Localization of QTLs for Husk Proportion and Lignin Content Using a High-Density Genetic Linkage Map of Brassica napus

Fu You Fu,Lie Zhao Liu,You Rong Chai,Li Chen,Tao Yang,Ai Fen Ma,Cun Ming Qu,Lin Jiang,Zheng Sheng Zhang,Jia Na Li 한국유전학회 2007 Genes & Genomics Vol.29 No.3

Husk proportion (HP) and lignin content (LC) are two important traits of seed quality of B. napus. Efficient selection of these two traits is an important way to improve the seed quality in meal improvement. A set of recombinant inbred lines (RILs) of B. napus (GH06 × Zhongyou 821) was used for mapping QTLs of HP and LC in a two-year study in different environments. 509 markers (78 SSR markers, 66 RAPD markers and 365 SRAP markers) were mapped on 26 linkage groups with an average length of 73.96 cM. The map covered a total of 1923 cM, and the average distance between two adjacent markers was 3.78 cM. Analysis of variance of LC and HP indicated that. LC might not be significantly affected by environment (F = 2.96 < 3.02) and HP might be affected by genotype × environment interactions. A total of 15 significant QTLs were detected in eight linkage groups with a LOD threshold value of 2.5 (LR ≥ 11.5) by CIM, explaining 4.99-16.14% of phenotype variation. Some QTLs of LC and HP were detected in near regions of the same linkage groups, such as qLCBB05-6-1 and qLCWZ06-6-1, qLCBB05-10-2 and qLCBB06-10-1 and qLCWZ06-10-2, qHPBB05-9-3 and qHPBB06-9-1, qHPBB05-10-4 and qHPBB06-10-2 and qHPBB06-10-3 and qHPWZ06-10-1. This study indicates that the repeatedly detected QTLs of LC and HP might be major-effect QTLs of LC and HP.

Identification of flutter derivatives of bridge decks using stochastic search technique

Ai-Rong Chen,Fu-You Xu,Ru-Jin Ma 한국풍공학회 2006 Wind and Structures, An International Journal (WAS Vol.9 No.6

A more applicable optimization model for extracting flutter derivatives of bridge decks is presented, which is suitable for time-varying weights for fitting errors and different lengths of vertical bending and torsional free vibration data. A stochastic search technique for searching the optimal solution of optimization problem is developed, which is more convenient in understanding and programming than the alternate iteration technique, and testified to be a valid and efficient method using two numerical examples. On the basis of the section model test of Sutong Bridge deck, the flutter derivatives are extracted by the stochastic search technique, and compared with the identification results using the modified least-square method. The Empirical Mode Decomposition method is employed to eliminate noise, trends and zero excursion of the collected free vibration data of vertical bending and torsional motion, by which the identification precision of flutter derivatives is improved.

Biocatalysis and Fermentation Technology : Secretory Expression, Functional Characterization, and Molecular Genetic Analysis of Novel Halo-Solvent-Tolerant Protease from Bacillus gibsonii

( Ai Hua Deng ),( Guo Qiang Zhang ),( Na Na Shi ),( Jie Wu ),( Fu Ping Lu ),( Ting Yi Wen ) 한국미생물 · 생명공학회 2014 Journal of microbiology and biotechnology Vol.24 No.2

A novel protease gene from Bacillus gibsonii, aprBG, was cloned, expressed in B. subtilis, and characterized. High-level expression of aprBG was achieved in the recombinant strain when a junction was present between the promoter and the target gene. The purified recombinant enzyme exhibited similar N-terminal sequences and catalytic properties to the native enzyme, including high affinity and hydrolytic efficiency toward various substrates and a superior performance when exposed to various metal ions, surfactants, oxidants, and commercial detergents. AprBG was remarkably stable in 50% organic solvents and retained 100% activity and stability in 0-4 M NaCl, which is better than the characteristics of previously reported proteases. AprBG was most closely related to the high-alkaline proteases of the subtilisin family with a 57-68% identity. The secretion and maturation mechanism of AprBG was dependent on the enzyme activity, as analyzed by site-directed mutagenesis. Thus, when taken together, the results revealed that the halo-solvent-tolerant protease AprBG displays significant activity and stability under various extreme conditions, indicating its potential for use in many biotechnology applications.

Guhong injection protects against focal cerebral ischemia– reperfusion injury via anti-inflammatory effects in rats

Jinchao Ai,Haitong Wan,Mingchun Shu,Huifen Zhou,Tao Zhao,Wei Fu,Yu He 대한약학회 2017 Archives of Pharmacal Research Vol.40 No.5

Guhong injection (GHI), composed of aceglutamideand safflower aqueous extract, has been used clinicallyfor the treatment of cerebrovascular diseases such ascerebral embolism, hemorrhage and mental deterioration. In this paper, we reported the results of the first study onthe anti-inflammatory effects of GHI in murine focalcerebral ischemia–reperfusion (I/R) injury. Adult male SDrats were randomly divided into six groups: Sham group,I/R group, GHI-L group (2.5 mL/kg), GHI-M group(5 mL/kg), GHI-H group (10 mL/kg) and Nimodipinegroup. I/R injury was induced by middle cerebral arteryocclusion (MCAO) for 1.5 h followed by reperfusion for24 h. Compared with I/R group, rats treated with GHIshowed dose dependent reductions in neurological defectscores and cerebral infarct volume. GHI obviously downregulatednitric oxide (NO), inducible NO synthase(iNOS), myeloperoxidase (MPO), interleukin-1b (IL-1b),TNF-a (tumor necrosis factor-a) and C reactive protein(CRP) levels in serum. Moreover, histological examinationby H&E staining showed that clear cell outline, less vacuolatedspaces and largely surviving neurons wereobserved in GHI-treated rats. The immunohistochemicalstaining revealed that GHI administration significantlydiminished the positive expressions of intercellular celladhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) and nuclear factor-jB p65(NF-jB p65) in brain tissues. Western blot analysis forICAM, NF-jB p65 and iNOS further solidified the abovefindings. All these results demonstrate that GHI exerts astrong and ameliorative effect on cerebral I/R injury in ratspossibly through the inhibition of inflammation.

Morphological Structure of Propagules and Electrophoretic Karyotype Analysis of False Smut Villosiclava virens in Rice

Rongtao Fu,Lei Ding,Jun Zhu,Ping Li,Ai-ping Zheng 한국미생물학회 2012 The journal of microbiology Vol.50 No.2

The target pathogen Villosiclava virens (teleomorph: claviceps oryzae-sativae) was isolated from the infected rice, where it caused false smut. In our study, the forming processes of the chlamydospores, chlamydospore balls, conidiospores, and secondary conidiospores during the asexual reproduction were observed more precisely and in greater detail than previous descriptions. The microstructure of the infected rice kernel showed that the outer dense chlamydospores piled around the false smut balls grown on XBZ medium;moreover the sclerotia consisting of dense mycelium were found. The different morphology was observed across the different growing conditions. In addition, we observed the nuclear numbers of both the conidiospores and hyphae using 4 ,6-diamidino-2-phenylindole (DAPI) staining. Because the fungus has small chromosomes and the numbers were not previously known, we analyzed the electrophoretic karyotype using a pulsed field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) technique. The results showed that V. virens has at least 10 chromosomes ranging in size from 0.6 kb to 6 Mb. The V. virens genome size is estimated to be 23 Mb. Here, we report the morphological characteristics of the fungus and the process of asexual spores forming asexual propagules, along with the first analyze the molecular karyotype of V. virens. These results supply a foundation for further study of the pathogenicity and biology of this devastating pathogen.

Identification of flutter derivatives of bridge decks using stochastic search technique

Chen, Ai-Rong,Xu, Fu-You,Ma, Ru-Jin Techno-Press 2006 Wind and Structures, An International Journal (WAS Vol.9 No.6

A more applicable optimization model for extracting flutter derivatives of bridge decks is presented, which is suitable for time-varying weights for fitting errors and different lengths of vertical bending and torsional free vibration data. A stochastic search technique for searching the optimal solution of optimization problem is developed, which is more convenient in understanding and programming than the alternate iteration technique, and testified to be a valid and efficient method using two numerical examples. On the basis of the section model test of Sutong Bridge deck, the flutter derivatives are extracted by the stochastic search technique, and compared with the identification results using the modified least-square method. The Empirical Mode Decomposition method is employed to eliminate noise, trends and zero excursion of the collected free vibration data of vertical bending and torsional motion, by which the identification precision of flutter derivatives is improved.

Functional Study of Active Residues Scorpion Insect Toxin BmK IT from Buthus martensii Karsch

Yuejun Fu,Renjia Yang,Wujian Chen,Zhiyi Wu,Ai-Hua Liang,Fengyun Hu 한국생물공학회 2014 Biotechnology and Bioprocess Engineering Vol.19 No.2

Chinese scorpion Buthus martensii Karsch(BmK) venom is a rich source of neurotoxins which bindto various ion channels with high affinity and specificityand thus widely used as compounds to modulate channelgating. An excitatory insect toxin, BmK IT, is not conservedwith a glutamate residue at the preceding position of thethird Cys residue, and is a toxin with a non-glutamateresidue at the relevant position in the excitatory scorpion β-toxin subfamily. In this study, the mutants of recombinantBmK IT (BmK IT (I25E), BmK IT (E15G), BmK IT Cterminal(TKSYCDVQIN) truncated) were achieved bysite-directed mutagenesis. Biological activity of BmK ITand its mutants confirmed these residues or peptides playedkey roles in BmK IT. BmK IT (I25E) could increase thesensitivity of BmK IT, but BmK IT(E15G) could decreasethe sensitivity of BmK IT on Sf9 cells. BmK IT truncatedC-terminal hydrophobic amino acids could cross thespecies boundaries and was effective on mammalian C6cells. To date, several excitatory insect toxins have beenisolated and identified from the venom of Buthus martensiiKarsch. However, no functional data are available andtherefore its classification in the family of excitatory insecttoxins remains putative and is just based on its highsimilarity with the other toxins of this family. These resultsverified I25, E15 and C-terminal (TKSYCDVQIN) inBmK IT played key roles in the interaction of the BmK ITand its receptor- sodium channels on the surface of insectcells and laid a foundation for further structural andfunctional analysis of BmK IT.

Local conversion of four Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen photon pairs into four-photon polarization-entangled decoherence-free states with non-photon-number-resolving detectors.

Wang, Hong-Fu,Zhang, Shou,Zhu, Ai-Dong,Yi, X X,Yeon, Kyu-Hwang Optical Society of America 2011 Optics express Vol.19 No.25

<P>We propose a linear-optics-based scheme for local conversion of four Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen photon pairs distributed among five parties into four-photon polarization-entangled decoherence-free states using local operations and classical communication. The proposed setup involves simple linear optical elements and non-photon-number-resolving detectors that can only distinguish between the presence and absence of photons, and no information on the exact number of photons can be obtained. This greatly simplifies the experimental realization for linear optical quantum computation and quantum information processing.</P>

Combination of Probiotics and Salvia miltiorrhiza Polysaccharide Alleviates Hepatic Steatosis via Gut Microbiota Modulation and Insulin Resistance Improvement in High Fat-Induced NAFLD Mice

Wei Wang,Ai-Lei Xu,Zheng-Chao Li,Yi Li,Shun-Fu Xu,Hua-Chao Sang,Fachao Zhi 대한당뇨병학회 2020 Diabetes and Metabolism Journal Vol.44 No.2

Background: Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) increases the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma, which is currently the leading cause of obesity-related cancer deaths in middle-aged men. Methods: Probiotics with lipid-lowering function were screened from the fecal microbiota of healthy adults. Polysaccharide from different sources was screened for improving insulin resistance. The combination of probiotics and Salvia miltiorrhiza polysaccharide (LBM) was investigated for alleviating hepatic steatosis. Results: First, Bifidobacterium bifidum V (BbV) and Lactobacillus plantarum X (LpX) were obtained from the fecal microbiota of healthy adults. Second, to improve insulin resistance, a Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge polysaccharide showing good performance in reducing insulin resistance was obtained. The liver total cholesterol (TC) and total triglyceride (TG) levels and the serum levels of free fatty acid, alanine transaminase, aspartate transaminase, low density lipoprotein cholesterol, TG, and TC can be significantly reduced through supplementation with LpX-BbV (LB) in NAFLD mice. Interestingly, the function of the probiotic LB can be enhanced by S. miltiorrhiza Bunge polysaccharide. Furthermore, the gut microbiota was modulated by LpX-BbV+S. miltiorrhiza Bunge polysaccharide (LBM). The lipopolysaccharide concentration of the LBM group was decreased by 73.6% compared to the NAFLD group. Ultimately, the mRNA concentrations of the proinflammatory cytokines (tumor necrosis factor α, interleukin 1β [IL-1β], and IL-6) decreased with LB and LBM treatment. Conclusion: The results of this this study indicate that the LBM combination can be used as a therapeutic for ameliorating NAFLD via modulating the gut microbiota and improving insulin resistance.

Almost Disturbance Decoupling for a Class of Inherently Nonlinear Systems

Yan-Ming Fu,Guang-Ren Duan,Ai-Guo Wu 제어·로봇·시스템학회 2009 International Journal of Control, Automation, and Vol.7 No.2

The problem of almost disturbance decoupling (ADD) for a class of inherently nonlinear systems is considered. The controlled systems are beyond triangular form and possess uncontrollable linearization. The performance of ADD is characterized in terms of L2-L2p gain. By using the tool of adding a power integrator, under a set of growth conditions a smooth sate feedback controller is explicitly constructed to attenuate the influence of the disturbance on the output with an arbitrary degree.