Depositing Cu2O of different morphology on chitosan nanoparticles by an electrochemical method

The chitosan nanoparticles were prepared with the least chemical productions by adding sodium sulfate. The cuprous oxide (Cu₂O)/chitosan nanocomposites were prepared by electrochemical deposition of nanocrystalline Cu₂O on chitosan nanoparticles. With the change of the reaction conditions, it was found that Cu₂O nanoparticles could be leafage-like or big spherical particles coated on the surface of chitosan nanoparticles. The composition of the resulting Cu₂O/chitosan composites was confirmed by using SEM images, XRD pattern, and XPS spectrum. The chemical interaction between Cu₂O and chitosan nanoparticles was probed into by FTIR spectrum. The Cu₂O/chitosan nanocomposites make it possible of seeking materials that can degrade pollutants with minimal energy and the least reagent under biocompatible and environmentally friendly conditions.     

板栗花芽分化和花序生长过程中的内源激素含量变化

在板栗花芽分化期间,易于形成雌花的上部芽含有较高的ZT、GA和较低的ABA;下部芽则基本相反。在前2个分化期,上部芽的IAA含量均比下部芽的低,但进入第三分化期,尤其是随着萌芽期的到来,上部芽的IAA含量迅速急剧上升,远远超过下部芽。在花序生长期,1、2花序基部保持较高的ZT和GA水平,1、2花序顶部和5、6花序则保持较高的IAA和ABA水平。     

Virus Movement Protein Gene Mediated Resistance Against Cucumber Mosaic Virus Infection

Tobacco (Nicotiana tabactum L. ) "NC89" plants were transformed with deletion mutant of cucumber mosaic virus (CMV) movement protein (MP) gene and full-length CMV MP gene, respectively. The transformed plants were analyzed with polymerase chain reaction (PCR), PCR-Southem, Southern and Western blots. R0 generation of the transgenic plants were inoculated with CMV. Five out of 10 lines of tobacco plants (BMPK) transformed with CMV MP deletion mutant gene showed high resistance to CMV infection and remained symptomless for up to 50 days post-inoculation. In contrast, tobacco plants (BMPR) transformed with full-length CMV MP gene did not show resistance to CMV infection. However, most of the infected full-length CMV MP gene transgenic plants recovered by showing none or very mild mosaic symptoms in 40 days post-inoculation. The results of R1 generation of the BMPK transgenic plants tested under field conditions showed that all 5 lines of transgenic plants could delay the virus disease development.     

防御素的生物学特性及其抗病基因工程

防御素是一种富含半胱氨酸的小分子多肽,对细菌等微生物具有广谱抗性,且作用机制特殊。迄今为止,国内外在防御素方面进行了大量的研究,已经从各类生物体中分离出不同种类的防御素,并在基因工程和医药领域呈现广泛的应用前景。文章对防御素的分类、生物学特性,包括哺乳动物α-、β-、θ-防御素、昆虫以及植物防御素的分子结构及抗菌活性进行了综述,阐述了防御素的膜作用及与细胞内复合物结合的作用机制。总结和归纳了防御素基因的分离、表达研究进展及动、植物防御素基因在抗病基因工程领域的应用,并对防御素在未来的生物制药和植物抗病基因工程方面的应用前景进行了展望。     

湖北三峡大老岭自然保护区光叶水青冈群落种子雨10年观测: 种子雨密度、物种构成及其与群落的关系

种子雨是植物种子扩散的起点, 对群落更新及种群动态起着关键作用。该文以三峡大老岭自然保护区内一片面积为1.3 hm ²的光叶水青冈(Fagus lucida)群落固定样地为研究对象, 运用分层随机设计, 在10个不同的地形部位放置了100个种子雨收集框, 自2001年起进行种子雨观测, 对该群落种子雨的数量与物种多样性的年际动态、种子雨和群落物种构成的关系等进行了统计分析。结果表明: 1)过去10年间, 共收集到来自48种木本植物的60 926粒种子, 种子雨的多年平均密度为(82.9 ± 61.5) seeds·m^-2·a^-1(mean ± SD), 平均物种丰富度为(16.7 ± 5.5) species·a^-1(mean ± SD)。2)种子生产的种间差异极为显著, 种子量排名前三的植物贡献了累计种子雨总量的70%。3)群落种子雨的密度和物种丰富度在10年中基本同步, 均呈现显著的周期性波动, 并出现了3个大年。乔木和灌木种子雨密度的年际波动无显著相关性, 但物种数变化显著正相关; 4)种子雨与样地群落共有种为23种, 分别占种子雨和群落中木本植物种数的47.92%和54.76%, 但这些共有种贡献了种子总量的96.22%, 表明扩散限制在研究群落中十分显著。与国内其他森林群落种子雨研究结果相比, 该研究群落的种子雨密度明显较低。     

Glyphosate tolerance and effects of cotton bollworms on transgenic herbicide and insect resistant cotton

本论文研究了抗虫又抗除草剂棉花对草甘膦的耐受程度,比较了这一双抗性状的棉花与单抗虫棉的抗虫效果.结果表明,抗虫又抗除草剂棉花对草甘膦有较好的耐受性,四叶期喷施草甘膦后抗虫抗除草剂棉花可以安全生长,蕾期喷施草甘膦对棉花的开花率和结铃率有影响.抗虫又抗除草剂棉花和单抗虫棉对棉铃虫Helicoverpa armigera(Hübner)均具有较好的防治效果,苗期棉花叶片对棉铃虫防治效果最好,后期防治效果下降到49.2％和46.6％,吐絮期防治效果又上升到57.0％和53.1％.     

Synthesis and Properties of Oligonucleotide (2-Aminoethyl)Phosphonates

Abstract

Oligonucleotides with novel, cationic backbone substituents have been prepared. Dinucleotide aminoethylphosphonates have been synthesized and the isomers were separated and used to prepare oligonucleotides with alternating positive and negative charges. The properties of these oligonucleotides have been examined.     

A Novel Top-k Strategy for Influence Maximization in Complex Networks with Community Structure

In complex networks, it is of great theoretical and practical significance to identify a set of critical spreaders which help to control the spreading process. Some classic methods are proposed to identify multiple spreaders. However, they sometimes have limitations for the networks with community structure because many chosen spreaders may be clustered in a community. In this paper, we suggest a novel method to identify multiple spreaders from communities in a balanced way. The network is first divided into a great many super nodes and then k spreaders are selected from these super nodes. Experimental results on real and synthetic networks with community structure show that our method outperforms the classic methods for degree centrality, k-core and ClusterRank in most cases.     

Wolbachia-induced cytoplasmic incompatibility is associated with decreased Hira expression in male Drosophila

Background

Wolbachia are obligate endosymbiotic bacteria that infect numerous species of arthropods and nematodes. Wolbachia can induce several reproductive phenotypes in their insect hosts including feminization, male-killing, parthenogenesis and cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI). CI is the most common phenotype and occurs when Wolbachia-infected males mate with uninfected females resulting in no or very low numbers of viable offspring. However, matings between males and females infected with the same strain of Wolbachia result in viable progeny. Despite substantial scientific effort, the molecular mechanisms underlying CI are currently unknown.

Methodology/Principal Findings

Gene expression studies were undertaken in Drosophila melanogaster and D. simulans which display differential levels of CI using quantitative RT-PCR. We show that Hira expression is correlated with the induction of CI and occurs in a sex-specific manner. Hira expression is significantly lower in males which induce strong CI when compared to males inducing no CI or Wolbachia-uninfected males. A reduction in Hira expression is also observed in 1-day-old males that induce stronger CI compared to 5-day-old males that induce weak or no CI. In addition, Hira mutated D. melanogaster males mated to uninfected females result in significantly decreased hatch rates comparing with uninfected crosses. Interestingly, wMel-infected females may rescue the hatch rates. An obvious CI phenotype with chromatin bridges are observed in the early embryo resulting from Hira mutant fertilization, which strongly mimics the defects associated with CI.

Conclusions/Significance

Our results suggest Wolbachia-induced CI in Drosophila occurs due to a reduction in Hira expression in Wolbachia-infected males leading to detrimental effects on sperm fertility resulting in embryo lethality. These results may help determine the underlying mechanism of CI and provide further insight in to the important role Hira plays in the interaction of Wolbachia and its insect host.     

Whole-Exome Sequencing to Identify a Novel LMNA Gene Mutation Associated with Inherited Cardiac Conduction Disease

Background

Inherited cardiac conduction diseases (CCD) are rare but are caused by mutations in a myriad of genes. Recently, whole-exome sequencing has successfully led to the identification of causal mutations for rare monogenic Mendelian diseases.

Objective

To investigate the genetic background of a family affected by inherited CCD.

Methods and Results

We used whole-exome sequencing to study a Chinese family with multiple family members affected by CCD. Using the pedigree information, we proposed a heterozygous missense mutation (c.G695T, Gly232Val) in the lamin A/C (LMNA) gene as a candidate mutation for susceptibility to CCD in this family. The mutation is novel and is expected to affect the conformation of the coiled-coil rod domain of LMNA according to a structural model prediction. Its pathogenicity in lamina instability was further verified by expressing the mutation in a cellular model.

Conclusions

Our results suggest that whole-exome sequencing is a feasible approach to identifying the candidate genes underlying inherited conduction diseases.