A single amino acid defines cross-species reactivity of tree shrew (Tupaia belangeri) CD1d to human invariant natural killer T (iNKT) cells

P>The non-classical major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I molecule CD1d presents lipid antigens to invariant natural killer T (iNKT) cells, which are an important part of the innate immune system. CD1d/iNKT systems are highly conserved in evoluti

SEROLOGICAL SURVEY OF A CAPTIVE MACAQUE COLONY IN CHINA FOR ANTIBODIES TO SIMIAN TYPE-D RETROVIRUSES

Sera from 510 macaques consisting of Macaca mulatta, Macaca assamensis, Macaca fascicularis, Macaca nemestrina, and Macaca arctoides were investigated for antibodies to simian AIDS type D retrovirus (SRV) by ELISA and Western blot with viral antigens purified from supernatants of SRV-1 infected cell cultures. Of these monkeys, 104 were seropositive by ELISA; only 23 were confirmed by Western blot. The true positive reaction to SRV was found in 15 of 463 (3.2%) M. mulatta and eight of eleven (72.7%) M. assamensis.

创新工程结硕果

中国科学院昆明动物研究所始建于1959年. 历经40余年的艰苦努力, 现已发展成为具有一定规模和特色、多学科相互交叉渗透的综合性动物学研究机构. 1999～2000年, 在中国科学院知识创新工程建设的推动下, 昆明动物研究所在科研目标凝练和学科建设、创新机制转换、队伍建设和人才培养, 科研成果转化, 创新文化与园区建设等方面都取得了长足的进展。

用H-Y抗体在宫内处理植入前鼠胚对后代性比的影响

该文以C57BL/6J鼠分2组进行实验。实验组45鼠,对照组20鼠,与同品系雄鼠交配后,在3日龄胚期,通过腹部手术对实验组雌鼠每侧子宫腔内注入未稀释的H-Y抗血清与豚鼠补体(二者以1:2混合)3μl。抗血清是由C57BL/6L雌鼠用同品系雄鼠的脾细胞以2.5×10~(7)个/只的剂量,每周免疫一次,共免疫7次后制备。对照组的处理操作与实验组相同,但每侧子宫腔内仅注入补体3μl,未注入抗体。实验组中有42只产仔247只(每窝平均6只),雌雄比为2.7(180/67)雌性占73%;对照组20只均产仔共163只(每窝平均8只),雌雄比为0.92(78/85),雌性仔鼠占48%。

湖泊蓝藻水华生态灾害形成机理及防治的基础研究

湖泊具有供水、渔业、旅游、维持区域生态系统平衡等功能,是支撑我国经济和社会发展的重要资源之一。但是近30年来,湖泊富营养化所导致的蓝藻水华频繁暴发,生态灾害事件频发,严重影响湖泊功能的发挥,制约区域经济可持续发展。针对国家在保障区域水安全和生态安全、保护人民健康及建设和谐社会等方面的重大需求,国家重点基础研究发展计划项目"湖泊蓝藻水华生态灾害形成机理及防治的基础研究"于2008年7月正式立项。项目拟解决的关键科学问题包括:①湖泊蓝藻水华主要衍生污染物的形成机理、迁移转化规律和毒理效应;②蓝藻水华导致湖泊生

网箱养殖对东湖沉积物有机质含量以及磷的酶促水解与吸附行为的影响

东湖养殖罗非鱼(Oreochromisniloticus)的网箱下沉积物中有机质和可酶解磷(PHP)含量以及碱性磷酸酶活性(APA)均显示增高,间隙水中的PHP较低,而APA与正磷酸盐的浓度均高,这种现象在垂直与水平两个尺度上均有体现,故由有机物的富集到正磷酸盐的剧增可能受控于酶学机制。Langmuir单分子等温度吸附模型的分析结果表明网箱下表层沉积物的最大吸附量明显较高,而吸附强度明显降低,此亦为正磷酸盐相应剧增的另一重要原因。不同深度间隙水中APA的动力学行为表现出明显的季节性。

蓝藻高CO_2需求突变株的研究进展

“海洋863”项目(819-03-03-4); 曾呈奎海洋科学基金; 武汉市“晨光计划”的资助

Predominant expression and cellular distribution of fish Agr2 in renal collecting system

Anterior gradient 2 (Agr2) genes encode secretory proteins, and play significant roles in anterior-posterior patterning and tumor metastasis. Agr2 transcripts were shown to display quite diverse tissue distribution in different species, and little was known about the cellular localization of Agr2 proteins. In this study, we identified an Agr2 homologue from gibe[ carp (Carassius auratus gibelio), and revealed the expression patterns and cellular localization during embryogenesis and in adult tissues. The full-length cDNA of CagAgr2 is 803 nucleotides (nt) with an open reading frame of 510 nt encoding 169 amino acids. The Agr2 C-terminus matches to the class I PDZ-interacting motif, suggesting that it might be a PDZ-binding protein. During embryogenesis, CagAgr2 was found to be transcribed in the mucus-secreting hatching gland from tailbud stage and later in the pharynx region, swim bladder and pronephric duct as revealed by RT-PCR and whole mount in situ hybridization. In the adult fish, its transcription was predominantly confined to the kidney, and lower transcription levels were also found in the intestine, ovary and gills. To further localize the Agr2 protein, the anti-CagAgr2 polyclonal antibody was produced and used for immunofluorescence observation. In agreement with mRNA expression data, the Agr2 protein was localized in the pronephric duct of 3dph larvae. In adult fish, Agr2 protein expression is confined to the renal collecting system with asymmetric distribution along the apical-basolateral axis. The data provided suggestive evidence that fish Agr2 might be involved in differentiation and secretory functions of kidney epithelium. (C) 2009 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Microsatellite marker isolation and cultured strain identification in Carassius auratus gibelio

Microsatellites have become the preferred molecular markers for strain selection and genetic breeding in fish. In this study a total of 105 microsatellites were isolated and identified in gibel carp (Carassius auratus gibelio) by microsatellite sequence searches in GenBank and other databases and by screening and sequencing of positive clones from the genomic library enriched for AG and GATA repeats. Moreover, nineteen microsatellites were randomly selected to design locus-specific primer pairs, and these were successfully used to identify and discriminate different cultured strains of gibel carp including strains A, D, L, and F. Three different types of microsatellite pattern were distinguished by the number and length of fragments amplified from the 19 primer pairs, and some microsatellite primer pairs were found to produce different microsatellite patterns among strains and strain-specific fragments. In addition, some duplicated alleles were also detected in two microsatellite patterns. Therefore, the current study provides direct molecular markers to discriminate among different cultured strains for selective breeding and aquaculture practice of gibel carp.

Cytoplasmic impact on cross-genus cloned fish derived from transgenic common carp (Cyprinus carpio) nuclei and goldfish (Carassius auratus) enucleated eggs

In previous studies of nuclear transplantation, most cloned animals were obtained by intraspecies nuclear transfer and are phenotypically identical to their nuclear donors; furthermore, there was no further report on successful fish cloning since the report of cloned zebrafish. Here we report the production of seven cross-genus cloned fish by transferring nuclei from transgenic common carp into enucleated eggs of goldfish. Nuclear genomes of the cloned fish were exclusively derived from the nuclear donor species, common carp, whereas the mitochondrial DNA from the donor carp gradually disappeared during the development of nuclear transfer (NT) embryos. The somite development process and somite number of nuclear transplants were consistent with the recipient species, goldfish, rather than the nuclear donor species, common carp. This resulted in a long-lasting effect on the vertebral numbers of the cloned fish, which belonged to the range of goldfish. These demonstrate that fish egg cytoplasm not only can support the development driven by transplanted nuclei from a distantly related species at the genus scale but also can modulate development of the nuclear transplants.

Resting metabolism and heat increment of feeding in mandarin fish (Siniperca chuatsi) and Chinese snakehead (Channa argus)

Resting metabolism was measured in immature mandarin fish Siniperca chuatsi weighing 42.1-510.2 g and Chinese snakehead Channa argus weighing 41.5-510.3 g at 10, 15, 20, 25, 30 and 35 degreesC. Heat increment of feeding was measured in mandarin fish weighing 202.0 (+/-14.0) g and snakehead weighing 200.8 (+/-19.3) g fed swamp leach Misgurnus anguillicaudatus at 1% body weight per day at 28 degreesC. In both species, weight exponent in the power relationship between resting metabolism and body weight was not affected by temperature. The relationship between resting metabolism and temperature could be described by a power function. The temperature exponent was 1.39 in mandarin fish and 2.10 in snakehead (P < 0.05), indicating that resting metabolism in snakehead increased with temperature at a faster rate than in mandarin fish. Multiple regression models were used to describe the effects of body weight (W, g) and temperature (T, C) on the resting metabolism (R-s, mg O-2/h): In R-s = - 5.343 + 0.772 In W + 1.387 In T for the mandarin fish and In R-s = -7.863 + 0.801 ln W + 2.104 In T for the Chinese snakehead. The proportion of food energy channelled to heat increment was 8.7% in mandarin fish and 6.8% in snakehead. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved.

Quantum phase transitions in the S=1/2 distorted diamond chain

By means of the second derivative of the ground-state and first-excited energy, the quantum phase transitions (QPTs) for the distorted diamond chain (DDC) with ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic frustrated interactions and the trimerized case are investigated, respectively. Our results show the plentiful quantum phases owing to the spin interaction competitions in the model. Meanwhile, by using the transfer-matrix renormalization-group technique, we study the two-site thermal entanglement of the DDC model in the thermodynamic limit for a further understanding of the QPTs.

Effect on nitrogen acceptor as Mg is alloyed into ZnO

Our Raman measurement indicates that the intensity of the peaks (510 and 645 cm(-1)) related to nitrogen concentration is enhanced in MgZnO compared with that in ZnO. Using first-principles band structure methods, we calculated the formation energy and transition energy level for nitrogen acceptor in ZnO and random MgxZn1-xO (with x=0.25) alloy. Our calculations show that the incorporation of nitrogen can be enhanced as Mg is alloyed into ZnO, which agrees with our experiments. The acceptor energy level deeper in the alloy ascribes to the downward shift of the valence-band maximum edge in the presence of magnesium. (c) 2008 American Institute of Physics.