Lack of genetic association between the angiotensin-converting enzyme gene insertion/deletion polymorphism and longevity in a Han Chinese population

Introduction. The insertion/deletion polymorphism of the angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) gene has been reported to associate with human longevity. However, little information is available in a Han Chinese longevity Population. Therefore, we investigat

Association of haplotypes spanning PDZ-GEF2, LOC728637 and ACSL6 with schizophrenia in Han Chinese

Background: Schizophrenia is a complex genetic disorder caused by multiple genetic and environmental factors. Several lines of linkage and association studies have repeatedly suggested that the chromosome 5q22-33 region is implicated in the aetiology of s

Genome 10K: A Proposal to Obtain Whole-Genome Sequence for 10 000 Vertebrate Species

The human genome project has been recently complemented by whole-genome assessment sequence of 32 mammals and 24 nonmammalian vertebrate species suitable for comparative genomic analyses. Here we anticipate a precipitous drop in costs and increase in sequ

藏獒血液蛋白遗传多样性的研究

采用不连续垂直板聚丙烯酰胺凝胶电泳技术,对河曲藏獒、青海藏獒、青海藏狮犬和青海土种犬共4个群体103只犬的9个血液蛋白基因座(Tf、Po、Es-1、Es-2、Sα_2:、Hb、Alb、Pr、Amy)的多态性进行了检测,分析了两个藏獒群体的群体内和群体间的遗传变异,并以Nei氏标准遗传距离(D)为基础用UPGMA法探讨了不同犬群之间的遗传关系.结果表明,在4个被测犬群中,Tf、Po、Es-1、Es-2和Sα_2 5个基因座上存在多态性,其中Tf、Es-1和Po分别由3个等住基因所控制,Es-2和Sα_2,分别由2个等位基因所控制,而Hb、Alb、Pr和Amy基因座均呈现单态;河曲藏獒群体内遗传变异较青海藏獒丰富,而两个藏獒群体间的遗传分化程度很低(G_(ST)=0.0187);以Nei氏标准遗传距离(D)为基础的UPGMA法聚类结果表明.青海藏獒与青海藏狮犬和青海土种犬的遗传关系近于河曲藏獒.

棉花抗虫基因工程研究

本文通过根农杆菌（Agrobacterium tumfaciens）介导法分别将Signal和KDEL修饰的豇豆胰蛋白酶抑制剂（Cowpea trypsin inhibitor, CpTI）基因、豌豆外源凝集素（Pea lectin, P-Lec）和大豆Kunitz型胰蛋白酶抑制剂（Soybean Kunitz typsin inhibitor, SKTI）双价抗虫基因、雪花莲外源凝集素（Galanthus nivals agglutinin, GNA）基因以及高效复合启动子OM控制的苏云金杆菌（Bacillus thuringiensis, B.t.）杀虫毒蛋白基因导入了陆地棉（Gossypium hirsutum L.）栽培品种新陆早1号、新陆中2号、晋棉7号、冀合321、辽9和晋棉12号，并获得了大批转基因再生植株。 实验中对影响棉花转化和再生的一些条件进行了研究，从根农杆菌培养、棉花无菌苗的制备、转化操作和共培养等方面对转化条件进行了探讨;从激素配化、植物表达载体、外植体类型、基因型等方面对抗性愈伤组织的诱导进行了摸索;从激素、从碳源、培养容器、pH值、抗褐化剂及固化剂的选择等方面对影响植株再生的条件进行了优化。 本文开创性地采用嫁接代替移栽，从而极大地提高了转化植株定植成活率，缩短了缓苗时间并增加了转化植株当代的繁殖系数。 在建立了一套较为高效的陆地棉转化及再生系统基础上，本文还进行了其它转化方式和转化体系的初步探讨。利用棉花幼嫩种子无菌苗下胚轴作为外植体，通过改变愈伤组织诱导培养基配方面提高胚性愈伤组织的诱导频率，进而得到更多的体细胞胚状和再生植株，缩短再生周期;尝试用胚性愈伤组织作为外植体的根农杆菌介导法转化，确定了一些与转化有关的条件;建立了一套棉花茎尖培养程序，为运用基因枪法轰击棉花茎尖分生组织或用根农杆菌直接转化茎尖分生组织，以克服根农杆菌转化棉花时体胚发生的基因型局限开辟了一条新途径。 本文还建立了一种快速鉴定转化植株后代的方法。这一简便方法还有助于进行转基因棉纯合系的筛选以及外源基因的遗传稳定性研究。 转基因植株经Npt-II ELISA、PCR、PCR Southern 检测证明外源抗虫基因CpTI、SKTI、P-lec、GNA以及B.t.基因已存在于转化植株基因组内。修饰的CpTI转基因植株抗棉铃虫（Heliothis armigera Hubner）试验结果表明，其杀虫效果显著优于前期未修饰的CpTI转化植株。P－lec和SKTI双价转基因植株抗棉铃虫试验结果表明，转基因植株对棉铃虫幼虫具有较强的杀虫活力。 目前，已获得转以上抗虫基因棉花T1代植株。为今后进一步将植物基因工程技术应用于棉花遗传改良打下了基础。

Updating the East Asian mtDNA phylogeny: a prerequisite for the identification of pathogenic mutations

Knowledge about the world phylogeny of human mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) is essential not only for evaluating the pathogenic role of specific mtDNA mutations but also for performing reliable association studies between mtDNA haplogroups and complex disorder

Establishment, characterization, and virus susceptibility of a new marine cell line from red spotted grouper (Epinephelus akaara)

A marine fish cell line from the snout of red spotted grouper Epinephelus akaara, a protogynous hermaphrodite, was established, characterized, and subcultured with more than 60 passages. The grouper snout cell line (GSC) cells multiplied well in Dulbecco's modified Eagle's medium (DMEM) medium supplemented with 10% fetal bovine serum. The optimal growth temperature was 25 degrees C, and morphologically the cells were fibroblastic. Chromosome analysis revealed that the GSC cell line has a normal diploid karyotype with 2n = 8st + 40t. A virus titration study indicated that the cells were susceptible to turbot Scophthalmus Maximus rhabdovirus (SMRV) (10(8.5) TCID50 ml(-1)), while the viral titer of frog Rana grylio virus 9807 (RGV(9807)) reached 10(3.5) TCID50 ml-1. The infection was confirmed by cytopathic effect (CPE), immunofluorescence, and electron microscopy experiments, which detected the viral particles in the cytoplasm of virus-infected cells, respectively. Further, significant fluorescent signals were observed when the GSC cells were transfected with pEGFP vector DNA, indicating their potential utility for transgenic and genetic manipulation studies.

Synthesis and characterization of aromatic liquid crystalline poly(ester-imide)s derived from an imidodicarboxylic acid

A new class of liquid crystalline poly(ester-imide)s was synthesized by melt polycondensation. The basic physical properties of the resulting polymers were investigated by differential scanning calorimetry (d.s.c.), wide-angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD), polarized light microscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), thermogravimetric analysis (t.g.a.), and rheological and mechanical testing. All of these poly(ester-imide)s were amorphous, as reflected by the results obtained from the WAXD and d.s.c. studies. Characterization and comparison of these poly(ester-imide)s with the corresponding polyesters suggested that the introduction of imide groups into the polyester chain is favourable for the formation of liquid crystalline phases. These results, together with the rheological studies, suggested that there existed a form of strong inter- or intramolecular electron donor-acceptor interaction which played a significant role in the liquid crystalline properties of the poly(ester-imide)s. The polymer products thus obtained exhibited good mechanical properties, with flexural strengths and moduli as high as 174 MPa and 6.9 GPa, respectively. The morphology of the fracture surfaces of extruded rod samples showed a sheet-like structure which consisted of ribbons and fibres oriented along the flow direction. The glass transition temperatures and thermal stabilities of the polymers were improved by the incorporation of imide groups. Copyright (C) 1996 Elsevier Science Ltd.

A HIGH-RESOLUTION SOLID-STATE NMR AND DSC STUDY OF MISCIBILITY AND CRYSTALLIZATION BEHAVIOR OF POLY(VINYL ALCOHOL)/POLY(N-VINYL-2-PYRROLIDONE) BLENDS

Blends of crystallizable poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) with poly(N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone) (PVPy) were studied by C-13 cross-polarization/magic angle spinning (CP/MAS) n.m.r. and d.s.c. The C-13 CP/MAS spectra show that the blends were miscible on a molecular level over the whole composition range studied, and that the intramolecular hydrogen bonds of PVA were broken and intermolecular hydrogen bonds between PVA and PVPy formed when the two polymers were mixed. The results of a spin-lattice relaxation study indicate that blending of the two polymers reduced the average intermolecular distance and molecular motion of each component, even in the miscible amorphous phase, and that addition of PVPy into PVA has a definite effect on the crystallinity of PVA in the blends over the whole composition range, yet there is still detectable crystallinity even when the PVPy content is as high as 80 wt%. These results are consistent with those obtained from d.s.c. studies.

Transforming kelp into a marine bioreactor

The past decade has seen the genetic engineering of various types of seaweed. To date, genetic transformation studies have been carried out in several seaweeds, including the red seaweeds Porphyra, Gracilaria, Grateloupia, Kappaphyclus and Ceramium and the green seaweed Ulva. A genetic transformation model system has been established in the most commonly cultivated seaweed, the brown seaweed Laminaria japonica (kelp), based on the transfer of technology used in land plant transformation and also by modulating the seaweed life cycle. This model showed the potential for application of transgenic kelp to the production of valuable products and an indoor cultivation system for transgenic kelp was proposed, taking into account necessary factors for bio-safety. In this review, the establishment at use of the kelp transformation model is introduced, highlighting the potential for transforming kelp into a marine bioreactor.