Detection of both the normal and mutant alleles in single cells of individuals heterozygous for the sickle cell mutation—prelude to preimplantation diagnosis

As a preliminary step to preimplantation diagnosis of sickle cell disease in unfertilized eggs or 8-cell embryos of heterozygous parents, we established quality control for detection of the mutant and normal alleles of the beta-haemoglobin gene using single buccal cells. Efficient polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification of a 680 base pair sequence of the beta-globin gene spanning the site of the sickle cell mutation was obtained for 79 per cent of single heterozygous cells. In 71 per cent of cases, both alleles were detected. With this current efficiency, we predict that a clinical preimplantation diagnosis at the 8-cell embryo stage could be carried out safely and reliably for a couple at risk of transmitting sickle cell disease to their children.     

水稻精细胞差异表达基因RSG6的克隆和抗体制备

选用在水稻精细胞和二细胞花粉的差减文库中获得的在精细胞中表达量显著增强且可能代表新基因的EST之一 (BF4 75 2 0 7)为探针 ,筛选水稻精细胞cDNA文库 ,得到一全长为 1176bp的序列 ,其开放读码框编码 2 81个氨基酸 ,与已知蛋白质无明显同源性 ,属于一新发现的基因 ,GenBank登录号为AF4 4 2 4 90 .这是第 1次从高等植物精细胞中分离到的全长基因 .RT PCR结果证明该基因在根、叶、二细胞花粉、成熟花粉、授粉子房和精细胞中均有表达 ,但在精细胞中的表达量要高得多 ,是精细胞差异表达基因 .将此基因命名为RSG6 (ricespermgene6 ) .将RSG6的编码区克隆到表达载体pQE30上 ,构建重组质粒 .经IPTG诱导后 ,在E .coliM15 (pREP4 )中表达出了N端融合了 6×His的融合蛋白 .用纯化的融合蛋白免疫家兔 ,制得高效价、高特异性的抗体     

亚硝酸盐型甲烷厌氧氧化微生物特性研究进展

亚硝酸盐型甲烷厌氧氧化(nitrite-dependent anaerobic methane oxidation,N-DAMO)是新近发现的生物反应,是偶联碳氮循环的关键环节,是环境领域和微生物领域的重大发现.N-DAMO的发现对于完善碳氮生物地球化学循环、丰富微生物学内容和研发新型生物脱氮除碳工艺均具有巨大的推动作用.催化N-DAMO反应的微生物为Candidatus Methylomirabilis oxyfera(M.oxyfera),其隶属于一新发现的细菌门——NC10门.近年来,M.oxyfera的生物学研究取得了许多突破性进展,如初步探明了其个体形态特征、细胞化学组分特征、富集培养特征、生理生化特征及生态学特征,最突出的例子包括发现了M.oxyfera独特的细胞(星状)形态及特殊的脂肪酸(10Me C16∶1Δ7)组分等.最近,N-DAMO的机制研究方面也有了突破性进展:发现了地球上第4种生物产氧途径.目前认为,M.oxyfera具有内产氧功能,其首先将NO-2还原为NO,然后将2分子NO进行歧化反应生成N2和O2,最后利用生成的O2对甲烷进行氧化.本文系统地介绍了M.oxyfera各方面的微生物特性.     

微生物燃料电池在高盐榨菜废水处理中的产电性能

基于双室微生物燃料电池（microbial fuel cells,MFCs）,以高盐榨菜废水为燃料,考察了电池的运行状况,同时探讨了盐度变化对电池产电性能影响,并通过投加甜菜碱研究其对MFCs系统抵抗盐度负荷冲击能力的影响。结果表明：MFCs稳定运行时（阳极室容积80 mL）,最大功率密度、开路电压和电池内阻分别为3.55 W·m-3、0.698 V和427 Ω;底物中添加2 mmol·L-1甜菜碱后电池产电性能得到明显提升;当废水含盐量（增加到5 g·L-1 NaCl）为31.2 g·L-1时电池产电性能达到最佳,但是继续增高盐度后电池产电性能会急剧下降;投加甜菜碱有助于提高系统抵抗盐度负荷变化造成的冲击,维持电池的产电输出。     

基因重组细胞在环境样品多氯联苯检测中的应用

为发展快速、简便和廉价的检测环境和生物样品中的多氯联苯技术,本研究利用重组有绿色荧光蛋白(GFP)和荧光素酶(Luc)报告基因的2个细胞系,检测从野外环境中所采集的水、底泥和生物样品中的多氯联苯的含量.研究结果表明,GFP和Luc荧光强度与多氯联苯标样浓度的相关性很好,相关系数分别达到0.99188和0.98239;具有很好的剂量-效应关系.与气相色谱-电子捕获器法(GC-ECD)的仪器分析比较,GFP和Luc的荧光强度与环境样品中的多氯联苯化合物含量也具有很好的相关性.因此可用于受多氯联苯污染的环境样品筛选和半定量快速、简便、廉价检测.     

Flow sorting of fetal erythroblasts using intracytoplasmic anti-fetal haemoglobin: Preliminary observations on maternal samples

Monoclonal antibody to fetal haemoglobin (a₂γy₂) has been proposed as a fetal-specific reagent. We developed an intracellular staining protocol that combines fluorescein isothiocyanate or phycoerythrin conjugated anti-γ with the DNA binding dye Hoechst 33342 to identify and flow sort fetal erythroblasts from maternal blood. Our preliminary observations on anti-γ-positive cells sorted from four different pregnant women are described here, using fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) with chromosome-specific probes to identify fetal cells. Our data demonstrate that far fewer candidate fetal cells are sorted with this protocol than by current cell surface staining methods that employ the monoclonal antibody CD71. This results in increased fetal cell sorting purities. With this protocol, standard FISH techniques require modification due to the rigorous fixation with 4 per cent paraformaldehyde. Our initial data indicate the promise of this approach.     

An investigation of methods for enriching trophoblast from maternal blood

Trophoblast deportation is known to occur in normal human pregnancy, but it is not yet clear whether these cells routinely enter the maternal peripheral circulation and are available as a source of fetal DNA for non-invasive prenatal diagnosis of genetic disorders. To resolve this issue requires an efficient method of enriching trophoblast from maternal blood combined with a means to confirm its identity. Five different techniques were tested on ten retroplacental blood samples to determine the most sensitive and operator-efficient method. Lysis of red cells alone gave the best recovery of trophoblast but had to be discounted, together with Ficoll density gradient centrifugation, due to the very low purity and the excessive time required. Fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) of pre-enriched trophoblast resulted in the lowest recovery rate (8 per cent) despite a 3250-fold enrichment and a very high purity. Immunomagnetic beads (Dynabeads) coated with anti-CD 16 antibody proved to be the best method for the subsequent immunocytochemical characterization of deported trophoblast. However, IO beads coated with anti-CD45 antibody may be more useful for isolating trophoblast for prenatal diagnosis due to the high purity, enrichment (32-fold), and recovery rate (78 per cent) obtained with this method.     

桉树叶水浸出液对2种海洋微藻生长和叶绿素荧光特性的影响

运用水样叶绿素荧光仪(Water-PAM)研究了桉树叶水浸出液胁迫下湛江叉鞭金藻(Dicrateria zhanjiangensis)和纤细角毛藻(Chaetoceros gracilis)2种海洋微藻叶绿素荧光特性〔包括PS(光系统)Ⅱ的F_v/F₀(潜在活性)、F_v/F_m(最大光能转化效率)、Yield(实际光能转化效率)、ETR(电子传递效率),其中F_m和F₀分别为最大荧光和基础荧光〕的变化,同时监测微藻的生长情况,以研究桉树叶水浸出液对海洋微藻的影响,从而为探讨华南沿海大量种植桉树所造成潜在的海洋生态问题提供一些依据. 结果表明:①低浓度(以φ计,0.4、0.8、1.2mL/L)胁迫在96h内对湛江叉鞭金藻的上述4项荧光参数均无显著影响(P>0.05);高浓度(2.0mL/L)胁迫下,24h时湛江叉鞭金藻的4项荧光参数都处于最低值,48h时处于次低值. 表明高浓度在胁迫早期(48h内)对湛江叉鞭金藻4项荧光参数有抑制作用,而后期(72、96h)这4项荧光参数又恢复到正常水平,抑制作用解除. ②低浓度(0.4、0.8mL/L)胁迫下纤细角毛藻的4项荧光参数在24、48h内均得到促进,而高浓度(2.0mL/L)胁迫下F_v/F_m在24h时为最小值,表现抑制作用;另外3项荧光参数则未受显著影响. 在胁迫后期(72、96h),纤细角毛藻的4项荧光参数均随着胁迫浓度的增大而增加,表现为促进作用. ③就生长情况而言,随着胁迫浓度的增大,2种海洋微藻细胞密度的增长明显变缓. 表明桉树叶水浸出液对2种海洋微藻的生长以及叶绿素荧光特性都有影响,从而将会对整个海洋生态系统产生影响.      

双筒型微生物燃料电池生物阴极反硝化研究

利用双筒型微生物燃料电池生物阴极实现电反硝化脱氮,考察外电阻大小、进水硝酸盐和有机物浓度对产电和反硝化的影响.当外电阻从50Ω下降到5Ω,硝酸盐去除速率由0.26 mg/(L.h)上升到0.76 mg/(L.h);在外电阻为5Ω时,亚硝氮积累浓度达55 mg/L;硝酸盐起始浓度在20～120 mg/L时硝酸盐降解满足0级反应,硝酸盐浓度对MFC产电影响不显著;亚硝氮的积累浓度随硝酸盐起始浓度增加而增加,最高可达到35 mg/L;有机物的加入能提高阴极反硝化速度,避免亚硝酸盐积累,对MFC产电影响不大.     

有无隔膜槽中成对电解脱色活性艳蓝性能比较

分别采用有/无隔膜电解槽,以活性炭纤维(ACF)为阳极和阴极,研究了不同电流密度下蒽醌染料活性艳蓝KN-R的电化学脱色。在染料脱除量、电耗、脱除当量等方面比较了两种电解槽的脱色性能。结果表明,1.0～1.5 mA/cm2时,两种电解槽中均发生阳极电氧化和阴极电还原同时进行的成对电解脱色,无隔膜槽脱色性能优于隔膜槽。