rRNA sequence-based scanning electron microscopic detection of bacteria

A new scanning electron microscopic method was developed for gaining both phylogenetic and morphological information about target microbes using in situ hybridization with rRNA-targeted oligonucleotide probes (SEM-ISH). Target cells were hybridized with oligonucleotide probes after gold labeling. Gold enhancement was used for amplification of probe signals from hybridized cells. The hybridized cells released a strong backscatter electron signal due to accumulation of gold atoms inside cells. SEM-ISH was applied to analyze bacterial community composition in freshwater samples, and bacterial cell counts determined by SEM-ISH with rRNA-targeted probes for major phyla within the domain Bacteria were highly correlated to those by fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH). The bacterial composition on surface of river sediment particles before and after cell dispersion treatment by sonication was successfully revealed by SEM-ISH. Direct enumeration of bacterial cells on the surface of sonicated sediment particles by SEM-ISH demonstrated that members of Cytophaga-Flavobacterium existed tightly on the surface of particles. SEM-ISH allows defining the number and distribution of phylogenetically defined cells adherent to material surfaces, which is difficult in FISH, and it gives new insight into electron microscopic studies of microorganisms in their natural environment.     

青藏高原白腰雪雀鸣声结构的复杂性

本文以SAS Lab鸟类声谱分析软件对采自青藏高原黑马河、玛多与花石峡、沱沱河的白腰雪雀不同地方种群的鸣叫与鸣唱的复杂性进行了分析 ,发现白腰雪雀的鸣叫相对变化率随着采样量的增加由 0 5 2 2迅速降低到 0 1 2 7和 0 1 1 9,表明其鸣叫声组成中音节类型较少。同时发现其声谱图结构比较简单 ,表现出高度的音节重复并多有谐波的现象。鸣唱结构相对复杂 ,不同鸣唱音节数随鸣唱曲目的增加 ,开始有明显的增加 ,当鸣唱曲目增加到一定值时 ,不同音节数的增加趋于平缓 ,几乎保持稳定 ;野外未发现任何相同的鸣唱型 ,但在不同鸣唱型之间具有不同程度的音节共享现象。依据雷富民等 (2 0 0 3)对鸟类鸣唱多样性和复杂性的评述 ,白腰雪雀鸣唱的结构模式符合“多音节序列不稳定变化型” ,其鸣唱曲目中音节的转换形式为“序列鸣唱”。然而 ,鸣唱模式中音节类型的有限性和鸣唱型的高度多样化表明 :白腰雪雀鸣唱的复杂性不仅体现在鸣唱型内较丰富的音节组成 ,而且更重要的还在于不同鸣唱型间具有多变的音节序列组合形式     

CD4+CD25hiCD127low Regulatory T Cells Are Increased in Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma Patients

Regulatory T cells (Tregs), a subset of CD4⁺ T cells plays a pivotal role in regulating the immune system. An increase in Treg numbers enables cancer progression by dampening the immune system and allowing tumor cells to evade immune detection and destruction. An increase in Treg numbers and expression of inhibitory cytokines including TGF-β and IL-10 are mechanisms by which Tregs exert their immune suppressive function. However, the presence of Tregs and inhibitory cytokines in oral cancer patients is still unclear. In this study, the presence of circulating Tregs in 39 oral cancer patients and 24 healthy donors was examined by studying the presence of the CD4⁺CD25^hiCD127^low cell population in their peripheral blood mononuclear cells using flow cytometry. Serum levels of TGF-β and IL-10 were measured by ELISA. T cell subsets of OSCC patients were found to differ significantly from healthy donors where a decrease in CD8⁺ cytotoxic T cells and an increase in Tregs (CD4⁺CD25^hiCD127^low) were observed. Further, the ratio of CD8⁺ T cells/Tregs was also decreased in patients compared to healthy donors. The presence of Tregs was accompanied by a decrease in IL-10 but not TGF-β secretion in OSCC patients when compared to donors; in addition, the analysis also revealed that an increased presence of Tregs was accompanied by better patient survival. Amongst OSCC patients, smokers had significantly higher levels of TGF-β. It is apparent that the immune system is compromised in OSCC patients and the characterization of the Treg subpopulation could form a basis for improving our understanding of the perturbations in the immune system that occur during OSCC tumorigenesis.     

禽减蛋综合征病毒AAV-2株全基因组文库的构建及核苷酸序列分析

对禽减蛋综合征病毒 (Eggdropsyndromevirus :EDSV -76 )中国分离株AAV 2的基因组进行了部分限制性内切酶物理图谱的分析 ,构建了完整的基因文库 ,并在此基础上完成了包括末端结构在内共 32 838个碱基对的全基因组核苷酸序列测定 ,数据分析表明 :AAV-2株与其他腺病毒相比 ,在基因组结构及开放读码框架 (ORF)的分布等方面差异较大 ,该病毒株基因组中没有明显的E1区、E3区和E4区样结构 ,其中位于基因组两端的 2个长度分别为 1 .1和 8.3kb的片段与其他腺病毒基因组无任何同源性 ,此外 ,AAV-2株基因组中缺失编码E1A ,pV和pIX等腺病毒共有的编码早、晚期蛋白的ORFs.上述结果首次在分子水平上证实了EDSV -76作为禽Ⅲ群腺病毒唯一代表株与其他禽腺病毒的差别 ,将有助于禽腺病毒乃至所有腺病毒的研究 .     

APC Inhibits Ligand-Independent Wnt Signaling by the Clathrin Endocytic Pathway

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基于功能性状的水杉原生母树种群生境适应策略

植物的功能性状变异和表型可塑性是其应对异质生境的主要机制, 对植物的生长和分布有重要贡献。本文以湖北星斗山国家级自然保护区的水杉(Metasequoia glyptostroboides)原生母树为研究对象, 分析了母树种群功能性状对树木形态、地形因子及人为干扰的响应机制。结果表明: 水杉原生母树叶面积、叶干重和比叶面积的变异幅度大, 可塑性较强, 而枝和叶的干物质含量稳定性最高。人为干扰和4个地形因子均对每个功能性状变异方差有5%-20%的解释度, 冠幅对枝、叶干物质含量的变异方差有高达38%和76%的解释度。5个功能性状主要受海拔、坡位和人为干扰影响, 其中, 比叶面积对环境因子和干扰的响应规律不明显, 叶面积和叶干重在强烈人为干扰的环境中普遍增大, 枝和叶的干物质含量对坡向的变化最敏感。总之, 水杉原生母树种群通过功能性状变异对环境能产生一定的可塑性响应, 但人为干扰对母树生长影响较大, 建议人工辅助更新, 并适度减少农业和建筑对现存母树的影响。     

Knockout of the SREBP system increases production of the polyketide FR901512 in filamentous fungal sp. No. 14919 and lovastatin in Aspergillus terreus ATCC20542

Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology - In the production of useful microbial secondary metabolites, the breeding of strains is generally performed by random mutagenesis. However, because random...     

窝雏数处理对两种雀形目幼鸟生长的影响

基于 1 997～ 1 999年野外实验 ,对高寒草甸小云雀和黄嘴朱顶雀两种雀形目鸟的窝雏数进行增减处理。结果表明 ,对照组的幼鸟生长率和离巢体重都大于增加组 ,说明窝雏数增加后 ,幼鸟质量下降。随着窝雏数增加 ,这两种幼鸟生长率显著下降 (小云雀 :r =-0 965 ,P =0 0 3 5 <0 0 5 ;朱顶雀 :r =-0 82 8,P =0 0 2 2 <0 0 5 )。窝雏数改变对小云雀幼鸟出飞重影响不显著 (r =-0 41 8,P =0 5 2 8>0 0 5 ) ,而对黄嘴朱顶雀有显著的影响 (r=-0 90 1 ,P =0 0 1 4<0 0 5 )。