Structure-function relationship of three neurotoxins from the venom of Naja kaouthia: a comparison between the NMR-derived structure of NT2 with its homologues, NT1 and NT3

Three homologous short-chain neurotoxins, named NT1, NT2 and NT3, were purified from the venom of Naja kaouthia. NT1 has an identical amino acid sequence to cobrotoxin from Naja naja atra [Biochemistry 32 (1993) 2131]. NT3 shares the same sequence with cobrotoxin b [J. Biochem. (Tokyo) 122 (1997) 1252], whereas NT2 is a novel 6 1 -residue neurotoxin. Tests of their physiological functions indicate that NT1 shows a greater inhibition of muscle contraction induced by electrical stimulation of the nerve than do NT2 and NT3. Homonuclear proton two-dimensional NMR methods were utilized to study the solution tertiary structure of NT2. A homology model-building method was employed to predict the structure of NT3. Comparison of the structures of these three toxins shows that the surface conformation of NT1 facilitates the substituted base residues, Arg28, Arg30, and Arg36, to occupy the favorable spatial location in the central region of loop 11, and the cation groups of all three arginines face out of the molecular surface of NT1 This may contribute greatly to the higher binding of NT1 with AchR compared to NT2 and NT3. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B,V. All rights reserved.

Molecular docking and 3D-QSAR study of pyranmycin derivatives against 16S rRNA A site

To understand pharmacophore properties of pyranmycin derivatives and to design novel inhibitors of 16S rRNA A site, comparative molecular field analysis (CoMFA) approach was applied to analyze three-dimensional quantitative structure-activity relationship (3D-QSAR) of 17 compounds. AutoDock 3.0.5 program was employed to locate the orientations and conformations of the inhibitors interacting with 16S rRNA A site. The interaction mode was demonstrated in the aspects of inhibitor conformation, hydrogen bonding and electrostatic interaction. Similar binding conformations of these inhibitors and good correlations between the calculated binding free energies and experimental biological activities suggest that the binding conformations of these inhibitors derived from docking procedure were reasonable. Robust and predictive 3D-QSAR model was obtained by CoMFA with q(2) values of 0.723 and 0.993 for cross-validated and noncross-validated, respectively. The 3D-QSAR model built here will provide clear guidelines for novel inhibitors design based on the Pyranmycin derivatives against 16S rRNA A site. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Effects of damming on population sustainability of Chinese sturgeon, Acipenser sinensis: evaluation of optimal conservation measures

The numbers of spawning sites for Chinese sturgeon have been drastically reduced since the construction of the Gezhouba Dam across the Yangtze River. This dam has blocked migration of Chinese sturgeon to their historic spawning ground causing a significant decline of the Chinese sturgeon population. We conducted a VORTEX population viability analysis to estimate the sustainability of the population and to quantify the efficiency of current and alternative conservation procedures. The model predicted the observed decline of Chinese sturgeon, resulting from the effect of the Gezhouba Dam. These simulations demonstrated the potential interest of two conservation measures: increasing spawning area and reducing predation on sturgeon eggs. The simulations also demonstrated that the actual restocking program is not sufficient to sustain sturgeon population as the artificial reproduction program induce the loss of more wild mature adults that the recruitment expected by the artificial reproduction.

Isolation and identification of a novel WSSV nucleocapsid protein by cDNA phage display using an scFv antibody

In a previous study, a scFv phage display library against white spot syndrome virus (WSSV) was constructed and yielded a clone designated A I with conformational specificity against native but not denatured viral antigen. Although the clone A1 has been used successfully as a diagnostic antibody, its precise target antigen has not been elucidated. A different strategy was adopted involving the construction of a second T7 phage display library utilizing mRNA isolated from shrimp infected with WSSV. Following RT-PCR and T7 phage library construction, phages displaying the candidate epitope were selected with A I scFv. Since successive enrichment steps were not associated with an increased titer of the phages, enrichment after successive tests was confirmed by PCR resulting in the prefer-red selection of a specific DNA sequence encoding a novel nucleocapsid protein WSSV388. Immune electron microscopy revealed that WSSV388 is located on the nucleocapsid. This result demonstrated that unknown antigen could be identified by phage display using the epitope conformation dependent scFv. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Contributions of phosphatase and microbial activity to internal phosphorus loading and their relation to lake eutrophication

Phosphatase may accelerate the process of lake eutrophication through improving phosphorus bioavailability. This mechanism was studied in three Chinese eutrophic shallow lakes (Lake Taihu, Lake Longyang,and Lake Lianhua). Phosphatase activity was related to the concentration of soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP) and chlorophyll a. Stability of dissolved phosphatase in reverse micelles may be attributed to molecular size, conformation and active residues of the enzyme. At the site with Microcystis bloomed in Lake Taihu, dissolved phosphatase activity was higher and more stable in micelles, SRP concentrations were lower in interstitial water, the contents of different forms of phosphorus and the amounts of aerobic bacteria were lower while respiration efficiency was higher in sediments. Phosphobacteria, both inorganic and organic and other microorganisms were abundant in surface water but rare in sediments. Therefore, internal phosphorus may substantially flux into water column by enzymatic hydrolysis and anaerobic release, together with mobility of bacteria, thereby initiating the bloom. In short, biological mechanism may act in concert with physical and chemical factors to drive the internal phosphorus release and accelerate lake eutrophication.

Microsatellites assessment of Chinese sturgeon (Acipenser sinensis Gray) genetic variability

Four microsatellites were used to examine the genetic variability of the spawning stocks of Chinese sturgeon, Acipenser sinensis, from the Yangtze River sampled over a 3-year period (1999-2001). Within 60 individuals, a total of 28 alleles were detected over four polymorphic microsatellite loci. The number of alleles per locus ranged from 4 to 15, with an average allele number of 7. The number of genotypes per locus ranged from 6 to 41. The genetic diversity of four microsatellite loci varied from 0.34 to 0.67, with an average value of 0.54. For the four microsatellite loci, the deviation from the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium was mainly due to null alleles. The mean number of alleles per locus and the mean heterozygosity were lower than the average values known for anadromous fishes. Fish were clustered according to their microsatellite characteristics using an unsupervised 'Artificial Neural Networks' method entitled 'Self-organizing Map'. The results revealed no significant genetic differentiation considering genetic distance among samples collected during different years. Lack of heterogeneity among different annual groups of spawning stocks was explained by the complex age structure (from 8 to 27 years for males and 12 to 35 years for females) of Chinese sturgeon, leading to formulate an hypothesis about the maintenance of genetic diversity and stability in long-lived animals.

Conservation strategies for endemic fish species threatened by the Three Gorges Dam

The largest damming project to date, the Three Gorges Dam has been built along the Yangtze River (China), the most species-rich river in the Palearctic region. Among 162 species of fish inhabiting the main channel of the upper Yangtze, 44 are endemic and are therefore under serious threat of global extinction from the dam. Accordingly, it is urgently necessary to develop strategies to minimize the impacts of the drastic environmental changes associated with the dam. We sought to identify potential reserves for the endemic species among the 17 tributaries in the upper Yangtze, based on presence/absence data for the 44 endemic species. Potential reserves for the endemic species were identified by characterizing the distribution patterns of endemic species with an adaptive learning algorithm called a "self-organizing map" (SOM). Using this method, we also predicted occurrence probabilities of species in potential reserves based on the distribution patterns of communities. Considering both SOM model results and actual knowledge of the biology of the considered species, our results suggested that 24 species may survive in the tributaries, 14 have an uncertain future, and 6 have a high probability of becoming extinct after dam filling.

A physico-chemical comparative study on extracellular carbohydrate polymers from five desert algae

Hydrodynamic properties of five newly isolated algal extracellular polysaccharides with putative adhesive properties are described, using a combination of size exclusion chromatography, total or 'multi-angle' laser light scattering and analytical ultracentrifugation. The respective polysaccharides had been extracted from four filamentous cyanobacteria: Microcoleus vaginatus, Scytonema javanicum, Phormidium tenue and Nostoc sp. and a coccoid single-cell green. algae Desmococcus olivaceus that had been separated from desert algal crusts of the Chinese Tegger Desert. SEC/MALLS experiments showed that the saccharides had, diverse-weight average molecular weights ranging from 4000 to 250,000 g/mol and all five showed either bi-modal or tri-modal molecular weight distribution profiles. Use of the Mark-Houwink-Kuhn-Sakurada (MHKS) scaling relationship between sedimentation coefficient and (weight average) molecular weight for the five samples, assuming a homologous conformation series revealed an MHKS b exponent of (0.33 +/- 0.04), suggesting a conformation between that of a stiff rod (b similar to 0.18) and a random coil (b similar to 0.4-0.5), i.e. a 'flexible rod' or 'stiff coil'. (C) 2003 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Development of polymorphic EST markers in Penaeus monodon: applications in penaeid genetics

The objective of this study was to develop type I markers for genome mapping and other genetic studies of Penaeus monodon. Primers were designed based on expressed sequence tags (ESTs) from a P monodon cephalothorax cDNA library to amplify 100-300 bp products. 34 of the primer pairs successfully amplified PCR products from genomic DNA. Single-strand conformation polymorphism analysis showed that similar to 30% of the ESTs tested exhibit polymorphism in a test panel of P monodon individuals. Mendelian inheritance of the EST-derived markers has been established in two international reference mapping families of P monodon, and mapping of these markers is in progress. Some ESTs were successfully amplified from other Penaeus species (P. chinensis, P japonicus and P vannamei), indicating that the markers are applicable in cross-species comparison. Two populations of P. japonicus could be differentiated using one of the ESTS. In conclusion, the polymorphic EST markers developed in this study are applicable in genome mapping and population genetic studies of penaeid shrimp. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

Transient Reorientation of a Doped Liquid Crystal System under a Short Laser Pulse

The transient optical nonlinearity of a nematic liquid crystal doped with azo-dye DR19 is examined. The optical reorientation threshold of a 25-mu m-thick planar-aligned sample of 5CB using a 50 ns pulse duration 532 nm YAG laser pulse is observed to decrease from 800 mJ/mm(2) to 0.6 mJ/mm(2) after the addition of 1 vol% azo dopant, a reduction of three orders of magnitude. When using a laser pulse duration of 10 ns, no such effect is observed. Experimental results indicate that the azo dopant molecules undergo photoisomerization from trans-isomer to cis-isomer under exposure to light, and this conformation change reorients the 5CB molecules via intermolecular coupling between guest and host. This guest-host coupling also affects the azo photoisomerization process.

夏玉米冠层叶片表观自由空间的差异研究

叶片自由空间在环境与冠层养分交换间具有重要作用,是目前植物营养学研究的重要领域之一。通过盆栽试验,以不同株型夏玉米为试材,研究了不同施氮水平(N 0、0.15和0.30 g/kg)下玉米冠层叶片表观自由空间(AFS)的差异。结果表明,不同生育期叶片AFS差异极显著(P<0.01),表现为随生育期推进,叶片AFS、生物量和全氮含量均逐渐降低;除成熟期,其它各生育期品种与施氮水平对叶片AFS的影响均存在显著的交互作用。施氮对叶片生物量的影响不显著,但施氮后叶片全氮含量显著增加。不同施氮水平下,植株冠层叶片AFS也存在显著差异,中量施氮处理(即N 0.15 g/kg)植株叶片AFS值(9.49)明显高于不施氮处理(9.03),但随施氮量进一步增加,叶片AFS下降,施氮量为N 0.30 g/kg时,叶片AFS为8.62;不同施氮水平各生育期不同叶层间叶片AFS、生物量和全氮含量差异显著(P<0.05)。不同品种间叶片全氮含量和AFS存在显著差异(P<0.05),以紧凑型品种陕单902叶片AFS最大,平均为9.24,显著高于其它品种;中间型品种农大108与平展型品种陕单9号间差异不显著,二者平均分别为9.06和8.85...

固氮树木丛枝菌根真菌(AMF)遗传多样性的研究

丛枝菌根是自然生态系统中分布最广的内生菌根，在促进植物生存与生长、植被恢复以及生物多样性保护等方面有着非常重要的作用。 随着现代分子生物学技术的不断发展，丛枝菌根真菌研究得到空前发展。大量DNA分析新技术在丛枝菌根真菌的分子遗传、分类鉴定、种间及种内亲缘关系、菌株持久性等方面得到应用，与传统菌根研究方法相比，表现出巨大的优越性。 本项研究利用分子生物学技术和研究方法对中国吉林长白山地区非豆科固氮植物以及东北地区固氮树木的丛枝菌根真菌DNA分子多态性及其与宿主植物之间的相互关系等进行初步研究，旨在利用分子生态学理论和研究方法揭示丛枝菌根真菌多样性及其与宿主植物之间相互适应和协同进化的一般规律，为更好地保护和利用这一重要的微生物资源提供理论依据。 通过比较与筛选，建立起丛枝菌根真菌痕量DNA快速、简便、高效的提取纯化方法——改良CTAB法。经PCR检测，所得DNA满足进一步研究的要求。 根据丛枝菌根真菌18s rRNA 小亚基核基因片段的特点，利用“科”特异性引物进行半巢式标记PCR (Labelled Primers-PCR，LP-PCR) 及单链构象多态性（Single-Stranded Conformation Polymorphism，SSCP）分析技术研究了长白山赤杨在属水平上表现出的多样性。另外，利用巢式PCR-RFLP技术，分别对来源于长白山不同海拔的四种赤杨菌根样品的AMF侵染情况及其系统进化进行了研究。利用AMF特异性PCR技术对我国东北地区四种非豆科树木和5种豆科树木菌根侵染情况和系统发育规律进行了研究 研究结果显示：赤杨根内AMF存在丰富的基因多样性。AMF的侵染有从宿主混乱性向宿主专一性发展的趋势。 长白山地区赤杨属植物至少有东北赤杨、西伯利亚赤杨和色赤杨三个树种在其“属”的水平上与共生的球囊霉科（Glomaceae）至少一个“种” 的丛枝菌根真菌，即根内球囊霉（Glomus intraradix），在“种”的水平上表现出不相关于宿主海拔高度的某种相互选择性。 东北赤杨AMF菌的宿主专一性水平最强，球囊霉属已成为东北赤杨的优势侵染类群；对于其余三种赤杨，AMF则出现宿主混乱现象。宿主因素比海拔因素对AMF侵染特异性的影响更为重要。 豆科与非豆科样本的混乱性都比较强，在特定植物和AMF属之间无特异侵染规律，相对来说，非豆科树木比豆科树木对于AMF的选择性要更强一些，更倾向于和球囊霉属与无梗孢囊霉属的AMF构建共生体。