Calretinin interacts with huntingtin and reduces mutant huntingtin‐caused cytotoxicity

Huntington's disease (HD) is a devastating neurodegenerative disorder caused by an expansion of CAG trinucleotide repeats encoding for polyglutamine (polyQ) in the huntingtin (Htt) gene. Despite considerable effort, the mechanisms underlying the toxicity of the mutated Htt protein remains largely uncertain. To identify novel therapeutic targets, we recently employed the approach of tandem affinity purification and discovered that calretinin (Cr), a member of the EF‐hand family of calcium‐binding proteins, is preferentially associated with mHtt, although it also interacts with wild‐type Htt. These observations were supported by coimmunoprecipitation and by colocalization of Cr with mHtt in neuronal cultures. Over‐ expression of Cr reduced mHtt‐caused cytotoxicity in both non‐neuronal and neuronal cell models of HD, whereas knockdown of Cr expression in the cells enhanced mHtt‐caused neuronal cell death. In addition, over‐expression of Cr was also associated with reduction of intracellular free calcium and activation of Akt. These results suggest that Cr may be a potential therapeutic target for treatment of HD.     

油菜类型和品种对外来入侵杂草小子虉草的替代控制作用

外来入侵植物小子虉草（Phalaris minor Retz.）是世界公认的冬季农田恶性杂草,掌握农作物对其替代控制作用具有重要的研究价值。前期研究表明,油菜是替代控制小子虉草的优良农作物,然而,目前尚不清楚油菜类型与品种对其控制能力的影响。为此选取与小子虉草同域发生的不同类型（白菜型油菜、芥菜型油菜和甘蓝型油菜）油菜品种各3种,通过田间小区实验和室内化感作用测定,对比研究其对小子虉草的生长、繁殖、表型以及化感作用的影响。田间实验显示：竞争方式（种内或种间竞争）和油菜类型对小子虉草的地上生物量、种子数、株高、分枝数、叶面积和比叶面积存在极显著（P=0.0001）影响;而油菜品种对小子虉草的地上生物量（P=0.6064）、种子数（P=0.3577）、株高（P=0.4279）、分枝数（P=0.6357）、叶面积（P=0.8839）和比叶面积（P=0.3424）均无显著影响。3种类型油菜对小子虉草生长、繁殖以及表型的影响存在明显差异,其中芥菜型油菜对小子虉草的上述指标的影响最强,而白菜型油菜的影响最弱。室内生物测定显示,油菜对小子虉草具有化感抑制作用,当供试油菜叶片水提液浓度为0.1 g/mL时,小子虉草种子的萌发和幼苗的株高、根长、生物量均被显著抑制;研究也表明不同类型油菜对小子虉草的化感作用显著不同,同等条件下,芥菜型油菜对小子虉草的化感抑制作用最强。综上所述,油菜类型对外来入侵小子虉草的控制作用存在显著差异,其中芥菜型油菜对植物小子虉草的替代控制作用明显优于白菜型油菜和甘蓝型油菜,而其强的化感抑草特性或许是其强控草能力的原因之一。另外,本研究也为进一步利用油菜替代控制入侵植物小子虉草提供了参考。     

Construction of an ultra-high density consensus genetic map,and enhancement of the physical map from genome sequencing in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Lupinus angustifolius</Emphasis>

Key message

An ultra-high density genetic map containing 34,574 sequence-defined markers was developed in Lupinus angustifolius. Markers closely linked to nine genes of agronomic traits were identified. A physical map was improved to cover 560.5 Mb genome sequence.

Abstract

Lupin (Lupinus angustifolius L.) is a recently domesticated legume grain crop. In this study, we applied the restriction-site associated DNA sequencing (RADseq) method to genotype an F₉ recombinant inbred line population derived from a wild type × domesticated cultivar (W × D) cross. A high density linkage map was developed based on the W × D population. By integrating sequence-defined DNA markers reported in previous mapping studies, we established an ultra-high density consensus genetic map, which contains 34,574 markers consisting of 3508 loci covering 2399 cM on 20 linkage groups. The largest gap in the entire consensus map was 4.73 cM. The high density W × D map and the consensus map were used to develop an improved physical map, which covered 560.5 Mb of genome sequence data. The ultra-high density consensus linkage map, the improved physical map and the markers linked to genes of breeding interest reported in this study provide a common tool for genome sequence assembly, structural genomics, comparative genomics, functional genomics, QTL mapping, and molecular plant breeding in lupin.

     

Structural Basis for the Interaction of Mutasome Assembly Factor REV1 with Ubiquitin

REV1 is an evolutionarily conserved translesion synthesis (TLS) DNA polymerase and an assembly factor key for the recruitment of other TLS polymerases to DNA damage sites. REV1-mediated recognition of ubiquitin in the proliferative cell nuclear antigen is thought to be the trigger for TLS activation. Here we report the solution NMR structure of a 108-residue fragment of human REV1 encompassing the two putative ubiquitin-binding motifs UBM1 and UBM2 in complex with ubiquitin. While in mammals UBM1 and UBM2 are both required for optimal association of REV1 with replication factories after DNA damage, we show that only REV1 UBM2 binds ubiquitin. Structure-guided mutagenesis in Saccharomyces cerevisiae further highlights the importance of UBM2 for REV1-mediated mutagenesis and DNA damage tolerance.     

紫金山南坡森林立地的数值分类

森林立地分类是林业生产的重要基础。林业发达国家对此都相继开展了深入细致的研究,许多研究成果已在林业实践中发挥了重要作用。我国森林立地分类研究始于50年代,其间几经中断,近年来又日益受到重视,在“七五”期间被列为国家科技重点(攻关)项目。无疑,这对我国林业现代化将起到重要的推动作用。森林立地分类与评价的方法各异,流派众多,对此作者曾有详细的评介。随着数学     

水浮莲对水稻竞争效应、产量与土壤养分的影响

为了解入侵植物水浮莲在稻田生产中的扩散规律和对水稻农业性状的影响,通过田间水稻田实验,按照de Wit 取代试验方法和添加系列设计方法研究水浮莲与水稻(云稻2 号)混种对植株形态和生物量影响、种间竞争效应、水稻产量以及对土壤养分的影响。结果表明,混种条件下水浮莲母株株高、分蘖数、生物量和开花株数均受到水稻的明显抑制,受到的抑制率显著高于其对水稻的抑制率。水浮莲的种间竞争大于种内竞争(RY 小于1.0)而水稻的种内竞争大于种间竞争(RY 大于1.0),水浮莲混种比例大于和等于1:1 时(RYT大于1.0)与水稻不存在竞争作用,而小于1:1时(RYT 小于1.0)其存在着竞争作用,水浮莲对水稻的竞争力(CB 小于0)小于水稻。混种条件下水稻有效穗数和产量有明显提高,增产比例为3.54%-13.38%。生长过程中水浮莲对土壤钾、磷元素消耗大于水稻,而有机质和氮元素消耗小于水稻;混种条件下水稻明显降低水浮莲对土壤养分消耗,且二者在土壤养分上没有竞争关系。所有这些表明,入侵稻田的水浮莲与水稻生长过程中其形态、生物量等方面都处于劣势,而且一定的水浮莲密度有利于抑制水浮莲对土壤养分的消耗和促进水稻生长繁殖及其产量的提高,因此为满足饲料利用和环境净化,建议在正常耕作稻田中可对水浮莲进行适当的应用。     

新型仓贮超声雾化熏蒸装置的研制

针对目前粮食仓贮熏蒸剂(即磷化氢)防虫不防霉,且施用时对环境和操作人员均存在安全隐患的现状,为将具有自主知识产权的纯天然驱虫抗霉复合精油产品很好地应用于仓储领域,一款新型仓贮超声雾化熏蒸装置被设计研制,并在国家级标准粮库微缩模型(1∶200)中进行相关功能技术参数测定。结果显示,样机在常温下能连续工作48h,远大于实际所需要的工作时间;样品雾化后,工作区中分布的雾滴粒径为几个微米级;GC-MS分析证明雾化后复合精油的组分种类、比例及功效组分浓度没有改变,就整体而言具有一定的纯化作用;雾化的精油量与功率和时间均呈良好线性关系。上述数据说明,所研制的超声雾化装置完全适用于新型防虫抗霉复合精油的雾化,实际应用时若配合仓库鼓风系统雾化效果会更好。