Safety, tolerance, pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties of thrombopoietin mimetic peptide for injection in Chinese healthy volunteers: a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind study.

The thrombopoietin mimetic peptide for injection is a second-generation thrombopoietin receptor agonist (TPO-RA) used in the treatment of patients with immune thrombocytopenia. The aim of the present study was to assess the safety, tolerance, pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties of thrombopoietin mimetic peptide for injection in Chinese healthy volunteers. A randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, dose-escalation study was conducted in healthy Chinese subjects aged 18-50 years. Thirty subjects received single subcutaneous injection of 0.3 µg/kg, 1.0 µg/kg, 2.0 µg/kg thrombopoietin mimetic peptide or placebo. Thrombopoietin mimetic peptide was safe and well tolerated at doses of 0.3-2.0 µg/kg. There was no significant change in mean platelet count (PLT) from baseline at the 0.3 µg/kg or placebo groups. The mean PLT of subjects in the 1.0 µg/kg and 2.0 µg/kg groups peaked at day 12 (± 1), began to decline around day 17, and returned to the baseline level at day 28 (± 1). Platelet aggregation rates of the three dose groups showed no significant change before and after administration. Serum concentrations of thrombopoietin mimetic peptide in all subjects were below the quantization limit. This was the first study to demonstrate that subcutaneous injection of thrombopoietin mimetic peptide at doses of 0.3-2.0 µg/kg was safe and well tolerated in Chinese healthy subjects. As a second-generation TPO-RA, thrombopoietin mimetic peptide is effective at improving PLT after single subcutaneous injection at dose of ≥1 µg/kg.P lain l anguage s ummaryWhat is the context?● Immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) is a rare, serious autoimmune disorder characterized by low platelet count (PLT) without an alternate cause. The treatment goal of ITP is to increase the platelet count to a safe level that can stop active bleeding and reduce the risks of future bleeding.● Thrombopoietin receptor agonists (TPO-RAs, e.g. eltrombopag, avatrombopag, hetrombopag, and romiplostim) have shown high response rates in stimulating platelet production and reducing the risk of bleeding. TPO-RAs provide ITP patients with well-tolerated, long-term treatment choices.What is new?● The thrombopoietin mimetic peptide for injection is a new TPO-RAs developed by Shandong Quangang Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. (China).● This study showed that thrombopoietin mimetic peptide is effective at improving PLT after a single subcutaneous injection.● The thrombopoietin mimetic peptide is safe and well-tolerated in Chinese healthy subjects.What is the impact?● This study provides evidence for the further development potential of the thrombopoietin mimetic peptide.

ALKBH5 is a mammalian RNA demethylase that impacts RNA metabolism and mouse fertility.

N(6)-methyladenosine (m(6)A) is the most prevalent internal modification of messenger RNA (mRNA) in higher eukaryotes. Here we report ALKBH5 as another mammalian demethylase that oxidatively reverses m(6)A in mRNA in vitro and in vivo. This demethylation activity of ALKBH5 significantly affects mRNA export and RNA metabolism as well as the assembly of mRNA processing factors in nuclear speckles. Alkbh5-deficient male mice have increased m(6)A in mRNA and are characterized by impaired fertility resulting from apoptosis that affects meiotic metaphase-stage spermatocytes. In accordance with this defect, we have identified in mouse testes 1,551 differentially expressed genes that cover broad functional categories and include spermatogenesis-related mRNAs involved in the p53 functional interaction network. The discovery of this RNA demethylase strongly suggests that the reversible m(6)A modification has fundamental and broad functions in mammalian cells.

GSA-Human: Genome Sequence Archive for Human.

The Genome Sequence Archive for Human (GSA-Human) is a data repository specialized for human genetic related data derived from biomedical researches, and also supports the data collection and management of National Key Research and Development Projects. GSA-Human has a data security management strategy according to the national regulations of human genetic resources. It provides two different models of data access: Open-access and Controlled-access. Open-access data are universally and freely accessible for global researchers, while Controlled-access ensures that data are accessed only by authorized users with the permission of the Data Access Committee (DAC). Till July 2021, GSA-Human has housed more than 5.27 PB of data from 750 datasets.

The 2019 novel coronavirus resource.

An ongoing outbreak of a novel coronavirus infection in Wuhan, China since December 2019 has led to 31,516 infected persons and 638 deaths across 25 countries (till 16:00 on February 7, 2020). The virus causing this pneumonia was then named as the 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) by the World Health Organization. To promote the data sharing and make all relevant information of 2019-nCoV publicly available, we construct the 2019 Novel Coronavirus Resource (2019nCoVR, https://bigd.big.ac.cn/ncov). 2019nCoVR features comprehensive integration of genomic and proteomic sequences as well as their metadata information from the Global Initiative on Sharing All Influenza Data, National Center for Biotechnology Information, China National GeneBank, National Microbiology Data Center and China National Center for Bioinformation (CNCB)/National Genomics Data Center (NGDC). It also incorporates a wide range of relevant information including scientific literatures, news, and popular articles for science dissemination, and provides visualization functionalities for genome variation analysis results based on all collected 2019-nCoV strains. Moreover, by linking seamlessly with related databases in CNCB/NGDC, 2019nCoVR offers virus data submission and sharing services for raw sequence reads and assembled sequences. In this report, we provide comprehensive descriptions on data deposition, management, release and utility in 2019nCoVR, laying important foundations in aid of studies on virus classification and origin, genome variation and evolution, fast detection, drug development and pneumonia precision prevention and therapy.

[GSA: Genome Sequence Archive].

The Genome Sequence Archive (GSA), a new data repository for raw sequence reads in China, has been developed in compliance with the International Nucleotide Sequence Database Collaboration (INSDC) standards. It supports data generated from a variety of sequencing platforms ranging from Sanger sequencing to single-cell sequencing and provides data storing and sharing services freely for worldwide scientific communities. Since it went online in late 2015, GSA has archived more than 500 TB data and been acknowledged by many high-profile journals, including Cell, Nature, PNAS, GPB, etc. Focusing on omics data submission, storing and sharing typically for Chinese users, GSA promotes the initiative of the National Bioinformatics Center of China. This paper introduces the specifies of GSA as data collection, curation, management and exchange to facilitate users to understand and use GSA database.

DoGSD: the dog and wolf genome SNP database.

The rapid advancement of next-generation sequencing technology has generated a deluge of genomic data from domesticated dogs and their wild ancestor, grey wolves, which have simultaneously broadened our understanding of domestication and diseases that are shared by humans and dogs. To address the scarcity of single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) data provided by authorized databases and to make SNP data more easily/friendly usable and available, we propose DoGSD (http://dogsd.big.ac.cn), the first canidae-specific database which focuses on whole genome SNP data from domesticated dogs and grey wolves. The DoGSD is a web-based, open-access resource comprising ∼ 19 million high-quality whole-genome SNPs. In addition to the dbSNP data set (build 139), DoGSD incorporates a comprehensive collection of SNPs from two newly sequenced samples (1 wolf and 1 dog) and collected SNPs from three latest dog/wolf genetic studies (7 wolves and 68 dogs), which were taken together for analysis with the population genetic statistics, Fst. In addition, DoGSD integrates some closely related information including SNP annotation, summary lists of SNPs located in genes, synonymous and non-synonymous SNPs, sampling location and breed information. All these features make DoGSD a useful resource for in-depth analysis in dog-/wolf-related studies.

The CD8α gene in duck (Anatidae): cloning, characterization, and expression during viral infection.

Cluster of differentiation 8 alpha (CD8α) is critical for cell-mediated immune defense and T-cell development. Although CD8α sequences have been reported for several species, very little is known about CD8α in ducks. To elucidate the mechanisms involved in the innate and adaptive immune responses of ducks, we cloned CD8α coding sequences from domestic, Muscovy, Mallard, and Spotbill ducks using reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Each sequence consisted of 714 nucleotides and encoded a signal peptide, an IgV-like domain, a stalk region, a transmembrane region, and a cytoplasmic tail. We identified 58 nucleotide differences and 37 amino acid differences among the four types of duck; of these, 53 nucleotide and 33 amino acid differences were between Muscovy ducks and the other duck species. The CD8α cDNA sequence from domestic duck consisted of a 61-nucleotide 5' untranslated region (UTR), a 714-nucleotide open reading frame, and an 849-nucleotide 3' UTR. Multiple sequence alignments showed that the amino acid sequence of CD8α is conserved in vertebrates. RT-PCR revealed that expression of CD8α mRNA of domestic ducks was highest in the thymus and very low in the kidney, cerebrum, cerebellum, and muscle. Immunohistochemical analyses detected CD8α on the splenic corpuscle and periarterial lymphatic sheath of the spleen. CD8α mRNA in domestic ducklings was initially up-regulated, and then down-regulated, in the thymus, spleen, and liver after treatment with duck hepatitis virus type I (DHV-1) or the immunostimulant polyriboinosinic polyribocytidylic acid (poly I:C).

Preparation and pharmacodynamic evaluation of naringenin lyophilized liposome.

OBJECTIVE: To prepare the lyophilized powder of naringenin liposome and investigate its pharmacodynamics in rat models of acute lung injury (ALI). METHODS: Naringenin liposome was prepared by ethanol injection method and then its quality was evaluated. Also, the related characteristics was evaluated by adding mannitol (5%,W/V) as lyoprotectant to be freeze-dried. The rat ALI models were established by inhaling lipopolysaccharide (LPS) (5 mg/kg). Totally 48 female Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into six groups:control group(A), LPS group(B), LPS+naringenin group(C), LPS+lyophilized liposome group(D), LPS+dexamethasone group(E), and LPS+blank liposome group(F), with 8 rats in each group. Lung wet/dry weight ratio was calculated, and the histopathological morphologies were observed under the light microscope. RESULTS: The encapsulation efficiency of the prepared liposome was (82.44 ± 0.98)%, the average particle size was (133 ± 11)nm, and the Zeta potential was (-35.9 ± 5)mV. The angle of repose of lyophilized powder was 36℃ and the bulk density was 0.3 g/ml. Compared with the group A, the lung tissues from groups B to F showed different remarkable histopathological changes under a light microscope, including infiltration of inflammatory cells, capillary congestion, hemorrhage, and marked thickening of the alveolar wall,among which group B and F changed the most significant, followed by group C, whereas groups D and E were the lightest. The wet/dry weight ratios increased in groups B to F compared with group A in some degree, and the increase of the lung wet/dry weight ratio in group D and E was significantly lower than in group B(P=0.0012, P=0.0018). CONCLUSION: The technology of preparing naringenin liposome by ethanol injection is simple and feasible, and lyophilized powder has an obvious therapeutic effect on ALI.

[Preparation of Baicalein Liposome-Lyophilized Powder and Its Pharmacokinetics Study].

OBJECTIVE: To prepare baicalein liposome-lyophilized powder, and to investigate the particle size distribution, encapsulation efficiency, stability, in vitro release and in vivo pharmacokirietics in rats. METHODs: Baicalein liposome was prepared by the ethanol injection, the encapsulation efficiency was measured by column chromatography, glucose, lactose and mannitol were selected as lyoprotectants. Pharmacokinetics study in rats was carried out by oral administration and analysis of rats pharmacokinetic parameters. RESULTS: The baicalein liposomes were spherical, the mean diameter was (93.1 ± 11.2) nm, PDI was 0.258, the encapsulation efficiency was (83.9 ± 0.4)%. In vitro release test results showed that it had a significant slow-release effect, freeze-dried mannitol for the best protective agent. The pharmacokinetic parameters of baicalein liposomes and solution were as follows: AUC(0 --> 24 (129.04 ± 12.73) µg/mL x h and (73.31 ± 9.34) µg/mL x h; C(max) (15.07 ± 3.13) µg/mL and (9.38 ± 2.42) µg/mL; T(max) 1 and 1.5 h. CONCLUSION: Baicalein liposome has the higher entrapment efficiency and the smaller particle size. In vitro studies show that baicalein liposome has a slow-release effect and can significantly improve the bioavailability in rats.

Molecular cloning and expression analysis of ferritin, heavy polypeptide 1 gene from duck (Anas platyrhynchos).

H-ferritin is a core subunit of the iron storage protein ferritin, and is related to the pathogenesis of malignant diseases. A differential expressed sequence tag of the ferritin, heavy polypeptide 1 gene (FTH1) was obtained from our previously constructed suppression subtractive cDNA library from 3-day-old ducklings challenged with duck hepatitis virus type I (DHV-1). The expression and function of FTH1 in immune defense against infection remains largely unknown in ducks. In this study, the full-length duFTH1 cDNA was obtained using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and rapid amplification of cDNA ends. It consisted of 153 basepairs (bp) 5'untranslated region (UTR), 183 bp 3'UTR, and 546 bp open reading frame that encodes a single protein of 181 amino acid residues. duFTH1 shares high similarity with FTH1 genes from other vertebrates. The amino acid sequence possesses the conserved domain of typical ferritin H subunits, including seven metal ligands in the ferroxidase center, one iron binding region signature, and a potential bio-mineralization residue (Thy(29)). Moreover, in agreement with a previously reported ferritin H subunit, we identified an iron response element in the 5'UTR. RT-PCR analyses revealed duFTH1 mRNA is widely expressed in various tissues. Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction analyses suggested that duFTH1 mRNA is significantly up-regulated in the liver after DHV-1 injection or polyriboinosinic polyribocytidylic acid (polyI:C) treatment, reaching a peak 4 h post-infection, and dropping progressively and returning to normal after 24 h. Our findings suggest that duFTH1 functions as an iron chelating protein subunit in duck and contributes to the innate immune responses against viral infections.

Magnetic resonance imaging-based radiomics model for preoperative assessment of risk stratification in endometrial cancer.

BACKGROUND: Preoperative risk stratification is significant for the management of endometrial cancer (EC) patients. Radiomics based on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in combination with clinical features may be useful to predict the risk grade of EC. AIM: To construct machine learning models to predict preoperative risk stratification of patients with EC based on radiomics features extracted from MRI. METHODS: The study comprised 112 EC patients. The participants were randomly separated into training and validation groups with a 7:3 ratio. Logistic regression analysis was applied to uncover independent clinical predictors. These predictors were then used to create a clinical nomogram. Extracted radiomics features from the T2-weighted imaging and diffusion weighted imaging sequences of MRI images, the Mann-Whitney U test, Pearson test, and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator analysis were employed to evaluate the relevant radiomic features, which were subsequently utilized to generate a radiomic signature. Seven machine learning strategies were used to construct radiomic models that relied on the screening features. The logistic regression method was used to construct a composite nomogram that incorporated both the radiomic signature and clinical independent risk indicators. RESULTS: Having an accuracy of 0.82 along with an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.915 [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.806-0.986], the random forest method trained on radiomics characteristics performed better than expected. The predictive accuracy of radiomics prediction models surpassed that of both the clinical nomogram (AUC: 0.75, 95%CI: 0.611-0.899) and the combined nomogram (AUC: 0.869, 95%CI: 0.702-0.986) that integrated clinical parameters and radiomic signature. CONCLUSION: The MRI-based radiomics model may be an effective tool for preoperative risk grade prediction in EC patients.

Traditional Chinese versus integrative treatment in elderly patients with isolated systolic hypertension: a multicenter, randomized, double-blind controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Isolated systolic hypertension (ISH) is a common disease in elderly people, threatening their health. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) treatment or integrative treatment had advantages in improving quality of life and protecting target organs, but need to be proved by large evidence-based researches. OBJECTIVE: To observe the effects of TCM treatment (Jiangya Capsule) or integrative treatment (combination of Jiangya Capsule and nimodipine) on blood pressure and vasoactive agents, and their safety in elderly ISH patients. DESIGN, SETTING, PARTICIPANTS AND INTERVENTIONS: A multicenter, randomized, double-blind controlled trial was adopted. A total of 270 elderly ISH patients recruited from Xiyuan Hospital, and TCM Hospital and Community Health Service Centers of Yanqing County of Beijing were randomly divided into 3 groups: TCM group (Jiangya Capsule plus nimodipine simulation, 90 cases), integrative group (Jiangya Capsule plus nimodipine, 90 cases) and Western medicine (WM) group (nimodipine plus Jiangya Capsule simulation, 90 cases). They were all treated for 4 weeks. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Before and after 4-week treatment, office blood pressure, 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure, serum nitric oxide (NO), and plasma endothelin-1 (ET-1), thromboxane B2 (TXB2) and 6-keto-prostaglandin 1alpha (6-keto-PGF1alpha) were detected, and safety evaluation was conducted. RESULTS: After 4-week treatment, 5 patients in TCM group were lost to follow-up and another 5 patients were excluded, and 80 patients finished the trial; 7 patients in integrative group were lost to follow-up and another 7 patients were excluded, and 76 patients finished the trial; 2 patients in WM group were lost to follow-up and another 3 patients were excluded, and 85 patients finished the trial. After treatment, systolic blood pressure (SBP) decreased in each group (P<0.05), and integrative treatment was superior to TCM or WM treatment in decreasing SBP (P<0.05). Twenty-four hour average SBP and day average SBP decreased significantly in each group, and night average SBP decreased in integrative group, and integrative treatment was superior to TCM or WM treatment in decreasing day average SBP. Serum NO and plasma 6-keto-PGF1alpha levels were elevated and plasma ET-1 and TXB(2) levels were reduced after treatment, and integrative treatment was superior to TCM or WM treatment in reducing plasma TXB(2) level. CONCLUSION: TCM treatment or integrative treatment has affirmative effects and safety in treating elderly ISH patients, and integrative treatment has superiority in improving some indexes, and deserves further study.

An online coronavirus analysis platform from the National Genomics Data Center.

Since the first reported severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection in December 2019, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has become a global pandemic, spreading to more than 200 countries and regions worldwide. With continued research progress and virus detection, SARS-CoV-2 genomes and sequencing data have been reported and accumulated at an unprecedented rate. To meet the need for fast analysis of these genome sequences, the National Genomics Data Center (NGDC) of the China National Center for Bioinformation (CNCB) has established an online coronavirus analysis platform, which includes de novoassembly, BLAST alignment, genome annotation, variant identification, and variant annotation modules. The online analysis platform can be freely accessed at the 2019 Novel Coronavirus Resource (2019nCoVR) (https://bigd.big.ac.cn/ncov/online/tools).

[Effect of an integrative medical regimen on levels of vascular endothelial function and hypersensitive C-reactive protein in elderly patients with isolated systolic hypertension].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect of a integrative medical regimen (IMR), i.e. combined use of Jiangya Capsule (JYC) and Nimodipine (ND), on blood pressure, TCM clinical symptoms, and blood levels of vascular endothelial function and hypersensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) in elderly patients with isolated systolic hypertension (EISH). METHODS: Adopting randomized, double-blinded and controlled principle, a trial was conducted on 135 patients with EISH by randomized them into three groups, they were administered IMR (Group A), JYC plus ND simulator (Group B) and ND plus JYC simulator (Group C) respectively, for 4 weeks. Changes of blood pressure and TCM symptoms, as well as the levels of serum nitric oxide (NO), plasma endothelin-1 (ET-1), 6-keto-prostaglandin 1alpha (6-keto-PGF(1alpha)), thromboxane B2 (TXB2) and hs-CRP were observed before and after treatment. RESULTS: After treatment the systolic blood pressure reduced and clinical symptoms improved, with serum NO and 6-keto-PGF(1alpha) lelels elevated, plasma ET-1, TXB2 and serum hs-CRP decreased in all the three groups (P<0.05 or P<0.01). But the inter-group comparisons showed that the effect in Group A was superior to the other two groups in decreasing systolic pressure, and superior to Group C in improving clinical symptoms, elevating serum NO and decreasing plasma TXB2 (P <0.05). CONCLUSION: The integrative medical regimen of combined use JYC and ND has markedly effect in lowering blood pressure, it could obviously improve the symptoms and vascular endothelial function, and inhibit the level of inflammatory factor in patients with EISH.

[A randomized, controlled, double-blind trial of Huannao Yicong capsule in senile patients with mild cognitive impairment].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect and explore the mechanism of Huannao Yicong capsule in treating senile patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). METHODS: The investigational drugs were packed by blind method. A randomized, double-blind and controlled trial was conducted on ninety senile patients with MCI. Other forty-five senile healthy persons were recruited to the healthy control group. The ninety senile patients were randomly divided into the Huannao Yicong capsule-treated group (45 patients administered with three Huannao Yicong capsules and two aniracetam capsule analogues) and aniracetam-treated group (45 patients treated with two aniracetam capsules and three Huannao Yicong capsule analogues). Patients in the two groups were treated three times daily for 16 weeks. Memory, traditional Chinese medicine syndrome, cerebral blood flow, free radicals and inflammatory mediators, such as superoxide dismutase (SOD), malondialdehyde (MDA), acetylcholinesterase (AchE), interleukin-1alpha (IL-1alpha) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) were determined before and after the treatment. Blood lipids, including triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol (TC), low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), apolipoprotein A-1 (ApoA-1) and apolipoprotein B-100 (ApoB-100), were detected before and after the treatment. The safety indexes, such as routine tests of blood and urine, hepatic and renal function tests and electrocardiogram (ECG) were taken before and after the treatment. RESULTS: Index score of clinical memory scale in senile healthy people was significantly higher than that in MCI patients before treatment (P<0.01), and the content of AchE, IL-1alpha and IL-6 was obviously lower (P<0.01, P<0.05), the activity of SOD was higher (P<0.05). No significant difference was found in direction memory of clinical memory scale between the two treatment groups. Other index scores of clinical memory scale and traditional Chinese medicine syndrome in patients of Huannao Yicong capsule-treated group were significantly improved as compared with those of the aniracetam-treated group (P<0.05, P<0.01). The blood flow parameters of anterior cerebral artery, posterior cerebral artery and resistant index in patients of Huannao Yicong capsule-treated group were increased significantly (P<0.01, P<0.05). Huannao Yicong capsule could significantly increase the activity of serum SOD and decrease the content of AchE, IL-1alpha and IL-6 (P<0.01, P<0.05), better than aniracetam. Furthermore, Huannao Yicong capsule could significantly improve the blood lipid, such as the level of TG, LDL-C, HDL-C, ApoA-1 and ApoB-100 (P<0.01, P<0.05), and better than aniracetam (P<0.01, P<0.05). No significant changes were found after treatment in safety indexes, such as routine tests of blood and urine, hepatic and renal function tests and ECG. CONCLUSION: Huannao Yicong capsule has better therapeutic effect than aniracetam capsule in treating senile mild cognitive impairment.

[Homologous amelogenin gene test of archaeological samples].

OBJECTIVE: Based on the sequence differences of Amelogenin homologous gene in the X and Y chromosomes, a pair of specific primers was designed to identify the sex of archaeological samples. METHODS: Ancient DNA fragments were extracted from the bones and teeth of sacrificial slaves with an improved method that combines phenol-chloroform extraction, silicon dioxide adsorption with ultrafiltration concentration. The polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) was used to detect PCR products. RESULTS: Seven in sixteen samples from eight graves showed positive results and the targeted segments were visible: a male with two bands of 106bp (Amel-X) and 112 bp (Amel-Y), while a female with only one band of 106 bp (Amel-X). Ancient DNA analyzing results from tooth samples are more marked than that from bones. CONCLUSION: The improved extraction method is more effective for ancient DNA extraction, which reduced the PCR inhibitors and lowered experimental costs. The sex determination technology based on Amelogenin homologous gene is an important and feasible method in the molecular archaeological research.

The complete mitochondrial genome of Anser indicus (Aves, Anseriformes, Anatidae).

The bar-headed goose is known one of the world's highest-flying birds. In this study, the complete mitochondrial genome of Anser indicus (16,728 bp in length) was sequenced. Similar to the typical mtDNA of other vertebrates, goose mtDNA contained 37 genes (13 protein-coding genes, 2 rRNA genes and 22 tRNA genes) and a non-coding region (D-loop). The characteristics of the mitochondrial genome were analyzed in detail. We deduce that ND5 may be a major gene required for adaptation to high-altitude flight. The complete mitochondrial genome sequence of A. indicus obtained will be useful for phylogenetics, and biological characteristics.

Impact of environmental factors on the toxicity of Bacillus thuringiensis var. israelensis IPS82 to Chironomus kiiensis.

To determine the feasibility of microbiological control of chironomid larvae in water sources for the city of Shenzhen, China, the toxicity characteristics of Bacillus thuringiensis var. israelensis (Bti) IPS82 on Chironomus kiiensis Tokunaga were studied. Tests on fermentation products of IPS82 showed good correlations between toxicity, cell density, dissolved oxygen, and the spore-forming phase. In this study, bioassays were carried out with different stage larvae. Results showed that the LC50s (24 h postexposure) were 8.2, 15.2, 24.7, and 38.6 mg/liter for the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th instars, respectively. Tests on environmental factors influencing toxicity of Bti to C. kiiensis showed that sunlight is the most important factor, shortening the half-life of Bti from 21 days in dark to 10 days under sunlight. Temperature variations (15-30 degrees C) caused no impact on toxicity, but a 16% increase in larval mortality was observed at 35 degrees C. The toxicity of IPS82 was greatest at a pH of 7. In field trials, dosages above 100 mg/liter were effective in the control of C. kiiensis. Our study indicated that it is feasible to use Bti to control C. kiiensis in city source water.

[Study on genetic diversity of wild quail in China with microsatellite DNA markers].

Genetic diversity of domestic quail and two wild quail species distributed in China, wild Japanese quail and wild common quail,was studied by using microsatellite DNA markers. According to the comparison of corresponding genetic index in the three quail populations, such as polymorphism information content (PIC), mean heterozygosity (H) and fixation index etc, wild common quail possessed rich genetic diversity of 4.67 alleles per locus. Its value of PIC and H were the highest, 0.5732 and 0.6621, respectively. Meanwhile, domestic quail had the lowest value, 0.5467 and 0.5933, respectively. Wild Japanese quail had little difference in genetic diversity with domestic quail. In addition,from analyses of fuzzy cluster based on standard genetic distance,the similarity relation matrix coefficients between wild Japanese quail and domestic quail was 0.937, and that between wild common quail and domestic quail was 0.783. All these results showed that wild Japanese quail was closer to the domestic quail in phylogenetic relationship than wild common quail. These results at the molecular level further proved the thesis that domestic quail is originated from wild Japanese quail.