国家濒危物种红色名录的生物多样性保护意义

IUCN濒危物种红色名录与国家濒危物种红色名录都是物种灭绝风险的测度, 前者是全球性评估, 后者则是国别研究。IUCN濒危物种红色名录预警了全球物种的濒危状况, 为全球生物多样性研究提供了大数据; 国别红色名录确定了各国物种受威胁状况, 填补了前者的知识空缺, 两份名录互为补充。目前对国家濒危物种红色名录重视不够。基于如下原因, 应当重视国别濒危物种红色名录的意义: (1)国家是濒危物种保护的行为主体, 物种在一个国家的生存状况是确定其保护级别、开展濒危物种保育的依据; (2)对于仅分布于一个国家的特有物种来说, 其国别濒危物种红色名录等级即是其全球濒危等级; (3)对于跨国境分布的物种来说, 国别濒危物种红色名录等级则确定了该物种在本国的生存状况; (4)结合IUCN濒危物种红色名录, 国别濒危物种红色名录为建立跨国保护地、保护迁徙物种的栖息地与跨国迁徙洄游通道提供依据; (5)国别濒危物种红色名录所特有的“区域灭绝”等级, 反映了一个物种边缘种群在该国的区域灭绝, 恢复“区域灭绝”物种是该物种原分布国重引入保育工作的重点; (6)国别濒危物种红色名录提供了该国物种编目、分类、分布和生存状况的最新信息。然而, 国别濒危物种红色名录的重要性在许多情况下被忽视了。目前正值全球新冠肺炎大流行, 人们正在重新审视人与野生动物的关系。我国将修订有关野生动物保护与防疫法法律以及《国家重点保护野生动物名录》, 防控新的人与野生动物共患疾病再次暴发。对于确定国家重点保护野生动物物种名录来言, 物种受威胁程度是物种列为国家重点保护物种的特征之一。重视国别红色名录有特别的意义。     

Comparative analysis of macaque and human sperm proteomes: Insights into sperm competition

Male macaques produce faster sperm than male humans due to a higher pressure of sperm competition in macaques. To explore the molecular basis of this biological difference, we firstly constructed macaque and human sperm proteomes using LC?MS/MS. We then detected the positively selected genes specifically on the branch of macaque based on branch‐site likelihood method. We identified 197 positively selected genes specifically on the branch of macaque that are unselected in corresponding human orthologs. These genes are highly associated with mitochondria and axoneme that directly drive sperm motility. We further compared the ultrastructural differences of the midpiece between macaque and human sperms to provide evidence for our findings using transmission electron microscopy. In conclusion, our results provide potential molecular targets for explaining the different phenotypes under sperm competition between macaques and humans, and also provide resources for the analysis of male fertility.     

Bacteriologic studies of bovine genital tracts: The use of dye as an indicator of postmortem contamination of the uterus by vaginal fluids

Non-specific bacteria were more frequently isolated from uteri of culled dairy cattle than beef cows (P <.01). In some studies, food dye was placed in the vagina just prior to slaughter as an indicator of postmortem contamination of the uterus by vaginal fluids and bacteria. The dye was more often found in the uteri of dairy cows than beef cows (P <0.05).Bacteria could always be isolated from uteri totally contaminated by the dye. Bacteria were more frequently isolated from uncontaminated areas of uteri that were partially contaminated by the dye, as compared to uteri in which no dye was found (P <.01).It is hypothesized that an enlarged cervical canal may allow dye and also bacteria to transverse the cervical canal into the uterus during the slaughtering process. It is further hypothesized that an enlarged cervical canal may more readily permit nonspecific bacteria of the vagina to ascend into the uterus in the live animal and cause reproductive failure.     

A note on the estimation of selective values from recaptures of marked animals when selection pressures remain constant over time

An equation is given for the estimation of selective values from data obtained by mark-recapture experiments, assuming that selective pressures remain constant while the experiments are carried out. The equation does not have an explicit solution but can readily be solved using a trial-and-error method. The use of the equation is illustrated on some data reported byKettlewell et al. (1969) from an experiment involving typica and edda morphs of the moth Amathes glareosa. It is found that the edda morph apparently had a selective advantage of about 12% per day compared to the typica morph and that this is significantly different from zero. Using another methodKettlewell concluded that the selective advantage of the edda morph was only 7% and that this was not statistically significant.     

Pulmonary pressure reduction attenuates expression of proteins identified by lung proteomic profiling in pulmonary hypertensive rats

The present study was designed to analyze protein expression in lungs from pulmonary hypertensive rats in order to identify novel signaling pathways. This was achieved by proteomic studies in which proteins from lung homogenates from hypoxic were compared to normoxic rats. The expression of these proteins was then investigated in lungs from hypoxic rats treated with either an activator of soluble guanylyl cyclase, BAY 412272, or an inhibitor of phosphodiesterase type 5, sildenafil. The proteomic study revealed an up-regulation of guanine nucleotide-binding protein β, GST-ω-1, cathepsin D, chloride intracellular channel subunit 5, annexin A4, F-actin capping protein CapZ (CapZα), and the translation factor elongation factor 1 δ in lungs from chronic hypoxic rats with pulmonary hypertension. Immunohistochemistry revealed that CapZα, cathepsin D, and annexin A4 were expressed in the pulmonary vascular wall and immunoblotting showed these proteins correlated to alterations in muscularization. Both drugs inhibited hypoxia-induced increase in right ventricular systolic pressure and pulmonary arterial muscularization, and prevented most of the protein regulations observed after hypoxia. These findings suggest that pulmonary pressure is an important factor for initiating signaling pathways leading to protein expression and muscularization in the pulmonary vasculature.     

Working with what you’ve got: Changes in thermal preference and behavior in mice with or without nesting material

In laboratories mice are typically housed at ambient temperatures (T_a) of 20-24 °C, which are below their average preferred T_a of ≈30 °C. Adjusting laboratory T_a is not a solution because preferences differ depending on activity, time of the day, and gender. We tested the hypothesis that providing mice with nesting material will allow behavioral thermoregulation and reduce aversion to colder T_a. We housed C57BL/6J mice with and without nesting material in a set of 3 connected cages, each maintained at a different T_a (20, 25, or 30 °C). Mice were confined in and given free access to the T_a options to determine if thermotaxis or nest building was the primary mode of behavioral thermoregulation. As predicted, nesting material reduced aversion to 20 °C but the overall preference, in both treatments, was still 30 °C. Inactive and nesting behaviors were more likely to be seen in contact with nesting material while active behaviors were more likely to be observed when not in contact. Nest quality increased with decreasing T_a when mice could not use thermotaxis but nest quality was uncorrelated with T_a when thermotaxis was possible. Males decreased nest quality with increasing temperatures but females showed no correlation. We conclude that nesting material does not alter thermal preferences for 30 °C when thermotaxis is possible, indicating thermotaxis as the primary mode of behavioral thermoregulation. However, when thermotaxis is not possible, mice adjust nest shape depending on the T_a. Nesting material appears to partially compensate for cooler T_a and is especially important when mice are inactive. Therefore, nesting material may be a solution to the mismatch between laboratory T_a and mouse thermal preferences.     

Phase diagram of a multiple forces model for animal group formation: marches versus circles determined by the relative strength of alignment and cohesion

Many species of fish, bird, and insect form groups of individuals that move together, called schools, flocks, or swarms, of characteristic shape and speed. Here we study a model that traces movements of many individuals, in which each individual moves at a constant speed, and changes its movement angle in response to its neighbors within a radius of interaction. Outside of a short range of separation (or repulsion), each individual changes moving direction to achieve a similar moving direction as its neighbors (alignment) and to move toward them (cohesion). Between each pair of individuals within an interaction range, both alignment and cohesion are at work simultaneously (multiple forces model). This is different from many other models for animal group formation in which only one of the two forces is at work (single force model), different forces operating in different zones of between-individual distance. Depending on the relative strength of alignment and cohesion, our model produces groups of two distinct patterns: marches and circles. We showed the phase diagram of group patterns depending on the relative strength of alignment and cohesion. As the strength of alignment relative to cohesion increases, the shapes of groups change gradually in the following order: (1) circles, (2) mixture of circles and marches, (3) short marches, (4) long marches, (5) wide marches. We derived a formula for the spatial size of circles, which explains that the radius of circles does not change with the number of individuals, but it increases with moving speed and decreases with the sensitivity of moving direction to neighbors.     

利用生物工程技术生产蜘蛛丝的研究进展

蜘蛛丝是一种高分子蛋白纤维,具有高强度、高弹性等许多重要的优良特性,在军事、医学、工业、建筑、纺织等领域具有广泛而巨大的应用。然而蜘蛛的产丝量小,且无法高密度养殖以获取大量的蜘蛛丝,难以满足实际应用的需要。于是人们只能着眼于生物工程方法,即将蜘蛛丝蛋白基因转入其它生物体来表达生产蜘蛛丝蛋白,经过多年的研究,已取得很多重要的进展。对蜘蛛丝蛋白在微生物、植物、哺乳动物及家蚕等不同生物载体中表达的研究进展进行重点阐述,并探讨了已有研究的不足和今后研究展望,为进一步探索和研发蜘蛛丝的规模化生产方法提供借鉴与参考。     

摄入含嗜酸乳杆菌NCFM和乳双歧杆菌Bi-07的益生菌补充剂增强免疫功能的动物实验研究

目的测定与验证摄入含特定乳酸菌株组合（嗜酸乳杆菌NCFM和乳双歧杆菌Bi-07）一定剂量的益生菌补充剂对动物（小鼠）免疫功能的影响。方法SPF昆明种小白鼠经口连续分别给予0．25、0．50、1．50g／kgBW的益生菌补充剂4周,进行迟发型变态反应试验、溶血素滴度测定、NK细胞活性测定等。结果在小白鼠迟发型变态反应试验中,中、高剂量组足跖增厚值均高于对照组,差异有显著性（P〈0．05）;对受试动物血清溶血素抗体滴度水平的影响的实验中,中、高剂量组的抗体积数高于对照组,差异均有显著性（P〈0．05）。NK细胞活性测定中,高剂量组脾NK细胞活性增强,差异有非常显著性（P〈0．01）。结论含该两种特定乳酸菌株的益生菌补充剂被小自鼠摄入一定剂量后,起到了增强小白鼠细胞免疫、体液免疫功能及NK细胞活性的作用。     

Label‐free mass spectrometric analysis of the mdx‐4cv diaphragm identifies the matricellular protein periostin as a potential factor involved in dystrophinopathy‐related fibrosis

Proteomic profiling plays a decisive role in the identification of novel biomarkers of muscular dystrophy and the elucidation of new pathobiochemical mechanisms that underlie progressive muscle wasting. Building on the findings of recent comparative analyses of tissue samples and body fluids from dystrophic animals and patients afflicted with Duchenne muscular dystrophy, we have used here label‐free MS to study the severely dystrophic diaphragm from the not extensively characterized mdx‐4cv mouse. This animal model of progressive muscle wasting exhibits less dystrophin‐positive revertant fibers than the conventional mdx mouse, making it ideal for the future monitoring of experimental therapies. The pathoproteomic signature of the mdx‐4cv diaphragm included a significant increase in the fibrosis marker collagen and related extracellular matrix proteins (asporin, decorin, dermatopontin, prolargin) and cytoskeletal proteins (desmin, filamin, obscurin, plectin, spectrin, tubulin, vimentin, vinculin), as well as decreases in proteins of ion homeostasis (parvalbumin) and the contractile apparatus (myosin‐binding protein). Importantly, one of the most substantially increased proteins was identified as periostin, a matricellular component and apparent marker of fibrosis and tissue damage. Immunoblotting confirmed a considerable increase of periostin in the dystrophin‐deficient diaphragm from both mdx and mdx‐4cv mice, suggesting an involvement of this matricellular protein in dystrophinopathy‐related fibrosis.