腐生型眼虫Astasia longa 两种TIM 同工酶cDNA的克隆和分析

　利用3′2 RACE 和5′2 RACE 技术, 从腐生型眼虫长变胞藻( Astasia longa) 克隆了磷酸丙糖异构酶 ( TIM) 的两个同工酶cDNA 全序列。分析表明: 它们分别编码定位于细胞质的胞质型TIM (cTIM) 和定位于质 体的质体型TIM (p TIM) ; 后者的N 端具有引导该酶定位到质体中去的典型“前导序列”。根据这些事实我们推 测腐生型眼虫A . longa 质体中可能存在功能性的TIM , 并进一步认为该质体可能不只是一般意义上的“叶绿体 退化的残迹”, 而仍是一种至少有TIM 参与其代谢活动的功能性细胞器[动物学报50 (3) : 414 - 419 , 2004 ] 。

蓝氏贾第虫分离株tim 基因序列分析比较研究

　为了探讨来源于不同地理位置贾第虫分离株之间的遗传学关系, 采用tim 基因扩增、限制性酶切和 DNA 序列分析方法对来自我国(C1、C2、、CH2、CH3)、柬埔寨(CAM )、澳大利亚(A 1、A 2) 和美国(BP、CDC) 共9 株 蓝氏贾第虫的基因型进行了分析比较。结果表明,A 1、A 2 和CAM 属第1 型(WB) ; CH2 和CH3 属第2 型(JH) ; C1、 C2、BP 和CDC 属第3 型(GS)。本实验结果提示, 虫株间遗传学关系并非由地理位置的远近所决定。来源于同一地 理位置的虫株其遗传学特性可有很大的差异。相反, 来源于地理位置相隔很远的虫株其遗传学特性却可极为相近。 贾第虫分离株基因型的确定可为本虫分子系统进化和分子流行病学研究提供重要资料。

Identification of triosephosphate isomerase (TIM) genes from Microcystis (Cyanobacteria : Chroococcales) and theoretical analyses of the potential of cyanobacterial TIM as a target for designing specific inhibitors

The genes encoding triosephosphate isomerase (TIM) in three species of Microcystis (M. aeruginosa, M. viridis and M. wesenbergii) were investigated. Reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction indicated that they were transcribed in the cells. Analyses showed that their DNA and deduced amino acid sequences were highly conserved between all the three species, only a single nonsynonymous substitution was seen at position 31, from an Asp in M. aeruginosa and M. viridis to Glu in M. wesenbergii. Sequence alignment of these with 12 other known cyanobacterial TIM sequences showed that all the cyanobacterial TIMs had a very high level of amino acid identity (over 50% between each two). Comparison of the cyanobacterial TIMs with other reported TIMs (from diverse lineages of the three Domains) showed that they possessed common active-site residues and sequence motifs. All cyanobacterial TIMs have two common cysteine residues (Cys127 and Cys176), and the Cys176 is almost cyanobacteria-specific with only one exception in Streptomyces coelicolor. Both secondary structure alignment and comparative modelling of Synechocystis sp. TIM showed that Cys176 was located at the hinge region of the flexible loop-6 and might therefore be critical to the movement of TIM's loop-6, which is important to the function of the enzyme. Thus, the cyanobacterial TIM-specific Cys176 may be a potential site for the discovery of suitable drugs against cyanobacteria, and such drugs may have utility in controlling water blooms due to cyanobacteria.

几类处在关键进化地位藻类的TIM基因和糖酵解途径的研究

糖酵解作为细胞的重要的基本代谢途径广泛存在于各类生物中。但参与该途径的tim基因／酶和整个途径在细胞中的区室定位情况在一些处在关键进化地位的藻类中还存在许多未知或争议。本文首先对参与该途径的一个重要酶――磷酸丙糖异构酶（TIM）在两种不同营养方式的眼虫上进行了鉴定和序列结构分析，并结合了包括绿藻、红藻和动基体类等在内的其它生物的数据进行了分子系统分析；其次，对该途径在绿藻类的衣藻细胞中的区室定位情况进行了研究，并对该特殊的区室定位途径的进化进行了探讨。得到了如下结果和结论： 1）通过3’与5’-RACE实验，在光合型眼虫Euglena gracilis和Euglena intermedia和腐生型眼虫Astasia longa中各获得了一长一短两个TIM的全长cDNA序列，同时通过基因组DNA-PCR和序列搜索，还获得了两种绿藻和红藻的tim基因序列。前导序列分析显示眼虫的两个cDNA分别编码定位到胞质的cTIM和定位到叶绿体的cpTIM或质体的pTIM。腐生眼虫A. longa的pTIM与光合型眼虫E. gracilis的cpTIM高度相似，其前导序列也具有眼虫典型的核编码叶绿体蛋白质的典型特征；两类不同营养型眼虫的成熟TIM间的同源性达91.6％，并且具有其它TIM所共有的活性中心氨基酸和保守的序列motifs。这表明A. longa的pTIM确实是定位于质体、具有生物活性的cpTIM的同工酶，并提示A. longa的质体还具有与TIM相关的代谢功能（例如脂肪酸的合成），而不仅仅是一个叶绿体的“残迹”。 TIM的序列比对和分子系统分析结果显示：眼虫类和红藻类的TIM共有一个由两个氨基酸组成的插入；更重要的是，眼虫类TIM既没有与被认为与它共祖的动基体类的TIM聚在一起，又没有与被认为为其提供叶绿体（经二次内共生）的绿藻的TIM聚在一起，而是与红藻TIM聚为一枝。这提示眼虫与红藻间在进化历史上可能曾经有过基因交流。 2）采用生物信息学手段结合分子生物学实验，对衣藻基因组和转录组中参与糖酵解相关基因／酶进行了鉴定、定位预测和表达水平分析，结果表明：与其它极大多数的真核生物不同，衣藻细胞质中不具有完整的糖酵解途径，尽管该途径的后三步主要发生在胞质中，但前七步则是发生在叶绿体中的。 分子系统分析表明衣藻叶绿体中参与前6步和细胞质中参与最后2步的糖酵解酶都是胞质型起源，其中参与第4步的FBA更像是由很早时期的胞质型基因重复而来的；而第7步的PGK是由内共生形成叶绿体的蓝细菌的水平基因转移而来。这表明衣藻胞质中所缺少的糖酵解酶是一种次生性丢失的结果，而非原始的特征；其叶绿体中的糖酵解步骤应该是由于原有胞质型糖酵解酶的基因重复之后重新定位或者直接重新定位到叶绿体中，以及内共生产生叶绿体时由蓝细菌的水平基因转移所致。

North by Northwest: The Life and work of Liam McCormick:Donegal Calling

I became an architect because my father was an architect, and I returned to Donegal to practice architecture because Liam McCormick was able to make great buildings there. My father's first job after graduating was with Liam in Derry in 1958, so architecture and Liam McCormick have been with me since I was a child. When I was six years old I remember Creeslough church being completed. I remember my aunt being concerned and asking my father why the curtains were fitted in the priest's house in Creeslough before the roof was added. He explained to her it was a flat-roofed house and, as such there would be no conventional roof! I was fascinated by the idea and how such an important building could be inspired by Muckish mountain.