高等植物光敏色素的分子结构、生理功能和进化特征

光敏色素是植物感受外界环境变化的最重要光受体之一, 对红光和远红外光非常敏感。本文综述了光敏色素的分子结构、它所包含的结构域和相应功能以及植物各主要类群中光敏色素基因家族的成员组成与进化关系; 重点在分子水平上介绍了光敏色素的生理功能与作用机制。最后, 基于最新的研究进展提出了将来的研究方向。     

高等植物光敏色素的分子结构、生理功能和进化特征

光敏色素是植物感受外界环境变化的最重要光受体之一,对红光和远红外光非常敏感。本文综述了光敏色素的分子结构、它所包含的结构域和相应功能以及植物各主要类群中光敏色素基因家族的成员组成与进化关系;重点在分子水平上介绍了光敏色素的生理功能与作用机制。最后,基于最新的研究进展提出了将来的研究方向。     

双磷酸核酮糖羧化酶和果糖双磷酸酯酶合成的光调节

用红光(650nm)或远红光(740nm)照射后,测定了黄化芥菜子叶中活化状态下核酮糖1,5-二磷酸羧化酶(RuBPCase,E.C.4.1.1,39),果糖1,6-二磷酸酯酶(FBPase,E.C.3.1.3.11)和景天庚酮糖1,6-二磷酸酯酶(SBPase,E.C.3,1.3.37)的酶活性。叶片对光的反应表明存在光敏感期。在光敏感期的红光可使 RuBPCase 和 FBPase 合成,但对 SBPase 的合成没有影响。红光的这种作用可被远红光逆转,所以红光对这两种酶的合成的启动是通过光敏色素而实现的。在超过阈值的光下,酶合成的量与光量子数无关,光敏色素只影响酶合成的启动,但是酶的持续合成还要依赖其它因素。     

隐花色素

光形态建成是光辐射影响下的植物生长发育过程,首先被人们观察到的是光对植物形态结构方面的影响。光照使黄化植物转绿而茁壮生长、影响种子萌发、并且调节植物的开花进程。这三类重要的现象推动这个领域的研究深入发展,通过红光和远红光可逆生理作用的认识导致了植物光敏色素的发现。使光敏色素活     

毛柄短肠蕨红/蓝光嵌合光受体基因的克隆和蛋白质结构分析

Phytochrome 3 (PHY3) 是一种特殊的既能吸收红光/远红光又能吸收蓝光的嵌合光受体, 一些隐花植物利用 PHY3 提高在弱光环境下的光敏感性。但是, 有关植物嵌合光受体的序列信息极为匮乏。文章采用反向 PCR 法分离了蕨类植物毛柄短肠蕨红/蓝光嵌合光受体编码基因的全长序列。序列分析表明: 该基因没有内含子, 仅包含一个长度为 4 278 bp 的开放阅读框, 与铁线蕨 PHY3 的核苷酸序列具有 80％以上的一致性。该基因编码一个 1 425个氨基酸组成的蛋白质, 预测分子量为 157 kDa, 理论等电点 (pI) 为 6.29。结构分析表明, PHY3是由光敏色素和向光色素蛋白融合而成, 其 N 端序列与光敏色素 N 端序列类似, 包括 PAS、GAF 和 PHY 结构域, 负责结合吸收红光/远红光的藻蓝胆素生色团; 而 C端与完整的向光色素类似, 由 2 个 LOV和 1 个 Ser/Thr 激酶结构域组成, 可结合吸收蓝光/ UV-A 的生色团黄素单核苷酸 FMN。     

光敏色素A调控光响应基因表达及其翻译后修饰研究进展

光是调节植物生长发育最重要的环境信号因子之一。植物通过光受体感受自然环境中光的强度、方向以及光周期等信号的变化,从而调控其生长发育过程。光敏色素A (phytochrome A, PHYA)是植物中唯一的远红光受体蛋白,具有在黑暗下在细胞质中合成,而在照光后快速入核和降解的特性,并通过多种途径精确调节了植物光响应基因的转录网络。同时,蛋白质翻译后修饰在调节PHYA稳定性和活性的过程中发挥了重要的作用。该文论述了PHYA调节光响应基因表达以及PHYA翻译后修饰方向的研究进展,并展望了PHYA在农作物分子设计育种中的应用前景。     

远红光受体伴侣蛋白FHY1在介导基因表达和植物生长发育过程中的独特作用

正光不仅为植物的生长发育提供了能量来源,并且作为信号分子影响植物的多个生长过程。植物中的一类光受体光敏色素可以感受阳光中的红光和远红光,进而调控种子萌发、幼苗去黄化、植物避荫反应和开花等重要发育过程。植物对红光的选择性吸收和对远红光的选择性透过使得位于遮荫下的植物处于一个远红光富集的光环境中。这种光环境在密集种植的农业生产中十分常见。因此,充分理解植物对远红光的响应将有助于促使农作物的关键发育过程的正常进行,从而对保障农作物的产量起到积极作     

光敏色素分子及其信号转导途径

作为植物体内的一种光受体,光敏色素在植物的光形态建成过程中意义重大。植物光敏色素及由它介导的信号传导途径是目前细胞生物学、发育生物学和分子生物学研究的热点之一。本文介绍了光敏色素的分子特性、生理功能和信号转导途径等方面的研究进展。     

钙离子在光敏素反应中的作用:新进展

导言十年前,植物发育生物学家对红光通过光活化调节色素光敏素能诱导改变植物细胞中离子流动这个发现很感兴趣。许多人相信,这种离子流动有助于促进光敏素促成的光形态发生。这时,在动物生理学者中间由于发现Ca~(2+)和Ca~(2+)结合蛋白在生     

光调控植物种子萌发分子机制研究进展

萌发是种子植物进入农业生态系统的重要发育阶段。对于需光类种子,光是调控其萌发最重要的环境信号因子之一,红光促进而远红光抑制种子萌发。光敏色素是调控种子萌发的主要光受体。活化的光敏色素诱导萌发主效抑制因子PIF1发生蛋白降解,调节赤霉素和脱落酸代谢和信号途径相关基因的表达,从而促进种子的萌发。同时,一系列的表观遗传因子通过改变染色质结构,动态调节萌发相关基因的表达从而影响种子的萌发进程。该论文重点论述了光调控种子萌发的转录及表观遗传机制研究进展,并对其在农业生产中的应用进行了展望。     

A Unique Protease Cleavage Site Predicted in the Spike Protein of the Novel Pneumonia Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) Potentially Related to Viral Transmissibility

正Dear Editor,In December 2019, a novel human coronavirus caused an epidemic of severe pneumonia(Coronavirus Disease 2019,COVID-19) in Wuhan, Hubei, China(Wu et al. 2020; Zhu et al. 2020). So far, this virus has spread to all areas of China and even to other countries. The epidemic has caused 67,102 confirmed infections with 1526 fatal cases     

Curcuminoids as inhibitors of thioredoxin reductase: A receptor based pharmacophore study with distance mapping of the active site

Curcumin is the yellow pigment of turmeric that interacts irreversibly forming an adduct with thioredoxin reductase (TrxR), an enzyme responsible for redox control of cell and defence against oxidative stress. Docking at both the active sites of TrxR was performed to compare the potency of three naturally occurring curcuminoids, namely curcumin, demethoxy curcumin and bis-demethoxy curcumin. Results show that active sites of TrxR occur at the junction of E and F chains. Volume and area of both cavities is predicted. It has been concluded by distance mapping of the most active conformations that Se atom of catalytic residue SeCYS498, is at a distance of 3.56 from C13 of demethoxy curcumin at the E chain active site, whereas C13 carbon atom forms adduct with Se atom of SeCys 498. We report that at least one methoxy group in curcuminoids is necessary for interation with catalytic residues of thioredoxin. Pharmacophore of both active sites of the TrxR receptor for curcumin and demethoxy curcumin molecules has been drawn and proposed for design and synthesis of most probable potent antiproliferative synthetic drugs.     

Comparative morphology of the carpel in the Liliaceae: Hewardieae, Petrosavieae, and Tricyrteae

The young pistils in the melanthioid tribes, Hewardieae, Petrosavieae and Tricyrteae, are uniformly tricarpellate and syncarpous. They lack raphide idioblasts. All are multiovulate, with bitegmic ovules. The Petrosavieae are marked by the presence of septal glands and incomplete syncarpy. Tepals and stamens adhere to the ovary in the Hewardieae and the Petrosavieae but not in the Tricyrteae. Two vascular bundles occur in the stamens of the Hewartlieae and Tricyrtis latifolia. Ventral bundles in the upper part of the ovary of the Hewardieae are continuous with compound septal bundles and placental bundles in the lower part. Putative ventral bundles occur in the alternate position in the Tricyrteae and putative placental bundles in the opposite. position in the Petrosavieae. The dichtomously branched stigma in each carpel of the Tricyrteae is supplied by a bifurcated dorsal bundle.     

Selection with two alleles and complete dominance

For a plant selection model with frequency-independent viabilities, fertilities and selfing rates, it is shown that apart from global fixation, for certain parameter combinations a protected polymorphism and facultative fixation (either allele may become fixed according to initial frequencies) may both occur. Facultative fixation requires different selling rates for the dominant and recessive type. Protection of the polymorphism requires resource allocation for male and female function. In this connection the problem of purely genetically caused population extinction is discussed.
For general frequency dependence and regular segregation, the chances for establishment of a completely recessive gene are compared to those of a completely dominant gene. It is proven that the process of establishment of the recessive gene, despite a fitness advantage, may be considerably endangered by drift effects if random mating prevails. The recessive gene may reach the same effectivity in establishment as a dominant gene, only if the recessive homozygote mates exclusively with its own type during the period of establishment.     

Composition and diversity of bird communities in Swedish farmland–forest mosaic landscapes

CapsuleThe amount of forest (at local and landscape scales) and occurrence of residual habitats at the local scale are shown to be the major factors influencing bird community composition in farmland–forest landscapes in central Sweden.

Aims To investigate the importance of local habitat and landscape structure for breeding birds in farmland–forest landscapes in central Sweden.

Methods Breeding birds were censused at 292 points. A detailed habitat mapping was made within 300 m of the points. Within a 300–600 m radius only two major habitats (forests and arable fields) were identified.

Results Cluster analyses of bird communities identified three site types that also differed in habitat composition: (i) partially forested sites in forested landscapes; (ii) heterogeneous sites with residual habitats in mosaic landscapes; and (iii) field-dominated farmland sites in open landscapes. A total of 19 of 25 farmland bird species (restricted to farmland or using both farmland and forest) had the highest abundance in farmland sites with mosaics of forest and farmland, while only six farmland species had the highest abundance in field-dominated sites. The bird community changed from being dominated by farmland species to being dominated by forest species (common in forest landscapes without farmland) at small proportions (10–20%) of forest at the local scale. A major difference in habitat composition between heterogeneous and field-dominated sites was the occurrence of different residual habitats (e.g. shrubby areas and seminatural grasslands). These habitats seemed to influence bird community composition more than land-use, despite covering <10% of the area. Seminatural grasslands were important for bird community composition and species-richness, but grazing seemed to be less important. Among different land-use types, cereal crops were the least preferred fields. Set-asides with tall vegetation and short rotation coppices were positively associated with species-richness of farmland birds.

Conclusion In general, the composition of the landscape was important for bird community composition, although amount and distribution of forests, occurrence of residual habitats and land-use of fields at the local scale had the strongest influence on bird community composition. The possible implications of these patterns for managing farmland–forest landscapes are discussed.     

Chemical constituents from the fruits of Rhus typhina L. and their chemotaxonomic significance

This work describes the isolation and characterization of twenty-nine compounds from the fruits of Rhus typhina L., including eleven flavonoids (1–11), eleven phenols (12–22), two pentacyclic triterpenes (23–24), two organic acids (25–26), one lumichrome (27), one courmarin (28) and one pyrimidine (29) on the basis of their spectroscopic data. Compounds apigenin (1), daidzein (4), orobol (5), 3′, 5, 5′, 7-tetrahydroxyflavanone (6), naringenin (7), butein (8), (-)-catechin (9), quercetin-3-O-α-L-(3″-O-galloyl)-rhamnoside (11), 2-hydroxybenzoic acid (13), 4-hydroxybenzaldehyde (14), vanillin (15), methyl 3,4-dihydroxybenzoate (16), 3,5-dihydroxybenzamide (18), tyrosol (19), caffeic acid (20), 3-(2,4,6-trihydroxyphenyl)-1-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-propan-1-one (21), phlorizin (22), friedelin (23), oleanolic acid (24), 4,4-dimethyl-heptanedioic acid (25), anthranilic acid (26), lumichrome (27), scoparone (28) and uracil (29) have not been recorded before in this plant. This is the first report on the occurrence of compounds 4–7, 9, 11, 13–14, 16, 18–21, 25–29 from the genus Rhus. Moreover, the chemotaxonomic significance of these isolated compounds was also summarized.