Ongoing speciation within the Anastrepha fraterculus cryptic species complex: the case of the Andean morphotype

The Anastrepha fraterculus (Wiedemann) (Diptera: Tephritidae) cryptic species complex is currently composed of seven taxonomically recognized morphotypes. Both, pre‐ and post‐zygotic isolation has been documented among four of these morphotypes, revealing that in fact they appear to be distinct biological entities. In order to progress in the full delimitation of species within the complex, we examined reproductive isolation between a Colombian population of the Andean morphotype and populations belonging to four other morphotypes spanning from Mexico to Argentina. Flies from the Andean morphotype exhibited strong pre‐zygotic mating isolation through temporal partitioning of mating activity. Post‐zygotic isolation was observed for crosses of males of all morphotypes and Andean morphotype females, yet most of the F1 hybrid ♂ × F1 hybrid ♀ self‐crosses showed normal levels of fertility, a finding suggesting a nuclear–cytoplasmic interaction according to previous studies. Overall, the Andean morphotype within the complex also appears to be a distinct biological entity. We discuss the implications of these findings for the understanding of speciation mechanisms in the Neotropical genus Anastrepha.     

Novel protein engineering strategy for creating highly receptor-selective mutant TNFs

Tumor necrosis factor (TNF) plays important roles in host defense and in preventing tumor formation by acting via its receptors, TNFR1 and TNFR2, functions of which are less understood. To this end, we have been isolating TNF receptor-selective mutants using phage display technique. However, generation of a phage library with large repertoire (>10⁸) is impeded by the limited transformation efficiency of Escherichia coli. Therefore, it is currently difficult to create a mutant library containing amino acid substitutions in more than seven residues. To overcome this problem, here we have used two different TNF mutant libraries, each containing random substitutions at six selected amino acid residues, and utilized a gene shuffling method to construct a randomized mutant library containing substitutions at 12 different amino acid residues of TNF. Consequently, using this library, we identified TNF mutants with greater receptor-selectivity and enhanced receptor-specific bioactivity than the existing mutants.     

（R）与（S）-羰基还原酶偶联一步法制备（S）-苯乙二醇

【目的】通过 (R) - 和(S) -羰基还原酶在大肠杆菌中偶联,实现了一步法制备（S）-苯乙二醇的生物转化过程。【方法】将来源于近平滑假丝酵母(Candida parapsilosis CCTCC M203011)的(R)- 羰基还原酶基因（rcr）和(S) -羰基还原酶基因（scr）串联于共表达载体pETDuetTM-1上。重组质粒pETDuet-rcr-scr转化稀有密码子优化型菌株Escherichia coli Rosetta,获得酶偶联重组菌株E. coli Rosetta / pETDuet-rcr-scr。当重组菌体培养至OD600 0.6-0.8时,添加终浓度1 mmol/L IPTG,30℃诱导蛋白表达10 h。【结果】SDS-PAGE结果表明(R)- 和(S) -羰基还原酶均明显表达,它们的相对分子质量分别为37 kDa和30 kDa。重组菌生物转化结果表明：在pH7.0的磷酸缓冲液中,添加5 mmol/L Zn2+时,获得产物(S)-苯乙二醇,产物光学纯度为91.3% e.e.,产率为75.9%。【讨论】采用分子重组技术成功整合了两种氧化还原酶的催化功能,实现了(S)- 苯乙二醇的一步法转化,为简化手性醇制备途径提供了一条崭新的思路。     

基于多目标的杨树速生丰产林主伐决策分析

经济效益综合评价是产业决策研究的重要内容.从系统工程观点来看,经济效益综合评价本质上是一个有限方案多目标决策问题.因此,本文采用多目标决策法对杨树速生丰产林的主伐决策进行研究,以年均净现值、内部收益率、土地期望价、效益成本比、成本利润率为指标,提出用熵技术法确定评价指标权重,结合"理想点"法、TOPSIS法和线性加权和法三种方法对决策方案进行排序择优,得到不同排序结果,最后用平均值法得到最终综合评价结果.结果表明,对所研究的密度为10×10m~2、8×8m~2、6×8m~2、5×6m~2的杨速生丰产林进行分析得到综合评价结果,其最优主伐龄分别为:13年、10年、9年、9年.随着密度的增大,经济成熟龄提前.本研究表明该方法对杨树速生丰产林的主伐决策研究是有效可行的.     

Comparison between intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) and 3D tangential beams technique used in patients with early-stage breast cancer who received breast-conserving therapy

Background

The most often found complications in patients with breast cancer who received radiotherapy are cardiac and pulmonary function disorders and development of second malignancies.

Aim

To compare the intensity modulated radiotherapy with the 3D tangential beams technique in respect of dose distribution in target volume and critical organs they generate in patients with early-stage breast cancer who received breast-conserving therapy.

Materials and methods

A dosimetric analysis was performed to assess the three radiotherapy techniques used in each of 10 consecutive patients with early-stage breast cancer treated with breast-conserving therapy. Radiotherapy was planned with the use of all the three techniques: 3D tangential beams with electron boost, IMRT with electron boost, and intensity modulated radiotherapy with simultaneous integrated boost.

Results

The use of the IMRT techniques enables more homogenous dose distribution in target volume. The range of mean and median dose to the heart and lung was lower with the IMRT techniques in comparison to the 3D tangential beams technique. The range of mean dose to the heart amounted to 0.3–3.5 Gy for the IMRT techniques and 0.4–4.3 for the tangential beams technique. The median dose to the lung on the irradiated side amounted to 4.9–5 Gy for the IMRT techniques and 5.6 Gy for the 3D tangential beams technique.

Conclusion

The application of the IMRT techniques in radiotherapy patients with early-stage breast cancer allows to obtain more homogenous dose distribution in target volume, while permitting to reduce the dose to critical organs.     

Interactions between secreted GRA proteins and host cell proteins across the paratitophorous vacuolar membrane in the parasitism of Toxoplasma gondii

Interactions between GRA proteins of dense granules in Toxoplasma gondii and host cell proteins were analyzed by yeast two-hybrid technique. The cMyc-GRA fusion proteins expressed from pGBKT7 plasmid in Y187 yeast were bound to host cell proteins from pGADT7-Rec-HeLa cDNA library transformed to AH109 yeast by mating method. By the selection procedures, a total of 939 colonies of the SD/-AHLT culture, 348 colonies of the X-alpha-gal positive and PCR, 157 colonies of the X-beta-gal assay were chosen for sequencing the cDNA and finally 90 colonies containing ORF were selected to analyze the interactions. GRA proteins interacted with a variety of host cell proteins such as enzymes, structural and functional proteins of organellar proteins of broad spectrum. Several specific bindings of each GRA protein to host proteins were discussed presumptively the role of GRA proteins after secreting into the parasitophorous vacuoles (PV) and the PV membrane in the parasitism of this parasite.     

Immunofluorescent labeling of cancer cells with quantum dots synthesized in aqueous solution

Thioglycolic-acid-stabilized CdTe quantum dots, synthesized directly in aqueous solution, are successfully conjugated with biotin and polyethylene glycol. Using these conjugates, we report the development of this kind of water-soluble quantum dot for immunofluorescent labeling of cancer cells. The results show that these conjugates have very low nonspecific binding and good stability against photobleaching, enabling them to be applied in many biological fields, such as cellular labeling, intracellular tracking, and other imaging applications.     

Early steps in neural development

We studied early neurulation events in vitro by transplanting quail Hensen's node, central prenodal regions (before the nodus as such develops), or upper layer parts of it on the not yet definitively committed upper layer of chicken anti-sickle regions (of unincubated blastoderms), eventually associated with central blastoderm fragments. We could demonstrate by this quail-chicken chimera technique that after the appearance of a pronounced thickening of the chicken upper layer by the early inductive effect of neighboring endophyll, a floor plate forms by insertion of Hensen's node-derived quail cells into the median part of the groove. This favors, at an early stage, the floor plate "allocation" model that postulates a common origin for notochord and median floor plate cells from the vertebrate's secondary major organizer (Hensen's node in this case). A comparison is made with results obtained after transplantation of similar Hensen's nodes in isolated chicken endophyll walls or with previously obtained results after the use of the grafting procedure in the endophyll walls of whole chicken blastoderms.     

In vivo photothermal flow cytometry: imaging and detection of individual cells in blood and lymph flow

Flow cytometry is a well-established, powerful technique for studying cells in artificial flow in vitro. This review covers a new potential application of this technique for studying normal and abnormal cells in their native condition in blood or lymph flow in vivo. Specifically, the capabilities of the label-free photothermal (PT) technique for detecting and imaging cells in the microvessel network of rat mesentery are analyzed from the point of view of overcoming the problems of flow cytometry in vivo. These problems include, among others, the influences of light scattering and absorption in vessel walls and surrounding tissues, instability of cell velocity, and cells numbers and positions in a vessel's cross-section. The potential applications of this new approach in cell biochemistry and medicine are discussed, including molecular imaging; studying the metabolism and pathogenesis of many diseases at a cellular level; and monitoring and quantifying metastatic and apoptotic cells, and/or their responses to therapeutic interventions (e.g., drug or radiation), in natural biological environments.