Taxonomic Review of the Genus Mycterothrips (TEREBRANTIA: THYSANOPTERA) and its Species from Pakistan

ABSTRACT Genus Mycterothrips and one species M. nilgiriensis with both male and female specimens has been recorded for the first time from Pakistan. The genus and the species have been described in detail, measurements of body parts along with illustrations have also been provided for future references. Thus adding to the list of Thysanoptera fauna from Pakistan.     

Pygo基因的细胞定位及其在果蝇发育过程中的表达(英文)

Wingless信号传导是果蝇胚胎和幼虫发育过程中的一个关键性的信号传导通路。已鉴定出来许多参与Wg Wnt信号传导的Wg或其脊椎动物同源基因Wnt下游传导通路的基因。Wg下游的Wg信号传导是由核TCF LEF 1通过Armadillo (Arm) β catenin介导的。pygopus (pygo)是一个最近发现的Wg Wnt信号传导通路新成员。通过细胞定位实验发现pygo专一性的表达在细胞核中。运用反义mRNA作探针的原位杂交技术 ,观察到了pygo基因在果蝇胚胎中的表达特性。虽然pygo普遍表达于果蝇胚胎发生全过程 ,但pygo在前囊胚层 (pre blastoderm)中的表达水平相对较高 ,这说明胚胎发生过程中来自母方的贡献较高。在幼虫组织 (包括翅成虫盘 ,眼成虫盘和腿成虫盘 )的发育过程中 ,pygo的表达水平总的来说比较低。然而 ,比较翅成虫盘 ,眼成虫盘和腿成虫盘的pygo表达水平 ,则在翅成虫盘和腿成虫盘pygo的表达水平相对较高。     

云南茶树上的附生地衣

对云南茶叶农场中的附生地衣进行调查发现: 附生在茶树上的地衣有25 属, 51 种; 其中, 45 种是首次报道附生在茶树上, 包括2 个中国新记录种: 癞屑衣( Lepraria lobificans) 和阿曼原胚衣( Protoblastenia amagiensis) , 以及20 个云南新分布种。壳状地衣的共生菌丝侵入茶叶树干外皮层组织, 在生长过程中产生地衣酸, 一定程度的加速了农场中茶树的老化; 靠近茶树发芽点生长的壳状地衣和叶状地衣, 造成芽体发育不良, 对茶叶的产量和品质有一定影响。     

宁夏沙坡头地区中国新记录地衣（英文）

报道了宁夏沙坡头沙漠地区地衣3个中国新记录种:Fulgensia desertorum,Rinodina bischoffii和Seirophora orientalis,描述了3种地衣的表型特征,生态学特征及分布情况。     

Prediction of bacterial proteins carrying a nuclear localization signal and nuclear targeting of HsdM from Klebsiella pneumoniae

Nuclear targeting of bacterial proteins is an emerging pathogenic mechanism whereby bacterial proteins can interact with nuclear molecules and alter the physiology of host cells. The fully sequenced bacterial genome can predict proteins that target the nuclei of host cells based on the presence of nuclear localization signal (NLS). In the present study, we predicted bacterial proteins with the NLS sequences from Klebsiella pneumoniae by bioinformatic analysis, and 13 proteins were identified as carrying putative NLS sequences. Among them, HsdM, a subunit of KpnAl that is a type I restriction-modification system found in K. pneumoniae, was selected for the experimental proof of nuclear targeting in host cells. HsdM carried the NLS sequences, ₇KKAKAKK₁₃, in the N-terminus. A transient expression of HsdM-EGFP in COS-1 cells exhibited exclusively a nuclear localization of the fusion proteins, whereas the fusion proteins of HsdM with substitutions in residues lysine to alanine in the NLS sequences, ₇AAAKAAA₁₃, were localized in the cytoplasm. HsdM was co-localized with importin o in the nuclei of host cells. Recombinant HsdM alone methylated the eukaryotic DNA in vitro assay. Although HsdM tested in this study has not been considered to be a virulence factor, the prediction of NLS motifs from the full sequenced genome of bacteria extends our knowledge of functional genomics to understand subcellular targeting of bacterial proteins.     

云南茶树上的附生地衣

对云南茶叶农场中的附生地衣进行调查发现:附生在茶树上的地衣有25属,51种;其中,45种是首次报道附生在茶树上,包括2个中国新记录种:癞屑衣(Lepraria lobificans)和阿曼原胚衣(Protoblastenia amagiensis),以及加个云南新分布种.壳状地衣的共生菌丝侵入茶叶树干外皮层组织,在牛长过程中产生地衣酸,一定程度的加速了农场中茶树的老化;靠近茶树发芽点生长的壳状地衣和叶状地衣,造成芽体发育不良,对茶叶的产量和品质有一定影响.     

Effects of PEGylated scFv antibodies against Plasmodium vivax duffy binding protein on the biological activity and stability in vitro

Duffy binding protein (DBP) plays a critical role in Plasmodium vivax invasion of human red blood cells. We previously reported a single-chain antibody fragment (scFv) that was specific to P. vivax DBP (PvDBP). However, the stabilization and the half-life of scFvs have not been studied. Here, we investigated the effect of PEGylated scFvs on their biological activity and stability in vitro. SDS-PAGE analysis showed that three clones (SFDBII-12, -58, and -92) were formed as dimers (about 70 kDa) with PEGylation. Clone SFDBII-58 gave the highest yield of PEGylated scFv. Binding analysis using BIAcore between DBP and scFv showed that both SFDBII-12 and -58 were decreased approximately by two folds at the level of binding affinity to DBP after PEGylation. However, the SFDBII-92 clone still showed a relatively high level of binding affinity (KD=1.02 x 10(-7) M). Binding inhibition assay showed that PEGylated scFv was still able to competitively bind the PvDBP and play a critical role in inhibiting the interactions between PvDBP protein expressed on the surface of Cos-7 cells and Duffy receptor on the surface of erythrocytes. When both scFvs and their PEGylated counterparts were exposed to trypsin, scFv was completely degraded only after 24 h, whereas 35% of PEGylated scFvs remained intact, maintaining their stability against the proteolytic attack of trypsin until 72 h. Taken together, these results suggest that the PEGylated scFvs retain their stability against proteolytic enzymes in vivo, with no significant loss in their binding affinity to target antigen, DBP.     

Allelic variants interaction of CLOCK gene and G-protein beta3 subunit gene with diurnal preference

The 3111 C/T single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in the CLOCK gene and the 825C/T SNP in the G-protein β3 subunit gene (GNB3) have been reported to influence diurnal preference. This study has attempted to characterize the association between the CLOCK gene and GNB3 polymorphisms and diurnal preference in healthy Korean college students. All subjects completed the 13-item Composite Scale for Morningness (CSM). The interaction between the 3111 C/T SNP in the CLOCK gene and the 825 C/T SNP in the GNB3 gene significantly influenced diurnal preference, according to the CSM Performance subscore (F=10.94, p=0.001). However, when the different polymorphisms of the two genes were analyzed independently, no direct correlations with diurnal preference were detected. The CLOCK gene 3111 C/T SNP and GNB3 gene 825 C/T SNP were found to manifest a gene-gene interaction that affects diurnal preference.