Origins of Chinese reindeer (Rangifer tarandus) based on mitochondrial DNA analyses.

The most southern population of reindeer (Rangifer tarandus) inhabits northeastern China, but the migration route and origin of this population have not been confirmed. The sequences of mitochondrial DNA control regions from domestic and wild herds from Eurasia and China were analysed. The results showed that the Chinese reindeer population originated independently from north-central Russian domestic herds, belonging to a large reindeer population that was present across Beringia during the last glacial period. Some studies have reported that the Chinese reindeer population is closely related to wild forest reindeer herds in Russia. Our results, however, indicate that wild forest reindeer herds of southeastern Russia contributed little or nothing to the Chinese reindeer herd gene pool. Chinese reindeer herds have a much greater genetic similarity to more northerly distributed tundra-type herds that inhabit open areas. The present findings will be essential for future conservation planning for Chinese reindeer.

DNA methylation and mRNA expression of COL6A3 in antler mesenchyme of female and male reindeer.

BACKGROUD: Reindeer is the only deer species that both male and female produce antlers, which provides a particularly interesting case in studying the differences between antlers of the two sexes. Alpha 3(VI) Collagen Gene (COL6A3), forms a microfibrillar network associated with the structural integrity and biomechanical properties, has been found to be one of the differentially expressed genes in antler mesenchyme of female and male reindeer. OBJECTIVE AND METHODS: The promoter sequence of reindeer COL6A3 gene was obtained using the cloning technology and analyzed by the bioinformatics methods. Bisulfite sequencing PCR (BSP) was used to detect the methylation status of the COL6A3 promoter in reindeer antler mesenchyme. Real-time quantitative PCR was used to detect COL6A3 expression in the antler mesenchyme of female and male reindeer. RESULTS: Sequence analysis revealed that the reindeer COL6A3 partial promoter sequence was 983 bp including the possible promoter region at + 105 bp to + 155 bp. Homology and phylogenetic analysis indicated that the COL6A3 promoter of reindeer had the closest genetic distance with Bos taurus, Capra hircus and Ovis aries. BSP results indicated that the methylation level of COL6A3 promoter in the female reindeer antler mesenchyme was significantly higher than in the male. Correlating with increased methylation status, we also found that COL6A3 mRNA expression in female reindeer antler mesenchyme was significantly lower than in the male. CONCLUSION: The higher methylation level of the COL6A3 gene in female reindeer antler mesenchyme coincides with decreased COL6A3 mRNA expression, thereby affecting the transposon silencing mechanism and possibly contributing to apparent differences of antlers in female and male reindeer.

Analysis on Genetic Diversity of Reindeer (Rangifer tarandus) in the Greater Khingan Mountains Using Microsatellite Markers.

Jian-Cheng Zhai, Wei-Shi Liu, Ya-Jie Yin, Yan-Ling Xia, and He-Ping Li (2017) The only population of reindeer (Rangifer tarandus) in China, herded extensively by the Ewenki people, is the most southern population in the world. Genetic diversity plays a key role in the survival of endangered reindeer. To systematically understand the genetic variability of reindeer in China, 163 individuals from 8 populations were analyzed using 11 microsatellite loci. A total of 85 alleles were detected and the average number of alleles per locus was 7.7. The observed heterozygosity and expected heterozygosity ranged from 0.3736 to 0.5299 and from 0.6491 to 0.7608. Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium analysis indicated that a de ciency of heterozygotes existed in all eight populations. Both the FST and AMOVA analyses showed a low level of genetic di erentiation among populations. UPGMA dendrogram revealed that population SYL formed one cluster, separating from the other populations. Then the GWQ and YSH populations formed another cluster and clustered with the BDX, BLJY, DML, DW and MLYS populations. Increasing the current exchange rate of reindeer among different populations and establishing natural reserve may be the e ective approaches to conserve the fragile reindeer populations in China.

[Mapping environmental vulnerability from ETM + data in the Yellow River Mouth Area].

The environmental vulnerability retrieval is important to support continuing data. The spatial distribution of regional environmental vulnerability was got through remote sensing retrieval. In view of soil and vegetation, the environmental vulnerability evaluation index system was built, and the environmental vulnerability of sampling points was calculated by the AHP-fuzzy method, then the correlation between the sampling points environmental vulnerability and ETM + spectral reflectance ratio including some kinds of conversion data was analyzed to determine the sensitive spectral parameters. Based on that, models of correlation analysis, traditional regression, BP neural network and support vector regression were taken to explain the quantitative relationship between the spectral reflectance and the environmental vulnerability. With this model, the environmental vulnerability distribution was retrieved in the Yellow River Mouth Area. The results showed that the correlation between the environmental vulnerability and the spring NDVI, the September NDVI and the spring brightness was better than others, so they were selected as the sensitive spectral parameters. The model precision result showed that in addition to the support vector model, the other model reached the significant level. While all the multi-variable regression was better than all one-variable regression, and the model accuracy of BP neural network was the best. This study will serve as a reliable theoretical reference for the large spatial scale environmental vulnerability estimation based on remote sensing data.

[Effects of LFA-1 costimulation on proliferation and IgG production of PBMCs from lupus nephritis patients].

AIM: To study the effect of lymphocyte function associated antigen-1(LFA-1) costimulation on proliferation and immunoglobin production of peripheral blood mononuclear cells(PBMCs) form lupus nephritis(LN) patients. METHODS: 29 LN patients were enrolled in this study, and 12 healthy persons served as control. PBMCs from LN patients and healthy persons were obtained by Ficoll density gradient centrifugation, and cell proliferation was detected by (3)H-TdR incorporation. IgG content in cultural supermatant was detected by ELISA. RESULTS: Stimulation of anti-CD3 mAb alone could enhance the proliferation and IgG production of PBMCs from 29 LN patients,while the effects on PBMCs from patients in active phase were stronger than those from the patients in the inactive phase (P<0.01). But anti-CD3 mAb had no influenence on PBMCs from healthy persons.The costimulation of anti-CD3 mAb and LFA-1 could increase proliferation and IgG production of PBMCs from LN patients and healthy persons. The effects of this costimulation decreased in turn from active and inactive LN patients to normal persons (P<0.01). The costimulant effects of LFA-1 was inhibited by anti-LFA-1 mAb. CONCLUSION: The effects of enhancing PBMC proliferation and IgG production by LFA-1 may be a mechanism of LN pathogenesis.