Learning and discrimination of cuticular hydrocarbons in a social insect

Social insect cuticular hydrocarbon (CHC) mixtures are among the most complex chemical cues known and are important in nest-mate, caste and species recognition. Despite our growing knowledge of the nature of these cues, we have very little insight into how social insects actually perceive and discriminate among these chemicals. In this study, we use the newly developed technique of differential olfactory conditioning to pure, custom-designed synthetic colony odours to analyse signal discrimination in Argentine ants, Linepithema humile. Our results show that tri-methyl alkanes are more easily learned than single-methyl or straight-chain alkanes. In addition, we reveal that Argentine ants can discriminate between hydrocarbons with different branching patterns and the same chain length, but not always between hydrocarbons with the same branching patterns but different chain length. Our data thus show that biochemical characteristics influence those compounds that ants can discriminate between, and which thus potentially play a role in chemical signalling and nest-mate recognition.     

Family history interview of a broad phenotype in specific language impairment and matched controls

The aim was to study a broader phenotype of language‐related diagnoses and problems in three generations of relatives of children with specific language impairment (SLI). Our study is based on a family history interview of the parents of 59 children with SLI and of 100 matched control children, exploring the prevalence of problems related to language, reading, attention, school achievement and social communication as well as diagnoses such as attention‐deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism, Asperger syndrome, dyslexia, mental retardation, cleft palate and stuttering. The results show a spectrum of language‐related problems in families of SLI children. In all three generations of SLI relatives, we found significantly higher prevalence rates of language, literacy and social communication problems. The risk of one or both parents having language‐related diagnoses or problems was approximately six times higher for the children with SLI (85%) than for the control children (13%) (odds ratio = 37.2). We did not find a significantly higher prevalence of the diagnoses ADHD, autism or Asperger syndrome in the relatives of the children with SLI. However, significantly more parents of the children with SLI had problems with attention/hyperactivity when compared with the parents of controls. Our findings suggest common underlying mechanisms for problems with language, literacy and social communication, and possibly also for attention/hyperactivity symptoms.     

Receptor type protein tyrosine phosphatases (RPTPs) – roles in signal transduction and human disease

Protein tyrosine phosphorylation is a fundamental regulatory mechanism controlling cell proliferation, differentiation, communication, and adhesion. Disruption of this key regulatory mechanism contributes to a variety of human diseases including cancer, diabetes, and auto-immune diseases. Net protein tyrosine phosphorylation is determined by the dynamic balance of the activity of protein tyrosine kinases (PTKs) and protein tyrosine phosphatases (PTPs). Mammals express many distinct PTKs and PTPs. Both of these families can be sub-divided into non-receptor and receptor subtypes. Receptor protein tyrosine kinases (RPTKs) comprise a large family of cell surface proteins that initiate intracellular tyrosine phosphorylation-dependent signal transduction in response to binding of extracellular ligands, such as growth factors and cytokines. Receptor-type protein tyrosine phosphatases (RPTPs) are enzymatic and functional counterparts of RPTKs. RPTPs are a family of integral cell surface proteins that possess intracellular PTP activity, and extracellular domains that have sequence homology to cell adhesion molecules. In comparison to extensively studied RPTKs, much less is known about RPTPs, especially regarding their substrate specificities, regulatory mechanisms, biological functions, and their roles in human diseases. Based on the structure of their extracellular domains, the RPTP family can be grouped into eight sub-families. This article will review one representative member from each RPTP sub-family.     

福建九阜山野生芳香植物资源及其开发利用

对福建省尤溪县九阜山省级自然保护区野生芳香植物资源进行调查,结果表明,该区共有野生芳香植物47科91属132种,占福建省芳香植物89科306属758种的52.8%、29.7%和17.4%。优势科有樟科(22种)、蔷薇科(10种)、兰科(10种)、唇形科(9种)、菊科(7种)、木兰科(5种)、木犀科(4种)、芸香科(3种)、报春花科(3种)、桑科(3种)、金镂梅科(3种);优势属有山胡椒属(6种)、樟属(4种)、润楠属(4种)、蔷薇属(4种)、蒿属(4种)、木姜子属(3种)、石楠属(3种)、珍珠菜属(3种)。开发利用价值较大的种类有马尾松、草珊瑚、鱼腥草、山苍子、樟树、黄绒润楠、刨花润楠、乌药、黄丹木姜子、胡颓子、石荠苎、枫香、金樱子、黄栀子、金银花与艾蒿等。对该区野生芳香植物的种类组成、芳香部位、生活型、分布以及开发利用途径进行了分析,并提出开发利用对策。     

外泌体在免疫调控及肿瘤发生中的功能

已知细胞间的信息交流不仅可以通过直接接触,或释放信号分子等方式,同时还存在另一种细胞通讯方式即释放外泌体。外泌体是由细胞分泌,直径为30～100 nm的囊泡结构。外泌体含有蛋白质、脂质、mRNAs和miRNAs等成分,并且能够靶向运输到其他细胞或组织中,从而在细胞间的信息交流、物质传递方面发挥重要作用。本文对外泌体的基本特征、形成过程、功能以及在疾病诊断与治疗中的应用等方面进行简要综述,重点介绍外泌体在免疫调控和肿瘤发生方面的功能。外泌体作为一种广泛存在的亚细胞成分,虽然体积小,组成成分简单,然而,其复杂功能具有重要的研究价值。对外泌体功能的深入了解将为肿瘤等疾病的预防和治疗提供更多的诊断标志物、疫苗以及治疗思路与手段。