Characterization of acyl-phosphatidylinositol from the opportunistic pathogen Corynebacterium amycolatum

The aim of the present study was to characterize a new lipid detected in the opportunistic pathogen Corynebacterium amycolatum. It was identified as acyl-phosphatidylinositol (acyl-PI), and revealed as a mixture of homologues compounds by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry, with pseudomolecular ions, (M-H)-, observed at 1099 (the major one) 1113, and 1127. Acyl-PI exclusively contained octadecenoyl on the inositol moiety (as 3-O-acyl), an unsaturated fatty acyl (mostly octadecenoyl) at sn-1 position of the glycerol and a saturated fatty acyl (mainly hexadecanoyl) at the sn-2 position. Acyl-PI constitutes a new natural substance and seems to be unique among the phospholipids of C. amycolatum. Other more complex molecules, previously undetected, and assigned in this work to several acyl forms of phosphatidylinositol trimannosides, lacked octadecenoyl in their polar heads. The present study reveals the existence of acyl-PI in C. amycolatum as rather unexpected finding and, additionally, gives evidence for the ability of this species to synthesize a great variety of inositol-containing phospholipids.     

Cell wall proteins in apoplastic fluids of Arabidopsis thaliana rosettes: identification by mass spectrometry and bioinformatics

Weakly bound cell wall proteins of Arabidopsis thaliana were identified using a proteomic and bioinformatic approach. An efficient protocol of extraction based on vacuum-infiltration of the tissues was developed. Several salts and a chelating agent were compared for their ability to extract cell wall proteins without releasing cytoplasmic contaminants. Of the 93 proteins that were identified, a large proportion (60%) was released by calcium chloride. From bioinformatics analysis, it may be predicted that most of them (87 out of 93) had a signal peptide, whereas only six originated from the cytoplasm. Among the putative apoplastic proteins, a high proportion (67 out of 87) had a basic pI. Numerous glycoside hydrolases and proteins with interacting domains were identified, in agreement with the expected role of the extracellular matrix in polysaccharide metabolism and recognition phenomena. Ten proteinases were also found as well as six proteins with unknown functions. Comparison of the cell wall proteome of rosettes with the previously published cell wall proteome of cell suspension cultures showed a high level of cell specificity, especially for the different members of several large multigenic families.     

影响中国女性峰值骨密度的潜在基因间相互作用

峰值骨密度是由遗传和环境因素及其相互作用共同决定的复杂性状。维生素D受体基因、雌激素α受体基因、白介素6基因、副甲状腺素基因、Ⅰ型胶原α2基因、骨钙素基因、α2巯基糖蛋白基因是与骨代谢相关的7个重要的候选基因。本研究旨在检测这7个候选基因之间的相互作用对中国女性峰值骨密度的影响。样本为中国上海的361个无关、健康的绝经前女性,均为汉族人,年龄为20—44岁。采用Hologic QDR2000＋双能X射线扫描仪对腰椎与髋部的骨密度进行了检测。采用聚合酶链式反应-限制性片段长度多态分析方法对每个个体的以下8个多态性标记位点进行基因分型：维生素D受体基因的Apa Ⅰ位点,雌激素α受体基因的PvuⅡ和XbaⅠ位点,白介素6基因的BsrB Ⅰ位点,副甲状腺素基因的BstB Ⅰ位点,Ⅰ型胶原α2基因的Msp Ⅰ位点,骨钙素基因的Hind Ⅲ位点,娃巯基糖蛋白基因的SacⅠ位点。采用二元方差分析对基因相互作用与骨密度的关系进行研究。结果表明,白介素基因和雌激素α受体基因（PvuⅡ）的相互作用对髋部（P=0．019）、转子间区（P=0．016）和股骨颈（P=0．019）的骨密度有显著作用。在这3个部位,GGPp基因型携带者比GGpp基因型携带者的骨密度值分别高出18．0％、19．5％和14．8％。另外观察到醒巯基糖蛋白基因与自介素6基因的相互作用对股骨颈骨密度有显著影响（P=0．046）。GGSS基因型携带者的股骨颈骨密度值比GGSs基因型携带者高出18．8％。该项群体水平的统计分析表明：对于中国女性峰值骨密度的遗传决定,白介素基因和雌激素α受体基因、α2巯基糖蛋白基因的相互作用显著。     

滑鼠蛇的繁殖输出及孵化热环境对孵出幼体表型特征的影响

用15条2002年6月中旬捕自浙江丽水的怀卵滑鼠蛇研究繁殖输出及孵化热环境对孵出幼体表型特征的影响。母体在捕后3周内各产一窝柔性卵。窝卵数、窝卵重和卵大小均随母体体长增加而增大,平均值分别为13．3(枚卵)、332．4g和24．8g。窝卵数和卵大小的变异系数分别为0．18和0．13。窝卵数与产后母体状态呈正相关,卵数量和大小无关。每窝部分可孵卵分别用恒温(24、27、30、33℃)和21．0-39．0℃(平均28．3℃)范围内的波动温度孵化,每隔5d记录恒温孵化卵的重量。孵化热环境对卵与环境之间的水分交换有显著影响,并影响孵化卵重量的时间变化。24、27、30、33℃和波动温度的平均孵化期分别为105．4、78．0、57．8、51．3和58．6d。不同热环境下的孵化成功率和幼体畸形率有一定差别,但统计上不显著。24℃和30℃孵出幼体雄性比例较高,27℃、33℃和波动温度孵出幼体雌性比例较高,但没有证据表明孵化温度能决定滑鼠蛇性别。除孵出幼体灰分含量外,孵化温度对其它幼体特征均有显著影响。33℃孵出幼体SVL较小,但剩余卵黄和其中的灰分含量大于其它温度孵出的幼体。24℃和30℃孵出幼体的总干重、总能量、躯干干重、脂肪体干重总体上小于27℃和波动温度孵出幼体。24℃孵出幼体特征性具有最小的剩余卵黄,33℃孵出幼体则特征性地具有最大的剩余卵黄。24℃和30℃孵出幼体特征较为接近,27℃和波动温度孵出幼体较为接近。对9个幼体特征变量做主成分分析发现,第一和第二主成分共解释81．2％的变异。幼体SVL、湿重、干重、脂肪含量、能量、躯干干重和脂肪体干重在第一主成分有较高的正负载系数(解释56．9％变异),剩余卵黄干重在第二主成分有较高的正负载系数(解释24．3％变异),第一和第二主成分的分值均差异显著。主成分分析进一步显示,24、30和33℃孵出幼体总体上小于27℃和波动温度孵出幼体[动物学报50(4)：541-550,2004]。     

黄土丘陵沟壑区集水区尺度土地利用格局变化的水土流失效应

以陕北杏河集水区1985和1995年两期土地利用数据为基础,结合水文、DEM数据,定性分析了土地利用格局变化条件下的水土流失效应,其中采用双累积曲线法来界定土地利用格局基本没有变化的时间段,用C值在坡度、距河流距离上的分布来表征土地利用格局,用不同时期降雨量／径流量、降雨侵蚀力／输沙率相对增加的比例来表征水土流失效应。研究结果表明：(1)1981～2000年,土地利用格局变化剧烈的年份为1990～1991年,可以用1985、1995年两期数据分别代表20世纪80年代和90年代的土地利用;(2)从20世纪80年代到90年代,杏河集水区的C值有明显的增加趋势,在较陡坡度和距河流距离较近处,C值增加的幅度相对较大;(3)土地利用格局变化明显改变了降雨量-径流量、降雨侵蚀力-输沙率的关系,出现了从20世纪80年代到90年代,虽然降雨量／降雨侵蚀力在整体上呈现明显下降的趋势,但是水土流失量,却表现出同比增加的现象,而且这种增加在不同月份也有差异。用本文中的方法来表征土地利用格局和水土流失效应,其结果具有较好的比配性,可以用来定性分析土地利用格局与水土流失的关系。但是,由于水土流失效应的表征方法没有考虑降雨的空间变异特征,该方法尚不适于雨量站点比较密集、降雨空间变异较大的区域。此外,在进一步的研究中,还需要注意遥感数据解译的准确性、C值精度、土地条件的变化等问题。     

植物蛋白质组学面临的挑战和前景

目前功能基因组研究开展得如火如荼 ,蛋白质组研究是阐明基因组所表达的真正执行生命活动的全部蛋白质的表达规律和生物功能 ,而植物蛋白质组研究是 2 1世纪整体细胞生物学最重要的内容 ,将为医药、农业和工业的革新提供崭新的思路。当前主要的研究手段为双向凝胶电泳、双向高效柱层析、质谱分析和生物信息学     

Species diversity in native fish community in Japan: comparison between non-invaded and invaded ponds by exotic fish

The relationship between invasions by two exotic fishes (Micropterus salmoides and Lepomis macrochirus) and species diversity in native fish communities was studied in 14 Japanese farm ponds. We found that mean number of species in native fish communities was three times higher in the ponds without the exotic fish than in the ponds with them. Further, negative relationships were observed between abundance of the two exotic fish and the total abundance of native fish communities. Our results suggest that invasions by the two exotic fish caused serious depletion of native fish communities, although another process can also be considered , that is, that ponds with poor native fish communities were prone to colonization by these exotic fish.     

植物蛋白质组学研究进展

 蛋白质组学是后基因组时代功能基因组学研究的新兴学科和热点领域。该文简要介绍了蛋白质组学产生的科学背景、研究方法和研究内容。蛋白质组学研究方法主要有双向聚丙烯酰胺凝胶电泳（2D-PAGE）、质谱(Mass-spectrometric)技术、蛋白质芯片（Protein chips）技术、酵母双杂交系统（Yeast two-hybrid system）、植物蛋白质组数据库等。其应用的范围包括植物群体遗传学、在个体水平上植物对生物和非生物环境的适应机制、植物的发育和组织器官的分化过程,以及不同亚细胞结构在生理生态过程中的作用等诸多方面。同时对植物蛋白质组学的发展前景进行了展望。     

Multi-state unfolding of the alpha subunit of tryptophan synthase, a TIM barrel protein: insights into the secondary structure of the stable equilibrium intermediates by hydrogen exchange mass spectrometry

The urea-induced unfolding of the alpha subunit of tryptophan synthase (alphaTS) from Escherichia coli, an eight-stranded (beta/alpha)(8) TIM barrel protein, has been shown to involve two stable equilibrium intermediates, I1 and I2, well populated at approximately 3 M and 5 M urea, respectively. The characterization of the I1 intermediate by circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy has shown that I1 retains a significant fraction of the native ellipticity; the far-UV CD signal for the I2 species closely resembles that of the fully unfolded form. To obtain detailed insight into the disruption of secondary structure in the urea-induced unfolding process, a hydrogen exchange-mass spectrometry study was performed on alphaTS. The full-length protein was destabilized in increasing concentration of urea, the amide hydrogen atoms were pulse-labeled with deuterium, the labeled samples were quenched in acid and the products were analyzed by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry. Consistent with the CD results, the I1 intermediate protects up to approximately 129 amide hydrogen atoms against exchange while the I2 intermediate offers no protection. Electrospray ionization mass spectrometry analysis of the peptic fragments derived from alphaTS labeled at 3 M urea indicates that most of the region between residues 12-130, which constitutes the first four beta strands and three alpha helices, (beta/alpha)(1-3)beta(4), is structured. The (beta/alpha)(1-3)beta(4) module appears to represent the minimum sub-core of stability of the I1 intermediate. A 4+2+2 folding model is proposed as a likely alternative to the earlier 6+2 folding mechanism for alphaTS.