ALBERT

Description: Ligninolytic enzymes, including laccase (Lac), manganese peroxidase (MnP) and lignin peroxidase (LiP), have attracted much attention in the degradation of contaminants. Genes of Lac (1827 bp), MnP (1134 bp) and LiP (1119 bp) were cloned from Aspergillus sp. TS-A, and the recombinant Lac (69 kDa), MnP (45 kDa) and LiP (35 kDa) were secretory expressed in Pichia pastoris GS115, with enzyme activities of 34, 135.12 and 103.13 U l −1 , respectively. Dyes of different structures were treated via the recombinant ligninolytic enzymes under the optimal degradation conditions, and the result showed that the decolourization rate of Lac on Congo red (CR) in 5 s was 45.5%. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, gas chromatography–mass spectrometry analysis and toxicity tests further proved that the ligninolytic enzymes could destroy the dyes, both those with one or more azo bonds, and the degradation products were non-toxic. Moreover, the combined ligninolytic enzymes could degrade CR more completely compared with the individual enzyme. Remarkably, besides azo dyes, ligninolytic enzymes could also degrade triphenylmethane and anthracene dyes. This suggests that ligninolytic enzymes from Aspergillus sp. TS-A have the potential for application in the treatment of contaminants.

Description: In May 2000, the Beijing Institute of Genomics formally announced the launch of a comprehensive crop genome research project on rice genomics, the Chinese Superhybrid Rice Genome Project. SRGP is not simply a sequencing project targeted to a single rice ( Oryza sativa L.) genome, but a full-swing research effort with an ultimate goal of providing inclusive basic genomic information and molecular tools not only to understand biology of the rice, both as an important crop species and a model organism of cereals, but also to focus on a popular superhybrid rice landrace, LYP9 . We have completed the first phase of SRGP and provide the rice research community with a finished genome sequence of an indica variety, 93-11 (the paternal cultivar of LYP9 ), together with ample data on subspecific (between subspecies) polymorphisms, transcriptomes and proteomes, useful for within-species comparative studies. In the second phase, we have acquired the genome sequence of the maternal cultivar, PA64S , together with the detailed catalogues of genes uniquely expressed in the parental cultivars and the hybrid as well as allele-specific markers that distinguish parental alleles. Although SRGP in China is not an open-ended research programme, it has been designed to pave a way for future plant genomics research and application, such as to interrogate fundamentals of plant biology, including genome duplication, polyploidy and hybrid vigour, as well as to provide genetic tools for crop breeding and to carry along a social burden—leading a fight against the world's hunger. It began with genomics, the newly developed and industry-scale research field, and from the world's most populous country. In this review, we summarize our scientific goals and noteworthy discoveries that exploit new territories of systematic investigations on basic and applied biology of rice and other major cereal crops.