Different structure-function relationships for alpha-factor-induced morphogenesis and agglutination in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Eight synthetic analogs of the mating pheromone alpha-factor-induced morphogenesis and increased agglutinability in a cells. Most analogs induced increased agglutinability at lower concentrations than those at which they induced morphogenesis, but the ratio of the potencies for the two effects varied 140-fold among different analogs. Morphological response to pheromone required exposure for at least 90 min, but increased agglutinability followed exposures of 20 s. Two synthetic analogs induced neither response. In competition experiments, both of these analogs prevented induction of increased agglutinability and morphogenesis by active alpha factor. The inactive peptides blocked increased agglutinability at lower concentrations than those at which they blocked morphogenesis. alpha factors exhibited different structure-function relationships for morphogenesis as compared with agglutinability. Thus, response of Saccharomyces cerevisiae to alpha factor is complex and may be mediated by more than one receptor.     

Transforming growth factor-beta signaling helps specify tumor type in DMBA and hormone-induced mammary cancers

To determine the role of transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) signaling in mammary development and tumor formation, we previously generated transgenic mice that expressed a dominant-negative form of the TGF-beta type II receptor (DNIIR) under the control of DNA regulatory elements from the metallothionein promoter (MT-DNIIR-28). In this report, we tested the hypothesis that loss of TGF-beta signaling in the mammary gland alters the development of chemically or hormonally induced tumors in mice. Four groups of mice were used in the study: wild-type and MT-DNIIR-28 mice on zinc with pituitary isograft, and wild-type and MT-DNIIR-28 mice on zinc with pituitary isograft treated with the carcinogen, 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene (DMBA). Tumor-free survival over time, tumor growth rate, and tumor pathology were measured. Statistically significant differences in tumor free survival over time or tumor growth rate were not detected in wild-type versus transgenic mice treated with DMBA. In contrast, tumor-free survival was significantly altered in transgenic mice that were treated with the pituitary isograft alone with MT-DNIIR mice developing tumors more quickly. Alterations in the types of tumors that formed in wild-type versus MT-DNIIR DMBA-treated mice were detected. In wild-type mice, tumors with squamous differentiation or bicellular adenomyoepitheliomas were most common. Adenomyoepitheliomas were not detected in transgenic mice. Furthermore, there was reduced staining for alpha smooth muscle actin and keratin 14, markers for myoepithelial cells, in the glandular portion of tumors in transgenic mice. The pathology of tumors induced by pituitary isograft alone was also markedly different in wild-type and transgenic mice. All the tumors classified from wild-type mice demonstrated some form of squamous differentiation, whereas squamous differentiation was not detected in the pituitary-induced transgenic tumors. The results suggest that TGF-beta acts as a tumor suppressor for hormone-induced cancers and that TGF-beta has a role in determining tumor pathology by regulating myoepithelial or squamous differentiation, maintenance, or transformation.     

Molecular analysis of the rDNA ITS-1 intergenic spacer in Drosophila mulleri,D. arizonae,and their hybrids

We analyzed the ITS-1 spacer region of the rDNA in Drosophila mulleri and D. arizonae, two sibling species belonging to the mulleri complex (repleta group) and in hybrids obtained in both cross directions. In spite of several previous studies showing the incompatibility of crosses involving D. arizonae females and D. mulleri males, we were able to obtain hybrids in this direction. Complete ITS-1 region was amplified using primers with homology at the 3'-end of the 18S rDNA and the 5'-end of the 5.8S rDNA genes. Our data demonstrated that D. mulleri and D. arizonae can be differentiated as they present a difference in length for the ITS-1 region. The amplified fragment for this region in D. mulleri has a length of 600 bp, whereas in D. arizonae this fragment is about 500 bp. It was also observed that male and female hybrids obtained in both cross directions present two amplified fragments, confirming the location of the ribosomal cistrons in the X chromosomes and microchromosomes of both parental species.     

Fungi isolated from olive ecosystems and screening of their potential biotechnological use

This study investigated the fungi diversity of fresh olive (Olea europaea L.) fruits, olive paste (crushed olives) and olive pomace (solid waste) and screened and quantified enzymatic activities with biotechnological applications. Fungi were randomly isolated from olive cultivars from Castilla La Mancha region (Spain). Identification included comparison of their polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplicons of the ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 ribosomal DNA region, followed by nucleotide sequence analysis. Fourteen different species with DNA sequences of different similarities were identified, belonging to seven different genera (Aspergillus, Penicillium, Rhizomucor, Mucor, Rhizopus, Lichtheimia and Galactomyces). Aspergillus fumigatus, followed by Galactomyces geotrichum, Penicillium commune and Rhizomucor variabilis var. regularior were the most frequent species. Specific enzyme screening was assayed on agar plates, using cellobiose, carboxymethylcellulose (CMC), polygalacturonic acid and CaCl(2)/Tween 80 as substrates for β-glucosidase, carboxymethylcellulase (CMCase), polygalacturonase and lipase, respectively. Species exhibiting the best activities were: Aspergillus fumigatus (for β-glucosidase, CMCase and lipase); Rhizopus oryzae (for β-glucosidase and lipase); Rhizomucor variabilis (for β-glucosidase, CMCase and polygalacturonase); Mucor fragilis (β-glucosidase, CMCase and lipase); Galactomyces geotrichum (for β-glucosidase, polygalacturonase and lipase) and Penicillium commune and Penicillium crustosum (for lipase). The species that had shown the best enzymatic activities were grown on hemicellulose, cellulose and pectin and some activities were quantified (xylanase, cellulase, β-glucosidase and pectinase). An isolate of A. fumigatus and one of A. niger showed the best cellulase and xylanase activities, while no species presented good pectinase and β-glucosidase activities. The selected species with potential enzymatic activities could be used for future applications of industrial interest.     

云南含笑天然居群的表型多样性分析

为揭示云南含笑天然居群表型变异程度和变异规律,以云南昆明地区天然分布的云南含笑为研究对象,调查了6个居群180个单株的14个表型性状,采用巢式方差分析、变异系数、相关分析、Shannon-Weaver多样性指数分析和聚类分析等方法,分析了居群间和居群内表型多样性.结果表明:(1)云南含笑表型性状在居群间和居群内存在极其丰富的多样性,14个表型性状平均表型分化系数(24.38％)小于居群内变异(75.62％),居群内变异是表型变异的主要来源;14个表型性状的变异系数(CV)在16.20％～60.11％之间,表明云南含笑居群内表型性状离散程度较高.(2)对云南含笑各居群的Shannon-Weaver指数分析表明,云南含笑各居群具有丰富的多样性,总体表型多样性指数为1.772.(3)利用居群间欧氏距离进行的UPGMA聚类分析结果表明,云南含笑6个天然居群可以聚为3类,而且表型性状并没有严格依地理距离而聚类.     

桂东不同林龄马尾松人工林的生物量及其分配特征

根据5a、15a、21a、32a、60a生的5个不同林龄的15块1 000m2样地(3次重复)调查资料,利用21株不同年龄和径阶的马尾松样木数据,建立以胸径(D)为单变量的生物量回归方程.采用样木回归分析法(乔木层)和样方收获法(灌木层、草本层、地上凋落物)获取不同林龄马尾松人工林的生物量,并分析了其组成、分配特征及不同林龄生物量的变化趋势.结果表明:(1)林分的总生物量随林龄而增加,5a、15a、21a、32a和60a生马尾松人工林生物量分别为15.03、125.93、183.51、191.53、405.31 Mg/hm2,其中活体植物占75.01％～94.19％,地上凋落物占0.86％～24.99％.(2)层次分配方面乔木层占绝对优势,占90.20％～98.35％,且随林龄的增加而增大,其次为地上凋落物,占0.86％～24.99％;草本层和灌木层生物量较小,分别占0.47％～34.85％和0.32％～27.00％,均随林龄的增加呈递减趋势.(3)乔木层器官分配以干所占比例最高,占49.93％～83.10％,且随林龄而增加;根相对比较稳定,占6.97％～12.82％;枝、叶分别占11.75％～14.83％、1.33％～23.65％,均随林龄增大而下降.灌木层器官分配除幼龄林为根＞枝＞叶,其余的均呈枝＞根＞叶的趋势.草本层中龄林和近熟林生物量地下＞地上,其他林龄生物量地上＞地下.(4)各林龄凋落物生物量在3.48～6.68Mg/hm2,规律性不强.(5)马尾松人工林乔木层各器官及林分生物量具有良好的优化增长模型,其32a生林分生物量高于同林龄的楠木人工林,低于热带雨林,是一种速生丰产、固碳潜力大的优良造林树种.     

The Wavelet-Based Cluster Analysis for Temporal Gene Expression Data

A variety of high-throughput methods have made it possible to generate detailed temporal expression data for a single gene or large numbers of genes. Common methods for analysis of these large data sets can be problematic. One challenge is the comparison of temporal expression data obtained from different growth conditions where the patterns of expression may be shifted in time. We propose the use of wavelet analysis to transform the data obtained under different growth conditions to permit comparison of expression patterns from experiments that have time shifts or delays. We demonstrate this approach using detailed temporal data for a single bacterial gene obtained under 72 different growth conditions. This general strategy can be applied in the analysis of data sets of thousands of genes under different conditions.[1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22,23,24,25,26,27,28,29]     

DICER1 loss and Alu RNA induce age-related macular degeneration via the NLRP3 inflammasome and MyD88

Alu RNA accumulation due to DICER1 deficiency in the retinal pigmented epithelium (RPE) is implicated in geographic atrophy (GA), an advanced form of age-related macular degeneration that causes blindness in millions of individuals. The mechanism of Alu RNA-induced cytotoxicity is unknown. Here we show that DICER1 deficit or Alu RNA exposure activates the NLRP3 inflammasome and triggers TLR-independent MyD88 signaling via IL18 in the RPE. Genetic or pharmacological inhibition of inflammasome components (NLRP3, Pycard, Caspase-1), MyD88, or IL18 prevents RPE degeneration induced by DICER1 loss or Alu RNA exposure. These findings, coupled with our observation that human GA RPE contains elevated amounts of NLRP3, PYCARD, and IL18 and evidence of increased Caspase-1 and MyD88 activation, provide a rationale for targeting this pathway in GA. Our findings also reveal a function of the inflammasome outside the immune system and an immunomodulatory action of mobile elements.