落物种丰富度影响显著,其余影响不显著。镧和钕元素对两地葡萄园中性昆虫亚群落的物种数和物种丰富度影响极显著,对个体数影响不显著,CK2对中性昆虫亚群落的物种数、个体数和物种丰富度影响均不显著;肥东县葡萄园镧肥区、钕肥区和CK2与CK1之间食饵功能团物种数的t值为3.4384、2.3911和2.0528,镧肥区和钕肥区与CK2之间食饵功能团物种数的t值为1.6397和0.6357;萧县葡萄园镧肥区、钕肥区和CK2与CK1之间食饵功能团的物种数t值为2.2909、2.3223和0.3674,镧肥和钕肥区与CK2之间的t值为2.7533和2.7744,表明镧肥和钕肥对两地食饵功能团的物种数影响均显著。肥东县镧肥区、钕肥区和CK2与CK1之间食饵功能团的个体数t值为1.3047、1.0338和0.2300,镧肥区和钕肥区与CK2之间的t值为1.6014和1.1835;萧县镧肥区、钕肥区和CK2与CK1之间食饵功能团的个体数t值为1.0431、1.0245和0.7369,镧肥区和钕肥区与CK2之间的t值为0.9495和0.9490;两地处理与与CK1和CK2之间食饵功能团的个体数t值均小于t0.05,表明稀土叶面肥对两地食饵功能团个体数影响不显著。稀土叶面肥对肥东葡萄园食饵功能团物种丰富度影响很小,萧县镧肥和钕肥与CK2之间物种丰富度的t值为2.1709和2.0226,差异显著。综上所述,稀土叶面肥对葡萄园中性昆虫亚群落和食饵功能团的物种数影响显著。     

Plasmid-based controls to detect rpoB mutations in Mycobacterium tuberculosis by quantitative polymerase chain reaction-high-resolution melting

Quantitative polymerase chain reaction-high-resolution melting (qPCR-HRM) analysis was used to screen for mutations related to drug resistance in Mycobacterium tuberculosis. We detected the C526T and C531T mutations in the rifampicin resistance-determining region (RRDR) of the rpoB gene with qPCR-HRM using plasmid-based controls. A segment of the RRDR region from M. tuberculosis H37Rv and from strains carrying C531T or C526T mutations in the rpoB were cloned into pGEM-T vector and these vectors were used as controls in the qPCR-HRM analysis of 54 M. tuberculosis strains. The results were confirmed by DNA sequencing and showed that recombinant plasmids can replace genomic DNA as controls in the qPCR-HRM assay. Plasmids can be handled outside of biosafety level 3 facilities, reducing the risk of contamination and the cost of the assay. Plasmids have a high stability, are normally maintained in Escherichia coli and can be extracted in large amounts.     

Interaction of two cis sites with the RNA replicase of the yeast L-A virus.

L-A is a 4.6-kilobase double-stranded RNA virus of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The in vitro L-A replication reaction ((-)-strand synthesis) requires an internal site 400 bases from the 3' end in addition to the 3'-terminal 30 nucleotides of the L-A (+)-single-stranded RNA. Elimination of the internal site reduces the template activity 5-10-fold. Here we investigate how the internal site can stimulate the replication reaction which starts at the 3' end of the template. When these two sites are split into two distinct RNA molecules, the internal site can no longer stimulate replication (no trans-activation). However, establishment of an intermolecular hydrogen bonding between these RNAs restored the replication-enhancing activity of the internal site. This result is consistent with a model wherein L-A's RNA polymerase interacts first with the internal site and then with the 3' end site by either looping or by a local dissociation-reassociation mechanism. These results, however, clearly eliminate anchored tracking and sliding models which require continuity of the RNA molecule between these two cis sites.     

Isolation and characterization of a collagen binding domain in human von Willebrand factor

von Willebrand factor binds to fibrillar type I collagen in a rapid, temperature-independent, reversible, specific, and saturable manner. Evaluation of binding isotherms by Scatchard-type analysis demonstrated that 6-18 micrograms of von Willebrand factor bind per mg of collagen, with Ka between 2 and 8 X 10(8) M-1. Five distinct tryptic fragments, purified under denaturing and reducing conditions and representing over 75% of the molecular mass of the von Willebrand factor subunit, were tested for their capacity to inhibit the von Willebrand factor-collagen interaction. Complete inhibition was obtained with a 52/48-kDa fragment at a concentration of approximately 1 microM. The location of this fragment in the subunit was established to be between Val-449 and Lys-728. Fifteen monoclonal antibodies against the 52/48-kDa fragment inhibited von Willebrand factor binding to collagen. Six antibodies against other portions of the von Willebrand factor subunit had no inhibitory effect. The tryptic fragment was a competitive inhibitor of von Willebrand factor binding to collagen and, therefore, recognizes the same interaction site as the intact molecule. These studies precisely define a domain in the von Willebrand factor subunit that interacts with type I collagen.