Molecular characterization of avian-like H1N1 swine influenza a viruses isolated in Eastern China, 2011

Currently, three predominant subtypes of influenza virus are prevalent in pig populations worldwide: H1N1, H3N2, and H1N2. European avian-like H1N1 viruses, which were initially detected in European pig populations in 1979, have been circulating in pigs in eastern China since 2007. In this study, six influenza A viruses were isolated from 60 swine lung samples collected from January to April 2011 in eastern China. Based on whole genome sequencing, molecular characteristics of two isolates were determined. Phylogenetic analysis showed the eight genes of the two isolates were closely related to those of the avian-like H1N1 viruses circulating in pig populations, especially similar to those found in China. Four potential glycosylation sites were observed at positions 13, 26, 198, 277 in the HA1 proteins of the two isolates. Due to the presence of a stop codon at codon 12, the isolates contained truncated PB1-F2 proteins. In this study, the isolates contained 591Q, 627E and 701N in the polymerase subunit PB2, which had been shown to be determinants of virulence and host adaptation. The isolates also had a D rather than E at position 92 of the NS1, a marker of mammalian adaptation. Both isolates contained the GPKV motif at the PDZ ligand domain of the 3′ end of the NS1, a characteristic marker of the European avian-like swine viruses since about 1999, which is distinct from those of avian, human and classical swine viruses. The M2 proteins of the isolates have the mutation (S31N), a characteristic marker of the European avian-like swine viruses since about 1987, which may confer resistance to amantadine and rimantadine antivirals. Our findings further emphasize the importance of surveillance on the genetic diversity of influenza A viruses in pigs, and raise more concerns about the occurrence of cross-species transmission events.     

广西扶绥岩亮洞早更新世独角犀年龄结构的分析

岩亮洞是广西扶绥地区最近新发现的早更新世巨猿化石点,经过初步发掘,采集到了丰富的巨猿材料及大量伴生的哺乳动物化石。引人注目的是其中犀类化石居多,包括146颗完整的牙齿及十多件头后骨骼化石,从形态特征判断,这些犀类化石应属于独角犀的一新种Rhinoceros fusuiensis。岩亮洞巨猿动物群中的独角犀以种群丰度最大而不同于其他已知东亚地区的巨猿动物群中的独角犀类材料。本文从犀类牙齿的主尖釉质层、齿质暴露程度、咀嚼面的磨蚀程度等方面对岩亮洞独角犀的年龄结构进行了研究。该死亡群中至少有4头幼年个体、5头青年个体、5头成年个体和1头老年个体。依据牙齿磨蚀程度和牙齿萌出顺序对年龄结构的分析及统计显示,其中青年个体和成年个体最多,幼年个体次之,老年个体最少,其死亡的原因不是通常意义上磨耗型死亡,突发性的灾害可能是造成这种死亡年龄分布的主要原因。     

真菌发育过程中的蓝光诱导

本文对多种真菌在发育过程中受蓝光诱导的现象进行了综述。蓝光可以诱导多种真菌的形态发生和发育,包括孢子的产生和菌丝的延伸等。此外,蓝光还可引起真菌的生理和生化改变,如细胞膜对离子的通透性的变化、类胡萝卜素的合成等。真菌也存在一个蓝光信号系统,通过蓝光受体接受蓝光信号,导致了真菌的一系列形态发生和生理生化的变化。     

真菌组蛋白赖氨酸甲基转移酶的研究进展

甲基化修饰是蛋白翻译后修饰的主要方式之一。真菌中,多种赖氨酸甲基转移酶能够执行组蛋白特定位点上赖氨酸的甲基化。组蛋白上赖氨酸的甲基化与真菌DNA的复制、转录以及异染色质的形成相关。甲基化参与了多种生物学过程,如真菌发育、昼夜节律调节、次级代谢基因簇表达、水解酶合成、致病真菌毒力形成。本文结合笔者工作,对目前真菌中已经发现的组蛋白赖氨酸甲基转移酶的命名、分类、结构域特征、催化域的三维结构以及它们所执行的甲基化在各种真菌中的作用进行了总结,提出了目前研究的不足并对未来的研究方向和内容进行了展望。     

白蛾周氏啮小蜂产卵器感器的形态和超微结构

采用扫描电镜观察了白蛾周氏啮小蜂Chouioia cunea Yang产卵器.结果表明,在该蜂的产卵器上共发现了8种感器,分别为毛状感器、栓锥感器、浅凹状感器、乳状感器、钟形感器、栉齿状感器、短锥感器和B(o)hm氏鬃毛.对产卵器感觉器的形态、分布进行了描述.     

改进型气升式反应器能耗的研究

首次研究了操作条件和反应器结构（导流筒直径和静态混合元件数）对改进型气升式反应器功耗的影响。结果表明,优化导流筒结构可以实现节能降耗。曝气量相同时,在导流筒直径为4.0cm,静态混合元件数为39的条件下,改进型反应器的功耗最小,比普通反应器平均降低23.6%。达到相同供氧能力时,在导流筒直径为5.5cm,静态混合元件数为13的条件下,改进型反应器的功耗最小,比普通反应器平均降低43.9%。在改进型反应器中,升流区功耗最大,占70%～80%;底隙区次之,占20%左右;气液分离区最小,小于10%;降流区功耗可以忽略不计。最大体积功耗出现在底隙区。升流区是解决反应器能耗问题的重点。     

Functional Characterization of 14 Pht1 Family Genes in Yeast and Their Expressions in Response to Nutrient Starvation in Soybean

Background

Phosphorus (P) is essential for plant growth and development. Phosphate (Pi) transporter genes in the Pht1 family play important roles in Pi uptake and translocation in plants. Although Pht1 family genes have been well studied in model plants, little is known about their functions in soybean, an important legume crop worldwide.

Principal Findings

We identified and isolated a complete set of 14 Pi transporter genes (GmPT1-14) in the soybean genome and categorized them into two subfamilies based on phylogenetic analysis. Then, an experiment to elucidate Pi transport activity of the GmPTs was carried out using a yeast mutant defective in high-affinity Pi transport. Results showed that 12 of the 14 GmPTs were able to complement Pi uptake of the yeast mutant with Km values ranging from 25.7 to 116.3 µM, demonstrating that most of the GmPTs are high-affinity Pi transporters. Further results from qRT-PCR showed that the expressions of the 14 GmPTs differed not only in response to P availability in different tissues, but also to other nutrient stresses, including N, K and Fe deficiency, suggesting that besides functioning in Pi uptake and translocation, GmPTs might be involved in synergistic regulation of mineral nutrient homeostasis in soybean.

Conclusions

The comprehensive analysis of Pi transporter function in yeast and expression responses to nutrition starvation of Pht1 family genes in soybean revealed their involvement in other nutrient homeostasis besides P, which could help to better understand the regulation network among ion homeostasis in plants.