Supporting the generalist genes hypothesis for intellectual ability/disability: the case of SNAP25

Intellectual disability (ID) is an unresolved health care problem with a worldwide prevalence rate of 2–3%. For many years, research into the genetic causes of ID and related disorders has mainly focused on chromosomal abnormalities or X‐linked genetic deficits. Only a handful of autosomal genes are known to cause ID. At the same time it has been suggested that at least some cases of ID represent an extreme form of normal intellectual ability and therefore that genes important for intellectual ability in the normal range may also play a role in ID. In this study, we tested whether the autosomal SNAP25 gene, which was previously associated with variation in intellectual ability in the normal range, is also associated with ID. The gene product of SNAP25 is an important presynaptic plasma membrane protein, is known to be involved in regulating neurotransmitter release, and has been linked to memory and learning by its effect on long term potentiation in the hippocampus. Allele frequencies of two genetic variants in SNAP25 previously associated with intellectual ability were compared between a group of 636 ID cases (IQ < 70) and a control group of 361 persons of higher than average intellectual ability. We observed a higher frequency of the putative risk allele of rs363050 (P = 0.02; OR = 1.24) in cases as compared to controls. These results are consistent with a role of SNAP25 in ID, and also support the notion that ID reflects the lower extreme of the quantitative distribution of intellectual ability.     

应用心理学专业研究生实践能力培养策略研究

实践能力是应用心理学专业研究生重要的素质,培养应用心理学研究生实践能力需要构建有利于实践能力培养的专业课程体系;优化应用心理学专业课程的教学方法;转变应用心理学研究生教育管理观念;发挥导师在应用心理学研究生实践能力培养上的影响;研究生自身加强实践能力的培养。     

Evaluation of inoculum performance for enhancing gamma-linolenic acid production from Mucor rouxii

Aims: To facilitate a cost‐effective preparation of spore inoculum with good capacity for gamma‐linolenic acid (GLA) production from Mucor rouxii. Methods and Results: Sporangiospore production, mycelial growth ability and fatty acid composition of M. rouxii were determined. Compared with fungal cultivation on solid semi‐synthetic media, high spore production was achieved from M. rouxii grown on rice grains, particularly polished rice (30·7 g kg^?1 initial substrate). Variations in the fatty acid profiles were found in the spores grown on different types of solid media, whereas the spores obtained at different ages from cultivated polished rice showed a similar fatty acid profile. Using the inocula from different spore‐forming media and culture ages, and low temperature storage, not much change in the vegetative growth of submerged cultures or fatty acid composition of mycelia was observed. Conclusion: The spores generated on polished rice exhibited a high performance for GLA production. Age of spore and timing of spore storage at low temperature did not affect on fatty acid profile of the mycelial cultures. Significance and Impact of the Study: The simple, low cost method of inoculum preparation can be applied for large‐scale production of GLA‐rich oils, which reduce a time constraint and variation in fatty acid composition.     

Genome-wide quantitative trait locus association scan of general cognitive ability using pooled DNA and 500K single nucleotide polymorphism microarrays

General cognitive ability ( g ), which refers to what cognitive abilities have in common, is an important target for molecular genetic research because multivariate quantitative genetic analyses have shown that the same set of genes affects diverse cognitive abilities as well as learning disabilities. In this first autosomal genome-wide association scan of g , we used a two-stage quantitative trait locus (QTL) design with pooled DNA to screen more than 500 000 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) on microarrays, selecting from a sample of 7000 7-year-old children. In stage 1, we screened for allele frequency differences between groups pooled for low and high g . In stage 2, 47 SNPs nominated in stage 1 were tested by individually genotyping an independent sample of 3195 individuals, representative of the entire distribution of g scores in the full 7000 7-year-old children. Six SNPs yielded significant associations across the normal distribution of g , although only one SNP remained significant after a false discovery rate of 0.05 was imposed. However, none of these SNPs accounted for more than 0.4% of the variance of g , despite 95% power to detect associations of that size. It is likely that QTL effect sizes, even for highly heritable traits such as cognitive abilities and disabilities, are much smaller than previously assumed. Nonetheless, an aggregated 'SNP set' of the six SNPs correlated 0.11 ( P  < 0.00000003) with g . This shows that future SNP sets that will incorporate many more SNPs could be useful for predicting genetic risk and for investigating functional systems of effects from genes to brain to behavior.     

Characterization of Ser73 in Arabidopsis thaliana Glutathione S-transferase zeta class

Glutathione S-transferases (GSTs) are ubiquitous detoxifying superfamily enzymes. The zeta class GST from Arabidopsis thaliana (AtGSTZ) can efficiently degrade dichloroacetic acid (DCA), which is a common carcinogenic contaminant in drinking water. Ser73 in AtGSTZ is a conserved residue at Glutathione binding site (G-site). Compared with the equivalent residues in other GSTs, the catalytic and structural properties of Ser73 were poorly investigated. In this article, site-saturation mutagenesis was performed to characterize the detailed role of Ser73. The DCA de.chlorinating (DCA-DC) activity showed that most of the mutants had less than 3% of the wild-type activity, except S73T and $73A showing 43.48% and 21.62% of the wild-type activity, respectively, indicating that position 73 in AtGSTZ showed low mutational substitutability. Kinetic experiments revealed that mutants S73T, $73A, and S73G showed low binding affinity and catalytic efficiency toward DCA, 1.8-, 3.1-, and 10.7- fold increases in KmDcA values and 4.0-, 9.6-, and 34.1- fold decreases in KcatDCA/KmDCA values, respectively, compared to the wild type. Thermostability and refolding experiments showed that the wild type maintalned more thermostability and recovered activity. These results demonstrated the important role of Set73 in catalytic activity and structural stability of the enzyme. Such properties of Set73 could be particularly crucial to the molecular evolution of AtGSTZ and might,therefore, help explain why Ser73 is conserved in all GSTs. This conclusion might provide insights into the directed evolution of the DCA-DC activity of AtGSTZ.     

六倍体小黑麦T型细胞质雄性不育体系杂种优势与配合力的研究

用具提莫菲维小麦细胞质的六倍体小黑麦的3个不育系和3个恢复系作为亲本,进行3×3不完全双列杂交,对所组配的F1代8个农艺性状的杂种优势分析结果表明,除千粒重外,其余性状出现正向超亲优势的组合较少,多数呈低亲或中亲遗传,且各组合间的差异比较显著。配合力分析表明,一般配合力与特殊配合力的方差均达到了显著水平,F1各性状均受基因加性效应和非加性效应共同作用;从总体上看,不育系A1、A2及恢复系R1、R2的一般配合力良好,其配制的组合优势较强,具一定的利用价值。对一般配合力与亲本表型值进行了相关分析,二者无显著的相关关系。     

Vertical distribution and germination ability of Alexandrium spp. cysts (Dinophyceae) in the sediments collected from Kure Bay of the Seto Inland Sea, Japan

The vertical distribution of Alexandrium tamarense/ catenella (hereinafter Alexandrium spp.) cysts was investigated with special attention to living cysts filled with fresh protoplasm and empty cysts. In addition, based on the incubation experiments of Alexandrium spp. cysts, the germination ability of the cysts was examined. A sediment core 63 cm in length, collected from Kure Bay of the Seto Inland Sea, West Japan, in September 2000, was provided for an analysis on the vertical distribution of Alexandrium spp. cysts. Samples from every 1 cm interval depth from the top down to 13 cm depth of the same core were taken to examine the germination ability of the cysts. Results show that Alexandrium spp. cysts were continuously observed from 59 to 60 cm depth to the top. The cyst densities in the upper parts of the core (from 9 to 10 cm depth to the top) were much more abundant those that in the lower parts (below 10–11 cm depth). The relationship between living and empty cysts in each depth did not reveal a positive correlation with the sediment depth. Based on the sedimentation rate of the core sediment (approximately 1.6 cm/year), Alexandrium spp. cysts have been produced since 1962, and a remarkable increase of these cysts was observed from ca 1993. Such a rapid increase of Alexandrium spp. cysts has probably been as a result of dense blooms of A. tamarense occurring since 1992 in Hiroshima Bay, including Kure Bay. The germination of Alexandrium spp. cysts was observed in samples collected from the top to 12–13 cm depth of the core. It suggests that the Alexandrium spp. cysts can keep the germination ability for more than 8 years.     

The role of maternal cognitive ability on child health

Little is known about the mechanisms through which mother's cognitive ability operates in enhancing her children's health. This paper analyzes how maternal returns to cognitive ability on children's height reflect contemporaneous endowments and childhood background of the mother. Results suggest that maternal returns to cognitive ability on child height are less likely to reflect observed mother's childhood endowments as measured by parental transmission of knowledge or school quality, but are more likely to be associated with learning to be a mother, and with a better capacity to take advantage of household and community available resources.     

烤烟主要性状配合力和相关性研究

选用7个烤烟品种作亲本,采用Griffing方法I,利用7×7完全双列杂交,对烤烟产量、产值、上等烟比例、均价和级指等主要经济性状配合力和相关性进行研究,结果表明:各农艺性状和经济性状的遗传特性同时受基因加性效应、非加性效应以及反交效应的共同作用.从经济性状来看,以红花大金元和云烟317作亲本之一,特别是红花大金元作母本配制的杂交组合优势较强.以净叶黄作为亲本之一配制的杂交组合没有优势,显示出各组合的产量、产值等经济性状较低.     

刈割对紫花苜蓿根系生长影响的初步分析

研究了不同刈割次数对紫花苜蓿根系发育能力的影响。结果表明：刈割抑制紫花苜蓿主根的纵向(垂直)生长,而促进其横向(直径)生长,并使紫花苜蓿侧根发生总数减少和垂直分布的总体格局向表层集中,随着刈割次数的增加,侧根集中分布在土壤表层的比例也增加;刈割使根系生物量和体积总量减少,并随着刈割次数的增加,这种减少趋势更加明显,同时在土壤中的垂直分布变浅。