Transgenics and Vertebrate Cloning as Tools for Species Conservation

Abstract:  It has been suggested that transgenics and vertebrate cloning have a role to play in conservation. Now is the time to evaluate their risks and benefits, before these technologies are widely implemented in our field. Direct risks of transgenics include escape and introgression of transgenes into wild populations; weedy invasion by transgenic organisms; toxicity or pathogenicity of engineered organisms and their products; and human error in the field testing and tracking of transgenic organisms. Indirect risks include environmental effects of increased herbicide use; the danger that engineered organisms may aid the development of bioweapons; the likelihood that gene patenting will lead to the privatization of natural resources; and the diversion of support from less glamorous forms of conservation. Formal risk assessments are commonly used to evaluate transgenic procedures, but our incomplete understanding of both ecosystem processes and the action of transgenes renders most of these assessments scientifically and socially unjustified. Nevertheless, a few, low-risk applications of transgenics may be possible: for example, "super-sterile" ornamental cultivars. Vertebrate cloning poses little risk to the environment, but it can consume scarce conservation resources, and its chances of success in preserving species seem poor. To date, the conservation benefits of transgenics and vertebrate cloning remain entirely theoretical, but many of the risks are known and documented. Conservation biologists should devote their research and energies to the established methods of conservation, none of which require transgenics or vertebrate cloning.     

人类无精症相关新基因ZNF313启动子的初步分析

采用PCR方法扩增了ZNF313基因的启动子序列,构建了含人ZNF313基因启动子不同片断的荧光素酶报告基因表达体系.以pRLTK为内参照质粒,瞬时转染HEK293T细胞,48h后收集细胞,测定荧光素酶的相对表达活性.结果发现,在ZNF313基因的启动子区域构建了4种荧光素酶报告基因表达体系,即pGL3215(-215bp～ 38bp)、pGL3160(-160bp～ 38bp)、pGL3133(-133bp～ 128bp)和pGL38(-8bp～ 128bp).其中pGL3215表达载体的荧光素酶相对表达活性最高;pGL3160和pGL3133表达载体的荧光素酶相对表达活性几乎相同,且是pGL3215的75%;而pGL38的荧光素酶相对表达活性急剧下降,接近于零.这表明,-133bp～-8bp区域内含有人ZNF313基因转录所必需的启动子序列.生物信息学的分析表明,两个SP1、一个AP2和一个TAg是人ZNF313基因启动子所必需的.图4参19     

Low or absent unconjugated estriol in pregnancy: an indicator for steroid sulfatase deficiency detectable by fluorescence in situ hybridization and biochemical analysis

It has been previously reported that a low or absent maternal serum unconjugated estriol (uE3) level is associated with placental steroid sulfatase (STS) deficiency. Here we report a correlation between patients who present with a very low or absent maternal serum uE3 and a deletion of the STS gene as assessed by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). We studied nine prenatal cases that presented to the clinical laboratory with an abnormal triple screen, specifically low or absent maternal serum uE3 and a 46,XY karyotype. FISH analysis showed complete deletion of a probe containing the STS gene in six cases and one case had a partial deletion (reduced but not absent signal). The remaining two cases were not deleted for the STS probe. All mothers tested whose fetus showed a deletion were shown to be STS deletion carriers using FISH. Biochemical analysis was performed on 7/9 prenatal specimens. All fetuses deleted for the STS probe were also found to be deficient for STS by biochemical analysis of cultured amniotic fluid (5/5). Of the two fetuses not deleted for the STS probe, one was deficient for STS activity, while the other had a normal result. The abnormal result of enzyme deficiency by biochemical analysis in a non-deletion case likely represents a mutation in the STS gene, not detectable by this FISH assay. Postnatal FISH confirmation of the STS deletion was performed in 1/7 cases. Clinical follow-up was available for 4/9 cases following birth. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

盐度对细菌菌株降解苯酚的影响

从处理苯酚废水活性污泥中筛选分离到四株苯酚降解优势细菌菌株JHCFS1,JHCFS2,JHCFS3与JHCFS4,通过四株细菌在不同盐度条件下的苯酚降解率表明,随着盐浓度的逐渐升高,抑制作用逐渐增大,当NaCl,KCl浓度为4%时,四株细菌降解苯酚均受到显著抑制。苯酚浓度为1000mg/L,NaCl浓度为3%时,JHCFS2的降解率最高为83%,JHCFS4的降解率最低为47.20%;KCl浓度为3%时,JHCFS2的降解率最高为99%,JHCFS4的降解率最低为48%,表明四株菌在盐浓度(NaCl,KCl)低于3%的条件下可正常降解苯酚。通过对四株菌的16S rRNA基因克隆与序列分析,在NCBI进行BLAST获得同源性序列,利用Clustalx1.8软件和MEGA4.0软件进行同源性比较和系统发育学分析,结合生理生化特性将菌株JHCFS1,JHCFS2,JHCFS3与JHCFS4(GenBank收录号:FJ455076,FJ455077,FJ458437与FJ458438)分别归为Bacillus simplex,Bacillus cereus,Bacillus pumilus与Bacillus cibi,为降解苯酚提供了微生物物种资源。     

Estrogenic activities of two synthetic pyrethroids and their metabolites

Synthetic pyrethroids(SPs) are among the most common pesticides in current use,and so far,several SPs have been assessed for their potential estrogenicities by various methods.Previous studies have shown that the estrogenicities partly come from their metabolites.Although considerable information is available with respect to the metabolism and environmental degradation of SPs,little is known about the estrogenicities of the metabolites.In this study,permethrin(PM) and β-cypermethrin(CP),as well as their metabolites(3-phenoxybenzoic alcohol(PBCOH),3-phenoxybenzaldehyde(PBCHO) and 3-phenoxybenzoic acid(PBCOOH) were evaluated for their estrogenic activities in the MCF-7 human breast carcinoma cell line.In the MCF-7 cell proliferation assay,PM and CP exhibited significant estrogenic activities at 10-7 mol/L,comparable to 17β-estradiol(E2 ) of 10-9 mol/L,with the relative proliferative effect ratios of 55.4% and 56.3%,respectively.The real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction(qRT-PCR) results confirmed the estrogenicities of PM and CP with significant alteration of pS2 and ERα mRNA levels observed at 10-6 mol/L.For the three major metabolites,PBCOH and PBCOOH exhibited estrogenic activities in all assays,while no significant estrogenic responses was observed for PBCHO compared to the vehicle control.In particular,PBCOH had even slightly stronger estrogenic activity than its parent compounds,indicating that metabolism may be one of the reasons for the estrogenicities of the SPs.Given the widespread use of SPs,the toxicological effects of parent compounds and their metabolites should be taken into consideration in the risk assessment of SPs.     

Isolation and characterization of atrazine-degrading Arthrobacter sp. AD26 and use of this strain in bioremediation of contaminated soil

A bacterial strain (AD26) capable of utilizing atrazine as a sole nitrogen source for growth was isolated from an industrial wastewater sample by enrichment culture. The 16S rRNA gene sequencing identified AD26 as an Arthrobacter sp. PCR assays indicated that AD26 contained atrazine-degrading genes trzN and atzBC. The trzN gene of AD26 only differs from the trzN of Arthrobacter aurescens TC1 by one base (A→T at 907) and one amino acid (Met→Leu at 303). The specific activity of trzN of AD26 in crude cell ext...     

爆炸物污染土壤中DNT的生物降解基础研究

2,4-和2,6-DNT是爆炸物污染土壤生物修复的主要目标。文章以该技术的基础研究为背景,对DNT降解菌及其降解性能,生物反应器的研究开发与处理效果、DNT生物降解途径以及降解菌的基因分析与基因工程改良等诸方面,进行了综述。提出了将DNT降解菌与原位土壤生物修复技术以及反硝化脱氮技术有机结合,研究开发适合爆炸物污染土壤生物修复的工程化的工艺系统的建议。     

Diversity of methanotrophs in Zoige wetland soils under both anaerobic and aerobic conditions

Zoige wetland is one of the most important methane emission centers in China. The oxidation of methane in the wetland a ects global warming, soil ecology and atmospheric chemistry. Despite their global significance, microorganisms that consume methane in Zoige wetland remain poorly characterized. In this study, we investigated methanotrophs diversity in soil samples from both anaerobic site and aerobic site in Zoige wetland using pmoA gene as a molecular marker. The cloning library was constructed according to the pmoA sequences detected. Four clusters of methanotrophs were detected. The phylogenetic tree showed that all four clusters detected were a liated to type I methanotrophs. Two novel clusters (cluster 1, cluster 2) were found to relate to none of the recognized genera of methanotrophs. These clusters have no cultured representatives and reveal an ecological adaptation of particular uncultured methanotrophs in Zoige wetland. Two clusters were belonging to Methylobacter and Methylococcus separately. Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis gel bands pattern retrieved from these two samples revealed that the community compositions of anaerobic soil and aerobic soil were di erent from each other while anaerobic soil showed a higher metanotrophs diversity. Real-time PCR assays of the two samples demonstrated that aerobic soil sample in Zoige wetland was 1.5 times as much copy numbers as anaerobic soil. These data illustrated that methanotrophs are a group of microorganisms influence the methane consumption in Zoige wetland.     

First report of microcystin production in Microcystis smithii Komrek and Anagnostidis(Cyanobacteria) from a water bloom in Eastern China

A water bloom sample collected from Lake Dishui in Shanghai was characterized.The morphological identification showed that Micorcystis wesenbergii and Micorcystis smithii were the main component of the bloom.Five strains of M.smithii were successfully isolated.Their 16S rRNA gene sequences based phylogenetic tree showed that the five strains of M.smithii intermixed with strains of other morphospecies in Microcystis.A fragment of mcy gene encoding for microcystin synthetase was detected in one of the five M....