西藏小昌都黑白仰鼻猴的雄婴照料:能量胁迫导致?

雄猴照料婴猴行为通常都是从雄猴的角度来分析该行为具有何种适应功能,很少有研究关心为什么雌猴会让雄猴参与照料活动。该文通过西藏小昌都黑白仰鼻猴群的系统观察取样,采用回归分析雄婴照料行为季节变动与婴猴年龄及生态因子（环境温度、食物供应）之间的关系,试图分析是否由于能量胁迫导致雌猴让雄猴参与照料活动,并通过分析高能量胁迫季节（环境温度低、食物缺乏,婴猴年幼需要雌猴携带多）与低能量胁迫季节（环境温度高、食物丰富,婴猴年长需要雌猴携带少）雄婴照料行为差异检验了能量胁迫假说。结果表明雄婴照料行为与温度呈负相关函数,而雌猴照料婴猴行为与温度呈正相关函数;在高能量胁迫的季节,雄猴参与照料行为多,而在低能量胁迫的季节雄猴照料行为少。因此,作者认为是能量胁迫迫使雌猴放弃部分照料婴猴的机会,雄猴利用照料机会获得了其他利益。     

Development of a bioassay for detection of Wnt-binding affinities for individual frizzled receptors

Wnts are secreted lipid-modified glycoproteins that carry out various signaling functions during development and in adult tissue. Wnt signaling is mediated by frizzled receptors (Fzds) at the cell surface and can be modulated by the secreted frizzled-related proteins (SFRPs) and other molecular antagonists. Abnormal Wnt signaling has been implicated in several diseases. However, due to the complexity of the Wnt signal and the lack of knowledge pertaining to the binding properties of different Wnt ligands, no therapeutic agents that target this pathway exist. Using a novel enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA)-based technique, we were able to determine the first measurements of binding affinity for specific Wnt interactions. This study shows that purified Wnt3a, Wnt7a, and Wnt5a have different binding specificities for Fzds and SFRPs.     

膜荚黄芪种子中2种几丁质酶的分离纯化及活性测定

运用传统的层析技术对膜荚黄芪种子中两种几丁质酶进行分离纯化,并对分离纯化中各个步骤得到的蛋白进行了活性研究.结果表明:(1)粗提液的硫酸铵沉淀经再生几丁质亲和柱和凝胶过滤层析Sephadex G-75得到几丁质酶A.(2)粗提液的硫酸铵沉淀经离子交换色谱DE-52、CM、凝胶过滤层析Sephadex G-75得到几丁质酶B.(3)几丁质酶A、B的比活性分别为35.6 U/mg和4.1 U/mg.(4)从膜荚黄芪种子中分离纯化的几丁质酶A和B均为糖蛋白,含糖量分别为6.1%和5.8%.(5) SDS-PAGE显示,几丁质酶A、B的分子量分别为35.5 ku、39.6 ku;凝胶过滤层析测定几丁质酶A、B的分子量分别为36.9 ku、40.8 ku;表明几丁质酶A、B均为单亚基蛋白.     

Qualitative Analysis of the Carbohydrate Composition of Apolipoprotein H

The specific binding of digoxigenin-labeled lectins to carbohydrate moieties is used to characterize the carbohydrate chains bound to apolipoprotein H. Our results show that apolipoprotein H is rich in sialic acid linked (2–6) to galactose or N-acetylgalactosamine. Sialic acid is not (2–3)-linked to galactose. Galactose is (1–4)-linked to N-acetylglucosamine and (1–3)-linked to N-acetylgalactosamine. High-mannose N-glycan chains are barely detectable. After N-glycosidase F treatment the molecular weight is substantially reduced. The main band is 32,500 daltons. Carbohydrate O-linked chains, which are mainly represented by sialic acid, are (2–6)-linked to galactose or N-acetylgalactosamine. Galactose is also organized in O-linked chains and it is (1–4)-linked to N-acetylglucosamine and (1–3)-linked to acetylgalactosamine. Biochemical analysis of carbohydrate structures reveals that no specific carbohydrate complex is bound to a single isoform.     

Low and annually variable migratory connectivity in a long‐distance migrant: Whinchats Saxicola rubetra may show a bet‐hedging strategy

The spatial scale of non‐breeding areas used by long‐distance migrant animals can vary from specific, relatively small non‐breeding areas for each independent breeding population (high connectivity) to a distribution over a large non‐breeding area with mixing of breeding populations (low connectivity). Measuring variation in the degree of connectivity and how it arises is crucial to predict how migratory animals can respond to global habitat and climate change because low connectivity is likely to be an adaptation to environmental uncertainty. Here, we assess whether use of non‐breeding areas in a long‐distance migrant may be stochastic by measuring the degree of connectivity, and whether it is annually variable. Twenty‐nine wintering Whinchats tagged with geolocators over 2 years within 40 km² in central Nigeria were found to be breeding over 2.55 million km² (26% of the land area of Europe), without an asymptote being approached in the relationship between area and sample size. Ranges differed in size between years by 1.51 million km² and only 15% of the total breeding range across both years overlapped (8% overlap between years when only first‐year birds were considered), well above the range size difference and below the proportion of overlap that would be predicted from two equivalent groups breeding at random locations within the observed range. Mean distance between breeding locations (i.e. migratory spread) differed significantly between years (604 ± 18 km in 2013 and 869 ± 33 km in 2014). The results showed very low and variable connectivity that was reasonably robust to the errors and assumptions inherent in the use of geolocators, but with the caveat of having only ranges of 2 years to compare, and the sensitivity of range to the breeding locations of a small number of individuals. However, if representative, the results suggest the scope for between‐year variation (cohort effects) to determine migrant distribution on a large scale. Furthermore, for species with similarly low connectivity, we would predict breeding population trends to reflect average conditions across large non‐breeding areas: thus, as large areas of Africa become subject to habitat loss, migrant populations throughout Europe will decline.     

Studies on the isolation of penicillin acylase from Escherichia coli by aqueous two-phase partitioning

A method of enzyme release and aqueous two-phase extraction is described for the separation of penicillin acylase from Escherichia coli cells. Butyl acetate, 12% (v/v), treatment combined with freeze-thawing gives up to 70% enzyme release. For polyethylene glycol (PEG) + phosphate two-phase extraction systems the enzyme purity and yield were rather low. Modified PEG, including PEG-ampicillin, PEG-aniline, PEG-phosphate, and PEG-trimethylamine, were synthesized and used in aqueous two-phase systems; PEG-trimethylamine is the most satisfactory. A system containing 12% (w/w) PEG4000, 8% (w/w) of which is PEG-trimethylamine, with 0.7M potasium phosphate at pH 7.2, resulted in the enzyme selective partition being greatly enhanced by charge directed effects. Possible mechanisms for the separation process are discussed. (c) 1992 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Purification of recombinant protein A by aqueous two-phase extraction integrated with affinity precipitation

Aqueous two-phase extraction incorporated affinity precipitation was examined as a technique for protein purification. An enteric coating polymer, Eudragit S100, was employed as a ligand carrier. Eudragit was specifically partitioned to the top phase in the aqueous two-phase systems. For application of this method to purification of recombinant protein A using human IgG coupled to Eudragit in an aqueous two-phase system, 80% of protein A added was recovered with 81% purity. The purity was enhanced 26-fold by thid method. The IgG-Eudragit could be used repeatedly for the purification process. This seperation method should be applicable to industrial-scale purification as a new purification procedure combining the advantages and compensating for the disadvantages of the aqueous two-phase method and affinity precipitation method. (c) 1992 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

浮游动物昼夜垂直迁移机理的主要假说及其研究进展

对有关浮游动物昼夜垂直迁移(DVM)机理的实验、假说以及理论模型方面的研究进.展进行了综述。昼夜垂直迁移通常指常规迁移(傍晚上升,拂晓下降),其行为过程不仅影响浮游动物的垂直分布,而且也间接地影响其水平分布及生活史特征,对浮游动物在一定水域的种群维持和补充具有重要的意义。与垂直迁移机理有关的假说主要有光驱动假说、逃避捕食者假说、能量和资源利用假说等,其中逃避捕食者假说已得到大量的实验证实。其理论模型研究一般在两个时间尺度上进行,一个是短期的行为机制研究,另一个从长期的生活史策略的角度考虑。随着实验技术的进步和理论及建模工具的发展,这两个时间尺度的研究正逐渐统一到一个框架下进行。     

Unusual traits of the pyoverdin-mediated iron acquisition system in Pseudomonas putida strain BTP1

Fluorescent Pseudomonas species are characterized by the production of pyoverdin-type siderophores for Fe³⁺ acquisition in iron-limited environments. Since it produces a structurally specific pyoverdin, Pseudomonas putida strain BTP1 could represent a valuable tool in an attempt to correlate the structural features of these compounds with some specificity in their two main properties i.e. affinity for iron and recognition rate by other Pseudomonas strains. An uncommonly high affinity for iron of the pyoverdin synthetized by P. putida BTP1 was observed by comparing both the apparent stability constant and the decomplexation kinetic of its ferric complex with those of ferripyoverdins from other strains. On another hand, results from growth stimulation experiments and labeled ferripyoverdin uptake assays highlighted the very low recognition rate of BTP1 isopyoverdins by membrane receptors of foreign strains. By contrast, P. putida BTP1 was able to utilize a broad spectrum of structurally unrelated exogenous pyoverdins by means of multiple receptors that are likely constitutively expressed in its outer membrane. The unusual traits of its pyoverdin-mediated iron acquisition system should contribute to enlarge the ecological competence of Pseudomonas putida BTP1 in terms of colonization and persistence in the rhizosphere.