Correlations of SELE and SELP genetic polymorphisms with myocardial infarction risk: a meta-analysis and meta-regression

This meta-analysis was undertaken in an attempt to understand the relationships of functional polymorphisms in the SELE and SELP genes to myocardial infarction (MI) risk. The PubMed, CISCOM, CINAHL, Web of Science, Google Scholar, EBSCO, Cochrane Library, and CBM databases were searched for relevant articles published before March 1st, 2013 without any language restrictions. Meta-analysis was conducted using the STATA 12.0 software. Crude odds ratios with 95 % confidence intervals were calculated. The effect of SELE and SELP genetic polymorphisms on the pathogenesis of MI was investigated in this meta-analysis with a total of ten case–control studies, including 2,696 MI patients and 4,724 healthy subjects. Eight single nucleotide polymorphisms were assessed, including polymorphisms 98G/T, 128S/R and 561A/C in the SELE gene, and polymorphisms 715T/P, 599V/L, 290S/N, 562N/D and 2123G/C in the SELP gene. The results of our meta-analysis suggested that SELE genetic polymorphisms might be correlated with an increased risk of MI, especially for 128S/R and 561A/C polymorphisms. A subgroup analysis by ethnicity was conducted to investigate its effects on susceptibility to MI. The results revealed positive significant correlations between SELE genetic polymorphisms and the risk of MI among Asians, but not among Caucasians (all P > 0.05). Nevertheless, no significantly correlations were found between SELP genetic polymorphisms and MI risk (all P > 0.05). In the subgroup analysis by ethnicity, we also did not observe significant associations between SELP genetic polymorphisms and MI risks among both Asians and Caucasians (all P > 0.05). The current meta-analysis suggests that SELE genetic polymorphisms may contribute to the development of MI, especially for the 128S/R and 561A/C polymorphisms among Asians. However, SELP genetic polymorphisms may not be important risk factors in MI.     

The effect of the mtDNA4834 deletion on hearing

Mutations in mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) are associated with diverse pathological states in humans, notably sensorineural deafness. In humans, mtDNA4977 deletion, known as common deletion, is thought to play a critical role in presbyacusis. A similar mtDNA deletion occurs in the naturally aging rats is mtDNA4834 deletion. Today, it is still obscure about the effect of common mtDNA deletion on the presbyacusis and hearing loss. We establish a model of rat associated with mtDNA4834 deletion in inner ear by d-galactose. It was found that the malondialdehyde (MDA) increased with superoxide dismutase (SOD) decreasing in the inner ear of the rat treated with d-galactose than of the control. However, there was no significant difference in elevation of ABR threshold between the rat with mtDNA4834 deletion induced by d-galactose and control. After aminoglycoside antibiotic injected, the hearing threshold of the rats carrying mtDNA4834 deletion increased significantly compared with the rats without mtDNA4834 deletion. The results show that resembled accelerated aging in the inner ear of the rat could be induced by injecting d-galactose. Moreover, those suggest that mtDNA4834 deletion can not directly induce the hearing loss, but acting as a predisposing factor which can greatly enhance the sensitivity of the inner ear to the aminoglycoside antibiotic.     

棕朱雀取食含盐墙土现象的观察

1996~1998年发现重庆市开县一字梁区域有棕朱雀(Carpodacus edwardsii)分布。此后陆续发现巫山县的葱坪和梨子坪也有棕朱雀分布,但遇见数量和遇见率远低于开县一字梁。调查发现,棕朱雀主要集中分布在海拔较高(1 841~2 560 m)地处僻远的管护站房屋边活动,并在开县一字梁观察到棕朱雀具有偏爱啄食含盐墙土的行为。鉴于当地居民营建房屋时,为了防止蚂蚁入侵,在砌筑石块的泥浆中添加食盐,我们分别对管护站的2所房屋及其附近3所传统民居房屋的墙缝土进行了土样化验分析,管护站的2所房屋墙缝土的含盐量(分别为12.92 mg/g、16.84 mg/g)远高于附近的3所民居房屋(分别为1.31 mg/g、7.18 mg/g、0.53 mg/g)。据此认为,人工盐源很可能是维系该区域棕朱雀种群数量和生境质量的生态因子。     

石油污染海域的微生物群落及烃的降解

目前世界海洋石油污染问题已经严重威胁到海洋生态环境的安全,生物修复是一种处理石油污染的新方法。综述了海洋环境中烃降解微生物生态学方面的一些研究进展,包括探测未培养细菌的新方法、新的分离方法及主要的烃降解菌株的特性,以便努力改进现有分离石油降解菌及石油乳化细菌的方法,同时发现对于石油降解有益的新菌种。     

植物乳杆菌荚膜缺陷型菌株的诱变选育

以自主分离和鉴定的产荚膜多糖植物乳杆菌C88为出发菌株,采用亚硝基胍诱变、墨汁负染和显微镜观察筛选获得一株荚膜缺陷型突变株,命名为植物乳杆菌C88M3,经多次传代突变菌株具有良好的遗传稳定性。通过16SrDNA序列分析、菌株生长曲线和RAPD分析比较了野生型菌株和荚膜缺陷型菌株在遗传特性和产荚膜情况方面的差异。通过化学诱变方法获得了乳杆菌荚膜缺陷型菌株,对进一步研究荚膜多糖在乳杆菌益生性中的功能和作用机制具有重要意义。     

潞酒酒窖壁及酒缸上可培养真菌的分离和鉴定

采用察氏培养基对山西省长治市潞酒有限公司地下酒窖墙壁及酒缸外壁上采集的灰黑色霉状物进行分离纯化以获得真菌纯培养物,然后用扫描电镜和乳酸石炭酸棉蓝染色法在显微镜下观察纯培养物的菌丝体,再利用18S rDNA序列、β-tubulin微管蛋白基因(BenA)序列、Calmodulin钙调蛋白基因(CaM)序列分析技术分别对分离的纯培养物进行分子水平的鉴定并构建系统发育树。共分离到3株可培养真菌,分别是LJB-1、LJ3-2和LJ5-2。其中菌株LJB-1鉴定为地窖无孢霉Racodium cellare,该种在国内未见报道,属于国内新记录种;菌株LJ3-2和LJ5-2分别鉴定为小刺青霉Penicillium spinulosum和产黄青霉Penicillium chrysogenum,这两个种在酒窖菌中鲜见报道。     

合浦珠母贝外套膜细胞engrailed、BMP2和Smad3的mRNA表达水平的相关性

软体动物engrailed蛋白和骨形成相关蛋白对胚胎贝壳区域边界形成可能具有重要作用,engrailed还被推测为调节基质蛋白在外套膜组织区域化表达的重要调控因子．因此,弄清调控engrailed在软体动物中特征表达的分子机制有着重要的研究意义．但是,由于贝类基因组测序尚不完整,目前也没有建立获得贝类细胞系,以致于许多预测可能参与调控的基因需要通过克隆来鉴定,而且经典的研究细胞信号通路的方法也很难得到应用．目前,在中国南海广泛养殖的合浦珠母贝中,已获知其BMP2和Smad3的cDNA全长,以该贝的基因组为模板,PCR扩增获得了一段engrailed编码区片段．经软件分析,该片段含有EH4结构域,且与其他物种engrailed蛋白具有很高的同源性．研究的贝中,特别是外套膜组织中,engrailed、BMP2和Smad3三者表达之间的相关性,将有助于我们理解贝壳形成的分子机制．贝壳缺刻后半定量PCR试验结果表明,三者均参与贝壳修复,且在贝壳缺刻后的修复过程中,engrailed和Smad3的mRNA表达变化规律非常相似,提示它们之间可能存在相互影响的联系．用地塞米松(DXM)和过氧化氢(H₂O₂)分别处理原代培养的贝外套膜组织迁出细胞,实时相对定量PCR检测engrailed、BMP2和Smad3的mRNA表达水平,统计分析结果表明,三者具有显著的相关性．上述所有结果为进一步研究贝类生物矿化的发育和信号转导机制提供了新的思路和基础．     

黄土高原半干旱和半湿润地区刺槐林地生物量与土壤干燥化效应的模拟

 黄土高原人工刺槐(Robinia pseudoacacia)林地深层土壤干燥化现象普遍发生, 日益严峻地威胁着人工植被建设成效。分析和比较半干旱和半湿润地区刺槐林地生物量演变趋势、深层土壤干燥化发生规律和区域分布特征差异, 能够为黄土高原因地制宜地营造刺槐林提供科学依据。在WinEPIC模型气象、土壤和作物参数数据库组建与模拟精度验证的基础上, 应用WinEPIC模型模拟研究了1957–2001年黄土高原半湿润地区洛川和长武、半干旱地区延安和固原等地1–45年生刺槐林地生物量演变规律和深层土壤干燥化效应。结果表明: 洛川、长武、延安和固原的刺槐林地连年净生产力模拟值在5–8年生时达到最大值后, 随着降水量年际波动呈现出明显的波动性降低趋势, 其平均值分别为5.33 × 10³、4.56 × 10³、4.03 × 10³和3.35 ×10³ kg·hm^–2·a^–1; 1–7年生刺槐林地年耗水量高于同期年降水量, 导致林地0–10 m土层土壤强烈干燥化, 洛川、长武、延安和固原刺槐林地年均土壤干燥化速率分别为164.3、165.7、187.1和190.0 mm·a^–1, 8–45年生刺槐林地有效含水量在0–250 mm的较低水平上随降水量变化而波动; 1–9年生刺槐林地0–10 m土层土壤湿度剖面分布变化剧烈, 土壤湿度逐年降低且土壤干层逐年加厚, 7–9年生时土壤干层厚度已经超过10 m, 8–45年生刺槐林地2–10 m土层土壤湿度保持相对稳定的干燥化状态; 洛川和长武刺槐林地水分生产力较高且相对稳定, 刺槐林地生长期可以超过45年; 而延安和固原刺槐林地水分生产力较低且稳定性差, 刺槐林稳定生长期不超过40年。