The expression analysis of silk gland-enriched intermediate-size non-coding RNAs in silkworm Bombyx mori

Small non-protein coding RNAs （ncRNAs） play important roles in development, stress response and other cellular processes. Silkworm is an important model for studies on insect genetics and control of Lepidopterous pests. We have previously identified 189 novel intermediate-size ncRNAs in silkworm Bombyx mori, including 40 ncRNAs that showed altered expression in different developmental stages. Here we characterized the functions of these 40 ncRNAs by measuring their expressions in six tissues of the fifth instar larvae using Northern blot and real-time polymerase chain reaction assays. We identified nine ncRNAs （four small nucleolar RNAs and five unclassified ncRNAs） that were enriched in silk gland, including four ncRNAs that showed silk gland-specific expression. We further showed that three of nine silk gland-enriched ncRNAs were predominantly expressed in the anterior silk gland, whereas another three ncRNAs were highly accumulated in the posterior silk gland, suggesting that they may play different roles in fibroin synthesis. Furthermore, an unclassified ncRNA, Bm- 152, exhibited converse expression pattem with its antisense host gene gartenzwerg in diverse tissues, and might regulate the expression of gartenzwerg through RNA-protein complex. In addition, two silk gland-enriched ncRNAs Bm-102 and Bm-159 can be found in histone modification complex, which indicated that they might play roles through epigenetic modifications. Taken together, we provided the first expression and preliminary functional analysis of silk gland-enriched ncRNAs, which will help understand the molecular mechanism of silk gland-development and fibroin synthesis.     

α-Glucosidase-inhibitory iminosugars from the leaves of Suregada glomerulata

A water extract of the leaves of Suregada glomerulata (Euphorbiaceae) was found to inhibit rat small intestinal α-glucosidase. An examination of the extract afforded 20 iminosugars including one pyrrolidine and 19 piperidines. The structures of the 10 new compounds (11–20) were determined by NMR, and MS spectroscopic data analyses, and chemical correlations. The novelty of the identified compounds mainly stems from the loss of a hydroxy at C-4 and the presence of an 8-hydroxyoctyl side chain. Nine N-alkyl derivatives including N-methyl (1a, 8a, and 13a), N-butyl (1b, 2b, and 9b) and N,N-dimethyl (1c, 2c, and 9c) were synthesized. The compounds were tested for rat small intestinal α-glucosidase inhibitory activity. In total, 15 compounds, including compounds 11, 12, 15, and 19 and the three derivatives 8a, 9b, and 13a, showed inhibitory activity with IC₅₀ values less than 40 μM. In vivo results showed that total alkaloids of S. glomerulata (10 mg/kg) and four major iminosugars 1, 2, 3, and 9 (10 mg/kg) can lower the postprandial blood glucose level after sucrose and starch load in healthy male ICR mice.     

高原裸裂尻鱼头部轮廓形状及其变异的几何形态测量分析

为了明确描述高原裸裂尻鱼的表型多样性,运用现代几何形态测量法,基于高原裸裂尻鱼头部轮廓的形态坐标数据,对其5个地理种群的样本做了定量分析。结果主要如下:①主成分分析（PCA）和典型变量分析（CVA）显示,5个地理种群的样本的变异主要位于口型特征、下吻部形状、下颌骨形状、下颌锐利角质程度和头部形状等性状。②基于主成分分析、典型变量分析和聚类分析,高原裸裂尻鱼三个亚种（班公湖亚种、玛法木湖亚种和指名亚种）相互分开,在PC1轴上从负值到正值依次排列,从而确定了高原裸裂尻鱼亚种划分的有效性。③通过形态差异的显著性检验,基于马氏距离和普氏距离分析了高原裸裂尻鱼各地理种群之间的形态变异距离,根据差异显著性将该5个地理种群的高原裸裂尻鱼分为湖泊型亚种和河流型亚种,随后的聚类分析同样支持该结果。总之,通过几何形态测量法,准确描述了高原裸裂尻鱼头部轮廓的形态多样性,按照外形的差异,将5个地理种群分为两种生态型,并推测该差异主要是由于所生活的水体环境和食物差异所造成。对高原裸裂尻鱼形态差异的识别和研究,能为其生态学研究和物种多样性保护提供相应指导,丰富微进化理论。     

蜡蚧轮枝菌分生孢子在不同虫态棕尾別麻蝇体表的附着能力及与寄主体表结构的关系

【目的】为解释蜡蚧轮枝菌Lecanicillium lecanii对棕尾别麻蝇Boettcherisca peregrina成虫、蛹和幼虫等 3种虫态的致病性差异,研究分析了蜡蚧轮枝菌L. lecanii分生孢子在3种虫态体表的附着能力及与寄主体表结构的关系。【方法】采用血球计数板计数法测量蜡蚧轮枝菌分生孢子在棕尾別麻蝇B. peregrina成虫、蛹和幼虫体表的附着数量,并利用扫描电子显微镜等显微技术观察供试虫体体壁外长物分布情况以及附着分生孢子情况。【结果】蜡蚧轮枝菌分生孢子在棕尾別麻蝇3种虫态上的附着数量差异显著(P=0.0001),成虫附着孢子数量为(1.35±0.12)×10⁶个/头,而蛹和幼虫分别为(0.57±0.09)×10⁶个/头和(0.45±0.06)×10⁶个/头。成虫周身微毛上均有孢子附着;整个蛹体仅棘刺底部呈“绳索状”的褶皱处可发现有孢子的附着;幼虫的体表未发现有孢子的附着。【结论】蜡蚧轮枝菌分生孢子在棕尾別麻蝇成虫、蛹、幼虫体表的附着能力与寄主体表结构有密切关系,是蜡蚧轮枝菌对该虫不同虫态间存在致病差异的原因。