Use of the chemical cleavage of mismatch method for prenatal deficiency diagnosis of alpha-1-antitrypsin

The most common mutation in alpha-1-antitrypsin deficiency, conversion of a G to an A at base 9989 (PI-Z), was detected with the chemical cleavage of mismatch method, demonstrating the power of the method for prenatal diagnosis. Exon V of the gene was amplified using the polymerase chain reaction and heteroduplexes were formed to test for the presence of the mutation. The predicted C mismatch was readily detectable with hydroxylamine, and by making the probe from the chorionic villus sample it was possible to determine that the fetus was heterozygous, not homozygous, for the mutation.     

Prenatal diagnosis of medium-chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase (MCAD) deficiency in a family with a previous fatal case of sudden unexpected death in childhood

Medium-chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase (MCAD) deficiency is a potentially fatal inherited disease with a carrier frequency of approximately 1:100 in most Caucasian populations. The disease is implicated in sudden unexpected death in childhood. A prevalent disease-causing point mutation (A985G) in the MCAD gene has been characterized, thus rendering diagnosis easy in the majority of cases. Since the clinical spectrum of MCAD deficiency ranges from death in the first days of life to an asymptomatic life, there are probably other genetic factors—in addition to MCAD mutations—involved in the expression of the disease. Thus, families who have experienced the death of a child from MCAD deficiency might have an increased risk of a seriously affected subsequent child. In such a family we have therefore performed a prenatal diagnosis on a chorionic villus sample by a highly specific and sensitive polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay for the G985 mutation. The analysis was positive and resulted in abortion. We verified the diagnosis by direct analysis on blood spots and other tissue material from the aborted fetus and from family members.     

石油污染土壤生物修复过程中氮循环功能基因的动态检测

氮循环相关功能微生物在土壤发挥其生态功能中起着重要的作用.为定量分析其中的固氮细菌、反硝化细菌和硝化细菌在石油污染土壤生物修复过程中的演变情况,采用了实时定量PCR技术对其相关功能基因nifH、narG和amoA的拷贝数进行检测.结果表明,污染土壤中nifH、narG和amoA基因拷贝数及其占总16S rRNA基因拷贝数的比例远低于正常土壤,修复后土壤中的同类分析结果与正常土壤接近.表明石油污染物破坏了氮循环相关菌落结构,而生物修复则使其得以恢复.进一步分析了不同修复方式下氮循环功能基因的恢复情况以及土壤中石油烃降解率.也表明同时添加秸秆和菌剂具有最好的修复效果,处理40 d后其nifH、narG和amoA基因拷贝数（以干土计）分别恢复到2.68×106、1.71×106和8.54×104g-1,石油烃降解率达到48%.投加真菌-细菌复合菌剂的效果优于只投加细菌菌剂的效果.本研究结果表明氮循环功能基因的动态监测可以从基因和物种水平上反映土壤修复的效果,为土壤修复的监控和效果评估提供参考.     

崇明东滩夏季沉积物厌氧氨氧化菌群落结构与空间分布特征

为探索长江口崇明东滩表层沉积物中是否存在厌氧氨氧化菌以及厌氧氨氧化菌的群落结构与空间分布特征,以崇明东滩高、中、低潮滩夏季表层沉积物中总DNA为模板,PCR扩增沉积物样品中厌氧氨氧化菌特异性16S rDNA片段,通过克隆、测序,构建相应基因文库,将文库中有效克隆序列分别提交到GenBank中进行相似序列搜索,并利用MEGA5绘制系统发育树.分析结果发现,克隆序列CM-L-7和CM-L-18与已发现厌氧氨氧化菌Candidatus"Scalindua sp."同源性达98%,CM-L-13与Candidatus"Scalindua wagneri"同源性达94%,CM-M-6与Candidatus"Kuenenia sp."同源性达94%,CM-M-22与Anaerobicammonium-oxidizing planctomycete JMK-1的同源性达95%,CM-H-15与Candidatus"Kuenenia stuttgartiensis"的同源性达94%.表明,崇明东滩高、中、低潮滩表层沉积物中均存在厌氧氨氧化菌,但所属菌属不同,低潮滩以Candidatus"Scalindua"为主,中、高潮滩以Candidatus"Kuenenia"为主.相比之下,中潮滩厌氧氨氧化菌群落结构较为复杂.部分克隆序列与已发现厌氧氨氧化菌存在较大进化距离,表明崇明东滩可能还存在其他具有潜在厌氧氨氧化功能的细菌.     

基于引物的湖泊沉积物氨氧化细菌PCR扩增策略比较

PCR扩增是检测环境中β-变形杆菌纲氨氧化细菌(β-AOB)群落的主要方法,但是引物的敏感性和特异性对结果具有关键影响.本研究首先比较了2组常用的β-AOB 16S rRNA基因引物,结果显示,在扩增一组不同性质湖泊沉积物样品时,βAMO引物均获得明亮的单一条带,但CTO引物则未能全部扩增.克隆及序列分析证实,βAMO引物扩增获得的序列均不属于β-AOB所在的Nitrosomonadales目,而CTO引物扩增获得的序列来自β-AOB中的Nitrosomonas europaea/"Nitrosococcus mobilis"分支.采用变性梯度凝胶电泳方法,对4种不同引物组合PCR策略扩增所得产物进行分析,发现以βAMO或16S rRNA通用引物结合CTO引物的巢式方案可以提高扩增的效率,且β-AOB的群落轮廓与CTO引物直接扩增方案高度相似.这些结果表明βAMO引物具有较高的敏感性但特异性较低,而CTO引物则相反.因此,特定巢式扩增方案既可提高扩增的效率,也能真实反映湖泊沉积物中β-AOB的群落轮廓,是较为理想的β-AOB研究方法.     

Effect of a high strength chemical industry wastewater on microbial community dynamics and mesophilic methane generation

A high strength chemical industry wastewater was assessed for its impact on anaerobic microbial com- munity dynamics and consequently mesophilic methane generation. Cumulative methane production was 251 mL/g total chemical oxygen demand removed at standard temperature and pressure at the end of 30 days experimental period with a highest recorded methane percentage of 80.6% of total biogas volume. Volatile fatty acids （VFAs） analysis revealed that acetic acid was the major intermediate VFAs produced with propionic acid accumulating over the experimental period. Quantitative analysis of microbial communities in the test and control groups with quantitative real time polymerase chain reaction highlighted that in the test group, Eubacteria （96.3%） was dominant in comparison with methanogens （3.7%）. The latter were dominated by Methanomicrobiales and Methanobacteriales while in test groups increased over the experimental period, reaching a maximum on day 30. Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis profile was performed, targeting the 16S rRNA gene of Eubacteria and Archaea, with the DNA samples extracted at 3 different time points from the test groups. A phylogenetic tree was constructed for the sequences using the neighborhood joining method. The analysis revealed that the presence of organisms resembling Syntrophomonadaceae could have contributed to increased production of acetic and propionic acid intermediates while decrease of organisms resembling Pelotomaculum sp. could have most likely contributed to accumulation of propionic acid. This study suggested that the degradation of organic components within the high strength industrial wastewater is closely linked with the activity of certain niche microbial communities within eubacteria and methanogens.     

重金属阳离子荧光传感器合成及光谱性研究

通过亚胺缩合的反应制备出阳离子荧光传感器（Cation Fluorescent Sensors,CFSs）,并对其结构、光谱性能检测、荧光量子产率等进行了详细的研究.通过荧光化学传感器产生的荧光光谱一直是高效的分析方法,因此合成了新的基于席夫碱的荧光化学传感器,并研究了对各种金属离子的结合特性.在CH3CN溶液中测试了阳离子荧光传感器时不同阳离子的选择性响应,发现对Cu2＋有较好的选择性,可用于Cu2＋的检测.该类阳离子荧光传感器是基于2,2-联噻吩-5-乙醛的荧光发射基团和邻氨基苯甲醚为识别基团的一类阳离子荧光传感器.     

活性炭催化过氧化氢去除荧光增白剂

研究了活性炭(activated carbon,AC)吸附、改性活性炭(activated carbon modified,ACM)吸附、过氧化氢(H2O2)氧化、AC催化H2O2等方法对水体中荧光增白剂VBL的处理效果,并通过自由基俘获剂叔丁醇、催化过程气体分析等探讨了AC催化H2O2分解VBL的机制.结果表明,经硝酸铁[Fe(NO3)3]改性过的ACM对VBL的吸附去除率高于未改性的AC.活性炭催化H2O2对VBL的去除效果明显,但未改性AC催化去除率高于ACM.60 min时,AC催化氧化去除率即可达到95%以上,而ACM仅为58%.叔丁醇的加入降低了AC和ACM催化氧化对VBL的去除率,表明AC催化H2O2氧化能促进H2O2形成羟基自由基(·OH)和原子氧参与反应.AC催化H2O2分解及释放气体分析表明,AC能催化H2O2形成氧气并放热,且ACM明显快于AC.结合催化H2O2去除VBL效率的结果分析,ACM催化反应时活性中间物(自由基和原子氧等)产生速率快于AC,活性中间物自身消耗形成氧气,而不是用于分解VBL.催化反应中活性中间产物的形成速率与反应物供给速率的不匹配可能是导致ACM催化效果弱于AC的重要原因.     

基于代谢产物调控的活性污泥沉淀性能控制原理研究

通过对不同沉降性能活性污泥的胞外聚合物(EPS)进行荧光特性分析,探讨了荧光强度峰值、荧光区域积分等参数与污泥沉降性能的关系.研究表明,典型波长下荧光强度峰值与污泥沉降性能之间有很好关联性,据此,建立了微生物典型代谢产物与沉淀性能的调控曲线即活性污泥的安全操作线与微生物代谢状态曲线,确立了活性污泥沉淀性能调控区域即高代谢产物区可获得良好的固液分离效果.研究成果从微生物代谢的角度揭示了絮体结构的调控方法,具有重要的理论意义.