香港珍稀濒危植物的分布及保育

在第一批共３８８种中国重点保护的珍稀濒危植物中,有１４种分布于香港特别行政区。其中蕨类植物２种,裸子植物２种,被子植物１０种。此１４种珍稀濒危植物,除了狭叶瓶尔小草外,亦分布于广东省。而其中被列为国家级渐危种类的土沉香及白桂木,在香港则较为常见。本文阐述了此１４种珍稀濒危植物在香港的分布情况及其保育工作。     

稀土离子对CaM及Ca2+-Mg2+-ATPase活力及CD研究

研究了稀土离子（Ｌｎ３＋）对钙调蛋白（ＣａＭ）调控的Ｃａ２＋－Ｍｇ２＋－ＡＴＰａｓｅ的活力影响。结果表明,在ＣａＭ和Ｃａ２＋－Ｍｇ２＋－ＡＴＰａｓｅ的体系中,一些Ｌｎ３＋（Ｌａ３＋、Ｇｄ３＋）对由ＣａＭ调节的Ｃａ２＋－Ｍｇ２＋－ＡＴＰａｓｅ的活力影响呈现双相效应,即Ｌｎ３＋在低浓度时,能提高激活Ｃａ２＋－Ｍｇ２＋－ＡＴＰａｓｅ的水解活力;在高浓度时,则抑制ＣａＭ调节Ｃａ２＋－Ｍｇ２＋－ＡＴＰａｓｅ活力的能力;少数Ｌｎ３＋（Ｓｍ３＋）仅表现出抑制效应。在无ＣａＭ的Ｃａ２＋－Ｍｇ２＋－ＡＴＰａｓｅ体系中,高浓度的Ｌｎ３＋抑制Ｃａ２＋－Ｍｇ２＋－ＡＴＰａｓｅ的基础活力。结合圆二色（ＣＤ）谱信息对Ｌｎ３＋和ＣａＭ相互作用的分子机制进行了初步的探讨。     

Focus: Rare Disease: Psychosocial Functioning in Siblings of Children With Rare Disorders Compared to Controls

Siblings of children with chronic disorders are at increased risk of psychosocial problems. The risk may be exacerbated when the chronic disorder is rare and limited medical knowledge is available, due to more uncertainty and feelings of isolation. We examined mental health, parent-child communication, child-parent relationship quality, and social support among 100 children aged 8 to 16 years (M age 11.5 years, SD = 2.2; 50.0% boys, 50.0% girls). Fifty-six were siblings of children with rare disorders, and 44 were controls. The siblings of children with rare disorders (herein, siblings) were recruited from a resource centre for rare disorders and comprised siblings of children with a range of rare disorders including neuromuscular disorders and rare chromosomal disorders with intellectual disability. Controls were recruited from schools. Self-reported child mental health was significantly poorer for siblings compared to controls (effect size difference d = 0.75). Parent-reported child mental health was not significantly different between the groups (d = -0.06 to 0.16). Most child-parent relationships (anxiety/avoidance; mothers/fathers) were significantly poorer for siblings compared to controls (d = 0.47 to 0.91). There was no difference between groups in anxious relation with mother. Parent-child communication was significantly poorer for siblings compared to controls (d = -0.87 to -0.75). Social support was significantly poorer for siblings compared to controls (d = 0.61). We conclude that siblings of children with rare disorders display more psychosocial problems than controls. Interventions are indicated to prevent further maladjustment for siblings.     

Dormant origins as a built-in safeguard in eukaryotic DNA replication against genome instability and disease development

DNA replication is a prerequisite for cell proliferation, yet it can be increasingly challenging for a eukaryotic cell to faithfully duplicate its genome as its size and complexity expands. Dormant origins now emerge as a key component for cells to successfully accomplish such a demanding but essential task. In this perspective, we will first provide an overview of the fundamental processes eukaryotic cells have developed to regulate origin licensing and firing. With a special focus on mammalian systems, we will then highlight the role of dormant origins in preventing replication-associated genome instability and their functional interplay with proteins involved in the DNA damage repair response for tumor suppression. Lastly, deficiencies in the origin licensing machinery will be discussed in relation to their influence on stem cell maintenance and human diseases.     

Frameshift events associated with the lysyl-tRNA and the rare arginine codon, AGA, in Escherichia coli: a case study involving the human Relaxin 2 protein

Human Relaxin 2 is an insulin-related peptide hormone with a mass of 19,084 Da. The mRNA contains a number of arginine codons that are rarely used by Escherichia coli to produce highly expressed proteins. As a result, expressing this recombinant protein in E. coli is problematic. When human Relaxin 2 was expressed in E. coli BL21 (DE3), several forms of the protein were made. One species had the expected molecular weight (19,084 Da). A second species observed had a molecular weight of 21,244 Da. A third minor species had a molecular weight of 17,118 Da. These aberrant molecular weights can be explained as follows. First, a sequence CGA-AAA-AAG-AGA, containing the rare arginine codons CGA and AGA was the site of the +1 frameshift that generated the 21,244 Da species. Since there was a limited supply of this arginyl-tRNA, the peptidyl-tRNA moved +1 nucleotide to occupy the codon and resumed protein synthesis. Second, a -1 frameshift associated with 'slippery A' sequence XXA-AAA-AAG accounted for 10% of the product with a mass of 17,118 Da. Presumably, the shift to -1 also occurred because there was a paucity of the arginyl-tRNAArgucu. Introduction of a plasmid coding for the cognate tRNA for AGA and site directed mutagenesis prevented the formation of both frameshift species.     

COI序列:影响动物分类学与生态学的DNA barcode

DNA barcode是一段特殊的、可用于物种鉴定的DNA序列.目前在动物中最常用的DNA barcode是细胞色素C氧化酶1号基因(COI)的部分序列.随着标准数据库的建立,基于COI基因的DNA barcode在动物分类学和生态学中得到了广泛应用.但是,采用COI基因作为DNA barcode所隐含的涉及线粒体的进化历史、遗传特性和物种成种时间的默认前提,并非完全成立,由此引发了许多问题.本文阐述了基于COI基因的DNA barcode对分类学和生态学的影响,目前存在的问题,以及可能的研究方向.     

Effects of lanthanum on rumen fermentation, urinary excretion of purine derivatives and digestibility in steers

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of LaCl₃ supplementation on rumen fermentation, urinary excretion of purine derivatives and feed digestibility in the total tract of steers. Eight ruminally cannulated Simmental steers (420 ± 20 kg) were used in a replicated 4 × 4 Latin square experiment. The treatments were control (without LaCl₃); La-low; La-medium and La-high with 450, 900 and 1800 mg LaCl₃ per steer per day, respectively. Diet consisted of 600 g/kg corn stover and 400 g/kg concentrate (dry matter [DM] basis). Dry matter intake (averaged 9 kg/day) was restricted to a maximum of 90% of ad libitum intake. Ruminal pH (range of 6.59–6.42) was quadratically (P<0.04) changed, whereas total volatile fatty acids (VFA) concentration (range of 74.16–88.61 mM) was linearly (P<0.01) and quadratically (P<0.01) increased with increasing La supplementation. Ratio of acetate to propionate decreased linearly (P<0.01) from 3.28 to 1.79 as La supplementation increased due to the increased in propionate production. In situ ruminal neutral detergent fibre (aNDF) degradation of corn stover was improved but the crude protein (CP) degradability of soybean meal was decreased with increasing La supplementation. Urinary excretion of purine derivatives was quadratically (P<0.01) changed with altering La supplementation (75.5, 81.0, 82.4 and 70.6 mmol/day for control, low-, medium- and high-LaCl₃ supplementation, respectively). Similarly, digestibilities of organic matter, aNDF and CP in the total tract were also linearly and quadratically increased with increasing La supplementation. The present results indicate that supplementation of diet with LaCl₃ improved rumen fermentation and feed digestion in beef cattle. It was suggested that the La stimulated the digestive microorganisms or enzymes in a dose-dependent manner. In the experimental conditions of this trial, the optimum La dose was about 900 mg LaCl₃ per steer per day.     

江西珍稀濒危植物优先保护定量研究

以江西省50种珍稀濒危植物为定量研究对象,采用以濒危系数、遗传价值系数、物种价值系数和生物学特征系数4个指标构成的珍稀濒危植物等级综合评价值的方法对上述植物优先保护顺序进行了定量研究。对50种珍稀植物进行排序的结果基本符合《中国珍稀濒危植物》和《中国植物红皮书》第1册的分析,但也有不同：属一级保护的有长柄双花木、天目木姜子和长序榆等共10种,占研究物种总数的20．00％,其中有浙江楠和华东黄杉等2渐危种;二级保护的有胡豆莲、连香树、伯乐树、银钟花等共26种,占52．00％,其中胡豆莲属于濒危种;三级的有小花木兰、观光木等12种,占24．00％,其中有4种属稀有种,8种属渐危种;此外,八角莲、野大豆等在江西可以暂不列入保护,这两者均属渐危种,占4．00％。     

陕西圈养珍稀野生动物肠道寄生虫感染及其形态观察

2007年11～12月对陕西省珍稀野生动物抢救饲养研究中心中的珍稀野生动物进行了寄生虫感染情况及其种类、形态的观察.采用生理盐水涂片法、碘液染色法对18种75头/只野生动物的粪便进行检查,对检出的寄生虫进行数码显微摄片.结果共检出11种寄生虫,总感染率为88.9%,以芽囊原虫(Blaaocyais sp.)、阿米巴原虫感染较为突出.