A Devonian tetrapod-like fish and the evolution of the tetrapod body plan

The relationship of limbed vertebrates (tetrapods) to lobe-finned fish (sarcopterygians) is well established, but the origin of major tetrapod features has remained obscure for lack of fossils that document the sequence of evolutionary changes. Here we report the discovery of a well-preserved species of fossil sarcopterygian fish from the Late Devonian of Arctic Canada that represents an intermediate between fish with fins and tetrapods with limbs, and provides unique insights into how and in what order important tetrapod characters arose. Although the body scales, fin rays, lower jaw and palate are comparable to those in more primitive sarcopterygians, the new species also has a shortened skull roof, a modified ear region, a mobile neck, a functional wrist joint, and other features that presage tetrapod conditions. The morphological features and geological setting of this new animal are suggestive of life in shallow-water, marginal and subaerial habitats.     

Redesigning the body plan of Drosophila by ectopic expression of the homoeotic gene Antennapedia

Genetic and molecular studies on the expression of Antennapedia (Antp) have suggested that this gene specifies mainly the second thoracic segment. On the basis of our molecular analysis of dominant gain-of-function mutants we have postulated that the transformation of antennae into second legs is due to the ectopic overexpression of the Antp+ protein. This hypothesis was tested by inserting the complementary DNA encoding the normal Antp protein into a heat-shock expression vector and subsequent germ-line transformation. As predicted, heat induction at defined larval stages leads to the transformation of antennae into second legs. The dorsal part of the head can also be transformed into second thoracic structures (scutum) indicating that Antp indeed specifies the second thoracic segment. By ectopic overexpression of the Antp protein the body plan of the fruit fly can be altered in a predictable way.     

Applying genetic algorithms to the study of protein mutation theory

Genetic algorithms were applied to the study of simulation of protein mutation carried out on two_dimensional lattice model; to the study of effects of single mutation and double mutation on protein folding and protein structure stability. It is found that in two_dimensional lattice models, replacement of inner core hydrophobic residue by hydrophilic residue will result in reduction of protein stability; at the same time the number of residues of protein surface relatively grows with increase of protein chain length; and most mutations occur in residues of protein surface, these mutations are all neutral and have no effects on protein natural structure. The two mutations of double mutation are interactive and related to each other.     

核衣壳蛋白VP39结构分析与杆状病毒的进化研究

在测定了BmNPV—Ch(中国株)和HaMNPV vp39基因序列的基础上，推导出相应的氨基酸顺序，并与AcMNPV、OpMNPV、LdMNPV、BmNPV—Ja(日本株)的VP39蛋白的氨基酸顺序进行了比较。分析结果表明：在已知的各种杆状病毒中，VP39蛋白是一个保守性较强的蛋白质，Bm—NPV—Ch VP39蛋白与AcMNPV、OpMNPV、LdMNPV、BmNPV—Ja和HaMNPV VP39蛋白的氨基酸同源性分别是93．7％、58．2％、39．9％、97．1％、92．8％。HaMNPVVP39蛋白与AcMNPV、OpMNPV、LdMNPV、BmNPV—Ja和BmNPV—Ch VP39蛋白的氨基酸同源性分别为97．3％、59．0%、40．2%、93．1％、92．8％。通过氨基酸亲水性分析比较，探讨了VP39蛋白结构与杆状病毒进化间的关系。     

Evolutionary biology: lamprey Hox genes and the origin of jaws

The development of jaws was a critical event in vertebrate evolution because it ushered in a transition to a predatory lifestyle, but how this innovation came about has been a mystery. In the embryos of jawed vertebrates (gnathostomes), the jaw cartilage develops from the mandibular arch, where none of the Hox genes is expressed; if these are expressed ectopically, however, jaw development is inhibited. Here I show that in the lamprey, a primitively jawless (agnathan) fish that is a sister group to the gnathostomes, a Hox gene is expressed in the mandibular arch of developing embryos. This finding, together with outgroup comparisons, suggests that loss of Hox expression from the mandibular arch of gnathostomes may have facilitated the evolution of jaws.     

Beta-helix structure and ice-binding properties of a hyperactive antifreeze protein from an insect

Insect antifreeze proteins (AFP) are considerably more active at inhibiting ice crystal growth than AFP from fish or plants. Several insect AFPs, also known as thermal hysteresis proteins, have been cloned and expressed. Their maximum activity is 3-4 times that of fish AFPs and they are 10-100 times more effective at micromolar concentrations. Here we report the solution structure of spruce budworm (Choristoneura fumiferana) AFP and characterize its ice-binding properties. The 9-kDa AFP is a beta-helix with a triangular cross-section and rectangular sides that form stacked parallel beta-sheets; a fold which is distinct from the three known fish AFP structures. The ice-binding side contains 9 of the 14 surface-accessible threonines organized in a regular array of TXT motifs that match the ice lattice on both prism and basal planes. In support of this model, ice crystal morphology and ice-etching experiments are consistent with AFP binding to both of these planes and thus may explain the greater activity of the spruce budworm antifreeze.     

Effect of mutation in ribosomal protein on translation elongation

Translation accuracy, translation elongation rate and translation processivity are three important parameters for each elongation cycle. To study the role of ribosomal protein in translation elongation, these parameters were measured simultaneously for the first time in threeEscherichia coli T83 mutantsrpsL, rplX andrpmA. The results suggested that the mutants of ribosomal protein S12(rpsL) and ribosomal protein L24(rplX) decreased the processivity of ribosome while the mutant of ribosomal protein L27(rpmA) had little effect on the processivity;rplX mutant andrpmA mutant had higher accuracy; the elongation rate ofrplX mutant was faster than that of the wild type, whereas the elongation rate ofrpmA mutant was the same as that of the wild type.     

MEKK3蛋白K391位点突变对其影响的生物信息学分析及活性鉴定

MEKK3是丝裂原活化蛋白激酶(mitogen-activated protein kinase,MAPK)家族的重要成员,主要参与激活c-Jun氨基末端激酶(c-Jun NH2-terminal kinases, JNK)和细胞外调节(extracellular regulated protein kinases, ERK)两条通路。利用生物信息学分析野生型MEKK3(MEKK3WT)及突变型MEKK3(MEKK3K391M)蛋白的理化性质、亲/疏水性、跨膜区、二/三级结构、相互作用蛋白等。结果表明,MEKK3K391M蛋白的稳定性增强,亲/疏水性最强位点未改变,α-螺旋、β-折叠及蛋白结合位点与MEKK3WT不同。三级结构分析显示,MEKK3K391M空间位阻增大。据GenBank提供的人源MEKK3的cDNA序列(NM_203351),扩增出野生型MEKK3WT目的基因,用重叠延伸PCR定点突变技术扩增突变型MEKK3K391M目的基因,并将其克隆至带有FLAG标签的真核表达载体pCMV-tag-2c中。DNA序列分析结果表明,MEKK3K391M基因序列成功将编码赖氨酸(Lys, K)的密码子AAG突变为编码甲硫氨酸(Met, M)的密码子ATG;免疫印迹分析显示,MEKK3WT、MEKK3K391M重组体均在PC12细胞中高效表达;MEKK3WT可以激活JNK,使JNK发生磷酸化反应,其条带灰度值明显高于对照组和MEKK3K391M组。MEKK3K391M组的P-JNK与对照组相差不大。总之,MEKK3中K391的氨基酸突变引起了蛋白结构和功能的改变,特别是三级结构的空间位阻加大,使MEKK3K391M与ATP结合能力减弱,从而无法呈递磷酸基团催化相应的底物,失去生物学活性。本研究对寻找神经系统疾病JNK通路中与MEKK3相互作用的蛋白分子、探索蛋白相互作用机制提供实验基础。     

Conservation and elaboration of Hox gene regulation during evolution of the vertebrate head

The comparison of Hox genes between vertebrates and their closest invertebrate relatives (amphioxus and ascidia) highlights two derived features of Hox genes in vertebrates: duplication of the Hox gene cluster, and an elaboration of Hox expression patterns and roles compared with non-vertebrate chordates. We have investigated how new expression domains and their associated developmental functions evolved, by testing the cis-regulatory activity of genomic DNA fragments from the cephalochordate amphioxus Hox cluster in transgenic mouse and chick embryos. Here we present evidence for the conservation of cis-regulatory mechanisms controlling gene expression in the neural tube for half a billion years of evolution, including a dependence on retinoic acid signalling. We also identify amphioxus Hox gene regulatory elements that drive spatially localized expression in vertebrate neural crest cells, in derivatives of neurogenic placodes and in branchial arches, despite the fact that cephalochordates lack both neural crest and neurogenic placodes. This implies an elaboration of cis-regulatory elements in the Hox gene cluster of vertebrate ancestors during the evolution of craniofacial patterning.     

Expression of green fluorescent protein gene with baculovirus vector in insect cells

The green fluorescence of bioluminescent jellyfishAequorea victoria is due to the presence of the green fluorescent protein (GFP). To examine whether the GFP gene can be applied as a reporter gene in insect cells, a baculovirus transfer vector containing the neomycin resistance gene (neo) was established. The GFP gene was subcloned into the vector downstream of the polyhedrin gene (ocu) promoter. In the presence of G418, the recombinant virus can be purified. Expression of the GFP gene in the recombinant virus should give rise to synthesis of the GFP with a molecular weight of 30×10³ dalton, and is observable by the strong green light irradiated by ultraviolet or blue light in viable intact insect cells. The GFP produced in insect cells has typical fluorescent spectra indistinguishable from those of the purified native GFP. The GFP gene as a good reporter gene can be applied to the baculovirus-insect cell expression system. Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China Hu Jianhong: born in July, 1972, Master graduate student     

Construction of transposon-mediated baculovirus vector and expression of green fluorescent protein in insect cells and larvae

A transposon-shuttle vector Hanpvid was constructed by using wild-type genomic DNA fromHeliothis armigera nuclear polyhedrosis virus (HaNPV). It could replicate inE. coli cells as a large plasmid and remain infectious when being induced into insect cells. Hanpvid comprises HaNPV DNA and a transposon cassette which includes a miniF replicon, a kanamycin resistance gene (kan), lacZa and an attachment site for Tn7 (attTn7). Recombinant virus rHa-FaGP was obtained after transposition of a donor plasmid carrying green fluorescent protein gene (gfp) and polyhedrin gene (ocu) into attTn7. SDS-PAGE analysis shows that both gfp and ocu genes were highly expressed inHeliothis armigera cells. Green Hemolymphocytes can be seen under a fluorescent microscope 4 d after recombinant virus rHa-FaGP infected the third-instar larvae. The infected larvae show strong green fluorescence 6 d post infection.