Analysis of variable sites between two complete South China tiger (Panthera tigris amoyensis) mitochondrial genomes

In order to investigate the mitochondrial genome of Panthera tigris amoyensis, two South China tigers (P25 and P27) were analyzed following 15 cymt-specific primer sets. The entire mtDNA sequence was found to be 16,957 bp and 17,001 bp long for P25 and P27 respectively, and this difference in length between P25 and P27 occurred in the number of tandem repeats in the RS-3 segment of the control region. The structural characteristics of complete P. t. amoyensis mitochondrial genomes were also highly similar to those of P. uncia. Additionally, the rate of point mutation was only 0.3% and a total of 59 variable sites between P25 and P27 were found. Out of the 59 variable sites, 6 were located in 6 different tRNA genes, 6 in the 2 rRNA genes, 7 in non-coding regions (one located between tRNA-Asn and tRNA-Tyr and six in the D-loop), and 40 in 10 protein-coding genes. COI held the largest amount of variable sites (9 sites) and Cytb contained the highest variable rate (0.7%) in the complete sequences. Moreover, out of the 40 variable sites located in 10 protein-coding genes, 12 sites were nonsynonymous.     

Vpr-induced cell cycle arrest is conserved among primate lentiviruses.

We previously reported that expression of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 strain NL4-3 (HIV-1(NL4-3))vpr causes cells to arrest in the G2 phase of the cell cycle. We examined the induction of cell cycle arrest by other HIV-1 isolates and by primary lentiviruses other than HIV-1. We demonstrate that the vpr genes from tissue culture-adapted or primary isolates of HIV-1 are capable of inducing G2 arrest. In addition, we demonstrate that induction of cell cycle arrest is a conserved function of members of two other groups of primate lentiviruses, HIV-2/simian immunodeficiency virus strain sm (SIVsm)/SIVmac and SIVagm. vpr from HIV-1, HIV-2, and SIVmac induced cell cycle arrest when transfected in human (HeLa) and monkey (CV-1) cells. vpx from HIV-2 and SIVmac did not induce detectable cell cycle arrest in either cell type, and SIVagm vpx was capable of inducing arrest in CV-1 but not HeLa cells. These results indicate that induction of cell cycle perturbation is a general property of lentiviruses that infect primates. The conservation of this viral function throughout evolution suggests that it plays a key role in virus-host relationships, and elucidation of its mechanism may reveal important clues about pathology induced by primary lentiviruses.     

甘薯遗传作图策略研究与展望

甘薯分子遗传图谱的建立对甘薯分子育种技术体系的拓展和应用具有重要意义。当前,对甘薯分子遗传图谱的研究虽然取得一定的进展,但存在着很多技术瓶颈,如作图策略应用和优化等。总结了甘薯经典和分子遗传研究进展,剖析了甘薯分子遗传图谱作图的3种方法与策略;探讨和提出了提高甘薯作图效率和质量的途径主要是:优化作图群体质量、克服偏分离、整合多群体间遗传连锁图谱和选择合适的分子标记类型;并指出染色体关联在遗传作图中的重要性,提出甘薯分子育种领域亟待加强的方面,以期为今后甘薯精密分子图谱的建立及基于分子图谱的甘薯分子育种提供新的思路。     

枯草芽孢杆菌抗菌蛋白X98Ⅲ的纯化与性质

枯草芽孢杆菌（Bacillussubtilis）BS－98是一株能强烈抑制苹果轮纹病菌（Physalosporapiricola）等植物病原真菌的拮抗菌株。BS－98菌株培养液经硫酸铵分级盐析、SephadexG－100柱层析和DEAE－纤维素（DE32）柱层析后分离纯化出一种抗菌蛋白,命名为X98Ⅲ。蛋白电泳分析结果表明,此蛋白分子量为59000,等电点为4．50．醋酸纤维膜电泳后经特异染色证明X98Ⅲ含糖及胀。用DNS法测其含糖量为6％。此蛋白对热稳定,对蛋白酶部分敏感。氨基酸组分分析表明,该蛋白含11种不同氨基酸,尤富含谷氨酸和半胱氨酸等,而缺少天冬氨酸等。纯化后的X98Ⅲ对苹果轮纹病菌、芦笋茎枯病菌等有很强的抑制作用。X98Ⅲ的抑菌机理主要是溶解细胞壁,造成菌丝畸形、孢子不发芽或发芽异常。     

海南橡胶林植物多样性特征

为探讨人工林物种多样性维持机制及人为干扰后人工林群落的多样性恢复机制, 作者依据自然林的核心理论建立了一个1 ha的橡胶(Hevea brasiliensis)林固定样地, 通过研究近自然管理后样地内植物物种组成与分布来探讨近自然管理后橡胶林生物多样性的特征。结果表明: 近自然管理后橡胶林群落物种多样性较高, 1 ha样地内共有植物69科155属183种。在面积为4,000 m²、3,000 m²和2,000 m²时分别包含了样地内大约90%的种、属和科; 逻辑斯蒂模型拟合拟合种-面积曲线效果较好(R²=0.997), 证明了1 ha取样尺度可以满足橡胶林群落物种多样性研究的需要。多度-面积曲线和丰富度-面积曲线与随机分布模型有明显的差异, 表明橡胶林群落内个体数及物种分布呈非随机性。(4)对数级数模型和对数正态模型拟合橡胶林群落的种-多度分布都不理想, 相比而言后者拟合效果稍好。     

Optimization of recombinant aminolevulinate synthase production in<Emphasis Type="Italic"> Escherichia coli</Emphasis> using factorial design

The production of recombinant Rhodobacter sphaeroides aminolevulinate (ALA) synthase was optimized in two strains of Escherichia coli: the wild-type strain MG1655, and a ptsG mutant AFP111. The effects of initial succinate, glucose and isopropyl--d-thiogalactopyranoside (IPTG) concentrations and the time of induction on enzyme activity were studied. One-way analysis was used to approximate the optimal ranges for these factors, followed by a full factorial design to quantify the effects of each factor and the interactions between the factors. Initial succinate, glucose, and IPTG concentration were observed to be the key factors affecting ALA synthase activity with the optimal levels determined to be above 6 g/l succinate, 0 g/l glucose, and 0.10 mM IPTG. ALA synthase activity was generally lower with AFP111 than with MG1655, and the effect of these three key factors was also lower with AFP111 than with MG1655. Based on the full factorial design results, a fermentation was completed that yielded 296 mU/mg protein with a final ALA concentration of 5.2 g/l (39 mM).     

缺氧环境下白细胞介素8通过Akt-STAT3通路提高骨髓间充质干细胞自噬和增殖能力

探讨缺氧环境下,白细胞介素8(Interleukin-8,IL-8)对人骨髓间充质干细胞(Human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells,hBMSC)增殖和自噬能力的影响以及机制。在缺氧模型下,未进行刺激的hBMSC为缺氧对照组;以100μmol/L人IL-8蛋白刺激的MSC为IL-8组;若先添加50μmol/L MK2206(Akt蛋白抑制剂)培养30 min,然后再添加100μmol/L IL-8则为Akt抑制剂组,在正常条件下培养的MSC为正常对照组。利用Ed U细胞增殖实验、TUNEL细胞凋亡实验、Western blotting或ELISA等实验分别检测各组MSC细胞Ed U标记阳性细胞的数目、细胞凋亡、自噬蛋白(LC-3)和Akt/STAT3等蛋白的表达。相对于缺氧对照组和Akt抑制剂组,IL-8明显提高hBMSC增殖和细胞自噬,并降低hBMSC的凋亡率,IL-8组hBMSC的Akt、STAT3和VEGF等蛋白表达增高。结果表明,缺氧环境下,IL-8通过Akt-STAT3通路发挥对MSC的保护作用,对保护MSC抗缺血缺氧性损伤,促进MSC在再生医学中应用具有重要意义。     

系列硬质胆囊镜的研发

中国医生提出的硬镜微创保胆取石（息肉）新概念,对于治疗胆囊结石和胆囊息肉取得较好的临床效果。目前国内外没有专门针对胆囊病手术所设计的内镜设备。专门为胆囊病手术的发展而研发的系列硬质胆囊镜及其配套附件,已经获得多项国家专利授权,并成功在国家认定的药物临床试验机构中应用手术120多例。