对TMV不同抗性番茄品种的叶绿体DNA限制性内切酶酶谱分析

选用对TMV有抗性和敏感的番茄品种、制备其ct-DNA, 用限制性内切酶BumHI、EcoRI和PstI完全酶解, 三种酶切图谱与前人报道一致, 由酶切片段计算番茄ct-DNA。分子量约为156.9kb。比较抗性和敏感品种的ct-DNA图谱, 发现三种酶切图谱均存在差异, 但由差异片段计算分子量之和又很除近。我们推测这是由于检基顺序变异或小段DNA顺序插入或缺失所造成, 由此证明, 叶绿体基因组与核中的TMV抗性基因, 共同决定着植物体对TMV的抗性。     

Distinct Biology of Kaposi’s Sarcoma-Associated Herpesvirus from Primary Lesions and Body Cavity Lymphomas

The DNA sequence for Kaposi’s sarcoma-associated herpesvirus was originally detected in Kaposi’s sarcoma biopsy specimens. Since its discovery, it has been possible to detect virus in cell lines established from AIDS-associated body cavity-based B-cell lymphoma and to propagate virus from primary Kaposi’s sarcoma lesions in a human renal embryonic cell line, 293. In this study, we analyzed the infectivity of Kaposi’s sarcoma-associated herpesvirus produced from these two sources. Viral isolates from cultured cutaneous primary KS cells was transmitted to an Epstein-Barr virus-negative Burkitt’s B-lymphoma cell line, Louckes, and compared to virus induced from a body cavity-based B-cell lymphoma cell line. While propagation of body cavity-based B-cell lymphoma-derived virus was not observed in 293 cell cultures, infection with viral isolates obtained from primary Kaposi’s sarcoma lesions induced injury in 293 cells typical of herpesvirus infection and was associated with apoptotic cell death. Interestingly, transient overexpression of the Kaposi’s sarcoma-associated herpesvirus v-Bcl-2 homolog delayed the process of apoptosis and prolonged the survival of infected 293 cells. In contrast, the broad-spectrum caspase inhibitors Z-VAD-fmk and Z-DEVD-fmk failed to protect infected cell cultures, suggesting that Kaposi’s sarcoma-associated herpesvirus-induced apoptosis occurs through a Bcl-2-dependent pathway. Kaposi’s sarcoma-associated herpesvirus isolates from primary Kaposi’s sarcoma lesions and body cavity-based lymphomas therefore may differ and are likely to have distinct contributions to the pathophysiology of Kaposi’s sarcoma.     

Transport functions and expression analysis of vacuolar membrane aquaporins in response to various stresses in rice

The vacuole, a multifunctional organelle of most plant cells, has very important roles in space filling, osmotic adjustment, storage and digestion. Previous researches suggested that aquaporins in the tonoplast were involved in vacuolar functions. The rice genome contains 33 aquaporin genes, 10 of which encode tonoplast intrinsic proteins (TIPs). However, the function of each individual TIP isoform and the integrated function of TIPs under various physiological conditions remain elusive. Here, five rice TIP members were characterized with water and/or glycerol transport activities using the Xenopus oocyte expression system. OsTIP1;2, OsTIP2;2, OsTIP4;1 and OsTIP5;1 possessed water transport activity. OsTIP1;2, OsTIP3;2 and OsTIP4;1 were demonstrated with glycerol transport activity. Rice TIP expression patterns under various abiotic stress conditions including dehydration, high salinity, abscisic acid (ABA) and during seed germination were investigated by real-time PCR. OsTIP1s (OsTIP1;1 and OsTIP1;2) were highly expressed during seed germination, whereas OsTIP3s (OsTIP3;1 and OsTIP3;2) were specifically expressed in mature seeds with a decrease in expression levels upon germination. The results of this research provided a functional and expression profiles of rice TIPs.     

Genetic differentiation and phylogeography of rotifer Polyarthra dolichoptera and P. vulgaris populations between Southeastern China and eastern North America: High intercontinental differences

Genetic differentiations and phylogeographical patterns of small organisms may be shaped by spatial isolation, environmental gradients, and gene flow. However, knowledge about genetic differentiation of rotifers at the intercontinental scale is still limited. Polyarthra dolichoptera and P. vulgaris are cosmopolitan rotifers that are tolerant to environmental changes, offering an excellent model to address the research gap. Here, we investigated the populations in Southeastern China and eastern North America and evaluated the phylogeographical patterns from their geographical range sizes, geographic–genetic distance relationships and their responses to spatial‐environmental factors. Using the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I gene as the DNA marker, we analyzed a total of 170 individuals. Our results showed that some putative cryptic species, also known as entities were widely distributed, but most of them were limited to single areas. The divergence of P. dolichoptera and P. vulgaris indicated that gene flow between continents was limited while that within each continent was stronger. Oceanographic barriers do affect the phylogeographic pattern of rotifers in continental waters and serve to maintain genetic diversity in nature. The genetic distance of P. dolichoptera and P. vulgaris populations showed significant positive correlation with geographic distance. This might be due to the combined effects of habitat heterogeneity, long‐distance colonization, and oceanographic barriers. Furthermore, at the intercontinental scale, spatial distance had a stronger influence than environmental variables on the genetic differentiations of both populations. Wind‐ and animal‐mediated transport and even historical events of continental plate tectonics are potential factors for phylogeography of cosmopolitan rotifers.     

A Fast EM Algorithm for BayesA-Like Prediction of Genomic Breeding Values

Prediction accuracies of estimated breeding values for economically important traits are expected to benefit from genomic information. Single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) panels used in genomic prediction are increasing in density, but the Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) estimation of SNP effects can be quite time consuming or slow to converge when a large number of SNPs are fitted simultaneously in a linear mixed model. Here we present an EM algorithm (termed “fastBayesA”) without MCMC. This fastBayesA approach treats the variances of SNP effects as missing data and uses a joint posterior mode of effects compared to the commonly used BayesA which bases predictions on posterior means of effects. In each EM iteration, SNP effects are predicted as a linear combination of best linear unbiased predictions of breeding values from a mixed linear animal model that incorporates a weighted marker-based realized relationship matrix. Method fastBayesA converges after a few iterations to a joint posterior mode of SNP effects under the BayesA model. When applied to simulated quantitative traits with a range of genetic architectures, fastBayesA is shown to predict GEBV as accurately as BayesA but with less computing effort per SNP than BayesA. Method fastBayesA can be used as a computationally efficient substitute for BayesA, especially when an increasing number of markers bring unreasonable computational burden or slow convergence to MCMC approaches.     

Deciphering the SUMO code in the kidney

SUMOylation of proteins is an important regulatory element in modulating protein function and has been implicated in the pathogenesis of numerous human diseases such as cancers, neurodegenerative diseases, brain injuries, diabetes, and familial dilated cardiomyopathy. Growing evidence has pointed to a significant role of SUMO in kidney diseases such as DN, RCC, nephritis, AKI, hypertonic stress and nephrolithiasis. Recently, emerging studies in podocytes demonstrated that SUMO might have a protective role against podocyte apoptosis. However, the SUMO code responsible for beneficial outcome in the kidney remains to be decrypted. Our recent experiments have revealed that the expression of both SUMO and SUMOylated proteins is appreciably elevated in hypoxia‐induced tubular epithelial cells (TECs) as well as in the unilateral ureteric obstruction (UUO) mouse model, suggesting a role of SUMO in TECs injury and renal fibrosis. In this review, we attempt to decipher the SUMO code in the development of kidney diseases by summarizing the defined function of SUMO and looking forward to the potential role of SUMO in kidney diseases, especially in the pathology of renal fibrosis and CKD, with the goal of developing strategies that maximize correct interpretation in clinical therapy and prognosis.