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Genes encoding snake venom toxins have been studied extensively. However, genes involved in the modification and functioning of venom proteins are little known. Protobothrops is a genus of pit vipers, which are venomous and inhabit the Nansei (Southwest) islands of Japan, Taiwan China, Vietnam, Thailand, Myanmar, Nepal, Bhutan, and India. Our previous study decoded the genome of Protobothrops flavoviridis , a species endemic to the Nansei Islands, Japan, and revealed unique evolutionary processes of some venom genes. In this study, we analyzed genes that are highly expressed in venom glands to survey genes for candidate enzymes or chaperone proteins involved in toxin folding and modification. We found that, in addition to genes that encode venom proteins and ribosomal proteins, genes that encode protein disulfide isomerase (PDI) family members (orthologs of human P4HB and PDIA3 ), Selenoprotein M ( SELENOM ), and Calreticulin ( CALR ) are highly expressed in venom glands. Since these enzymes or chaperones are involved in protein modification and potentially possess protein folding functions, we propose that P4HB , SELENOM , CALR , and PDIA3 encode candidate enzymes or chaperones to confer toxic functions upon the venom transcriptome.

Stream water samples under the Korean pine broad-leaved forest, spruce-fir forest, and larch plantation in Liangshui Nature Reserve of Xiaoxing' an Mountains were collected monthly from March to October 2006 to study the dynamic changes of their hydrochemical characteristics. The results indicated that the content of major cations in the streams was in the sequence of Ca2+ > Na+ > K+ > Mg2+, and that of anions was HCO3(-) > SO4(2-) > NO3(-) > Cl(-). The average content of Na+, Ca2+, Mg2+, Fe2+ and Fe3+ was in the order of spruce-fir forest > larch plantation > Korean pine broad-leaved forest, while that of K+ was in the order of larch plantation > spruce-fir forest > Korean pine broad-leaved forest. The average monthly content of anions in stream water was the highest under larch plantation.

The Nantong area is a high risk region for primary hepatocellular carcinoma (PHC) in the inshore area of the Yangtze River. However, no detailed data are available about hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in this area. We examined the incidences of anti-HCV and HCV-RNA in blood donors with hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg)- and hepatitis B core antibody (HBcAb)-negative and patients with chronic liver diseases in the Nantong area at Nantong Medical College, Jiangsu Province, the People's Republic of China. The incidences of HBV markers (HBsAg and/or HBcAb), anti-HCV (C100-3), second generation anti-HCV, HCV-RNA and any marker of HCV in the Nantong area were found to be: 0.0, 0.7, 0.4, 0.2 and 0.7% in donor bloods; 16.9, 0.0, 3.4, 15.7 and 16.9% in patients with acute hepatitis; 82.8, 2.7, 4.8, 7.5 and 10.2% in those with chronic hepatitis; 86.4, 4.5, 9.1, 4.5 and 11.4% in those with liver cirrhosis; 87.5, 6.3, 0.0, 0.0 and 6.3% in those with PHC; and 21.8, 1.3, 1.3, 0.0 and 1.3% in patients without liver diseases, respectively. Although the Nantong area is a high risk region for PHC, these data suggest that HCV infection is not an important aetiological factor for PHC in this area.