Role of Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms of KIF1B Gene in HBV-Associated Viral Hepatitis

Background/Aim

Kinesin family member 1B (KIF1B) gene resides in the chromosomal region 1p36.22 and has been reported to have frequent deletions in a variety of human cancers. A recent genome wide association study (GWAS) study conducted on a Chinese population has reported the involvement of a KIF1B genetic variant in Hepatitis B virus (HBV)-related hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). This study aims to investigate the significance of KIF1B genetic variations in HBV-associated hepatitis in patients of Saudi Arabian ethnicity.

Methods

TaqMan genotyping assay was used to investigate the association of three SNPs (rs17401966, rs12734551, and rs3748578) in 584 normal healthy controls and 660 HBV-infected patients. The patients were categorized into inactive carriers (Case I), active carriers (Case II), Cirrhosis (Case III) and Cirrhosis-HCC (Case IV) sub-groups.

Results

Since SNPs rs12734551 and rs3748578 are in strong linkage disequilibrium (LD) with rs17401966, only results for the latter SNP are reported. Therefore, the allele frequency of rs17401966 among HBV-infected patients and healthy controls were comparable and therefore, no significant association was observed (P = 0.2811, Odds Ratio (OR) 0.897). A similar analysis was performed among the different sub-groups in order to determine whether KIF1B SNPs were associated with the advancement of the disease. No significant differences were observed in any of the comparisons performed.

Conclusion

Polymorphisms at KIF1B gene locus investigated in this study showed no significant association with HBV infection or with HBV-associated diseases such as liver cirrhosis or HCC.     

两广地区家蚕白僵菌的SSRs遗传多样性

为查明广东和广西地区家蚕Bombyx mori病原白僵菌的来源及其菌株间的相互关系, 本研究利用了微卫星标记（simple sequence repeats, SSRs）技术, 分别对采自广东、 广西蚕区的白僵菌菌株居群之间和居群之内的遗传多态性进行了研究。结果发现, 两广白僵菌居群之间的基因分化系数（Gst）是0.0590, 多态位点百分率（PPL）为97.73%, Nei氏基因多样性指数（H）为0.1896, Shannon氏信息多样性指数（I）为0.3165, 表明两广家蚕来源的白僵菌居群间的遗传分化较小; 两个居群内部的遗传多态性研究结果分别是广东白僵菌居群的PPL=68.18%, H=0.1910, I=0.3044, 而广西白僵菌居群的PPL=65.91%, H=0.1713, I=0.1791, 表明广东白僵菌居群的遗传多样性水平较高, 广西白僵菌居群遗传多样性水平相对较低。最后, 利用Nei氏遗传距离进行了两广地区白僵菌菌株间地理来源关系的聚类分析, 结果表明实验室保存菌株单独聚为类群Ⅰ, 而不同采集地的菌株聚为类群Ⅱ。结果反映了生产来源的白僵菌菌株存在遗传多态性和基因分化现象, 暗示了家蚕白僵病病原来源的复杂性, 还说明应用SSRs技术进行家蚕白僵病病原的溯源是一条可行的途径。     

光合作用条件下烟草叶片中的NADP含量分析

用酶循环法在叶片水平上分析NADP含量的结果显示,在光照条件下,NADP含量呈现出先迅速下降进而缓慢上升的变化,上升过程受高温和抗霉素A(antimycin A)抑制,说明此法所得结果能够反映光合作用条件下叶中内源NADP含量的变化趋势.     

药用植物内生菌的分离及抗菌活性的初步研究

为研究药用植物金荞麦、款冬及黄皮树中内生菌的抗菌活性,筛选具有广谱抗菌效果的内生菌。以导致人畜及植物致病的15种病原微生物为拮抗菌株,采用改进K-B纸片法、生长速率法及琼脂二倍稀释法进行抑菌试验。结果从三种药用植物中共分离到内生菌38株,其中FE-R9、TE-R7、PE-S11三株内生真菌发酵液提取物对10种人畜指示菌的最低抑菌浓度(M IC)分别在7.50~15.00 g.L-1、3.13~12.50 g.L-1、0.39~15.00 g.L-1之间。FE-R9、TE-R7、PE-S11对多种病原微生物具有显著抑制生长的作用,这可为寻找天然抗菌物质提供资源。     

湖南省爬行类新记录——花尾斜鳞蛇

2005年8月12日,湖南师范大学生命科学学院米小其在湖南新宁舜皇山林场紫花坪紫溪河边采到标本HNU200508001(图),经鉴定为花尾斜鳞蛇大陆亚种Pseudoxenodon stejnegeri striaticaudatus,隶属于游蛇科Colubridae,斜鳞蛇属Pseudoxenodon.经查证[1～4],花尾斜鳞蛇为湖南省爬行动物新记录,标本保存于湖南师范大学生命科学学院动物生态研究室.     

一种观察藻胆体移动的光漂白后荧光恢复技术

文章从样品制备、测定方法、数据分析方面就如何应用光漂白后的荧光恢复（FRAP）技术观测蓝藻藻胆体在类囊体膜上的移动进行介绍,得到的结果表明FRAP技术可以直接而有效地观测蓝藻藻胆体在类囊体膜上的移动情况。     

甘肃裕固族HLA-DRB1基因多态性及其族源分析

目的:研究甘肃裕固族HLA-DRB1基因的多态性,探讨裕固族的起源、迁徙及其与其他民族的关系.方法:应用PCR-SSP基因分型技术,对54例裕固族个体进行了HLA-DRB1位点的基因分型并进行相应等位基因频率的比较.结果:甘肃裕固族HLA-DRB1位点共检出了14种等位基因,其中高频基因为DR5(0.2115),DR4(0.1346)和DR7(0.1250),低频的等位基因为DR14(0.0096)和DR13(0.0192);裕固族人HLA-DRB1座位等位基因总的分布格局与蒙古族最接近,与云南黎族则相差较远.结论:对裕固族和我国各地人群的HLA-DRB1频率进行了聚类分析,极为相似的HLA-DRB1背景提示裕固族和蒙古族之间密切的遗传关系.     

不同比例红蓝光对番茄幼苗生长和光合作用的影响

为了探索番茄幼苗生长发育对红蓝组合光的响应机制,本试验采用发光二极管(LED)精量调制光源,以番茄品种‘SV0313TG’为试材,设红光(R)、蓝光(B)和红蓝组合光(9R1B、6R1B、3R1B、1R1B、1R3B)7个处理,以白光为对照,研究不同比例红蓝光质对番茄幼苗生长、光合色素含量、光合特性、叶绿素荧光参数及根系活力的影响.结果表明:不同比例红蓝光质处理对番茄幼苗生长的影响具有明显差异.红光显著促进幼苗株高增加,比叶面积增大,胞间CO₂浓度提高,但PSⅡ最大光化学效率(F_v/F_m)、PSⅡ实际光化学效率(Ф_PSⅡ)降低,根系生长受阻,根系活力下降,壮苗指数降低;蓝光下幼苗生长受到明显抑制,叶绿素含量降低,但叶绿素a/b 值升高;红蓝组合光有利于番茄幼苗的生长发育,3R1B处理下植株干物质量、叶绿素含量和光合性能均显著提高,幼苗生长健壮,壮苗指数最大.综上,红蓝组合光能够增加番茄幼苗叶片光合色素含量,提高光合效率,促进植株生长,尤以3R1B处理最佳.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Dicroidium bandelii</Emphasis> sp. nov. (corystospermalean foliage) from the Permian of Jordan

Dicroidium bandelii sp. nov. (Corystospermales) is described from the Um Irna Formation (Permian) of the Dead Sea Region, Jordan. The type and only specimen is a compressed frond fragment with cuticle. The new species is unique in showing pinnate frond architecture with elongate, lanceolate pinnae with a dense, near-parallel venation. In situ epifluorescence-microscopic analysis of the cuticle revealed evenly distributed, superficial stomata with differentiated lateral subsidiary cells typical of the genus. Epidermal and cuticular features readily distinguish D. bandelii from some superficially similar species of Ptilozamites or Thinnfeldia. Our report demonstrates that the diversity of Corystospermales in the unusual ‘mixed flora’ of the Permian palaeotropics is still greater than previously thought, and that the Um Irna Formation in particular holds a great potential for future palaeontological research.