Pitfalls in the analysis of ancient human mtDNA

The retrieval of DNA from ancient human specimens is not always successful owing to DNA deterioration and contamination although it is vital to provide new insights into the genetic structure of ancient people and to reconstruct the past history. Normally, only short DNA fragments can be retrieved from the ancient specimens. How to identify the authenticity of DNA obtained and to uncover the information it contained are difficult. We employed the ancient mtDNAs reported from Central Asia (including Xinjiang, China) as an example to discern potentially extraneous DNA contamination based on the updated mtDNA phylogeny derived from mtDNA control region, coding region, as well as complete sequence information. Our results demonstrated that many mtDNAs reported are more or less problematic.Startim, from a reliable mtDNA phylogeney and combining the available modern data into analysis, one can ascertain the authenticity of the ancient DNA, distinguish the potential errors in a data set, and efficiently decipher the meager information it harbored. The reappraisal of the mtDNAs with the age of more than 2000 years from Central Asia gave support to the suggestion of extensively (pre)historical gene admixture in this region.     

Measuring radial Young’s modulus of DNA by tapping mode AFM

Based on tapping mode AFM imaging, a method was demonstrated to evaluate compression elasticity of single double-stranded DNA （dsDNA） molecules in the force region. With images under ambient conditions, Young＇s moduli of dsDNA in compression were calculated. Results demonstrated that Young＇s moduli of dsDNA can be simply deduced according to the proposed model. The method can also be used to evaluate the compression elasticity of similar soft nanomaterials.     

古菌研究及其展望

古菌是目前生物地球化学研究的热点之一,不仅能在高温、强酸/碱性条件、高盐度、缺氧等极端条件下存在,而且能在普通海洋环境中存活.其含量巨大,在全球的生物地球化学作用中正扮演重要角色.该领域研究对阐明生命运动的基本规律,揭示生命起源和物种进化,生物圈与地圈环境的相互作用具有重要意义,并可为外太空生命问题的探讨和推测提供依据.本文评述了近30年来古菌基本研究成果和研究现状,展望有待解决的前沿研究内容及解决思路,旨在建立一个较为清晰的古菌基本概念及研究思路,以利于地质学、生物学界了解这一交叉领域.     

应用分子梳技术对DNA单分子的研究

分子梳技术是一种有效的拉伸DNA分子的手段,它利用流体流动过程中施加的力将DNA分子拉伸开并且平铺在固体表面上．在每个玻片上可以同时对很多DNA分子拉伸并且整齐地排列,使之便于统计分析数据．利用分子梳技术可以在单分子水平上研究DNA复制、转录过程以及DNA-蛋白质相互作用．文中主要介绍分子梳技术原理、实现方法及其重要应用．     

拟穴青蟹细胞核DNA含量的测定

以拟穴青蟹(Scylla paramamosain)的血淋巴细胞为材料,刀额新对虾(Metapenaeus ensis)的血淋巴细胞为参照系,利用倍性分析仪结合外标定法测定其细胞核DNA含量.拟穴青蟹的血淋巴的细胞核DNA含量是2.677 pg/2c.此外,本文作者还发现拟穴青蟹血淋巴与肌肉组织细胞核DNA含量存在差异.报道了我国拟穴青蟹细胞核DNA含量,并且提供了拟穴青蟹的细胞遗传学特征,为蟹类系统重建与演化过程分析提供新资料.     

Multi-objective carrier chaotic evolutionary algorithm for DNA sequences design

DNA computing is a new vista of computation, which is of biochemical type. Since each piece of information is encoded in biological sequences, their design is crucial for successful DNA computation. DNA sequence design is involved with a number of design criteria, which is difficult to be solved by the traditional optimization methods. In this paper, the multi-objective carrier chaotic evolution algorithm (MCCEA) is introduced to solve the DNA sequence design problem. By merging the chaotic search base on power function carrier, a set of good DNA sequences are generated. Furthermore, the simulation results show the efficiency of our method.     

A novel salicylaldehyde dehydrosenase-NahV involved in catabolism of naphthalene from Pseudomonas putida ND6

A novel salicylaldehyde dehydrogenase involved in catabolism of naphthalene from Pseudomonas putida ND6, NahV, has been identified. NahV exhibited lower identity in amino acid sequence with the classic salicylaldehyde dehydrogenase, NahF, from P. putida ND6. This is the first report of an isofunctional enzyme of bacterial salicylaldehyde dehydrogenase. Comparison of Km and Vmax values of NahV and NahF demonstrated that NahF has a more efficient catalytic reaction than NahV, while NahV has much higher affinity for salicylaldehyde and NAD^＋. Both enzymes exhibited broad substrate specificities and catalyzed the oxidation of salicylaldehyde, 5-chlorosalicylaldehyde, formaldehyde, m-nitrobenzaldehyde, o-nitrobenzaldehyde, o-methoxybenxaldehyde, glutaraldehyde, caprylic aldehyde, and glyoxal. However, the relative rates at which the substituted analogs are transformed differ considerably. NahV activity could be enhanced by Fe^2＋, Cu^2＋ and Zn^2＋; whereas NahF activity could only be stimulated by Fe^2＋, NahF is more stable than NahV at elevated temperatures. Dot-blot hybridization analyses showed that nahF-like genes occurred in all naphthalene-degradation bacteria isolated in this study, whereas nahV-like genes were present in only some naphthalene-degrading bacteria.     

中国榛属植物DNA提取与SSR初步分析

为了探讨适合中国榛属植物基因组DNA的提取方法,分析榛属植物的遗传多样性,本实验以榛属植物的叶片为试材,通过对Doyle和Doyle方法的改良,摸索出适于中国榛属植物基因组DNA提取的方法,并以核酸产量、纯度、片断分布情况等指标来评价,获得高质量基因组DNA;同时应用4对欧榛SSR引物对中国榛属植物进行了跨种转移,并对具有商业潜力的平榛、毛榛和川榛3个种的遗传多样性进行了初步评价,4对引物从3个种的29个样本中扩增出33个等位基因,位点拥有的等位基因数量在6~12个之间,位点平均等位基因数为8.38.上述结果表明SSR是用于榛属种间育种、品种鉴定以及种间遗传图构建的有力工具.     

浅谈改良CTAB法提取豌豆基因组DNA

通过改良CTAB法从豌豆（Pisum sativum）嫩叶中提取了基因组DNA,并进行了紫外分光光度计和琼脂糖凝胶电泳分析,结果表明,得到的DNA一级结构较完整,杂质较少,浓度也较高,可进一步用于PCR（Polymerase chain reaction）和酶切等分子生物学实验。     

基于单细胞凝胶电泳法的不同烷化剂导致DNA损伤的比较研究

从单细胞水平考察单官能团和双官能团烷化剂引起DNA损伤的差异.采用单细胞凝胶电泳法检测并比较单官能团烷化剂甲基亚硝基脲与双官能团烷化剂尼莫司汀在不同浓度下对DNA的损伤情况.研究结果表明药物浓度与彗星尾部DNA含量之间存在线性关系.为了检测DNA交联损伤,选择加入断裂剂作为对照,结果显示双官能团烷化剂尼莫司汀能引起显著的DNA交联.本文从细胞毒性作用和DNA损伤水平考察了烷化剂的毒性,为阐明烷化剂的致癌和抗癌机制提供理论基础.