Genetic evidence of a strong functional constraint of neurotrypsin during primate evolution

Neurotrypsin is one of the extra-cellular serine proteases that are predominantly expressed in the brain and involved in neuronal development and function. Mutations in humans are associated with autosomal recessive non-syndromic mental retardation (MR). We studied the molecular evolution of neurotrypsin by sequencing the coding region of neurotrypsin in 11 representative non-human primate species covering great apes, lesser apes, Old World monkeys and New World monkeys. Our results demonstrated a strong functional constraint of neurotrypsin that was caused by strong purifying selection during primate evolution, an implication of an essential functional role of neurotrypsin in primate cognition. Further analysis indicated that the purifying selection was in fact acting on the SRCR domains of neurotrypsin, which mediate the binding activity of neurotrypsin to cell surface or extracellular proteins. In addition, by comparing primates with three other mammalian orders, we demonstrated that the absence of the first copy of the SRCR domain (exon 2 and 3) in mouse and rat was due to the deletion of this segment in the murine lineage. Copyright (C) 2005 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Cloning and purification of alpha-neurotoxins from king cobra (Ophiophagus hannah)

Thirteen complete and three partial cDNA sequences were cloned from the constructed king cobra (Ophiophagus hannah) venom gland cDNA library. Phylogenetic analysis of nucleotide sequences of king cobra with those from other snake venoms revealed that obta

云南新平哀牢山夜间捕获鸟类的多样性

2007-09-05-2007-11-05和2008-09-03-2008-11-07期间,在云南省新平县哀牢山金山丫口用灯光诱捕对秋季夜间迁徙鸟类组成进行了调查.共捕获鸟类129种,7943只,分属于14日23科.雀形目鸟类为网捕主要鸟类,占总网捕数量的58.9%.其中红尾伯劳(Lanius cristatus)、小杜鹃(Cuculus poliocephalus)和红喉歌鸲(Luscinia calliope)3种是该地夜间网捕优势种鸟类,三者数量皆超过网捕岛类总数的5%.每天夜间20:00-22:00和次日凌晨04:00-4)6:00是捕获鸟类数最的高峰时段.网捕期间,早期Shannon-Wiener指数和Pielou指数最低,优势指数C最高;中期Shannon-Wiener指数和Pielou指数最高,优势度指数C最低.2008与2007年相比,优势指数C和G-F指数较低.但Shannon-Wiener指数和Pielou指数较高.云南省不同"打雀山"仪问捕获鸟类的种类和数量存在差异.地理和气候可能是造成这些差异的主要因素.

横斑腹小—新亚种—杂斑腹小xiao(xiao形目: chixiao科)

在横断山区鸟类考察中,发现采自四川宝兴县硗碛和雅江县八角楼的两号小xiao属标本与原记录的一些种类有显著差异,而与该属的横斑腹小xiao相 似。但该标本与横斑腹小xiao原亚种区别亦明显,如:腹部呈斑杂状,横斑不规整;喉部、前颈和颈侧不为白色;第1枚初级飞羽显著较6、7故为短。这些特 征有似于种级的分化,但因资料尚不完备,故暂以横斑腹小xiao的一新亚种报道,命名为杂斑腹小xiao以示区别。图2参10

云南发现的猴类化石及其地层意义——附一新种Macaca jiangchuanensis sp. nov.记述

记述了早更新世的江川猕猴和早全新世的短尾猴和菲氏叶猴。江川猕猴是联系西瓦立克地区和华北地区的早期猕猴类型, 为南方早更新世猕猴种的首次记录。表2参30

P53蛋白质R175残基替换的分子动力学研究

利用p53蛋白质核心区晶体结构作分子动力学研究发现,除了生化方面的稳定性之外,该区还具有分子动力学上的高度稳定性。在此基础上作的R175残基替换分子动力学研究显示,p53蛋白质核心区175位点精氨酸被其他残基替换后能引起p53蛋白质核心区L2、L3结构域间的密切联系趋于松散,正常的空间构象发生改变并使整个核心区结构稳定性受到破坏。