生物分子系统学研究中的RAPD技术

RAPD技术在Williams等人于1990年首先提出后,在检测DNA多态性方面受到了广泛的应用.RAPD技术以其简单、快速、信息量大等特点渗透在基因诊断,法医检测,生物药品的检验,生物种群关系的研究各个领域.以核酸为指标构建的生物系统进化树,不受主观因素的影响,避免了经典植物系统学的人为影响因素,因而受到广泛应用,在分子系统研究中出现了RFLP,RAPDDNA和RNA测序等分子生物学技术,其中RAPD技术不需要经过DNA分子克隆、分子杂交等繁锁步骤,也不需用放射性同位素显示,并且多态性检出率高,因而受到普遍关注.

Epitypification:should we epitypify?

Epitypification can solve many taxonomic problems and stabilize the understanding of species, genera, families or orders. The aim of this paper is to illustrate how to epitypify. A few examples where taxa have been epitypified are considered and the benefits and disadvantages of epitypification are discussed. We also outline some examples of taxa which need to be epitypifled with reasons.

Polyploid organisms

Polyploids are organisms with three or more complete chromosome sets. Polyploidization is widespread in plants and animals, and is an important mechanism of speciation. Genome sequencing and related molecular systematics and bioinformatics studies on plants and animals in recent years support the view that species have been shaped by whole genome duplication during evolution. The stability of polyploids depends on rapid genome recombination and changes in gene expression after formation. The formation of polyploids and subsequent diploidization are important aspects in long-term evolution. Polyploids can be formed in various ways. Among them, hybrid organisms formed by distant hybridization could produce unreduced gametes and thus generate offspring with doubled chromosomes, which is a fast, efficient method of polyploidization. The formation of fertile polyploids not only promoted the interflow of genetic materials among species and enriched the species diversity, but also laid the foundation for polyploidy breeding. The study of polyploids has both important theoretical significance and valuable applications. The production and application of polyploidy breeding have brought remarkable economic and social benefits.

Application of Systems Biology Technology in Research of Traditional Chinese Medicine

Systems biology is an emerging science of the 21st century and its method and design of study resemble those of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). Adopting systems biology technology will help to understand TCM Syndromes and modernize Chinese herbal medicine. The technology platforms of systems biology, especially proteomics can provide useful tools for exploring essence of TCM syndromes and understanding principle of herbal formulation. Moreover, compared with methods of molecular biology, such as genomics and proteomics, metabolomics provide more direct, rapid, concise and effective methods for study of kidney disease especially in the case of prevention and treatment with TCM.

Invasion genetics： Lessons from a ubiquitous bird, the house sparrow Passer domesticus

Following an introduction, non-native species are exposed to environments that differ from those found in their native range; further, as these non-native species expand beyond the site of introduction, they must constantly adapt to novel environ- ments. Although introduced species are present across most ecosystems, few species have successfully established themselves on a truly global scale. One such species, the house sparrow Passer domesticus, is now one of the world＇s most broadly distributed vertebrate species and has been introduced to a great part of its current range. To date, work on four continents suggests both ge- netic and phenotypic variation exists between native and introduced ranges. As such, house sparrows represent an excellent op- portunity to study adaptations to novel environments and how these adaptations are derived. The global distribution of this spe- cies and the multiple independent introductions to geographically isolated sites allow researchers to ask questions regarding ge- netic variation and adaptation on a global scale. Here, we summarize the molecular studies of invasive house sparrows from the earliest work using allozymes through more recent work on epigenetics; using these studies, we discuss patterns of dispersal of this species. We then discuss future directions in techniques （e.g. next generation sequencing） and how they will provide new in- sight into questions that are fundamental to invasion biology. Finally, we discuss how continued research on the house sparrow in light of these genetic changes and adaptations will elucidate answers of adaptation, invasion biology, range expansion, and resi- lience in vertebrate systems generally

Phylogeny of the Labeoninae （Teleostei, Cypriniformes） based on nuclear DNA sequences and implications on character evolution and biogeography

Abstract The Labeoninae is a subfamily of the family Cyprinidae, Order Cypriniformes. Oromandibular morphology within the Labeoninae is the greatest among cyprinid fishes. Although several phylogenetic studies about labeonines have been undertaken the results have been inconsistent and a comprehensive phylogeny is needed. Further, an incongruence between morphological and molecular phylogeny requires a systematic exploration of the significance of morphological characters on the basis of the molecular phylogeny. In this study, a total of 292 nucleotide sequences from 73 individuals （representing 24 genera and 73 species） of Labeoninae were analyzed. The results of the phylogenetic analysis indicate that there are four major clades within Labeoninae and three monophyletic lineages within the fourth clade. Results of the character evolution show that all oromandibular morphological characters are homoplastically distributed on the molecular phylogenetic tree and suggests that these characters evolved several times during the history of labeonines. In particular, the labeonine, a specific disc on the lower lip, has been acquired three times and reversed twice. These morphological characters do not have systematic significance but can be useful for taxonomy. The results of biogeography suggest that the Labeoninae originated from Southeast Asia and separately dispersed to Africa, East Asia and South Asia.

Visible light-curable polymers for biomedical applications

Photocurable systems, which offer advantages such as microfabrication and in situ fabrication, have been widely used as dental restorative materials. Because the visible light-curable(VLC) system causes no biological damage, it is popular as a dental material and is being investigated by many researchers for other medical applications. Here, the principle of the VLC system is explained and recent progress in key components including photoinitiators, monomers, macromers, and prepolymers is discussed. Finally, biomedical applications for drug delivery and soft tissue engineering are reviewed. Considering the recent development of VLC systems, its importance in the field of medical applications is expected to continue to increase in the future.