Reversible induction of translational isoforms of p53 in glucose deprivation

Tumor suppressor protein p53 is a master transcription regulator, indispensable for controlling several cellular pathways. Earlier work in our laboratory led to the identification of dual internal ribosome entry site (IRES) structure of p53 mRNA that regulates translation of full-length p53 and Delta 40p53. IRES-mediated translation of both isoforms is enhanced under different stress conditions that induce DNA damage, ionizing radiation and endoplasmic reticulum stress, oncogene-induced senescence and cancer. In this study, we addressed nutrient-mediated translational regulation of p53 mRNA using glucose depletion. In cell lines, this nutrient-depletion stress relatively induced p53 IRES activities from bicistronic reporter constructs with concomitant increase in levels of p53 isoforms. Surprisingly, we found scaffold/matrix attachment region-binding protein 1 (SMAR1), a predominantly nuclear protein is abundant in the cytoplasm under glucose deprivation. Importantly under these conditions polypyrimidine-tract-binding protein, an established p53 ITAF did not show nuclear-cytoplasmic relocalization highlighting the novelty of SMAR1-mediated control in stress. In vivo studies in mice revealed starvation-induced increase in SMAR1, p53 and Delta 40p53 levels that was reversible on dietary replenishment. SMAR1 associated with p53 IRES sequences ex vivo, with an increase in interaction on glucose starvation. RNAi-mediated-transient SMAR1 knockdown decreased p53 IRES activities in normal conditions and under glucose deprivation, this being reflected in changes in mRNAs in the p53 and Delta 40p53 target genes involved in cell-cycle arrest, metabolism and apoptosis such as p21, TIGAR and Bax. This study provides a new physiological insight into the regulation of this critical tumor suppressor in nutrient starvation, also suggesting important functions of the p53 isoforms in these conditions as evident from the downstream transcriptional target activation.

Implication of scaling hierarchy associated with nonequilibrium: field and particulate

The advent of nanotechnology has necessitated a better understanding of how material microstructure changes at the atomic level would affect the macroscopic properties that control the performance. Such a challenge has uncovered many phenomena that were not previously understood and taken for granted. Among them are the basic foundation of dislocation theories which are now known to be inadequate. Simplifying assumptions invoked at the macroscale may not be applicable at the micro- and/or nanoscale. There are implications of scaling hierrachy associated with in-homegeneity and nonequilibrium. of physical systems. What is taken to be homogeneous and equilibrium at the macroscale may not be so when the physical size of the material is reduced to microns. These fundamental issues cannot be dispensed at will for the sake of convenience because they could alter the outcome of predictions. Even more unsatisfying is the lack of consistency in modeling physical systems. This could translate to the inability for identifying the relevant manufacturing parameters and rendering the end product unpractical because of high cost. Advanced composite and ceramic materials are cases in point. Discussed are potential pitfalls for applying models at both the atomic and continuum levels. No encouragement is made to unravel the truth of nature. Let it be partiuclates, a smooth continuum or a combination of both. The present trend of development in scaling tends to seek for different characteristic lengths of material microstructures with or without the influence of time effects. Much will be learned from atomistic simulation models to show how results could differ as boundary conditions and scales are changed. Quantum mechanics, continuum and cosmological models provide evidence that no general approach is in sight. Of immediate interest is perhaps the establishment of greater precision in terminology so as to better communicate results involving multiscale physical events.

Residuos de plaguicidas en carne bovina de exportación en el Matadero Industrial Amerrisque

El presente trabajo se realizó en el matadero Amerrisque ubicado a la altura del km 128 carretera el Rama a 130 metros sobre e1 nivel del mar con el objetivo de evaluar los residuos de plaguicidas en carne bovina de exportación. Los datos fueron recopilados de la matanza diaria realizada en dicho matadero a partir del mes de enero de 1987 al mes de diciembre de 1992 a excepción de los meses de marzo, abril, agosto y noviembre del año 1989, de igual forma el año 1990, debido a que los registros ya para este año se encontraron incompletos. Las variables en estudio fueron: Niveles de contaminación aceptable y no aceptable para la exportación, procedencia de dichas carnes, plaguicidas que mayormente se acumulan en 1a carne y las pérdidas económicas. El procedimiento analítico se realizó por medio de una distribución de frecuencias, se hizo uso de medias como estadística descriptiva y también se determinó el rango. Como resultado del presente estudio observamos que la matanza industrial efectuada para los cinco años en estudio fue de 142,919 cabezas, de éstas 18,434 resultaron contaminada con un promedio de contaminación de 0.059 partes por millón, dejándose de percibir USA $ 10,497 dólares.

Carmel River Lagoon Enhancement Project: Water Quality and Aquatic Wildlife Monitoring, 2006-7

This is a report to the California Department of Parks and Recreation. It describes water quality and aquatic invertebrate monitoring after the construction of the Carmel River Lagoon Enhancement Project. Included are data that have been collected for two years and preliminary assessment of the enhanced ecosystem. This report marks the completion of 3-years of monitoring water quality and aquatic habitat. The report adopts the same format and certain background text from previous years’ reporting by the same research group (e.g. Larson et al., 2005). (Document contains 100 pages)

成骨细胞铺展形状和面积对其凋亡的影响

国家自然科学基金项目30730032

Age and growth estimates of the winter skate (Leucoraja ocellata) in the western Gulf of Maine

Age and growth estimates for the winter skate (Leucoraja ocellata) were estimated from vertebral band counts on 209 fish ranging in size from 145 to 940 mm total length (TL). An index of average percent error (IAPE) of 5.8% suggests that our aging method represents a precise approach to the age assessment of L. ocellata. Marginal increments were significantly different between months (Kruskal-Wallis P<0.001) and a distinct trend of increasing monthly increment growth began in July. Estimates of von Bertalanffy growth parameters suggest that females attain a slightly larger asymptotic TL (L∞=1374 mm) than males (L∞=1218 mm) and grow more slowly (k=0.059 and 0.074, respectively). The oldest ages obtained for the winter skate were 19 years for males and 18 years for females, which corresponded to total lengths of 932 mm and 940 mm, respectively. The results indicate that the winter skate exhibits the characteristics that have made other elasmobranch populations highly susceptible to exploitation by commercial fisheries.

北方农牧交错区土地利用（管理）方式对土壤氮素转化的影响

土壤氮素矿化是陆地生态系统氮素转化的重要组成部分。不同的土地利用（管理）方式会改变土壤氮素转化过程，影响土壤肥力的保持，进而可能造成土壤内氮素渗漏流失。为系统了解内蒙古农牧交错区土壤氮素转化的特点，本实验采用原位培养顶盖埋管法进行野外培养，每间隔一个月定期取样，于2004年7月-2006年10月在植物所恢复生态学实验站进行了两个试验，1：选择农牧交错区四种有代表性的土地类型（围封样地：FS，放牧样地：GS，弃耕地：AF，和农田：CF），比较土地利用方式之间氮素矿化的异同;2：在施肥样地通过不同施肥处理(F0: 1g N m-2, F1: 1g N m-2, F2: 2g N m-2, F3: 4g N m-2, F4: 8g N m-2, F5: 16g N m-2, F6: 32g N m-2, F7: 64g N m-2) 的土壤氮素转化动态，确定过度放牧的典型草原围封禁牧后，植被恢复过程中最适宜的施肥量。主要结论如下： 1. 与试验初期相比，整个非生长季围封样地、弃耕地和农田的铵态氮和无机氮含量逐渐降低，培养结束时铵态氮含量分别减少了67.04％，77.31％和70.54％，而放牧地的含量增加1.63％。围封样地、放牧地、弃耕地和农田的硝态氮含量分别增加了61.61%，376.43%，199.75%和133.16%。非生长季四种土地类型的土壤氮素转化速率主要受温度影响。围封样地、放牧地、弃耕地和农田非生长季矿化速率均值分别为-0.016，0.0429，-0.0051和-0.0030 μg g-1 d-1。硝化速率均值变幅为-0.43-0.17 μg g-1d-1。 2. 与没有冷冻而融化的土壤相比，冻融显著影响土壤无机氮含量的变化。只有在较低的土壤温度条件下冷冻以后，融化才会促进土壤氮素矿化。不同的冷冻时间长度下融化均会促进土壤硝化速率。土壤温度、土壤含水量变化是影响氮素转化速率的重要因子。 3. 四种土地类型的年日均矿化速率为放牧样地>农田>弃耕地>围封样地，分别为0.25，0.11，0.10，0.06μg g-1d-1，其年平均速率分别为11.65，5.50，5.00和2.46g m-2 y-1，而年日平均硝化速率分别为0.27，0.095，0.097和0.05μg g-1d-1。其中生长季日均矿化速率和日均硝化速率均为其年日均速率的两倍。因此，生长季形成的矿化氮是全年的93％，而形成的硝态氮占全年的86％。四种土地类型年均矿化氮的累积量平均为615.04 kg ha-1，而硝化作用的累积量变幅为230.44-1218.86 kg ha-1。四种土地类型的矿化速率和硝化速率的季节动态变化与气候因子的变化一致。 4. 不同施肥处理对典型草原土壤氮素转化均有显著影响。与对照相比，少量施肥（F1，F2）土壤铵态氮，硝态氮和无机氮含量分别减少20.57％，11.18％和17.18％。当施肥量大于F4（8g N m-2）时，随施肥量增加土壤铵态氮，硝态氮和无机氮含量增加18％-1191％。除F5（16g N m-2）外，与对照相比，随施肥量增加，土壤矿化速率增加了5-21倍。4 g N m-2 (F3)左右是典型草原生态系统比较合适的施肥量。 5. 氨气挥发速率的季节动态特征与气象因子的变化一致，其速率变幅为17.65 - 1228.39µg m-2 d-1，其中7月挥发量占全年的37％。与对照相比，少量施肥氨气挥发速率降低了1-2％，施肥量大于F3 (4g N m-2)，速率增加了1-4倍。实验期间总的流失量变幅为23.76-84.91mg m-2，而且通过氨气挥发流失量低于土壤全氮的3%。氨气挥发不是典型草原过量氮素流失的主要方式。 6. 氮素限制的典型草原，植被恢复过程中外源氮素添加阈值为：4 g N m-2 (F3)。与对照相比，短期施肥（3年）不会显著影响根系碳储量和土壤碳氮储量。施肥处理的土壤硝态氮和无机氮含量显著增加，说明施肥显著刺激硝化作用。典型草原60%植物根系主要分布在地下0-10cm，这里的碳储量占地下储量（0-50cm）的63%以上。随土壤深度增加，土壤全氮，全碳，无机氮储量降低。而铵态氮储量和可利用的无机氮含量随土壤深度增加，说明植物根系主要吸收利用上层可利用氮素，而且下层氮素矿化速率降低。

中国蕨类植物保护生物地理学研究

保护生物地理学（Conservation biogeography）就是运用生物地理学的原理、理论和分析方法，特别是那些有关物种分布格局的信息，去解决生物多样性保护的相关问题，是当前生物多样性及其保护生物学研究领域的热点。通过构建中国蕨类植物物种及分布数据库得知，中国现有蕨类植物63科，221属，2456种，其中有1218种属于中国特有（中国蕨类总数约50%），3种蕨类植物为外来种。科的统计表明：最大的科为鳞毛蕨科、蹄盖蕨科、金星蕨科和水龙骨科4个科所包含的种类占全国总种数的51.5%。鳞毛蕨科、蹄盖蕨科、金星蕨科、水龙骨科、铁角蕨科、凤尾蕨科、碗蕨科、中国蕨科、叉蕨科、观音座莲科等十个大科所含种数占了中国特有种总数的80%。云南、四川、贵州、广西、台湾、湖南、西藏等省区是中国蕨类植物种类数量及中国特有种数量较多的地区；全国有22个省区拥有地方特有种，地方特有蕨类植物数量由西向东、由南向北逐渐递减，云南、台湾、西藏、海南等四省区的地方特有蕨类植物种数占各省区蕨类植物总数10%以上，反映了青藏高原隆起及岛屿现象对中国特有蕨类植物分化的影响。 中国蕨类植物与各地理、环境及气候因子的相关性分析结果表明：（1）随着经度、纬度的增加， 蕨类植物物种总数及中国特有蕨类植物总数具有减少的趋势；（2）蕨类植物在海拔1000-1600米之间、特有蕨类植物在海拔700-2100米之间具有最大的多样性，此区间外随着海拔的降低及升高，物种丰富度依次降低；（3）气候因子特别是一月均温、年均温、相对湿度、年降雨量等因素对蕨类植物及中国特有蕨类植物均具有较大的影响，与最热月均温成低度线性相关或相关不显著；（4）地形因子是影响蕨类植物多样性的一个独立因素，地形条件越复杂，蕨类植物种类及中国特有蕨类植物种类越丰富。 运用SPSS统计分析软件分析了中国蕨类植物在各省之间种的相似性，以省区为单元对中国各省区蕨类植物物种组成进行了聚类分析，最后结果划分成：①南方蕨类植物区（包括横断山—青藏高原亚区、华中亚区、华东亚区、华南亚区）和北方蕨类植物区（包括东北—华北—西北亚区、秦岭亚区、江淮亚区）。 中国蕨类植物区系地理成分分析结果表明：（1）中国—喜马拉雅分布（40.86%）、热带亚洲分布（30.95%）、东亚分布（12.77%）和中国—日本分布（8.24%）构成中国蕨类植物区系成分的主体；在洲际关系方面，中国蕨类植物与大洋洲的蕨类植物关系最为紧密，共有种最多，达94种；与南美洲共有的蕨类植物种类最少，仅32种。（2）基于地理成分的聚类分析结果表明，可将我国蕨类植物区系地理区划为代表温带亚洲成分的（特别是中亚、西亚地中海分布成分）西北温带亚洲植物区、代表古热带成分的华南古热带植物区和代表广义东亚成分的东亚植物区，东亚植物区可继续下分为中国东北—俄罗斯远东亚区（该区分布有大量的东亚－北美间断分布类型）、中国—日本植物亚区、中国—喜马拉雅植物亚区。 运用IUCN濒危物种等级对中国蕨类植物及其国家重点保护蕨类植物进行了现状评估，结果表明：可能灭绝（EX）的2种，极危（CR）的蕨类植物有33种，属于濒危（EN）的蕨类植物51种，属于易危（VU）的蕨类植物有109种，接近受危（NT）的蕨类植物158种，需予关注（LC）的845种，数据不足（DD）的1255种。对国家重点保护蕨类植物的保护级别提出部分变更的建议，对部分没有列入保护名录珍稀蕨类提出保护的建议，并就建议保护级别变更和增加保护的种类进行了必要的说明。

玉米 rbcL 基因与兰藻 rbcS 基因定向融合及它们在宿主大肠杆菌中的表达

二磷酸核酮糖羧化酶/氧化酶(简称Rubisco, EC, 4.1.1.39)是绿色植物光合作用中参与固定CO2的关键酶。在高等植物，该酶是由8个分子量为55KD的大亚基(LSU)和8个分子量为14KD的小亚基(SSU)构成的16聚体。每个大亚基有四个活性中心，具有双向催化功能，其编码基因位于叶绿体基因组大单拷贝区;小亚基功能还不清楚，它由核基因组编码且有几个拷贝;未成熟小亚基N端有一段transit peptide，靠它的定向跨越叶绿体膜。迄今为止，取自几种植物材料的这二种亚基的氨基酸顺序和编码基因的核苷酸顺序分析业已完成。为该酶的遗传操作奠定了必要的基础。 由于Rubisco与人类利用太阳能和提高作物产量直接相关，所以成为通过生物技术进行改造的重大项目。 巢状假囊细菌(Anacyslis nidulans) R2是一种不含限制性内切酶的单细胞原核生物，能营光合作用，其Rubisco大亚基的氨基酸顺序与玉米的LSU同源性高达80%，但是第四个活性部位(Leu 456位)与玉米不同(Sys, 459位)，由此导致其对CO2的亲合力降低。另一方面，其rbcL与rbcS仅相隔93个bp，且同属一个操纵子。这意味着有可能用同源DNA片段等位交换的办法来改造其rbcL基因。 根据现有的资料，设计出玉米rbcL与兰藻rbcS定向重组于pUC119的兰图：先从pANP1155中切出0.7kb含蓝藻rbcS的PstI-HindIII片段，克隆进pUC119的lacZ启动子下游得pTAS28，采用Reverse primer作引物进行核苷酸顺序分析，确认蓝藻rbcS基因座落在pTAS28正链上。随后从pZmc460中切出包含玉米rbcL基因1.7kb的BglII-HincII片段，将它插入pTAS28的HincⅡ-BamHⅠ双酶切位点，得到pTMN3;为了比较，在另一个质粒pTMN7于1.7kb片段之前加进0.1kb的PstI-HaeIII蓝藻DNA。根据玉米rbcL基因核苷酸顺序（1218-1251）合成一个Oligonucleotide probe，对这三个质粒的总RNA抽提物进行Northern Blot，得到明显的杂交斑点;接着用菌体总蛋白冻干品进行了Western分析，并以新鲜的玉米和烟草叶片为对照，得到阳性结果。显然这二种基因重组之后仍能在宿主E. coli中正常表达。 真正的挑战应是下一步用上述二种质粒转化兰藻A. nidulans R2，考查其能否整合进基因组并表现出较低的氧化酶活性。

中华硬蜱凝血酶抑制剂的分离纯化与活性

通过凝胶过滤和反相高压液相层析, 从200 只半饱吸血的中华硬蜱( Ixodide sinesis ) 唾液腺中分离 纯化得到一凝血酶抑制剂。用飞行质谱测定其分子量为61356 kDa , 与其他蜱类来源的凝血酶抑制剂分子量不 同, 提示为一新蛋白分子。该抑制剂对凝血酶有强烈的抑制活性, 对激活的第X 因子和胰蛋白酶有微弱的抑制 活性。其发现将为发展疫苗、生物控制中华硬蜱提供资料和目标抗原。

Evolutionary history of the mtDNA 9-bp deletion in Chinese populations and its relevance to the peopling of east and southeast Asia

In total, 1218 Chinese from twelve ethnic groups and nine Han geographic groups were screened for the mtDNA 9-bp deletion motif. The frequency of the 9-bp deletion in all samples was 14.7% but ranged from 0% to 32% in the various ethnic groups. Three individuals had a triplication of the 9-bp segment. Phylogenetic and demographic analyses of the mtDNA hypervariable segment 1 (HVS1) sequences suggest that the 9-bp deletion occurred more than once in China. The majority of the Chinese deletion:haplotypes (about 90%) have a common origin as a mutational event following an initial expansion of modem humans in eastern Asia. Other deletion haplotypes and the three haplotypes with a 9-bp triplication may have arisen independently in the Chinese, presumably by replication error. HVS1 haplotype analysis suggests two possible migration routes of the 9-bp deletion in east and southeast Asia. Both migrations originated in China with one route leading to the Pacific Islands via Taiwan, the other to southeast Asia and possibly the Nicobar Islands. Along both routes of peopling, a decrease in HVS1 diversity of the mtDNA haplotypes is observed. The "Polynesian motif (16217T/C, 16247A/G, and 16261C/T)" and the 16140T/C, 16266C/A, or C/G polymorphisms appear specific to each migration route.