Milk trait heritability and correlation with heterozygosity in yak

382 yak cows were examined for milk yield, fat, protein and lactose contents. Six polymorphic loci, alphas1-CN, kappa-CN, beta-CN, beta-Lg, alpha-La and MUC-1, were scored by PAGE electrophoresis for each individual. The values of milk yield, fat, protein and lactose content were 247.13 kg, 5.81%, 5.18% and 4.93%, respectively. Based on the 6 polymorphism loci, the average heterozygosity of the yak population was 0.1794. Calculated by the marker-based method, heritability estimates for milk yield, fat, protein and lactose contents were 0.353 +/- 0.093, 0.316 +/- 0.101, 0.415 +/- 0.098 and 0.481 +/- 0.035, respectively. The relatively high or medium heritability of these traits indicate that it is feasible to rely directly on them in breeding for the improvement in a relatively short period. The significant linear regression between heterozygosity and fat percentage with a positive slope (R = 0.0420) indicated that inbreeding affected milk fat content in this population.     

官山白颈长尾雉活动区域海拔高度的季节变化及其影响因素

2005年7月至2006年12月,采用无线电遥测的方法在江西官山国家级自然保护区内对5只白颈长尾雉（Syrmaticus ellioti）的活动区域进行了跟踪监测,结合GIS技术和样方法分析其活动区域的海拔高度随季节变化的影响因素。结果表明：海拔400-600m为白颈长尾雉全年最适活动带,其主要活动区域的海拔高度呈现明显的季节变化：夏秋季最高,春季次之,冬季最低。水源是其冬季喜欢在低海拔区域活动的最主要原因;而距林缘距离、灌木数量、灌木种数、灌木盖度等与增加食物丰富度和隐蔽度相关的因子是促使它们在春季和夏秋季倾向于在高海拔区域活动的主要因素。     

Non-natural cinnamic acid derivatives as substrates of cinnamate 4-hydroxylase

Cinnamate 4-hydroxylase (C4H), a monooxygenase in the plant phenylpropanoid pathway, was assayed for its ability to hydroxylate 29 substrate analogues. Nine of the tested analogues with various aromatic side chains, including 3-coumaric acid, were metabolized by C4H. Seven products from these reactive analogues were characterized using LC/MS, 1H NMR and 13C NMR spectroscopic analysis. For example, caffeic acid was the product of 3-coumaric acid. The products 4-hydroxy-2-chlorocinnamic acid and 4-hydroxy-2-ethoxycinnamic acid are novel compounds that have not been previously reported. The kinetic parameters of C4H towards these analogues were determined.     

Role of the intracellular domain of IL-7 receptor in T cell development

Signals from the IL-7R are uniquely required for T cell development and maintenance, despite the resemblance of IL-7R to other cytokine receptors and the apparent sharing of common signaling pathways. This unique requirement could either reflect unique expression of IL-7R or IL-7, or it could indicate that the IL-7R delivers unique signals. To determine whether the IL-7R provided unique signals, we exchanged its intracellular domain with that of other cytokine receptors: IL-4R, IL-9R, and prolactin receptor (PRLR). Chimeric receptors were used to reconstitute development of IL-7R(-/-) hemopoietic progenitors by transducing the receptors in retroviral vectors. Whereas IL-7R(-/-) thymocytes are arrested at the double-negative stage, IL-4R, IL-9R, or PRLR all imparted some progression to the double-positive stage. IL-4R and PRLR gave only small numbers of thymocytes, whereas IL-9R gave robust alphabeta T cell development and reconstitution of peripheral CD4 and CD8 cells, indicating that it can duplicate many of the functions of IL-7R. However, IL-9R failed to reconstitute rearrangement of the TCRgamma locus or development of gammadelta T cells. Thus, the IL-7R signals required in the alphabeta T cell lineage (such as survival and proliferation) are not unique to this receptor, whereas rearrangement of the TCRgamma locus may require a signal that is not shared by other receptors.     

微生物角蛋白酶的分子生物学研究进展

角蛋白酶具有分解角蛋白的活性,在饲料,食品加工,环境废物处理等方面,具有广泛的应用前景。本文综述了微生物角蛋白酶的来源,角蛋白酶的理化性质,作用机理,基因分离和表达等分子生物学和基因工程研究进展,并对其应用前景进行了展望,对其今后的发展趋势进行了讨论。     

Determination of L-threonate in human plasma and urine by high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry

A fast and selective HPLC-MS-MS method was established to determine L-threonate in human plasma and urine. Plasma and urine samples were extracted by protein precipitation and diluted with water, then chromatographed on an YMC J'Sphere C(18) column with methanol-acetonitrile-10mM ammonium acetate (20:5:75, v/v) as mobile phase, and at a flow rate of 0.2 ml/min. Detection was performed on a triple-quadrupole tandem mass spectrometer using negative electrospray ionization (ESI). Multiple reactions monitoring (MRM) was used and L-threonate was quantified by monitoring the ion transition of m/z 134.5-->74.7. The linear calibration curves of L-threonate in plasma and urine were obtained over the concentration range of 0.25-50 microg/ml and 2.5-500 microg/ml, respectively. Lower limit of quantitation was 0.25 and 2.5 microg/ml, respectively. Accuracy was within 85-115%, and intra- and inter-batch precision (R.S.D.%) were within +/-15%. The method proved to be accurate and specific, and was applied to the pharmacokinetic study of L-threonate in Chinese healthy subjects.     

Expression and characterization of a redox-sensing green fluorescent protein (reduction-oxidation-sensitive green fluorescent protein) in Arabidopsis

Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) was transformed with a redox-sensing green fluorescent protein (reduction-oxidation-sensitive green fluorescent protein [roGFP]), with expression targeted to either the cytoplasm or to the mitochondria. Both the mitochondrial and cytosolic forms are oxidation-reduction sensitive, as indicated by a change in the ratio of 510 nm light (green light) emitted following alternating illumination with 410 and 474 nm light. The 410/474 fluorescence ratio is related to the redox potential (in millivolts) of the organelle, cell, or tissue. Both forms of roGFP can be reduced with dithiothreitol and oxidized with hydrogen peroxide. The average resting redox potentials for roots are -318 mV for the cytoplasm and -362 mV for the mitochondria. The elongation zone of the Arabidopsis root has a more oxidized redox status than either the root cap or meristem. Mitochondria are much better than the cytoplasm, as a whole, at buffering changes in redox. The data show that roGFP is redox sensitive in plant cells and that this sensor makes it possible to monitor, in real time, dynamic changes in redox in vivo.     

Hedyotis koiana R. J. Wang,a new species of Rubiaceae from China

Hedyotis koiana R. J. Wang is described as a new species from Guangdong, Hunan, Jiangxi, Guangxi, Fujian, and Hainan provinces of China. It is most similar to H. herbacea L. and H. pinifolia Wall. ex G. Don. because they all have narrow leaves and their capsules are loculicidally dehiscent at the top, but it differs from H. herbacea by having termi- nal or upper axillary cyme and narrow leaves, and it can be distinguished from H. pinifolia by having long flowering pedicles, sparse inflorescence, and adaxially glabrous corolla.