120 pearl oysters （Pinctada martensii） were randomly sampled from F1 population, and shell length, shell width, shell height, shell weight and total weight of each sample were measured. Correlation and path analysis...120 pearl oysters （Pinctada martensii） were randomly sampled from F1 population, and shell length, shell width, shell height, shell weight and total weight of each sample were measured. Correlation and path analysis were conducted on the basis of measurement data. The results showed that shell length, shell width, shell height, shell weight and total weight were significantly correlated （P 〈 0.05）. Total weight was significantly and positively correlated with shell weight （r = 0.8970）, shell height （r = 0.6974）, shell width （r = 0.6521） and shell length （r = 0.5486）. Shell weight, shell height, shell width and shell length had positive and direct effects on total wet weight, with the values of 0.6356, 0.1872, 0.1814 and 0.0599, respectively. The results indicated that growth traits （shell length, shell width, shell height, shell weight and total wet weigh） of the F1 population could be improved by direct or indirect selection.展开更多
In May of 2007,the second generation selected （SS） and control （SC） groups of pearl oyster Pinctada martensii were established by selecting 10% breeders with the largest and mean shell length,respectively,from the...In May of 2007,the second generation selected （SS） and control （SC） groups of pearl oyster Pinctada martensii were established by selecting 10% breeders with the largest and mean shell length,respectively,from the first generation selected group.Growth performance of the SS and SC groups were compared on the basis of measurement data at Days 8,18,60,95,195 and 365.On Day 365,100 individuals （60.0–75.0 mm at shell length） were sampled from each group and then subjected to the experiment where physiological parameters such as filtrate rate,oxygen consumption and ammonia excretion were measured at 15,20,25 and 30°C.The results show that the SS group had significantly larger mean shell length and shell height than the SC group at Days 8,18,60,95,195 and 365 （P 0.05）.The genetic gains at different ages varied from 6.0% to 17.0% for shell length and 5.7% to 14.6% for shell height,respectively.At 15,20,25 and 30 ° C,the SS groups had significantly larger filtrate rate than the SC group （P 0.05）.At 15 and 25 °C,the differences in oxygen consumption rate between the SS and SC groups were not significant （P 0.05）.At 20 and 30 °C,however,the oxygen consumption rate of the SS group was significantly larger than the SC group （P 0.05）.At 15,20,25 and 30 °C,there were no significant differences in ammonia excretion rate between the SS and SC groups （P 0.05）.The present results indicate that there existed considerable genetic variability in the base population and a further selection could be likely fruitful.Mass selection for faster growth might produce animals that had higher intake of metabolizable energy by virtue of faster filtrating behavior.展开更多
During evolution, scorpions have developed the ability to produce a series of toxins. Scorpion toxins, which are reserved in terminal segments of scorpion, serve as the arms for predation and self-defence. They have a...During evolution, scorpions have developed the ability to produce a series of toxins. Scorpion toxins, which are reserved in terminal segments of scorpion, serve as the arms for predation and self-defence. They have also been used as medicine for some human sickness. As far as the targets that they act on are concerned, these toxins can be展开更多
Martentoxin, a 4,046 Da polypeptide toxin purified from the venom of the scorpion Buthus martensii Karsch, has been demonstrated to block large-conductance Ca2＋-activated K＋ （BKca） channels; however, its biologica...Martentoxin, a 4,046 Da polypeptide toxin purified from the venom of the scorpion Buthus martensii Karsch, has been demonstrated to block large-conductance Ca2＋-activated K＋ （BKca） channels; however, its biological roles are still largely unknown. In the present study, we investigated the pharmacological effects of martentoxin on regulating the production of nitric oxide induced by TNF-a in human umbilical vein endothelial cells （HU- VECs）. We found that, 1, 10 and 100 ~tmol/L martentoxin decreased nitric oxide production by HUVECs ex- posed to 10 ng/mL TNF for 6, 12 and 24 hours. We further demonstrated that martentoxin inhibited the activity of iNOS and retarded the down-regulation of eNOS mRNA induced by TNF-a. Therefore, martentoxin could be a potential therapeutic agent for vascular diseases.展开更多
BACKGROUND： Buthus martensii Karsch is a rare medicinal animal, and dried integral Buthus rnartensii Karsch is an important drug in traditional Chinese medicine. OBJECTIVE： To investigate the effects of scorpion ven...BACKGROUND： Buthus martensii Karsch is a rare medicinal animal, and dried integral Buthus rnartensii Karsch is an important drug in traditional Chinese medicine. OBJECTIVE： To investigate the effects of scorpion venom analgesic active peptide （SAP） extracted from Buthus martensii Karsch on evoked unit discharge of the common peroneal nerve in the posterior nucleus group of the thalamus using a stereotaxic electrophysiological extracellular microelectrode recording. DESIGN, TIME AND SETTING： One-way designed study, performed in the Physiological Laboratory of Shenyang Medical College on September 15, 2006. MATERIALS： Fifty 3-4 months old Wistar rats （25 males and 25 females） were used. SAP was provided by Shenyang Pharmaceutical University. Morphine solution was made by the First Drug Manufactory, Northeastern Drug Manufacture Group （batch number： H20013351）. Naloxone solution was made by Hunan Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. （batch number： H43021669）. Type ATAC-350 medical data processing equipment was made by the Photoelectricity Company, Japan. METHODS： Fifty rats were randomly divided into the SAP group （n=20）, saline group （n=10）, morphine group （n=10）, or naloxone group （n=10）. In the SAP group, the common peroneal nerve was separated and stimulated with a single square wave （17-19 V intensity; 0.2 ms width; 20 ms retardation time）. Subsequently, SAP （0.01%, 2 μL） was injected into the posterior nucleus group of the thalamus. Rats in the naloxone group were injected with naloxone （1.0 mg/kg i.v.） before SAP injection. Rats in the saline group and the morphine group were injected with saline （2 μL） or morphine （0.01%, 2μL）, respectively, before SAP injection. Other procedures were the same as those in the SAP group. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES： Evoked discharge in the posterior nucleus group of the thalamus and effects of SAP alone and SAP in combination with saline, morphine, or naloxone on discharges in the posterior nucleus group of the thalamus as 展开更多
The yellow-colored line of pearl oyster Pinctada fucata martensii displays a yellow prismatic layer and a white nacreous layer that can be used as an ideal model for research on shell color formation.Micro-Raman spect...The yellow-colored line of pearl oyster Pinctada fucata martensii displays a yellow prismatic layer and a white nacreous layer that can be used as an ideal model for research on shell color formation.Micro-Raman spectroscopy and transcriptome analyses were performed to explore the potential molecular mechanism underlying the phenotype differentiation.The micro-Raman spectroscopy results indicate that the prismatic layer exhibits distinct characteristic peaks of carotenoids,while these peaks are not prominent in the nacreous layer.In the transcriptome comparison of the central zone of mantle and mantle edge tissue,which function in nacreous and prismatic layer formation,respectively,935 significantly differentially expressed genes(DEGs)were identified,with 385 genes upregulated and 227 genes downregulated(|log_(2)(Fold change)|>1 and false discovery rate<0.05)in the mantle edge tissue.Among these genes,some were associated with melanoma/melanogenesis,such as tyrosinase,zinc metalloprotease,glutathione S-transferase,and ATP-binding cassette sub-family;some were associated with the carotenoid-related pathway,including scavenger receptors,cytochrome P450 and lipoprotein receptor.Genes associated with porphyrin metabolism,including porphobilinogen deaminase,and copper/zinc superoxide dismutase,and genes associated with shell matrix protein,including amorphous calcium carbonate binding protein,shematrin,PIF,and collagen,also exhibited significantly different expressions.It is speculated that the different colours between prismatic layer and nacreous layer in the yellow-colored line of P.f.martensii might be resulted from melanin,carotenoids and porphyrin metabolism,while genes related to shell structure and biomineralization might also affect coloration.Our results provide new insights to understand the mechanism of shell color formation in mollusca.展开更多
The crystal structure of an acidic neurotoxin, BmK M8, from Chinese scorpion Buthus martensii Karsch was determined at 0.25 nm resolution. The X-ray diffraction data of BmK M8 crystals at 0.25nm resolution were collec...The crystal structure of an acidic neurotoxin, BmK M8, from Chinese scorpion Buthus martensii Karsch was determined at 0.25 nm resolution. The X-ray diffraction data of BmK M8 crystals at 0.25nm resolution were collected on a Siemens area detector. Using molecular replacement method with a basic scorpion toxin AaH II in a search model, the cross-rotation function, PC-refinement and translation function were calculated by X-PLOR program package. The correct orientation and position of BmK M8 molecule in crystal were determined in a resolution range of 1.5 - 0.35nm, The oystallographic refinement was further performed by stereo-chemical restrict least-square technique, followed by simulated annealing, slow-cooling protocols. The final crystallographic R-factor at 0.8-0.25 nm is 0.171. The standard deviations of bond length and bond angle from ideality are 0.001 7nm and 2.24° , respectively. The final model of BmK M8 structure is composed of a dense core of secondary structure elements by a stretch of α-helix with two and a half turns (residues 19-28) and a three-stranded antiparallel β-sheet (residues 2-4, 32 - 37, 45- 51). In addition, three loops protruded from the structural core. The general folding properties of BmK M8 molecule were described; a common structure motif which may appear in all scorpion neurotoxins was identified. The conserved aromatic residues and charged residues were found to be distributed on two roughly opposite surfaces of the molecule. The relationship between these two faces and receptor-binding sites are also discussed.展开更多
Two non-coding transcripts of toxins were iso-lated from the venom gland cDNA library of the Chinese scorpion Buthus martensii Karsch, named BmαTX15-SP and BmTXKβ-SP, respectively. Analysis of nucleotide sequences s...Two non-coding transcripts of toxins were iso-lated from the venom gland cDNA library of the Chinese scorpion Buthus martensii Karsch, named BmαTX15-SP and BmTXKβ-SP, respectively. Analysis of nucleotide sequences shows that their 5’ sequences are identical to the 5 ’UTR and upstream open reading frame (ORF) sequences of the cDNAs encoding BmαTX15 and BmTXKb, two toxins from Buthus martensii Karsch. But no detectable homology exists in other regions. Two polyadenylated non-coding transcripts encode multiple short ORFs with no more than 34 amino acid resi-dues. The tailing signal (AATAAA) is situated at 14 or 18 bp downstream from the poly(A). The data of genomic se-quences provides support for Bmα TX15-SP and BmTXK β-SP not deriving from splicing errors of pre- mRNAs. Our finding provides evidence for the existence of non-sense-mediated mRNA decay (NMD) pathway in scorpion venom gland cells.展开更多
Pinctada martensii is an important shellfish for the production of sea pearls in China.To improve the growth performance of P.martensii,we successfully established three complete diallel crosses using three new variet...Pinctada martensii is an important shellfish for the production of sea pearls in China.To improve the growth performance of P.martensii,we successfully established three complete diallel crosses using three new varieties of P.martensii,which were named Haiyou No.1,Haixuan No.1,and Nanke No.1,to investigate the growth performance of each self-cross line and hybrid line in Beihai,Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region,China.Generally,high fertilization and hatching rates were observed in the experiment,suggesting that there was no sperm-egg recognition barrier among these three P.martensii varieties.The survival rate of the self-cross lines was relatively higher than that of hybrid lines,and♀‘Haixuan No.1’×♂‘Haiyou No.1’maintained a high survival rate during the grow-out stage.The shell length and width were affected by the genotypes as well as the interaction between the genotypes and environmental factors on day 400.The variances of the general combining abilities(GCA)and specific combining abilities(SCA)for shell length and width were the result of both additive genetic variance and nonadditive genetic variance.When Haixuan No.1 was the female parent and Nanke No.1 was the male parent,the GCA for shell length and width were both positive on day 400.The heterosis of Haixuan No.1 and Nanke No.1 in terms of shell length and width was positive.From the resulting combining ability and heterosis,♀‘Haixuan No.1’×♂‘Nanke No.1’was considered an ideal hatchery method to improve the growth performance of P.martensii.Our results therefore demonstrated that crossbreeding among these three new varieties can further improve the growth performance of P.martensii.展开更多
基金grants of the Guangdong Marine and Fishery Bureau(No.B02068)Guangdong Ocean University(No.E06031).
文摘120 pearl oysters （Pinctada martensii） were randomly sampled from F1 population, and shell length, shell width, shell height, shell weight and total weight of each sample were measured. Correlation and path analysis were conducted on the basis of measurement data. The results showed that shell length, shell width, shell height, shell weight and total weight were significantly correlated （P 〈 0.05）. Total weight was significantly and positively correlated with shell weight （r = 0.8970）, shell height （r = 0.6974）, shell width （r = 0.6521） and shell length （r = 0.5486）. Shell weight, shell height, shell width and shell length had positive and direct effects on total wet weight, with the values of 0.6356, 0.1872, 0.1814 and 0.0599, respectively. The results indicated that growth traits （shell length, shell width, shell height, shell weight and total wet weigh） of the F1 population could be improved by direct or indirect selection.
基金The National Key Technology R&D Program in the 11th Five Year Plan of China under contract No. 2007BAD29B01-2National Department Public Benefit Research Foundation under contract No. nyhyzx 07-048Guangdong Marine and Fishery Bureau under contract Nos A200708C01, A200908A02 and A200908A05
文摘In May of 2007,the second generation selected （SS） and control （SC） groups of pearl oyster Pinctada martensii were established by selecting 10% breeders with the largest and mean shell length,respectively,from the first generation selected group.Growth performance of the SS and SC groups were compared on the basis of measurement data at Days 8,18,60,95,195 and 365.On Day 365,100 individuals （60.0–75.0 mm at shell length） were sampled from each group and then subjected to the experiment where physiological parameters such as filtrate rate,oxygen consumption and ammonia excretion were measured at 15,20,25 and 30°C.The results show that the SS group had significantly larger mean shell length and shell height than the SC group at Days 8,18,60,95,195 and 365 （P 0.05）.The genetic gains at different ages varied from 6.0% to 17.0% for shell length and 5.7% to 14.6% for shell height,respectively.At 15,20,25 and 30 ° C,the SS groups had significantly larger filtrate rate than the SC group （P 0.05）.At 15 and 25 °C,the differences in oxygen consumption rate between the SS and SC groups were not significant （P 0.05）.At 20 and 30 °C,however,the oxygen consumption rate of the SS group was significantly larger than the SC group （P 0.05）.At 15,20,25 and 30 °C,there were no significant differences in ammonia excretion rate between the SS and SC groups （P 0.05）.The present results indicate that there existed considerable genetic variability in the base population and a further selection could be likely fruitful.Mass selection for faster growth might produce animals that had higher intake of metabolizable energy by virtue of faster filtrating behavior.
基金The sequences have been deposited in EMBL Bank with Accession Nos. X92077 & X92846.
文摘During evolution, scorpions have developed the ability to produce a series of toxins. Scorpion toxins, which are reserved in terminal segments of scorpion, serve as the arms for predation and self-defence. They have also been used as medicine for some human sickness. As far as the targets that they act on are concerned, these toxins can be
基金supported by the National Science Foundation of China(No.30271137No.30771831+1 种基金No.81072329)the Priority Academic Program Development of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions(PAPD)
文摘Martentoxin, a 4,046 Da polypeptide toxin purified from the venom of the scorpion Buthus martensii Karsch, has been demonstrated to block large-conductance Ca2＋-activated K＋ （BKca） channels; however, its biological roles are still largely unknown. In the present study, we investigated the pharmacological effects of martentoxin on regulating the production of nitric oxide induced by TNF-a in human umbilical vein endothelial cells （HU- VECs）. We found that, 1, 10 and 100 ~tmol/L martentoxin decreased nitric oxide production by HUVECs ex- posed to 10 ng/mL TNF for 6, 12 and 24 hours. We further demonstrated that martentoxin inhibited the activity of iNOS and retarded the down-regulation of eNOS mRNA induced by TNF-a. Therefore, martentoxin could be a potential therapeutic agent for vascular diseases.
文摘BACKGROUND： Buthus martensii Karsch is a rare medicinal animal, and dried integral Buthus rnartensii Karsch is an important drug in traditional Chinese medicine. OBJECTIVE： To investigate the effects of scorpion venom analgesic active peptide （SAP） extracted from Buthus martensii Karsch on evoked unit discharge of the common peroneal nerve in the posterior nucleus group of the thalamus using a stereotaxic electrophysiological extracellular microelectrode recording. DESIGN, TIME AND SETTING： One-way designed study, performed in the Physiological Laboratory of Shenyang Medical College on September 15, 2006. MATERIALS： Fifty 3-4 months old Wistar rats （25 males and 25 females） were used. SAP was provided by Shenyang Pharmaceutical University. Morphine solution was made by the First Drug Manufactory, Northeastern Drug Manufacture Group （batch number： H20013351）. Naloxone solution was made by Hunan Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. （batch number： H43021669）. Type ATAC-350 medical data processing equipment was made by the Photoelectricity Company, Japan. METHODS： Fifty rats were randomly divided into the SAP group （n=20）, saline group （n=10）, morphine group （n=10）, or naloxone group （n=10）. In the SAP group, the common peroneal nerve was separated and stimulated with a single square wave （17-19 V intensity; 0.2 ms width; 20 ms retardation time）. Subsequently, SAP （0.01%, 2 μL） was injected into the posterior nucleus group of the thalamus. Rats in the naloxone group were injected with naloxone （1.0 mg/kg i.v.） before SAP injection. Rats in the saline group and the morphine group were injected with saline （2 μL） or morphine （0.01%, 2μL）, respectively, before SAP injection. Other procedures were the same as those in the SAP group. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES： Evoked discharge in the posterior nucleus group of the thalamus and effects of SAP alone and SAP in combination with saline, morphine, or naloxone on discharges in the posterior nucleus group of the thalamus as
基金supported by the Science and Technology Program of Guangdong Province (No.2022A1515010030)the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No.32102817)+3 种基金the Program for Sientific Research Start-up Funds of Guangdong Ocean University (No.060302022304)the Department of Education of Guangdong Province (Nos.2020ZDZX1045 and 2021KCXTD026)the Earmarked Fund for CARS-49the Guangdong Provincial Special Fund for Modern Agriculture Industry Technology Innovation Teams (No.2023KJ146)。
文摘The yellow-colored line of pearl oyster Pinctada fucata martensii displays a yellow prismatic layer and a white nacreous layer that can be used as an ideal model for research on shell color formation.Micro-Raman spectroscopy and transcriptome analyses were performed to explore the potential molecular mechanism underlying the phenotype differentiation.The micro-Raman spectroscopy results indicate that the prismatic layer exhibits distinct characteristic peaks of carotenoids,while these peaks are not prominent in the nacreous layer.In the transcriptome comparison of the central zone of mantle and mantle edge tissue,which function in nacreous and prismatic layer formation,respectively,935 significantly differentially expressed genes(DEGs)were identified,with 385 genes upregulated and 227 genes downregulated(|log_(2)(Fold change)|>1 and false discovery rate<0.05)in the mantle edge tissue.Among these genes,some were associated with melanoma/melanogenesis,such as tyrosinase,zinc metalloprotease,glutathione S-transferase,and ATP-binding cassette sub-family;some were associated with the carotenoid-related pathway,including scavenger receptors,cytochrome P450 and lipoprotein receptor.Genes associated with porphyrin metabolism,including porphobilinogen deaminase,and copper/zinc superoxide dismutase,and genes associated with shell matrix protein,including amorphous calcium carbonate binding protein,shematrin,PIF,and collagen,also exhibited significantly different expressions.It is speculated that the different colours between prismatic layer and nacreous layer in the yellow-colored line of P.f.martensii might be resulted from melanin,carotenoids and porphyrin metabolism,while genes related to shell structure and biomineralization might also affect coloration.Our results provide new insights to understand the mechanism of shell color formation in mollusca.
基金Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China.
文摘The crystal structure of an acidic neurotoxin, BmK M8, from Chinese scorpion Buthus martensii Karsch was determined at 0.25 nm resolution. The X-ray diffraction data of BmK M8 crystals at 0.25nm resolution were collected on a Siemens area detector. Using molecular replacement method with a basic scorpion toxin AaH II in a search model, the cross-rotation function, PC-refinement and translation function were calculated by X-PLOR program package. The correct orientation and position of BmK M8 molecule in crystal were determined in a resolution range of 1.5 - 0.35nm, The oystallographic refinement was further performed by stereo-chemical restrict least-square technique, followed by simulated annealing, slow-cooling protocols. The final crystallographic R-factor at 0.8-0.25 nm is 0.171. The standard deviations of bond length and bond angle from ideality are 0.001 7nm and 2.24° , respectively. The final model of BmK M8 structure is composed of a dense core of secondary structure elements by a stretch of α-helix with two and a half turns (residues 19-28) and a three-stranded antiparallel β-sheet (residues 2-4, 32 - 37, 45- 51). In addition, three loops protruded from the structural core. The general folding properties of BmK M8 molecule were described; a common structure motif which may appear in all scorpion neurotoxins was identified. The conserved aromatic residues and charged residues were found to be distributed on two roughly opposite surfaces of the molecule. The relationship between these two faces and receptor-binding sites are also discussed.
基金This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 39970897).
文摘Two non-coding transcripts of toxins were iso-lated from the venom gland cDNA library of the Chinese scorpion Buthus martensii Karsch, named BmαTX15-SP and BmTXKβ-SP, respectively. Analysis of nucleotide sequences shows that their 5’ sequences are identical to the 5 ’UTR and upstream open reading frame (ORF) sequences of the cDNAs encoding BmαTX15 and BmTXKb, two toxins from Buthus martensii Karsch. But no detectable homology exists in other regions. Two polyadenylated non-coding transcripts encode multiple short ORFs with no more than 34 amino acid resi-dues. The tailing signal (AATAAA) is situated at 14 or 18 bp downstream from the poly(A). The data of genomic se-quences provides support for Bmα TX15-SP and BmTXK β-SP not deriving from splicing errors of pre- mRNAs. Our finding provides evidence for the existence of non-sense-mediated mRNA decay (NMD) pathway in scorpion venom gland cells.
基金funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.911221680).
文摘Pinctada martensii is an important shellfish for the production of sea pearls in China.To improve the growth performance of P.martensii,we successfully established three complete diallel crosses using three new varieties of P.martensii,which were named Haiyou No.1,Haixuan No.1,and Nanke No.1,to investigate the growth performance of each self-cross line and hybrid line in Beihai,Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region,China.Generally,high fertilization and hatching rates were observed in the experiment,suggesting that there was no sperm-egg recognition barrier among these three P.martensii varieties.The survival rate of the self-cross lines was relatively higher than that of hybrid lines,and♀‘Haixuan No.1’×♂‘Haiyou No.1’maintained a high survival rate during the grow-out stage.The shell length and width were affected by the genotypes as well as the interaction between the genotypes and environmental factors on day 400.The variances of the general combining abilities(GCA)and specific combining abilities(SCA)for shell length and width were the result of both additive genetic variance and nonadditive genetic variance.When Haixuan No.1 was the female parent and Nanke No.1 was the male parent,the GCA for shell length and width were both positive on day 400.The heterosis of Haixuan No.1 and Nanke No.1 in terms of shell length and width was positive.From the resulting combining ability and heterosis,♀‘Haixuan No.1’×♂‘Nanke No.1’was considered an ideal hatchery method to improve the growth performance of P.martensii.Our results therefore demonstrated that crossbreeding among these three new varieties can further improve the growth performance of P.martensii.
