玉米酒糟中醇溶蛋白的结构特征研究

目的:通过实验和特征预测相结合的方法,分析酒糟中醇溶蛋白的物理化学性质及其结构,为玉米醇溶蛋白的生物学应用奠定基础。方法:将从玉米酒糟中醇提的玉米醇溶蛋白的SDS-PAGE条带进行ESI-Q-TOMS质谱分析,从得到的氨基酸序列,用生物信息学工具预测蛋白的疏水性、二级结构、三级结构等性质。结果:目的条带为玉米醇溶蛋白z1D alpha zein,相对分子质量为24 521,等电点为8.85,为疏水蛋白,其二级结构以α螺旋为主,三级结构成纺锤状。结论:为玉米酒糟中玉米醇溶蛋白的开发利用奠定了基础。     

Free radical copolymerization kinetics of γ-methyl-α-methylene-γ-butyrolactone (MeMBL)

The propagation kinetics and copolymerization behavior of the biorenewable monomer γ-methyl-α-methylene-γ-butyrolactone (MeMBL) are studied using the pulsed laser polymerization (PLP)/size exclusion chromatography (SEC) technique. The propagation rate coefficient for MeMBL is 15% higher than that of its structural analogue, methyl methacrylate (MMA), with a similar activation energy of 21.8 kJ·mol(-1). When compared to MMA, MeMBL is preferentially incorporated into copolymers when reacted with styrene (ST), MMA, and n-butyl acrylate (BA); the monomer reactivity ratios fit from bulk MeMBL/ST, MeMBL/MMA, and MeMBL/BA copolymerizations are r(MeMBL) = 0.80 ± 0.04 and r(ST) = 0.34 ± 0.04, r(MeMBL) = 3.0 ± 0.3 and r(MMA) = 0.33 ± 0.01, and r(MeMBL) = 7.0 ± 2.0 and r(BA) = 0.16 ± 0.03, respectively. In all cases, no significant variation with temperature was found between 50 and 90 °C. The implicit penultimate unit effect (IPUE) model was found to adequately fit the composition-averaged copolymerization propagation rate coefficient, k(p,cop), for the three systems.     

以HIV-1 5＇LTR为靶点的药物筛选细胞模型的构建

构建以人类免疫缺陷病毒（HIV-1）5＇LTR为靶点的药物筛选细胞模型,用于体外筛选潜在的对HIV-1启动子具有抑制作用的药物,或用于筛选与HIV-1复制相关的宿主因子。通过PCR扩增HIV-1 5＇LTR片段和胸苷激酶基因（thymidine kinase gene,TK基因）,以这2片段为模板进行重叠PCR将两者连接起来,连接产物经酶切后与pcDNA3.1载体连接;将连接正确的质粒转染HEK293细胞同时用G418加压筛选获得稳定细胞系;加入药物更昔洛韦（GCV）检测TK基因的表达。成功构建了HIV-1 5＇LTR调控TK基因表达的稳定细胞系,在其培养过程中加入药物更昔洛韦时,细胞逐渐死亡。构建了以HIV-1 5＇LTR为靶点的药物筛选细胞模型,该模型利用TK基因作为报告基因方便灵敏,可用于筛选针对HIV-1 5＇LTR的潜在抗HIV药物。     

Species distribution modelling for the people: unclassified landsat TM imagery predicts bird occurrence at fine resolutions

Aim

Assessing the influence of land cover in species distribution modelling is limited by the availability of fine‐resolution land‐cover data appropriate for most species responses. Remote‐sensing technology offers great potential for predicting species distributions at large scales, but the cost and required expertise are prohibitive for many applications. We test the usefulness of freely available raw remote‐sensing reflectance data in predicting species distributions of 40 commonly occurring bird species in western Oregon.

Location

Central Coast Range, Cascade and Klamath Mountains Oregon, USA.

Methods

Information on bird observations was collected from 4598 fixed‐radius point counts. Reflectance data were obtained using 30‐m resolution Landsat imagery summarized at scales of 150, 500, 1000 and 2000 m. We used boosted regression tree (BRT) models to analyse relationships between distributions of birds and reflectance values and evaluated prediction performance of the models using area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) values.

Results

Prediction success of models using all reflectance values was high (mean AUC = 0.79 ± 0.10 SD). Further, model performance using individual reflectance bands exceeded those that used only Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI). The relative influence of band 4 predictors was highest, indicating the importance of variables associated with vegetation biomass and photosynthetic activity. Across spatial scales, the average influence of predictors at the 2000 m scale was greatest.

Main Conclusions

We demonstrate that unclassified remote‐sensing imagery can be used to produce species distribution models with high prediction success. Our study is the first to identify general patterns in the usefulness of spectral reflectances for species distribution modelling of multiple species. We conclude that raw Landsat Thematic Mapper data will be particularly useful in species distribution models when high‐resolution predictions are required, including habitat change detection studies, identification of fine‐scale biodiversity hotspots and reserve design.

     

一株人源性轮状病毒的分离及适应性培养

目的:研究轮状病毒野毒株的分离方法、组织培养适应条件及相应生物学性质.方法:对收集的样品采用胶体金、PCR、PAGE进行轮状病毒定性检测.阳性样品按常规方法处理并进行组织培养分离,对不同传代样品做基因组图谱、基因序列、病毒增殖动力学分析评价,采用轮状病毒P[8]G1型阳性血清进行病毒中和鉴别试验.结果:通过检测为A组轮状病毒,基因组为4∶2∶3∶2排列,基因分型G1P [8]型,在MA104细胞中传代后转至Vero细胞上适应培养可观察到CPE;电镜观察可见典型轮状病毒形态.毒株在Vero细胞上增殖到第10代,复制稳定,且感染性滴度达到7.25 log CCID50/ml,增殖高峰为96h.中和鉴别试验证实病毒培养液只包含轮状病毒,无其他病毒污染.结论:从腹泻样品中分离得到一株人源轮状病毒毒株,命名为ZTR-68株,该分离株具有良好的组织培养适应性,遗传稳定性,为进一步研究其生物学性质和疫苗制备提供了基础.     

CD8 T Cell Memory to a Viral Pathogen Requires Trans Cosignaling between HVEM and BTLA

Defining the molecular interactions required to program activated CD8 T cells to survive and become memory cells may allow us to understand how to augment anti-viral immunity. HVEM (herpes virus entry mediator) is a member of the tumor necrosis factor receptor (TNFR) family that interacts with ligands in the TNF family, LIGHT and Lymphotoxin-α, and in the Ig family, B and T lymphocyte attenuator (BTLA) and CD160. The Ig family members initiate inhibitory signaling when engaged with HVEM, but may also activate survival gene expression. Using a model of vaccinia virus infection, we made the unexpected finding that deficiency in HVEM or BTLA profoundly impaired effector CD8 T cell survival and development of protective immune memory. Mixed adoptive transfer experiments indicated that BTLA expressed in CD8α+ dendritic cells functions as a trans-activating ligand that delivers positive co-signals through HVEM expressed in T cells. Our data demonstrate a critical role of HVEM-BTLA bidirectional cosignaling system in antiviral defenses by driving the differentiation of memory CD8 T cells.     

A Dynamic Finite Element Analysis of Human Foot Complex in the Sagittal Plane during Level Walking

The objective of this study is to develop a computational framework for investigating the dynamic behavior and the internal loading conditions of the human foot complex during locomotion. A subject-specific dynamic finite element model in the sagittal plane was constructed based on anatomical structures segmented from medical CT scan images. Three-dimensional gait measurements were conducted to support and validate the model. Ankle joint forces and moment derived from gait measurements were used to drive the model. Explicit finite element simulations were conducted, covering the entire stance phase from heel-strike impact to toe-off. The predicted ground reaction forces, center of pressure, foot bone motions and plantar surface pressure showed reasonably good agreement with the gait measurement data over most of the stance phase. The prediction discrepancies can be explained by the assumptions and limitations of the model. Our analysis showed that a dynamic FE simulation can improve the prediction accuracy in the peak plantar pressures at some parts of the foot complex by 10%–33% compared to a quasi-static FE simulation. However, to simplify the costly explicit FE simulation, the proposed model is confined only to the sagittal plane and has a simplified representation of foot structure. The dynamic finite element foot model proposed in this study would provide a useful tool for future extension to a fully muscle-driven dynamic three-dimensional model with detailed representation of all major anatomical structures, in order to investigate the structural dynamics of the human foot musculoskeletal system during normal or even pathological functioning.     

Sexual Dimorphism in the Hindlimb Muscles of the Asiatic Toad(Bufo gargarizans)in Relation to Male Reproductive Success

In many anurans, the forelimb muscles of males are used to grasp females and are often heavier than those of females despite the larger female body size. Such sexual dimorphism in forelimb musculature is thought to result from sexual selection. In addition, the hindlimbs of frogs and toads play an important role in the reproductive process as amplectant males can expel rivals with robust hindlimbs through kicking. In this study, the sexual dimorphism in dry mass for six hindlimb muscles of the Asiatic toad(Bufo gargarizans) was investigated. The results showed that, when controlled for body size, the hindlimb muscle mass of males significantly exceeded that of females for every muscle. The hindlimb muscle mass of amplectant males was also significantly larger than that of non-amplectant males. These results suggested that if strong hindlimb muscles could improve mating success of males, sexual selection would promote the evolution of dimorphism in this character.