A survey of the availability of primary bioinformatics web resources

The explosive growth of the bioinformatics field has led to a large amount of data and software applications publicly available as web resources. However, the lack of persistence of web references is a barrier to a comprehensive shared access. We conducted a study of the current availability and other features of primary bioinforo matics web resources （such as software tools and databases）. The majority （95%） of the examined bioinformatics web resources were found running on UNIX/Linux operating systems, and the most widely used web server was found to be Apache （or Apache-related products）. Of the overall 1,130 Uniform Resource Locators （URLs） examined, 91% were highly available （more than 90% of the time）, while only 4% showed low accessibility （less than 50% of the time） during the survey. Furthermore, the most common URL failure modes are presented and analyzed.     

A Novel Integrated Method Tor Large-scale Detection,Identification, and Quantification of Widely Targeted Metabolites： Application in the Study of Rice Metabolomics

Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry （LC-MS）-based metabolomics has been facilitated by the con- struction of MSz spectral tag （MS2T） library from the total scan ESI MS/MS data, and the development of widely targeted metabolomics method using MS/MS data gathered from authentic standards. In this report, a novel strategy called step- wise multiple ion monitoring-enhanced product ions （stepwise MIM-EPI） was developed to construct the MS2T library, in which stepwise MIM was used as survey scans to trigger the acquisition of EPI. A total number of 698 （almost） non- redundant metabolites with MS2 spectra were obtained, of which 135 metabolites were identified/annotated. Integrating the data gathered from our MS2T library and other available multiple reaction monitoring （MRM） information, a widely targeted metabolomics method was developed to quantify 277 metabolites, including some phytohormones. Evaluation of the dehydration responses and natural variations of these metabolites in rice leaf not only suggested the coordinated regulation of abscisic acid （ABA） with metabolites such as serotonin derivative（s）, polyamine conjugates under drought stress, but also revealed some C-glycosylated flavones as the potential markers for the discrimination of indica and japonica rice subspecies. The new MS2T library construction and widely targeted metabolomics strategy could be used as a tool for rice functional genomics.     

基于广泛靶向代谢组学的竹黄活性成分分析

竹黄是我国一种重要的药用真菌,在医学、农业、食品等方面应用广泛且前景可观。为深入挖掘竹黄中有药理活性的有效化学成分,了解其在生长发育过程中不同时期代谢物的变化规律,利用广泛靶向代谢组学技术检测了竹黄子座不同发育时期的代谢物,找出差异代谢物并进行代谢通路分析。从竹黄子座中共检测出612种代谢物,前期和中期特有27种代谢物。黄酮类、奎宁酸、香豆素等具有良好生物活性的化合物首次在竹黄中被检测到。筛选出的差异代谢物主要是脂质、氨基酸、核苷酸、黄酮类、萜类、有机酸等物质,其中黄酮和氨基酸类化合物占主要地位。通过对代谢通路富集分析,获得6条具有显著意义的代谢途径。黄酮类化合物被认为是除竹红菌素外与竹黄药效有重要联系的化合物。本研究为竹黄药用机理及有效成分深入研究提供了一定的理论基础,为竹黄有效成分的代谢途径解析提供参考。     

A brief review of short tandem repeat mutation

Short tandem repeats （STRs） are short tandemly repeated DNA sequences that involve a repetitive unit of 1-6 bp. Because of their polymorphisms and high mutation rates, STRs are widely used in biological research. Strand-slippage replication is the predominant mutation mechanism of STRs, and the stepwise mutation model is regarded as the main mutation model. STR mutation rates can be influenced by many factors. Moreover, some trinucleotide repeats are associated with human neurodegenerative diseases. In order to deepen our knowledge of these diseases and broaden STR application, it is essential to understand the STR mutation process in detail. In this review, we focus on the current known information about STR mutation.     

Studies on substrate specificity of Jmjd2a-c histone demethylases

Jumonji domain containing iron (II), 2-oxoglutarate (2OG)-dependent dioxygenases from Jmjd2 family demethylate trimethylated histone3-lysine 9 (H3-K9me3), and also H3-K9me2 and H3-K36me3, albeit at lower rates. Recently, we have identified the first non-histone substrates of JmjD2 demethylases. Here, we studied the substrate specificity of Jmjd2a-c demethylases using site-directed mutagenesis and novel non-histone substrates. We identified preference of Arg at −1 position and a smaller amino acid at −2 position using both singly and doubly mutated peptide substrates by Jmjd2a-c demethylases. Our results also identified similarities in substrate selectivity by H3-K9 methyltransferase, G9a and Jmjd2 demethylases despite their distinct reaction mechanisms.     

穆棱林区野生东北马鹿种群冬季食物组成模式与植物代谢产物的关系

高纬度地带,在冬季食物资源有限的环境中,野生大型有蹄类动物满足营养需求的同时,需要对植物中次生代谢产物进行平衡,回避有害物质并选择对机体有益的成分,从而形成特定的食物组成模式。以东北马鹿（Cervus elaphus xanthopygus）为研究对象,于2020年11月,在黑龙江穆棱东北红豆杉国家级自然保护区境内,采集东北马鹿粪便和植物样本。通过粪便显微分析法确定保护区内马鹿冬季食物组成,采用k-means聚类分析揭示马鹿冬季食物组成模式。应用广泛靶向代谢组技术对部分植物中次生代谢产物的含量进行全覆盖定性和相对定量检测,将食物组成与次生代谢产物数据整合,进行曼特尔检验（Mantel test）分析,以探究植物次生代谢产物对马鹿种群内食物组成模式的影响。结果表明,林区内马鹿种群冬季共采食30种植物,其中木本植物占92.48%;且种群内分别呈现出以东北红豆杉（Taxus cuspidata）,簇毛槭（Acer barbinerve）,毛榛子（Corylus mandshurica）为主要食物的不同食物组成模式。广泛靶向代谢组技术共检测出638种次生代谢产物,有25种代谢物与马鹿采食频率显著相关,其中多数萜类物质抑制马鹿采食,而鞣质类物质对马鹿的采食选择有一定的正向作用;Mantel test结果显示,上述25种物质中黄酮、鞣质、萜类化合物相对含量与不同马鹿个体食物组成显著相关,说明这些代谢物相对含量和性质的差异会造成种群内不同个体食物组成的差异,是种群内形成不同食物组成模式的原因之一。从植物次生代谢产物角度揭示了该地区东北马鹿种群冬季食物组成模式呈现差异的可能因素,为进一步研究大型有蹄类营养策略和植物化学防御关系提供基础依据。     

Ecological and zoogeographic characterization of the ichthyofauna of Sivuch’ya Bay (Peter the Great Bay,Sea of Japan)

An inventory of the ichthyofauna of Sivuch’ya Bay (Far Eastern State Marine Biosphere Reserve) was made for the first time. Based on the results of our research (during all seasons of 1994–2004), the list of Sivuchya Bay fishes includes 108 species belonging to 15 orders, 45 families, and 84 genera. The greatest number of taxa was found for the orders Perciformes (17 families, 33 genera, and 40 species) and Scorpaeniformes (8, 18, and 28, respectively). The following families dominate in terms of the number of species: Stichaeidae, 15 species; Cottidae, 11; Pleuronectidae, 9; Gobiidae, 5; Hexagrammidae, 5; Clupeidae, 4; and Tetraodontidae, 4. These seven families include 53 species (49.1%). The data, confirmed by the results of regression analysis, show that the bay ichthyofauna is well studied. Zoogeographical analysis indicates that the bulk of ichthyofauna is constituted by fishes of Asian origin (low boreal, low boreal-subtropical and widely distributed boreal), 80 species (74.1%). Bottom and near-bottom fishes are dominating elements of the Sivuch’ya Bay ichthyofauna, with 83 species (76.9%); pelagic fishes 25 species make up (23.1%).     

Widely Targeted Metabolomics Analysis of Dendrobium officinale at Different Altitudes

In order to investigate the differences in the chemical composition of Dendrobium officinale at different altitudes, we collected Dendrobium officinale from different altitudes in Guizhou Province, China, and firstly determined its polysaccharide content by using a sulfuric acid-phenol color development method with reference to the Chinese Pharmacopoeia, and further determined its metabolites by using widely targeted metabolomics, and explored the differences in the chemical composition of Dendrobium officinale at different altitudes using multivariate statistical analysis. We found that the polysaccharide content was higher in plants growing at 1122 m, a total of 902 secondary metabolites were detected by wildly targeted metabolomics, and amino acids and their derivatives were more highly expressed at 1122 m, while other metabolites were more highly expressed at 835 m. Furthermore, we found that the phenolic acid compound nerugein was only present in plants at 835 m, and two lipid compounds, namely Lyso PE 20 : 4 and its isomer, were only present at 1122 m. Taken together, these results may provide a basis for the selection and clinical application of D. officinale cultivated at different altitudes.