Evolution of Cooperation in Spatial Traveler's Dilemma Game

Traveler''s dilemma (TD) is one of social dilemmas which has been well studied in the economics community, but it is attracted little attention in the physics community. The TD game is a two-person game. Each player can select an integer value between and () as a pure strategy. If both of them select the same value, the payoff to them will be that value. If the players select different values, say and (), then the payoff to the player who chooses the small value will be and the payoff to the other player will be . We term the player who selects a large value as the cooperator, and the one who chooses a small value as the defector. The reason is that if both of them select large values, it will result in a large total payoff. The Nash equilibrium of the TD game is to choose the smallest value . However, in previous behavioral studies, players in TD game typically select values that are much larger than , and the average selected value exhibits an inverse relationship with . To explain such anomalous behavior, in this paper, we study the evolution of cooperation in spatial traveler''s dilemma game where the players are located on a square lattice and each player plays TD games with his neighbors. Players in our model can adopt their neighbors'' strategies following two standard models of spatial game dynamics. Monte-Carlo simulation is applied to our model, and the results show that the cooperation level of the system, which is proportional to the average value of the strategies, decreases with increasing until is greater than the critical value where cooperation vanishes. Our findings indicate that spatial reciprocity promotes the evolution of cooperation in TD game and the spatial TD game model can interpret the anomalous behavior observed in previous behavioral experiments.     

葡萄半不育花粉粒形态和细胞学观察及相关基因表达分析

以葡萄品种‘魏可’(可育)及其自交后代单株‘魏可实生-3’和‘魏可实生-12’以及品种‘钟山红’(雄性不育)为材料,对花器官特征、花粉萌发率、花粉粒形态以及小孢子发育过程的细胞学特征进行观察,并对绒毡层发育相关基因(DYT1、TDF1和MYB4)的表达进行分析,以初步鉴定葡萄半不育单株的不育特征,揭示花粉败育与基因调控的关系。结果显示:(1)‘魏可实生-3’和‘魏可实生-12’的花粉萌发率均在10%左右,属于半不育花粉;其雄蕊主要特征为花丝卷曲,花丝短于花柱,花药内花粉量少,花药中既有正常长球形花粉粒也有异常近球形花粉粒。(2)‘魏可实生-3’、‘魏可实生-12’没有明显的药室壁结构,小孢子母细胞稀少、疏松;‘魏可实生-3’双核期绒毡层未完全降解,绒毡层细胞中的营养物质滞留没有及时供应小孢子的发育,致后期部分小孢子败育;‘魏可实生-12’绒毡层细胞在单核早期就大部分降解而导致营养供应异常,使部分小孢子败育。(3)在减数分裂期,‘魏可’的绒毡层发育相关基因DYT1和TDF1的表达均最高,MYB4最低,‘钟山红’的3个基因的表达与‘魏可’相反,‘魏可实生-3’和‘魏可实生-12’的表达水平均在‘魏可’与‘钟山红’之间;单核早期以后,3个基因在‘魏可’的表达一直均较低,钟山红’的DYT1基因表达一直最高,其余2个基因均在最低水平,而‘魏可实生-3’的TDF1、MYB4基因在单核早期表达量最高,‘魏可实生-12’的TDF1在双核期表达量最高。研究表明,‘魏可实生-3’的花粉败育发生在单核晚期至双核期,‘魏可实生-12’的花粉败育发生在单核早期;部分药室绒毡层的异常降解,小孢子发育营养供应不均衡可能是导致其花粉半不育发生的原因;‘魏可实生-3’的绒毡层延迟降解与减数分裂期DYT1基因的表达量不足、单核期TDF1基因的过量表达以及MYB4基因在单核期的异常表达有关,而‘魏可实生-12’的绒毡层提前降解与减数分裂期DYT1基因的表达量不足而MYB4基因过量表达,以及双核期TDF1基因过量表达有关。     

Generation of mice deficient for Lbx2, a gene expressed in the urogenital system, nervous system, and Pax3 dependent tissues

Lbx2 is a member of the ladybird family of homeobox genes. The first murine ortholog identified, Lbx1, is required for hypaxial musculature and dorsal spinal cord neuron development. The second murine ortholog, Lbx2, is expressed in the developing urogenital and nervous systems. To elucidate the function of Lbx2, we generated a gene-targeted allele of Lbx2 in mice. Lbx2 deficiency did not impair mouse development, and Lbx2 null mice appeared healthy and fertile. Replacement of Lbx2 by the lacZ gene provides a valuable histological marker for Lbx2-expressing cells. Given the important role of Pax3 in neural crest, we intercrossed our Lbx2 deficient mice with Splotch Pax3 mutant mice to determine if Pax3 affects Lbx2 expression. There was reduced Lbx2 expression in dorsal root ganglia and cranial nerve ganglia with Pax3 deficiency, but not in the genital tubercle. This suggested that Pax3 is required for Lbx2 expression in affected neural crest-derived tissues.     

不同山茶种质组培条件下染色体倍性的维持与变化

植物染色体的倍性维持和变化受环境因素影响,组培再生过程由于培养条件等因素往往导致染色体的结构和倍性变化。为探索组培条件下山茶种质的倍性变化,该研究利用山茶种质的愈伤组织诱导体系,通过流式细胞仪分析倍性变化情况,并结合秋水仙素处理对组培再生条件下倍性的稳定性和变化进行分析。结果表明:(1)10个山茶种质中6个为二倍体,2个为四倍体,1个为六倍体和1个为十倍体,在组培诱导愈伤及再生过程中不同倍性的种质材料能够保持稳定的倍性。(2)获得了秋水仙素处理的最适诱导条件,即培养基配方为秋水仙素浓度20 mg·L^-1,愈伤增殖培养10 d。(3)对56个独立组织样品(含愈伤和芽)开展了倍性检测发现,有38个组织样品的倍性在1.5～2.5倍之间,11个组织样品产生了低于1.5倍性的特异现象。该研究结果进一步探索了不同山茶种质之间的倍性关系,为山茶属植物的倍性调控和多倍体诱导提供了理论基础。     

Refolding hydrogels self-assembled from N-(2-hydroxypropyl)methacrylamide graft copolymers by antiparallel coiled-coil formation

A novel hybrid hydrogel system based on N-(2-hydroxypropyl)methacrylamide copolymers was proposed. It consisted of the hydrophilic polymer backbone and a pair of oppositely charged peptide grafts. Two distinct pentaheptad peptides (CCE and CCK) were anticipated to create a dimerization motif and serve as physical cross-linkers. Consequently, the graft copolymers CCE-P and CCK-P self-assembled into hybrid hydrogels in situ; the process was modulated by the formation of antiparallel heterodimeric coiled-coils. This approach possesses an advantage to decrease the steric hindrance of the polymer backbone on the "in-register" alignment of peptide grafts. Indeed, equimolar mixtures of the graft copolymers, CCE-P/CCK-P, have been observed to self-assemble into hydrogels in PBS solution at neutral pH at concentrations as low as 0.1 wt %. Circular dichroism spectroscopy, sedimentation equilibrium experiments, and microrheology revealed that the self-assembly process corresponded to the two-stranded alpha-helical coiled-coil formation between CCE and CCK. Moreover, the formation of hybrid hydrogels was reversible. Denaturation of the coiled-coil domains with guanidine hydrochloride (GdnHCl) solutions resulted in disassembly of the hydrogels. Removal of GdnHCl by dialysis caused coiled-coil refolding and hydrogel reassembly. Scanning electron microscopy results demonstrated that the concentration of the graft copolymers had a significant impact on the structure and morphology of self-assembled hydrogels.     

Regulation of enzyme activity of alcohol dehydrogenase through its interactions with pyruvate-ferredoxin oxidoreductase in Thermoanaerobacter tengcongensis

Alcohol dehydrogenases (ADHs) from thermophilic microorganisms are interesting enzymes that have their potential applications in biotechnology and potentially provide insight into the mechanisms of action of thermo-tolerant proteins. The molecular mechanisms of ADHs under thermal stress in vivo have yet to be explored. Herein, we employed a proteomic strategy to survey the possible interactions of secondary-ADH (2-ADH) with other proteins in Thermoanaerobacter tengcongensis (T. tengcongensis) cultured at 75°C and found that 2-ADH, pyruvate-ferredoxin oxidoreductase (PFOR) and several glycolytic enzymes coexisted in a protein complex. Using anion exchange chromatography, the elution profile indicated that the native 2-ADH was present in two forms, PFOR-bound and PFOR-free. Immuno-precipitation and pull down analysis further validated the interactions between 2-ADH and PFOR. The kinetic behaviours of 2-ADH either in the recombinant or native form were evaluated with different substrates. The enzyme activity of 2-ADH was inhibited in a non-competitive mode by PFOR, implying the interaction of 2-ADH and PFOR negatively regulated alcohol formation. In T. tengcongensis, PFOR is an enzyme complex located at the upstream of 2-ADH in the alcohol generation pathway. These findings, therefore, offered a plausible mechanism for how alcohol metabolism is regulated by hetero-interactions between 2-ADH and PFOR, especially in anaerobic thermophiles.     

Flavonoid 3′-hydroxylase of Camellia nitidissima Chi. promotes the synthesis of polyphenols better than flavonoids

Molecular Biology Reports - Camellia nitidissima Chi. is an ornamental plant of the genus Camellia L. Its flowers contain a lot of flavonoids and polyphenols. Flavonoid 3′-hydroxylase...     

Characterization of a C-C bond hydrolase from Sphingomonas wittichii RW1 with novel specificities towards polychlorinated biphenyl metabolites

Sphingomonas wittichii RW1 degrades chlorinated dibenzofurans and dibenzo-p-dioxins via meta cleavage. We used inverse PCR to amplify dxnB2, a gene encoding one of three meta-cleavage product (MCP) hydrolases identified in the organism that are homologues of BphD involved in biphenyl catabolism. Purified DxnB2 catalyzed the hydrolysis of 8-OH 2-hydroxy-6-oxo-6-phenylhexa-2,4-dienoate (HOPDA) approximately six times faster than for HOPDA at saturating substrate concentrations. Moreover, the specificity of DxnB2 for HOPDA (k(cat)/K(m) = 1.2 x 10(7) M(-1) s(-1)) was about half that of the BphDs of Burkholderia xenovorans LB400 and Rhodococcus globerulus P6, two potent polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB)-degrading strains. Interestingly, DxnB2 transformed 3-Cl and 4-OH HOPDAs, compounds that inhibit the BphDs and limit PCB degradation. DxnB2 had a higher specificity for 9-Cl HOPDA than for HOPDA but a lower specificity for 8-Cl HOPDA (k(cat)/K(m) = 1.7 x 10(6) M(-1) s(-1)), the chlorinated analog of 8-OH HOPDA produced during dibenzofuran catabolism. Phylogenetic analyses based on structure-guided sequence alignment revealed that DxnB2 belongs to a previously unrecognized class of MCP hydrolases, evolutionarily divergent from the BphDs although the physiological substrates of both enzyme types are HOPDAs. However, both classes of enzymes have mainly small hydrophobic residues lining the subsite that binds the C-6 phenyl of HOPDA, in contrast to the bulky hydrophobic residues (Phe106, Phe135, Trp150, and Phe197) found in the class II enzymes that prefer substrates possessing a C-6 alkyl. Thr196 and/or Asn203 appears to be an important determinant of specificity for DxnB2, potentially forming hydrogen bonds with the 8-OH substituent. This study demonstrates that the substrate specificities of evolutionarily divergent hydrolases may be useful for degrading mixtures of pollutants, such as PCBs.