Critical role of the virus-encoded microRNA-155 ortholog in the induction of Marek's disease lymphomas

Notwithstanding the well-characterised roles of a number of oncogenes in neoplastic transformation, microRNAs (miRNAs) are increasingly implicated in several human cancers. Discovery of miRNAs in several oncogenic herpesviruses such as KSHV has further highlighted the potential of virus-encoded miRNAs to contribute to their oncogenic capabilities. Nevertheless, despite the identification of several possible cancer-related genes as their targets, the direct in vivo role of virus-encoded miRNAs in neoplastic diseases such as those induced by KSHV is difficult to demonstrate in the absence of suitable models. However, excellent natural disease models of rapid-onset Marek's disease (MD) lymphomas in chickens allow examination of the oncogenic potential of virus-encoded miRNAs. Using viruses modified by reverse genetics of the infectious BAC clone of the oncogenic RB-1B strain of MDV, we show that the deletion of the six-miRNA cluster 1 from the viral genome abolished the oncogenicity of the virus. This loss of oncogenicity appeared to be primarily due to the single miRNA within the cluster, miR-M4, the ortholog of cellular miR-155, since its deletion or a 2-nucleotide mutation within its seed region was sufficient to inhibit the induction of lymphomas. The definitive role of this miR-155 ortholog in oncogenicity was further confirmed by the rescue of oncogenic phenotype by revertant viruses that expressed either the miR-M4 or the cellular homolog gga-miR-155. This is the first demonstration of the direct in vivo role of a virus-encoded miRNA in inducing tumors in a natural infection model. Furthermore, the use of viruses deleted in miRNAs as effective vaccines against virulent MDV challenge, enables the prospects of generating genetically defined attenuated vaccines.     

Disrupted functional brain connectivity in partial epilepsy: a resting-state fMRI study

Examining the spontaneous activity to understand the neural mechanism of brain disorder is a focus in recent resting-state fMRI. In the current study, to investigate the alteration of brain functional connectivity in partial epilepsy in a systematical way, two levels of analyses (functional connectivity analysis within resting state networks (RSNs) and functional network connectivity (FNC) analysis) were carried out on resting-state fMRI data acquired from the 30 participants including 14 healthy controls(HC) and 16 partial epilepsy patients. According to the etiology, all patients are subdivided into temporal lobe epilepsy group (TLE, included 7 patients) and mixed partial epilepsy group (MPE, 9 patients). Using group independent component analysis, eight RSNs were identified, and selected to evaluate functional connectivity and FNC between groups. Compared with the controls, decreased functional connectivity within all RSNs was found in both TLE and MPE. However, dissociating patterns were observed within the 8 RSNs between two patient groups, i.e, compared with TLE, we found decreased functional connectivity in 5 RSNs increased functional connectivity in 1 RSN, and no difference in the other 2 RSNs in MPE. Furthermore, the hierarchical disconnections of FNC was found in two patient groups, in which the intra-system connections were preserved for all three subsystems while the lost connections were confined to intersystem connections in patients with partial epilepsy. These findings may suggest that decreased resting state functional connectivity and disconnection of FNC are two remarkable characteristics of partial epilepsy. The selective impairment of FNC implicated that it is unsuitable to understand the partial epilepsy only from global or local perspective. We presumed that studying epilepsy in the multi-perspective based on RSNs may be a valuable means to assess the functional changes corresponding to specific RSN and may contribute to the understanding of the neuro-pathophysiological mechanism of epilepsy.     

红光与远红光比值对温室切花菊形态指标、叶面积及干物质分配的影响

以切花菊品种‘神马’(Chrysanthemum morifolium Ramat ‘Jinba’)为试材,于2010-2011年设计不同红光(R: (660 ±10) nm)与远红光(FR: (730±10)nm)比值(R/FR分别为0.5、2.5、4.5、6.5)的LED灯照射处理,研究不同R/FR值对温室切花菊形态指标、叶面积形成及干物质分配的影响。结果显示R/FR=2.5处理的植株叶片数、株高、茎粗、花径、叶面积及总干重均为各个处理中最高,R/FR=0.5处理的节间最长。所有R/FR处理的单株地上干物质重量与光质处理天数呈指数-线性模型。随处理天数的增加不同R/FR值处理菊花植株地上部分及地下部分干物质分配指数差异均不显著,叶片和花的干物质分配指数随处理天数的增加分别呈降低和升高的趋势,茎干物质分配指数则呈现先升高后降低的趋势,R/FR=2.5处理下,菊花叶片干物质分配指数和花干物质分配指数最高,而茎干物质分配指数却为最低;R/FR=6.5处理茎干物质分配指数最高,叶片干物质分配指数最低;0.5处理花朵干物质分配指数最低,说明远红光比例增加能够促进干物质向茎中分配,R/FR=2.5处理利于干物质向花朵中分配。     

稀土尾矿土壤细菌群落结构对植被修复的响应

选用赣州-安远稀土弃废尾矿及其不同植被修复的堆浸田为研究对象,调查废弃尾矿及6种不同植被修复方案下土壤理化性质的变化,并利用变性凝胶梯度电泳(DGGE)技术,分析土壤微生物群落结构对植被修复的响应。结果表明:与未修复尾矿土壤相比,经不同植被修复后的土壤理化性质均得到明显改良,其中土壤含水量、有机质含量均比未修复尾矿土壤增加2—3倍。微生物群落结构分析表明,植被修复后土壤微生物群落与废弃尾矿土壤微生物群落亲缘度仅为0.21,表明植被修复后,土壤微生物群落结构发生了明显变化,且微生物多样性、均匀度、丰富度与未修复尾矿土壤相比均有了明显的提高。而在不同植被修复方案中,以湿地松和山胡椒为优势群落的两种植被修复方案对土壤改良效果最为明显,这两种修复方案不仅能显著改善土壤的固水性、有机质含量,并且对微生物群落的改善作用也最为显著。典范对应分析表明,废弃尾矿土壤微生物群落结构受土壤p H影响最为显著,而植被修复后土壤微生物群落的环境影响因子则转变为含水量、有机质、有机碳及总磷含量。进一步揭示了微生物在植被修复过程中所起到的重要作用,并为矿山生态重建过程中的土壤改良工作提供了丰富的理论依据。     

基于生态系统服务提升的山水林田湖草优先区分析——以贵州省为例

山水林田湖草作为生命共同体,其生态保护与修复必须以生态系统服务功能提升为导向,而且需要考虑生态系统本身脆弱性,协调好保护与发展的关系。因此,生态保护与修复工程必须从整体统筹考虑,解决生态系统及要素分割管理的问题。研究以贵州省为案例区,通过对生态系统服务和景观脆弱度分析,得到生态系统服务重要性的空间分布,确定需要生态修复的重点流域;进一步从生态保护与经济发展角度,辨析保护与发展的冲突区。结果表明,贵州省的生态系统服务能力空间差异显著,水源涵养能力在贵州东部和东南较高;土壤保持能力东南和西北部较高;生物多样性服务在贵州省西南、东南、东北部较高。景观脆弱度在都柳江流域、赤水河流域最高,生态重要性高的区域主要在都柳江流域最高。生态保护与经济发展冲突分析结果表明,生态保护与经济发展在贵州省西北和东南部存在较多的冲突区,是保护与修复的优先区域。并以乌蒙山片区山水林田湖草优先区为案例区,进一步分析生态功能、生态问题,修复措施和工程特点。本思路既体现了山水林田湖草的完整性,又体现了生态恢复的优先性,为山地地区生态保护修复工程实施与决策管理提供参考。     

RT－PCR联合一步法扩增G蛋白α亚基基因的开放阅读框

报道逆转录－多聚酶链式反应（ＲＴ－ＰＣＲ）联合一步程序,扩增大于１ｋｂ的拟南芥菜Ｇ蛋白α亚基基因的开放阅读框。该程序中,当ＲＮＡ模板和引物变性,并在同一管中加入ＰＣＲ缓冲液、４种ｄＮＴＰ底物、逆转录酶和ＴａｑＤＮＡ聚合酶之后,就不需其它手工操作步骤,因而可同时进行大批量样品的操作。实验结果证明ＡＭＶ（鸟类骨髓性白血病病毒）逆转录酶对ＴａｑＤＮＡ聚合酶的活性没有抑制作用。这种ＲＴ－ＰＣＲ联合一步法可从０．５μｇ的总ＲＮＡ中快速地扩增长于１．０ｋｂ的ｃＤＮＡ片段。     

全长δ—内毒素cryIA（c）基因在三种原核细胞中的表达

采用随机引物法标记苏芸金芽孢杆菌δ-内毒素cryIA(b)基因:从苏芸金芽孢杆菌HD-73质粒基因文库中筛选到了分别包含δ-内毒素cryIA(c)基因5’端和3’端的6.5kb和4.3kb两个片段,然后分别缺失其非编码区,重连得到全长3.92kb的crylA(c)基因,用穿梭载体pHT3101亚克隆后分别转化大肠杆菌NM522、枯草杆菌AS1176及苏芸金芽孢杆菌晶体缺陷型4D10(H3ab),得到了具有同一质粒的三种工程菌。SDS-PAGE电泳表明此基因在三个宿主系统中均表达了分子量为133300的原毒素,分子量大小与苏芸金芽孢杆菌HD-73晶体蛋白完全相同,免疫检测表明表达蛋白和天然晶体蛋白具有相同的免疫原性。用提取的粗表达产物对二龄小菜蛾幼虫作杀虫试验,证明三种细胞产生的表达蛋白均具有杀虫活性,测得它们的LD_(50)分别为0.311μg/cm~2、0.024μg/cm~2和0.017μg/cm~2。     

两种杆状病毒的限制性消化和p10基因的定位

以5和6种限制性内切酶分别消化昆虫杆状病毒SeNPV和LsNPV DNA,求出它们的基因组平均长133kb和164kb.为了定位这两种杆状病毒的p10基因,构建了含有AcNPVp10基因序列的两个探针载体pAcHP106和pAcEP102.从探针载体回收0.18kb和0.42kb的AcNPV p10基因序列,制备探针,与SeNPV和LsNPV的酶切片段杂交,得到清晰的杂交图谱,准确的定位了这两种病毒的p10基因.