Germline-specific dgcr8 knockout in zebrafish using a BACK approach

Zebrafish is an important model to study developmental biology and human diseases. However, an effective approach to achieve spatial and temporal gene knockout in zebrafish has not been well established. In this study, we have developed a new approach, namely bacterial artificial chromosome-rescue-based knockout (BACK), to achieve conditional gene knockout in zebrafish using the Cre/loxP system. We have successfully deleted the DiGeorge syndrome critical region gene 8 (dgcr8) in zebrafish germ line and demonstrated that the maternal-zygotic dgcr8 (MZdgcr8) embryos exhibit MZdicer-like phenotypes with morphological defects which could be rescued by miR-430, indicating that canonical microRNAs play critical role in early development. Our findings establish that Cre/loxP-mediated tissue-specific gene knockout could be achieved using this BACK strategy and that canonical microRNAs play important roles in early embryonic development in zebrafish.     

Nine new species of the subgenus Stegana (Oxyphortica) from the Oriental region,with morphological and molecular evidence based on Chinese species (Diptera: Drosophilidae)

Nine new species of the subgenus Stegana (Oxyphortica) have been discovered from the Oriental Region: S. (O.) chuanjiangi Zhang and Chen, sp. nov., S (O.) dainuo Wang and Chen, sp. nov., S. (O.) dawa Zhang and Chen, sp. nov., S. (O.) laohlie Zhang and Chen, sp. nov., S. (O.) luchun Wang and Chen, sp. nov., S. (O.) mengwan Wang and Chen, sp. nov., S. (O.) triodonta Cheng and Chen, sp. nov. from southern China; S. (O.) dehiscens Cheng and Chen, sp. nov. and S. (O.) spinosa Cheng and Chen, sp. nov. from eastern Malaysia. One newly recorded species from China: S. (O.) maichouensis Sidorenko is re-described. The DNA sequences of the mitochondrial COI gene with BOLD Process ID and GenBank accession numbers are provided for the above seven new species and five known species from China: S. (O.) acutipenis Xu, Gao and Chen, S. (O.) adentata Toda and Peng, S. (O.) hirtipenis Xu, Gao and Chen, S. (O.) latipenis Xu, Gao and Chen, and S. (O.) maichouensis Sidorenko. Intra- and interspecific pairwise K-2P distances among these species are summarized and the phylogenetic relationships are reconstructed based on the neighbour-joining (NJ) analyses.

www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:2FA403F6-5535-40A4-9FD0-ADB9913EDE83.     

Mutations in NMNAT1 cause Leber congenital amaurosis and identify a new disease pathway for retinal degeneration

Leber congenital amaurosis (LCA) is a blinding retinal disease that presents within the first year after birth. Using exome sequencing, we identified mutations in the nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) synthase gene NMNAT1 encoding nicotinamide mononucleotide adenylyltransferase 1 in eight families with LCA, including the family in which LCA was originally linked to the LCA9 locus. Notably, all individuals with NMNAT1 mutations also have macular colobomas, which are severe degenerative entities of the central retina (fovea) devoid of tissue and photoreceptors. Functional assays of the proteins encoded by the mutant alleles identified in our study showed that the mutations reduce the enzymatic activity of NMNAT1 in NAD biosynthesis and affect protein folding. Of note, recent characterization of the slow Wallerian degeneration (Wld(s)) mouse model, in which prolonged axonal survival after injury is observed, identified NMNAT1 as a neuroprotective protein when ectopically expressed. Our findings identify a new disease mechanism underlying LCA and provide the first link between endogenous NMNAT1 dysfunction and a human nervous system disorder.     

水栖性的棘胸蛙身体大小不随环境水热梯度及净初级生产力梯度而分化

之前的研究发现不同地理种群棘胸蛙(Quasipaa spinosa)的身体大小随着环境生产力以及年最低温的降低而增大,因为更大的身体利于在生产力水平较低的环境中耐受饥饿并利于在寒冷的环境条件下保存热量.然而在种间水平上进行的相关研究发现:由于大部分时间生活在水体这种相对稳定的环境中,水栖性无尾类的身体大小并不受宏观水热波动的影响.为了更好地探究这个问题,我们以棘胸蛙为研究对象,在之前的基础上选择更多的研究地点及更多的环境因子,研究其身体大小的地理分化格局并探究潜在机制.与之前的发现不同,作为一种水栖性无尾类,棘胸蛙的身体大小并不受环境水热梯度以及净初级生产力梯度的影响.导致这种现象的原因可能是水栖性的生境偏好缓和了棘胸蛙受到的来自宏观环境水热波动的影响,所以它们并不通过改变身体大小来适应宏观环境梯度.此外由于棘胸蛙的肉食性,环境初级生产力并不能有效地衡量其食物供给,其身体大小是否受到食物供给量的影响仍有待深入探究.     

兔血清诱导Shope肿瘤细胞凋亡的实验研究

目的：前期实验结果已证明兔血清对Ｓｈｏｐｅ肿瘤细胞具有伤作用。本实验拟从细胞凋亡角度探讨兔血清杀伤该细胞的机理。方法：通过电子显微镜、激光共聚焦显微镜、琼脂糖凝胶电泳及流式细胞仪检测等方法,观察了兔血清诱导细胞凋亡的可能性。结果：经１０％兔血清处理３ｈ的中等分化程度的Ｓｈｏｐｅ肿瘤细胞（ＳＣＢ－６ａ）在电镜、激光共聚焦显微镜下均可见典型的细胞凋亡的形态学特征;１．５％琼脂糖凝胶电泳呈现明显的“阶梯状”图谱（ＤＮＡ ｌｅｄｄｅｒ）;ＰＩ染色后经流式细胞仪检测显示大量亚二倍体细胞（凋亡细胞）。结论：兔血清诱导Ｓｈｏｐｅ肿瘤细胞凋亡可能是其伤细胞的作用机理之一。     

乙苯脱氢制苯乙烯的本征动力学研究

针对ＧＳ－０５催化剂在反应温度为５７０～６２０℃、系统压力为常压、水烃比（重）为２０,１．５,１．３条件下进行了乙苯脱氢制苯乙烯的本征动力学研究,提出了该反应的简化反应网络,求得了各个反应的动力学速度式及有关动力学参数．研究结果表明,ＧＳ－０５催化剂对乙苯脱氢制苯乙烯具有良好的活性和选择性．     

科学仪器研究述评

科学仪器的重要性日益明显,但是主流科学哲学界没有充分重视科学仪器的研究.文章将科学仪器研究放入科学哲学的历史发展过程中进行了考察,分析了理论优位科学哲学下的仪器研究、关注实验研究背景下的仪器研究以及科学仪器哲学研究.     

《汉语大词典》中的“科学”词条引用有误

对西学东渐兴起之前中国的典籍中是否已出现了"科学"这一术语进行了考察,结果发现,《汉语大词典》"科学"词条中的,以及个别学者著文指出的有关南宋陈亮已在文章中使用过"科學"一词之说并不可靠。     

摩擦引起的制动器热点问题综述

基于国内外近20年来关于制动器摩擦热点的大量文献,系统评述了试验研究和理论分析方面的研究进展,深入分析了既有理论的缺陷,提出了制动器热点研究存在的悬疑问题,进而对未来制动器热点研究的重点方向提出了建议.