Characterizations and Analysis of the Mold from Animal Specimens in Shenzhen Museum

Biological specimens play an important role in cultural exchange, science popularization, scientific research and economic window, but the preparation and preservation technology system of biological specimens is relatively unsafe and inefficient. Mold grows seriously on animal specimens, which is not only harmful to human beings’ health and environment, but also is one of the factors that restricts the development of the natural history museums where these specimens are kept. This paper identified the mold species of animal specimens by PCR with ITS primers, bio-micro-scopic observation, sequencing and phylogenetic tree analysis. The results showed the mold of animal specimens mainly belonged to Aspergillus and Neurospora. This study established the foundations of controlling and restoring the mold that infected animal specimens and guided a new methodology of preparation and environmental friendly exhibition for animal specimens.

New geographic distribution and molecular diversity of Citrus chlorotic dwarf-associated virus in China

In 2009, an emerging citrus viral disease caused by Citrus chlorotic dwarf-associated virus(CCDaV) was discovered in Yunnan Province of China. However, the occurrence and spread of CCDaV in other citrus-growing provinces in China is unknown to date. To better understand the distribution and molecular diversity of CCDaV in China, a total of 1 772 citrus samples were collected from 11 major citrus-growing provinces and were tested for CCDaV by PCR. Among these, 134 citrus samples from Guangxi, Yunnan and Guangdong were tested positive for CCDaV, demonstrating that the occurrence and spread of CCDaV are increasing in China. The complete genome sequences of 17 CCDaV isolates from different provinces and hosts were sequenced. Comparisons of the whole-genome sequences of the 17 CCDaV isolates as well as the 15 isolates available in GenBank revealed that the sequence identity was about 99–100%, showing that the CCDaV isolates were highly conserved. Phylogenetic studies showed that the 32 CCDaV isolates belonged to four different groups based on geographical origins and host species, and that CCDaV isolates from China and Turkey were clustered into different groups. The results provide important information for clarifying the distribution and genetic diversity of CCDaV in China.

Molecular Cloning of a Chitinase Gene from the Ovotestis of Kuroda’s Sea Hare Aplysia kurodai

In this study, we report that we successfully cloned and sequenced a chitinase gene from the ovotestis of Kuroda’s sea hare Aplysia kurodai. By using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and a system for the 5’ and 3’ rapid amplification of cDNA ends, we obtained a 1352 bp chitinase gene (AkChi) from the ovotestis of A. kurodai. AkChi contains a 1263 bp open reading frame that encodes 421 amino acids. The domain structure predicted from the deduced amino acid sequence was an N-terminal signal peptide and a catalytic domain of glycoside hydrolase (GH) family 18 chitinase. A comparative analysis of the deduced amino acid sequences of AkChi with those of the acidic mammalian chitinase of the California sea hare Aplysia californica revealed the highest homology at 83%. The purified chitinase from the ovotestis was digested by trypsin, and 119 residues of digested peptides were consistent with the deduced amino acid sequence of AkChi. We used RT-PCR to evaluate the expression of AkChi in various tissues of A. kurodai, and we observed that AkChi was expressed only in the ovotestis. A phylogenetic tree analysis, performed using the amino acid sequences of AkChi and known GH family 18 chitinases, showed that AkChi was separated from the molluscan chitinases with a chitin binding domain. To our knowledge, this is the first study demonstrating the cDNA cloning of an ovotestis chitinase from a sea hare.