Global diversity and genetic contributions of chicken populations from African,Asian and European regions

Genetic diversity and population structure of 113 chicken populations from Africa, Asia and Europe were studied using 29 microsatellite markers. Among these, three populations of wild chickens and nine commercial purebreds were used as reference populations for comparison. Compared to commercial lines and chickens sampled from the European region, high mean numbers of alleles and a high degree of heterozygosity were found in Asian and African chickens as well as in Red Junglefowl. Population differentiation (F_ST) was higher among European breeds and commercial lines than among African, Asian and Red Junglefowl populations. Neighbour‐Net genetic clustering and structure analysis revealed two main groups of Asian and north‐west European breeds, whereas African populations overlap with other breeds from Eastern Europe and the Mediterranean region. Broilers and brown egg layers were situated between the Asian and north‐west European clusters. structure analysis confirmed a lower degree of population stratification in African and Asian chickens than in European breeds. High genetic differentiation and low genetic contributions to global diversity have been observed for single European breeds. Populations with low genetic variability have also shown a low genetic contribution to a core set of diversity in attaining maximum genetic variation present from the total populations. This may indicate that conservation measures in Europe should pay special attention to preserving as many single chicken breeds as possible to maintain maximum genetic diversity given that higher genetic variations come from differentiation between breeds.     

Design of specific inhibitors of the protein tyrosine phosphatase SHP-2 by virtual screening and core hopping method

The protein tyrosine phosphatase Src homology 2 (SH2) domain-containing phosphatase 2 (SHP-2) is an important signalling component of growth factors, cytokines and oncogenic bacteria. Studies have identified that gain-of-function SHP-2 mutations were associated with the Noonan syndrome, various kinds of leukaemias and solid tumours. However, it is complicated to find the specific inhibitors for SHP-2 over the closely related tyrosine phosphatase SHP-1 and protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B (PTP1B). The aim of this study was to develop potent and specific SHP-2 inhibitors as anticancer and antileukaemia agents. So the ZINC fragment database was searched for finding the optimal compound with the core hopping technique. As a result, the 15 compounds were obtained. It was observed by molecular dynamics simulations that those compounds interact with the active site of SHP-2 more strongly than with the corresponding sites of the closely related protein tyrosine phosphatases, SHP-1 and PTP1B. The ‘absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion’ prediction shows that the 15 compounds may become candidates for developing powerful and novel drugs for treating Noonan syndrome, juvenile myelomonocytic leukaemia and possibly other SHP-2-associated cancers.     

可溶性有机碳在土壤剖面淋溶过程中的分馏

选取中亚热带两种不同类型土壤为研究对象,采集0～10、10～20、20 ～ 40、40～60、60～80、80～ 100 cm土层土壤样品,提取米槠新近凋落物的可溶性有机碳(DOC)溶液为初始DOC,研究其在土样中淋溶时的分馏现象和截留特征.结果表明:初始DOC在土柱中淋溶时,其浓度随深度增加呈逐层下降的趋势,而且化学结构更为简单,被土壤截留的DOC中主要是疏水性组分,但随着土层深度增加,亲水性DOC的截留量呈上升趋势;红外光谱显示含有芳环的疏水性物质最易被吸附,而烷烃和简单的碳水化合物则最有可能随土壤溶液进入下层土壤;由于到达下层土壤的DOC中易被吸附组分含量的减少,限制了其吸附能力的发挥,因此主要的吸附过程发生在40 cm以上土层,表明DOC本身的化学性质比土壤性质更能影响其吸附行为;不同类型土壤的截留量具有显著差异,这与土壤黏粒和铁铝氧化物的含量呈显著正相关.     

P20A inhibits HIV-1 fusion through its electrostatic interaction with the distal region of the gp41 fusion core

We previously identified an HIV-1 fusion inhibitor P20A targeting HIV-1 gp41 6-HB fusion core. Using alanine scanning mutagenesis, we investigated the effect of 6-HB surface residue mutations on the binding affinity between P20A and 6-HB. Substitution of positively or negatively charged residues in the distal region of 6-HB with alanines resulted in significant decrease or increase of its binding affinity to P20A, respectively. The 6-HB with E630K, D632K, or E634K mutation exhibited enhanced binding affinity with P20A, suggesting that P20A blocks HIV-1 fusion through electrostatic interaction with the positively charged residues in the distal region of the gp41 fusion core.     

基于穗形特征与分子标记进行中国节节麦核心种质的创建

节节麦是普通小麦D基因组供体,遗传多样性丰富,而我国节节麦资源是有别于中东节节麦资源的重要基因源。为了合理高效地管理、评价、保护和利用我国节节麦资源,本研究将野生采集的762份中国节节麦资源作为试验材料,基于SSR标记分组状况,利用小穗长、护颖长、护颖宽、外稃长、外稃宽、内稃长、内稃宽、穗宽、粒长和粒宽等10个穗形性状指标,在欧氏距离、马氏距离和4种取样比例下构建节节麦核心种质候选集。进而采用均值差异百分率、极差符合率、方差差异百分率及变异系数变化率4个指标对不同方法构建的核心种质候选集的可行性和有效性进行评价,并利用原种质和核心种质的主成分分析法进行验证,最终确定基于欧氏距离、10%取样比例下、采用最小距离逐步取样法构建的包含76个样品的节节麦核心种质能够以最小的资源份数、最大限度地代表我国节节麦的遗传多样性。     

Ontogenetic diet shifts of rough scad Trachurus lathami in the North Patagonian shelf (south-west Atlantic Ocean)

Rough scad Trachurus lathami is a key pelagic fish in the Argentinean continental shelf (ACS, south-west Atlantic Ocean), with recent increases in abundance. It is a main prey of fishes and marine mammals, and shares the environment with commercially relevant pelagic species (Engraulis anchoita and Scomber colias), playing an important role linking lower and upper trophic levels in the ecosystem. This study aims to determine the ontogenetic changes in the diet composition, feeding strategy, trophic niche breadth and trophic level of T. lathami in the North Patagonian Shelf (43°–45°30′S). The stomach contents of adult fish (n = 238) were analysed. The results suggest a clear ontogenetic shift in the diet at a size of ~190 mm. Smaller individuals (160–190 mm) were specialized on misidaceans, and showed the highest trophic level, while larger T. lathami (221–230 mm) consumed decapods (Peisos petrunkevitchi) and teleosts (eggs and larvae). Trophic niche breadth was higher at the medium-sized class (191–220 mm), which mainly preyed on copepods (Calanoides carinatus) and chaetognaths (Sagitta spp.), evidencing a more diverse diet and a rather generalist strategy. Updated information on the trophic ecology of T. lathami evidences its extremely plastic feeding behaviour, being able to adapt its trophic niche to the most readily available food items from the mesopelagic community.