Horizontal gene transfer from Eukarya to Bacteria and domain shuffling: the α-amylase model

-Amylases are present in all kingdoms of the living world. Despite strong conservation of the tertiary structure, only a few amino acids are conserved in interkingdom comparisons. Animal -amylases are characterized by several typical motifs and biochemical properties. A few cases of such -amylases have been previously reported in some eubacterial species. We screened the bacterial genomes available in the sequence databases for new occurrences of animal-like -amylases. Three novel cases were found, which belong to unrelated bacterial phyla: Chloroflexus aurantiacus, Microbulbifer degradans, and Thermobifida fusca. All the animal-like -amylases in Bacteria probably result from repeated horizontal gene transfer from animals. The M. degradans genome also contains bacterial-type and plant-type -amylases in addition to the animal-type one. Thus, this species exhibits -amylases of animal, plant, and bacterial origins. Moreover, the similarities in the extra C-terminal domains (different from both the -amylase domain C and the starch-binding domain), when present, also suggest interkingdom as well as intragenomic shuffling.Received 17 October 2003; accepted 6 November 2003     

How retinoids regulate breast cancer cell proliferation and apoptosis

Breast cancer still remains a major problem in its incidence, morbidity and mortality; therefore, more effective strategies for its prevention are urgently needed. Retinoids, natural and synthetic derivatives of vitamin A, possess antiproliferative and proapoptotic properties, making them a promising class of chemopreventive agents against breast cancer. The efficacy of all-trans retinoic acid, 9-cis-retinoic acid, LGD1069 (Targretin, bexarotene), and N-(4-hydroxyphenyl)retinamide (fenretinide) as breast cancer chemopreventive agents is being studied. A better understanding of the molecular mechanisms of action of these agents should lead to improvements in their clinical application. In this review, we discuss the mechanisms by which retinoids exert their antiproliferative and apoptotic effects in breast cancer cells.Received 5 January 2004; received after revision 9 February 2004; accepted 12 February 2004     

预退火对Fe73.5Cu1Nb3Si13.5B9纳米晶合金巨磁阻抗效应的影响

用HP4294A型阻抗分析仪测量了经不同温度预退火后再540℃退火的Fe73.5Cu1Nb3S i13.5B9纳米晶合金薄带的巨磁阻抗,并结合XRD衍射图谱和AFM图谱,研究了预退火对纳米晶介观结构的影响.结果发现,200℃、300℃和400℃预退火处理40 m in对随后540℃退火的Fe73.5Cu1Nb3S i13.5B9薄带-αFe(S i)纳米晶介观结构产生了影响,颗粒团聚优势明显减弱,横向各向异性场减小,巨磁阻抗比得到了显著的提高.     

异源四倍体鲫鲤及其原始亲本Sox9基因HMG保守区内含子遗传变异性分析

参照不同物种中Sox基因HMG保守区序列设计简并引物,扩增了异源四倍体鲫鲤及其原始亲本红鲫(Carassius carassiusred var.)和鲤鱼(Cyprinus carpioL.)的Sox基因.对不同片段大小的Sox基因测序,结果表明,四倍体鱼中存在两个Sox9基因(Atsox9a和Atsox9b),红鲫和鲤鱼中只发现一个Sox9基因(Rcsox9a和Ccsox9b).这4个Sox9基因在HMG盒中均含有内含子,大小分别为413bp,703bp,401bp和714bp,其插入位点遵守GT-AG法则.其中Atsox9a与Rcsox9a,Atsox9b与Ccsox9b的内含子序列都具有很高的一致性,分别为94.4%和97.8%,这表明内含子序列变异率较低.有趣的是,根据它们的外显子所推导的氨基酸序列一致性均为100%.因此,四倍体鱼及其原始亲本Sox9基因HMG基序内含子不仅具有长度多态性,而且内含子之间存在遗传变异性,这为进一步探讨异源四倍体鲫鲤的起源和进化提供了重要的分子生物学证据,同时也为正确掌握内含子的位置信息,功能和进化起源有着十分重要的作用.     

荧光试剂衍生化液相色谱分析生物检材中的氟乙酸钠

建立了使用新的荧光衍生试剂9-氯甲基蒽(CA)衍生化生物检材中的氟乙酸钠,并通过薄层色谱和荧光检测的高效液相色谱(HPLC)分析的方法。合成得到氟乙酸钠的荧光衍生物——氟乙酸-9-亚甲基蒽酯(MA-MFA),纯度达到98%以上,通过红外光谱、核磁共振、元素分析和质谱对其进行结构表征。薄层色谱中展开剂为石油醚/乙酸乙酯(体积比为95∶5),检测限为5×10-8g(TLC)。高效液相色谱用AgilentHypersilODS反相色谱柱,以乙腈/水(体积比为85∶15)为流动相,荧光检测波长λex为256 nm,λem为412 nm。方法在2.5×10-9~125×10-9mol/mL浓度范围内呈良好的线性关系,线性相关系数为0.9988,生物样品空白添加实验的回收率为83%~90%,最低检测限为2×10-10g(S/N=3),日内、日间RSD均小于4%。该方法用于中毒死亡者的血液样品及其他检材的测定,效果良好。     

基于关系矩阵的复合宽边界区域拓扑关系计算

简单宽边界区域拓扑关系计算比较简单,而复合宽边界区域拓扑关系计算比较复杂,因而需要一个计算方法以实现复合宽边界区域拓扑关系计算、查询和分析处理。在分析复合宽边界区域与简单宽边界区域关系联系的基础上,研究了根据复合宽边界区域中简单宽边界区域拓扑关系矩阵计算复合宽边界区域拓扑关系的方法,并根据复合宽边界区域的性质,简化了算法。计算方法使得扩展九交模型不再是一个概念模型,而是可计算的,从而为查询和分析处理宽边界区域拓扑关系奠定了基础。     

基于BIND 9架构的智能DNS实现

主要解决双线路上的DNS解析问题,即如何让DNS服务器根据用户的IP地址解析出不同的镜像服务器IP地址.     

Deletion mapping of a new gustatory mutant inDrosophila melanogaster

Summary A gustatory mutant ofDrosophila melanogaster insensitive to the taste of salt has been isolated. Genetic crosses and a deletion mapping analysis show that this mutation, designatedgust-M ₁ is located in the 93C_3–6-93D_6–7 region of the third chromosome.gust-M ₁ is also insensitive to the taste of quinine sulfate. The behavior of this mutant may be explained by assuming thatgust-M ₁ could be a mutation perturbing functions in the central nervous system affecting the responses to both compounds.     

NKC-9酸性树脂非均相催化合成查耳酮

NKC-9酸性树脂催化芳醛与苯乙酮的Claisen-Schmidt缩合合成了五种查耳酮，收率81％～92％．考察了催化剂的用量和溶剂对收率的影响．该方法产率高、操作简便．产物结构经IR、NMR数据确认．     

基于飞思卡尔的汽车轮毂跳动量测量系统研究

详细阐述了汽车轮毂跳动量测量机控制系统的设计方案及基本工作原理,根据控制系统要求对系统的外设接口进行了分配,通过对MC9S12DP256的编程,实现了对步进电机的精确控制,完成了测头的启停以及在规定预压量内的上下、水平方向上的移动。