海莲林土壤CH4通量的日变化和滩面差异

采用静态密闭箱法研究了海南岛东寨港海莲（Ｂｒｕｇｕｉｅｒａｓｅｘａｎｇｕｌａ）林土壤ＣＨ４通量的日变化和滩面差异，结果表明：位于中高潮带而土壤较为湿润的长宁海莲林ＣＨ４通量高于位于高潮带而土壤较为干燥的河港海莲林，其土壤平均ＣＨ４通量分别为０．４９６和０．０８４ｍｇ／ｍ２．ｄ；长宁海莲林土壤ＣＨ４通量呈现较大的日变化，林地受潮水淹没时的ＣＨ４通量一般低于不受潮水淹没时的值，土壤ＣＨ４通量的日变化与气温和土温（５ｃｍ深）相关不显著；长宁海莲林与河港海莲林土壤ＣＨ４通量呈相同的滩面差异规律，即下部滩面＞中部滩面＞上部滩面．     

Antagonism between DNA hypermethylation and enhancer-blocking activity at the H19 DMD is uncovered by CpG mutations

Imprinted expression at the H19-Igf2 locus depends on a differentially methylated domain (DMD) that acts both as a maternal-specific, methylation-sensitive insulator and as a paternal-specific site of hypermethylation. Four repeats in the DMD bind CCCTC-binding factor (CTCF) on the maternal allele and have been proposed to attract methylation on the paternal allele. We introduced point mutations into the DMD to deplete the repeats of CpGs while retaining CTCF-binding and enhancer-blocking activity. Maternal inheritance of the mutations left H19 expression and Igf2 imprinting intact, consistent with the idea that the DMD acts as an insulator. Conversely, paternal inheritance of these mutations disrupted maintenance of DMD methylation, resulting in biallelic H19 expression. Furthermore, an insulator was established on the paternally inherited mutated allele in vivo, reducing Igf2 expression and resulting in a 40% reduction in size of newborn offspring. Thus, the nine CpG mutations in the DMD showed that the two parental-specific roles of the H19 DMD, methylation maintenance and insulator assembly, are antagonistic.     

Evidence in the Legionella pneumophila genome for exploitation of host cell functions and high genome plasticity

Legionella pneumophila, the causative agent of Legionnaires' disease, replicates as an intracellular parasite of amoebae and persists in the environment as a free-living microbe. Here we have analyzed the complete genome sequences of L. pneumophila Paris (3,503,610 bp, 3,077 genes), an endemic strain that is predominant in France, and Lens (3,345,687 bp, 2,932 genes), an epidemic strain responsible for a major outbreak of disease in France. The L. pneumophila genomes show marked plasticity, with three different plasmids and with about 13% of the sequence differing between the two strains. Only strain Paris contains a type V secretion system, and its Lvh type IV secretion system is encoded by a 36-kb region that is either carried on a multicopy plasmid or integrated into the chromosome. Genetic mobility may enhance the versatility of L. pneumophila. Numerous genes encode eukaryotic-like proteins or motifs that are predicted to modulate host cell functions to the pathogen's advantage. The genome thus reflects the history and lifestyle of L. pneumophila, a human pathogen of macrophages that coevolved with fresh-water amoebae.     

Constitutional aneuploidy and cancer predisposition caused by biallelic mutations in BUB1B

Mosaic variegated aneuploidy is a rare recessive condition characterized by growth retardation, microcephaly, childhood cancer and constitutional mosaicism for chromosomal gains and losses. In five families with mosaic variegated aneuploidy, including two with embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma, we identified truncating and missense mutations of BUB1B, which encodes BUBR1, a key protein in the mitotic spindle checkpoint. These data are the first to relate germline mutations in a spindle checkpoint gene with a human disorder and strongly support a causal link between aneuploidy and cancer development.     

深圳福田红树林区浮游藻类时空分布的研究

在2005年11月(秋)、2006年1月(冬)、2006年4月(春),分别对深圳福田红树林保护区5个水质监测站的浮游藻类进行采样研究.共鉴定到浮游藻类5门27属52种(含1变种和9未知种),密度在1.2×106～8.8×106个/L之间,平均密度为4.9×106个/L.硅藻门种类最多,有17属35种(含未知7种),占总种类数的67.3%,而且密度最大,高达8.7×106个/L;最少为隐藻门的种类,尚未发现甲藻门的种类.耐污染特征的种类如极微小环藻(Cyclotella caspia)、颤藻(Oscillatoria spp.)和小球藻(Chlorella vulgaris)是藻类群落的主要成分.各站分布的藻类群落组成季节差异明显,而种类数和密度并没有明显的季节变化.各站的优势种和优势类群存在时空差异.评价各站水质,反映出该红树林区水体处在中营养至富营养化状态.     

深圳湾景观类型转移强度分析

将深圳特区城市化过程划分为城市化初期、发展期、加速期和后期4个阶段,采用100、200和300 m3种不同尺度的网格分析方法,定量描述了深圳湾地区基围、红树林和滩涂3种湿地景观类型的变化过程。结果表明:①发展期阶段的基围处在中强度转移的很多,并集中在城市化速度最快的福田区,说明基围在发展期遭受了严重的人为破坏,大量的基围在该区域转化成建成区。从1989年开始,基围发生转入的网格比例很小,且强度较低。②红树林转移的发生区域主要集中在福田红树林保护区附近,其转入基本处于低转移强度。1989年至1998年间,红树林发生了高强度的转出。③滩涂的转移情况较为复杂,一方面体现在空间上转移范围的非连贯性,一方面体现在时间上转入转出的反复性,作为海岸交错的连接带,滩涂的转出基本沿着海岸带分布。围海造田等人为干扰使得滩涂等自然景观不断地向城市建成区等人工景观转移,深圳湾的海岸线逐渐向浅海延伸,海岸线的长度正在不断地缩减。④3种尺度分析都是建立在Jenks自然分类法基础上的转移强度网格,尺度的大小对四类转移强度的空间分布会造成较大的影响,同一阶段同一目标景观的转移强度,会因为网格尺度的不同造成差异。总体上来讲,200 m的网格大小是本研究最适宜的研究尺度,因为它比300 m的尺度保留了尽可能多的景观信息量,同时又剔除了100 m尺度上的信息噪音。     

癌生长是寄主中的过寄生现象

报道了人乳腺癌细胞MCF7和正常细胞MCF10,MRC5混合培养实验,分析了实验结果．结果表明：在营养物充足条件下癌细胞和正常细胞系寄生共存关系,而在饥饿条件下癌细胞和正常细胞是过寄生-捕食者和食饵的关系．讨论了此结果的生物医学含义．