Kin-structured migration and the rate of advance of an advantageous gene

Hemoglobin E, an allele generally considered to confer malarial resistance in heterozygotes, is found in high frequencies across a wide area of Southeast Asia. Apparently it originated as a single-point mutation which was spread by gene flow. The rate of diffusion of this adaptive allele is studied using four computer simulation models. It is shown that in small populations deterministic equations for gene flow may overestimate rates of diffusion. Other aspects of population structure, however, such as kin-structuring of migrant groups, increase the rate of advance. Finally, population growth coupled with the spread of the allele leads to much more rapid diffusion. These results suggest that population structure can be an important factor affecting the diffusion of advantageous genes.     

PHYTOTAB — A program package for Braun-Blanquet tables

A computer program package of six programs for vegetation classification is described. The package includes raw field-data input, automatic and user sequencing modes, final table and synoptic table preparation which are camera-ready and also allows the user the option of ordinating by means of DECORANA.     

Origins of immunoglobulin heavy chain domains

Summary Using computer programs that analyze the evolutionary history and probability of relationship of protein sequences, we have investigated the gene duplication events that led to the present configuration of immunoglobulin C regions, with particular attention to the origins of the homology regions (domains) of the heavy chains. We conclude that all of the sequenced heavy chains share a common ancestor consisting of four domains and that the two shorter heavy chains, alpha and gamma, have independently lost most of the second domain. These conclusions allow us to align corresponding regions of these sequences for the purpose of deriving evolutionary trees. Three independent internal gene duplications are postulated to explain the observed pattern of relationships among the four domains: first a duplication of the ancestral single domain C region, followed by independent duplications of the resulting first and last domains. In these studies there was no evidence of crossing-over and recombination between ancestral chains of different classes; however, certain types of recombinations would not be detectable from the available sequence data.     

Blood-brain barrier-on-a-chip for brain disease modeling and drug testing

The blood-brain barrier (BBB) is an interface between cerebral blood and the brain parenchyma. As a gate keeper, BBB regulates passage of nutrients and exogeneous compounds. Owing to this highly selective barrier, many drugs targeting brain diseases are not likely to pass through the BBB. Thus, a large amount of time and cost have been paid for the development of BBB targeted therapeutics. However, many drugs validated in in vitro models and animal models have failed in clinical trials primarily due to the lack of an appropriate BBB model. Human BBB has a unique cellular architecture. Different physiologies between human and animal BBB hinder the prediction of drug responses. Therefore, a more physiologically relevant alternative BBB model needs to be developed. In this review, we summarize major features of human BBB and current BBB models and describe organ-on-chip models for BBB modeling and their applications in neurological complications.     

天山林区六种灌木生物量的建模及其器官分配的适应性

灌木全株生物量估算模型的构建仍存在一定困难,对灌木生物量在器官分配上所体现的适应性研究也不够充分。以天山林区6种常见灌木为研究对象,在天山的东段、中段、西段林区分别设置样地进行群落调查,由此以全株收获法取得6种常见灌木若干标准株的全株、根、枝、叶及各径级根的生物量,将D~2H(地径平方与高度的乘积)与V(冠幅面积与高度的乘积)分别选为估测模型的自变量,通过回归分析法建立了各种灌木全株生物量的最优估算模型,然后比较了此6种灌木全株生物量在营养器官上分配差异以及根系生物量在径级上的分配差异。结果表明:(1)天山林区6种常见灌木中,小檗(Berberis heteropoda Schrenk)、忍冬(Lonicera hispida Pall.ex Roem.et Schuet.)、栒子(Cotoneaster melanocarpus Lodd.)的全株生物量约为8.48—9.01 kg,蔷薇(Rosa spinosissima L.)、绣线菊(Spiraea hypericifolia L.)、方枝柏(Juniperus pseudosabina Fisch.et Mey.)的全株生物量约为2.71—3.20 kg;(2)蔷薇、绣线菊、栒子的全株生物量最优估测模型是以V为自变量的函数,小檗、忍冬、方枝柏的全株生物量最优估测模型是以D~2H为自变量的函数,各模型R~2值均在0.850以上,且在P0.05水平上达到显著,模型模拟结果达到了较高的准确度;(3)6种灌木全株生物量在根、枝上的分配比重差异不显著,仅在叶上的分配比重有差异(P0.05);根系生物量在径级上的分配均呈现随根系径级下降而减少的规律,6种灌木在径级大于2 mm根上的分配比重存在差异(P0.05,径级大于20 mm根为P0.01水平);(4)6种灌木全株生物量在营养器官上的分配差异以及根系生物量在径级上的分配差异均体现了各物种对其生境选择的适应策略。     

Structural insights into the role of the WW2 domain on tandem WW–PPxY motif interactions of oxidoreductase WWOX

Class I WW domains are present in many proteins of various functions and mediate protein interactions by binding to short linear PPxY motifs. Tandem WW domains often bind peptides with multiple PPxY motifs, but the interplay of WW–peptide interactions is not always intuitive. The WW domain–containing oxidoreductase (WWOX) harbors two WW domains: an unstable WW1 capable of PPxY binding and stable WW2 that cannot bind PPxY. The WW2 domain has been suggested to act as a WW1 domain chaperone, but the underlying mechanism of its chaperone activity remains to be revealed. Here, we combined NMR, isothermal calorimetry, and structural modeling to elucidate the roles of both WW domains in WWOX binding to its PPxY-containing substrate ErbB4. Using NMR, we identified an interaction surface between these two domains that supports a WWOX conformation compatible with peptide substrate binding. Isothermal calorimetry and NMR measurements also indicated that while binding affinity to a single PPxY motif is marginally increased in the presence of WW2, affinity to a dual-motif peptide increases 10-fold. Furthermore, we found WW2 can directly bind double-motif peptides using its canonical binding site. Finally, differential binding of peptides in mutagenesis experiments was consistent with a parallel N- to C-terminal PPxY tandem motif orientation in binding to the WW1–WW2 tandem domain, validating structural models of the interaction. Taken together, our results reveal the complex nature of tandem WW-domain organization and substrate binding, highlighting the contribution of WWOX WW2 to both protein stability and target binding.     

还田秸秆分解与氮素释放的动态模拟

还田秸秆的分解与氮素释放动态是作物养分管理的重要依据。建立了秸秆分解氮素释放动态的“整吞”式动态模拟模型。模型由秸秆有机质分解和残余有机质含氮率动态模拟两部分组成,有机质分解的温度效应用指数函数描述,水分效应用分段线性函数描述,用“标准天”反映温度与水分的综合影响,残余有机质含氮率动态变化用“标准天”为变量的函数模拟,初始秸秆含氮量与残余秸秆含氮量之差即为秸秆分解的氮素净释放。“整吞”式较之“吃馅饼”式建模构思,所需参数少且易通过实验获得,增加了模型的可用性,利用在淮北滨海地区小麦的试验资料对模型的有效性进行了验证。     

Influence of different data cleaning solutions of point‐occurrence records on downstream macroecological diversity models

Digital point‐occurrence records from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) and other data providers enable a wide range of research in macroecology and biogeography. However, data errors may hamper immediate use. Manual data cleaning is time‐consuming and often unfeasible, given that the databases may contain thousands or millions of records. Automated data cleaning pipelines are therefore of high importance. Taking North American Ephedra as a model, we examined how different data cleaning pipelines (using, e.g., the GBIF web application, and four different R packages) affect downstream species distribution models (SDMs). We also assessed how data differed from expert data. From 13,889 North American Ephedra observations in GBIF, the pipelines removed 31.7% to 62.7% false positives, invalid coordinates, and duplicates, leading to datasets between 9484 (GBIF application) and 5196 records (manual‐guided filtering). The expert data consisted of 704 records, comparable to data from field studies. Although differences in the absolute numbers of records were relatively large, species richness models based on stacked SDMs (S‐SDM) from pipeline and expert data were strongly correlated (mean Pearson''s r across the pipelines: .9986, vs. the expert data: .9173). Our results suggest that all R package‐based pipelines reliably identified invalid coordinates. In contrast, the GBIF‐filtered data still contained both spatial and taxonomic errors. Major drawbacks emerge from the fact that no pipeline fully discovered misidentified specimens without the assistance of taxonomic expert knowledge. We conclude that application‐filtered GBIF data will still need additional review to achieve higher spatial data quality. Achieving high‐quality taxonomic data will require extra effort, probably by thoroughly analyzing the data for misidentified taxa, supported by experts.     

基于结构方程模型分析荒漠啮齿动物优势种对不同放牧干扰的响应

放牧被认为是草地生态系统的主要干扰之一。许多研究表明,放牧影响了啮齿动物的个体条件、繁殖、种群动态、群落组成及群落多样性等多个方面。由于受传统统计学方法的限制,这些研究只是单独的对放牧作用进行假设检验,而没有将多个假设放在同一个框架内进行验证。2006—2011年,采用标志重捕法对内蒙古阿拉善荒漠区不同放牧生境中啮齿动物优势种的数量进行研究并使用结构方程建模的方法将可能影响荒漠啮齿动物优势种的环境因子(气候条件、土壤硬度、植物隐蔽、植物生物量等19个指标)与啮齿动物优势种种群动态结合后进行多假设检验,旨在找出不同放牧干扰下制约优势啮齿动物环境因子的发生途径。结果表明:气候条件对五趾跳鼠和三趾跳鼠有直接不利影响,隐蔽对于两足活动的五趾跳鼠有负效应,而对四足活动的子午沙鼠有正效应。植物生物量对五趾跳鼠有正效应,但对子午沙鼠有负效应。土壤硬度的增加间接的有利于五趾跳鼠,对子午沙鼠有直接的正效应。因此荒漠啮齿动物优势种种群动态是多个过程共同作用的结果,气候条件是驱动啮齿动物种群动态的根本原因,而放牧会因为改变植物隐蔽而影响啮齿动物在群落中的组成。     

高校教师在微生物学实验教学中应用CAI应具备的素质

计算机辅助教学(CAI)作为一种新的现代化教学方法和手段,已广泛应用于教育教学各个领域。就高校教师在微生物学实验教学中应用CAI存在的问题及应具备的素质进行了探讨。