5-Aza-2′-deoxycytidine reactivates the CDH1 gene without influencing methylation of the entire CpG island or histone modification in a human cancer cell line

It is well-recognized that DNA methylation and histone modifications play critical roles in epigenetic regulation of gene activity through the alteration of chromatin structure. Recent studies have shown that in a subset of cancer cells, the silencing of the human E-cadherin (CDH1) gene is associated with hypermethylation of the CpG island. However, the associated molecular mechanism remains unclear. To understand the mechanism, we have investigated the alteration of CpG island methylation and histone modifications during the reactivation of the CDH1 gene by treatment with 5-aza-2′-deoxycytidine (5-aza-dC). Although the CDH1 gene expression was recovered by treatment with 5-aza-dC in a liver cancer cell line Li21, the methylation status of the entire CpG island and acetylation and methylation status of associated histones were not significantly altered. These results demonstrate that the silenced CDH1 gene can be reactivated without apparent alteration of histone modification or CpG island methylation.     

金属离子和热激处理对菊芋(Helianthus tuberosus L.)类金属硫蛋白基因htMT2表达的影响

使用不同金属离子及热激对菊芋进行了处理，并对菊芋不同组织器官中类金属硫蛋白基因(htMT2)mRNA水平的变化进行了研究．结果表明，htMT2在根中不表达，而且其表达不受金属离子的影响．Cu^2 降低叶中htMT2的表达，Cu^2 浓度与茎、叶中的htMT2 mRNA水平呈负相关性．在低浓度范围内，Zn^2 浓度与茎、叶中的htMT2 mRNA水平呈正相关性，而在高浓度范围内，Zn^2 浓度与htMT2 mRNA水平呈负相关性．Ca^2 对叶中htMT2表达的影响与Zn^2 的作用相似，但Ca^2 诱导茎中htMT2 mRNA水平升高．热激处理对不同组织中htMT2的表达无显著影响．研究的结果表明，htMT2表达受金属离子影响的特征与植物MT基因一致，进一步证实了我们前期工作中分离到的htMT2是一个新的植物MT基因．     

Establishment of hybrid-derived offspring populations in the Ohomopterus ground beetles through unidirectional hybridization

An approach to deduce the mechanism of stabilization of the hybrid-derived populations in the Ohomopterus ground beetles has been made by comparative studies on the phylogenetic trees of the mitochondrial and nuclear DNA. A phylogenetic tree based on the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) of nuclear ribosomal gene roughly reflects the relations of morphological species group, while mitochondrial NADH dehydrogenase subunit 5 (ND5) gene shows a considerable different topology on the tree; there exist several geographically-linked lineages, most of which consist of more than one species. These results suggest that the replacement of mitochondria has occurred widely in the Ohomopterus species. In most cases, hybridization is unidirectional, i.e., the species A (♂) hybridized with another species B (♀) and not vice versa, with accompanied replacement of mitochondria of A by those of B. The results also suggest that partial or complete occupation of the distribution territory by a hybrid-derived morphological species. The morphological appearance of the resultant hybrid-derivatives are recognized as that of the original species A. Emergence of a morphological new species from a hybrid-derived population has been exemplified.     

基因芯片共焦扫描仪的分辨率与信噪比

介绍基因芯片共焦扫描仪的系统结构和工作原理，讨论基因芯片共焦扫描仪的光学成像系统二维分辨率与信噪比之间的定量关系。所得出的结果对于选择共焦显微成像系统的参数和评价共焦显微成像系统的性能具有重要的意义。     

The origin of the Japanese race based on genetic markers of immunoglobulin G

This review addresses the distribution of genetic markers of immunoglobulin G (Gm) among 130 Mongoloid populations in the world. These markers allowed the populations to be clearly divided into 2 groups, the northern and southern groups. The northern group is characterized by high frequencies of 2 marker genes, ag and ab3st, and an extremely low frequency of the marker gene afb1b3; and the southern group, in contrast, is indicated by a remarkably high frequency of afb1b3 and low frequencies of ag and ab3st. Based on the geographical distribution of the markers and gene flow of Gm ag and ab3st (northern Mongoloid marker genes) from northeast Asia to the Japanese archipelago, the Japanese population belongs basically to the northern Mongoloid group and is thus suggested to have originated in northeast Asia, most likely in the Baikal area of Siberia.     

嗜麦芽假单胞菌质粒pSH1的限制图谱及km~r标记的克隆

对嗜麦芽假单胞菌Ｐ２菌株（ＰｓｅｕｄｏｍｏｎａｓｍａｌｔｏｏｈｉｌｉａＰ２）的质粒ｐＳＨ１进行了限制酶切分析，确定了ＢｇｌⅡ、ＥｃｏＲⅠ、ＰｓｔⅠ、ＸｂａⅠ、ＢａｍＨⅠ、ＢｇｌⅠ、及ＰｖｕⅡ共７种限制性内切酶在ｐＳＨ１、质粒上的切割位点，前４种酶均为单一切点；后３种依次为２、７、５个切点．通过双酶切和部分酶切的方法绘制了ｐＳＨ１质粒的限制酶切图谱．将ｐＧＰ１－２质粒上的卡那霉素抗性基因（ｋｍｒ）片段插入ｐＳＨ１，获得了重组质粒ｐＳＨ２．ｐＳＨ２是由ｐＧＰ１－２质粒上大小为２．９０ｋｂ的ＤＮＡ片段（含ｋｍｒ）和ｇｈＨ１经ＢａｍＨⅠ－ＰｓｔⅠ双酶切产生５．７０ｋｂ大片段组成，它能够重新转化到喀麦芽假单胞菌受体（ｋｍｒ）中，其ｋｍｒ标记能够得到稳定的表达．     

Biofortification—A Frontier Novel Approach to Enrich Micronutrients in Field Crops to Encounter the Nutritional Security

Globally, many developing countries are facing silent epidemics of nutritional deficiencies in human beings and animals. The lack of diversity in diet, i.e., cereal-based crops deficient in mineral nutrients is an additional threat to nutritional quality. The present review accounts for the significance of biofortification as a process to enhance the productivity of crops and also an agricultural solution to address the issues of nutritional security. In this endeavor, different innovative and specific biofortification approaches have been discussed for nutrient enrichment of field crops including cereals, pulses, oilseeds and fodder crops. The agronomic approach increases the micronutrient density in crops with soil and foliar application of fertilizers including amendments. The biofortification through conventional breeding approach includes the selection of efficient genotypes, practicing crossing of plants with desirable nutritional traits without sacrificing agricultural and economic productivity. However, the transgenic/biotechnological approach involves the synthesis of transgenes for micronutrient re-translocation between tissues to enhance their bioavailability. Soil microorganisms enhance nutrient content in the rhizosphere through diverse mechanisms such as synthesis, mobilization, transformations and siderophore production which accumulate more minerals in plants. Different sources of micronutrients viz. mineral solutions, chelates and nanoparticles play a pivotal role in the process of biofortification as it regulates the absorption rates and mechanisms in plants. Apart from the quality parameters, biofortification also improved the crop yield to alleviate hidden hunger thus proving to be a sustainable and cost-effective approach. Thus, this review article conveys a message for researchers about the adequate potential of biofortification to increase crop productivity and nourish the crop with additional nutrient content to provide food security and nutritional quality to humans and livestock.     

Okamoto model for necrosis and its expansions,CD38-cyclic ADP-ribose signal system for intracellular Ca2+ mobilization and Reg (Regenerating gene protein)-Reg receptor system for cell regeneration

In pancreatic islet cell culture models and animal models, we studied the molecular mechanisms involved in the development of insulin-dependent diabetes. The diabetogenic agents, alloxan and streptozotocin, caused DNA strand breaks, which in turn activated poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase/synthetase (PARP) to deplete NAD⁺, thereby inhibiting islet β-cell functions such as proinsulin synthesis and ultimately leading to β-cell necrosis. Radical scavengers protected against the formation of DNA strand breaks and inhibition of proinsulin synthesis. Inhibitors of PARP prevented the NAD⁺ depletion, inhibition of proinsulin synthesis and β-cell death. These findings led to the proposed unifying concept for β-cell damage and its prevention (the Okamoto model). The model met one proof with PARP knockout animals and was further extended by the discovery of cyclic ADP-ribose as the second messenger for Ca²⁺ mobilization in glucose-induced insulin secretion and by the identification of Reg (Regenerating gene) for β-cell regeneration. Physiological and pathological events found in pancreatic β-cells have been observed in other cells and tissues.     

Photochemical Regulation of Gene Expression Using Caged siRNAs with Single Terminal Vitamin E Modification

Caged siRNAs with a single photolabile linker and/or vitamin E (vitE) modification at the 5′ terminal were rationally designed and synthesized. These virtually inactive caged siRNAs were successfully used to photoregulate both firefly luciferase and GFP gene expression in cells with up to an 18.6‐fold enhancement of gene silencing activity, which represents one of the best reported photomodulation of gene silencing efficiencies to date. siRNA tracking and vitE competition experiments indicated that the inactivity of vitE‐modified siRNAs was not due to the bulky moiety of vitE; rather, the involvement of vitE‐binding proteins has a large contribution to caged siRNA inactivation by preventing the dissociation of siRNA/lipo complexes and/or siRNA release. Further patterning experiments revealed the ability to spatially regulate gene expression through simple light irradiation.