Bicaudal-C基因的分子特征和生物学功能

某些蛋白翻译水平的激活和抑制对胚胎发育过程中基因表达起到重要的时空调节作用.在果蝇中,Bicaudal-c(dBic-C)基因产物被认为是一种能与RNA结合的蛋白质分子,并对转录后水平具有重要的调节作用.dBic-C基因的突变会导致果蝇缺失头部结构和重复的尾部结构,故而命名为双尾-C基因.后来又在多个不同物种(如线虫、爪蟾、小鼠)中发现dBic-C的同源基因,并且这些同源基因的蛋白质产物高度保守.小鼠的Bicaudal-C基因(Biccl)定位于10号染色体的C1区域,其蛋白质N端含有KH结构域,用于介导蛋白质与RNA的相瓦作用;C端的SAM结构域则在蛋白质与蛋白质相互结合中发挥作用.目前已发现3种与Biccl基因相关的小鼠突变体模型jcpk、bpk和67Gso,这些小鼠突变体中Biccl基因在不同位点发生突变,产生异常的蛋白质产物,结果导致小鼠肾脏发生胞囊化,并且影响身体其他器官的正常形态及功能,病理表型特征与人类的多囊肾病(polycystic kidney disease,PKD)极为相似.本文通过总结和同顾Bicaudal-C基因研究的成果和进展,揭示该基因在生物体发育和器官形成中的作用,为深入研究这一基因的生物学功能奠定基础.

Acute peristome edema disease in juvenile and adult sea cucumbers Apostichopus japonicus (Selenka) reared in North China

Acute peristome edema disease (APED) is a new disease that broke out in cultured sea cucumber along the Shangdong and Liaoning province coasts in China, PR, and has caused a great deal of death in Apostichopus japonicus (Selenka) since 2004. Here we report virus-like particles found in intestine epithelium of sea cucumbers reared in North China. It is the first time that sea cucumbers are reported to be infected by virus. Histological examinations showed that the viral inclusion bodies existed in intestine epithelium cells. Electron microscopic examinations show that the virions were spherical, 80-100 nm in diameter, and composed of a helical nucleocapsid within an envelope with surface projections. Detailed studies on the morphogenesis of these viruses found many characteristics previously described for coronaviruses. Virus particles always congregated, and formed a virus vesicle with an encircling membrane. The most obvious cellular pathologic feature is large granular areas of cytoplasm, relatively devoid of organelles. Tubular structures within virus-containing vesicles, nucleocapsid inclusions, and double-membrane vesicles are also found in the cytopathic cells. No rickettsia, chlamydia, bacteria, or other parasitic organisms were found. (c) 2007 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.