MRI metrics at the epicenter of spinal cord injury are correlated with the stepping process in rhesus monkeys

Clinical evaluations of long-term outcomes in the early-stage spinal cord injury (SCI) focus on macroscopic motor performance and are limited in their prognostic precision. This study was designed to investigate the sensitivity of the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) indexes to the data-driven gait process after SCI. Ten adult female rhesus monkeys were subjected to thoracic SCI. Kinematics-based gait examinations were performed at 1 (early stage) and 12 (chronic stage) months post-SCI. The proportion of stepping (PS) and gait stability (GS) were calculated as the outcome measures. MRI metrics, which were derived from structural imaging (spinal cord cross-sectional area, SCA) and diffusion tensor imaging (fractional anisotropy, FA; axial diffusivity, λ_//), were acquired in the early stage and compared with functional outcomes by using correlation analysis and stepwise multivariable linear regression. Residual tissue SCA at the injury epicenter and residual tissue FA/remote normal-like tissue FA were correlated with the early-stage PS and GS. The extent of lesion site λ_///residual tissue λ_// in the early stage after SCI was correlated with the chronic-stage GS. The ratios of lesion site λ_// to residual tissue λ_// and early-stage GS were predictive of the improvement in the PS at follow-up. Similarly, the ratios of lesion site λ_// to residual tissue λ_// and early-stage PS best predicted chronic GS recovery. Our findings demonstrate the predictive power of MRI combined with the early data-driven gait indexes for long-term outcomes. Such an approach may help clinicians to predict functional recovery accurately.     

天津七里海湿地蛾类多样性

系统调查研究了天津七里海湿地的蛾类,已知19科153属198种,并对其多样性作了分析。结果表明,种 多度关系符合对数正态分布模型。但多样性指数与均匀度不相一致（r =-0.47）,而与物种丰富度一致（r=0.95）。研究认为七里海湿地环境条件比较好,但有退化的趋势。     

2种织圆网蜘蛛个体大小与蛛网粘丝区面积间关系

在不惊扰蜘蛛的情况下对悦目金蛛Argiope amoena和圆尾肖蛸Tetragnatha vermiformis的个体大小与蛛网粘丝区面积问的相关性进行了野外观察。主要测量了蜘蛛体长、蛛网粘丝区直径、蛛网框丝固着点间最大距离、网中枢到地面或水面距离、网平面与水平线的夹角等参数;另外还对蛛网框丝固着点间最大距离作为圆网蛛网址选择行为量化指标的可行性进行了探讨。结果表明,2种蜘蛛体长与蛛网粘丝区面积以及蜘蛛体长与蛛网框丝固着点间最大距离均呈现明显的正相关。悦目金蛛体长与蛛网粘丝区面积的相关性高于圜尾肖蛸,这可能与悦目金蛛在其生境中易于找到框丝固着点、而圆尾肖蛸在其生境中较难找到框丝同着点有关;     

哲罗鱼消化系统器官发生发育的组织学观察

采用形态观察与连续组织切片技术,对哲罗鱼(Hucho taimen)胚胎期(水温7~8℃)和胚后期(水温3~14℃)消化系统的发生发育进行观察和研究。结果表明,哲罗鱼受精11d形成原始的消化管。受精18d肝原基出现,U型胃雏型形成。受精30d鱼体破膜,口能自由闭合。破膜8d后,齿形成,肛门与外界相通,消化道初步形成口咽腔、食道、U型胃、肠和肛门。破膜16d,胰及瓣囊出现,仔鱼消化系统初步具备了摄食和消化外源性食物的能力。破膜24d后,鱼体开始上浮,主动摄食,由内源性营养转向混合性营养。破膜30d后,卵黄囊完全被吸收,各消化器官功能和结构逐步发育完善,鱼体由混合性营养进入外源性营养阶段。此后随着鱼体的生长消化器官逐步发育成熟,舌齿和下颌齿分别为双排,胃腺发达,形成网状结构,幽门盲囊较多,肠为直行,肝和胰为相互分开的独立器官。     

凤蝶亚科(凤蝶科,鳞翅目)16S rRNA基因的分子系统发生分析

对15种凤蝶亚科蝶类线粒体16S rRNA基因部分序列进行了测定,并结合GenBank中其它相关类群的序列,采用邻接法(NJ)、最大简约法(MP)、最大似然法(ML)和贝叶斯法构建凤蝶亚科的分子系统树,探讨该亚科各类群间的系统发生关系.结果表明,燕凤蝶族构成凤蝶亚科蝶类系统树基部的一个独立分支;燕凤蝶族和裳凤蝶族为单系发生,且裳凤蝶族聚在凤蝶族内部;喙凤蝶族的单系性尚不能确定.综合分子系统学、形态学及寄主植物等相关证据,推测斑凤蝶类为凤蝶族中早期分化的一支;较之裳凤蝶类,斑凤蝶类可能更早从二者最近的共同祖先中分化出来.     

MicroRNA-411a-3p过表达抑制Ca2+信号转导与羊驼黑色素细胞的增殖和迁移

黑色素细胞中产生的黑色素转移及黑色素细胞的增殖和迁移均与色素沉积有关。黑色素细胞的增殖需要有丝分裂原协同进行。黑色素细胞的增殖和分化受组织环境以及多种毛色基因的调控。miRNA-411a-3p在不同毛色羊驼皮肤中呈差异表达,且通过靶向IGF1R调控黑色素生成。但miRNA-411a-3p是否与黑色素颗粒迁移、黑色素细胞的增殖和迁移相关未见报道。本研究通过miRNA-411a-3p转染羊驼黑色素细胞后发现,与对照组相比,钙离子信号转导水平下降了（91.73±1.53）% (P<0.01),与黑色素转移有关的Rab27a和肌球蛋白Va在蛋白质水平的表达均被下调,同时与细胞增殖有关的整联蛋白β1和β5相关基因在转录水平分别下降了（44.67 ± 13.67）%（P<0.01）和（30.72 ± 6.23）% (P<0.01),在蛋白质水平表达下降了（45.18 ± 1.96）% (P<0.001)和（11.52 ± 1.09）% (P<0.001)。综上所述,miRNA-411a-3p过表达后会抑制钙离子信号转导,以及羊驼黑色素细胞的增殖和迁移。     

The first mitochondrial genome for the butterfly family Riodinidae(Abisara fylloides) and its systematic implications

The Riodinidae is one of the lepidopteran butterfly families. This study describes the complete mitochondrial genome of the butterfly species Abisara fylloides, the first mitochondrial genome of the Riodinidae family. The results show that the entire mitochondrial genome of A. fylloides is 15 301 bp in length, and contains 13 protein-coding genes, 2 ribosomal RNA genes, 22transfer RNA genes and a 423 bp A+T-rich region. The gene content, orientation and order are identical to the majority of other lepidopteran insects. Phylogenetic reconstruction was conducted using the concatenated 13 protein-coding gene(PCG) sequences of19 available butterfly species covering all the five butterfly families(Papilionidae, Nymphalidae, Peridae, Lycaenidae and Riodinidae). Both maximum likelihood and Bayesian inference analyses highly supported the monophyly of Lycaenidae+Riodinidae,which was standing as the sister of Nymphalidae. In addition, we propose that the riodinids be categorized into the family Lycaenidae as a subfamilial taxon.     

Bradykinin activates ADP-ribosyl cyclase in neuroblastoma cells: intracellular concentration decrease in NAD and increase in cyclic ADP-ribose

ADP-ribosyl cyclase activity in the crude membrane fraction of neuroblastomaxglioma NGPM1-27 hybrid cells was measured by monitoring [(3)H] cyclic ADP-ribose (cADPR) formation from [(3)H] NAD(+). Bradykinin (BK) at 100nM increased ADP-ribosyl cyclase activity by about 2.5-fold. Application of 300nM BK to living NGPM1-27 cells decreased NAD(+) to 78% of the prestimulation level at 30s. In contrast, intracellular cADPR concentrations were increased by 2-3-fold during the period from 30 to 120s after the same treatment. Our results suggest that cADPR is one of the second messengers downstream of B(2) BK receptors.     

基于18S rRNA基因序列分析唇口目苔藓动物主要类群的系统发生关系

对隶属于3亚目、5次目、20科、23属共25个种类的唇口目(裸唇纲)苔藓虫18S rRNA基因部分序列进行了序列测定.结合从GenBank中获得的该类群其它7个种类的18S rRNA基因同源序列,以序列分析软件对其序列组成和变异进行了比较分析;同时,以羽苔虫(被唇纲)和管孔苔虫(窄唇纲)为外类群,以邻接法和最大简约法重建了它们的系统发生树,分析了该目主要类群系统发生关系.序列分析结果显示:经比对后序列长度为884 bp,其中保守位点241个,可变位点643个,简约信息位点357个;A,T,C和G 4碱基平均含量分别为23.8%、22.8%、24.4%和28.9%.分子系统树表明:本研究所有有囊类构成1个单系群,其中檐胞次目的几种苔虫位于皮壳次目内部;无囊类形成1个多系群,其中的亚目级(新唇口亚目)和次目级分类阶元(枝室次目、假软壁次目和隐壁次目)也都为多系发生,这些结果与前人的分子系统学研究结果大体一致,而与传统的形态分类体系间存在明显的冲突.     

茶树胞质型苹果酸脱氢酶的原核表达及生物信息学分析

利用RT-PCR及cDNA末端快速扩增法,获得了完整的茶树细胞质苹果酸脱氢酶(cMDH)基因Cs-cMDH(GonBank登录号为GQ845406).该基因全长1 235 bp,编码332个氨基酸,分子量约为35.5kD.含重组质粒pGEX-MDH的E.coli Rosetta经0.5 mmol·L~(-1) IPTG于32℃诱导3 h后可以获得大量可溶性的61.5 kD融合蛋白.NCBI的BLAST结果显示,Cs-cMDH与高等植物cMDH的氨基酸序列一致性高达88%～93%.通过基于蛋白质结构的多序列比对,预测Cs-cMDH为二聚体,每个亚基包含13个β-折叠及13个a-螺旋.Cs-cMDH包含典型的MDH"指纹"(fingerprint)序列G~(12)AAGQIG~(18),其氨基酸残基D43在所有NAD-MDH中都很保守.Cs-cMDH还包含一些与其它NAD-MDHs同源的保守序列单元,如NAD+结合位点、催化模体及底物结合位点.而且Cs-cMDH还包含在所有植物NAD-cMDHs中都相当保守的6个Cys,因此我们推断Cs-cMDH为茶树细胞质NAD-MDH.茶树基础代谢相关基因cMDH的克隆和原核表达为Cs-cMDH的功能研究奠定了基础.