Analysis of N-glycans from Raphanus sativus Cultivars Using PNGase H+

In recent years, the carbohydrate moieties of plants have received considerable attention, as they are a potential source of cross-reactive, ...

A Converging Strategy for the Generation of a Virtually Sequenced cDNA Library from Unreferenced Pacific Oysters

The access to biological material of reference species, which were used previously in key experiments such as in the development of novel cell lines or ...

Nanjing Agricultural University

A novel entomopathogenic nematode species, Heterorhabditidoides rugaoensis n. sp. RG081015, collected from Rugao, China, is described. The new species is morphologically very similar to H. chongmingensis but can be distinguished from it on the basis of some morphological characteristics, combined with molecular data and a cross-hybridization test. Males of the new species can be recognized on the basis of body length averaging 1396.2 Î¼m; lateral field with one ridge; metastome isoglottoid with one hemispherical swellings comprised of two to three well-developed warts; asymmetric spicules; peloderan bursa. In IJs, EP = 134.5 Î¼m; ES = 149.3 Î¼m; tail length = 82.5 Î¼m; and a = 20.5. Hermaphroditic females have four to five lateral ridges. The 18S rDNA and ITS sequences of the two nematodes share 99% and 98% identity, respectively. Phylogenetic trees of 18S rDNA and ITS indicate that the new species is most closely related to H. chongmingensis; thus, the two nematodes belong to the same genus. Failure of cross-hybridization between them indicates that nematode strain RG081015 is a novel species and is described herein as H. rugaoensis n. sp. The LC50 of the novel species against Galleria mellonella were 24.35 IJs / ml within 48 hours of infection. Morphological characteristics, genetic similarity analyses, and phylogenetic relationships provide strong evidence that some species of Oscheius/Insectivora-group should be reassigned to the genus Heterorhabditidoides.

Heterorhabditidoides rugaoensis n. sp. (Rhabditida: Rhabditidae), a Novel Highly Pathogenic Entomopathogenic Nematode Member of Rhabditidae.

Une esp&egrave;ce de n&eacute;matode entomopathog&egrave;ne roman, Heterorhabditidoides rugaoensis n. SP RG081015, recueillies de Rugao, Chine, est d&eacute;crite. La nouvelle esp&egrave;ce est morphologiquement tr&egrave;s semblable &agrave; H. chongmingensis, mais se distingue sur la base de certaines caract&eacute;ristiques morphologiques, combin&eacute;s avec les donn&eacute;es mol&eacute;culaires et un test d&#39;hybridation crois&eacute;e. Les hommes de la nouvelle esp&egrave;ce se distingus sur la base de la longueur du corps avec une moyenne de 1396.2 &mu;m ; champ lat&eacute;ral avec une cr&ecirc;te ; metastome isoglottoid avec un gonflements h&eacute;misph&eacute;rique, compos&eacute; de deux ou trois verrues bien d&eacute;velopp&eacute;es ; spicules asym&eacute;triques ; bursa c&eacute;mentaire. En IJs, EP = 134,5 &mu;m ; ES = 149,3 &mu;m ; longueur de queue = 82,5 &mu;m ; et un = 20,5. Les femelles hermaphrodites ont quatre ou cinq cr&ecirc;tes lat&eacute;rales. L&#39;ADNr 18 s et ses s&eacute;quences des deux n&eacute;matodes partagent identit&eacute; 99 % et 98 %, respectivement. Arbres phylog&eacute;n&eacute;tiques de 18 s rADN et ITS indiquent que la nouvelle esp&egrave;ce est plus &eacute;troitement li&eacute;e &agrave; H. chongmingensis ; ainsi, les deux n&eacute;matodes appartiennent au m&ecirc;me genre. &Eacute;chec d&#39;hybridation crois&eacute;e entre eux indique que le n&eacute;matode souche RG081015 est une esp&egrave;ce de roman et est d&eacute;crit dans les pr&eacute;sentes comme H. rugaoensis n. sp. La CL50 de la nouvelle esp&egrave;ce contre Galleria mellonella &eacute;taient 24,35 IJs / ml dans les 48 heures de l&#39;infection. Les caract&eacute;ristiques morphologiques, les analyses de similarit&eacute; g&eacute;n&eacute;tique et les relations phylog&eacute;n&eacute;tiques fournissent des preuves solides que certaines esp&egrave;ces de Oscheius/Insectivora-groupe devrait &ecirc;tre r&eacute;affect&eacute; au genre Heterorhabditidoides.

Heterorhabditidoides rugaoensis n. sp. (Rhabditida : Rhabditidae), un roman hautement pathog&egrave;ne entomopathog&egrave;nes n&eacute;matode membre de Rhabditidae.

Una specie di nematodi entomopatogeni romanzo, Heterorhabditidoides rugaoensis n. SP. RG081015, raccolti da Rugao, in Cina, &egrave; descritto. La nuova specie &egrave; morfologicamente molto simile a H. chongmingensis, ma pu&ograve; essere distinta da esso sulla base di alcune caratteristiche morfologiche, combinati con dati molecolari e una prova di cross-ibridazione. I maschi della specie nuove possono essere riconosciuti sulla base della lunghezza del corpo con una media di 1396.2 &mu;m; Campo laterale con una cresta; metastome isoglottoid con uno gonfiori emisferica composto da due o tre verruche ben sviluppate; spicole asimmetriche; peloderan bursa. In IJs, EP = 134.5 &mu;m; ES = 149,3 &mu;m; lunghezza della coda = 82,5 &mu;m; e a = 20,5. Ermafrodita femmine hanno quattro o cinque creste laterali. il rDNA 18S e sue sequenze dei due nematodi condividono identit&agrave; 99% e 98%, rispettivamente. Alberi filogenetici del rDNA 18S e ITS indicano che la nuova specie &egrave; pi&ugrave; strettamente imparentata con H. chongmingensis; cos&igrave;, i due nematodi appartengono allo stesso genere. Fallimento della Croce-ibridazione tra di loro indica che il ceppo nematode RG081015 sono una specie di romanzo e descritti come H. rugaoensis n. sp. LC50 specie romanzo contro la Galleria mellonella erano 24,35 IJs / ml entro 48 ore dall&#39;infezione. Caratteristiche morfologiche, somiglianza genetica analisi e relazioni filogenetiche forniscono forte evidenza che alcune specie di Oscheius/Insectivora-gruppo dovrebbe essere riassegnato al genere Heterorhabditidoides.

Heterorhabditidoides rugaoensis n. SP (Rhabditida: Rhabditidae), un romanzo altamente patogeni entomopatogeni Nematode membro di Rhabditidae.

Five 4-arylcoumarins (1c-g) and twelve 3,4-dihydro-4-arylcoumarins (2a-l) were synthesized and tested for antioxidant activity, antitumor activity, toxicity and structure-activity relationships analysis. 4-Arylcoumarins and 3,4-dihydro-4-arylcoumarins that possess two hydroxyl groups in ortho position, such as 1d, 1f, 2a, 2f, 2g and 2h had stronger radical scavenging properties than that of vitamin C (Vit C) in ABTS(+) assay. Kinetic traces of scavenging ABTS(+) and DPPH radicals showed that all the reaction could reached endpoint in 1 min, which was similar with Vit C. 4-Arylcoumarins with 3'-hydroxyl-4'-methylphenyl structural show more efficient NO radical scavenging activity. Three compounds 2e, 1f and 2a, in particular had superior EC50 for NO scavenging than did Vit C. MTT assay indicated that one compound in particular had a potential antitumor effect, inhibiting proliferation of BGC-823 cells and almost completely killing them at a concentration 62.5 mg/L. With same concentration 100 μg/mL, hemolytic analysis in rabbit red blood cells showed that only two compounds had hemolytic activity with a little more than 5% hemolysis. Injection and oral toxicity tests on Galleria mellonella larvae showed that none of the tested 4-arylcoumarins significantly affected their appetite, viability and mortality. 

Antioxidant and antitumor activities of 4-arylcoumarins and 4-aryl-3,4-dihydrocoumarins.

A new nematode species, Pristionchus entomophilus n. sp., was collected during a soil sample survey in Yixing of Jiangsu province, eastern China. P. entomophilus n. sp. is distinguished by its unique characteristics. This new species is mainly hermaphroditic, with males seldom found. The new nematode has a similar body length but has much narrower body width compared with P. pacificus. Its body is covered with longitudinal ridges: 12 ridges on head, 13 or 14 ridges in the middle, 11 and 7 ridges in front and rear of the anus, respectively. The eurystomatous form mouth includes a triangular dorsal tooth, a large claw-like right subventral tooth, and a row of five ventral denticles placed opposite the dorsal tooth. Only eight pairs of genital papillae and a pair of phasmids are present in the tail of the male as the sixth pair of papillae having seemingly been degenerated and lost. Molecular phylogenetic trees based on 18S rDNA confirmed that the new species belongs to the genus Pristionchus and is most closely related to P. pacificus. Moreover, the new species was found to be occasionally associated with the entomopathogenic bacterial strain 09FLYB1 of Serratia nematodophila and be able to stably transfer the bacterial strain for several generations. 

A New Species of Pristionchus (Rhabditida: Diplogastridae) and Its Bacterial Symbiont from Yixing, China.

Ixodid ticks are well known for spreading transmitted tick-borne pathogens while being attached to their hosts for almost 1-2 weeks to obtain blood meals. Thus, they must secrete many immunosuppressant factors to combat the hosts' immune system. In the present work, we investigated an immunosuppressant peptide of the hard tick Amblyomma variegatum. This peptide, named amregulin, is composed of 40 residues with an amino acid sequence of HLHMHGNGATQVFKPRLVLKCPNAAQLIQPGKLQRQLLLQ. A cDNA of the precursor peptide was obtained from the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI, Bethesda, MD, USA). In rat splenocytes, amregulin exerts significant anti-inflammatory effects by inhibiting the secretion of inflammatory factors in vitro, such as tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), interleukin-1 (IL-1), interleukin-8 (IL-8) and interferon-gamma (IFN-γ). In rat splenocytes, treated with amregulin, compared to lipopolysaccharide (LPS) alone, the inhibition of the above inflammatory factors was significant at all tested concentrations (2, 4 and 8 µg/mL). Amregulin shows strong free radical scavenging and antioxidant activities (5, 10 and 20 µg/mL) in vitro. Amregulin also significantly inhibits adjuvant-induced paw inflammation in mouse models in vivo. This peptide may facilitate the ticks' successful blood feeding and may lead to host immunotolerance of the tick. These findings have important implications for the understanding of tick-host interactions and the co-evolution between ticks and the viruses that they bear.

An Immunosuppressant Peptide from the Hard Tick Amblyomma variegatum.

A new species,  n. sp., was found on Chongming Island (Shanghai, China). The new species is morphologically similar to the type strain of , but can be distinguished from it and other species of  on the basis of unique morphological characteristics of the bursa as well as male papillae. In this new species, the male bursal papillar formula is 2, 1, 3, 3 with everted tips in the first, fifth, and seventh pairs. The bursal rim is jagged, joins together anterior to the spicules, and is partially extended and decorated with microvilli. The spicules are incompletely separated, and the tail does not extend beyond the bursa. Phylogenetic trees of 18S rDNA and internal transcribed spacer indicate that the new species belongs to the  group of the genus ; it is most closely related to , and the two species can be distinguished on the basis of their different body length, morphological features of the bursa, and molecular data. The new species is facultatively associated with a bacterial strain of . The LC of this novel nematode against  was 69.1 dauer juveniles per milliliter after 48 hr of infection.

 n. sp. (Nematoda: Rhabditidae): A Facultatively Pathogenic Nematode from Chongming Island, China.

The kind and duration of phylogenetic topological "signatures" left in the wake of macroevolutionary events remain poorly understood. To this end, we examined a broad range of simulated phylogenies generated using trait-biased, heritable speciation probabilities and mass extinction that could be either random or selective on trait value, but also using background extinction and diversity-dependence to constrain clade sizes. In keeping with prior results, random mass extinction increased imbalance of clades that recovered to pre-extinction size, but was a relatively weak effect. Mass extinction that was selective on trait values tended to produce clades of similar or greater balance compared to random extinction or controls. Allowing evolution to continue past the point of clade-size recovery resulted in erosion and eventual erasure of this signal, with all treatments converging on similar values of imbalance, except for very intense extinction regimes targeted at taxa with high speciation rates. Return to a more balanced state with extended post-extinction evolution was also associated with loss of the previous phylogenetic root in most treatments. These results further demonstrate that while a mass extinction event can produce a recognizable phylogenetic signal, its effects become increasingly obscured the further an evolving clade gets from that event, with any sharp imbalance due to unrelated evolutionary factors.

The tree balance signature of mass extinction is erased by continued evolution in clades of constrained size with trait-dependent speciation.

Digital evolution is a computer-based instantiation of Darwinian evolution in which short self-replicating computer programs compete, mutate, and evolve. It is an excellent platform for addressing topics in long-term evolution and paleobiology, such as mass extinction and recovery, with experimental evolutionary approaches. We evolved model communities with ecological interdependence among community members, which were subjected to two principal types of mass extinction: a pulse extinction that killed randomly, and a selective press extinction involving an alteration of the abiotic environment to which the communities had to adapt. These treatments were applied at two different strengths, along with unperturbed control experiments. We examined how stability in the digital communities was affected from the perspectives of division of labor, relative shift in rank abundance, and genealogical connectedness of the community's component ecotypes. Mass extinction that was due to a Strong Press treatment was most effective in producing reshaped communities that differed from the pre-treatment ones in all of the measured perspectives; weaker versions of the treatments did not generally produce significant departures from a Control treatment; and results for the Strong Pulse treatment generally fell between those extremes. The Strong Pulse treatment differed from others in that it produced a slight but detectable shift towards more generalized communities. Compared to Press treatments, Pulse treatments also showed a greater contribution from re-evolved ecological doppelgangers rather than new ecotypes. However, relatively few Control communities showed stability in any of these metrics over the whole course of the experiment, and most did not represent stable states (by some measure of stability) that were disrupted by the extinction treatments. Our results have interesting, broad qualitative parallels with findings from the paleontological record, and show the potential of digital evolution studies to illuminate many aspects of mass extinction and recovery by addressing them in a truly experimental manner.

Gabriel Yedid

College of Life Science

Nanjing Agricultural University

Analysis of N-glycans from Raphanus sativus Cultivars Using PNGase H⁺

A Converging Strategy for the Generation of a Virtually Sequenced cDNA Library from Unreferenced Pacific Oysters

Gabriel Yedid

.css-o250i3{font-size:18px;font-family:Open Sans,sans-serif;line-height:21.6px;}College of Life Science

Nanjing Agricultural University

Analysis of N-glycans from Raphanus sativus Cultivars Using PNGase H+

A Converging Strategy for the Generation of a Virtually Sequenced cDNA Library from Unreferenced Pacific Oysters

College of Life Science

Analysis of N-glycans from Raphanus sativus Cultivars Using PNGase H⁺