Characteristics and metabolic pathway of Alcaligenes sp. TB for simultaneous heterotrophic nitrification-aerobic denitrification

Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology - A novel heterotrophic nitrification-aerobic denitrification bacterium, Alcaligenes sp. TB (GenBank accession no. JQ044686), was isolated from a rotating...     

中华绒螯蟹蜕壳生长及其与相关基因表达的关联分析

蜕壳是甲壳动物常见的生长发育现象,但对调控蜕壳与生长的内在机制尚缺乏足够了解。本研究在室内条件下,对中华绒螯蟹(Eriocheir sinensis)一个蜕壳周期内的个体蜕壳与生长现象进行了连续观察,分析了2个蜕壳相关基因,即蜕皮激素受体基因(Ec R)和维甲类X受体基因(RXR),以及1个生长相关基因肌肉生长抑制素基因(MSTN)的表达及其与生长性状的相关性。结果发现,中华绒螯蟹在蜕壳后会出现一个跳跃式生长期,之后进入了一个缓慢持续上升过程,当营养物质积累到一定程度(肥满度达60%左右时)时启动下一次蜕壳;MSTN基因的表达与壳长(r=﹣0.450,P0.05)、壳宽(r=﹣0.410,P0.05)增长率呈显著负相关,而与肥满度呈显著正相关(r=0.450,P0.05),Ec R和RXR基因的表达与体重、壳长和壳宽的增长率均没有显著相关性;相对来说,MSTN在蜕壳后的表达量越高,则增重率越小;而Ec R和RXR在蜕壳后表达量越高,其增重率越大。本研究结果表明,中华绒螯蟹在蜕壳后其生长具有一定的规律性,肥满度可以作为衡量中华绒螯蟹体内营养积累启动蜕壳的指标,Ec R、RXR及MSTN基因表达与生长表型具有一定的相关性。     

布氏田鼠秋季家群数量与捕食风险的关系

2004年9月25日至10月15日,在内蒙古锡林郭勒盟阿巴嘎旗白音图嘎苏木研究了布氏田鼠(Lasiopodomys brandtii)秋季家群数量与来自艾虎(Mustela eversmanni)的捕食风险。布氏田鼠家群数量调查采用标志重捕法和最小已知存活数估计法(即MNA法)确定,而艾虎对布氏田鼠捕食风险的衡量指标采用在研究期间布氏田鼠洞群区新出现的艾虎粪便和挖掘痕迹。研究区面积4 hm2,涉及91个布氏田鼠家群,658只布氏田鼠,其中,17个布氏田鼠家群有新出现的艾虎粪便,5个家群被艾虎掘开。运用非参数的Mann-Whitney U检验进行数据分析,从艾虎遗留的粪便痕迹来看,未出现艾虎粪便的布氏田鼠家群总秩和为1 096,出现艾虎粪便的田鼠洞群秩和为3 090,统计量U=315,校正Z=﹣3.241,校正P=0.001 2;另外,从艾虎掘开的田鼠家群来分析,没有被艾虎挖掘的布氏田鼠家群秩和为3 757,而被艾虎掘开的田鼠家群秩和为429,统计量U=16,校正Z值为﹣3.514,P=0.000 4。两组差异达到极显著水平,表明艾虎对秋季高数量的布氏田鼠家群具有显著的优先访问和攻击偏好,也意味着高数量的布氏田鼠秋季家群具有更高的被艾虎捕食的风险。     

Identification and Characterization of the Lysine-Rich Matrix Protein Family in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Pinctada fucata</Emphasis>: Indicative of Roles in Shell Formation

Mantle can secret matrix proteins playing key roles in regulating the process of shell formation. The genes encoding lysine-rich matrix proteins (KRMPs) are one of the most highly expressed matrix genes in pearl oysters. However, the expression pattern of KRMPs is limited and the functions of them still remain unknown. In this study, we isolated and identified six new members of lysine-rich matrix proteins, rich in lysine, glycine and tyrosine, and all of them are basic matrix proteins. Combined with four members of the KRMPs previously reported, all these proteins can be divided into three subclasses according to the results of phylogenetic analyses: KRMP1–3 belong to subclass KPI, KRMP4–5 belong to KPII, and KRMP6–10 belong to KPIII. Three subcategories of lysine-rich matrix proteins are highly expressed in the D-phase, the larvae and adult mantle. Lysine-rich matrix proteins are involved in the shell repairing process and associated with the formation of the shell and pearl. What’s more, they can cause abnormal shell growth after RNA interference. In detail, KPI subgroup was critical for the beginning formation of the prismatic layer; both KPII and KPIII subgroups participated in the formation of prismatic layer and nacreous layer. Compared with different temperatures and salinity stimulation treatments, the influence of changes in pH on KRMPs gene expression was the greatest. Recombinant KRMP7 significantly inhibited CaCO₃ precipitation, changed the morphology of calcite, and inhibited the growth of aragonite in vitro. Our results are beneficial to understand the functions of the KRMP genes during shell formation.     

High‐throughput multiplex cpDNA resequencing clarifies the genetic diversity and genetic relationships among Brassica napus,Brassica rapa and Brassica oleracea

Brassica napus (rapeseed) is a recent allotetraploid plant and the second most important oilseed crop worldwide. The origin of B. napus and the genetic relationships with its diploid ancestor species remain largely unresolved. Here, chloroplast DNA (cpDNA) from 488 B. napus accessions of global origin, 139 B. rapa accessions and 49 B. oleracea accessions were populationally resequenced using Illumina Solexa sequencing technologies. The intraspecific cpDNA variants and their allelic frequencies were called genomewide and further validated via EcoTILLING analyses of the rpo region. The cpDNA of the current global B. napus population comprises more than 400 variants (SNPs and short InDels) and maintains one predominant haplotype (Bncp1). Whole‐genome resequencing of the cpDNA of Bncp1 haplotype eliminated its direct inheritance from any accession of the B. rapa or B. oleracea species. The distribution of the polymorphism information content (PIC) values for each variant demonstrated that B. napus has much lower cpDNA diversity than B. rapa; however, a vast majority of the wild and cultivated B. oleracea specimens appeared to share one same distinct cpDNA haplotype, in contrast to its wild C‐genome relatives. This finding suggests that the cpDNA of the three Brassica species is well differentiated. The predominant B. napus cpDNA haplotype may have originated from uninvestigated relatives or from interactions between cpDNA mutations and natural/artificial selection during speciation and evolution. These exhaustive data on variation in cpDNA would provide fundamental data for research on cpDNA and chloroplasts.