果蝇细胞凋亡核心机制的基因组比较

基因组比较研究是从基因组序列推测调控网络的主要途径。细胞凋亡信号网络是调控网络的一个典型代表。ＥＧＬ１、ＣＥＤ３、ＣＥＤ４和ＣＥＤ９及其同源蛋白质的线虫和哺乳动物构成保守的凋亡核心机制。目前果蝇细胞凋亡核心机制尚不完整,还未找到ＥＧＬ１和ＣＥＤ９类似蛋白质。通过一系列基于生物信息学的基因组比较分析,在果蝇的基因组数据库中发现了两个ＢＣＬ２／ＣＥＤ９和一个ＥＧＬ１的同源蛋白质的编码基因,并重构了果蝇     

Hepatitis B virus core protein interacts with the C-terminal region of actin-binding protein

Hepatitis B viral core protein is present in the nucleus and cytoplasm of infected hepatocytes. There is a strong correlation between the intrahepatic distribution of core protein and the viral replication state and disease activity in patients with chronic hepatitis. To understand the role of core protein in the pathogenesis of HBV, we used a yeast two-hybrid system to search for cellular proteins interacting with the carboxyl terminus of core protein, as this region is involved in a number of important functions in the viral replication cycle including RNA packaging and DNA synthesis. A cDNA encoding the extreme C-terminal region of human actin-binding protein, ABP-276/278, was identified. This interaction was further confirmed both in vitro and in vivo. In addition, the extreme C-terminal region of ABP-276/278 interacted with the nearly full-length HBV core protein. Since this region is present in both the core and the precore proteins, it is likely that both core and precore proteins of HBV can interact with the C-terminal region of ABP-276/278. The minimal region of ABP-276/278 which interacted with the HBV core protein was the C-terminal 199 amino acid residues which correspond to part of the 23rd repeat, the entire 24th repeat and the intervening hinge II region in ABPs. The potential functional outcome of ABP interaction in HBV replication and its contribution to the pathological changes seen in patients with chronic HBV infection are discussed.     

Phenotypic variation and stress resistance in core and peripheral populations of Hordeum spontaneum

The phenotypic variation and response of plants to water stress were studied in a field trial in populations of wild barley, Hordeum spontaneum Koch. from Israel and Turkmenistan. Populations from the species distributional core and periphery were compared and contrasted for phenotypic variation in 16 phenological and morphological traits. The peripheral populations (six) were found to be phenotypically more variable and more resistant to water stress than core populations (12). The association of water-stress resistance with high phenotypic variability gives support to the hypothesis that populations that are genetically more variable are better adapted or pre-adapted to environmental changes and are thus valuable for conservation.     

Fluxes of mercury to lake sediments in central and northern Canada inferred from dated sediment cores

Sediment cores were collected from lakes in central and northern Canada and from Hudson Bay to compare current and historic net depositions of mercury. Cores from most locations were enriched in mercury in the upper layers deposited recently relative to deeper, historic layers. The lakes with the greatest enrichments in mercury were located in central/southern Canada. This enrichment was interpreted as being of anthropogenic origin. Mercury inputs at the Experimental Lakes Area (ELA) in northwestern Ontario inferred from a core profile agreed well with inputs calculated independently from precipitation and runoff data. Anthropogenic inputs of mercury to northwestern Ontario were calculated to be about 9 µg m^-2 y^-1. Considering all the locations over the geographic range, the core profiles infer that fluxes of mercury have increased on average by about 2 fold over the past half century. This is consistent with results from other sites in North America and Europe.     

Simultaneous detection of spin-coupled and decoupled QA– EPR-signals in Photosystem II complexes isolated with isoelectric focusing

The Photosystem II multisubunit protein complex can be extracted from thylakoid membranes with non-ionic detergents and subjected to various spectroscopical and biochemical investigations. This paper shows that after extraction with dodecyl--D-maltoside, several Photosystem II complexes could be resolved by isoelectric focusing. Structurally, the various Photosystem II complexes differed from each other in polypeptide composition, especially with regard to the chlorophyll a/b-binding proteins, which gave rise to differing isoelectric points. Functionally, the various Photosystem II complexes differed from each other on the acceptor side, as judged by acceptor side-dependent electron transfer and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR). The Q_A ^- Fe2+-signal (g = 1.84), arising from Q_A ^- spin-coupled to the acceptor-side iron, and a radical signal arising from decoupled Q_A ^- (g = 2.0045) could be detected simultaneously in some of the Photosystem II complexes, and the amount of each of the two signals were inversely related. The results are discussed in relation to previously known heterogeneities in Photosystem II.     

大豆微核心种质对草甘膦的耐受性鉴定

以萌发初期大豆弯曲的子叶节为靶点,利用草甘膦(Roundup)点施鉴定法,分析了221份大豆微核心种质的草甘膦耐受性及其与抗草甘膦转CP4-EPSPS基因大豆AG5601的差异,结果表明,草甘膦对不同大豆种质的抑制程度与点施的草甘膦浓度呈正相关,Roundup稀释浓度为1/1000、1/10000时,草甘膦对大豆生长几乎无影响;Roundup稀释浓度为1/10时,草甘膦显著抑制大豆生长,导致植株死亡;Roundup稀释浓度为1/100时,不同大豆种质对草甘膦耐受性差异显著,并鉴定出对草甘膦具有较好耐受性的种质10份。虽然大豆微核心种质对草甘膦的耐受程度远远低于AG5601,但不同大豆种质对草甘膦耐受性存在显著差异,这为利用转基因和杂交转育技术培育抗草甘膦转基因大豆的受体或轮回亲本的选择提供了理论依据。     

NMR analyses on the interactions of the yeast Tim50 C-terminal region with the presequence and Tim50 core domain

The mitochondrial targeting signal in the presequence of mitochondrial precursor proteins is recognized by Tom20 and subsequently by Tim50 in mitochondria. Yeast Tim50 contains two presequence binding sites in the conserved core domain and in the fungi-specific C-terminal presequence binding domain (PBD). We report the NMR analyses on interactions of a shorter variant of PBD (sPBD), a shorter variant of PBD, with presequences. The presequence is recognized by sPBD in a similar manner to Tom20. sPBD can also bind to the core domain of Tim50 through the presequence binding region, which could promote transfer of the presequence from sPBD to the core domain in Tim50.     

A Novel CaM Kinase II Pathway Controls the Location of Neuropeptide Release from Caenorhabditis elegans Motor Neurons

Neurons release neuropeptides via the regulated exocytosis of dense core vesicles (DCVs) to evoke or modulate behaviors. We found that Caenorhabditis elegans motor neurons send most of their DCVs to axons, leaving very few in the cell somas. How neurons maintain this skewed distribution and the extent to which it can be altered to control DCV numbers in axons or to drive release from somas for different behavioral impacts is unknown. Using a forward genetic screen, we identified loss-of-function mutations in UNC-43 (CaM kinase II) that reduce axonal DCV levels by ∼90% and cell soma/dendrite DCV levels by ∼80%, leaving small synaptic vesicles largely unaffected. Blocking regulated secretion in unc-43 mutants restored near wild-type axonal levels of DCVs. Time-lapse video microscopy showed no role for CaM kinase II in the transport of DCVs from cell somas to axons. In vivo secretion assays revealed that much of the missing neuropeptide in unc-43 mutants is secreted via a regulated secretory pathway requiring UNC-31 (CAPS) and UNC-18 (nSec1). DCV cargo levels in unc-43 mutants are similarly low in cell somas and the axon initial segment, indicating that the secretion occurs prior to axonal transport. Genetic pathway analysis suggests that abnormal neuropeptide function contributes to the sluggish basal locomotion rate of unc-43 mutants. These results reveal a novel pathway controlling the location of DCV exocytosis and describe a major new function for CaM kinase II.