Mechanisms of sperm-egg interactions emerging from gene-manipulated animals

Untangling the molecular nature of sperm-egg interactions is fundamental if we are to understand fertilization. These phenomena have been studied for many years using biochemical approaches such as antibodies and ligands that interact with sperm or with eggs and their vestments. However, when homologous genetic recombination techniques were applied, most of the phenotypic factors of the gene-manipulated animals believed “essential” for fertilization were found to be dispensable. Of course, all biological systems contain redundancies and compensatory mechanisms, but as a whole the old model of fertilization clearly requires significant modification. In this review, we use the results of gene manipulation experiments in animals to propose the basis for a new vision. Received 26 January 2007; received after revision 7 March 2007; accepted 17 April 2007     

The human genome and understanding of common disease: present and future technologies

The study of candidate genes over the past three decades has yielded notable successes in common-disease genetics. During this time, however, interpretation of genetic association studies has been hampered by the use of clinical cohorts of inadequate power and insufficient information on genetic variation in candidate genes. The unavailability of highthroughput and low-cost genotyping technologies has also limited the scope of complex-disease genetic studies. More recently, however, the sequencing and characterization of variation within the human genome has revolutionized genetic studies and enabled full genome-wide scans for genes associated with disease. The identification of disease-associated (causative) genes has illuminated disease mechanisms. The translation of this knowledge into direct clinical benefit in diagnosis, prognosis and therapy for an individual’s disease still remains a challenge. Received 11 September 2006; received after revision 17 December 2006; accepted 18 January 2007     

影响植物分枝的一些基因及其分子机制

了解植物分枝机理不仅具有理论意义,对于农业、林业、果树、蔬菜和花卉等生产实践更具有重要意义.由于分子生物学的发展,人们有机会获得转基因植物和突变体,利用这些材料从不同角度对植物分枝机理进行深入研究.影响植物分枝的分子机制是多种多样的,对激素感知、激素代谢、激素运输等方面的影响都可以改变植物的分枝状况.目前,分枝的分子机制研究已取得较大进展.     

溶液共沸法直接合成较高分子量的聚乳酸

采用溶液共沸法直接缩聚制备聚乳酸。探讨了复合催化剂、溶剂用量、反应时间及反应装置对聚乳酸相对分子质量的影响。结果表明:以乳酸质量分数w=0.01的复合催化剂(其中氯化亚锡与对甲苯磺酸质量比为1∶1)为催化剂,溶剂与乳酸的体积比为0.75∶1.00,在氮气氛保护下反应35 h左右,能得到重均分子量为6.6×104的聚乳酸。     

拟南芥耐干旱相关转录因子DREB1A基因的克隆及序列分析

设计引物利用PCR技术从拟南芥中克隆与植物耐旱相关序列DRE相结合的转录因子DREB1A的基因,得到扩增谱带后,进行TA克隆,经蓝白斑筛选获得pDREB重组质粒,经PCR验证和序列测定确认扩增所得片段为DREB1A基因,并对该基因序列进行了分析.     

小麦中与低脱氧雪腐镰刀菌烯醇含量关联的抗性基因类似物

脱氧雪腐镰刀菌烯醇(Deoxynivalenol,DON)是小麦遭受赤霉病危害后由赤霉病菌———禾谷镰刀菌产生的一种真菌毒素,这种毒素对人类和家畜的健康产生危害,严重地影响小麦的利用价值.种植低DON含量的品种是减少这种毒素危害的有效措施,而分子标记辅助育种技术能加速低DON品种的选育进程.在采用AFLP、SSR分子标记的基础上,进一步利用抗性基因类似物(RGA)对‘宁7840’(低DON含量的品种)和‘Clark’(高DON含量的品种)建立的133个重组自交系进行了DON含量的遗传特性分析.研究结果发现两个DON含量的数量特性位点(QTL),它们中含有4个与低DON含量密切相关RGAs,其中三个RGAs(RGA14-1,RGA16-1,RGA18-1)座落在染色体1A的长臂上,另一个(RGA14-2)座落在染色体5B的长臂上.座落在1AL和5BL上的QTL分别解释16.81%和7.84%的DON含量变异.DNA序列分析表明这些RGAs均与现已发现的抗性基因同源/类似,它们可能在小麦的低DON含量和赤霉病抗性上扮演着重要的角色.     

蜘蛛拖牵丝蛋白基因转家蚕表达质粒的构建

利用DNA重组技术对络新妇蛛(Nephila clavipes)拖牵丝蛋白基因MaSp1高度重复序列进行多次重组,人工构建成1.6 kb的蜘蛛拖牵丝蛋白人工基因Sil-E,DNA序列分析证明了人工基因序列的正确性.将家蚕L链基因启动子片段、L链cDNA、L链基因终止子融合在一起,构建成丝腺特异性表达单元.再与Sil-E融合构建成蜘蛛拖牵丝蛋白基因家蚕丝腺特异表达单元.将该表达单元克隆到转座子piggyBac的转基因载体中,获得了蜘蛛拖牵丝蛋白转基因表达载体.采用显微注射法将其与辅助质粒共导入到家蚕蚕卵中.筛选转基因阳性个体,经PCR和Southern杂交鉴定,结果表明目的基因整合到家蚕基因组中,为进一步研究家蚕作为生物反应器表达蜘蛛拖牵丝蛋白基因奠定了基础.     

BioStarM-140s芯片基因信息查询系统的构建及应用

应用生物信息学数据库查询的方法,对B ioS tarM-140s小鼠基因表达芯片上的14 112个基因进行相应注释信息的查询和所对应蛋白质功能的分类.首先参照人类综合型芯片上基因的功能分类,设定了14个蛋白质类别,然后采用V isual C 编程语言,构建了基因信息查询系统.应用该查询系统,进行了网络生物学数据库信息资源的自动直接查询,共搜索到有注释信息的基因12 070个;进一步按照所设定的14个蛋白质类别对12 070个基因进行分类查询,搜索到了与这14个分类相符合的、具有详细蛋白质功能注释信息的基因共1 606个.     

机器学习方法及其在生物信息学中的应用

分析了机器学习技术的内容,介绍了生物信息学的内涵和新的应用技术,同时探索了机器学习技术对生物信息挖掘应用的途径.这些方法有助于加速生物分子结构预测、基因发现、基因组学和蛋白组学等方面研究的进展.