Comparative genomics of trypanosomatid parasitic protozoa

A comparison of gene content and genome architecture of Trypanosoma brucei, Trypanosoma cruzi, and Leishmania major, three related pathogens with different life cycles and disease pathology, revealed a conserved core proteome of about 6200 genes in large syntenic polycistronic gene clusters. Many species-specific genes, especially large surface antigen families, occur at nonsyntenic chromosome-internal and subtelomeric regions. Retroelements, structural RNAs, and gene family expansion are often associated with syntenic discontinuities that-along with gene divergence, acquisition and loss, and rearrangement within the syntenic regions-have shaped the genomes of each parasite. Contrary to recent reports, our analyses reveal no evidence that these species are descended from an ancestor that contained a photosynthetic endosymbiont.     

转无毒基因马铃薯抗晚疫病的研究

晚疫病菌(Phytophthora infestans)引起的马铃薯晚疫病是危害全球马铃薯生产的严重病害.通过基因工程方法把外源基因导入植物体内以增强抗病性被证明是一条行之有效的途径.应用植物基因工程技术将具有能激活植物自身防御系统的无毒基因与适合于植物背景、非专一性的病原物诱导启动子组合成嵌合基因构建到植物表达载体中.通过农杆菌或基因枪的介导转化植物,可筛选出高效广谱的抗真菌和细菌病害的转基因植株.本研究从病原细菌Pseudomonas syringae PV.tomato中获得的无毒基因avrD(0*93kb)和从病原真菌Phytophthora parasitica中获得的无毒基因Elicitin(0.294kb)分别与非专一性病原物诱导启动子Pill和BG组成含2个嵌合基因(Pill-avrD,BG-Elicitin)的植物表达载体pYH144和pYHEt.通过农杆菌LBA4404介导转化马铃薯,其中用pYH144载体转化2个品种(克新1号,2号),用pYHEt载体转化3个品种(Desiree,克新2号,4号),通过组织培养分别获得潮霉素(HygromycinB)标记的转基因马铃薯试管苗.将转基因试管苗扩繁,应用马铃薯脱毒微型种薯生产技术获得转无毒基因微型薯,在温室(15～25℃和湿度高)条件下,观察转无毒基因马铃薯植株中对晚疫病菌自然感染的抗性.1998年和1999年(每年的3-5月)的温室试验初步表明用avrD和elicitin基因分别转化的转无毒基因马铃薯植株都具有较明显的对晚疫病菌侵染的抗性,大部分转基因植株不表现或表现轻微的感病症状,对照植株(未转化)则表现明显的感病症状.转基因植株生长正常,且在感染后期(恢复期)生长良好.对照植株在恢复期生长弱和缓慢.在获得较多数量的转无毒基因马铃薯微型种薯的时候,将进行人工接种晚疫病菌和田间种植试验,从中筛选出抗真菌病和细菌病的转基因马铃薯株系.     

Tracing the origin and fate of NOx in the Arctic atmosphere using stable isotopes in nitrate

Atmospheric nitrogen oxides (NOx =NO+ NO2) play a pivotal role in the cycling of reactive nitrogen (ultimately deposited as nitrate) and the oxidative capacity of the atmosphere. Combined measurements of nitrogen and oxygen stable isotope ratios of nitrate collected in the Arctic atmosphere were used to infer the origin and fate of NOx and nitrate on a seasonal basis. In spring, photochemically driven emissions of reactive nitrogen from the snowpack into the atmosphere make local oxidation of NOx by bromine oxide the major contributor to the nitrate budget. The comprehensive isotopic composition of nitrate provides strong constraints on the relative importance of the key atmospheric oxidants in the present atmosphere, with the potential for extension into the past using ice cores.     

Synthetic clonal reproduction through seeds

Cloning through seeds has potential revolutionary applications in agriculture, because it would allow vigorous hybrids to be propagated indefinitely. However, asexual seed formation or apomixis, avoiding meiosis and fertilization, is not found in the major food crops. To develop de novo synthesis of apomixis, we crossed Arabidopsis MiMe and dyad mutants that produce diploid clonal gametes to a strain whose chromosomes are engineered to be eliminated after fertilization. Up to 34% of the progeny were clones of their parent, demonstrating the conversion of clonal female or male gametes into seeds. We also show that first-generation cloned plants can be cloned again. Clonal reproduction through seeds can therefore be achieved in a sexual plant by manipulating two to four conserved genes.     

Detection of GTP-tubulin conformation in vivo reveals a role for GTP remnants in microtubule rescues

Microtubules display dynamic instability, with alternating phases of growth and shrinkage separated by catastrophe and rescue events. The guanosine triphosphate (GTP) cap at the growing end of microtubules, whose presence is essential to prevent microtubule catastrophes in vitro, has been difficult to observe in vivo. We selected a recombinant antibody that specifically recognizes GTP-bound tubulin in microtubules and found that GTP-tubulin was indeed present at the plus end of growing microtubules. Unexpectedly, GTP-tubulin remnants were also present in older parts of microtubules, which suggests that GTP hydrolysis is sometimes incomplete during polymerization. Observations in living cells suggested that these GTP remnants may be responsible for the rescue events in which microtubules recover from catastrophe.     

Antimicrobial potential of egg yolk ovoinhibitor, a multidomain Kazal-like inhibitor of chicken egg

Chicken egg ovoinhibitor is a multidomain Kazal-type serine protease inhibitor with unknown function. Comparison of expression between different tissues indicated that ovoinhibitor is highly expressed in the magnum and liver followed by the uterus, which secrete egg white, egg yolk, and eggshell precursors, respectively. The results also revealed that ovoinhibitor expression is increased in the liver during sexual maturation followed by a subsequent decrease in mature hens. Ovoinhibitor was purified from the egg yolk plasma from nonfertilized eggs using two consecutive affinity chromatographies and gel filtration. Purified egg yolk ovoinhibitor was shown to inhibit trypsin and subtilisin. It was shown that purified egg yolk ovoinhibitor exhibited antimicrobial activities against Bacillus thuringiensis . The results suggest that this anti-protease plays a significant role in antibacterial egg defense against Bacillus spp., preventing contamination of table eggs (nonfertilized eggs) and protecting the chick embryo (fertilized eggs).     

Uncommon associations in target resistance among French populations of Myzus persicae from oilseed rape crops

Within the framework of a molecular exploration of target resistance in populations of Myzus persicae on oilseed rapes in France, (1) the S431F mutation (coding gene ace2), although previously reckoned to be rare, revealed to be frequent, (2) M918L (phenotypically characterised) and L932F (both on para) were found for the first time in M. persicae, and (3) a linkage was revealed between M918L and S431F. While until recently populations developing on French oilseed rapes were dominated by genotypes possessing pyrethroid target resistance and esterase overproduction, to date a different type of dominating genotype, equipped with carbamate and pyrethroid target resistance, seems to be invading such fields.     

Interaction between root rot basidiomycetes and Phytophthora species on pedunculate oak

Forest declines are usually complex multifactorial phenomena that involve interactions between different factors. The possible interaction between different types of mycelial pathogens was investigated through artificial inoculation of oak seedlings, involving two root rot basidiomycetes, Collybia fusipes and Armillaria mellea, and two Phytophthora species, P. cinnamomi and P. cambivora. These pathogens were inoculated onto young Quercus robur saplings in greenhouse conditions, either alone or combining a root rot basidiomycete with a Phytophthora species. Three out of the four Phytophthora spp.*root rot basidiomycete combinations tested resulted in significantly greater damage to the oak host than the sum of the damages induced by the individual pathogens. This positive interaction could be significant in oak decline syndrome.