机械伤害处理橡胶树萌条树皮的DNA甲基化分析

该研究采用甲基化敏感扩增多态性技术,分析了机械伤害处理橡胶树萌条树皮的DNA甲基化的变化。结果显示：（1）与对照相比,伤害后0.5和2 h,DNA甲基化水平略有上升;伤害后48 h的DNA甲基化水平出现了较大幅度的下降。（2）甲基化变化类型分析表明,在伤害2 h主要发生了DNA的甲基化;伤害后48 h,主要发生了DNA的去甲基化。（3）差异甲基化位点的回收、测序及注释表明,ATP合酶F1亚基1、磷酸核糖胺 甘氨酸类连接酶、冷激结构域蛋白3、光系统II 47 kD 蛋白、E3泛素蛋白连接酶RING1、NADH泛醌氧化还原酶和一些假定蛋白参与了伤害的响应。（4）经重亚硫酸盐测序验证,ATP合酶F1亚基1和NADH泛醌氧化还原酶的CCGG位点发生了去甲基化。研究推断DNA的甲基化可能参与了橡胶树萌条对机械伤害的响应。     

摩天岭北坡森林木本植物叶性状在物种和群落水平沿海拔梯度的变化

该研究采用样线和样地相结合的方法,对甘肃省白水江国家级自然保护区摩天岭北坡大垭子梁森林不同海拔(1 600~2 100m)的植物群落进行野外调查、采样分析,并运用线性回归分析、Pearson相关性分析及曲线拟合分析方法,研究木本植物的比叶面积(SLA)、叶干物质含量(LDMC)、叶碳氮磷含量(LCC、LNC、LPC)及其计量比(C/N、C/P、N/P)等叶性状变化特征,以及在物种和群落水平随海拔梯度的变化趋势和相关性。结果表明:(1)摩天岭北坡大垭子梁山地森林为落叶阔叶林带,共有木本植物13科23种,其中乔木6种,灌木17种,且整体上灌木种类较为丰富。此外,有些物种在不同海拔间都有分布,如华北落叶松(Larix principis-rupprechtii)、胡枝子(Lespedeza bicolor)等,反映出不同植物对于异质环境的适应。(2)8个叶功能性状中变异系数最小的是LCC(4.6%),属于弱变异,最大的是SLA(42.1%),其他叶性状都属于中等变异,表明在其他叶性状的协同作用下,使得木本植物的碳获取保持在一定的水平以确保群落的稳定性。(3)叶片功能性状间的关联性普遍存在,是植物适应环境的一种对策.该研究表明SLA-LNC以及LNC-LPC在物种和群落水平上的相关性及其相关程度均一致,而其他叶性状间相关关系则有所不同,这为以后进行大尺度研究时对叶性状的选择提供了一定的依据。(4)叶性状随海拔的变化趋势,除C/N和N/P在物种和群落水平上变化趋势不一致外,其他各个性状随海拔的总体变化趋势基本一致,但显著程度只有LNC一致外其他均不同,反映了木本植物的不同叶片功能性状对海拔造成的不同环境的适应。     

GPR54 deficiency reduces the Treg population and aggravates experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis in mice

GPR54 is highly expressed in the central nervous system and plays a crucial role in pubertal development. However, GRP54 is also expressed in the immune system, implying possible immunoregulatory functions. Here we investigated the role of GPR54 in T cell and immune tolerance. GPR54 deficiency led to an enlarged thymus, an increased number of thymocytes, and altered thymic micro-architecture starting around puberty, indicating GPR54 function in T-cell development through its regulatory effect on the gonadal system. However, flow cytometry revealed a significant reduction in the peripheral regulatory T cell population and a moderate decrease in CD4 single-positive thymocytes in prepubertal Gpr54~(-/-) mice. These phenotypes were confirmed in chimeric mice with GPR54 deficient bone marrow-derived cells. In addition, we found elevated T cell activation in peripheral and thymic T cells in Gpr54~(-/-) mice. When intact mice were immunized with myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein, a more severe experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis(EAE) developed in the Gpr54~(-/-) mice. Interestingly, aggravated EAE disease was also manifested in castrated and bone marrow chimeric Gpr54~(-/-) mice compared to the respective wild-type control,suggesting a defect in self-tolerance resulting from GPR54 deletion through a mechanism that bypassed sex hormones. These findings demonstrate a novel role for GPR54 in regulating self-tolerant immunity in a sex hormone independent manner.     

一株减毒百日咳鲍特菌的构建及生物学特性分析

百日咳是传染性强、感染率高的急性呼吸道传染病,主要感染婴幼儿,是婴儿死亡的主要原因之一。百日咳鲍特菌（Bordetella pertussis）是引起百日咳的最主要病原菌。近年来世界各地多次出现百日咳暴发,迫切需研制更加有效的新型百日咳疫苗。本研究构建了一株减毒百日咳活疫苗BPTM1,利用同源重组方法敲除编码百日咳鲍特菌主要毒力因子百日咳毒素（pertussis toxin,PTX）和皮肤坏死毒素（dermonecrotic toxin,DNT）的基因,并用大肠埃希菌的同源基因置换了负责气管细胞毒素（tracheal cytotoxin,TCT）转运的基因ampG。通过聚合酶链反应验证了毒素及相关基因的敲除和置换,蛋白免疫印迹法检测表明PTX的S1亚基未表达。体外生长曲线和体内定植曲线均表明,相比于野生型百日咳鲍特菌BPMM,减毒BPTM1的生长和定植能力未受影响,其所致肺部病理效应减轻,而所诱导的百日咳鲍特菌特异性IgG、IgG1、IgG2a抗体保持高水平。本研究表明,减毒百日咳鲍特菌BPTM1有可能成为百日咳疫苗的候选疫苗。     

一种测量镇静大鼠气道反应性的非侵入式新方法

将腹腔注射地西泮而镇静的ＳＤ大鼠,置于体积描记器,测定其自主呼吸变化。吸入氯化乙酰甲胆碱和氯化乙酰胆碱气雾对呼吸幅度无明显影响,可深度依赖性地增加呼吸频率,且两药的作用强度相似,但ＭＣｈ作用维持１１ｍｉｎ,Ａｃｈ仅维持３ｍｉｎ。乌拉坦麻醉可抑制呼吸和对ＭＣｈ的反应;硫酸阿托品,硫酸沙丁胺醇和氨茶碱抑制ＭＣｈ引起的频率增快;吸入抗原气雾后６ｈ能增强致敏大鼠对ＭＣｈ的敏感性。     

抗菌肽B基因导入水稻及转基因植株的鉴定

构建了一个适合在水稻中表达的含有抗菌肽B基因的转化载体(pCB1),应用基因枪转化法将其导入水稻未成熟胚,获得了一些转基因水和植株.Basta抗性鉴定,抗菌肽B基因PCR扩增分析,点渍印迹和Southern印迹分析结果表明,选择标记基因(bar)和抗菌肽B基因都已整合入转化水稻基因组中,Northern印迹分析证实了抗菌肽B基因在RNA水平上的表达.转基因水稻植株增强了对水稻白叶枯病和细条病的抗性.     

基于ITS与trnL—F序列探讨槭树科的系统发育

报道了槭树科41种（其中槭属39种0植物的trnL-F和ITS序列（其中部分种的ITS序列为重新测定），以期通过分子手段对槭树科内部尤其是复杂的槭属的系统发育关系进行重建。以无患子科和七叶树科为外类群，基于对57个种单独的ITS序列（包括从GenBank下载的16种的序列），41种trnL-F序列及41种两序列的联合数据，分析采用最大简约法（Maximum Parsimony Method)和邻接法（Neighbor-Joining Method)对槭树科的系统发育进行了分析。结果显示，整个槭树科为一单系类群；金钱槭位于槭树科的基部；但由于云南金钱槭（Dipteronia dyerana)聚在槭属内部，认为金钱槭属和槭属均可能是非单系类群；槭属内组间关系的支持率普遍较低，但多数组的组内关系得到了较好的支持。将两个片段结合比单独的ITS或trnL-F分析能更好地解决槭属内部的系统关系，其中sect,Palmata和sect.Micrcarpa,sect,Platanoidea,sect,Lithocarpa和sect.Macrophylla,sect,Integrifolia.Trifoliata和sect Pentaphylla,以及sect.Acer,sect.Goniocarpa和sect.Saccharina(sensu Ogata）的组间亲缘关系得到了一定的支持，但对其中部分组的划分可能应做进一步调整。重新评价了徐廷志系统中对sect.Rubra和sect.Saccharodendron的处理。     

Glycine origin of the methyl substituent on C7'-N of octodiose for the biosynthesis of apramycin

Apramycin is unique in the aminoglycoside family due to its octodiose moiety. However, either the biosynthesis process or the precursors involved are largely unknown. Addition of glycine, as well as serine or threonine, to the Streptomyces tenebrabrius UD2 fermentation medium substantially increases the production of apramycin with little effect on the growth of mycelia, indicating that glycine and/or serine might be involved in the biosynthesis of apramycin. The 13C-NMR analysis of [2-13C] glycine-fed (25% enrichment) apramycin showed that glycine specifically and efficiently incorporated into the only N-CH3 substituent of apramycin on the C7' of the octodiose moiety. We noticed that the in vivo concentration of S-adenosyl methionine increased in parallel with the addition of glycine, while the addition of methione in the fermentation medium significantly decreased the productivity of apramycin. Therefore, the methyl donor function of glycine is proposed to be involved in the methionine cycle but methionine itself was proposed to inhibit the methylation and methyl transfer processes as previously reported for the case of rapamycin. The 15N NMR spectra of [2-13C,15N]serine labeled apramycin indicated that serine may also act as a limiting precursor contributing to the -NH2 substituents of apramycin.     

Research of blastocyte-like structure in chicken

The chicken embryo is a classic model used to investigate embryonic development, gene expression, and tissue differentiation, and is also an important research tool in studying the animal functional genomics. The whole blastoderms of fresh unincubated eggs from White Leghorn chickens were collected with a paper ring, mechanically broken into small pieces and cultured in medium. Then the small pieces would develop into blastocyte-like structures (BLS), which could be facilitated by an addition of fetal bovine serum (FBS) to the primary culture and their diameter was nearly doubled from 12 to 24 h. The additional yolk had no positive effect on the development in the first 12 h but encouraged the BLSs attaching and inner cells differentiating instead in 24 h. The inner cells of the BLS showing a high alkaline-phosphatase activity similar to those in mouse embryonic stem (ES) cells and also expressing a large amount of the specific stage embryonic antigen-1 (SSEA-1) on the surface, which was known to be the characteristic of non-differentiated mouse and avian ES cells, could finally differentiate into nerve-like cells, fibroblast cells and so on in the medium. Leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) facilitated the cells' proliferation and prevented differentiation in the suspended culture of the BLSs. So we drew the conclusion that the BLS obtained from broken blastoderm can be used to amplify avian ES cells so as to initiate a new method of producing transgenic chickens.