Mussaenda yunnanensis sp. nov. (Rubiaceae), a new functionally dioecious species from Yunnan,China

Mussaenda yunnanensis, a new dioecious species of Rubiaceae from Yunnan Province, China, is described and illustrated. The new species can be recognized by its slender stem, congested‐cymose inflorescences and long corolla tubes. Differences between M. yunnanensis and two morphologically similar species (M. pubescens and M. antiloga) are presented. We also provide a key to all dioecious species of Mussaenda in China. The delimitation of the new species is further supported by molecular phylogenetic analyses based on eight plastid loci.     

Formation of Adeno-Associated Virus Circular Genomes Is Differentially Regulated by Adenovirus E4 ORF6 and E2a Gene Expression

A central feature of the adeno-associated virus (AAV) latent life cycle is persistence in the form of both integrated and episomal genomes. However, the molecular processes associated with episomal long-term persistence of AAV genomes are only poorly understood. To investigate these mechanisms, we have utilized a recombinant AAV (rAAV) shuttle vector to identify circular AAV intermediates from transduced HeLa cells and primary fibroblasts. The unique structural features exhibited by these transduction intermediates included circularized monomer and dimer virus genomes in a head-to-tail array, with associated specific base pair alterations in the 5′ viral D sequence. In HeLa cells, the abundance and stability of AAV circular intermediates were augmented by adenovirus expressing the E2a gene product. In the absence of E2a, adenovirus expressing the E4 open reading frame 6 gene product decreased the abundance of AAV circular intermediates, favoring instead the linear replication form monomer (Rf_m) and dimer (Rf_d) structures. In summary, the formation of AAV circular intermediates appears to represent a new pathway for AAV genome conversion, which is consistent with the head-to-tail concatemerization associated with latent-phase persistence of rAAV. A better understanding of this pathway may increase the utility of rAAV vectors for gene therapy.     

水稻白叶枯病菌基因XOO2193的突变体构建及其毒力和胞外多糖分析

水稻白叶枯病菌是一种引起水稻白叶枯病的植物病原细菌,水稻白叶枯病是世界水稻生产中最严重的细菌性病害之一.本研究采用携带同源序列的自杀质粒pK18MobGⅡ整合的办法构建了水稻白叶枯病菌中国菌株13751编码6-磷酸葡糖酸内酯酶的基因XOO2193的非极性突变体GNM2193.对突变体的表型分析发现其毒力在杂交水稻品种特优63上显著减弱,突变体在非寄主植物蓖麻上不能引起过敏反应.此外,突变体胞外多糖的产量是野生型的43.4%.用一段含有XOO2193基因的DNA 片段对GNM2193进行功能互补,互补菌株在水稻上的毒力、引起过敏反应的能力和胞外多糖产量恢复到野生型水平.说明XOO2193基因与病菌的毒力和胞外多糖的产生有关.     

Expression of modified xynA gene fragments from Bacillus subtilis BE-91

Expression of modified xynA gene fragments in Escherichia coli BL21 was studied, using the complete xynA gene from Bacillus subtilis BE-91 as the positive control. The technical workflow consisted of the following steps: (1) predicting protein structures relative to the xynA gene; (2) designing primers for modifiers; (3) amplifying the modifiers; (4) integrating the modifiers with the pET-28a(+) vector; (5) transferring the recombinant plasmids into E. coli BL21; (6) evaluating and analyzing the expression of modified cells. The results were: (1) the xynA gene from BE-91 with the untranslated region deleted on both ends was able to promote XynA activity by 28.9 %; (2) deletion of the 1- to 16-amino acid (AA) coding sequence in the open reading frame on the 5′-end, deletion of the 209- to 213-AA fragment on the 3′-end and deletion of the 20 AA on both ends could promote XynA activity by 27.2, 27.7 and 24.0 %,respectively; (3) deletion of the 1- to 29-AA fragment on the 5′-end and deletion of the 197- to 213-AA fragment on the 3′-end could reduce XynA activity dramatically by 95.6 and 74.8 %, respectively; (4) inactivation factors of XynA would be either the first β-fold and the hydrophilic structure domain or the last two α-screws and the seventeenth turn region. The results mean that any deletion in the catalytic domain would lead to a decline or inactivation in XynA activity while the deletion of any sequence outside the catalytic domain could effectively promote XynA activity, as such sequences are unnecessary for XynA function.     

Dynamic distribution of epidermal growth factor during mouse embryo peri-implantation

Embryo implantation depends on the synchronized development of the blastocyst and the endometrium. This process is highly controlled by the coordinated action of the steroid hormones: estrogen and progesterone. By autocrine, paracrine or juxtacrine routes, some growth factors or cytokines are involved in this steroidal regulation pathway. Here we report the effects of epidermal growth factor (EGF) on embryo implantation in the mouse, the expression and distribution patterns of EGF protein in the mouse blastocyst, ectoplacental cone (EPC) and peri-implantation uterus on days 1-8 of gestation.By RT-PCR and dot blot, we found that EGF and its receptor (EGFR) are co-expressed in the blastocyst and peri-implantational uteri of pregnant days 2-8 (D2-D8) mice. Injection of EGF antibody into a uterine horn on the third day of pregnancy (D3) significantly reduced the number of mouse embryos that implanted on D8, indicating EGF have a function in the mouse embryo implantation.Further investigation by using indirect immunofluorescence and confocal microscope was made to trace EGF and EGFR protein localization during the mouse embryo implantation. EGF and EGFR are co-localized in the blastocyst, and in the secondary trophoblastic giant cells (SGC) of the EPC. At the pre-implantation stage, the distribution of EGF protein in the mouse uterus changes from epithelium to stroma. On D1 of pregnancy, EGF is mainly distributed in uterine stroma and myometrium. On D2, it is present in the uterine epithelium. On D3, it changes again from the uterine epithelium to the stroma. By D4, EGF is predominantly in the stroma. This dynamic distribution correlates with the proliferation activity of uterine cells at each period. On D6-D8 of embryo implantation, EGF 3 protein accumulates at the uterine mesometrial pole, a region that contributes to the trophoblastic invasiveness and placentation.This temporal and spatial localization of EGF protein in the mouse uterus implicates the cytokine in the regulation of trophoblastic invasiveness and uterine receptiveness.     

2n/4n嵌合体胚胎的发育特点及其应用

2n/4n嵌合体是指用二倍体的胚胎细胞和四倍体的胚胎细胞聚合所形成的嵌合体。这种嵌合体在胚胎的发育过程中。四倍体来源的细胞在分布上具有一定的倾向性,即倾向于分布在胚外组织,如胎盘;而在胎儿本身的组织中,很少能找到四倍体细胞的存在,就2n/4n嵌合体胚胎的制作、嵌合体胚胎的发育特点及该技术的可能应用进行了综述。     

长效促胰岛素降糖酵母的构建及其对糖尿病模型小鼠的治疗效果

益生菌生物药物是指通过口服表达药用多肽(蛋白)的重组益生菌活细胞达到治疗疾病的新型口服给药系统。为了构建一种能有效防治2型糖尿病的酵母生物药物,文章首先构建了酿酒酵母(S.cerevisiae)整合型表达载体pNK1-PGK,并且通过绿色荧光蛋白(GFP)证明其表达功能正常,利用该载体将10×GLP-1 (Glucagon-like peptide-1)基因转化到酿酒酵母INVSc1中,通过营养缺陷型和Western blotting成功筛选出表达10×GLP-1的长效促胰岛素降糖酵母(Long-acting GLP-1 hypoglycemic yeast, LHY)。该酵母生长迅速,外源基因10×GLP-1表达稳定,表达量达到1.56 mg/g细胞湿重。通过链脲佐菌素和高脂高糖饮食联合诱导的方法构建了2型糖尿病小鼠模型,用LHY对其进行口服灌胃治疗,证明LHY具有较好疗效,明显降低血糖水平。     

Engineering of Plasmin-Resistant Forms of Streptokinase and Their Production in Bacillus subtilis: Streptokinase with Longer Functional Half-Life

The short in vivo half-life of streptokinase limits its efficacy as an efficient blood clot-dissolving agent. During the clot-dissolving process, streptokinase is processed to smaller intermediates by plasmin. Two of the major processing sites are Lys59 and Lys386. We engineered two versions of streptokinase with either one of the lysine residues changed to glutamine and a third version with both mutations. These mutant streptokinase proteins (muteins) were produced by secretion with the protease-deficient Bacillus subtilis WB600 as the host. The purified muteins retained comparable kinetics parameters in plasminogen activation and showed different degrees of resistance to plasmin depending on the nature of the mutation. Muteins with double mutations had half-lives that were extended 21-fold when assayed in a 1:1 molar ratio with plasminogen in vitro and showed better plasminogen activation activity with time in the radial caseinolysis assay. This study indicates that plasmin-mediated processing leads to the inactivation of streptokinase and is not required to convert streptokinase to its active form. Plasmin-resistant forms of streptokinase can be engineered without affecting their activity, and blockage of the N-terminal cleavage site is essential to generate engineered streptokinase with a longer in vitro functional half-life.     

A型流感病毒PB1-F2蛋白与MOAP-1的相互作用

【目的】探讨A型流感病毒PB1-F2蛋白和人类凋亡调节因子1(MOAP-1)之间的相互作用。【方法】构建pACT2-MOAP-1重组质粒,与pGBKT7-PB1-F2质粒共转化酵母AH109,检测转化菌在四缺培养基的生长情况及β半乳糖苷酶报告基因的活性;利用GST pull-down和免疫共沉淀(Co-IP)技术进一步验证PB1-F2与宿主细胞蛋白MOAP-1的相互作用;通过过表达PB1-F2和MOAP-1,检测PB1-F2对MOAP-1蛋白表达水平的影响。【结果】酵母双杂交结果表明,PB1-F2和MOAP-1可以在酵母细胞内特异性结合。GST pull-down和Co-IP实验也进一步证实了这两种蛋白的相互作用,而且PB1-F2可上调外源MOAP-1的蛋白水平。【结论】流感病毒PB1-F2与MOAP-1存在相互作用,PB1-F2可能通过与MOAP-1的相互作用参与调控细胞生长及凋亡过程。     

生防菌密旋链霉菌Act12中SPA7074缺失突变株的构建及其次级代谢产物鉴定

【目的】通过基因工程手段构建生防菌Act12转录调控因子SPA7074缺失突变株,并挖掘其中活性次级代谢产物资源和探讨其活性机理。【方法】利用同源重组方法敲除Act12基因组中可能的Tet R家族转录调控因子编码基因spa7074(accession number:KU955325),平板实验检测缺失突变株发酵液抑菌活性的变化,并通过HPLC比较代谢图谱,然后通过质谱及核磁共振对差异峰对应化合物进行结构鉴定。【结果】SPA7074缺失突变株对几种病原真菌的拮抗活性显著增强,比较代谢图谱表明出现数个差异峰,将最显著差异峰所对应化合物进行分离纯化鉴定,结果为寡霉素D。【结论】本研究通过基因工程手段敲除生防菌株Act12中的负转录调控转录因子,使得突变菌株抑菌活性显著增强,并获得了产量达野生型菌株7倍的寡霉素D高产菌株Δspa7074。