农林院校生物信息学专业数据库技术课程教学改革刍议

生物信息学是一门交叉学科,对于现代生物学研究具有重要的意义。数据库技术是生物信息学的基础之一。本文对农林院校的生物信息学专业的数据库技术课程的教学现状做了一些介绍,对目前生物信息专业数据库教学存在的问题进行了分析。结合教学的实践,有针对性的提出了一些教学改革的具体措施。     

北方粳稻品种识别数据库系统的设计

为借助Internet技术进行数据的共享以及开发一套基于DNA指纹信息来识别粳稻品种的计算机功能平台,设计一套北方粳稻品种识别数据库系统。根据该数据库的设计所包含的信息含量,确定本数据库包含的四个表,并根据功能需求分析,设计了用户管理,北方粳稻DNA指纹数据管理,粳稻DNA指纹查询与粳稻品种识别分析四个功能模块,同时设计了该系统的界面设计图,为北方粳稻品种识别数据库系统的构建奠定基础。     

Two-dimensional gel electrophoresis database of murine R1 embryonic stem cells

Embryonic stem (ES) cell lines represent a population of undifferentiated pluripotent cells capable of multilineage differentiation in vitro. Although very useful for studying developmental processes, human ES cell lines have also been suggested as a potential and unlimited source for cellular transplantation and the treatment of human disease. The proteomic basis of embryonic stemness (pluripotentiality and multilineage differentiation) and the transitions that lead to specific cell lineages however, remain to be defined. As an important first step in defining these processes, we have performed a proteomic analysis of undifferentiated mouse R1 ES cell lines using pH 3-10, 4-7 and 6-11 two-dimensional electrophoresis gels, matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization and tandem mass spectrometry. Of the 700 gel spots analyzed, 241 distinct protein species were identified corresponding to 218 unique proteins, with a significant proportion functionally related to protein expression.     

The evidential value in the DNA database search controversy and the two-stain problem

Summary . Does the evidential strength of a DNA match depend on whether the suspect was identified through database search or through other evidence (“probable cause”)? In Balding and Donnelly (1995, Journal of the Royal Statistical Society, Series A 158, 21–53) and elsewhere, it has been argued that the evidential strength is slightly larger in a database search case than in a probable cause case, while Stockmarr (1999 , Biometrics 55, 671–677) reached the opposite conclusion. Both these approaches use likelihood ratios. By making an excursion to a similar problem, the two‐stain problem, we argue in this article that there are certain fundamental difficulties with the use of a likelihood ratio, which can be avoided by concentrating on the posterior odds. This approach helps resolving the above‐mentioned conflict.     

Yeast genomic databases and the challenge of the post-genomic era

Since the completion of the yeast genome sequence in 1996, three genomic databases, the Saccharomyces Genome Database, the Yeast Proteome Database, and MIPS (produced by the Munich Information Center for Protein Sequences), have organized published knowledge of yeast genes and proteins onto the framework of the genome. Now, post-genomic technologies are producing large-scale datasets of many types, and these pose new challenges for knowledge integration. This review first examines the structure and content of the three genomic databases, and then draws from them and other resources to examine the ways knowledge from the literature, genome, and post-genomic experiments is stored, integrated, and disseminated. To better understand the impact of post-genomic technologies, 20 collections of post-genomic data were analyzed relative to a set of 243 previously uncharacterized genes. The results indicate that post-genomic technologies are providing rich new information for nearly all yeast genes, but data from these experiments is scattered across many Web sites and the results from these experiments are poorly integrated with other forms of yeast knowledge. Goals for the next generation of databases are set forth which could lead to better access to yeast knowledge for yeast researchers and the entire scientific community. Electronic Publication     

Transgenic Plant Monitor (TPM): a relational database for the management and analysis of information in plant tissue culture and transformation laboratories

Increased public concern and strict statutory regulations relating tothe generation and exploitation of genetically modified organisms, make itimperative to track accurately individual plants through DNA transformationprogrammes. The ability to rapidly retrieve information associated withspecifictransgenic events and to provide accurate reports on demand is an increasinglyimportant feature for public research laboratories. Transgenic Plant Monitor(TPM) has been developed as a database structured to allow efficient recording,monitoring and analysis of the extensive and complex data generated in planttissue culture and transformation experiments. TPM is built upon the widelyavailable Microsoft Access database engine and can be readily adoptedand/or adapted by other users. The key features and the utility of TPM as aresearch tool are discussed in this article.     

YPED:An Integrated Bioinformatics Suite and Database for Mass Spectrometry-based Proteomics Research

We report a significantly-enhanced bioinformatics suite and database for proteomics research called Yale Protein Expression Database(YPED) that is used by investigators at more than 300 institutions worldwide. YPED meets the data management, archival, and analysis needs of a high-throughput mass spectrometry-based proteomics research ranging from a singlelaboratory, group of laboratories within and beyond an institution, to the entire proteomics community. The current version is a significant improvement over the first version in that it contains new modules for liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry(LC–MS/MS) database search results, label and label-free quantitative proteomic analysis, and several scoring outputs for phosphopeptide site localization. In addition, we have added both peptide and protein comparative analysis tools to enable pairwise analysis of distinct peptides/proteins in each sample and of overlapping peptides/proteins between all samples in multiple datasets. We have also implemented a targeted proteomics module for automated multiple reaction monitoring(MRM)/selective reaction monitoring(SRM) assay development. We have linked YPED's database search results and both label-based and label-free fold-change analysis to the Skyline Panorama repository for online spectra visualization. In addition, we have built enhanced functionality to curate peptide identifications into an MS/MS peptide spectral library for all of our protein database search identification results.     

tsORFdb: Theoretical Small Open Reading Frames (ORFs) database and massProphet: Peptide Mass Fingerprinting (PMF) tool for unknown small functional ORFs

Peptide mass fingerprinting (PMF) has become one of the most widely used methods for rapid identification of proteins in proteomics research. Many peaks, however, remain unassigned after PMF analysis, partly because of post-translational modification and the limited scope of protein sequences. Almost all PMF tools employ only known or predicted protein sequences and do not include open reading frames (ORFs) in the genome, which eliminates the chance of finding novel functional peptides. Unlike most tools that search protein sequences from known coding sequences, the tool we developed uses a database for theoretical small ORFs (tsORFs) and a PMF application using a tsORFs database (tsORFdb). The tsORFdb is a database for ORFeome that encompasses all potential tsORFs derived from whole genome sequences as well as the predicted ones. The massProphet system tries to extend the search scope to include the ORFeome using the tsORFdb. The tsORFdb and massProphet should be useful for proteomics research to give information about unknown small ORFs as well as predicted and registered proteins.     

末端限制性片段长度多态性技术分析硝化细菌微生物多样性

利用T_RFLP(末端限制性片段长度多态性)技术,分析硝化细菌富集反应器中的微生物群落结构,并对硝化细菌的丰度进行半定量研究。结果表明,培养48h后,硝化细菌富集效果最佳,多样性指数与初始培养相比下降了62.80%,富集出的硝化细菌主要为亚硝酸盐氧化菌(Nitrobacter)。同时对投加该硝化细菌前后的对虾养殖水体进行微生物多样性的动态研究,并推测了虾塘水中可能稳定存在的几种主要细菌种类,其中投加富集硝化细菌前后均存在的细菌种类包括短芽孢杆菌Brevibacillus brevis、微杆菌Microbacterium lactium、固氮弧菌Azoarcus indigens或者霍氏鲍特菌Bordetella holmesii。