围封禁牧对小叶锦鸡儿灌丛化草原群落组成和结构的影响

典型草原向灌丛化草原的转变是过度放牧引起的重要结果之一。为研究内蒙古地区小叶锦鸡儿灌丛化草原对围封禁牧的响应,在内蒙古锡林郭勒典型草原退化区选取小叶锦鸡儿成片分布的典型地段,自2003年,分别设置禁牧样区和放牧样区。于2008—2011年连续四年调查禁牧样区小叶锦鸡儿种群生长和生理生化指标及灌丛间群落基本特征,并将2011年禁牧样区与放牧样区小叶锦鸡儿种群与灌丛间群落进行比较。结果显示:(1)围封后小叶锦鸡儿种群开始衰退,主要体现在种群盖度的降低和叶片氮磷含量(特别是磷含量)有所降低,而个体构件生长状况无显著差异;(2)灌丛间群落的物种组成随围封年限增加发生显著变化:禁牧后1年生植物逐渐退出群落,多年生丛生禾草重要值随围封年限增加而显著增加,即围封禁牧对小叶锦鸡儿灌丛化草原的群落恢复有积极作用;(3)小叶锦鸡儿种群盖度与多年生丛生禾草的重要值显著负相关,说明两者之间存在竞争关系,推测多年生丛生禾草的竞争是禁牧后小叶锦鸡儿衰退的重要原因。     

毛乌素沙地锦鸡儿（Caragana）种群形态变异

以柠条锦鸡儿（Ｃａｒａｇａｎａｋｏｒｓｈｉｎｓｋｉｉ）人工种群为对照,研究了自然分布在内蒙古毛乌素沙地各类生境（硬梁、覆沙硬梁、覆沙软梁、覆沙滩地和沙丘）的９个锦鸡儿种群的具分种意义的形态特征的变异。荚果长度在一个植株内是比较稳定的性状;但在各个种群内、种群间变异很大,覆盖了小叶锦鸡儿（Ｃ．ｍｉｃｒｏｐｈｙｌｌａ）、中间锦鸡儿（Ｃ．ｉｎｔｅｒｍｅｄｉａ）和柠条锦鸡儿３个种的范围。同一生境不同种群以及不同生境种群的比较,说明,．决定荚果长度的主要是遗传因素,环境因子如水分条件可能只起次要作用。每个自然种群荚果长度的分布出现几个峰值,说明种群遗传组成的异质性。小叶形状和被毛的资料也说明各个种群内和种群间的异质性。看来,该地区锦鸡儿是上述３种锦鸡儿的杂种带（Ｈｙｂｒｉｄｚｏｎｅ）．形态变异资料也说明毛乌素沙地在遗体多样性方面也是生态过渡带。     

Voglibose administration regulates body weight and energy intake in high fat-induced obese mice

We tested whether long-term administration of voglibose (VO) prevents diet induced obesity in addition to hypoglycemic effects in high fat fed mice and further investigated the underlying mechanisms by which voglibose exerts its weight lowering effect. Male C57BL/6 mice were fed ad libitum for 12 weeks with the control diet (CTL), high-fat diet (HFD) or the HFD with VO supplementations. Blood lipid profile, plasma leptin levels and hepatic triglyceride content, as well as expressions of genes involved in appetite and mitochondrial function were examined. The results showed that VO significantly reduced body weight, fat mass and energy intakes in high fat fed mice. VO showed improved metabolic profiles including blood glucose, triglyceride and free fatty acid. Elevated levels of plasma leptin in HFD were significantly reduced with the VO, furthermore, VO modulated the hypothalamic expressions of leptin receptors and appetite related genes. VO showed the upregulated expressions of PGC-1 in the liver and epididymal adipose tissue. In conclusion, VO may exert antiobesity properties through reductions in energy intake and improvement in mitochondrial function, indicating that VO has potential therapeutic use in patients with obesity, type 2 diabetes, and related complications.     

Identification and functional analysis of a novel mutation in the SOX10 gene associated with Waardenburg syndrome type IV

Waardenburg syndrome type IV (WS4) is a rare genetic disorder, characterized by auditory–pigmentary abnormalities and Hirschsprung disease. Mutations of the EDNRB gene, EDN3 gene, or SOX10 gene are responsible for WS4. In the present study, we reported a case of a Chinese patient with clinical features of WS4. In addition, the three genes mentioned above were sequenced in order to identify whether mutations are responsible for the case. We revealed a novel nonsense mutation, c.1063C>T (p.Q355*), in the last coding exon of SOX10. The same mutation was not found in three unaffected family members or 100 unrelated controls. Then, the function and mechanism of the mutation were investigated in vitro. We found both wild-type (WT) and mutant SOX10 p.Q355* were detected at the expected size and their expression levels are equivalent. The mutant protein also localized in the nucleus and retained the DNA-binding activity as WT counterpart; however, it lost its transactivation capability on the MITF promoter and acted as a dominant-negative repressor impairing function of the WT SOX10.     

柠条人工林对晋西北土壤理化性质变化的影响研究

对位于晋西北不同生长年限的柠条人工林土壤物理性状、养分状况、根际养分状况以及土壤酶的测定结果表明：种植柠条人工林可改善土壤物理性状,提高土壤酶活性、有机质和全氮含量,从而改善土壤肥力;由于根系分泌的有机酸降低了根际pH,活化了根际土壤难溶性养分,提高了养分有效性,加之柠条根系极其发达和有较高的固氮能力,保证了柠条即使在贫瘠的土壤上也能旺盛生长,表现出极强的生态适宜性。     

内蒙古高原荒漠区四种锦鸡儿属植物灌丛沙包形态和固沙能力比较

测定了内蒙古高原荒漠区4种锦鸡儿属优势植物(柠条锦鸡儿、狭叶锦鸡儿、荒漠锦鸡儿和垫状锦鸡儿)不同大小灌丛的灌丛形态参数、沙包形态参数和沙包体积,目的是掌握这些锦鸡儿属植物灌丛的沙包形态特征、沙包发育特征和固沙能力随着灌丛发育的变化,比较4种锦鸡儿属植物灌丛沙包的形态、发育特征和固沙能力的差异。研究发现:柠条锦鸡儿沙包形态呈球冠状,狭叶锦鸡儿沙包呈圆锥状,荒漠锦鸡儿沙包呈圆台状,垫状锦鸡儿沙包呈半球状。同种锦鸡儿属灌丛沙包的底面直径与地上枝条鲜重呈极显著正相关关系(P<0.01),沙包高度与地上枝条鲜重无显著相关性(P>0.05),沙包高度与植物株高呈显著正相关关系(P<0.05),沙包坡角与地上枝条鲜重呈显著负相关关系(P<0.05),沙包半径与沙包高度呈显著正相关关系(P<0.05)。灌丛水平扩展快于垂向生长,灌丛沙包的水平发育也快于垂向发育。随着灌丛地上生物量的增加,4种锦鸡儿属植物不仅沙包体积增大,而且固沙效率也显著增加(P<0.01)。不同锦鸡儿属植物灌丛和沙包形态参数存在显著差异。柠条锦鸡儿和狭叶锦鸡儿的灌丛水平和垂直方向成比例扩展,而荒漠锦鸡儿和垫状锦鸡儿无论灌丛面积多大,高度基本不变。随着灌丛地上枝条鲜重的增加,4种锦鸡儿灌丛沙包底面积都在增大,其中荒漠锦鸡儿增长最快,垫状锦鸡儿次之,柠条锦鸡儿排位第三,狭叶锦鸡儿增长最慢。随着灌丛沙包水平方向的扩展,荒漠锦鸡儿沙包垂向扩展最慢,最终导致其沙包垂向尺度最小;柠条锦鸡儿、垫状锦鸡儿和狭叶锦鸡儿沙包两个方向发育较为均衡。4种锦鸡儿属植物的固定沙包体积和固沙效率都表现为:荒漠锦鸡儿>柠条锦鸡儿>狭叶锦鸡儿>垫状锦鸡儿。这些研究结果表明,灌丛地上生物量的不同决定了种内沙包的体积、形态和植物固沙能力的差异;灌丛形态和发育特征的不同决定了种间沙包形态、沙包发育和植物固沙能力的差异。     

Identification of the LEDGF/p75 binding site in HIV-1 integrase

Lens epithelium-derived growth factor (LEDGF)/p75 is an important cellular co-factor for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) replication. We originally identified LEDGF/p75 as a binding partner of integrase (IN) in human cells. The interaction has been mapped to the integrase-binding domain (IBD) of LEDGF/p75 located in the C-terminal part. We have subsequently shown that IN carrying the Q168A mutation remains enzymatically active but is impaired for interaction with LEDGF/p75. To map the integrase/LEDGF interface in more detail, we have now identified and characterized two regions within the enzyme involved in the interaction with LEDGF/p75. The first region centers around residues W131 and W132 while the second extends from I161 up to E170. For the different IN mutants the interaction with LEDGF/p75 and the enzymatic activities were determined. IN(W131A), IN(I161A), IN(R166A), IN(Q168A) and IN(E170A) are impaired for interaction with LEDGF/p75, but retain 3' processing and strand transfer activities. Due to impaired integration, an HIV-1 strain containing the W131A mutation in IN displays reduced replication capacity, whereas virus carrying IN(Q168A) is replication defective. Comparison of the wild-type IN-LEDGF/p75 co-crystal structure with that of the modelled structure of the IN(Q168A) and IN(W131A) mutant integrases corroborated our experimental data.     

白族群体间的Y染色体和线粒体DNA多态性的分析

从父系和母系基因库水平上,研究不同分布地区白族群体之间的遗传结构的异同,并对其族源以及本民族群体之间的微进化关系进行初步的探讨。利用PCR-RFLP方法对云南白族和湖南白族及云南的傣族、布依族、独龙族、怒族、阿昌族和湖南土家族共8个群体进行14个线粒体多态位点和Y染色体上的13个双等位基因位点进行基因分型。统计单倍型,在SPSS软件上进行主成分分析。结果显示,两个白族群体在Y染色体双等位基因单倍型分布上差异不大,以H6、H8为主要单倍型分布;在线粒体单倍群分布上,两个白族群体则差异显著,单倍群D、B、M8在湖南白族中的分布频率比云南白族高的多,而在云南白族中M^*、G、F的频率则比湖南白族高。对Y染色体单倍型分布频率进行主成分分析表明两个白族群体聚在一起,整体上和其他北方起源的群体聚成一组;而对线粒体的单倍群分布频率分析显示湖南白族接近湖南汉族和土家族,而云南白族则接近云南怒族和阿昌族。两个白族群体在父系遗传结构上相近,表明他们具有共同的父系族源;而母系遗传结构上的差异,可能与历史上迁到湖南的白族先民主要为男性军士,流寓到当地后与汉、土家等民族女子通婚所致。     

异源表达CkLEA1基因增强了拟南芥对非生物胁迫的耐受性

植物在生长过程中会受到各种非生物胁迫的伤害,导致生长发育和产量受到严重影响,胚胎晚期丰富蛋白（late embryogenesis abundant proteins,LEA蛋白）在植物抵抗非生物胁迫过程中起着重要的保护作用。在前期的研究基础上,将受多种胁迫诱导的柠条锦鸡儿CkLEA1（GenBank登录号KC309408）基因转入野生型拟南芥,通过实时荧光定量PCR从7株T₃代纯合体中筛选出3个转基因株系做进一步研究。种子萌发率实验发现,在200 mmol/L NaCl和400 mmol/L甘露醇处理下,转基因株系萌发率均高于野生型拟南芥。干旱处理2周大的幼苗后,转基因株系明显比野生型更抗旱,存活率高于野生型,并且失水率低于野生型。同时,转基因株系积累了较少的丙二醛（MDA）,超氧化物歧化酶（SOD）活性和谷胱甘肽（GSH）含量也高于野生型。这些结果表明,柠条锦鸡儿CkLEA1基因在种子萌发阶段提高了拟南芥对盐和渗透胁迫的耐受性,并且提高了转基因拟南芥幼苗生长阶段对干旱胁迫的抵抗能力。     

SRY sequence in maternal plasma: Implications for non-invasive prenatal diagnosis: First report from India

AIM:

The presence of circulatory cell-free fetal DNA in maternal plasma has found new applications in non-invasive risk-free prenatal diagnosis.

MATERIALS AND METHODS:

We made use of a size separation approach along with real time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to evaluate the use of fetal DNA in the detection of the sex of the fetus. Cell-free fetal DNA was isolated from the plasma of 30 women (10–20 weeks gestation) using a size separation approach. We made use of Taq Man Chemistry and real time PCR using primers and probes for GAPDH and SRY.

RESULTS:

Only 24 cases could be studied as there was no amplification in six cases. Fetal sex was accurately determined in all of the 24 cases wherein 19 women were carrying male fetuses and five women were carrying female fetuses. An increase in the amount of fetal DNA was observed with an increase in the gestational age.

CONCLUSIONS:

Real time PCR analysis is a highly sensitive and accurate tool for non-invasive prenatal diagnosis, allowing detection of the sex of the fetus as early as 10 weeks of gestation. Non-invasive prenatal diagnosis eliminates the risk of fetal loss associated with the invasive procedure.