Basal physiological parameters in domesticated tree shrews(Tupaia belangeri chinensis)

Establishing non-human primate models of human diseases is an efficient way to narrow the large gap between basic studies and translational medicine. Multifold advantages such as simplicity of breeding, low cost of feeding and facility of operating make the tree shrew an ideal non-human primate model proxy. Additional features like vulnerability to stress and spontaneous diabetic characteristics also indicate that the tree shrew could be a potential new animal model of human diseases. However, basal physiological indexes of tree shrew, especially those related to human disease, have not been systematically reported. Accordingly, we established important basal physiological indexes of domesticated tree shrews including several factors: (1) body weight, (2) core body temperature and rhythm, (3) diet metabolism, (4) locomotor rhythm, (5) electroencephalogram, (6) glycometabolism and (7) serum and urinary hormone level and urinary cortisol rhythm. We compared the physiological parameters of domesticated tree shrew with that of rats and macaques. Results showed that (a) the core body temperature of the tree shrew was 39.59±0.05 °C, which was higher than that of rats and macaques; (b) Compared with wild tree shrews, with two activity peaks, domesticated tree shrews had only one activity peak from 17:30 to 19:30; (c) Compared with rats, tree shrews had poor carbohydrate metabolism ability; and (d) Urinary cortisol rhythm indicated there were two peaks at 8:00 and 17:00 in domesticated tree shrews, which matched activity peaks in wild tree shrews. These results provided basal physiological indexes for domesticated tree shrews and laid an important foundation for diabetes and stress-related disease models established on tree shrews.     

Proteome analysis of hepatic non-parenchymal cells of immune liver fibrosis rats

Elucidation of the mechanisms of liver fibrogenesis is important to treat liver fibrosis.In this study,we established rat models of liver fibrosis with stages from 0–1,2,and 3–4 to 4 at 2,4,6,and 8 weeks,respectively,by injection of pig serum.Liver fibrogenesis was detected by Masson’s trichrome staining.Rat non-parenchymal cells(NPCs)were enriched 4-fold by Percoll density gradient centrifugation.Protein extracts from NPCs were prepared at 4 and 8 weeks,separated by two-dimensional electrophoresis,and then stained with Coomassie Blue G-250.At 4 weeks,we identified 18 non-redundant differentially expressed proteins of which protein disulfide-isomerase associated protein 3(PDIA3)and NDUV showed consistent expression at protein and mRNA levels from 4 to 8 weeks.PDIA3 was found to be down-regulated by Western blotting in the rat model and immunohistochemically in human liver.Our results revealed important aspects of the pathogenesis/progression of liver fibrosis and demonstrated important changes in protein expression levels of NPCs at various stages of liver fibrosis.     

Nelumbonaceae:Systematic position and species diversification revealed by the complete chloroplast genome

<正>Nelumbonaceae is a morphologically unique family of angiosperms and was traditionally placed in Nymphaeales;more recently,it was placed in Proteales based on molecular data,or in an order of its own,Nelumbonales. To determine the systematic position of the family and to date the divergence time of the family and the divergence time of its two intercontinentally disjunct species,we sequenced the entire chloroplast genome of Nelumbo lutea and most of the chloroplast genes of,N.nucifera.We carried out phylogenetic and molecular dating analyses of the two species and representatives of 47 other plant families,representing the major lineages of angiosperms, using 83 plastid genes.The N.lutea genome was 163 510 bp long,with a total of 130 coding genes and an overall GC content of 38%.No significant structural differences among the genomes of N.lutea,Nymphaea alba, and Platanus occidentalis were observed.The phylogenetic relationships based on the 83 plastid genes revealed a close relationship between Nelumbonaceae and Platanaceae.The divergence times were estimated to be 109 Ma between the two families and 1.5 Ma between the two Nelumbo species.The estimated time was only slightly longer than the age of known Nelumbo fossils,suggesting morphological stasis within Nelumbonaceae.We conclude that Nelumbonaceae holds a position in or close to Proteales.We further conclude that the two species of Nelumbo diverged recently from a common ancestor and do not represent ancient relicts on different continents.     

Effects of methamidophos and glyphosate on copper sorption-desorption behavior in soils

A batch-equilibration technique was employed to study the impact of two organo-phosphorus pesticides methamidophos (MDP) and glyphosate (GPS) on copper (Cu2+) sorption-desorption for phaeozem and burozem collected from Northeastern China. The addition of the two pesticides decreased Cu2+ sorption, increased Cu2+ desorption and prolonged the equilibrium time of Cu2+ sorption-desorption. But GPS appeared to exert a stronger influence on Cu2+ sorption-desorption due to its stronger complexion with Cu2+. When MDP was added, Cu2+ sorption-desorption was linearly correlated with MDP treatment concentrations. But in the presence of GPS, Cu2+ sorption first underwent a rapid decrease period, and then slowly tended towards a steady period. The reverse pattern could be found for Cu2+ desorption in the presence of GPS. Without pesticides and with the existence of MDP, Cu2+ sorption-desorption kinetics was well conformed to two-constant equation and Elovich equation. But that was not the case for Cu2+ desorption kin     

CRISPR/Cas technology: a revolutionary approach for genome engineering

<正>Precision genome editing tools are invaluable for biology,medicine and agriculture.With these tools we can determine the genetic basis underlying biological traits and processes,and then modify the genome of crops and livestock,model organisms,and even of patients,for phenotypic improvement,disease modeling and treatment.Site-specific nucleases provide a powerful and effective approach for     

利用基因芯片对一高保守基因进行肿瘤相关分析

本文对大规模人类cDNA 测序过程中获得的一条高保守基因进行了初步功能研究,生物信息学研究发现该基因在人类、小鼠、果蝇、拟南芥和裂殖酵母中都有很高的保守性,其他分析预测该基因可能具有肿瘤相关性。RT-PCR分析表明,该基因在成人和胎儿组织中广谱表达。利用基因芯片分析该基因在7例肝癌、5例胰腺癌、2例喉癌和2例肺癌中表达情况,结果证实了该基因的肿瘤相关性,并且提示该基因在不同肿瘤类型中可能处于不同的地位。 Abstract:Preliminary function research of a highly conserved human gene,which was cloned from human fetal cDNA library during large-scale cDNA sequencing,is illustrated in this article.Bioinformatics analysis indicates that this gene is highly conserved in human、mouse、fruit fly、thaliana and fission yeast.Other bioinformatics analysis implies its relevance with tumors.RT-PCR analysis shows its wide-ranging expression patterns.Its expression in 16 cancer cases(including 7 liver cancer cases、5 pancreas cancer cases、2 larynx cancer cases and 2 lung cancer cases) is studied by using gene microarray analysis.The result shows its relevance with tumors and implies it may have different status in different classification of tumors.     

Analysis of cytochrome P450 genes in silkworm genome (Bombyx mori)

Cytochrome P450 monooxygenases (P450) are im-portant metabolic enzymes involved in the metabolism not only of a wide range of endogenous compounds such as fatty acids, steroids, hormones or vitamins, but also of exogenous substrates such as drugs, chemicals including environmental pollutants, such carcinogens as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and pesticides[1]. P450s are found virtually in all aerobic organisms, including organisms as diverse as in insects, plants, mammals, birds and bacter…     

DNA damaging effects of carbofuran and its main metabolites on mice by micronucleus test and single cell gel electrophoresis

The DNA damaging effects of the carbamate pesticide carbofuran and its four metabolites (carbofuranphenol, 3-ketocarbofuran, 3-hydrocarbofuran and nitrosocarbofuran) on mice were evaluated by single cell gel electrophoresis (SCGE) assay and micronucleus test. KM mice were exposed to test compounds with different doses of 0.1, 0.2 and 0.4mg/kg through in-traperitoneal injection two times with an internal of 24 h, and then killed by cervical dislocation 6 h after the second injection. In SCGE assay, isolated mice peripheral blood lymphocytes were employed to determine DNA damaging degree after a 1 h treatment by test compounds and a following electrophoresis. Carbofuran and carbofuranphenol showed negative results in both test and had no obvious toxicity. 3-hydrocarbofuran and nitrosocarbofuran were positive. 3-ketocarbofuran could not induce micronucleus formation but caused significant DNA migration in SCGE test. These tests revealed that 3-ketocarbofuran, 3-hydrocarbofuran and nitrosocarbofuran are pote     

Identification of Contaminations Hiding Beneath the α- and β-Subunits of Partially Purified Nitrogenase MoFe Protein on the Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate Gel

To identify the unknown proteins that would contaminate the α- and β-subunits of nitrogenase MoFe protein on sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis （SDS-PAGE）, the partially purified MoFe protein （Avl） preparation was obtained from Azotobacter vinelandii Lipmann OP by chroma- tography on DEAE-cellulose （DE52） and Sephacryl S-200 columns and analyzed by PAGE and matrix- assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight （MALDI-TOF） mass spectrometry. The Av 1 preparation was shown to have two main bands at the position of the α- and β-subunits of crystalline Avl on the SDS gel. However, on the anoxic native PAGE, in addition to the Avl band, the preparation was shown to have three other main bands that migrated slower than Av 1. Of these three main bands, the protein with the fastest migration was identified as bacterioferritin elsewhere. The proteins on the other two bands, termed Upper and Middle, were suggested to be two different homopolymers with the same apparent subunit electrophoretic mobilities as the α- and β-subunits of Avl, respectively. By analysis of MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry, the Upper was identified as GroEL, which belongs to the heat shock protein 60 family, and the Middle was identified as glucose-6-phosphate isomerase （PGI）. In our preparation, anoxic native electrophoresis indicated that GroEL was composed of 14 identical subunits and that PGI was composed of 10 identical subunits. This is the first report of PGI, with so many subunits. The contaminating proteins in the Av 1 preparation, mainly GroEL and PGI, could be totally or partially removed from Av 1 if the shoulders and center of the elution peak were collected separately from the Sephacryl S-200 column and the center fraction was purified further by Q-Sepharose developed with an NaC1 concentration gradient. Thus, Avl with more than 90% purity was obtained. Obviously, this modified method is useful for the purification of mutant MoFe proteins with a high purity.     

The symptom difference induced by Tobacco mosaic virus and Tomato mosaic virus in tobacco plants containing the N gene is determined by movement protein gene

Tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) and Tomato mosaicvirus (ToMV) are members of the genus Tobamoviruswith a world-wide distribution, and cause severe dis-eases on many economically important crops. TMVand ToMV have very close relationship and both havessRNA genome with a length of about 6400 nucleo-tides, encoding at least three nonstructural proteinsand a 17.6 kD coat protein (CP). Both 126 kD and 183kD proteins function as components of replicase, andthe 30 kD protein is involved in viral ce…