An autopodial-like pattern of Hox expression in the fins of a basal actinopterygian fish

Comparative analyses of Hox gene expression and regulation in teleost fish and tetrapods support the long-entrenched notion that the distal region of tetrapod limbs, containing the wrist, ankle and digits, is an evolutionary novelty. Data from fossils support the notion that the unique features of tetrapod limbs were assembled over evolutionary time in the paired fins of fish. The challenge in linking developmental and palaeontological approaches has been that developmental data for fins and limbs compare only highly derived teleosts and tetrapods; what is lacking are data from extant taxa that retain greater portions of the fin skeletal morphology considered primitive to all bony fish. Here, we report on the expression and function of genes implicated in the origin of the autopod in a basal actinopterygian, Polyodon spathula. Polyodon exhibits a late-phase, inverted collinear expression of 5' HoxD genes, a pattern of expression long considered a developmental hallmark of the autopod and shown in tetrapods to be controlled by a 'digit enhancer' region. These data show that aspects of the development of the autopod are primitive to tetrapods and that the origin of digits entailed the redeployment of ancient patterns of gene activity.     

Early developmental arrest of mammalian limbs lacking HoxA/HoxD gene function

Vertebrate HoxA and HoxD cluster genes are required for proper limb development. However, early lethality, compensation and redundancy have made a full assessment of their function difficult. Here we describe mice that are lacking all Hoxa and Hoxd functions in their forelimbs. We show that such limbs are arrested early in their developmental patterning and display severe truncations of distal elements, partly owing to the absence of Sonic hedgehog expression. These results indicate that the evolutionary recruitment of Hox gene function into growing appendages might have been crucial in implementing hedgehog signalling, subsequently leading to the distal extension of tetrapod appendages. Accordingly, these mutant limbs may be reminiscent of an ancestral trunk extension, related to that proposed for arthropods.     

酵母snoRNA基因簇启动子的比较分析

报道对酿酒酵母ｓｎｏＲＮＡ基因簇启动子序列的研究结果．通过计算机分析,发现酿酒酵母中Ｚ２Ｚ８和ＳｎＲ１９０Ｕ１４ｓｎｏＲＮＡ基因簇有相似的启动子结构．这两个ｓｎｏＲＮＡ基因簇都是由一个上游的启动子负责整个基因簇的转录,产生多个顺反子ｓｎｏＲＮＡ的前体,然后再加工成熟为各个独立的ｓｎｏＲＮＡ．在启动子保守序列ＴＡＴＡｂｏｘ的上游还发现２个ＲＡＰ１序列,表明ｓｎｏＲＮＡ基因簇的表达可以通过ＲＡＰ１元素与核糖体蛋白基因的表达协同调控．这是在ｓｎｏＲＮＡ基因的启动子中首次发现ＲＡＰ１调控元素．对ｓｎｏＲＮＡ基因簇的进化特点也进行了讨论．     

甘蓝型油菜BnbHLH122基因的克隆、表达模式及胁迫响应分析

为了进一步探究甘蓝型油菜bHLH转录因子的生物学功能,本实验采用同源克隆技术从甘蓝型油菜中克隆了2个bHLH122转录因子基因全长cDNA序列,分别命名为:BnbHLH122-1(GenBank登录号为MT795160)和BnbHLH122-2(GenBank登录号为MT795161).生物信息学分析表明,BnbHLH122-1和BnbHLH122-2蛋白为不稳定的亲水性蛋白,都含有bHLH保守结构域,分别与白菜和甘蓝中预测的bHLH122蛋白的亲缘关系最近.亚细胞定位和转录激活活性验证实验结果表明两个BnbHLH122蛋白均定位在细胞核且具备转录激活活性.qRT-PCR实验结果表明BnbHLH122-1基因主要在花期的根中表达,BnbHLH122-2基因主要在苗期的根和花期的花中表达.此外,高温、低温、干旱、高盐、渗透、核盘菌胁迫以及ABA、SA、MeJA激素处理均能显著影响BnbHLH122基因的表达,由此说明甘蓝型油菜BnbHLH122基因可能在维持植株正常的生长发育和抵御逆境胁迫过程中发挥重要调节作用.     

东莞理工学院学生身高与四肢长度关系的研究

了解东莞理工学院在校学生的身高与四肢长度的关系,为临床、体育训练、体育选材、法医学、人类学提供参考资料．采用邵象清的人体测量学方法,对东莞理工学院学生300名（男156名,女144名）身高、上肢长度、肩宽、下肢长度和骨盆宽进行测量．得出了身高、上肢长、肩宽、下肢长和骨盆宽的均值及相关系数,全部相关系数介于0．39至0．85之间,上肢长与身高之间相关系数男性0．79,女性0．39,二者高度相关,下肢长与身高之间相关系数男性0．85,女性0．84．东莞理工学院学生形态发育具有显著的性别差异,其形态发育基本稳定,各年龄组之间无显著性差异．     

一种扩展数字有效位的方法

针对一些计算机限于BASIC语言的数字有效位不能进行大数字的运算,提出了一种扩展数字有效位的方法并给出了相应的算法程序。     

搬运助力外骨骼机器人运动学建模与仿真分析

为辅助工作人员高效轻便地完成搬运工作,设计一款结构合理与运动灵活的搬运助力外骨骼机器人。利用D-H参数法分别建立了外骨骼机器人下肢和上肢的运动学模型,对其进行正逆运动学求解。利用Pro/E软件建立搬运助力外骨骼的三维实体装配模型,并将其导入ADAMS中构建虚拟样机模型进行运动学仿真。仿真结果表明,下肢外骨骼能够满足人体运动,符合人体行走特征,上肢外骨骼符合人体搬运托举物体的特征。     

Sequential activation of HOX2 homeobox genes by retinoic acid in human embryonal carcinoma cells

RETINOIC acid had been implicated as a natural morphogen in chicken and frog embryogenesis, and is presumed to act through the gene regulatory activity of a family of nuclear receptors. Homeobox genes, which specify positional information in Drosophila and possibly in vertebrate embryogenesis, are among the candidate responsive genes. We previously reported that retinoic acid specifically induces human homeobox gene (HOX) expression in the embryonal carcinoma cell line NT2/D1. We now show that the nine genes of the HOX2 cluster are differentially activated in NT2/D1 cells exposed to retinoic acid concentrations ranging from 10(-8) to 10(-5) M. Genes located in the 3' half of the cluster are induced at peak levels by 10(-8) M retinoic acid, whereas a concentration of 10(-6) to 10(-5) M is required to fully activate 5' genes. At both high and low retinoic acid concentrations, HOX2 genes are sequentially activated in embryonal carcinoma cells in the 3' to 5' direction.