噬菌体phi29 DNA包装马达磷脂膜嵌合体在单分子检测及纳米医学领域的应用

生命系统包含了具有不同功能的纳米机器和高度有序的大分子结构。所有的双链线性DNA病毒使用由ATP驱动的纳米分子马达将其基因包装在蛋白质外壳内。噬菌体phi29 DNA包装马达的核心组成部分连接器已被成功嵌入到脂双层中,极为稳定且可用于离子和DNA转运的精确测量。它在包装DNA时具有单向通行的阀门机制,同时其关闭和打开可由人工控制。这对于详细研究分子马达的操作机制及未来医药应用中DNA的包装、测序、采样和投递都具有重要意义。     

海岛生态服务功能保护初探

生态系统是人类经济社会生存和发展的基础。海岛作为人类通向海洋的桥头堡,保护海岛及其周边海域生态系统,对于维护国家海洋权益,保障海防安全,发展海洋经济、保护海洋生态、构建和谐社会等具有重要战略意义。本文从介绍海岛生态系统功能特征及服务价值入手,分析了海岛生态系统服务功能受损的深层原因及对其带来的负面影响,并在此基础上,提出了摸清海岛生态资源状况、规范海岛开发秩序、实施海岛生态修复与整治工程,推进海岛保护区建设,加强海岛生态环境保护的科学研究与国际合作,以及多渠道获取海岛生态保护资金等方面策略,初步探讨了海岛生态服务功能的保护。     

A comparison of nonlethal sampling methods for amphibian gut microbiome analyses

Noninvasive sampling methods for studying intestinal microbiomes are widely applied in studies of endangered species and in those conducting temporal monitoring during manipulative experiments. Although existing studies show that noninvasive sampling methods among different taxa vary in their accuracy, no studies have yet been published comparing nonlethal sampling methods in adult amphibians. In this study, we compare microbiomes from two noninvasive sample types (faeces and cloacal swabs) to that of the large intestine in adult cane toads, Rhinella marina. We use 16S rRNA gene sequencing to investigate how microbial communities change along the digestive tract and which nonlethal sampling method better represents large intestinal microbiota. We found that cane toads' intestinal microbiota was dominated by Bacteroidetes, Proteobacteria and Firmicutes and, interestingly, we also saw a high proportion of Fusobacteria, which has previously been associated with marine species and changes in frog immunity. The large and small intestine of cane toads had a similar microbial composition, but the large intestine showed higher diversity. Our results indicate that cloacal swabs were more similar to large intestine samples than were faecal samples, and small intestine samples were significantly different from both nonlethal sample types. Our study provides valuable information for future investigations of the cane toad gut microbiome and validates the use of cloacal swabs as a nonlethal method to study changes in the large intestine microbiome. These data provide insights for future studies requiring nonlethal sampling of amphibian gut microbiota.     

Ⅰ型马立克氏病病毒不同致病型参考株与中国分离株pp24基因的克隆与序列分析

为了比较Ⅰ型马立克氏病病毒(MDV)的致病型与pp24基因的关系,将Ⅰ型MDV弱毒(mMDV)、强毒(vMDV)、超强毒(vvMDV)、特超强毒(vv MDV)等不同致病型的CVI988、GA、648A、RB1B、Md5和Md11等6个国际参考株,从中国河北、北京、广东和广西等地分离的7个中国分离株和1个中国疫苗毒814株的pp24基因分别做PCR扩增,并将其克隆到pMD-18载体中测序,与国外已发表的BC-1株进行序列比较.结果表明:Ⅰ型MDV的pp24基因非常保守,15个毒株中只出现5个碱基的随机变化,并引起相应的4个氨基酸改变,但与致病型无明显相关;pp24基因ORF的第81碱基出现差异,所有中国株为G,所有不同致病型国外参考株为C,但并未引起氨基酸改变,显示这一碱基差异只是作为MDV地域性分布的遗传标志,而与病毒分离的年代及致病型等因素无关.     

Precise mapping of a quantitative trait locus interval for spike length and grain weight in bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)

The spike characteristics length, spikelet density and fertile floret number are related yield components and are important in cereal improvement. QSpl.nau-2D is a major quantitative trait locus controlling spike length (SPL) detected in the recombinant inbred line population developed by crossing wheat (Triticum aestivum) cultivars Nanda2419 with Wangshuibai. In this study, to validate its genetic effect and determine its precise location, QSpl.nau-2D’s near-isogenic line (NIL) was developed using Mianyang99-323 as the recurrent parent through marker-assisted selection. Field trials showed that the NIL not only had significantly longer spikes on average than the recurrent parent but also had significantly higher grain weight, but did not differ in spikelet number and kernel number per spike. In the F2 population derived from a cross of the NIL with Mianyang99-323, QSpl.nau-2D functioned like a single gene and conditioned the SPL in a partially dominant manner, and was thus designated as HL1 (for head length). To precisely map HL1, 89 recombinants, consisting of 11 genotypes, were identified in the NIL-derived F2 population of 674 plants by using markers in the Xwmc25–Xgpw4080 interval. Phenotyping these lines showed that the introduction of a 0.9-cM interval flanked by Xcfd53 and DG371 in Nanda2419 resulted in longer spikes and a higher grain weight in the NIL. The availability of markers closely linked to HL1 could facilitate its use in breeding programs.     

普氏蹄蝠下丘谐波主频神经元的时程选择性

为探讨下丘(Inferior colliculus,IC)回声定位信号主频范围内的神经元的时程选择性,在自由声场刺激条件下,我们在4 只普氏蹄蝠的IC 采用不同时程的声刺激,研究了神经元的时程选择性。通过在体细胞外记录,共获得56 个声敏感下丘神经元,其记录深度、最佳频率和最小阈值的范围分别为1547 - 3967 (2878. 9 ±629.1)μm,20 -68 (49.0 ± 11. 1)kHz 和36.5 -95. 5 (59. 8 ±13. 0)dB SPL。根据所记录到的下丘神经元对不同时程的声刺激的反应,即对不同时程的选择性(Duration selectivity),将其分为6 种类型:短通型(Short-pass,SP,n = 11/56)、带通型(Band-pass,BP,n = 1/56)、长通型(Long-pass,LP,n = 5 /56)、反带通型(Band-reject,BR,n = 3 /56)、多峰型(Multi-peak,MP,n =6 /56)和全通型(All-pass,AP,n =30 /56)或非时程选择型(Nonduration-selective,NDS)。通过比较普氏蹄蝠下丘谐波主频内和主频外神经元的时程选择性,我们发现处于回声定位信号主频范围内神经元(n =32)比主频外神经元(n = 24)具有更短的最佳时程和更高的时程选择性。结果提示,在普氏蹄蝠回声定位过程中谐波主频内神经元较谐波主频外神经元发挥了更为重要的作用。     

抗冻蛋白结构与抗冻机制

抗冻蛋白(amifreeze proteins,AFPs)是20世纪60年代从极地鱼血淋巴中分离的一种大分子抗冻剂,迄今为止科学工作者已从陆地昆虫、植物、细菌和真菌等各类生物中分离到多种抗冻蛋白,并测得了它们的基因序列及一些晶体结构,近些年的工作主要集中在该类蛋白质抗冻机制的研究上。抗冻蛋白具有广泛的应用前景,它不但可以应用于食物的冷鲜贮存及移植器官的低温保存,还可通过转基因提高经济作物的抗冻能力。     

听神经元的频率调谐

频率作为声音的一个重要参数,在听敏感神经元对声音进行分析和编码过程中扮演重要角色。一般用频率调谐曲线来表示听敏感神经元的频率调谐特性,并用Qn(10,30,50)值表达频率调谐曲线的尖锐程度,Qn值越大,频率调谐曲线也越尖锐,神经元的频率调谐能力越好,对频率的分辨能力越高。从听觉外周到中枢,听敏感神经元的频率调谐逐级锐化,而这种锐化主要是由听中枢的多种抑制性神经递质的作用而产生的,其中起主要作用的是GABA能和甘氨酸能神经递质。此外,离皮层调控,双侧下丘间的联合投射以及弱噪声前掩蔽等因素也会影响听敏感神经元的频率调谐特性。     

黄泥螺提取物对小鼠黑色素瘤细胞B16生长的影响

为研究黄泥螺提取物对小鼠黑色素瘤细胞B16生长的影响,以及初步研究其作用机制,采用磺酰罗丹明B(SRB)法测黄泥螺提取物对B16细胞的生长抑制作用,得到48 h后半数抑制浓度(IC50)为68.56 ug/ml.当黄泥螺提取物浓度为70ug/ml时,台盼蓝排斥试验显示有部分细胞死亡.经Hoechest 33258染色并用荧光显微镜观察,发现培养的细胞中出现凋亡小体,细胞核发生固缩;DNA琼脂糖凝胶电泳呈现出DNA大片段;用流式细胞仪进一步检测表明,细胞生长周期发生变化并检测到凋亡峰.结果表明,体外培养的B16细胞经过黄泥螺提取物处理后,B16细胞增殖受到抑制,细胞周期被阻滞,B16细胞受到诱导后存在凋亡.因此,黄泥螺提取物对小鼠黑色素瘤细胞B16生长有明显的影响.