Biotechnological significance of toxic marine dinoflagellates

Dinoflagellates are microalgae that are associated with the production of many marine toxins. These toxins poison fish, other wildlife and humans. Dinoflagellate-associated human poisonings include paralytic shellfish poisoning, diarrhetic shellfish poisoning, neurotoxic shellfish poisoning, and ciguatera fish poisoning. Dinoflagellate toxins and bioactives are of increasing interest because of their commercial impact, influence on safety of seafood, and potential medical and other applications. This review discusses biotechnological methods of identifying toxic dinoflagellates and detecting their toxins. Potential applications of the toxins are discussed. A lack of sufficient quantities of toxins for investigational purposes remains a significant limitation. Producing quantities of dinoflagellate bioactives requires an ability to mass culture them. Considerations relating to bioreactor culture of generally fragile and slow-growing dinoflagellates are discussed. Production and processing of dinoflagellates to extract bioactives, require attention to biosafety considerations as outlined in this review.     

Tracing past human male movements in northern/eastern Africa and western Eurasia: new clues from Y-chromosomal haplogroups E-M78 and J-M12

Detailed population data were obtained on the distribution of novel biallelic markers that finely dissect the human Y-chromosome haplogroup E-M78. Among 6,501 Y chromosomes sampled in 81 human populations worldwide, we found 517 E-M78 chromosomes and assigned them to 10 subhaplogroups. Eleven microsatellite loci were used to further evaluate subhaplogroup internal diversification. The geographic and quantitative analyses of haplogroup and microsatellite diversity is strongly suggestive of a northeastern African origin of E-M78, with a corridor for bidirectional migrations between northeastern and eastern Africa (at least 2 episodes between 23.9-17.3 ky and 18.0-5.9 ky ago), trans-Mediterranean migrations directly from northern Africa to Europe (mainly in the last 13.0 ky), and flow from northeastern Africa to western Asia between 20.0 and 6.8 ky ago. A single clade within E-M78 (E-V13) highlights a range expansion in the Bronze Age of southeastern Europe, which is also detected by haplogroup J-M12. Phylogeography pattern of molecular radiation and coalescence estimates for both haplogroups are similar and reveal that the genetic landscape of this region is, to a large extent, the consequence of a recent population growth in situ rather than the result of a mere flow of western Asian migrants in the early Neolithic. Our results not only provide a refinement of previous evolutionary hypotheses but also well-defined time frames for past human movements both in northern/eastern Africa and western Eurasia.     

Seasonal courses of key parameters of nitrogen,carbon and water balance in European beech (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Fagus sylvatica</Emphasis> L.) grown on four different study sites along a European North–South climate gradient during the 2003 drought

During the growing season of the exceptionally dry and warm year 2003, we assessed seasonal changes in nitrogen, carbon and water balance related parameters of mature naturally grown European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) along a North–South transect in Europe that included a beech forest stand in central Germany, two in southern Germany and one in southern France. Indicators for N balance assessed at all four sites were foliar N contents and total soluble non-protein nitrogen compounds (TSNN) in xylem sap, leaves and phloem exudates; C and water balance related parameters determined were foliar C contents, δ¹³C and δ¹⁸O signatures. Tissue sampling was performed in May, July and September. The N related parameters displayed seasonal courses with highest concentrations during N remobilization in May. Decreased total foliar N contents as well as higher C/N ratios in the stands in central Germany and southern France compared to the other study sites point to an impaired N nutrition status due to lower soil N contents and precipitation perception. TSNN concentrations in leaves and phloem exudates of all study sites were in ranges previously reported, but xylem sap content of amino compounds in July was lower at all study sites when compared to literature data (c. 1 μmol N mL⁻¹). In September, TSNN concentrations increased again at the two study sites in southern Germany after a rain event, whereas they remained constant at sites in central Germany and southern France which hardly perceived precipitation during that time. Thus, TSNN concentrations in the xylem sap might be indicative for water balance related N supply in the beech trees. TSNN profiles at all study sites, however, did not indicate drought stress. Foliar δ¹³C, but not foliar C and δ¹⁸O followed a seasonal trend at all study sites with highest values in May. Differences in foliar δ¹³C and δ¹⁸O did not reflect climatic differences between the sites, and are attributed to differences in altitude, photosynthesis and δ¹⁸O signatures of the water sources. Except of low TSNN concentrations in the xylem sap, no physiological indications of drought stress were detected in the trees analysed. We suppose that the other parameters assessed might not have been sensitive to the drought events because of efficient regulation mechanisms that provide a suitable physiological setting even under conditions of prolonged water limitation. The uniform performance of the trees from southern France and central Germany under comparably dry climate conditions denotes that the metabolic plasticity of mature beech from the different sites studied might be similar.     

Testing evolutionary theories of menopause

Why do women cease fertility rather abruptly through menopause at an age well before generalized senescence renders child rearing biologically impossible? The two main evolutionary hypotheses are that menopause serves either (i) to protect mothers from rising age-specific maternal mortality risks, thereby protecting their highly dependent younger children from death if the mother dies or (ii) to provide post-reproductive grandmothers who enhance their inclusive fitness by helping to care and provide for their daughters'' children. Recent theoretical work indicates that both factors together are necessary if menopause is to provide an evolutionary advantage. However, these ideas need to be tested using detailed data from actual human life histories lived under reasonably ‘natural’ conditions; for obvious reasons, such data are extremely scarce. We here describe a study based on a remarkably complete dataset from The Gambia. The data provided quantitative estimates for key parameters for the theoretical model, which were then used to assess the actual effects on fitness. Empirically based numerical analysis of this nature is essential if the enigma of menopause is to be explained satisfactorily in evolutionary terms. Our results point to the distinctive (and perhaps unique) role of menopause in human evolution and provide important support for the hypothesized evolutionary significance of grandmothers.     

肌肉收缩及自发振动的动力学理论

改变实验条件,肌纤维可发生从收缩到自发振动的相变。为了研究这一现象,引进了描述肌纤维内部弹性成分拉伸长度与张力关系的表达式,利用肌肉态方程并考虑肌纤维的特殊结构,给出了描述肌纤维收缩及自发振动的统一动力学方程。从动力学方程出发,肌纤维自发振动的发生条件得到了自然解释,所给出的振动周期和振动曲线同实验结果相符,并给出了一些新的理论结果。这一工作的意义在于,完成了从肌球蛋白单分子性质、肌纤维组织结构到肌纤维功能的信息整合。     

酵母丝裂原活化蛋白激酶信号转导数学建模及信号特征分析

基于酵母S．cerevisiae的生物学实验数据,建立了由Scaffold介导的酵母交配、侵入生长和应力-应答的MAPK（mitogen activated protein kinase,丝裂原活化蛋白激酶）级联信号转导网络的数学模型．利用简化的包含交配和侵入生长两条通路的非线性动力学模型,定量分析了三个关键性的特性：信号的专一性、信号的振幅和信号的延迟;考查scaffold及其复合物的反应率如何影响信号转导的效率,研究表明：Scaffold蛋白对信号专一性和信号振幅有较大的影响,而信号的延迟（特别是平衡状态时）主要由去磷酸化或降解反应率来控制．     

The study on the interaction between phytosterols and phospholipids in model membranes

Sterols are one of the major components of cellular membranes. Although in mammalian membranes cholesterol is a predominant sterol, in the human organism plant sterols (phytosterols) can also be found. Phytosterols, especially if present in concentrations higher than normal (phytosterolemia), may strongly affect membrane properties. In this work, we studied phytosterol-phospholipid interactions in mixed Langmuir monolayers serving as model membranes. Investigated were two phytosterols, beta-sitosterol and stigmasterol and a variety of phospholipids, both phosphatidylethanolamines and phosphatidylcholines. The phospholipids had different polar heads, different length and saturation of their hydrocarbon chains. The interactions between molecules in mixed sterol/phospholipid films were characterized with the mean area per molecule (A(12)) and the excess free energy of mixing (DeltaG(Exc)). The effect of the sterols on the molecular organization of the phospholipid monolayers was analyzed based on the compression modulus values. It was found that the incorporation of the phytosterols into the phospholipid monolayers increased their condensation. The plant sterols revealed higher affinity towards phosphatidylcholines as compared to phosphatidylethanolamines. The phytosterols interacted more strongly with phospholipids possessing longer and saturated chains. Moreover, both the length and the saturation of the phosphatidylcholines influenced the stoichiometry of the most stable complexes. Our results, compared with those presented previously for cholesterol/phospholipid monolayers, allowed us to draw a conclusion that the structure of sterol (cholesterol, beta-sitosterol, stigmasterol) does not affect the stoichiometry of the most stable complexes formed with particular phospholipids, but influences their stability. Namely, the strongest interactions were found for cholesterol/phospholipids mixtures, while the weakest for mixed systems containing stigmasterol.     

新鲜粪便pH和涂片检查小儿肠道菌群失调

目的探讨小儿肠道菌群失调患者新鲜腹泻标本细菌学、pH和细菌球杆比的变化,寻求肠道菌群失调的快速诊断方法。方法2004年1月至2005年12月我院门诊及住院患儿因菌群失调(细菌学培养证实)致腹泻共118例为研究对象,对照组为同期保健科健康体检的小儿共80例。均采集新鲜粪便(10 min内)进行细菌学培养接种、pH检测及涂片做革兰染色镜检计数标本中球菌杆菌的比例。结果(1)118例菌群失调患者腹泻标本细菌学培养大肠埃希菌消失或减少42例(35.6%),肠道条件致病菌优势生长49例(41.5%),真菌27例(22.9%)。(2)肠道菌群失调患儿粪便pH分布在6-8之间,pH≥7者92例(78.0%);对照组粪便pH值分布在5-6.5之间,pH≤5.5者68例(85.0%),统计学比较差异有显著性(χ2=171.57,P<0.005)。(3)标本涂片镜检查细菌球杆比,菌群失调组为3/7-8/2,球菌≥40%者106例(89.8%);对照组标本细菌球杆比1/9-3/7,球菌≥40%者无1例,两者统计学比较差异有显著性(χ2=181.47,P<0.005)。结论腹泻患儿新鲜粪便细菌学、pH值和细菌球杆比的变化有助于肠道菌群失调的诊断,以pH≥7、细菌球杆比大于3/7诊断肠道菌群失调简单、快速、准确、价廉,适合临床基层实验室推广使用。     

重组人促红细胞生成素在国内外药典中质量标准不同点的对比分析

目的:对比重组人促红细胞生成素在《欧洲药典》(第5版)和《中国药典》(2005年版)中标准的不同点,为国内研发机构对基因重组蛋白产品的研发及国内企业对该产品的进出口提供参考。方法:按2部药典要求,对进口产品或国产产品实样进行部分关键指标的对比分析。结果:2部药典对该产品的标准描述上存在具体内容的区别。结论:在现代药物的研发和生产中,对药品的国际及国内标准要进行综合分析而拟定。