兴义维蚋多线染色体研究（英文）

首次在国内对兴义维蚋Simulium (Wilhelmia) xingyiense的多线染色体进行研究, 并提供其多线染色体标准图。选取兴义维蚋的成熟幼虫, 用改良苯酚品红染色法进行唾腺多线染色体制备, 并进行测量、 描述及分析。结果表明： 兴义维蚋多线染色体数目为3对（2n=6）。Ⅰ号染色体具中央着丝粒, Ⅱ和Ⅲ号染色体均为亚中央着丝粒染色体。核仁组织者区位于Ⅰ号染色体短臂近着丝粒端。巴尔比尼氏环和双泡位于Ⅱ号染色体短臂近中央位置。3对染色体的着丝粒区可形成明显的染色中心。兴义维蚋多线染色体具有多态性的倒位, 倒位频率为0.64。兴义维蚋多线染色体的着丝粒、 核仁组织区、 巴氏环、 双泡等主要特征性结构的位置及形态恒定一致,可作为该种的重要鉴别特征。其多态性的倒位可为该蚋种在细胞水平上进行蚋类分类鉴别和系统发育等研究提供基础资料。     

LDL coating pVEGF/polyethylenimine complex enhances vascular endothelial growth factor expression

The major limitations to non-viral gene delivery are relatively low efficiency and cytotoxicity, which need to be addressed in the design of new vectors. In this study, negatively charged low density lipoproteins (LDL) were coated onto positively charged pVEGF/PEI complexes to form pVEGF/PEI/LDL terplexes by a two-step procedure. The biocompatible LDL was introduced to reduce the cytotoxicity of the gene delivery system and increase its affinity to cells. The successful formation of pVEGF/PEI/ LDL terplexes was confirmed by their near-neutral and slightly negative surface charges. The pVEGF/PEI/LDL terplexes were well-defined sub-micron spherical particles. On the cell viability assay, both of the PEI/LDL combined vector and pVEGF/PEI/LDL terplexes exhibited much lower cytotoxicity to HeLa cells and HUVE cells than those of PEI and pVEGF/PEI complexes, attributed to the shielding effect of the LDL. pEGFP/PEI/LDL terplexes showed significantly higher transfection efficiency in comparison to pEGFP/PEI complexes in serum-containing medium. pVEGF/PEI/LDL terplexes at their optimal N/P ratio and LDL/PEI weigh ratio induced higher expression levels of VEGF protein in HUVE cells than those of pVEGF/PEI complexes. Therefore, the pVEGF/PEI/LDL terplexes could be used as a promising gene delivery system to enhance VEGF protein expression.     

不同氮源对球形棕囊藻生长的影响

采用实验室培养的方法比较了6种不同氮源-硝态氮、尿素、甘氨酸、精氨酸、谷氨酸、腺嘌呤对典型赤潮藻球形棕囊藻(Phaeocystis globosa)生长的影响。结果表明,6种氮源均能不同程度地促进球形棕囊藻的生长,但比生长速率和光合作用效率具有显著差异性。将球形棕囊藻在不同浓度氮源下的最大比生长速率分别拟合Monod方程,得出球形棕囊藻在硝态氮、尿素、甘氨酸、精氨酸、谷氨酸和腺嘌呤等6种氮源下的最大比生长率分别为1.05,1.17,0.82,0.87,1.09,0.90d^-1,相应的半饱和常数分别为9.132,23.758,85.519,7.104,23.94,10.959μmol/L。其中,高氮浓度(8820μmol/L)下腺嘌呤对球型棕囊藻的生长具有显著抑制作用。相比较而言,球形棕囊藻对甘氨酸的亲和力最高。当硝态氮、尿素、甘氨酸、精氨酸、谷氨酸和腺嘌呤的浓度分别为8820,882,882,8820,882,0.441μmol/L时,球形棕囊藻的最大光合效率(Fv/Fm)分别为0.619,0.620,0.579,0.595,0.648,0.667。由此可见,氮源对球形棕囊藻的生长和光合作用具有显著影响;球形棕囊藻能够利用多种无机和有机氮源,与其它仅能利用无机氮源的浮游植物相比,更具有竞争优势。     

以纤连蛋白(FN)细胞结合片段研究大鼠肝星状细胞FN受体表达及调控

应用亲和层析、凝胶过滤法以及X型蛋白酶消化结合制备电泳分别提取纯化大鼠FN及FN细胞结合片段（120 KDa FN-f）,后经生物素标记后,用亲和细胞化学方法研究大鼠肝星状细胞（HSC）FN受体（FNR）表达及调控。结果显示,生物素标记的120KDa FN－f与FNR的结合具有特异性。原代培养5d、7d的正常大鼠HSC表达FNR较培养1d、3d的明显增强,血小板源性生长因子（PDGF）和转化生长因子－β、（TGF－β1）可上调大鼠HSC表达FNR,全反式维甲酸（atRA）则下调细胞因子再激活的HSC表达FNR,并呈剂量依赖性。本建立了检测FNR的一种新方法,即配体（120KDa FN-f）－受体（FNR）亲和细胞化学方法,该方法能反映FNR的总体水平及活性状态。同时初步探讨了影响大鼠HSC表达FNR的因素,确切机制有待进一步研究。     

五味子三萜成分及其波谱特征研究进展

本文综述从五味子植物中分离出的２７个三萜成分,并重点介绍了三萜成分的波谱特征。     

Cytoplasmic expression of a soluble synthetic mammalian metallothionein-α domain in Escherichia coli

Bacteria are commonly used for bioremediation of heavy metal pollution and strategies to improve their performance in this respect are desirable. In this study, an Escherichia coli strain was engineered to express a common metallothionein-α domain. The metallothionein-α domain was over-expressed in the cytoplasm of E. coli as a fusion to the carboxyl terminal of maltose binding protein. The fusion protein was highly soluble in the cytoplasm of E. coli. When grown in the presence of cadmium, cells expressing the metallothionein-α fusion protein showed increased viability compared with control cells. Cells expressing the metallothionein-α also demonstrated increased accumulation of cadmium.     

Geographic distribution and multilocus organization of isozyme variation of rice (Oryza sativa L.)

Genetic organization of isozyme variation in rice (Oryza sativa L.) was investigated based on 17 polymorphic isozyme loci using a sample of 511 accessions of worldwide origin. The genetic diversity within the species was very high (H=0.36 with 4.82 alleles per locus), as compared with most selfing plant species. Three diversity centers were detected for isozyme variation including South Asia, China and Southeast Asia. The accessions were classified into three well-differentiated cultivar groups corresponding to the indica and japonica subspecies, and a new unnamed group. Variation within the cultivar groups accounted for 80% of the total isozyme variation. Within-country variation accounted for 58% of the total variation while among-region and among-country variation within the cultivar groups accounted for only 14% and 8% of the total variation. Analyses using log-linear models revealed that pronounced non-random associations between and among alleles at many unlinked isozyme loci were organized in a non-hierarchical pattern, and subspecific and macro-geographic differentiation was much more pronounced in multilocus phenotype frequencies than in allelic frequencies at individual loci. These results suggest that selection on multilocus gene complexes was largely responsible for the maintenance of the extensive isozyme variation within the species and the indica-japonica differentiation. Our results further suggest the independent domestication of indica and japonica, the dual origins of the indica rice from China and South Asia (India), and the differentiation of the ecotypes ’javanica’ and the ’temperate japonica’ within the japonica subspecies. Received: 5 August 1999 / Accepted: 13 December 1999     

Kinetics, thermodynamics and evolution of non-native interactions in a protein folding nucleus

A lattice model with side chains was used to investigate protein folding with computer simulations. In this model, we rigorously demonstrate the existence of a specific folding nucleus. This nucleus contains specific interactions not present in the native state that, when weakened, slow folding but do not change protein stability. Such a decoupling of folding kinetics from thermodynamics has been observed experimentally for real proteins. From our results, we conclude that specific non-native interactions in the transition state would give rise to straight phi-values that are negative or larger than unity. Furthermore, we demonstrate that residue Ile 34 in src SH3, which has been shown to be kinetically, but not thermodynamically, important, is universally conserved in proteins with the SH3 fold. This is a clear example of evolution optimizing the folding rate of a protein independent of its stability and function.