Are residues in a protein folding nucleus evolutionarily conserved?

Protein is the working molecule of the cell, and evolution is the hallmark of life. It is important to understand how protein folding and evolution influence each other. Several studies correlating experimental measurement of residue participation in folding nucleus and sequence conservation have reached different conclusions. These studies are based on assessment of sequence conservation at folding nucleus sites using entropy or relative entropy measurement derived from multiple sequence alignment. Here we report analysis of conservation of folding nucleus using an evolutionary model alternative to entropy-based approaches. We employ a continuous time Markov model of codon substitution to distinguish mutation fixed by evolution and mutation fixed by chance. This model takes into account bias in codon frequency, bias-favoring transition over transversion, as well as explicit phylogenetic information. We measure selection pressure using the ratio omega of synonymous versus non-synonymous substitution at individual residue site. The omega-values are estimated using the PAML method, a maximum-likelihood estimator. Our results show that there is little correlation between the extent of kinetic participation in protein folding nucleus as measured by experimental phi-value and selection pressure as measured by omega-value. In addition, two randomization tests failed to show that folding nucleus residues are significantly more conserved than the whole protein, or the median omega value of all residues in the protein. These results suggest that at the level of codon substitution, there is no indication that folding nucleus residues are significantly more conserved than other residues. We further reconstruct candidate ancestral residues of the folding nucleus and suggest possible test tube mutation studies for testing folding behavior of ancient folding nucleus.     

盐度对军曹鱼胚胎和仔鱼发育的影响

观察比较了不同盐度梯度(20、23、26、29、32、35、38、41和44)下军曹鱼受精卵的沉浮性、孵化率和畸形率以及测定了不同盐度梯度(10、14、18、22、26、30、34、38、42和44)下仔鱼不投饵存活系数SAI值。结果表明,受精卵在海水盐度32以上为完全浮性,26以下为完全沉性。军曹鱼受精卵孵化的最适盐度范围为29～38,适宜盐度范围为26～41,其中23～26和41～44分别视为受精卵孵化在低盐区和高盐区的两个临界区域,在此盐度上下,军曹鱼受精卵孵化率大幅度下降而仔鱼畸形率大幅度上升。试验盐度范围内军曹鱼仔鱼SAI值为2.32～16.24,仔鱼生长和存活的最适盐度范围为26～34,适宜盐度范围为22～38,而盐度18～22及38～42可分别视为军曹鱼仔鱼存活率在低盐区和高盐区的两个临界区域。     

樟芝的药用保健价值及开发应用(综述)

樟芝是一种原产于台湾的药用真菌,具有解毒抗癌、保肝强心、提高免疫力等功效。本文介绍樟芝的生物学特性、主要化学成分及药用保健价值,并对今后樟芝的开发应用提出建议。     

Evolution of quantitative traits in the wild: mind the ecology

Recent advances in the quantitative genetics of traits in wild animal populations have created new interest in whether natural selection, and genetic response to it, can be detected within long-term ecological studies. However, such studies have re-emphasized the fact that ecological heterogeneity can confound our ability to infer selection on genetic variation and detect a population''s response to selection by conventional quantitative genetics approaches. Here, I highlight three manifestations of this issue: counter gradient variation, environmentally induced covariance between traits and the correlated effects of a fluctuating environment. These effects are symptomatic of the oversimplifications and strong assumptions of the breeder''s equation when it is applied to natural populations. In addition, methods to assay genetic change in quantitative traits have overestimated the precision with which change can be measured. In the future, a more conservative approach to inferring quantitative genetic response to selection, or genomic approaches allowing the estimation of selection intensity and responses to selection at known quantitative trait loci, will provide a more precise view of evolution in ecological time.     

一个新兴的朝阳产业——宠物行业的前景

随着人民生活水平提高,物质生活富裕,传统家庭结构发生了变化和工作压力的增大,人际关系逐渐趋于淡化,使越来越多的人将感情投注于宠物身上,宠物与人类的关系已经发生了变化,人们越来越注重休闲生活情趣的培养,不再以追求温饱为主要目标,人与宠物间的依赖关系,随着时间的流逝而日益浓厚。饲养的犬猫不再扮演看门和捉老鼠的角色,而是人类休闲时的玩伴。在社会提倡人与人之间关爱的同时,也提升了人们对动物福利的理念,对社会的关爱和爱心,但他们迫切需要兽医医疗、疫病防控和饲养管理的指导。怎样将兽医知识教育公众并增加公众对饲养宠物的理解、对人兽共患病的认识,对所有影响动物福利问题的意识是我们的责任。伴随着宠物数量的增长,围绕宠物经济和宠物行业的发展催生了一些新兴的产业,这些产业带来的不仅是相关产品的诞生,我们看到了这些产业上升的空间和它的发展前途,成就了人们的就业和再就业,同时也给宠物行业带来了不可估量的经济效益,并对社会产生了巨大的社会价值和难以估计的经济产值。目前国内宠物市场已进入一个高速发展的时期,全球发达国家都将目光投向了中国日益增长的消费水平,这也标志着中国宠物市场发展的时机已经成熟。宠物市场涌现出的商机不可小觑,也正是我们看到的中国巨大的商机。以宠物为主题的产业日新月异,中国的宠物行业将迈上一个新的台阶。     

雷州半岛桉树生物质能源林生长的密度效应研究

以雷州半岛2年生桉树无性系DH201(Eucalyptus grandis  E. tereticornis)能源林为研究对象,对6种不同密度配置下的林分生长量、生物量以及热值等进行了分析,探讨密度对桉树生物质能源林生长的影响。结果表明,密度对桉树胸径和树高生长量影响极显著,在林分不同发育阶段对林分蓄积量的影响不同;单株生物量随密度增大而减小。1年生的林分蓄积量和生物量均以密度为10000 ind. hm-2的最大,分别为52.57 m3 hm-2和32.02 t hm-2;2年生的林分蓄积量和生物量均以密度为2500 ind. hm-2的最大,分别为75.85 m3 hm-2和45.66 t hm-2;密度对热值及灰分含量的影响不显著。因此,1年生和2年生的桉树能源林的最优密度分别为10000 ind. hm-2和2500 ind. hm-2。     

Hymenolepis diminuta: Effect of infection on ion transport in colon and blood picture of rats

The aim of this study was to examine the effect of an infection with Hymenolepis diminuta on ion transport in an isolated colon and blood picture of rats. Fifty rats were orally infected with five cysticercoids of H. diminuta. The experimental groups of rats were assigned to four groups: group I - 8 days post-infection (dpi), group II - 16 dpi, group III - 40 dpi and group IV- 60 dpi. The control group comprised non-infected rats. The experiments consisted of measuring the transepithelial electrical potential difference (PD) and the transepithelial electrical resistance (R) of the rat colon under controlled conditions as well as during mechanical stimulation (MS) using a modified Ussing chamber. Ion transport was modified using inhibitors of the epithelial sodium channel (amiloride - AMI) and the epithelial chloride channel (bumetanide - BUME), and also using capsaicin (CAPSA), a substance which activates C-fibres. The experimental data presented in this study indicates that experimental hymenolepidosis inhibits sodium and chloride ion transport in the epithelium of the rat colon, with preserved tight junction continuity (except at 40 dpi) and a decreased mechanical sensitivity. The effect of capsaicin on ion transport in the rat colon was varied. In control rats it increased ionic current, and in H. diminuta-infected rats it did not cause any changes in PD.Blood picture in this study showed a statistically significantly lower red blood cells (RBC) count and haemoglobin (HGB) concentration in infected rats in comparison to non-infected. Red cell distribution width (RDW) values and platelet (PLT) count were negatively correlated with the duration of infection, whereas mean corpuscular volume (MCV) value was positively correlated. We did not observe leukocytosis during infection, and amongst the differential leukocyte counts eosinophils and basophils showed statistically significant lower values in infected rats in comparison to non-infected.Our results indicate that hymenolepidosis is associated with the activation of inflammatory mediators and stimulation of nervous fibres, which significantly affects the function of ion channels in the epithelium of the colon in the host. At the same time, a significant decrease in eosinophil count during infection suggests that such an infection did not trigger a strong immunological reaction in rats.     

Transformation of recalcitrant turfgrass cultivars through improvement of tissue culture and selection regime

Tissue culture techniques, medium composition, pH value and targeted tissues, agroinfection and co-culture conditions, selection process were optimized for efficient turfgrass transformation. A highly regenerable callus lines were produced in callus induction medium modified from N6 basal medium. Six-week-old calluses were cultured on Pre-regeneration medium I for 4 days and then subjected to Agrobacterium tumefaciens. After co-cultivation at 20±1 °C in a 16 h light/8 h darkness for 3 days, the calluses were cultured on non-selective Pre-regeneration medium II supplemented with 400 mg l⁻¹ l-cysteine for 7 days. Plantlets were regenerated on the Regeneration medium without selection pressure. A selection pressure was given to the regenerated plantlets when they were rooted on the Plantlet rooting medium. Roots appeared within 8–12 days in putative transformed plantlets. Resistant plants obtained were phenotypically normal and fully fertile. Chemical and molecular analyses confirmed that foreign genes were successfully introduced into the genome of perennial ryegrass or tall fescue. The transformation efficiency can attain 23.3% in perennial ryegrass.     

Influence of seeing a female on the male–male interactions of a jumping spider, Hypoblemum albovittatum

An important prediction from game theory is that resource value influences the level to which competitors will escalate conflict. An earlier study considered whether this prediction applies to the male–male interactions of Hypoblemum albovittatum, a jumping spider (Salticidae) from New Zealand. The males of this species escalated conflicts in the presence of a moving mount made from a conspecific female. However, because the control was only a similar-sized motionless cork, an alternative hypothesis (that the cue for escalation is seeing movement of any female-size object, rather than seeing specifically a female) was not ruled out. Here we show that a moving cork, without a mount present, is indeed sufficient to cause males to escalate, but a moving mount (made from a conspecific female) causes males to escalate further. The level of escalation in the presence of a moving mount made from prey (housefly) or from a rival (conspecific male) did not differ significantly from the level of escalation when only a moving cork was present. These findings suggest that, although seeing a moving object similar in size to a conspecific female is sufficient for priming males to escalate, males can also discern by sight that specifically a female is present and, when they have this precise information, they make strategic decisions to escalate conflict further.     

Optimal movement between patches under incomplete information about the spatial distribution of food items

If the food distribution contains spatial pattern, the food density in a particular patch provides a forager with information about nearby patches. Foragers might use this information to exploit patchily distributed resources profitably. We model the decision on how far to move to the next patch in linear environments with different spatial patterns in the food distribution (clumped, random, and regular) for foragers that differ in their degree of information. An ignorant forager is uninformed and therefore always moves to the nearest patch (be it empty or filled). In contrast, a prescient forager is fully informed and only exploits filled patches, skipping all empty patches. A Bayesian assessor has prior knowledge about the content of patches (i.e. it knows the characteristics of the spatial pattern) and may skip neighbouring patches accordingly by moving to the patch where the highest gain rate is expected. In most clumped and regular distributions there is a benefit of assessment, i.e. Bayesian assessors achieve substantially higher long-term gain rates than ignorant foragers. However, this is not the case in distributions with less strong spatial pattern, despite the fact that there is a large potential benefit from a sophisticated movement rule (i.e. a large penalty of ignorance). Bayesian assessors do also not achieve substantially higher gain rates in environments that are relatively rich or poor in food. These results underline that an incompletely informed forager that is sensitive to spatial pattern should not always respond to existing pattern. Furthermore, we show that an assessing forager can enhance its long-term gain rate in highly clumped and some specific near-regular food distributions, by sampling the environment in slightly larger spatial units.