A new cave-dwelling blind loach, Triplophysa erythraea sp. nov. (Cypriniformes: Nemacheilidae), from Hunan Province, China.

A new blind loach species, Triplophysa erythraea sp. nov., from a karst cave in Hunan Province, central south China, is described based on morphology and cyt b gene sequencing.

Two new guaiane-type sesquiterpenes from Curcuma kwangsiensis and their inhibitory activity of nitric oxide production in lipopolysaccharide-stimulated macrophages.

Two new guaiane-type sesquiterpenes, kwangsiensis A and B (1-2) were isolated from the roots of Curcuma kwangsiensis. Their structures were elucidated by extensive spectroscopic methods, including NMR, circular dichroism (CD) and high-resolution mass-spectrometry. The anti-inflammatory activity of the two compounds was evaluated on the basis of their inhibition of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced nitric oxide (NO) production in mouse RAW 264.

Ontogenetic characterization of sporangium and spore of Huperzia serrata: an anti-aging disease fern.

Background: Huperzia serrata is a medicinal plant used in Traditional Chinese Medicine, which has been used to prevent against aging diseases. It is mainly propagated by spores and grows extremely slowly. Due to severe harvest, it is a highly endangered species.

Functional characterization of a novel jasmonate ZIM-domain interactor (NINJA) from upland cotton (Gossypium hirsutum).

The jasmonic acid (JA) signalling pathway plays roles in plant development and defence against biotic and abiotic stresses. We isolated a cotton NINJA (novel interactor of JA ZIM-domain) gene, designated GhNINJA, which contains a 1305 bp open read frame. The GhNINJA gene encodes a 434 amino acid peptide.

Functional Characterization of a Dihydroflavanol 4-Reductase from the Fiber of Upland Cotton (Gossypium hirsutum).

Dihydroflavanol 4-reductase (DFR) is a key later enzyme involved in two polyphenols' (anthocyanins and proanthocyanidins (PAs)) biosynthesis, however it is not characterized in cotton yet. In present reports, a DFR cDNA homolog (designated as GhDFR1) was cloned from developing fibers of upland cotton. Silencing GhDFR1 in cotton by virus-induced gene silencing led to significant decrease in accumulation of anthocyanins and PAs.

Preparation and immunogenicity-evaluation of typhoid O-specific polysaccharides bio-conjugate vaccines.

Typhoid fever caused by Salmonella Typhi is still a major public health problem in developing countries. In this study, we constructed a genetically modified Salmonella Typhi strain expressing O-specific polysaccharides (OPS) antigen conjugated to a carrier, recombinant Pseudomonas aeruginosa exotoxin A(rEPA N29). The conjugates (OPS-rEPA N29) were further purified and evaluated for their immunogenicity.

Molecular cloning and functional characterization of the anthocyanidin reductase gene from Vitis bellula.

Anthocyanidin reductase (ANR) is an NADPH-/NADH-dependent enzyme that transfers two hydrides to anthocyanidins to produce three types of isomeric flavan-3-ols. This reductase forms the ANR pathway toward the biosynthesis of proanthocyanidins (PAs, which are also called condensed tannins). Here, we report cloning and functional characterization of an ANR (called VbANR) homolog from the leaves of Vitis bellula, a newly developed grape crop in southern China.

[Determination of huperzine A and semi-quantitative RT-PCR analysis of lysine decarboxylase gene in different parts of Huperzia serrata from western Hunan].

Objective: To determine the content of huperzine A in the root, stem and leaf of Huperzia serrata from western Hunan, and analyze the relationship between the distribution of huperzine A and the expression of lysine decarboxylase gene in different parts of huperzia serrata.

Methods: The content of huperzine A in the root, stem and leaf of Huperzia serrata was determinated by HPLC, of which the chromatographic column was Diamonsil C18 (250 mm x 4.6 mm,5 microm), mobile phase was methanol-0.

Characterization of Flavan-3-ols and Expression of MYB and Late Pathway Genes Involved in Proanthocyanidin Biosynthesis in Foliage of Vitis bellula.

Proanthocyanidins (PAs) are fundamental nutritional metabolites in different types of grape products consumed by human beings. Although the biosynthesis of PAs in berry of Vitis vinifera has gained intensive investigations, the understanding of PAs in other Vitis species is limited. In this study, we report PA formation and characterization of gene expression involved in PA biosynthesis in leaves of V.

An integrated approach to demonstrating the ANR pathway of proanthocyanidin biosynthesis in plants.

Proanthocyanidins (PAs) are oligomers or polymers of plant flavan-3-ols and are important to plant adaptation in extreme environmental conditions. The characterization of anthocyanidin reductase (ANR) and leucoanthocyanidin reductase (LAR) has demonstrated the different biogenesis of four stereo-configurations of flavan-3-ols. It is important to understand whether ANR and the ANR pathway widely occur in the plant kingdom.

Jeotgalibacillus soli sp. nov., isolated from non-saline forest soil, and emended description of the genus Jeotgalibacillus.

A Gram-stain-positive, endospore-forming, motile, catalase- and oxidase-positive, aerobic, rod-shaped bacterium, designated strain JSM 081008(T), was isolated from non-saline forest soil in China. Strain JSM 081008(T) was able to grow with 0-20% (w/v) NaCl, at pH 6.0-10.

Virgibacillus zhanjiangensis sp. nov., a marine bacterium isolated from sea water.

A Gram-positive, endospore-forming, catalase- and oxidase-positive, motile, rod-shaped, aerobic bacterium, designated strain JSM 079157(T), was isolated from surface seawater off the coastline of Naozhou Island in South China Sea. The organism was able to grow with 1-15% (w/v) total salts (optimum, 4-7%), and at pH 6.0-10.

Halobacillus hunanensis sp. nov., a moderately halophilic bacterium isolated from a subterranean brine.

A moderately halophilic, Gram-positive, catalase- and oxidase-positive, rod-shaped, aerobic bacterium, designated strain JSM 071077(T), was isolated from a subterranean brine sample collected from a salt mine in Hunan Province, China. Cells were motile by means of peritrichous flagella and formed ellipsoidal endospores lying in subterminal swollen sporangia. Strain JSM 071077(T) was able to grow with 2-25% (w/v) total salts (optimum, 5-10%), at pH 6.

[The construction of shuttle vectors of Brevibacillus brevis-Escherichia coli].

The 5' region of the cell wall protein(CWP) gene containing multiple tandem promoters and the signal peptide-coding sequence was isolated by PCR from Br. brevis 50, and used to construct the shuttle vector pBKE50, which included the replication origin of pUB110 and the erythromycin-resistance gene of pGK12. The alpha-amylase gene of Bacillus subtilis 168 was ligated to pBKE50, producing plasmid pBKE50/alpha-amy.