Development and Application of Microsatellites in Candidate Genes Related to Wood Properties in the Chinese White Poplar (Populus tomentosa Carr.)

Gene-derived simple sequence repeats (genic SSRs), also known as functional markers, are often preferred over random genomic markers because they represent variation in gene coding and/or regulatory regions. We characterized 544 genic SSR loci derived from 138 candidate genes involved in wood formation, distributed throughout the genome of Populus tomentosa, a key ecological and cultivated wood production species. Of these SSRs, three-quarters were located in the promoter or intron regions, and dinucleotide (59.7%) and trinucleotide repeat motifs (26.5%) predominated. By screening 15 wild P. tomentosa ecotypes, we identified 188 polymorphic genic SSRs with 861 alleles, 2–7 alleles for each marker. Transferability analysis of 30 random genic SSRs, testing whether these SSRs work in 26 genotypes of five genus Populus sections (outgroup, Salix matsudana), showed that 72% of the SSRs could be amplified in Turanga and 100% could be amplified in Leuce. Based on genotyping of these 26 genotypes, a neighbour-joining analysis showed the expected six phylogenetic groupings. In silico analysis of SSR variation in 220 sequences that are homologous between P. tomentosa and Populus trichocarpa suggested that genic SSR variations between relatives were predominantly affected by repeat motif variations or flanking sequence mutations. Inheritance tests and single-marker associations demonstrated the power of genic SSRs in family-based linkage mapping and candidate gene-based association studies, as well as marker-assisted selection and comparative genomic studies of P. tomentosa and related species.     

Variation of Genetic Diversity in a Rapidly Expanding Population of the Greater Long-Tailed Hamster (Tscherskia triton) as Revealed by Microsatellites

Genetic diversity is essential for persistence of animal populations over both the short- and long-term. Previous studies suggest that genetic diversity may decrease with population decline due to genetic drift or inbreeding of small populations. For oscillating populations, there are some studies on the relationship between population density and genetic diversity, but these studies were based on short-term observation or in low-density phases. Evidence from rapidly expanding populations is lacking. In this study, genetic diversity of a rapidly expanding population of the Greater long-tailed hamsters during 1984–1990, in the Raoyang County of the North China Plain was studied using DNA microsatellite markers. Results show that genetic diversity was positively correlated with population density (as measured by % trap success), and the increase in population density was correlated with a decrease of genetic differentiation between the sub-population A and B. The genetic diversity tended to be higher in spring than in autumn. Variation in population density and genetic diversity are consistent between sub-population A and B. Such results suggest that dispersal is density- and season-dependent in a rapidly expanding population of the Greater long-tailed hamster. For typically solitary species, increasing population density can increase intra-specific attack, which is a driving force for dispersal. This situation is counterbalanced by decreasing population density caused by genetic drift or inbreeding as the result of small population size. Season is a major factor influencing population density and genetic diversity. Meanwhile, roads, used to be considered as geographical isolation, have less effect on genetic differentiation in a rapidly expanding population. Evidences suggest that gene flow (Nm) is positively correlated with population density, and it is significant higher in spring than that in autumn.     

Vimentin is important in the neural differentiation of PC12 cells promoted by sialylation

Sialic acid modification is a kind of post-translational modification. To investigate the regulation effect of sialic acid on neural differentiation, we used CycloManN propanyl perac (CycloManN pro), a metabolic precursor of sialic acid, to treat PC12 cells. We noted that CycloManN pro indeed robustly promoted global sialylation detected by MAL II lectin blot in PC12 cells. Simultaneously, we interestingly found that the neurite outgrowth of PC12 cells was significantly promoted by the CycloManN pro treatment. The profile analysis of sialylated proteins showed that a protein band at 55KD was greatly enhanced especially in PC12L cells after CycloManN pro treatment. After enrichment with lectin MAL II, the proteins in this band were analyzed by mass spectrometry. The results showed that 23 proteins were in the band, but the score of vimentin was the highest among them. To investigate further the role of vimentin in the process of neurite differentiation, vimentin construct was transfected into PC12 cells. We interestingly observed that ectopic expression of vimentin significantly enhanced the neurite outgrowth induced by CycloManN pro. However, after three potential glycosylation sites (Ser-7, Thr-33, Ser-34:) of vimentin were mutated to alanine, overexpression of the mutated vimentin completely lost the enhancement activity for the neural differentiation even in the presence of CycloManN pro. Taken together, our study demonstrated that vimentin was important in the induction of neural differentiation by CycloManN pro.     

贵州清水苑大洞遗址发掘简报

清水苑大洞位于贵州省惠水县摆金镇,遗址发现于1998年9月,因发现丰富石制品、骨制品、灰烬层和哺乳动物化石等遗物而为学术界所关注。2013年9至11月,中国科学院古脊椎动物与古人类研究所和贵州省文物考古研究所联合对清水苑大洞进行考古发掘,发掘区分A、B两区,揭露面积分别为4 m~2和6 m~2。A区揭露地层厚度约90cm,堆积物为灰白-灰黄色-灰黑色砂质黏土,共出土石制品2398件、动物化石及碎骨2000余件。石制品组合以小型石片工业为体,类型包括石核、石器、各类废片、石锤、磨石等,此外还有5件砸击品。石制品原料大多取自围岩内的燧石,剥片以硬锤锤击法为主,石制品以小型居多;刮削器为石器的主要类型,另有少量凹缺器;石器修理多以锤击法向片状毛坯的背面修理为主。~(14)C测年显示遗址形成于距今约11-14 ka BP,为旧-新石器时代过渡期。该遗址的发掘和研究对于探讨更新世末期古人类在贵州中部低海拔地区的适应生存方式具有重要意义。     

Ethnomedicines and anti-parasitic activities of Pakistani medicinal plants against <Emphasis Type="Italic">Plasmodia</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Leishmania</Emphasis> parasites

Background

Leishmaniasis and malaria are the two most common parasitic diseases and responsible for large number of deaths per year particularly in developing countries like Pakistan. Majority of Pakistan population rely on medicinal plants due to their low socio-economic status. The present review was designed to gather utmost fragmented published data on traditionally used medicinal plants against leishmaniasis and malaria in Pakistan and their scientific validation.

Methods

Pub Med, Google Scholar, Web of Science, ISI Web of knowledge and Flora of Pakistan were searched for the collection of data on ethnomedicinal plants. Total 89 articles were reviewed for present study which was mostly published in English. We selected only those articles in which complete information was given regarding traditional uses of medicinal plants in Pakistan.

Results

Total of 56 plants (malaria 33, leishmaniasis 23) was found to be used traditionally against reported parasites. Leaves were the most focused plant part both in traditional use and in in vitro screening against both parasites. Most extensively used plant families against Leishmaniasis and Malaria were Lamiaceae and Asteraceae respectively. Out of 56 documented plants only 15 plants (Plasmodia 4, Leishmania 11) were assessed in vitro against these parasites. Mostly crude and ethanolic plant extracts were checked against Leishmania and Plasmodia respectively and showed good inhibition zone. Four pure compounds like artemisinin, physalins and sitosterol extracted from different plants proved their efficacy against these parasites.

Conclusions

Present review provides the efficacy and reliability of ethnomedicinal practices and also invites the attention of chemists, pharmacologist and pharmacist to scientifically validate unexplored plants that could lead toward the development of novel anti-malarial and anti-leishmanial drugs.

     

鸭瘟病毒gB蛋白N端主要抗原域的表达及间接ELISA检测

在分析鸭瘟病毒gB蛋白抗原性的基础上,设计一对引物克隆gB蛋白N端抗原性较好的抗原域编码基因.将克隆的基因定向插入pET-32a的EcoR Ⅰ和HindⅢ之间,构建了gB蛋白主要抗原域原核表达载体pET-gB1.将pET-gB1质粒转化BL(21)宿主菌后,对培养和表达条件进行了优化,实现了DPV gB蛋白主要抗原域的高效表达.免疫印迹试验表明获得的表达产物具有良好的反应原性.应用His·Bind亲和层析柱纯化重组DPV gB蛋白,以纯化的重组gB1蛋白作为检测抗原,初步建立了检测鸭瘟病毒抗体的igB1-ELISA.结果表明,抗原的最佳包被浓度为6.5μg/mL,血清的最佳稀释度为1∶80,阳性标准初步定为:待检血清OD490＞0.4,且待检血清OD490/阴性血清OD490＞2.应用igB1-ELISA对鸭血清样品进行检测,结果表明igB1-ELISA与全病毒包被的iDPV-ELISA符合率达到95.6%.     

三江源地区刺柏属植物群落类型特征

三江源地区位于青藏高原的腹地, 是典型的生态脆弱区, 刺柏属(Juniperus)植物群落是该地区天然林资源的重要组分, 在维持生物多样性与水生态安全方面发挥着重要作用。该研究调查了刺柏属植物群落的主要植被类型, 通过对53个样地的样方数据分析, 量化描述了其各个群落类型的主要特征。结果表明: (1)根据生活型和优势度原则, 该区刺柏属植物群落可划分为祁连圆柏(J. przewalskii)林、大果圆柏(J. tibetica)林、密枝圆柏(J. convallium)林、塔枝圆柏(J. komarovii)林、大果圆柏灌丛和密枝圆柏灌丛, 进一步分为15个群丛。(2)调查所得维管植物共有142种, 隶属34科90属, 其中菊科种数最多, 占总种数的16.20%。(3)群落垂直结构明显, 其中乔木层优势种单一, 灌木层优势种主要有鲜黄小檗(Berberis diaphana)、银露梅(Potentilla glabra)及灌木状的大果圆柏, 草本层以薹草属(Carex)和马先蒿属(Pedicularis)占优势。(4)该区种子植物种的地理成分中, 温带成分占总种数的52.59%, 温带亚洲分布、东亚分布和中亚分布等为本区分布占比较大的分布区类型; 中国特有种占47.41%; 区系成分呈现横断山植物区系和唐古特植物区系成分互相交融的特点。     

Mammalian <Emphasis Type="Italic">CYP2E1</Emphasis> gene triggered changes of relative ions fluxes,CaM content and genes expression profiles in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Petunia hybrida</Emphasis> cells to enhance resistance to formaldehyde

The influence of light quality and cytokinin content in media on growth, development, photosynthetic pigments and secondary metabolite content of Myrtus communis L. was evaluated in an in vitro culture. Various treatments with light emitting diodes (LEDs): 100% blue (B), a mix of 70% red and 30% blue (RB) and 100% red were applied and compared with a traditional fluorescent lamp as control. Axillary shoots were incubated on Murashige and Skoog medium with 30 g dm^?3 sucrose, 0.5% BioAgar, 0.5 μM 1-naphthaleneacetic acid and different concentrations of 6-benzyladenine (BA): 1, 2.5 and 5 µM. Cultures were maintained for 6 weeks in 23/21?±?1 °C (day/night), 80% relative humidity and 16/8 h photoperiod; photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD) was 35 µmol m^?2 s^?1 in all treatments. Light spectra and BA content in media affected biometrical and phytochemical M. communis properties. Red LEDs and 5 µM BA resulted in the highest multiplication rate. The highest shoots were obtained under red LEDs, but with the lowest concentration of cytokinin in media. Fresh weight was greatest on LEDs containing blue light in the spectrum (B and RB); moreover, 5 µM BA increased dry weight. Photosynthetic pigment levels were lower under LED light compared to control lamps. Phenolic acids and flavonoids were identified in M. communis leaf extracts. Myricetin was the major constituent with highest concentration under red LEDs and highest BA level.     

低氧诱导因子脯氨酰羟化酶与OS－9在大鼠低氧肺动脉高压中的协同作用

目的：研究HIF-1α、PHDs及OS-9的表达变化在低氧性肺动脉高压（HPH）中的作用和意义。方法：SD大鼠随机分5组（n=8）;对照组（C组）和低氧3、7、14和21d组,常压低氧复制HPH大鼠模型。原位杂交、RT-PCR检测mRNA表达,免疫组化、Westernblot检测蛋白质表达。结果：①HIF-1αmRNA对照纽和低氧3d无明显差异,低氧14d后表达明显增高;HIF-1α蛋白质低氧3d组表达明显增高,7d达高峰;②对照组PHD1mRNA呈阳性表达,各低氧组与对照组比较差异不显著,PHD1蛋白质在对照组强阳性表达,低氧14d下降,低氧21d保持较低水平;对照组PHD2mRNA呈阳性表达,低氧3d增高,14d达到高峰,21d维持高水平,其蛋白质表达趋势与mRNA相同;对照组PHD3mRNA和蛋白质表达不明显,低氧3dmRNA明显增高,蛋白质低氧3d明显增高,低氧7d保持高水平,低氧14d和21d下降。③OS-9mRNA在对照组呈强阳性表达,低氧3d后迅速降低,14d达到最低水平;其蛋白质表达趋势与mRNA相同。相关分析表明,肺小动脉壁OS-9蛋白质表达水平与OS-9mRNA呈正相关,与RVHI、mPAP、WA％及LA％呈负相关。结论：HIF-1α、PHDs及OS-9均在大鼠HPH的发病机制中发挥作用。OS-9可能通过增强PHDs的活性来调节HIF-1α的表达,从而在HPH的发生和发展中发挥作用。