New Approaches for Absolute Quantification of Stable‐Isotope‐Labeled Peptide Standards for Targeted Proteomics Based on a UV Active Tag

Targeted proteomics depends on the availability of stable isotope labeled (SIL) peptide standards, which for absolute protein quantification need to be absolutely quantified. In the present study, three new approaches for absolute quantification of SIL peptides are developed. All approaches rely on a quantification tag (Qtag) with a specific UV absorption. The Qtag is attached to the peptide during synthesis and is removed by tryptic digestion under standard proteomics workflow conditions. While one quantification method (method A) is designed to allow the fast and economic production of absolutely quantified SIL peptides, two other methods (methods B and C) are developed to enable the straightforward re‐quantification of SIL peptides after reconstitution to control and monitor known problems related to peptide solubility, precipitation, and adhesion to vials. All methods yield consistent results when compared to each other and when compared to quantification by amino acid analysis. The precise quantitation methods are used to characterize the in vivo specificity of the H3 specific histone methyltransferase EZH2.     

Phylogeography of the Common Pheasant Phasianus colchicus

The Common Pheasant Phasianus colchicus is widely distributed in temperate to subtropical regions of the Palaearctic realm. Populations of Common Pheasant have been classified into five subspecies groups based on morphological variations in male plumage. Previous phylogeographical studies have focused on limited sets of subspecies groups in the eastern Palaearctic and knowledge on subspecies in the western Palaearctic region is still poor. In this study, we undertake the first comprehensive analysis of subspecies from all five defined subspecies groups across the entire Palaearctic region. Two mitochondrial (CYTB and CR) and two nuclear (HMG and SPI) loci were used to investigate genetic relationships of these subspecies groups and to infer their dispersal routes. Our results revealed that the subspecies elegans, with its range in northwestern Yunnan, China, was in the basal position among 17 studied subspecies, supporting a previous hypothesis that the Common Pheasant most probably originated in forests in southeastern China. Subspecies in the western Palaearctic region nested within the most subspecies‐rich torquatus group (‘Grey‐rumped Pheasants’), indicating that the torquatus group is not a clade but instead forms a gradation with other subspecies and subspecies groups. Our dating analysis suggested that the initial divergence among populations of Common Pheasant originated around 3.4 Mya with subsequent dispersal into the Western Palaearctic region during the Late Pliocene–Lower Pleistocene approximately 2.5–1.8 Mya. We propose two possible east‐to‐west colonization routes for the Common Pheasant and suggest conservation implications for some regional subspecies. Overall, this study demonstrates the lack of concordance between morphology‐based subspecies delimitation and their genetic relationships. This is likely to be a consequence of initial isolation due to historical vicariance followed by population admixture due to recent range expansion of Common Pheasant in the western Palaearctic region.     

Cloning and expression analysis of a water stress-induced gene from Brassica oleracea.

Plant growth and productivity are greatly affected by water stress, such as drought and salinity. Here we report on the cloning and expression analysis of a water stress-induced gene from Brassica oleracea (designated as BoWS, GenBank accession number AY571333) by rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE). The full-length cDNA of BoWS consisted of 594 bp and contained a 285 bp open reading frame (ORF) encoding a 95-amino-acid protein. The deduced protein had a calculated molecular mass of 10.53 kDa and an isoelectric point of 6.93. The sequence similarity and comparative analysis showed that BoWS was 84% identical to Arabidopsis thaliana putative water stress-induced protein (GenBank accession number AAM67282). Southern blot analysis indicated that BoWS was a low-copy gene. Northern blot analysis revealed that the expression of BoWS was upregulated by abscisic acid (ABA), mannitol, NaCl, drought, salicylic acid (SA) and hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2)). Our results indicate that BoWS is extremely related to the water-deficit stress in B. oleracea.     

猪PEG1基因多态性及其遗传印记

PEG1基因影响动物胚胎生长及母性行为,多数动物PEG1为父方表达的遗传印记特征,但出生后猪的PEG1印记表达尚不清楚。因此,文章选取长白、大白和蓝塘3个品种共166头纯种猪,在猪的PEG1基因外显子12区域内寻找SNP,采用PCR-SSCP方法对其多态性进行检测和基因频率分析;取带有PEG1基因该位点SNP为杂合的仔猪3头,对其胃、胸腺、胰、脾、肺、肌肉、肝、舌、肾、脑、膀胱、心脏等组织器官和胎盘的mRNA产物分别进行RT-PCR-SSCP分析,结果表明:PEG1基因外显子12存在一个由G突变为A的单核苷酸多态性位点;PEG1的外显子12在3头仔猪的主要组织器官仅表达父亲来源的等位基因,表明猪的PEG1基因呈母方印记、父方表达的遗传特征。     

Calcium spikes in a leech nonspiking neuron

The NS neurons are nonspiking cells, present as pairs in each midbody ganglion of the leech nervous system, which display a very extensive arborization. They were shown to regulate the coactivation of motoneurons. Here we have investigated the electrophysiological properties of these neurons under the hypothesis that transmission along the extensive neurites requires the aid of voltage-dependent conductances. The results indicate that NS neurons respond to electrical stimulation with a spike-like event, which was not an all-or-none but rather a graded phenomenon that depended on the intensity and duration of the electrical stimulus. The spike-like response was activated at a membrane potential of approximately −50 mV; its amplitude was a logarithmic function of the extracellular Ca²⁺ concentration and was unaffected by a broad range of changes in the extracellular Na⁺ concentration; intracellular application of tetraethylammonium (TEA) caused a large increase in its amplitude and duration. These data indicate that NS neurons bear voltage-dependent low-threshold Ca²⁺ and TEA-sensitive K⁺ conductances that could contribute to shaping synaptic signals, or transmission along the extensive neuritic tree.     

Toward Long‐Term Stable and Highly Efficient Perovskite Solar Cells via Effective Charge Transporting Materials

Perovskite solar cells (PSCs) have advanced quickly with their power conversion efficiency approaching the record of silicon solar cells. However, there is still a big challenge to obtain both high efficiency and long‐term stability for future commercialization of PSCs. The major instability issue is associated with the decomposition or phase transition of perovskite materials that are believed to be intrinsically unstable under outdoor working conditions. Herein, the authors review the approaches that marked important progress in developing new functional electron/hole transporting materials that enabled highly efficient and stable PSCs. The findings that accelerate charge diffusion and that suppress the irrevocable loss of ions diffusing out of perovskite materials and other diffusion processes are highlighted. In addition, derivative interface engineering methods to control the diffusion process of charges/ions/molecules are also reviewed. Finally, the authors propose key research issues in charge transporting materials and interface engineering with regard to the important diffusion processes that will be one of the keys to realize highly efficient and long‐term stable PSCs.     

Lack of enhanced spinal regeneration in Nogo-deficient mice

The failure of regeneration of severed axons in the adult mammalian central nervous system is thought to be due partly to the presence of endogenous inhibitors of axon regeneration. The nogo gene encodes three proteins (Nogo-A, -B, and -C) that have been proposed to contribute to this inhibition. To determine whether deletion of nogo enhances regenerative ability, we generated two lines of mutant mice, one lacking Nogo-A and -B but not -C (Nogo-A/B mutant), and one deficient in all three isoforms (Nogo-A/B/C mutant). Although Nogo-A/B-deficient myelin has reduced inhibitory activity in a neurite outgrowth assay in vitro, tracing of corticospinal tract fibers after dorsal hemisection of the spinal cord did not reveal an obvious increase in regeneration or sprouting of these fibers in either mouse line, suggesting that elimination of Nogo alone is not sufficient to induce extensive axon regeneration.     

The plant homeodomain finger protein MESR4 is essential for embryonic development in Drosophila

Misexpression Suppressor of Ras 4 (MESR4), a plant homeodomain (PHD) finger protein with nine zinc‐finger motifs has been implicated in various biological processes including the regulation of fat storage and innate immunity in Drosophila. However, the role of MESR4 in the context of development remains unclear. Here it is shown that MESR4 is a nuclear protein essential for embryonic development. Immunostaining of polytene chromosomes using anti‐MESR4 antibody revealed that MESR4 binds to numerous bands along the chromosome arms. The most intense signal was detected at the 39E‐F region, which is known to contain the histone gene cluster. P‐element insertions in the MESR4 locus, which were homozygous lethal during embryogenesis with defects in ventral ectoderm formation and head encapsulation was identified. In the mutant embryos, expression of Fasciclin 3 (Fas3), an EGFR signal target gene was greatly reduced, and the level of EGFR signal‐dependent double phosphorylated ERK (dp‐ERK) remained low. However, in the context of wing vein formation, genetic interaction experiments suggested that MESR4 is involved in the EGFR signaling as a negative regulator. These results suggested that MESR4 is a novel chromatin‐binding protein required for proper expression of genes including those regulated by the EGFR signaling pathway during development. genesis 53:701–708, 2015. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.