Recent advances in clustering methods for protein interaction networks

The increasing availability of large-scale protein-protein interaction data has made it possible to understand the basic components and organization of cell machinery from the network level. The arising challenge is how to analyze such complex interacting data to reveal the principles of cellular organization, processes and functions. Many studies have shown that clustering protein interaction network is an effective approach for identifying protein complexes or functional modules, which has become a major research topic in systems biology. In this review, recent advances in clustering methods for protein interaction networks will be presented in detail. The predictions of protein functions and interactions based on modules will be covered. Finally, the performance of different clustering methods will be compared and the directions for future research will be discussed.     

The relationship between consumption and production system and its implications for sustainable development of China

Rapidly developing economy in China makes great improvement in human life quality. At the mean while, it brings great pressures on environment which has drawn broadly attentions all over the world. The ‘problems of consumption’ comes both from consumers and producers. Hybrid life cycle analysis method and structural decomposition analysis model were used in this paper to explore the interaction of consumption and production and how technology development and household consumption contributed to CO₂ emissions in the period of 1992–2002. The achievements of technology development in the last two decades reduced the emission intensity and technical coefficients which lowered the CO₂ emissions. But the household consumption has offset this technological contribution and resulted in the growth of CO₂ emission. Interaction analysis results showed that consumer's demand for energy-intensive product was an important driving force of pollution production. Household consumption in China contributed a lot to the expansion of manufacturing activities in the last two decades. We concluded that sustainable development could not be achieved if policy makers continuously emphasize the control of polluting industries. The government should simultaneously emphasize technological development and consumer policies to curb these emissions and induce more environmental conscious production and consumption patterns.     

Human Dectin-1 isoform E is a cytoplasmic protein and interacts with RanBPM

Human Dectin-1, a type II transmembrane receptor, is alternatively spliced, generating eight isoforms. Of these isoforms, the isoform E (hDectin-1E) is structurally unique, containing a complete C-type lectin-like domain as well as an ITAM-like sequence. So far, little is known about its function. In the present study, we demonstrated that hDectin-1E was not secreted and it mainly resided in the cytoplasm. Using yeast two-hybrid screening, we identified a Ran-binding protein, RanBPM, as an interacting partner of hDectin-1E. GST pull-down assays showed that RanBPM interacted directly with hDectin-1E and the region containing SPRY domain was sufficient for the interaction. The binding of hDectin-1E and RanBPM was further confirmed in vivo by co-immunoprecipitation assay and confocal microscopic analysis. Taken together, our data provide a clue to the understanding of the function about hDectin-1E.     

Induction of apoptosis by p110C requires mitochondrial translocation of the proapoptotic BCL-2 family member BAD

p110C, a 50-kDa isoform of the PITSLRE kinase family, was demonstrated to play an important role in cell apoptosis. However, how p110C exactly promotes apoptosis is unclear. Our previous study showed that p110C interacted with p21-activated kinase 1 (PAK1), an important kinase of the proapoptotic BCL-2 family member BAD, and evidently inhibited its kinase activity. Here, we report that overexpression of p110C leads to decreased phosphorylation of BAD and its subsequent translocation from cytosol to mitochondria, which in turn induces the release of cytochrome c and the onset of apoptosis. Knocking down endogenous BAD expression will inhibit p110C induced apoptosis. Two kinase dead forms of p110C, D149N and K36N, lose the ability to inhibit the kinase activity of PAK1 and fail to induce the translocation of BAD and the BAD and such proapoptotic ability is associated with the kinase activity of p110C.     

人工饲料与天然饲料饲养条件下烟青虫的生长发育和繁殖力比较

报道饲养烟青虫HelicoverpaassultaGue澖ee的一种人工饲料,比较了烟青虫取食该饲料和天然饲料的主要生物学指标,测定了6龄幼虫对2种食料的转化和利用率。该人工饲料的主要成分是麦胚、黄豆粉、酵母粉和烟叶粉,天然饲料为烟草叶片。结果表明:取食人工饲料的烟青虫幼虫生长发育快,化的蛹较大,成虫寿命长,产卵量大,所产卵孵化率高;取食人工饲料的烟青虫与取食烟草蒴果的相比,前者相对取食量和近似消化率较高,相对生长率无显著性差异。说明烟青虫对该人工饲料有较好的适应性,可以作为繁殖烟青虫的实用饲料。     

不同浓度藻酸钙复合软骨细胞体外培养的实验研究

为探寻复合软骨细胞生长的最佳藻酸钙浓度,将传代培养的、细胞终浓度为1×107/mL的软骨细胞复合藻酸钠凝胶,然后滴入浓度分别为100、200、300、400、500mmol/L的氯化钙溶液中,固化15min形成藻酸钙凝珠,于体外培养7d后,行HE染色及Masson’s三色染色,结果显示软骨细胞与固化剂氯化钙浓度为100、200、300mmol/L的藻酸钙凝胶复合良好并能在其中保持活性及分裂能力;而在氯化钙浓度为400mmol/L和500mmol/L的藻酸钙凝胶中,软骨细胞的活性及分裂能力明显下降.因此固化剂氯化钙的浓度可以提高到300mmol/L,该浓度不仅对软骨细胞的生长无影响,而且能适当提高藻酸钙凝胶的机械强度,可以作为一种较理想的软骨组织工程支架材料.     

原位杂交技术及其在果树研究中的应用

原位杂交技术是近年来快速发展起来的一门新技术,本文介绍了原位杂交技术的基本原理、方法及其发展前景,以及该技术与其它生物学技术相结合而形成的一些新技术。综述了这些技术在果树研究中的应用情况。     

糖芯片研究进展

糖芯片是生物芯片的一种,是继基因芯片、蛋白质芯片、组织芯片等之后发展起来的一种很有前景的生物检测技术。随着糖生物学和糖组学的研究进展,糖芯片正逐步发展为该领域的新型研究手段。介绍了糖芯片技术及其制作方法,高通量分析平台以及糖芯片在生物学研究和医学领域的具体应用,同时也对糖芯片技术的发展进行了展望。