Fifty years of character compatibility concepts at work

In the mid 19th century,systematic biologists realized that observable similarities and differences among a group of related species could be the basis for hypotheses about the evolutionary relationships among the species and their ancestors.Such hypotheses Can be expressed as characters.A character is comprised of two or more character states of species considered to be similar with respect to a basis for comparison.The states of a character may also be arranged into a character state tree to hypothesize speciation events associated with changes from one character state to another.In the mid 20th century.some systematists realized that sometimes paxrs of characters(or character state trees)could be incompatible as hypotheses,i.e.,they could not both be true.Through the 1950s,'60s and'70s,tests for,and ways to resolve,incompatibilities were used to estimate an ancestor relation based on mutually compatible characters.An estimate was often shown as a diagram connecting ancestors to their immediate descendants(not quite correctly)called a phylogenetic tree.More recently,other applications of compatibility concepts have been developed,including:identify characters that appear to be random in the context of their data set;combine estimates of ancestor relations for subsets of taxa in a larger collection into a single estimate(a so-called supertree)for the whole collection;and interpret geographic patterns in an evolutionary context.     

新型共聚物淀粉接技聚乳酸的制备及其表征

采用原位熔融共聚法,以淀粉和乳酸为原料,制备改性淀粉聚乳酸接枝共聚物,对共聚反应机理进行初步探讨.结果表明,淀粉经PEG-400和马来酸酐增塑改性处理反应活性增强,与乳酸反应生成的淀粉聚乳酸接枝共聚物分子量Mw为6.921×10~4,Mn为4.789×10~4,分子量分布Mw/Mn为1.445.共聚物在PBS缓冲溶液中进行降解测试,结果为6天后质量损失一半.     

应用基因组原位杂交鉴定蓝粒小麦及其诱变后代

应用基因组原位杂交技术（GISH）对普通小麦（Triticum aestivumL.)和长穗偃麦草[Agropyron elongatum(Host)Beauv,2n=10x=70]杂交后选育出的蓝粒小麦蓝-58及其诱变后代的染色体组成进行了鉴定。结果表明,GISH可方便地检测到小麦遗传背景中的长穗偃麦草染色体或易位的片段。如前人报道,蓝-58（2n=42)是一个具有2条长穗偃麦草4E染色体的异代换系（4E/4D）。LW004可能是一个具有两对相互易位染色体的纯合系,其田间表现磷高效特性,LW43-3-4为41条染色体的蓝单体（40W 1’4E）,种子颜色为浅蓝色,通过此法还检测出一些染色体结构发生很大变异的材料如4E的单端体（40W 1‘4E),种子颜色为浅蓝色,通过此法还检测出一些染色结构发生很大变异的材料如4E的单端体（40W 1‘t4E)以及组型为39W 1‘4E 1‘t4E的个体,此项研究结果更为直观地表明控制蓝粒体状的基因的确在来自长穗偃麦草的染色体上。同时说明有效的突变方法与灵活方便的检测手段的有机结合在染色体工程材料的创制和染色体工程育种中起着至关重要的作用。     

成年沙田柚树试管嫁接及微繁殖的研究

分别以两类沙田柚侧芽为接穗、酸柚为砧木进行了试管嫁接,结果表明:不同嫁接方式、接穗大小以及不同激素处理均直接影响到试管嫁接成活率.对大田侧芽而言,接穗大小以茎尖为宜,1.0mg/LGA3或0.5mg/L6-BA处理效果较佳,嫁接成活率分别达50%和30%;对侧枝沙培萌发的侧芽而言,接穗大小以茎尖 1个节间为宜,2.0mg/LGA3或0.5mg/L6-BA处理效果较佳,嫁接成活率分别达90%和80%.在相同条件下,后者的嫁接成活率一般明显高于前者.两种沙田柚嫁接苗的试管微繁殖没有明显区别,在MS 6-BA0.1mg/L培养基上均可分化不定芽,继代的嫁接成活率可达90%以上.     

Conditional deletion of Cadherin 13 perturbs Golgi cells and disrupts social and cognitive behaviors

Inhibitory interneurons mediate the gating of synaptic transmission and modulate the activities of neural circuits. Disruption of the function of inhibitory networks in the forebrain is linked to impairment of social and cognitive behaviors, but the involvement of inhibitory interneurons in the cerebellum has not been assessed. We found that Cadherin 13 (Cdh13), a gene implicated in autism spectrum disorder and attention‐deficit hyperactivity disorder, is specifically expressed in Golgi cells within the cerebellar cortex. To assess the function of Cdh13 and utilize the manipulation of Cdh13 expression in Golgi cells as an entry point to examine cerebellar‐mediated function, we generated mice carrying Cdh13‐floxed alleles and conditionally deleted Cdh13 with GlyT2::Cre mice. Loss of Cdh13 results in a decrease in the expression/localization of GAD67 and reduces spontaneous inhibitory postsynaptic current (IPSC) in cerebellar Golgi cells without disrupting spontaneous excitatory postsynaptic current (EPSC). At the behavioral level, loss of Cdh13 in the cerebellum, piriform cortex and endopiriform claustrum have no impact on gross motor coordination or general locomotor behaviors, but leads to deficits in cognitive and social abilities. Mice lacking Cdh13 exhibit reduced cognitive flexibility and loss of preference for contact region concomitant with increased reciprocal social interactions. Together, our findings show that Cdh13 is critical for inhibitory function of Golgi cells, and that GlyT2::Cre‐mediated deletion of Cdh13 in non‐executive centers of the brain, such as the cerebellum, may contribute to cognitive and social behavioral deficits linked to neurological disorders.     

山萘酚通过增强Treg细胞免疫抑制功能延长移植物生存时间

目的:探讨应用山萘酚增强Treg细胞免疫抑制功能,从而抑制大鼠移植物排斥反应并改善移植物生存的作用和机制。方法:以Wister大鼠和SD大鼠分别为供、受体,建立同种异体皮肤移植排斥反应动物模型。观察受体老鼠皮肤移植物的情况,记录移植物失功时间(移植物皮片80%面积发生排斥)。RT-PCR检测移植7天后脾细胞、淋巴细胞FOXP3、CTLA-4和IL-10的mRNA水平,用HE染色组织病理学观察术后7天移植皮片的淋巴细胞浸润程度。体外实验T细胞增殖抑制试验加入山萘酚作为对照,观察Treg功能情况。结果:1.山萘酚能增强移植后同种异体移植物的生存时间(DMSO组6.3±0.3天,山萘酚组13.7±0.39天,P<0.01);2.RT-PCR显示山萘酚可增强细胞CTLA-4(对照组9.24±0.17,山萘酚组12.48±0.145,P<0.05)、FOXP3(对照组0.96±0.07,山萘酚组1.41±0.07,P<0.01)和IL-10(对照组0.95±0.12,山萘酚组1.50±0.16,P<0.05)的mRNA水平;3.体外T细胞增殖抑制实验中,山萘酚可增强Treg细胞的免疫抑制功能。结论:在大鼠皮肤移植模型中,山萘酚可延长皮肤移植物的生存时间,提高Treg细胞相关IL-10、FOXP3和CTLA-4的mRNA水平;体外实验中,能抑制效应T细胞的增殖,表明山萘酚在提高移植物生存方面存在一定的价值。     

选择性冠状静脉动脉化搭桥术中不同移植物的应用疗效比较

目的:对比选择性冠状静脉动脉化(SCVBG)搭桥治疗弥漫性右冠状动脉狭窄病变中选择乳内动脉和大隐静脉作为桥血管的治疗效果。方法:选择2008年10月到2014年10月在我院行SCVBG搭桥的84例患者资料,其中选择大隐静脉作为桥血管进行冠状静脉动脉化搭桥患者46例(大隐静脉桥组),选择乳内动脉作为桥血管进行冠状静脉动脉化搭桥患者38例(乳内动脉桥组)。随访记录两组患者的生存情况、近期复查超声心动图、冠状动脉CTA及心绞痛复发率。结果:乳内动脉桥组患者总生存率(100%)明显高于大隐静脉桥组(82.6%)(P0.05)。乳内动脉桥组患者桥血管和心中静脉通畅率(100%)明显大于大隐静脉桥组(54.35%)(P0.05)。两组患者左心室射血分数(LVEF)较治疗前明显增加,左心室舒张期末内径(LVEDD)较治疗前明显减小(P0.05)。治疗后,乳内动脉桥组患者心绞痛复发率明显小于大隐静脉桥组(P0.05)。结论:SCVBG搭桥治疗弥漫性右冠状动脉狭窄病变中,选择乳内动脉桥效果优于大隐静脉桥,能明显提高桥血管和心中静脉通畅率,降低心绞痛复发率。     

Ecological differentiation and diploid superiority across a moving ploidy contact zone

Plant polyploid complexes provide useful model systems for distinguishing between adaptive and nonadaptive causes of parapatric distributions in closely related lineages. Polyploidy often gives rise to morphological and physiological changes, which may be adaptive to different environments, but separate distributions may also be maintained by reproductive interference caused by postzygotic reproductive isolation. Here, we test the hypothesis that diploid and descendent polyploid races of the wind-pollinated herb Mercurialis annua , which are found in parapatry over an environmental gradient in northeast Spain, are differentiated in their ecophysiology and life history. We also ask whether any such differences represent adaptations to their different natural environments. On the basis of a series of reciprocal transplant experiments in the field, and experiments under controlled conditions, we found that diploid and polyploid populations of M. annua are ecologically differentiated, but that they do not show local adaptation; rather, the diploids have higher fitness than the polyploids across both diploid- and polyploid-occupied regions. In fact, diploids are currently displacing polyploids by advancing south on two separate fronts in Spain, and previous work has shown that this displacement is being driven to a large extent by asymmetrical pollen swamping. Our results here suggest that ecophysiological superiority of the diploids may also be contributing to their expansion.     

Affinity transfer to a human protein by CDR3 grafting of camelid VHH

VHH is the binding domain of the IgG heavy chain. Some VHHs have an extremely long CDR3 that contributes to antigen binding. We studied the antigen binding ability of CDR3 by grafting a CDR3 from an antigen-binding VHH onto a nonbinding VHH. cAb-CA05-(1RI8), the CDR3-grafted VHH, had an antigen-binding ability. To find a human scaffold protein acceptable for VHH CDR3 grafting, we focused on the conserved structure of VHH, especially the N-terminal and C-terminal amino acid residues of the CDR3 loop and the Cys residue of CDR1. Human origin protein structures with the same orientation were searched in PDB and ubiquitin was selected. Ubi-(1RI8), the CDR3-grafted ubiquitin, had antigen-binding ability, though the affinity was relatively low compared to cAb-CA05-(1RI8). The thermodynamic parameters of Ubi-(1RI8) binding to HEWL were different from cAb-CA05-(1RI8). Hydrogen-deuterium exchange experiments showed decreased stability around the CDR3 grafting region of Ubi-(1RI8), which might explain the decreased antigen-binding ability and the differences in thermodynamic properties. We concluded that the orientation of the CDR3 sequence of Ubi-(1RI8) could not be reconstructed correctly.