Identification of zRAP55,a gene preponderantly expressed in Stages I and II oocytes of zebrafish

In an in silico search for gonand specific expressed genes, we have identified zRAP55 which is enriched in the ovary of zebrafish . zRAP55 encodes a protein of 382 amino acids with a highly conserved Lsm domain. zRAP55 protein shares more than 56% identities with that of other vertebrate species. RT-PCR results show that it is predominantly expressed in the ovary. In situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry studies reveal that zRAP55 is ubiquitously dispersed throughout the cytoplasm of stages I and II oocytes, whereas no expression is observed in stages III and IV oocytes. As an RNA associated protein, zRAP55 might function in the control of protein translation at the early stages of oogenesis in zebrafish.     

夏季舟山渔场及邻近海域浮游动物群落结构特征分析

2006年8月在舟山渔场及邻近海域（29°30′ ～31°30′ N,124°30′ E以西）开展海洋生态系统综合调查,用浅水Ⅰ型浮游生物网采集的浮游动物样本,对该海域浮游动物的种类组成、数量分布、生物多样性等群落结构特征进行了分析。结果得知,在调查海域共鉴定出浮游动物93种（不包含浮游幼虫）,其中以桡足类的种类数为最多,有50种,优势种主要有精致真刺水蚤（Euchaeta concinna）、软拟海樽（Dolioletta gegenbauri）、肥胖箭虫（Sagitta enflata）、百陶箭虫（Sagitta bedoti）、中华哲水蚤（Calanus sinicus）、普通波水蚤（Undinula vulgaris）、微刺哲水蚤（Canthocalanus paupe）、长尾类幼虫（Macruran larvae）、双生水母（Diphyes chamissonis）、背针胸刺水蚤（Centropages dorsispinatus）、肥胖三角溞（Evadne tergestina）、太平洋纺锤水蚤（Acartia pacifica）等12种。调查海域浮游动物丰度平面分布呈现南部高、北部低,近岸高、外海低的特征。生物多样性分析表明,调查海域浮游动物种类数较多,且具有较高的均匀度（0.70）,因此其生物多样性指数较高（4.98）。根据聚类分析结果,可将夏季调查海域的浮游动物在17.13%相似性水平上分为A、B、C三个组群。生物−环境匹配分析显示,浮游动物的丰度除了与表层盐度、硝酸氮和硅酸盐含量有关外,还与镉、铅的含量存在着一定相关性。     

Proteomics analysis of plasma membrane from liver sinusoidal endothelial cells after partial hepatectomy by an improved two-dimensional electrophoresis

Liver regeneration is an angiogenesis-associated phenomenon. To identify key plasma membrane (PM) proteins of endothelial cells involved in the initiation of angiogenesis during liver regeneration, the PM of liver sinusoidal endothelial cells (LSEC) at 72 h after partial hepatectomy was enriched by an established in vivo membrane density perturbation method. The differentially expressed membrane proteins compared to those from sham operation were quantified using an improved two-dimensional 16-BAC/SDS-PAGE and identified by LC-MS/MS. Several proteins were further confirmed by cICAT labeling quantitative strategy. A total of 47 proteins were identified including known and novel proteins involved in angiogenesis or liver regeneration, such as inducible nitric oxide synthase, type IV collagen, and integrin beta3. Our results indicated that the combination of the membrane density perturbation strategy and the improved two-dimensional electrophoresis (2-DE) method are useful for investigating the endothelial dysfunctions in vivo.     

Aldose reductase is a potent regulator of TGF-β1 induced expression of fibronectin in human mesangial cells

Glomerulosclerosis is considered to be the final pathway leading to the progressive loss of renal function in several kidney diseases, transforming growth factor β1 (TGF-β1) plays a critical role in glomerulosclerosis. However, the mechanisms of TGF-β1 stimulating glomerulosclerosis remain poorly understood. Here we report that TGF-β1-induced expression of fibronectin (FN) depends on the activity of aldose reductase (AR) in human mesangial cells (HMCs).The results show that TGF-β1 increased the expression of FN, which attenuated by pharmacological inhibition of AR or knockdown of the enzyme by small interfering RNA (siRNA). MAPKs (ERK, JNK and p38) signalling pathways were activated in HMCs after stimulated by TGF-β1, inhibition of AR blunted the activation ERK, p38 and JNK signalling pathways. These changes were associated with decreased TGF-β1-induced expression of FN. These results indicate that AR is a potent regulator of TGF-β1 induced expression of FN in human mesangial cells: it suggests that inhibition of this enzyme may be useful to prevented extracellular matrix (ECM) deposition in glomerulosclerosis.     

Photochemical studies on the binding of an organic fluoride to bovine serum albumin

The interaction of fipronil (FPN), a pesticide containing fluorine, to bovine serum albumin (BSA) was studied by spectroscopy including fluorescence spectra, UV–Visible absorption, scattering spectra, circular dichroism (CD) spectra, synchronous and three-dimensional fluorescence spectra. The number of binding sites n and observed binding constant Kb was measured by fluorescence quenching method. The thermodynamic parameters ΔH, ΔG, ΔS at different temperatures were calculated and the results indicate that hydrophobic forces played major role in the reaction. The distance r between donor (BSA) and acceptor (FPN) was obtained according to the Förster theory of non-radiation energy transfer. The structural change of BSA molecules with addition of FPN was analyzed and the results may be helpful to biologists, chemists and therapeutists.     

Generation and analysis of ESTs from the grass carp, Ctenopharyngodon idellus

Grass carp, Ctenopharyngodon idellus (Valenciennes, 1844), is an economically important species widely cultured in the world, but its genome research resources are largely lacking. The objectives of this study were to construct normalized cDNA libraries for efficient EST analysis, to generate ESTs from these libraries, and to identify EST-related molecular markers such as microsatellites and single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) for genetic analysis of this species. A total of 6,269 ESTs were generated representing 4,815 unique sequences, from which 105 putative microsatellites and 5,228 SNPs were identified. These genome resources provide the material basis for future genetic and functional analyses in this species.