Architecture and function of the lophophore in the problematic brachiopod Heliomedusa orienta (Early Cambrian, South China)

The detailed structure of the lophophore is a key diagnostic character in the definition of higher brachiopod taxa. The problematic Heliomedusa orienta Sun and Hou, from the Lower Cambrian Chengjiang Lagerstätte of Yunnan, southwestern China, has a well-preserved lophophore, which is unlike that of any known extant or extinct brachiopods. Based on a comparative study of lophophore disposition in H. orienta and the extant discinid Pelagodiscus atlanticus, the in- and excurrent pattern and shell orientation of H. orienta are described and discussed. Reconstructions of lophophore shape and function are based on numerous specimens and comparison with P. atlanticus. The lophophore is composed of a pair of lophophoral arms that freely arch posteriorly rather than coiling anteriorly as commonly seen in fossil and recent lingulids. The lophophore is attached to the dorsal lobe of the mantle; it has neither calcareous nor chitinous supporting structures, and is disposed symmetrically on either side of the valve midline. The mouth can be inferred to be located at the base of the two brachial tubes, slightly posterior to the anterodorsal projection of the body wall. The lophophoral arms bear laterofrontal tentacles with a double row of cilia along their lateral edge, as in extant lingulid brachiopods. The main brachial axes are also ciliated, which presumably facilitated transport of mucous-bound nutrient particles to the mouth. The unique organization of the lophophore in Heliomedusa is not like any known fossil and living brachiopods. This clearly demonstrates that H. orienta is not a member of any crown group. It is here considered as a member of the brachiopod stem group, which challenges recent interpretations of a close discinid affinity.     

Further Daphniphyllum Alkaloids with Insecticidal Activity from the Bark of Daphniphyllum macropodum Miq.

Two new Daphniphyllum alkaloids, macropodumines J and K ( 1 and 2 , resp.), together with six known structurally related alkaloids, 3 – 8 , were isolated from the bark of Daphniphyllum macropodum Miq . The structures of the new compounds 1 and 2 were elucidated on the basis of a comprehensive analysis of their spectroscopic and chemical data. Macropodumine J ( 1 ) contains a CN group which is relatively rare in naturally occurring alkaloids. All isolated compounds were tested for their insecticidal activities against a number of insect species. Daphtenidine C ( 5 ) is the most active compound against Plutella xylostella. This is the first report of insecticidal properties of Daphniphyllum alkaloids.     

Neuronal mitochondrial amelioration by feeding acetyl-L-carnitine and lipoic acid to aged rats

Brain function declines with age and is associated with diminishing mitochondrial integrity. The neuronal mitochondrial ultrastructural changes of young (4 months) and old (21 months) F344 rats supplemented with two mitochondrial metabolites, acetyl-L-carnitine (ALCAR, 0.2%[wt/vol] in the drinking water) and R-α-lipoic acid (LA, 0.1%[wt/wt] in the chow), were analysed using qualitative and quantitative electron microscopy techniques. Two independent morphologists blinded to sample identity examined and scored all electron micrographs. Mitochondria were examined in each micrograph, and each structure was scored according to the degree of injury. Controls displayed an age-associated significant decrease in the number of intact mitochondria (P = 0.026) as well as an increase in mitochondria with broken cristae (P < 0.001) in the hippocampus as demonstrated by electron microscopic observations. Neuronal mitochondrial damage was associated with damage in vessel wall cells, especially vascular endothelial cells. Dietary supplementation of young and aged animals increased the proliferation of intact mitochondria and reduced the density of mitochondria associated with vacuoles and lipofuscin. Feeding old rats ALCAR and LA significantly reduced the number of severely damaged mitochondria (P = 0.02) and increased the number of intact mitochondria (P < 0.001) in the hippocampus. These results suggest that feeding ALCAR with LA may ameliorate age-associated mitochondrial ultrastructural decay and are consistent with previous studies showing improved brain function.     

High-resolution array comparative genomic hybridization analysis reveals unanticipated complexity of genetic deficiencies on chromosome V in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Caenorhabditis elegans</Emphasis>

Genomic rearrangements are widely used in Caenorhabditis elegans research but many remain incompletely characterized at the physical level. We have used oligo-array comparative genomic analysis to assess the physical structure of 20 deficiencies and a single duplication of chromosome V. We find that while deletions internal to the chromosome appear simple in structure, terminal deletions are complex, containing duplications in addition to the deletion. Additionally, we confirm that transposon-induced deficiencies contain breakpoints that initiate at Tc1 elements. Finally, 13 of these deficiencies are known to suppress recombination far beyond the extent of the deletion. These deficiencies fall into two classes: strong and weak suppressors of adjacent recombination. Analysis of the deleted regions in these deficiencies reveals no common physical sites to explain the observed differences in recombination suppression. However, we find a strong correlation between the size of the rearranged chromosome and the severity of recombination suppression. Rearranged chromosomes that have a minor effect on recombination fall within 2% of normal chromosome size. Our observations highlight the use of array-based approaches for the analysis of rearranged genomes, revealing previously unidentified deficiency characteristics and addressing biologically relevant questions.     

醛糖还原酶基因启动区C（-106）T多态性与糖尿病视网膜

目的：探讨醛糖还原酶（AR）基因启动区C（-106）T多态性与糖尿病视网膜病变（DR）的关系。方法：235例江苏汉族人群,其中2型糖尿病无视网膜病变组（NDR）63例,2型糖尿病伴视网膜病变组（DR）82例,正常对照组（YC）90例,用PCR-RFLP方法检测AR基因C（-106）T基因型,比较各组等位基因及基因型分布频率。结果：未发现NDR组和NC组之间AR基因C（-106）T各等位基因及基因型频率有显著差异（P分别为0．4505,0．7279）;DR组中CT及TT基因型频率均高于NC组,CC基因型频率低于NC组（P=0．0239）,DR组T等位基因频率显著高于NC组,C等位基因频率显著低于NC组（P=0．0038）。结论：AR基因启动区C（-106）T多态性与江苏汉族人群DR相关,T等位基因可能是DR的遗传危险因子。     

人骨保护素-热休克蛋白70融合蛋白在昆虫细胞中的表达和活性分析

目的:利用BaculoDirect杆状病毒表达系统融合表达人OPG功能片段p22-194和分枝杆菌HSP70 p111-125基因,并鉴定重组蛋白及其生物学活性。方法:将编码人OPG功能片段和分枝杆菌HSP70功能片段基因克隆至杆状病毒转座载体,将重组转座载体与BaculoDirectTM Linear DNA进行LR重组连接反应,构建出重组杆状病毒DNA,转染Sf9昆虫细胞,获得重组病毒。在Sf9细胞中进行表达,并对表达产物进行SDS-PAGE电泳、Western blotting分析,用Ni柱纯化。采用破骨细胞生成抑制试验和抑炎试验鉴定表达产物的生物学活性。结果:重组病毒在感染昆虫细胞后48h开始出现一相对分子质量为28 kDa大小的特异条带,感染后72～96 h蛋白量达到高峰。破骨细胞生成抑制实验及抑炎试验结果显示,重组蛋白能明显抑制破骨细胞的生长和分化,同时亦具有抑制炎症反应的作用。结论:利用杆状病毒表达系统在昆虫细胞中成功表达OPG-HSP70融合蛋白,该融合蛋白具有抑制破骨细胞生成和抑制炎症反应生物学活性。     

口服草原兔尾鼠卵透明带3纳米乳剂DNA疫苗免疫效果研究

用免疫不育疫苗控制有害动物的数量成为动物种群数量控制的一个有效措施,对于大多数动物来说．口服饵料发送系统是最好的选择。但是口服疫苗容易产生耐受,且生物利用度低,利用多聚物包裹口服疫苗是一种打破口服耐受．提高其生物利用度的新途径。本文以纳米乳剂作为草原兔尾鼠卵透明带3（Lugurus zone pellucida 3,LZP3）DNA疫苗的发送载体,探讨通过口服途径增强小鼠的免疫效果和抗生育率。用纳米乳剂包裹lzp3 DNA疫苗后,采用强阴离子交换色谱法测定纳米乳剂的包封率．将制备好的质粒纳米乳剂lzp3 DNA疫苗通过口服饵料免疫小鼠,检测到免疫后小鼠的体内产生了特异性的抗LZP3的IgG和IgA。对免疫后小鼠进行抗生育实验,分析生育后免疫小鼠的卵巢病理切片。研究结果表明,用质粒纳米乳剂如p3DNA疫苗通过口服途径免疫．在小鼠的血清和粘液中检测到了特异性的抗LZP3的IgG和IgA,同时也产生了相应的抗生育作用．表明纳米乳剂作为口服不育疫苗的发送载体是可行的,为草原兔尾鼠鼠害的防治提供了理论基础．     

数据管理系统检验结果自动确认范围设定

目的:探讨数据管理系统DM2检验结果自动确认范围设定.方法:统计分析2008年全自动流水线测定项目检验结果.以1%和99%分位作为自动审核上下限,查看2009年3月数据自动审核通过率并分析未通过审核原因.结果:2008年数据统计结果与项目的参考范围有差异,数据自动审核通过率超过75%,未通过审核数据中超出自动审核范围的结果占23%以上.结论:通过对实验室数据的回顾性分析,设定合理的自动审核范围,充分发挥全自动流水线和数据管理系统的效能,提高检测效率,为临床提供快捷、准确的服务.     

Altered Anatomical Network in Early Blindness Revealed by Diffusion Tensor Tractography

The topological architecture of the cerebral anatomical network reflects the structural organization of the human brain. Recently, topological measures based on graph theory have provided new approaches for quantifying large-scale anatomical networks. Diffusion MRI studies have revealed the efficient small-world properties and modular structure of the anatomical network in normal subjects. However, no previous study has used diffusion MRI to reveal changes in the brain anatomical network in early blindness. Here, we utilized diffusion tensor imaging to construct binary anatomical networks for 17 early blind subjects and 17 age- and gender-matched sighted controls. We established the existence of structural connections between any pair of the 90 cortical and sub-cortical regions using deterministic tractography. Compared with controls, early blind subjects showed a decreased degree of connectivity, a reduced global efficiency, and an increased characteristic path length in their brain anatomical network, especially in the visual cortex. Moreover, we revealed some regions with motor or somatosensory function have increased connections with other brain regions in the early blind, which suggested experience-dependent compensatory plasticity. This study is the first to show alterations in the topological properties of the anatomical network in early blindness. From the results, we suggest that analyzing the brain''s anatomical network obtained using diffusion MRI data provides new insights into the understanding of the brain''s re-organization in the specific population with early visual deprivation.