Leachate Lithium Characteristics of Loess-paleosol Sequences on the Chinese Loess Plateau and their Paleoclimatic Significance

The geochemical components of the leachate from loess-paleosol deposits can provide information about climaterelated post-depositional processes.For example,leachate lithium([Li]_(leachate))is a potential paleoclimate proxy because lithium is a typical lithophile element that is readily adsorbed by clay minerals during weathering and pedogenesis,and thus stratigraphic variations in[Li]leachatecan reflect these processes.We investigated the[Li]leachatevalues of two loess-paleosols profiles(the Luochuan and Weinan sections),on a north-south climatic gradient on the Chinese Loess Plateau.Independent paleoclimate information was provided by measurements of magnetic susceptibility,grain size,Rb/Sr ratios,and clay mineral content.During the last glacial-interglacial period,[Li]leachateincreased from 0.39 to 1.97μg/g at Luochuan and from 0.67 to 2.45μg/g at Weinan,mainly due to increasing pedogenesis.Based on these results we developed a conceptual model to explain the variations in[Li]leachate,Li^(+)within loess layers is mainly derived from dust input and the decomposition of primary minerals,influenced by the East Asian winter monsoon,while in paleosol layers Li is mainly derived from clay mineral adsorption during pedogenic processes,influenced by the East Asian summer monsoon.

Comparison of paleotemperature reconstructions using microbial tetraether thermometers of the Chinese loess-paleosol sequence for the past 350000 years

The recently proposed global and local calibrations for the mean annual air temperature(MAT) reconstruction on the basis of 5-and 6-methyl brGDGTs have rarely been applied to the Chinese LPS yet, leaving the applicability of these calibrations unclear. Here, we used the improved chromatography method to analyze 198 loess-paleosol samples from the Weinan section in the southern CLP for the past 350 kyr. The 6-methyl brGDGTs comprise a major proportion of total brGDGTs, pointing to alkaline conditions for most soil samples from the Weinan LPS. The decoupled profile variation of MBT′6ME and MBT′_(5ME) suggests their response to different enviromental factors, possibly soil pH(or soil moisture) and temperature, respectively. This discrimination further corraborates that temperature and monsoonal precipitation were not in phase during the last four deglaciations on the CLP. Temperature estimates for the six calibrations tested show similar trends but remarkably differ in amplitudes. The soil moisture appears to affect the global MBT′/CBT calibration, the global MATmr calibration(a calibration based on the multiple linear regression) and the Chinese local SSM(Stepwise Selection Method) calibration, resulting in a significant underestimation of late Holocene temperature. In contrast, the dry climate has no effect on the global MBT′5ME calibration. Of the six calibrations,only the Chinese local SSM calibration and global MATmr calibration produce temperature variation amplitude over the past 350 ka that is consistent with other independent proxy data. The recently proposed local calibrations based on 5-and 6-methyl brGDGTs for North China yield the amplitude of temperature changes that is much larger than the results determined by other approaches.All the six calibrations have their own weakness in the MAT reconstruction, due partly to the inconsistency between the brGDGT distribution in the Weinan LPS and the modern soils used to establish these calibrations.

Paleo-environmental study on the growth of magnetotactic bacteria and precipitation of magnetosomes in Chinese loess-paleosol sequences

405 samples were collected from L5-S5-L6 in consideration of obvious variations in susceptibility of the geological sections, which are section Xifeng in Gansu Province and section Duanjiapo in Shaanxi Province for study of magnetotactic bacteria (MB) and magnetosomes (MS) in Chinese loess-paleosol sequences. MB in each sample were observed by TEM after being cultured under 8-18℃, room temperature (RT), 25℃, 26℃ and 30℃ conditions. In general, MB are distributed widely in loess-paleosol sequences, fewer in loess layers with predomination of vibriod in shape. However, there are more MB in paleosol layers with morphological varieties such as roddish, vibriod and occasionally approximately coccus. The magnetosomes (MS) in MB of paleosol are usually arranged in chains along the cells. It was also found that MB growth and MS formation are associated with the environment in which MB live. It can be inferred from the distributions of MB and MS that the paleoclimates fluctuated during the formation of

Automatic Keyphrase Extraction from Scientific Chinese Medical Abstracts Based on Character-Level Sequence Labeling

Purpose:Automatic keyphrase extraction(AKE)is an important task for grasping the main points of the text.In this paper,we aim to combine the benefits of sequence labeling formulation and pretrained language model to propose an automatic keyphrase extraction model for Chinese scientific research.Design/methodology/approach:We regard AKE from Chinese text as a character-level sequence labeling task to avoid segmentation errors of Chinese tokenizer and initialize our model with pretrained language model BERT,which was released by Google in 2018.We collect data from Chinese Science Citation Database and construct a large-scale dataset from medical domain,which contains 100,000 abstracts as training set,6,000 abstracts as development set and 3,094 abstracts as test set.We use unsupervised keyphrase extraction methods including term frequency(TF),TF-IDF,TextRank and supervised machine learning methods including Conditional Random Field(CRF),Bidirectional Long Short Term Memory Network(BiLSTM),and BiLSTM-CRF as baselines.Experiments are designed to compare word-level and character-level sequence labeling approaches on supervised machine learning models and BERT-based models.Findings:Compared with character-level BiLSTM-CRF,the best baseline model with F1 score of 50.16%,our character-level sequence labeling model based on BERT obtains F1 score of 59.80%,getting 9.64%absolute improvement.Research limitations:We just consider automatic keyphrase extraction task rather than keyphrase generation task,so only keyphrases that are occurred in the given text can be extracted.In addition,our proposed dataset is not suitable for dealing with nested keyphrases.Practical implications:We make our character-level IOB format dataset of Chinese Automatic Keyphrase Extraction from scientific Chinese medical abstracts(CAKE)publicly available for the benefits of research community,which is available at:https://github.com/possible1402/Dataset-For-Chinese-Medical-Keyphrase-Extraction.Originality/value:By designing comparative experiments,our study demonstrates that character-level formulation is more suitable for Chinese automatic keyphrase extraction task under the general trend of pretrained language models.And our proposed dataset provides a unified method for model evaluation and can promote the development of Chinese automatic keyphrase extraction to some extent.

Red Ratings for Loess-Paleosol Sequences on China’s Loess Plateau and Their Paleo-Climatic Implications

Comparisons of red ratings (RR) with Fe_d, Fe_d/Fet, clay content, andmagnetic susceptibility (x) of two loess-paleosol sequences at Luochuan and Lingtai on China's LoessPlateau were conducted to study the possible relationship between RR and pedogenic degrees of thetwo loess-paleosol sequences, and to discuss whether the RR could become new paleo-climaticindicators. Results showed that the RR of the two loess-paleosol sequences had positive, highlysignificant (P < 0.01) correlations with: 1) citrate-bicarbonate-dithionite (CBD) extracted iron(Fe_d), 2) ratios of CBD extracted iron to total iron (Fe_d/Fet), 3) clay (< 2 mum), and 4) magneticsusceptibility (x). This suggested that the RR of these loess-paleosol sequences could indicatedegreesof loess weathering and pedogenesis and were potential paleo-climatic proxies. The strongcorrelations of RR to Fe_d and x also implied that during pedogenic processes, pedogenic hematite inloess and paleosols were closely related to the amount of total secondary iron oxides and pedogenicferrimagnetic minerals (predominantly maghemite).

A preliminary study of the quantitative couplingbetween loess-paleosol sequences and summermon soon changes

The Loess Plateau-Northeastern Tibetan Plateau in China is famous for its deep andcontmuous distributed loess, in which soils (developed from loess) vary gradually with differentbiological climates changing from subhumid to arid, which provide a natural proving ground forstUd}' the coupling of loess-paleosol and climatic changes quantitatively. Thirty-two sections weresampled (collected) for measuring chemical element contents, clay content (and other items) and 60sections were collected for carbonate analysis to establish transfer functions between pedogenesisand climate. Finally, we estimated the paleoclAnate (P/T) in the region with transfer functions,It isrevealed that the variation of paleocldriate reflected by transfer functions accorded closely with theclimatic pattern resulted from recent work. Specifically, it was about 140 ha BP that summermonsoon reached Lanzhou or further, paleosol S1 (equaling to MIS 5 in deep sea records) developedstrongly in a large scale, even touching upon northeanstern Tibetan Plateau. And, the estimated P/Tinformation also indicated the cold and humid period during 50-30 ka BP, mean annual Precipitationwas about 400-500 nun in Angutan recorded by mega-interstadial paleosol Sm.

Comprehensive analysis of the full-length transcripts and alternative splicing involved in clubroot resistance in Chinese cabbage

Chinese cabbage is an economically important Brassica vegetable worldwide, and clubroot, which is caused by the soilborne protist plant pathogen Plasmodiophora brassicae is regarded as a destructive disease to Brassica crops. Previous studies on the gene transcripts related to Chinese cabbage resistance to clubroot mainly employed RNA-seq technology,although it cannot provide accurate transcript assembly and structural information. In this study, PacBio RS II SMRT sequencing was used to generate full-length transcriptomes of mixed roots at 0, 2, 5, 8, 13, and 22 days after P. brassicae infection in the clubroot-resistant line DH40R. Overall, 39 376 high-quality isoforms and 26 270 open reading frames(ORFs) were identified from the SMRT sequencing data. Additionally, 426 annotated long noncoding RNAs(lncRNAs),56 transcription factor(TF) families, 1 883 genes with poly(A) sites and 1 691 alternative splicing(AS) events were identified. Furthermore, 1 201 of the genes had at least one AS event in DH40R. A comparison with RNA-seq data revealed six differentially expressed AS genes(one for disease resistance and five for defensive response) that are potentially involved in P. brassicae resistance. The results of this study provide valuable resources for basic research on clubroot resistance in Chinese cabbage.

Diversity and geographical distribution of haptophyte Phaeocystis in the Chinese seas based on metabarcoding analysis

Phaeocystis is an important bloom-forming species and over 100 blooms have occurred since 1997 along the Chinese coasts,while only the species P.globosa was described.In this project,a total of 246 phytoplankton samples collected from the Bohai Sea,the Yellow Sea,and the East China Sea in April 2021 were analyzed to evaluate the species diversity and geographical distribution of the genus Phaeocystis based on metabarcoding 18S r DNA sequence.Four described Phaeocystis species were recognized,including P.globosa,P.pouchetii,P.jahnii,and P.cordata,and each has distinguished geographical distribution characteristics.P.globosa was the most widespread and abundant species,and P.pouchetii was found in the Bohai Sea and the northern Yellow Sea with substantially elevated abundance.P.cordata was also a widespread species,but its abundance was relatively low,while P.jahnii gathered only in the southeastern East China Sea.Water temperature,phosphate as well as ammonium contents were found to be associated with the abundance of P.globosa,P.pouchetii,and P.jahnii significantly.Moreover,two uncharacterized Phaeocystis species were detected in the Chinese seas,indicating the diversity of the genus remains underestimated worldwide.

Magnetostratigraphy of a Loess-Paleosol Sequence from Higher Terrace of the Daduhe River in the Eastern Margin of the Tibetan Plateau and Its Geological Significance

The eolian deposits distributed in the river valleys in the eastern margin of the Tibetan Plateau （TP） are very useful in neotectonic and paleoclimatic studies. Firstly, the climate in the eastern margin of the TP is mainly controlled by the Indian summer monsoon, and detailed studies on the loess-paleosol sequences in this region can provide valuable terrestrial evidence of past changes in the Indian summer monsoon. Secondly, the river terraces in the eastern margin of the TP are considered to be a sensitive recorder of neotectonism to reflect the timing and amplitude of the TP uplift.

DNA Molecular Identification of Botanical Origin in Chinese Herb Qingjiao

[Objective] The research aimed to distinguish Chinese herb Qingjiao from its botanical origin plants by comparing different DNA sequences,so as to provide a molecular basis for origin identification and quality evaluation.[Method] The cpDNA psbA-trnH and nrDNA ITS sequences of five Chinese herb Qingjiao plants,including Gentiana macrophylla pall.,Gentiana straminea Maxim.,Gentiana crassicaulis Duthie ex Burk.,Gentiana dahurica Fisch and Gentiana officinalis H.Smith,were amplified with PCR,and then sequenced by direct PCR sequencing method for homologous analysis.[Results] The length of cpDNA psbA-trnH of five plants was 316-318 bp;there were seven different haplotypes and seven variable sites;the GC content of the sequence was 21.2%;the phylogenetic clustering showed the same result as haplotype analysis.The length of nrDNA ITS sequence of five plants was 624-625 bp,there were five different haplotypes and 13 variable sites;the GC content of the sequence was 59.3%.The result of phylogenetic clustering suggested that G.dahurica and G.straminea,G.macrophylla and G.officinalis clustered together as sister clades,respectively.[Conclusion] The nucleotide differences of nrDNA ITS regions could be used for distinguishing botanical origin in Chinese herb Qingjiao.

Whole-genome Sequencing Reveals Autooctoploidy in Chinese Sturgeon and Its Evolutionary Trajectories

The order Acipenseriformes,which includes sturgeons and paddlefishes,represents“living fossils”with complex genomes that are good models for understanding whole-genome duplication(WGD)and ploidy evolution in fishes.Here,we sequenced and assembled the first high-quality chromosome-level genome for the complex octoploid Acipenser sinensis(Chinese sturgeon),a critically endangered species that also represents a poorly understood ploidy group in Acipenseriformes.Our results show that A.sinensis is a complex autooctoploid species containing four kinds of octovalents(8n),a hexavalent(6n),two tetravalents(4n),and a divalent(2n).An analysis taking into account delayed rediploidization reveals that the octoploid genome composition of Chinese sturgeon results from two rounds of homologous WGDs,and further provides insights into the timing of its ploidy evolution.This study provides the first octoploid genome resource of Acipenseriformes for understanding ploidy compositions and evolutionary trajectories of polyploid fishes.

Updated Genetic Testing of Primary Hyperoxaluria Type 1 in a Chinese Population:Results from a Single Center Study and a Systematic Review

Primary hyperoxaluria type 1(PH1)is a rare but devastating autosomal recessive inherited disease caused by mutations in gene AGXT.Pathogenic mutations of AGXT were mostly reported in Caucasian but infrequently in Asian,especially in Chinese.To update the genotypes of PH1 in the Chinese population,we collected and identified 7 Chinese probands with PH1 from 2013 to 2017 in our center,five of whom had delayed diagnosis and failed in kidney transplantation.Samples of peripheral blood DNA from the 7 patients and their family members were collected and sequencing analysis was performed to test the mutations of gene AGXT.Western blotting and enzyme activity analysis were conducted to evaluate the function of the mutations.Furthermore,a systematic review from 1998 to 2017 was performed to observe the genetic characteristics between Chinese and Caucasian. The results showed that a total of 12 mutations were identified in the 7 pedigrees.To the best of ourknowledge,2 novel variants of A GXT,p.Gly41 Trp and p.Leu33Met,were first reported.Bioinformatics and functional analysis showed that only 7 mutations led to a reduced expression of alanine-glyoxylate amino transferase (AGT)at a protein level.The systematic review revealed significant population heterogeneity in PH1.In conclusion,new genetic subtypes and genetic characteristics of PH1 are updated in the Chinese population. Furthermore,a genotype-phenotype correlation is found in PH1.

The EST Analysis of A Suppressive Subtraction cDNA Library of Chinese Wild Vitis pseudoreticulata Inoculated with Uncinula necator

Uncinula necator is a worldwide serious fungus disease causing annual heavy lost on grapevine production. In order to get more informations on defense related EST sequences and help breeding program, we constructed and characterized a suppression subtractive hybridization cDNA library with artificially inoculated leaves and control Chinese wild Vitis pseudoreticulata clone Baihe-35-1, which is highly resistant to powdery mildew. In the library, the length of 58 EST fragments known as putative functions varied from 130 to 800 bp, and 60% of the ESTs exhibited high similarity to known sequences in database of GenBank with BLASTX analysis. These genes were involved in stress/defense response, detoxification, signal transduction, disease defense, and etc., and 14 ESTs remained unknown or hypothetical proteins, which may be new genes. The experiment provided an important basis for studying the disease-resistance mechanism and obtaining the genes for the aim of improving grapevine powdery mildew resistance.

Statistical features of aftershock distribution size for moderate and large earthquakes in Chinese mainland

Based on data of earthquake sequences with Ms≥5.0 in Chinese mainland from 1970 to 2004, for different sequence types and different rupture modes of the main shock, the relationship between aftershock distribution size R and the magnitude of the main shock Mo has been studied statistically. Considering the rupture mode of the main shock, we give the quantitative statistical relationships between R and Mo under 95% confidence level for different sequence typos. Qualitatively, lgR, the logarithm of the aftershock distribution size, is positively correlative to the M0, but the data distribution is dispersed. Viewing from different sequence typos, the correlation between R and M0 is very weak for isolated earthquake type （lET） sequence, R distributes in the range from 5 to 60 km; For mainshock-aftershock type （MAT）, lgR is positively correlative to M0; For multiple main shock type （MMT）, the corelation between lgR and M0 is not very obvious when M0≤6.2 and R distributes in the range from 5 to 70 km, while it shows a linear correlation when M0≥6.3. The statistical results also show that the occupational ratios of different sequence types for strike-slip and oblique slip are almost the same. But for dip-slip （mostly are thrust mechanisms）, the ratio of MAT is higher than that of IET and MMT. Comparing with previous results, it indicates that, when M0 is large enough, R is mainly determined by M0 and there is almost no relationship with the rupture mode of the main shock.

Conversion of pure Chinese fir plantation to multi-layered mixed plantation enhances the soil aggregate stability by regulating microbial communities in subtropical China

Background:Soil aggregates are the basic units of soil structure,and their stability is a key indicator of soil quality and capacity to support ecosystem functions.The impacts of various environmental factors on soil aggregates have been widely studied.However,there remains elusive knowledge on the synergistic effects of changing forest stand structure on soil aggregate stability(SAS),particularly in subtropical China where soil erosion remains a critical issue.Methods:We investigated variations in the components of soil humus(HS),including humic acids(HAs),fulvic acids(FAs),and humins(HMs),under pure Chinese fir(Cunninghamia lanceolata)plantation(PP)and multilayered mixed plantation(MP)comprising C.lanceolata,Castanopsis hystrix,and Michelia hedyosperma.The state of soil aggregate stability,was determined by three separate methods,i.e.,dry-sieving,wet-sieving,and the Le Bissonnais.High-throughput sequencing was used to determine the diversity and composition of microbial communities under PP and MP.We then built partial least squares path models(PLS-PM)for assessing the responses of SAS to the variations in soil microorganisms and HS components.Results:The MP stands had significantly greater SAS(P<0.05),higher content of HAs and more rapid organic matter humification within aggregates,than the PP stands.High-throughput sequencing confirmed that the Pielou andα-diversity index values(Chao1 and Shannon)for fungi were all significantly higher under MP than under PP,while no marked difference was found in bacterialα-diversity between the two plantation types.Moreover,there were markedly greater abundance of three bacterial phyla(Verrucomicrobia,Chloroflexi,and Gemmatimonadetes)and three fungal phyla(Ascomycota,Kickxellomycota,and Glomeromycota),and significantly less abundance of two bacterial phyla(Planctomycetes and Firmicutes)and four fungal phyla(Basidiomycota,Mortierellomycota,Mucoromycota,and Rozellomycota)under MP than under PP.The Chloroflexi and Ascomycota phyla appeared to be the primary drivers of soil aggregate distribution.Our findings revealed that the promotion of SAS under MP was mainly driven by increased soil organic matter(SOM)content,which altered bacterial communities and enhanced fungal diversity,thereby increasing HAs content and the rate of organic matter humification.Conclusions:Considering the combined effects of enhanced soil quality,productivity,and relevant economic costs,introducing broadleaved tree species into Chinese fir plantations can be an effective strategy for stabilizing soil structure against erosion in subtropical China.Our study elucidated the controls on variations of SAS in Chinese fir-dominated plantations and demonstrated the benefit of converting pure Chinese fir plantation to multi-layered mixed plantations in increasing soil structural stability and improving site quality.

Red Clay Sediment in the Central Chinese Loess Plateau and Its Implication for the Uplift of the Tibetan Plateau

The widely distributed red clay sediment underlying the Chinese Loess Plateau truly records the Neogene environmental evolution, and its genesis and development are intrinsically related to the uplift processes of the Tibetan Plateau and the evolution of East Asia monsoon system. In this paper, a detailed magnetostratigraphy of a loess-red clay section （107°13′E, 35°02′N） from the central Loess Plateau is reported. The loess-red clay sequence is composed of 175 m Quaternary loess-paleosol sequence and 128 m Neogene red clay sediments. Based on the correlation with the standard geomagnetic polarity time scale, the paleomagnetic results indicate that the age of Chaona red clay sequence extends to 08.1 Ma, which is the older red clay deposition in the central Chinese Loess Plateau. The commencement of red clay at -8.1 Ma may imply that the Ordos planation surface was broken by the movement of the Haiyuan-Liupanshan Faults, which was related to the uplift of the Tibetan Plateau induced by the collision of India Plate and Eurasian Plate. And the western part adjacent to the Tibetan Plateau was uplifted to form the embryo of the Liupan Shan （Mts.） and the eastern part was down-faulted to receive red clay deposition. We link this faulting to an initial uplift of the Tibetan Plateau. The undulating nature of the broken Ordos planation surface may explain the chronological differences and depth discrepancies among various cross-sections of red clay.

Effect of a compound starter cultures inoculation on bacterial profile and biogenic amine accumulation in Chinese Sichuan sausages

Effects of a starter culture composed of Lactobacillus sakei,Pediococcus pentosaceus,Staphylococcus xylosus and S.carnosus at the ratios(m/m)of 1:1:1:1 on bacterial profile and biogenic amine accumulation in Chinese Sichuan sausages were demonstrated.In starter culture-inoculated sausages,Lactobacillus spp.,Pediococcus spp.and Staphylococcus spp.were predominant bacterial genus and their relative abundances ranged from 70.14%to 25.98%,57.66%to 14.08%,and 15.71%to 13.40%during fermentation,respectively.Accordingly,Lactobacillus spp.and Weissella spp.were predominant bacterial genus and their relative abundances ranged from 63.14%to 24.70%and 49.40%to 11.96%during spontaneous fermentation,respectively.Furthermore,the abundances of undesirable microorganisms such as Yersinia spp.,Enterobacter spp.,Acietobacter spp.and Psychrobacter spp.were lower than that of the control.The levels of histamine,putrescine,tyramine and cadaverine in Chinese Sichuan sausages with starter cultures inoculation were significantly lower(P<0.05)than that of the control,and were decreased by 83.09%,69.38%,51.87%and 57.20%,respectively,at the end of the ripening.These results revealed that the starter cultures inoculation was a better alternative for microbial quality improvement and biogenic amine reduction of Chinese Sichuan sausages with good sensory attributes.

Structural and functional characteristics of microbiota in oropharynx of sub-healthy children with gastrointestinal heat retention syndrome differentiated by traditional Chinese medicine

Objective:To explore the structural and functional characteristics of microbiota in oropharynx of subhealthy children with gastrointestinal heat retention syndrome(GHRS)differentiated by traditional Chinese medicine,and screen the biometric operational taxonomic units(OTUs)to assist the clinical diagnosis.Methods:We recruited children according to the“GHRS diagnostic scale”,collected their oropharyngeal swabs,and sequenced the 16 SrDNA V4 region.We described the bacterial structure with alpha-indexes,beta-distances,and relative abundances;moreover,we screened the differential genera/OTUs with Wilcoxon rank-sum test,Metagenome Seq analysis,and linear discriminant analysis effect size(LEf Se)analysis,in which biometric OTUs were selected to construct the receiver operating characteristic curve to verify the diagnostic value.The bacterial function was predicted with Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathways according to 16S rDNA gene by using Phylogenetic Investigation of Communities by Reconstruction of Unobserved States.Results:The study population was composed of 10 children with GHRS and 10 healthy control children.GHRS children were more likely to overeat(gluttony,P=.033).Alpha-indexes,such as Sobs,abundancebased coverage estimator,Bootstrap,and Qstat,were significantly higher in the GHRS group,while betadistances did not exhibit any significant intergroup differences.There were 9 differently distributed nonpredominant genera between the groups in Wilcoxon rank-sum test,as well as 13 non-predominant genera in Metagenome Seq analysis and 3 non-predominant OTUs in LEfSe analysis.OTU44 and OTU196 were used to construct the receiver operating characteristic curve,and the area under curve was 0.92.Predicted functions showed that pathways related to oxidative phosphorylation and carbon metabolism were enriched in healthy control samples,while the pathway related to renin secretion was remarkably enriched in GHRS samples.Conclusion:Unique oropharyngeal microbial structure and function were identified in GHRS children.OTU44 and OTU196 were specific OTUs,which could be used as biomarkers of GHRS to assist clinical diagnosis.

A Novel Frequent BRCA1 Allele in Chinese Patients with Breast Cancer

The whole length of exon 11 of BRCA1 was sequenced （total 3427 bp） in 59 patients and 10 healthy female blood donors. To allow a rapid determination of the different BRCA1 alleles, a sequence-specific primer PCR method （PCR-SSP） was established and was applied to 57 additional female donors. Finally, the full-length coding region of BRCA1 was analyzed through reversed-transcriptase PCR （RT-PCR） and cDNA sequencing （total 5554 bp） in one donor with wild-type allele and 2 patients with one or two mutated alleles. By genomic DNA sequencing, 5 homozygous polymorphisms were observed in 18 patients： 2201C〉T, 2430T〉C, 2731C〉T, 3232A〉G and 3667A〉G All of them were previously observed in Caucasians, Malay and Chinese, but for the first time the mutations were found in one allele （GenBank AY304547）. Twenty-six patients and 4 donors were heterozygous at these 5 nucleotide positions. The remaining 15 patients and 6 donors showed a sequence identical with the standard BRCA1 gene. Combined the PCR-SSP results and in a summary, 6 of 67 （9.0 %） healthy individuals were homozygous for the mutated allele, whereas 18 of 59 （30.5 %） breast cancer patients were homozygous. A Chi-square test showed a significant correlation between homozygous mutated BRCA1 allele and breast cancer. The cDNA sequencing showed that 2 additional mutations, 4427T〉C in exon 13 and 4956A〉G in exon 16, were found. A new BRCA1 allele, which is BRCA1-2201T/2430C/2731T/3232G/3667G/4427C/4956G （GenBank AY751490）, was found in Chinese. And the homozygote of this mutated allele may implicate a disease-association in Chinese.

ISSR Markers as a Tool for Assessing Genetic Diversity in the Chinese Alligator (Alligator sinensis)

Eight different inter simple sequence repeat(ISSR) markers were used as tools to investigate genetic variability and population differentiation in the Chinese alligator,Alligator sinensis,in this study. Eleven polymorphic bands(17.2%) out of a total of 64 were generated from 110 individuals in three populations. Analysis of molecular variation showed that most of the genetic variation(98.0%) occurred within the populations. Dendrogram relationship based on Nei’s unbiased genetic diversity illustrated that two breeding populations were genetically closely related. The Nm value of the study was 4.520,suggesting that high levels of gene flow existed and no differentiation appeared in the populations. In a reconstructed Neighbor-Joining tree,the haplotypes coming from the same populations did not gather as a class,suggesting the three populations had no apparent geographic pattern. This study shows that ISSR markers could be well applied as a feasible tool to assess genetic diversity in Chinese alligator individuals.