籼稻232蜡质基因转录起始位点的鉴定

Ｎｏｒｔｈｅｒｎｂｌｏｔ杂交分析和蜡质基因ｃＤＮＡ的序列分析表明水稻蜡质基因的转录本可能延伸到翻译起始密码子（ＡＴＧ）上游１２ｋｂ处。据此设计了２１Ｎｔ的寡核苷酸引物,并以籼稻２３２胚乳ＲＮＡ为模板,以引物延伸法确定籼稻２３２蜡质基因的转录起始点,籼稻蜡质基因的转录起始旁邻顺序ＣＴＣＡＣＣＡ与高等植物基因的转录起始点一致顺序ＣＴＣＡＴＣＡ仅相差１个碱基。通过顺序比较,对东乡野生稻蜡质基因中的转录起始位点的位置,以及对此两稻种中ＴＡＴＡ盒的可能顺序进行了讨论。     

Sex determination of in vitro developed buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) embryos by DNA amplification

This study was conducted to determine the sex of buffalo embryos produced in vitro by amplifying male specific DNA sequences using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). This method uses three different pairs of bovine Y-chromosome specific primers and a pair of bovine satellite specific primers. Buffalo in vitro fertilized embryos at the 4-cell to blastocyst stage were collected at days 3, 4, 6, and 8 postinsemination, and the sex of each embryo was determined using all three different Y-chromosome specific primers. The bovine satellite sequence specific primers recognize similar sequences in buffalo and are amplified both in males and in females. Similarly, Y-chromosome specific primers amplify the similar Y-chromosome specific sequences in male embryos of buffalo. Upon examining genomic DNA from lymphocytes of adult males and females, and embryos, the results demonstrate the feasibility of embryo sexing in buffaloes. Furthermore, sex determination by PCR was found to be a rapid and accurate method. © 1993 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

用于聚合酶链式反应(PCR)引物设计的计算机程序

 本文报道了两个用于PCR引物设计的计算机程序PCRDESN和PCRDESNA。PCRDESN程序主要从以下4个方面评价用户自己设计的一对引物的质量:(1)引物内的碱基反向重复或发夹结构,(2)两个引物之间的碱基互补配对,(3)两个引物之间的同源性,(4)引物的碱基组成及特点和T_m值计算。通过用多例文献发表的及本院有关实验室提供的引物对序列的验证,确定了程序的运算参数,证明该程序能较好地检验引物对的质量和解释某些PCR实验失败的原因。PCRDESNA程序采用逐级优化的方法和比PCRDESN所选用的更严紧的引物选择参数对用户提供的核酸序列进行快速检索,以确定所有可能的和合适的引物对。     

2′-MeO-RNA Containing Oligodeoxyribonucleotide Primers Can Prevent Template-independent Base Extension on Microarrays

DNA microarrays require tens of thousands of deoxyoligonucleotides to be registered in an addressable fashion through immobilization, so that they have the high-throughput capability of analyzing a large number of samples simultaneously in a minimal volume of each reagent. However, using immobilized DNA molecules on microarrays can impose certain technical problems for some assays. For example, high background noise has been observed in using immobilized oligonucleotide microarrays (DNA chip) for primer extension reactions. This noise may be associated with the reactions of secondary structures formed by the adjacent primers physically constrained on the surface. Single-base extension (SBE) of arrayed primers on a chip has been extensively used in mini-sequencing to examine single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP). Some primers appeared to be extendable in the absence of any template and thus competed against the base extension directed by the assay target such as genomic DNA. In this article, a method is reported that is capable of reducing template-independent extension by the substitution of a 2′-methoxyribonucleotide in the otherwise oligodeoxyribonucleotide primer. The surrogate compound placed at the 5′-end of the putative secondary structure sequence of a given primer was able to inhibit template-independent extension and to improve data quality of surface-attached primer extension assays.     

Redox‐Active Organic Compounds for Future Sustainable Energy Storage System

Utilizing redox‐active organic compounds for future energy storage system (ESS) has attracted great attention owing to potential cost efficiency and environmental sustainability. Beyond enriching the pool of organic electrode materials with molecular tailoring, recent scientific efforts demonstrate the innovations in various cell chemistries and configurations. Herein, recent major strategies to build better organic batteries, are highlighted: diversifying charge‐carrying ions, modifying electrolytes, and utilizing liquid‐type organic electrodes. Each approach is summarized along with their advantages over Li‐ion batteries (LIBs). An outlook is also provided on the practical realization of organic battery systems, which hints at possible solutions for future sustainable ESSs.     

The History and Advances of Reversible Terminators Used in New Generations of Sequencing Technology

DNA sequencing using reversible terminators, as one sequencing by synthesis strategy, has garnered a great deal of interest due to its popular application in the second-generation high-throughput DNA sequencing technology. In this review, we provided its history of development, classification, and working mechanism of this technology. We also outlined the screening strategies for DNA polymerases to accommodate the reversible terminators as substrates during polymerization; particularly, we introduced the "REAP" method developed by us. At the end of this review, we discussed current limitations of this approach and provided potential solutions to extend its application.     

Monitoring attributes for ecological restoration in Latin America and the Caribbean region

Ecological restoration is becoming mainstreamed worldwide but target ecosystems' responses to restorative interventions are not sufficiently monitored, in terms of the wide range of ecological, social, and economic attributes available. In order to highlight and better understand this problem, we conducted a literature review of the ecological, social, and economic attributes cited in the scientific literature used for monitoring the success of ecological restoration projects in Latin America and the Caribbean region, where no regional study of this kind has previously been conducted. In 84 of the 91 articles retained for the study, ecological indicators were evaluated, while only seven articles included measurements of socioeconomic indicators. Regarding the Society for Ecological Restoration Primer attributes of restored ecosystems, we only found indicators measuring attributes 1–6, with attribute 1 (species assemblages) predominating (73%), followed by physical conditions (54%) and ecological functions (51%). Brazil was the country in the region where most monitoring was being carried out (51% of the articles), and tropical rainforest (33%) and tropical dry forest (25%) were the ecosystem types where ecological restoration was most frequently monitored. Highly vulnerable ecosystems such as mangroves and paramos were underrepresented. Attributes related to ecosystem stability or to governance and education of communities were not monitored at all. More real long‐term monitoring, instead of chronosequences, is needed, especially where understanding socioeconomic implications of, and barriers to, effective ecological restoration is a top priority.