Investigations of the characteristics and mode of action of an algalytic bacterium isolated from Tai Lake

An algalytic bacterium provisionally designated as TL1 was isolated from Tai Lake, a large freshwater lake in the Yangtze Delta plain on the border of the Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces and close to Wuxi city in the People's Republic of China. Strain TL1 was identified as Achromobacter sp. based on its biophysical and biochemical properties and the analysis of its 16S rRNA sequence. Microcystis aeruginosa, which is the most common toxic cyanobacterium in eutrophic freshwater, could be decomposed by strain TL1. The results showed that after inoculation with the algalytic bacterium, the content of chlorophyll-a, maximum PSII quantum yield, and maximum electron transport rates of the alga decreased sharply. At first, the algal cells enhanced the activities of some antioxidative enzymes, but subsequently, the activities of antioxidative enzymes fell sharply once damage of the algal cells was achieved. The filtrate from strain TL1 culture suspension, after autoclaving and treatments with proteinase K, strongly inhibited algal growth, indicating that the lytic metabolites were extracellular and thermostable, not a protein.

The origin of Mosuo people as revealed by mtDNA and Y chromosome variation

The Mosuo, living in the Lugu Lake area in northwest Yunnan Province, China, is the only matriarchal population in China. The Mosuo was officially identified as Naxi nationality although its relationship with Naxi remains controversial. We studied the gen

A markov chain Monte Carlo method for estimating population mixing using Y-chromosome markers: Mixing of the Han people in China

We present a new approach for estimating mixing between populations based on non-recombining markers, specifically Y-chromosome microsatellites. A Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) Bayesian statistical approach is used to calculate the posterior probability

Purification, characterization and biological activity of an L-amino acid oxidase from Trimeresurus mucrosquamatus venom

An L-amino acid oxidase (TM-LAO) from the venom of Hunan Trimeresurus mucrosquamatus was purified to homogenicity by three steps including DEAE Sephadex A-50 ion-exchange chromatography, Sephadex G-75 gel filtration and Resourse Q ion-exchange chromatography. TM-LAO is composed of two identical subunits with a molecular weight of 55 kD by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The molecular weight was different with that of LAO purified from the same species distributed in Taiwan that was 70 kD. The 24 N-terminal ammo acid sequence of TM-LAO is ADNKNPLEECFRETNYEEFLEIAR, which shares high similarity with other Viperid snake venom LAOs and has moderate similarity with Elapid snake venom LAOs. Further studies found that TM-LAO inhibited the growth of E. colt, S. aurues and B. dysenteriae. TM-LAO also showed cytotoxicity and platelet aggregation activity. All the biological activities were eliminated by catalase, a H2O2 scavenger. It shows that these biological effects are possibly due to the formation of H2O2 produced by TM-LAO.

Developments in transgenic fish in the people's Republic of China

In the People's Republic of China, genetically modified (GM) fish are being developed primarily to produce desirable alterations to growth rates or feed-conversion efficiency. Up to the present, no transgenic fish have been commercially approved for human consumption. This review introduces advances in the People's Republic of China in transgenic fish studies, biosafety studies of fast-growth GM fish, and the regulation of GM fish.

A new genus and species of freshwater monostiliferous hoplonemertean (Nemertea, Enopla) from the People's Republic of China

A new genus and species of freshwater monostiliferous hoplonemertean, Limnemertes poyangensis gen. et sp. nov., from Poyang Lake, People's Republic of China, is described and illustrated. The taxon is compared and contrasted with previously described freshwater hoplonemerteans. This is the fourth species of freshwater nemertean to be described from China and the first recorded from Poyang Lake.

Records of enchytraeidae (Clitellata) from the People's Republic of China

Eleven species of terrestrial and aquatic Enchytraeidae are reported from southeastern China. Fridericia multisegmentata and Enchytraeus athecatus are new to science, while most of the others are recorded from the country for the first time.

固斑蝰蛇毒C-型凝集素样蛋白Dabocetin及L-氨基酸氧化酶DRS-LAO的研究

本论文研究了从圆斑蛙蛇泰国亚种（Daboia russellii siamensis）蛇毒中纯化的C一型凝集素样蛋白Dabocetin和L一氨基酸氧化酶DRS一AO的理化性质、生物学活性和分子克隆。Dabocetin是分子量约为28扔。的异二聚体蛋白，它由分子量约为15.0kDa和14．5kDa的两个同源亚基以和p共价结合形成。N－末端氨基酸序列比较显示，Dabocetin与目前已知的蛇毒c一型凝集素样蛋白有很高的同源性。即使在终浓度达50．0。叫而时，Dabocetin也不能直接诱导血小板聚集。此外，在终浓度为40.00μg/ml时，Dabocetin几乎不能抑制由AdP，TMVA和stejnulxin诱导的血小板聚集。但是，Dabocetin呈剂量依赖地抑制瑞斯托霉素诱导的血小板凝集，其半数抑制率ICS。值为10.80ug/ml。流式细胞仪分析表明，Dabocetin显著抑制单克隆抗体522与GPIba的结合，提示Dabocetin很可能是一个GPIb结合蛋白。从圆斑蛙蛇的毒腺中克隆到了7个编码不同蛇毒C一型凝集素样蛋白亚基的七DNA（命名为DRs一1至DRs一7）。其中，DRsLS编码Dabocetin的a亚基，DRS一6编码Dabocetin的p亚基。DRs一1和DRS一2很可能是圆斑蛙蛇毒腺中表达的X因子激活剂的两条轻链LCZ和LCI的山NA。DRS一3，DRS毛4和DRSL7可能是圆斑蛙蛇毒腺中表达的C一型凝集素样蛋白p亚基的。NA。DRsLAO是一个新的L一氨基酸氧化酶，比活力为1．98U加噶。十二烷基磺酸钠一聚丙烯酞氨凝胶电泳（SDs-PAGE）分析显示，该酶在还原和非还原条件下均呈现一条蛋白带，表观分子量约为58kDa。N-末端氨基酸序列比较显示，DRS一AO与目前已知的蛇毒L一氨基酸氧化酶有很高的同源性。该酶的最适底物为L一亮氨酸，最适pH为8．8。DRs一Ao呈剂量依赖地抑制扔P和仆IvA诱导的血小板聚集，其半数抑制率ICS。值分别为32.8μg/ml和32.3μg/ml。DRS-LAO对金黄色葡萄球菌（灯Cc25923）和耐甲氧西林金黄色葡萄球菌有较强的抗菌作用。DRs一AO对金黄色葡萄球菌必Tcc25923）的最低抑菌浓度卿C）和最低杀菌浓度耐甲氧西林金黄色葡萄球菌的孤CS。和呱Cg。值分别为18．。林留时和36.0μg/ml；DRSLAo对耐甲氧西林金黄色葡萄球菌的MBC50和MBCg。值分别为36.0μg/ml和72.0μg/ml。通过对DRS一AO的分子克隆，得到了编码DRS-AO的部分cDNA序列。