Development of multidimensional liquid chromatography and application in proteomic analysis

As a complementary approach to 2D-PAGE, multidimensional liquid chromatography (MDLC) separation methods have been widely applied in all kinds of biological sample investigations. MDLC coupled with mass spectrometry is playing an important role in proteome research owing to its high speed, high resolution and high sensitivity. Among MDLC strategies, ion-exchange chromatography together with reversed-phase LC is still a most widely used chromatography in proteome analysis; other chromatographic methods are also frequently used in protein prefractionations. Recent MDLC technologies and applications to a variety of proteome analyses have achieved great development. The diversity of combinations of different chromatography modes to set up MDLC systems was demonstrated and discussed. Novel developments of MDLC techniques such as ultra-pressure system, array-based separation and monolithic material are also included in this article.     

省藤属11种棕榈藤亲缘关系的AFLP分析

分别对棕榈科11种省藤属植物的基因组总DNA进行EcoRⅠ+TaqⅠ与EcoRⅠ+PstⅠ限制性双酶切,采用AFLP标记技术分析其亲缘关系.用12对引物对11种棕榈藤的30个代表植株进行选择性扩增,共得到扩增谱带998条,其中多态条带981条,多态性带达98.3%.用MEGA 4.0软件中p-distance计算结果显示,11种棕榈藤30份样本间的遗传距离在0.050～0.391之间,平均为0.297;当遗传距离为0.15时,11种棕榈藤可聚为4个组;第Ⅰ组包括直立省藤、滇南省藤、杖藤、小省藤、勐腊鞭藤、长鞭藤、褐鞘省藤共7个种,第Ⅱ组仅有云南省藤1个种,第Ⅲ组由宽刺藤和泽生藤2个种构成,第Ⅳ组仅含省藤一种,可能为新种.AFLP检测结果表明,以形态特征为依据所划分的鞭轴亚属(Rhachicirrus)植物单独聚为一类;而原始省藤亚属(Protocalamus)和省藤亚属(Calamus)两个亚属的物种在整个聚类图上互相交叉渗透,各亚属植物未能独立成组;省藤亚属植物种之间遗传分化程度较高.因此,省藤属植物之间的亲缘关系和分亚属的标准、依据还需更深入地研究.     

广东省南昆山伯乐树群落特征及其保护策略

在广东省南昆山自然保护区内调查了中国特有珍稀植物伯乐树种群的分布格局、龄级结构和伴生群落的物种组成.结果表明:该种群的分布范围狭窄且集中;龄级不完整,Ⅱ、Ⅲ级幼树少见,结构呈衰退型;伴生群落呈典型的亚热带植物区系的特点,其组成不稳定、优势种不显著.建议将伯乐树幼树作为就地保护的重点,适当去除周围的罗浮槭、羊角杜鹃和黄樟等速生树种,以创造有光照和水肥条件的生境;对于Ⅳ级以上成株,应注意拟赤杨和华润楠等空间生态位相近树种的数量和密度,适当疏剪枝条,以帮助成株占据较好的空间位;同时再积极引入异龄的伯乐树幼苗,促进种群恢复和发展.     

灌溉与施氮对紫花苜蓿干草产量及水分利用效率的影响

在甘肃省河西绿洲灌区石羊河流域设计大田试验,研究了不同灌溉量[常规灌溉(330mm)、节水20%灌溉(264mm)和节水40%灌溉(198mm)]和施氮量(0、40、80和120kgN.hm-2)对紫花苜蓿(Medicagosativa)株高、干草产量和水分利用效率的影响。结果表明:灌溉与施氮对紫花苜蓿植株高度产生一定的影响,但其效果不明显;各茬紫花苜蓿干草产量随灌溉量增加而增加,不同灌溉之间的干草产量相差显著,节水40%灌溉、节水20%灌溉和常规灌溉的全生育期(3茬)平均干草产量分别为7232、7603和7796kg.hm-2;节水40%灌溉的水分利用效率(15.56kg.hm-2.mm-1)显著高于节水20%灌溉(13.86kg.hm-2.mm-1),节水20%灌溉的水分利用效率显著高于常规灌溉(12.60kg.hm-2.mm-1),水分利用效率随灌溉量增加而显著降低;当施氮量达到40kgN.hm-2时,紫花苜蓿干草产量(8223kg.hm-2)和水分利用效率(15.18kg.hm-2.mm-1)达到最大值,总干草产量比0、80和120kgN.hm-2施氮处理分别提高15%、16%和7%,水分利用效率分别提高14%、14%和8%。在河西绿洲灌区石羊河流域第一年种植紫花苜蓿,从经济、生态和环境方面考虑,节水40%灌溉和施氮40kgN.hm-2处理是较高干草产量和高水分利用效率取得一致的处理,应大面积推广。     

HPV-2E2蛋白(A338V)突变体对E2蛋白DNA结合能力增强的研究

HPV-2是引起皮肤寻常疣的常见HPV型别,病毒E2蛋白可抑制病毒早期启动子的活性。我们曾经报道来自一例巨大寻常疣患者的HPV-2突变E2蛋白对病毒早期启动子活性的抑制作用明显减弱,该E2蛋白在其C末端的DNA结合区域带有A338V的点突变。本研究利用原核表达系统表达纯化了突变E2(A338V)和HPV-2原毒株的羧基端和全长蛋白。电泳迁移率实验结果显示,E2蛋白可与带有E2蛋白特异性结合位点的寡核苷酸探针形成复合物,突变E2蛋白比原毒株E2蛋白的DNA结合能力强。这提示DNA结合能力的增强可能为E2蛋白对病毒启动子活性影响的分子基础,与患者出现罕见巨大寻常疣这一临床表型关联。     

Mitochondrial dysfunction in platelets and hippocampi of senescence-accelerated mice

Senescence-accelerated mice (SAM) strains are useful models to understand the mechanisms of age-dependent degeneration. In this study, measurements of the mitochondrial membrane potential (Δψ_m) of platelets and the Adenosine 5^′-triphosphate (ATP) content of hippocampi and platelets were made, and platelet mitochondria were observed in SAMP8 (faster aging mice) and SAMR1 (aging resistant control mice) at 2, 6 and 9 months of age. In addition, an Aβ-induced (Amyloid beta-protein) damage model of platelets was established. After the addition of Aβ, the Δψ_m of platelets of SAMP8 at 1and 6 months of age were measured. We found that platelet Δψ_m, and hippocampal and platelet ATP content of SAMP8 mice decreased at a relatively early age compared with SAMR1. The platelets of 6 month-old SAMP8 showed a tolerance to Aβ-induced damages. These results suggest that mitochondrial dysfunction might be one of the mechanisms leading to age-associated degeneration in SAMP mice at an early age and the platelets could serve as a biomarker for detection of mitochondrial function and age related disease.     

Photosynthesis of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Rehmannia glutinosa</Emphasis> subjected to drought stress is enhanced by choline chloride through alleviating lipid peroxidation and increasing proline accumulation

Rehmannia glutinosa seedlings were pretreated with choline chloride (CC) in concentrations of 0, 0.7, 2.1 and 3.5 mM, and then subjected to drought and rewatering treatment to study the effects of CC on the generation of reactive oxygen species (O₂⁻, H₂O₂), lipid peroxidation, proline accumulation, water status and photosynthesis. The results showed that pretreatment with CC alleviated the inhibition of SOD and APX activity caused by drought stress, and therefore, the rate of O₂⁻ production and H₂O₂ concentration were reduced and lipid peroxidation decreased in pretreated plants. CC pretreatment also accelerated accumulation of proline, maintained higher Ψw and RWC, deferred leaf water loss during drought stress and retarded the drop in proline concentration after rewatering. Consequently, drought-induced decreases in F_m/F₀, F_v/F_m, Φ_PS2, q_P, and A and increase in q_NP were inhibited and the recovery of photosynthesis after rewatering was quicker in pretreated plants. Although differences in F_v/F_m, Φ_PS2 and q_P between treatments were not significant, there was a general trend that the effects of CC increased with the rise of its concentrations. The data suggested that 2.1 mM of CC be suitable for alleviating lipid peroxidation, promoting proline accumulation, retarding leaf water loss and improving photosynthesis of R. glutinosa seedlings under drought stress.     

On Haldane's formulation of Luria and Delbrück's mutation model

Two formulations of Luria and Delbrück's mutation model have been in common use since the 1940s. While mathematicians focused their attention on the formulation of Lea and Coulson that assumes asynchronous cell growth, biologists found more appealing the formulation of Haldane that assumes synchronous cell growth. This article attempts to solve several outstanding issues for the latter formulation. First, it provides an exact, closed-form expression for the mutant distribution by correcting a minor error in the literature. Second, it presents a novel algorithm for computing the mutant distribution, which leads to novel methods for computing point and interval estimates of mutation rates based on the maximum likelihood principle. Third, it critically examines existing methods based on the mean number of mutants. Finally, it compares the two formulations to underline their strengths and shortcomings.