鲫鱼PKZ Zα结构域与d(GC)、d(TA)重组质粒的结合

Zα是能够特异性识别并结合左旋DNA(Z-DNA)的蛋白结构域,首先在人ADAR1中鉴定,随后又在ZBP-1(DLM-1)和E3L等蛋白质中发现了该结构域．鲫鱼PKZ是首次报道的具有Zα结构域的鱼类eIF2α激酶．为深入了解鲫鱼PKZ Zα的功能,原核表达并亲和层析纯化了3种多肽,即野生型PZα(Zα1Zα2)、替换型P(Zα1)2(Zα1Zα1)和点突变型（PZαK34A、PZαS35A、PZαR39A、PZαP57A）．同时,构建了含有d(GC)6、d(GC)13、d(TA)13特殊插入序列的3种重组质粒,用于体外模拟Z-DNA．凝胶阻滞实验分析了3种多肽分别与重组质粒的亲和性结果表明,PZα和P(Zα1)2能够与d(GC)重组质粒结合,并且随着多肽含量的增加,阻滞效应越明显．与野生型PZα相比,替换型P(Zα1)2结合d(GC)重组质粒的能力更强PZα和P(Zα1)2还能微弱地与d(TA)13重组质粒结合．点突变型多肽都不能与重组质粒结合,暗示鲫鱼PKZ Zα结构域中这4个氨基酸残基在结合核酸分子的过程中非常关键．该文结果有利于进一步揭示鱼类PKZ Zα结构域与Z-DNA结合的分子机理．     

纤维连接蛋白对支气管上皮细胞抗氧化损伤保护作用的研究

目的和方法：为验证整合素分子激活对支气管上皮细胞（BEC）的抗氧化性保护作用,本实验用臭氧（O3）攻击培养的兔BEC,测定细胞的^3H释放率、乳酸脱氢酶（LDH）释放活性及脂质过氧化产物丙二醛（MDA）含量,反映细胞损伤程度;观察纤维连接蛋白（Fn）及人工合成的精－甘－天冬氨酸片段（RGD肽）的保护效应。结果：①臭氧攻击使BEC的^3H释放率增高,Fn处理可减少臭氧所致的^3H释放,钙调素抑制剂W7能抑制Fn的这一作用,RGD可减轻臭氧所致的^3H释放;②臭氧攻击后细胞上清液中LDH释放增多,Fn或RGD处理均能降低LDH释放,W7阻断Fn的这一效奕;③臭氧作用后明显提高细胞内MDA含量,Fn或RGD可降低MDA含量;④臭氧攻击使细胞内GSH含量下降,Fn或RGD可增加BEC内GSH的含量;⑤Fn可增强BEC内过氧化氢酶（CAT）活性,但可被W7阻断,RGD则显示有剂量依赖性促进作用。结论：Fn及其特异识别片段与BEC的整合素分子结合后,可减轻臭氧对BEC细胞的损伤,其机理与经钙调素途径上调BEC抗氧化能力有关。     

Association between APOC1 Polymorphism and Alzheimer’s Disease: A Case-Control Study and Meta-Analysis

Background

Previous association studies examining the relationship between the APOC1 polymorphism and susceptibility to Alzheimer’s disease (AD) have shown conflicting results, and it is not clear if an APOC1 variant acts as a genetic risk factor in AD etiology across multiple populations.

Methods

To confirm the risk association between APOC1 and AD, we designed a case-control study and also performed a meta-analysis of previously published studies.

Results

Seventy-nine patients with AD and one hundred fifty-six unrelated controls were included in case-control study. No association was found between the variation of APOC1 and AD in stage 1 of our study. However, our meta-analysis pooled a total of 2092 AD patients and 2685 controls. The APOC1 rs11568822 polymorphism was associated with increased AD risk in Caucasians, Asians and Caribbean Hispanics, but not in African Americans. APOE ε4 carriers harboring the APOC1 insertion allele, were more prevalent in AD patients than controls (χ² = 119.46, OR = 2.79, 95% CI = 2.31–3.36, P<0.01).

Conclusions

The APOC1 insertion allele, in combination with APOE ε4, likely serves as a potential risk factor for developing AD.     

南通沿海滩涂耐盐植物重金属抗性内生细菌的筛选及生物多样性

【目的】沿海滩涂耐盐植物重金属抗性内生细菌的筛选及其促生长潜在能力的研究有助于我们获得一些能够耐受并促进耐盐植物在被Cd2+、Pb2+、Hg2+、Cu2+,Zn2+等重金属离子污染的贫瘠的沿海滩涂上正常生长的菌株,达到既能够利用广袤的滩涂生物资源产生经济价值又能够净化生态环境的目的。【方法】以江苏南通沿海滩涂地区的4种耐盐植物为材料,采用稀释平板涂布法从中分离得到45株内生细菌,从中挑取23株代表性的菌株,对其进行抗重金属Cu2+、Pb2+、Cd2+、Zn2+,Hg2+的活性筛选;固氮、解磷、吲哚乙酸(IAA)的产生、1-氨基环丙烷-1-羧酸(ACC)脱氨酶活性等促生指标以及NaCl耐受能力的筛选。【结果】发现分离所得的大多数细菌能够耐受高浓度的Cu2+以及Pb2+,但是对Cd2+、Zn2+,Hg2+的耐受能力则较弱;26.1%的细菌具有固氮能力,21.7%的细菌具有解磷能力,60.9%的细菌能够产生IAA,39.1%的细菌含有ACC脱氨酶。对他们进行16S rRNA基因鉴定后发现,他们分属于芽胞杆菌属(Bacillus)、喜盐芽胞杆菌属(Halobacillus)、海洋芽胞杆菌属(Oceanobacillus)、微小杆菌属(Exiguobacterium)、沙雷氏菌属(Serratia)、短波单胞菌属(Brevundimonas)、弧菌属(Vibrio)、葡萄球菌属(Staphylococcus)共8个属,显示了丰富的多样性。其中菌株KLBMP 2432以及菌株KLBMP 2447为潜在的新种。【结论】沿海滩涂地区的耐盐植物内生细菌具有丰富多样的生物多样性以及促生长能力,且存在潜在的新种资源,并对重金属Cu2+,Pb2+具有较强的抗性。     

Genome-wide analysis of primary auxin-responsive Aux/IAA gene family in maize (Zea mays. L.)

The phytohormone auxin is important in various aspects of organism growth and development. Aux/IAA genes encoding short-lived nuclear proteins are responsive primarily to auxin induction. Despite their physiological importance, systematic analysis of Aux/IAA genes in maize have not yet been reported. In this paper, we presented the isolation and characterization of maize Aux/IAA genes in whole-genome scale. A total of 31 maize Aux/IAA genes (ZmIAA1 to ZmIAA31) were identified. ZmIAA genes are distributed in all the maize chromosomes except chromosome 2. Aux/IAA genes expand in the maize genome partly due to tandem and segmental duplication events. Multiple alignment and motif display results revealed major maize Aux/IAA proteins share all the four conserved domains. Phylogenetic analysis indicated Aux/IAA family can be divided into seven subfamilies. Putative cis-acting regulatory DNA elements involved in auxin response, light signaling transduction and abiotic stress adaption were observed in the promoters of ZmIAA genes. Expression data mining suggested maize Aux/IAA genes have temporal and spatial expression pattern. Collectively, these results will provide molecular insights into the auxin metabolism, transport and signaling research.     

An examination of targeted gene neighborhoods in strawberry

Background  

Strawberry (Fragaria spp.) is the familiar name of a group of economically important crop plants and wild relatives that also represent an emerging system for the study of gene and genome evolution. Its small stature, rapid seed-to-seed cycle, transformability and miniscule basic genome make strawberry an attractive system to study processes related to plant physiology, development and crop production; yet it lacks substantial genomics-level resources. This report addresses this deficiency by characterizing 0.71 Mbp of gene space from a diploid species (F. vesca). The twenty large genomic tracks (30-52 kb) captured as fosmid inserts comprise gene regions with roles in flowering, disease resistance, and metabolism.     

Spatiotemporal heterogeneity of plankton communities in Lake Donghu, China, as revealed by PCR–denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis and its relation to biotic and abiotic factors

The 16S and 18S rRNA genes of planktonic organisms derived from five stations with nutrient gradients in Lake Donghu, China, were studied by PCR–denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) fingerprinting, and the relationships between the genetic diversity of the plankton community and biotic/abiotic factors are discussed. The concentrations of total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP), NH₄-N and As were found to be significantly related ( P <0.05) to morphological composition of the plankton community. Both chemical and morphological analyses suggested that temporal heterogeneity was comparatively higher than spatial heterogeneity in Lake Donghu. Although the morphological composition was not identical to the DGGE fingerprints in characterizing habitat similarity, the two strongest eutrophic stations (I and II) were always initially grouped into one cluster. Canonical correspondence analysis suggested that the factors strongly correlated with the first two ordination axes were seasonally different. The concentrations of TN and TP and the densities of rotifers and crustaceans were generally the main factors related to the DGGE patterns of the plankton communities. The study suggested that genetic diversity as depicted by metagenomic techniques (such as PCR-DGGE fingerprinting) is a promising tool for ecological study of plankton communities and that such techniques are likely to play an increasingly important role in assessing the environmental conditions of aquatic habitats.