Welcome to the 31st IUBS General Assembly and Conference on ...

School of Biology, State Key Labora<strong>to</strong>ry of Chemo/Biosensing
<strong>and</strong> Chemometrics, Hunan University, Changsha 410082,
China. Email: gxh@hnu.edu.cn
GHMP super kinase family is an important protein
kinases in eukaryotes. Its main role is <strong>to</strong> catalyze protein
phosphorylation by transferring <strong>the</strong> phosphate of ATP <strong>to</strong>
amino acid residues of <strong>the</strong> specific substrate, which was
involved in a variety of signal transduction. So far, 12
genes have been identified in Arabidopsis belonging <strong>to</strong>
GHMP Super kinase family, but little was known of <strong>the</strong>ir
physiological functions. In <strong>the</strong> present study, <strong>the</strong>
expression patterns <strong>and</strong> functions of T‐DNA mutant of
GHMP1 gene in Arabidopsis were analysed. The real time
PCR results showed that <strong>the</strong>re was a high transcription
level in roots <strong>and</strong> flowers, but low level in leaf, petiole, <strong>and</strong>
stem, indicating GHMP1 belonged <strong>to</strong> tissue‐specific gene.
The expression of GHMP1 gene was induced by ABA <strong>and</strong>
NaCl. When <strong>the</strong> young seedlings for 14 days old were
treated with 10 μM ABA for an hour or with 100 mM
NaCl for 2 hours, <strong>the</strong> transcription level of GHMP1 gene
was up <strong>to</strong> its peak, suggesting that GHMP1 gene may
mediate <strong>the</strong> ABA <strong>and</strong> salt stress‐induced signaling
pathways. The transcription levels of a series of stress
response genes (abi1, abi2, KIN1/2, SOS2/3, OST1,
RD29A/B, RAB18, RD22, DREB1/2A) related <strong>to</strong> ABA <strong>and</strong>
salt responses were compared by real‐time PCR between
<strong>the</strong> ghmp1‐1 mutant <strong>and</strong> wild type with 10 μM ABA
treatment for an hour, <strong>the</strong> distinct differences in
transcription levels in <strong>the</strong>se genes were displayed as <strong>the</strong>
deletion of GHMP1 gene. Therefore, we can presume <strong>the</strong>
GHMP1 gene play an important role in ABA signal
pathway. Fur<strong>the</strong>rmore, 2 GHMP1 genes T‐DNA
homozygous mutant ghmp1‐1 <strong>and</strong> ghmp1‐2 were
screened through <strong>the</strong> ‘double‐primer’ method <strong>and</strong> were
identified by <strong>the</strong> RT‐PCR method. The functions of T‐DNA
insertion mutants of <strong>the</strong> GHMP1 gene in Arabidopsis
were studied by reverse genetics research methods. The
changes in phenotype, such as seed germination rate,
root length, s<strong>to</strong>matal aperture <strong>and</strong> rate of water loss
between <strong>the</strong> mutant <strong>and</strong> wild‐type, were observed. The
results showed that mutants are less sensitive <strong>to</strong>
exogenous ABA <strong>and</strong> NaCl in seed germination <strong>and</strong> root
elongation compared with <strong>the</strong> wild‐type. Fur<strong>the</strong>r evidence
showed that <strong>the</strong> role of GHMP1 gene response <strong>to</strong> salt <strong>and</strong>
ABA signaling pathways in Arabidopsis, which proved its
activation role as a stress‐related transcription fac<strong>to</strong>r.
These data provided some invaluable references for <strong>the</strong>
physiological functions of <strong>the</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r GHMP genes.
A study on Toxoplasma gondii in mice in
Libya
Rashed AHMED
Tripoli University, PO Box 13662, Tripoli, Libya. Email:
ahmedrashedx3@yahoo.com
This study was carried out in order <strong>to</strong> determine <strong>the</strong>
prevalence of Toxoplasmagondii antibodies <strong>and</strong>
identification on <strong>the</strong> brain cyst of T.gondii in house mice
(Musmusculus). A <strong>to</strong>tal of 21 blood samples were found
positive for <strong>the</strong> presence of T.gondii antibodies, giving an
overall prevalence of 35%, <strong>and</strong> microscopic examination
of <strong>the</strong> brain <strong>and</strong> tissue cyst were observed <strong>and</strong> revealed
embedded bradyzoites of T. gondii which appeared dark
bluish panana shaped in an aggregated mass within
tissues cyst in his<strong>to</strong>pathological section. The present
work represents <strong>the</strong> first report of T.gondii infection in
mice in Libya.
An Oligocene biota from <strong>the</strong> Ningming Basin
in south China near <strong>the</strong> border with Vietnam
Gengjiao CHEN, Gongle SHI, Zhuqiu SONG,
Zhiming XIE <strong>and</strong> Yunfa CHEN
Natural His<strong>to</strong>ry Museum of Guangxi Zhuang Au<strong>to</strong>nomous
Region, 1‐1 RenminDonglu,Nanning 530012, China. Email:
zhangwei@nhmg.org
An Oligocene biota from <strong>the</strong> Ningming Basin in south
China bears abundant exquisitely‐preserved fossils
including fish, insect, molluscs, turtle <strong>and</strong> plant
macrofossils. Most of <strong>the</strong> macrofossils are leaves with well
preserved cuticle, some are samara, pod <strong>and</strong>
gymnosperm seed cones among o<strong>the</strong>r things. This flora is
dominated by angiosperms, with 4 gymnospermous
species. The fish fauna is dominated by Cyprinidae
(Cypriniformes), along with some Clupeomorpha, <strong>and</strong> a
few fishes of Siluriformes <strong>and</strong> Perciformes. Most of <strong>the</strong>
members of this biota are regarded as new genus or
species. A preliminary physiognomic investigation of
associated woody dicotyledonous leaves found in <strong>the</strong>
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