全氟辛烷磺酸对斑马鱼肝脏影响机制的代谢组学研究

为探究全氟辛烷磺酸(PFOS)对水生动物肝脏的慢性毒性毒害机制,寻找其肝脏慢性毒性相关的潜在标志物,运用气相色谱-质谱联用仪代谢组学方法研究暴露于PFOS中斑马鱼肝脏内源性代谢物的变化,寻找显著性差异代谢物及相关通路。实验分为4组:对照组及PFOS浓度分别为10、100、250μg·L~(-1)的实验组,每组20尾斑马鱼,实验时长40 d。结果显示,与对照组相比,PFOS浓度为10μg·L~(-1)的斑马鱼肝脏中筛选出4种发生显著性变化的代谢物,分别为牛磺酸、磷酸乙酰胺、β-D-葡萄糖、油酸,涉及4条代谢通路,即牛磺酸和亚牛磺酸代谢、鞘脂代谢、甘油磷脂代谢、糖酵解或葡萄糖生成。100μg·L~(-1)浓度组的斑马鱼肝脏中筛选出5种,包括牛磺酸、β-D-葡萄糖、棕榈酸、油酸、胆固醇,涉及5条代谢通路,即原代胆汁酸生物合成、牛磺酸和亚牛磺酸代谢、类固醇生物合成、类固醇激素生物合成、糖酵解或葡萄糖生成。250μg·L~(-1)浓度组的斑马鱼肝脏中筛选出5种,即牛磺酸、β-D-葡萄糖、乳酸、甘油-3-磷酸、磷酸乙酰胺,涉及5条代谢通路:牛磺酸和亚牛磺酸代谢、甘油磷脂代谢、甘油脂代谢、鞘脂代谢、糖酵解或葡萄糖生成。根据筛选出的差异代谢物生理功能和其涉及代谢通路分析,推测PFOS主要通过影响牛磺酸和亚牛磺酸代谢、糖酵解或葡萄糖生成及一些脂类代谢从而对斑马鱼肝脏产生毒性效应,其中牛磺酸、葡萄糖与油酸这3种代谢物可作为斑马鱼受PFOS胁迫肝脏代谢异常的潜在标记物。     

Molecular approaches to microbiological monitoring: fecal source detection

Molecular methods are useful both to monitor natural communities of bacteria, and to track specific bacterial markers in complex environments. Length-heterogeneity polymerase chain reaction (LH-PCR) and terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP) of 16S rDNAs discriminate among 16S rRNA genes based on length polymorphisms of their PCR products. With these methods, we developed an alternative indicator that distinguishes the source of fecal pollution in water. We amplify 16S rRNA gene fragments from the fecal anaerobic genus Bacteroides with specific primers. Because Bacteroides normally resides in gut habitats, its presence in water indicates fecal pollution. Molecular detection circumvents the complexities of growing anaerobic bacteria. We identified Bacteroides LH-PCR and T-RFLP ribosomal DNA markers unique to either ruminant or human feces. The same unique fecal markers were recovered from polluted natural waters. We cloned and sequenced the unique markers; marker sequences were used to design specific PCR primers that reliably distinguish human from ruminant sources of fecal contamination. Primers for more species are under development. This approach is more sensitive than fecal coliform assays, is comparable in complexity to standard food safety and public health diagnostic tests, and lends itself to automation and high-throughput. Thus molecular genetic markers for fecal anaerobic bacteria hold promise for monitoring bacterial pollution and water quality.     

Prenatal testing for inherited immune deficiencies by fetal blood sampling

We attempted to develop a prenatal diagnosis in fetuses at risk for immunodeficiency by fetal blood sampling performed under fetoscopy at 18–22 weeks of gestation. In order to obtain normal values, we first investigated thirty-five control fetuses whose blood punctures were undertaken for the diagnosis of haemoglobinopathies. Surface markers and in vitro mitogen-induced proliferation of the fetal lymphocytes were studied using micromethods. We then examined two fetuses at risk for two different types of severe combined immunodeficiency and established their immunological integrity, hence avoiding an unjustified termination of pregnancy. This immunological integrity was confirmed after birth.     

Economic assessment of maternal serum screening for Down's syndrome using human chorionic gonadotropin

The effectiveness and costs of prenatal screening programmes for Down's syndrome using maternal serum markers will vary significantly depending on the biological cut-off values chosen in order to select women, at each maternal age, who will be sent for amniocentesis. On the basis of the first French prospective study of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) measurement in maternal serum, this paper shows that the screening protocol currently used in France, where hCG cut-off values are defined in order to offer amniocentesis to women of all ages with a 1 percent fetal risk of Down's syndrome, would detect 64·06 per cent of all cases of trisomy 21 at birth and would be highly profitable for the French social security system. On the basis of a representative sample of 100 000 pregnant women, the total costs of screening would reach $8 302 000 but would generate net potential savings of $32 186 000 in terms of life-long costs of care for trisomic 21 children which would be ‘avoided’ by termination of pregnancy following a positive diagnosis of Down's syndrome. Economic assessment shows that cost-benefit analysis would justify lower hCG cut-off values and a higher detection rate of fetal Down's syndrome (74·45 per cent) than the current French protocol. This paper concludes that it is ethical and value-laden issues, such as the consequences for women and couples of false positives and false negatives of screening, rather than economic and financial arguments that may set limits to the utilization of screening for Down's syndrome using maternal serum markers like hCG.     

Early prenatal diagnosis of cartilage-hair hypoplasia (CHH) with polymorphic DNA markers

Cartilage-hair hypoplasia (CHH) is an autosomal recessive disorder resulting in short stature and hypoplasia of hair. Associated features include impaired T-cell-mediated immunity, deficient erythropoiesis, gastrointestinal dysfunction, and an increased risk of malignancies. As the condition may, in some cases, be severe or even fatal during childhood, families with a previous history of CHH may wish to have prenatal diagnosis. We have previously assigned the gene for CHH to the proximal 9p by linkage analysis using several polymorphic DNA markers. Here we report the prenatal testing for CHH in three Finnish and one Australian family using three DNA markers closely linked to the CHH gene. In three cases a fetus unaffected with CHH was predicted at the probability level of more than 94 per cent. In one case, an affected fetus was predicted. The results were in concordance with ultrasonography performed for all fetuses. The three children born to date were unaffected as predicted. The DNA marker-based analysis thus provides a useful method for early prenatal testing for CHH.     

Chromatographic measurement of molecular markers of sources of atmospheric aerosol particles

Various organic compounds in aerosol particles in ambient air near a coniferous forest fire in Boulder, Colorado were identified as molecular markers of wood burning and forest fires. Particle samples were collected by filtering small volumes of air. The samples were analysed using thermal desorption followed by gas chromatographic separation and detection, a highly sensitive analytical method. Several compounds unique to softwood combustion were identified in the samples. Additionally, a predominance of odd-carbon-numbered n-alkanes over the corresponding even-carbon-numbered n-alkanes was observed. This predominance is a well-documented molecular pattern indicative of epicutical waxes in plants.     

小麦抗禾谷类根线虫基因Rkn-mnl 的SCAR标记

将2个与小麦抗禾谷类根线虫基因Rkn-mnl紧密连锁的RAPD标记分别克隆、测序，根据测序结果设计两对特异PCR引物，通过SCAR-PCR反应条件优化，成功地将特异RAPD标记OPYl6-1065转换成了稳定的SCAR标记．图4参14