Kinetic FP-TDI assay for SNP allele frequency determination

Strategies for identifying genetic risk factors in complex diseases by association studies require the comparison of allele frequencies of numerous SNPs between affected and control populations. Theoretically, hundreds of thousands of SNP markers across the genome will have to be genotyped in these studies. Genotyping SNPs one sample at a time is extremely costly and time consuming. To streamline whole genome association studies, some have proposed to screen SNPs by pooling the DNA samples initially for allele frequency determination and perform individual genotyping only when there is a significant discrepancy in allele frequencies between the affected and control populations. Here we describe a new method for determining the allele frequency of SNPs in pooled DNA samples using a two-color primer extension assay with real-time monitoring of fluorescence polarization (named kinetic FP-TDI assay). By comparing the ratio of the rate of incorporation of the two allele-specific dye-terminators, one can calculate the relative amounts of each allele in the pooled sample. The accuracy of allele frequency determination with pooled samples is within 3.3 +/- 0.8% of that determined by genotyping individual samples that make up the pool.     

一种新的成年大鼠成肌细胞体外批量扩增培养方法

目的：建立快速高效的成年大鼠成肌细胞分离、体外批量扩增培养的实验方法。方法：通过混合酶一步消化法从少量成年骨骼肌样品中分离成肌细胞;采用差速贴壁筛选法纯化分离并批量扩增成肌细胞。结果：混合酶一步消化法需要的时间为2.1＋0.52h,较之于传统方法所需要的6.8＋0.67h,分离细胞所需时间显著缩短（P〈0.01）;采用差速贴壁筛选法纯化分离的成肌细胞myf5／desmin阳性率〉97％,同传统分离扩增方法相比,体外批量扩增培养的这些成肌细胞具有典型的成肌细胞生长特性,在生长液中具有更好的增殖潜能,而在分化液中分化为肌管的特性无显著性差异（P〉0.05）。结论：通过采用新建立的成年成肌细胞分离培养和批量扩增的方法,能够快速高效地获取高纯度的成肌细胞。     

Putative phosphorylation sites on WCA domain of HA2 is essential for <Emphasis Type="Italic">Helicoverpa armigera</Emphasis> single nucleopolyhedrovirus replication

Protein phosphorylation is one of the most common post-translational modification processes that play an essential role in regulating protein functionality.The Helicoverpa armigera single nucleopolyhedrovirus (HearNPv) orf2-encoded nucleocapsid protein HA2 participates in orchestration of virus-induced actin polymerization through its WCA domain,in which phosphorylation status are supposed to be critical in respect to actin polymerization.In the present study,two putative phosphorylation sites (232Thr and 250Ser) and a highly conserved Serine (245Ser) on the WCA domain of HA2 were mutated,and their phenotypes were characterized by reintroducing the mutated HA2 into the HearNPV genome.Viral infectivity assays demonstrated that only the recombinant HearNPV bearing HA2 mutation at 245Ser can produce infectious virions,both 232Tbr and 250Ser mutations were lethal to the virus.However,actin polymerization assay demonstrated that all the three viruses bearing HA2 mutations were still capable of initiating actin polymerization in the host nucleus,which indicated the putative phosphorylation sites on HA2 may contribute to HearNPV replication through another unidentified pathway.     

水牛精子蛋白质组双向电泳体系的建立和优化

建立和优化一种适合水牛精子蛋白质组学研究的双向电泳技术。以水牛精子为研究对象,比较两种不同配方的裂解液,以及不同上样量对其2-DE图谱质量的影响。结果显示,以7 mol/L尿素、2 mol/L硫脲、4%CHAPS、1%DTT、0.5%Cocktail of protease inhibitors为裂解液,24 cm胶条上样量200μg时,可获得较好的精子总蛋白质2-DE图谱。运用ImageMaster 2-Dplatinum分析软件检测出约500个蛋白质点,蛋白质大部分分布在等电点5-7之间,分子量范围约40-90 kD。     

Further Daphniphyllum Alkaloids with Insecticidal Activity from the Bark of Daphniphyllum macropodum Miq.

Two new Daphniphyllum alkaloids, macropodumines J and K ( 1 and 2 , resp.), together with six known structurally related alkaloids, 3 – 8 , were isolated from the bark of Daphniphyllum macropodum Miq . The structures of the new compounds 1 and 2 were elucidated on the basis of a comprehensive analysis of their spectroscopic and chemical data. Macropodumine J ( 1 ) contains a CN group which is relatively rare in naturally occurring alkaloids. All isolated compounds were tested for their insecticidal activities against a number of insect species. Daphtenidine C ( 5 ) is the most active compound against Plutella xylostella. This is the first report of insecticidal properties of Daphniphyllum alkaloids.     

Prioritizing human cancer microRNAs based on genes' functional consistency between microRNA and cancer

The identification of human cancer-related microRNAs (miRNAs) is important for cancer biology research. Although several identification methods have achieved remarkable success, they have overlooked the functional information associated with miRNAs. We present a computational framework that can be used to prioritize human cancer miRNAs by measuring the association between cancer and miRNAs based on the functional consistency score (FCS) of the miRNA target genes and the cancer-related genes. This approach proved successful in identifying the validated cancer miRNAs for 11 common human cancers with area under ROC curve (AUC) ranging from 71.15% to 96.36%. The FCS method had a significant advantage over miRNA differential expression analysis when identifying cancer-related miRNAs with a fine regulatory mechanism, such as miR-27a in colorectal cancer. Furthermore, a case study examining thyroid cancer showed that the FCS method can uncover novel cancer-related miRNAs such as miR-27a/b, which were showed significantly upregulated in thyroid cancer samples by qRT-PCR analysis. Our method can be used on a web-based server, CMP (cancer miRNA prioritization) and is freely accessible at http://bioinfo.hrbmu.edu.cn/CMP. This time- and cost-effective computational framework can be a valuable complement to experimental studies and can assist with future studies of miRNA involvement in the pathogenesis of cancers.     

秤锤树属与长果安息香属植物的地理分布及其濒危现状

秤锤树属(SinojackiaHu)和长果安息香属(ChangiostyraxC.T.Chen)是安息香科的少种属,这两属在我国共记录有7个种。本文通过野外调查,分析了中国这两属植物的地理分布、濒危现状及其迁地保护状况。结果表明:秤锤树属植物地理分布较广,但是每个物种的居群数量和居群大小均很小。其中秤锤树(Sinojackiaxylocarpa)和狭果秤锤树(S.rehderiana)已经在其模式标本产地灭绝;棱果秤锤树(S.henryi)在过去的近70年内没有采到过标本,该物种可能存在同物异名现象或已经灭绝;细果秤锤树(S.microcarpa)由于人为破坏严重,居群大小急剧下降;肉果秤锤树(S.sarcocarpa)和怀化秤锤树(S.oblongicarpa)呈零星分布且个体数量很少,处于极濒危状态。另外本次调查发现秤锤树属的一个新的分类群(待鉴定种)。秤锤树属的大多数种和长果安息香属植物的居群更新能力差:虽然结果率较高,但是结籽率较低;坚硬的内果皮阻碍了种子的萌发,这是其居群更新的最大障碍;另外人为破坏对其居群更新的影响也较大。作者建议应该把秤锤树属的所有物种和长果安息香属植物都纳入保护的范围并讨论了这两属植物的保护策略。     

Ageing related thyroid deficiency increases brain-targeted transport of liver-derived ApoE4-laden exosomes leading to cognitive impairment

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the prevalent cause of dementia in the ageing world population. Apolipoprotein E4 (ApoE4) allele is the key genetic risk factor for AD, although the mechanisms linking ApoE4 with neurocognitive impairments and aberrant metabolism remains to be fully characterised. We discovered a significant increase in the ApoE4 content of serum exosomes in old healthy subjects and AD patients carrying ApoE4 allele as compared with healthy adults. Elevated exosomal ApoE4 demonstrated significant inverse correlation with serum level of thyroid hormones and cognitive function. We analysed effects of ApoE4-containing peripheral exosomes on neural cells and neurological outputs in aged or thyroidectomised young mice. Ageing-associated hypothyroidism as well as acute thyroidectomy augmented transport of liver-derived ApoE4 reach exosomes into the brain, where ApoE4 activated nucleotide-binding oligomerisation domain-like receptor family pyrin domain-containing 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome by increasing cholesterol level in neural cells. This, in turn, affected cognition, locomotion and mood. Our study reveals pathological potential of exosomes-mediated relocation of ApoE4 from the periphery to the brain, this process can represent potential therapeutic target.Subject terms: Cognitive neuroscience, Alzheimer''s disease, Cellular neuroscience     

行距和播种量对冬小麦冠层光合有效辐射垂直分布、生物量和籽粒产量的影响

为明确行距和播种量对冬小麦冠层光合有效辐射(PAR)垂直分布、生物量和籽粒产量的影响,在不增加水肥等投入的基础上,设置等行距(R1,20 cm+20 cm)、宽窄行(R2,12 cm+12 cm+12 cm+24 cm)两种行距方式和低(D1,120 kg· hm-2)、中(D2,157.5 kg·hm-2)、高(D3...