Breeding bacterial blight-resistant hybrid rice with the cloned bacterial blight resistance gene Xa21

The cloned bacterial blight (BB) resistance gene Xa21 was transferred into Minghui63, a widely used restorer line of indica hybrid rice in China, through an Agrobacterium-mediated system. Molecular and resistance analyses revealed that the Xa21 gene was integrated in the genomes of transgenic plants and their progeny inherited resistance stably. For the purpose of hybrid breeding, Xa21 transgenic homozygous restorer lines were selected through `within-lane' dosage comparison of hybridization signal in combination with PCR and resistance analyses. The selected transgenic restorer lines were then crossed with a commonly used sterile line, Zhenshan97A, to produce Xa21 transgenic hybrid rice, Shanyou63-Xa21. The hybrid rice plants with Xa21 displayed high broad-spectrum resistance to Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae (Xoo) races and maintained elite agronomic characters of Shanyou63. The propagation of this BB-resistant hybrid variety with Xa21 will benefit rice production.     

单克隆人胰腺干细胞分化特性的研究

研究1例来源于4月龄男性流产胎儿胰腺组织的单克隆人胰腺干细胞（monoclonal human pancreatic stem cell,mhPSC）系的体内外分化特性。将mhPSCs接种在铺有0．1％明胶的培养皿内,扩增培养3d后,加高糖DMEM诱导液诱导培养25d。相差显微镜下．观察细胞生长状况。采用双硫腙染色法、RT—PCR及葡萄糖刺激释放胰岛素和C肽实验．对体外定向诱导mhPSCs分化为功能性胰岛进行检测。将mhPSCs悬液注射在成年雄性裸鼠腹股沟皮下．注射30d时,取出移植物,采用SP法进行免疫组织化学反应,以检测mhPSCs的体内自然分化潜能。体外扩增培养,mhPSCs贴壁生长,呈多角形上皮样。生长至单层．呈“铺路石”状。体外定向诱导,细胞逐渐由多角形变成圆形,并聚集成类胰岛。诱导培养15d时．形成的类胰岛中少数细胞分化为B细胞,双硫腙染色阳性。诱导培养25d时,多数细胞分化为8细胞,双硫腙染色阳性,转录表达胰岛素的mRNA。用不同浓度葡萄糖刺激．诱导胰岛不仅释放胰岛素和C肽,而且其释放量随糖刺激浓度升高显著增加（0．01〈P〈0．05）。体内分化实验显示,mhPSCs在裸鼠背部形成类畸胎瘤。类畸胎瘤易与裸鼠分离,色白,血管丰富。显著表达pdx1、胰岛素、胰高血糖素、CK、MBP及NF蛋白。该研究结果证实单克隆人胰腺干细胞系体外定向诱导分化为包含大量β细胞的功能性类胰岛,在体内自然分化为胰岛、上皮及神经组织细胞。     

动物细胞培养用生物反应器及相关技术

动物细胞大量培养是生产生物制品的重要途径,它用到的关键设备是生物反应器。根据培养细胞、培养载体、培养液混合方式的不同,生物反应器主要有搅拌式、气升式、中空纤维式、回转式等,其中搅拌式规模最大。回转式是NASA于20世纪90年代中期开发的一种新型生物反应器,被誉为空间生物反应器,可用于组织工程研究。与生物反应器配套的技术主要有灌注、微载体、多孔微球、转入抗凋亡基因等,可以有效地提高细胞密度,增加生物制品产量,提高质量。今后生物反应器研制主要朝两个方向发展:一是,以高密度培养动物细胞生产蛋白质药物为目的,二是以三维培养动物细胞(主要是人类细胞)再生组织或器官为目的。     

Change in microbial communities in acetate- and glucose-fed microbial fuel cells in the presence of light

Power densities produced by microbial fuel cells (MFCs) in natural systems are changed by exposure to light through the enrichment of photosynthetic microorganisms. When MFCs with brush anodes were exposed to light (4000 lx), power densities increased by 8–10% for glucose-fed reactors, and 34% for acetate-fed reactors. Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) profiles based on the 16S rRNA gene showed that exposure to high light levels changed the microbial communities on the anodes. Based on 16S rRNA gene clone libraries of light-exposed systems the anode communities using glucose were also significantly different than those fed acetate. Dominant bacteria that are known exoelectrogens were identified in the anode biofilm, including a purple nonsulfur (PNS) photosynthetic bacterium, Rhodopseudomonas palustris, and a dissimilatory iron-reducing bacterium, Geobacter sulfurreducens. Pure culture tests confirmed that PNS photosynthetic bacteria increased power production when exposed to high light intensities (4000 lx). These results demonstrate that power production and community composition are affected by light conditions as well as electron donors in single-chamber air-cathode MFCs.     

从异常核型人胚胎干细胞中筛选不同X染色体失活状态的亚系

目的:从异常核型人胚胎干细胞系中分离两种不同X染色体失活(XCI)状态的细胞,建立亚系,并进行对其XCI状态特征和多能性标记进行鉴定。方法:G显带鉴定人胚胎干细胞系ch HESC-3早晚期代数细胞的核型,H3K27me3免疫荧光染色鉴定早晚期ch HESC-3表观遗传差异,RT-PCR检测早晚期ch HESC-3中XIST基因的表达。利用单细胞克隆的培养分选亚系,H3K27me3、RNA polymeraseⅡ以及DAPI三种标记的共染后每种表观标记各选两株进行RT-PCR,检测两种亚系中XIST基因的表达。并对这四株细胞进行干细胞标记鉴定。结果:G显带结果证明早期ch HESC-3为正常核型,晚期代数核型为异常核型,牵涉到8条染色体的复杂结构变异。H3K27me3免疫荧光染色证明异常核型ch HESC-3中有部分细胞出现了H3K27me3凝集点,而正常核型细胞中未发现。正常核型细胞(ch HESC-3N)没有XIST基因表达,异常核型细胞(ch HESC-3C)中有表达。在RNA polymeraseⅡ着色缺口中发现H3K27me3凝集点的细胞亚株XIST基因表达阳性,polymeraseⅡ着色缺口中未发现H3K27me3凝集点的细胞亚株XIST基因表达阴性,XIST阳性和阴性细胞各选两株进行多能性标记免疫荧光染色均为阳性。结论:成功从异常核型人胚胎干细胞系中分离两种不同XCI状态的细胞并建立亚系,两种表观类型的亚系均保持多能性标记并能在长期培养中保持各自特性。     

Bacillus thuringiensis insecticidal crystal toxins: gene structure and mode of action

Thanks to the techniques of recombinant DNA, there is now abundant sequence information on several endotoxin genes of Bacillus thuringiensis. The task of correlating this sequence information with the economically important aspects of the toxins such as insect specificity, LD(50) and speed of kill is now under worldwide investigation. Progress has also been made on understanding the mechanism of action of the toxins and on identifying the parts of the protoxin which are important in toxicity. Taken together, the mechanistic data and the sequence information allow the first attempts at rational design of mutant endotoxin genes and greatly facilitate the transfer of those genes to other organisms such as plants. More information is still needed, however, as to the nature of the binding site of the toxin and on the three-dimensional structure of the activated toxins.     

Neural stem cells: involvement in adult neurogenesis and CNS repair

Recent advances in stem cell research, including the selective expansion of neural stem cells (NSCs) in vitro, the induction of particular neural cells from embryonic stem cells in vitro, the identification of NSCs or NSC-like cells in the adult brain and the detection of neurogenesis in the adult brain (adult neurogenesis), have laid the groundwork for the development of novel therapies aimed at inducing regeneration in the damaged central nervous system (CNS). There are two major strategies for inducing regeneration in the damaged CNS: (i) activation of the endogenous regenerative capacity and (ii) cell transplantation therapy. In this review, we summarize the recent findings from our group and others on NSCs, with respect to their role in insult-induced neurogenesis (activation of adult NSCs, proliferation of transit-amplifying cells, migration of neuroblasts and survival and maturation of the newborn neurons), and implications for therapeutic interventions, together with tactics for using cell transplantation therapy to treat the damaged CNS.     

吸附剂及培养基组成对香荚兰细胞悬浮培养产生香兰素的影响

本文报道了培养基的组成及添加吸附剂对香荚兰细胞悬浮培养产生香兰素的影响。结果表明,添加吸附剂活性炭及XAD-2后,香荚兰细胞产生的香兰素含量明显增加,而且活性炭的效果优于XAD-2;香荚兰细胞在全组成的MS培养基中香兰素含量均低于由矿物质盐组成培养基中的含量。可以考虑采用二步培养法来培养香荚兰细胞及产生香兰素。