暴露于高压氧时大鼠纹状体和下丘脑内L—Enk含量的变化

本研究目的在于探讨大鼠氧惊厥时,纹状体和下丘脑内亮-脑啡肽(L-Enk)含量的变化。实验中将32只雄性大鼠随机分为4组:常压空气组、高压常氧氮组、高压氧未惊厥组和高压氧惊厥组。用放射免疫法测定了纹状体和下丘脑内L-Enk含量。结果显示,在高压氧环境中暴露的大鼠纹状体和下丘脑内L-Enk含量明显高于常压空气组和高压常氧氮组;且增高到一定水平时发生惊厥。实验结果提示,动物惊厥与纹状体和下丘脑中L-Enk含量的增加呈正相关,而与高压氧环境及加减压方式无显著关系。     

遮阴对柠檬香茅类黄酮及其合成酶基因差异表达研究

为了解柠檬香茅(Cymbopogon citratu)中类黄酮及其合成酶基因信息,以阳光直射及遮阴环境下生长的柠檬香茅嫩叶为材料,进行代谢组、转录组结合qRT-PCR验证分析。结果表明,柠檬香茅中含有11类共69种黄酮化合物,其中芦丁、去甲基托罗沙黄酮、紫云英苷及葡萄糖醇等类黄酮化合物在遮阴环境下相对含量显著降低;类黄酮生物合成涉及10类酶54个基因,其中类黄酮3''羟化酶(c99177.1)等4个酶基因在遮阴环境下相对表达量显著降低,而异黄酮合成酶(c51975.0)等6个酶基因相对表达量正好相反;其中5个类黄酮合成酶基因在光照及遮阴柠檬香茅中的上下调表达趋势与转录组测序结果中FPKM值变化一致,而二者检测结果中差异表达倍数存在差异。遮阴使柠檬香茅中大多黄酮类化合物相对含量降低,而其合成酶基因上下调表达趋势规律不明显。     

半干旱矿区排土场苜蓿恢复过程中土壤颗粒分形的演变特征

种植苜蓿恢复模式在半干旱矿区植被恢复中占重要地位。为掌握其恢复过程中土壤颗粒分形的演变特征,选择恢复年限分别为2 a、4 a、6 a和10 a(M2、M4、M6和M10)的苜蓿种植地为研究对象,通过野外分层采样与室内测定,依据颗粒体积分形理论,研究了排土场苜蓿恢复过程中土壤颗粒分形的演变特征及与土壤特性的关系。结果表明:研究区土壤各粒径含量以砂粒为主,粉粒次之,粘粒最少;随着苜蓿恢复过程,粘粒与粉粒含量整体表现为先增加后下降的趋势,且在M4阶段达到最佳,砂粒反之。土壤分形维数变化在2.09—2.57,在苜蓿恢复过程中先增大后减小,在M4阶段达到最大。土壤分形维数与粘粒、粉粒具有极显著正相关性(P<0.01),与砂粒具有极显著负相关性(P<0.01);土壤分形维数与电导率呈极显著负相关关系(P<0.01),与pH值和速效钾含量呈显著负相关关系(P<0.05),与碱解氮含量呈显著正相关关系(P<0.05)。在半干旱矿区排土场采用苜蓿恢复模式,可用土壤分形维数表征土壤特性,应重视恢复年限的调控,适时进行适宜的利用与改造,确保矿区生态恢复的可持续性。     

新疆准噶尔盆地荒漠草地水源圈植物群落退化格局

游牧民定居放牧是目前主要的放牧方式,导致水源圈在中国北方干旱半干旱区草场上普遍存在。2014年5月底至6月初,在新疆北部荒漠草地上,以一个典型的牧场水源点为中心,在8个方向上设置50、100、200、400、800和1200 m共6个采样距离进行植物群落调查取样。通过分析植物群落的组成、物种重要值、丰富度以及群落的盖度、高度和地上生物量的变化特征,期望为荒漠草地退化生态系统的恢复和可持续管理提供科学依据。结果表明:随着与水源点距离的减少、放牧强度的增加,荒漠草地植物群落特征呈现明显梯度变化,建群植物博洛塔绢蒿优势度逐渐降低,1年生植物优势度逐渐增加;植物群落、多年生草本植物和1年生草本植物的物种丰富度逐渐增加;群落总盖度逐渐降低,与建群植物博洛塔绢蒿的盖度显著正相关。1年生植物和有毒植物骆驼蓬在水源点附近优势度增加,说明放牧导致水源点附近地上植物群落趋于退化。因此,在这一地区开展游牧民定居导致水源圈大量出现,可能加剧荒漠草地的退化。     

刺盘孢菌的蛋白互作预测及侵染早期共表达模块分析

刺盘孢菌是一类重要的植物病原真菌,在全球范围内危害众多单双子叶植物。有许多研究对病菌的侵染模式进行了探索,但仍未阐明其确切的分子机制。本研究在预测病菌蛋白互作的基础上,结合表达谱数据对病菌在活体生存环境下的共表达模块进行挖掘和分析,以期为分子机制的研究提供新的线索。通过同源映射法和结构域法,预测得到刺盘孢菌的4 288个蛋白之间存在41 700个潜在互作,其中39 776个互作发生于异源蛋白之间,1 924个互作发生于同一蛋白内。将蛋白互作数据分别与4个表达谱数据进行整合,构建得到离体I、离体II、活体I和活体II 4个共表达互作组。对离体和活体互作组的共有基因的表达水平进行比较分析,结果表明,与离体互作组相比,活体互作组中与翻译、蛋白代谢等有关的基因表达水平下降,与离子转运、糖物质转运等有关的基因表达水平上升,暗示了物质转运在刺盘孢菌侵染早期的重要作用。进一步对活体互作组进行模块化分析,结果表明,活体I和活体II的特异模块分别与胁迫响应、肌动蛋白纤维长度调控有关,其中胁迫响应子网是以热激蛋白Hsp70为核心的互作簇,可能参与病菌对寄主的识别与对抗;肌动蛋白纤维长度调控子网则可能与病菌菌丝在寄主细胞间的延伸有关。     

基因结构变异检测方法综述

在人类基因组中结构变异(SVs),拷贝数变化(CNVs),单核苷酸多态性(SNP)是非常普遍的,而且和人类健康与疾病密切相关,因此检测这些结构变异对于人类生命健康非常重要。基于第二代基因测序平台,目前已经有很多结构变异检测算法,这些算法主要分为五大类:微阵列方法、读对方法、读深方法、分裂读取方法、序列组装方法。本文系统地阐述了这五类方法的基本原理、优缺点以及使用范围,并简要介绍了每一种方法的经典检测算法及应用范围、检测性能等,并对未来检测算法的研究提出了展望。     

钛颗粒对小鼠颅骨OPG/RANKL mRNA及蛋白表达的影响

目的:观察钛颗粒对小鼠颅骨中OPG/RANKL mRNA及其蛋白表达的影响,探讨关节置换术后骨溶解的发生机制。方法:取成年BALB/C小鼠40只,随机分为假手术组、钛颗粒低剂量组、钛颗粒中剂量组及高剂量组,每组10只。除假手术组外,其余各组分别将钛颗粒15、30、60 mg涂抹于小鼠颅骨表面后缝合切口。8周后取颅骨组织及外周血,运用real-time PCR及ELISA技术测定OPG/RANKL基因及蛋白表达情况。结果:与假手术组相比,钛颗粒低剂量组外周血中OPG蛋白表达及颅骨组织中OPG mRNA的表达均显著上升(P0.01),外周血中RANKL蛋白表达降低,但无统计学差异,颅骨组织中RANKL mRNA表达无显著差异;中剂量组及高剂量组外周血中OPG蛋白表达显著降低(p0.01),RANKL蛋白表达显著升高(P0.01),OPG mRNA表达显著降低(P0.01),RANKL mRNA表达显著升高(P0.01)。低中高三种不同剂量钛颗粒组组间相比,外周血中OPG、RAKNL蛋白及颅骨组织中其mRNA表达均存在明显差异(P0.01),高剂量组对OPG、RANKL蛋白及mRNA表达的影响更显著。结论:钛颗粒可以改变OPG/RANKL的mRNA及蛋白表达量,这可能是其导致关节置换术后体骨溶解进而产生松动的原因之一。     

Broadening of neutralization activity to directly block a dominant antibody-driven SARS-coronavirus evolution pathway

Phylogenetic analyses have provided strong evidence that amino acid changes in spike (S) protein of animal and human SARS coronaviruses (SARS-CoVs) during and between two zoonotic transfers (2002/03 and 2003/04) are the result of positive selection. While several studies support that some amino acid changes between animal and human viruses are the result of inter-species adaptation, the role of neutralizing antibodies (nAbs) in driving SARS-CoV evolution, particularly during intra-species transmission, is unknown. A detailed examination of SARS-CoV infected animal and human convalescent sera could provide evidence of nAb pressure which, if found, may lead to strategies to effectively block virus evolution pathways by broadening the activity of nAbs. Here we show, by focusing on a dominant neutralization epitope, that contemporaneous- and cross-strain nAb responses against SARS-CoV spike protein exist during natural infection. In vitro immune pressure on this epitope using 2002/03 strain-specific nAb 80R recapitulated a dominant escape mutation that was present in all 2003/04 animal and human viruses. Strategies to block this nAb escape/naturally occurring evolution pathway by generating broad nAbs (BnAbs) with activity against 80R escape mutants and both 2002/03 and 2003/04 strains were explored. Structure-based amino acid changes in an activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID) "hot spot" in a light chain CDR (complementarity determining region) alone, introduced through shuffling of naturally occurring non-immune human VL chain repertoire or by targeted mutagenesis, were successful in generating these BnAbs. These results demonstrate that nAb-mediated immune pressure is likely a driving force for positive selection during intra-species transmission of SARS-CoV. Somatic hypermutation (SHM) of a single VL CDR can markedly broaden the activity of a strain-specific nAb. The strategies investigated in this study, in particular the use of structural information in combination of chain-shuffling as well as hot-spot CDR mutagenesis, can be exploited to broaden neutralization activity, to improve anti-viral nAb therapies, and directly manipulate virus evolution.     

Phytoalexins and polar metabolites from the oilseeds canola and rapeseed: differential metabolic responses to the biotroph Albugo candida and to abiotic stress

The metabolites produced in leaves of the oilseeds canola and rapeseed (Brassica rapa L.) inoculated with either different races of the biotroph Albugo candida or sprayed with CuCl(2) were determined. This investigation established consistent phytoalexin (spirobrassinin, cyclobrassinin, and rutalexin) and phytoanticipin (indolyl-3-acetonitrile, arvelexin, caulilexin C, and 4-methoxyglucobrassicin) production in canola and rapeseed in response to both biotic and abiotic elicitation. In addition, a wide number of polar metabolites were isolated from infected leaves, including six new phenylpropanoids and two new flavonoids. The extractable chemical components of zoosporangia of A. candida and the anti-oomycete activity of phytoalexins were determined as well. Overall, the results suggest that during the initial stage of the interaction, leaves of B. rapa have a similar response to virulent and avirulent races of A. candida, with respect to the accumulation of chemical defenses. After this stage, despite the higher phytoalexin concentration, the "compatible" races could overcome the plant defense system for further infection, but growth of the "incompatible" races was inhibited. Since results of bioassays showed that cyclobrassinin and brassilexin were more inhibitory to A. candida than rutalexin, the apparent redirection of the phytoalexin pathway towards rutalexin, avoiding cyclobrassinin and brassilexin accumulation might be caused by the pathogen. Alternatively, A. candida might be able to detoxify both cyclobrassinin and brassilexin, similar to necrotrophic plant pathogens. Overall, the correlation between phytoalexin production in infected or stressed leaves and the outcome of the plant-pathogen interaction suggested that A. candida was able to elude the plant defense mechanisms by, for example, redirecting the phytoalexin biosynthetic pathway.     

Label-free electrochemical immunosensor for the determination of fetoprotein based on core-shell-shell nanocomposite particles

A new approach toward the development of advanced immunosensors based on chemically functionalized core-shell-shell magnetic nanocomposite particles, and the preparation, characteristics, and measurement of relevant properties of the immunosensor useful for the detection of alpha-1-fetoprotein (AFP) in clinical immunoassays. The core-shell NiFe2O4/3-aminopropyltriethoxysilance (APTES) (NiFe2O4@APTES) was initially prepared by covalent conjugation, then gold nanoparticles were adsorbed onto the surface of NiFe2O4@APTES, and then anti-AFP molecules were conjugated on the gold nanoparticles. The core-shell-shell nanocomposite particles not only had the properties of magnetic nanoparticles, but also provided a good biocompatibility for the immobilization of biomolecules. The core-shell-shell nanostructure present good magnetic properties to facilitate and modulate the way it was integrated into a carbon paste. The analytical performance of the immunosensor was investigated by using an electrochemical method. Under optimal conditions, the resulting composite presents good electrochemical response for the detection of AFP, and exhibits wide linear range from 0.9 to 110 ng/mL AFP with a detection limit of 0.5 ng/mL. Moreover, the proposed immunosensors were used to analyze AFP in human serum specimens. Analytical results, obtained for the clinical serum specimen by the developed immunosensor, were in accordance with those assayed by the standard ELISA. Importantly, the proposed immunoassay system could be further developed for the immobilization of other antigens or biocompounds.