Comparative genomics of trace element dependence in biology

Biological trace elements are needed in small quantities but are used by all living organisms. A growing list of trace element-dependent proteins and trace element utilization pathways highlights the importance of these elements for life. In this minireview, we focus on recent advances in comparative genomics of trace elements and explore the evolutionary dynamics of the dependence of user proteins on these elements. Many zinc protein families evolved representatives that lack this metal, whereas selenocysteine in proteins is dynamically exchanged with cysteine. Several other elements, such as molybdenum and nickel, have a limited number of user protein families, but they are strictly dependent on these metals. Comparative genomics of trace elements provides a foundation for investigating the fundamental properties, functions, and evolutionary dynamics of trace element dependence in biology.     

微量元素蛋白质组的比较基因组学研究

微量元素指需要量很少（人体中含量在0．01％以下）,但却是所有生物体所必需的元素。它们参与了生物体中各种复杂的生物过程,因此不同生物必须依赖相应的微量元素才能生存。过去大量的工作主要放在微量元素代谢通路和微量元素结合蛋白的实验研究上,由此凸显出微量元素对生命的重要性。然而,微量元素的计算生物学研究工作却非常有限。着重介绍当前利用比较基因组学的理论和方法来研究不同微量元素的利用、代谢、功能和进化方面问题的最新进展。对于所讨论的元素,大多数利用它们的蛋白已经基本确定,并且这些蛋白对于特定元素的依赖性也是非常保守的。通过比较基因组学分析,有助于帮助我们进一步认识微量元素领域很多基本问题（如在古菌、细菌和真核生物中的代谢、功能和动态进化规律等）及其重要特征。     

Adaboost算法研究土壤微量元素含量与白血病的关系(英文)

目的:本文使用数据挖掘方法研究土壤中微量元素和白血病的相关性。方法:使用CFS-Adaboost算法研究我国29个省、市、自治区白血病死亡率的统计数据和土壤中微量元素含量的对应关系。结果:从29种微量元素中发现了13种微量元素与白血病相关,其中砷(As)的相关性较为明显。基于该13种微量元素,建立了土壤中微量元素和白血病致死率的数学模型,该模型的预报准确率可达到89.7%。结论:土壤中微量元素的含量与白血病有一定关系,其中砷(As)元素含量与白血病死亡率较为密切,这与近年文献报导的少量氧化砷治疗白血病效果显著相符合。以上研究发现,可以为研究土壤中微量元素和白血病的关系提供参考,对白血病的防治工作具有一定意义。     

General Trends in Trace Element Utilization Revealed by Comparative Genomic Analyses of Co, Cu, Mo, Ni, and Se

Trace elements are used by all organisms and provide proteins with unique coordination and catalytic and electron transfer properties. Although many trace element-containing proteins are well characterized, little is known about the general trends in trace element utilization. We carried out comparative genomic analyses of copper, molybdenum, nickel, cobalt (in the form of vitamin B₁₂), and selenium (in the form of selenocysteine) in 747 sequenced organisms at the following levels: (i) transporters and transport-related proteins, (ii) cofactor biosynthesis traits, and (iii) trace element-dependent proteins. Few organisms were found to utilize all five trace elements, whereas many symbionts, parasites, and yeasts used only one or none of these elements. Investigation of metalloproteomes and selenoproteomes revealed examples of increased utilization of proteins that use copper in land plants, cobalt in Dehalococcoides and Dictyostelium, and selenium in fish and algae, whereas nematodes were found to have great diversity of copper transporters. These analyses also characterized trace element metabolism in common model organisms and suggested new model organisms for experimental studies of individual trace elements. Mismatches in the occurrence of user proteins and corresponding transport systems revealed deficiencies in our understanding of trace element biology. Biological interactions among some trace elements were observed; however, such links were limited, and trace elements generally had unique utilization patterns. Finally, environmental factors, such as oxygen requirement and habitat, correlated with the utilization of certain trace elements. These data provide insights into the general features of utilization and evolution of trace elements in the three domains of life.     

不同施肥模式下土壤微量元素变化与转化特征

以长期定位试验为平台,研究不同施肥制度下土壤Fe、Mn、Zn、Cu、Pb含量的变化及转化情况。结果表明:施肥对土壤全量微量元素含量没有显著影响,但对元素有效态含量影响显著,施肥导致土壤有效态微量元素含量增加,具体表现为化肥配施循环猪圈肥(NPK+M)处理微量元素有效态最高,单施化肥(NPK)处理次之,循环猪圈肥(M)处理更低,对照(CK)处理最低。各处理土壤微量元素收入均小于支出,不同处理间收支差额NPK+M相似文献   

Trace elements in the atmosphere.

The distribution and behaviour of particulate trace elements in the atmosphere have been studied by continuous measurements for 5 years at seven non-urban sites in the United Kingdom. Samples have been taken regularly of airborne dust, rainwater and dry deposition: these have been analysed for up to 36 elements. Concentrations of trace elements vary considerably between sites but the relative concentrations are among uniform: this suggests similarity of origin or good atmospheric mixing. By comparing the relative concentrations with those in soil it is possible to differentiate between trace elements that are derived from soil and those that may be attributed to industrial activity. This classification is supported by estimates of the particle sizes in air. The deposition of trace elements can be related to the concentrations presnet in soil and to the annual removal by crops. Retrospective analyses of stored samples from one site describe the history of trace element concentrations in air since 1957. The sea surface is considered as a possible source of atmospheric trace elements.     

土壤微量元素测试及其应用

土壤微量元素测试在其发展历史过程中,不断改进技术,逐渐深入地揭示土壤供给微量元素的能力,对指导施肥和保护生态环境起着积极的作用。现代测试手段发展到广泛采用原子吸收光谱(AA)和电感耦合等离子体发射光谱(ICP),但比色法(光度法)和极谱法不仅设备比较简便,而且新的显色剂、催化系统等方面的研究进展,使其对某些元素的测定灵敏度和准确度超过AA和ICP,从而在微量元素测试技术中仍占据一定地位。土壤溶液抽取技术虽然有所改进,但有效态微量元素仍然主要是选用适当提取剂来提取测定。临界值和分级标准的确定是应用测定值的桥梁。作者曾采用全幅分级标准分级制图,确定缺素面积和需肥区域,再根据土壤含量水平和增产幅度之间的函数关系预测增产效果和投入的经济效益。     

Trace element distributions in some saline lakes of the Vestfold Hills,Antarctica

The distributions of trace elements in Shield, Ace and Burton Lakes of the Vestfold Hills were investigated. Three aspects are discussed as follows: (1) the vertical distribution of 18 trace elements in the three lakes, (2) the behaviour of trace elements in the lakes, especially that of manganese in Shield Lake, and (3) the origin of trace elements in antarctic saline lakes.High concentrations of trace elements were found in these coastal saline lakes, when compared to open ocean water.We suggest that the peak of total extractable manganese, found at 20 m in Shield Lake, was related to the oxic/anoxic water interface brought about by microbiological activity. Solid phase manganese at the upper oxic layer may have precipitated and then reached the anoxic boundary to be there reduced to manganese ion. This dissolved manganese may then have diffused upwards to be reoxidized to a solid form. This cycle, repeated many times, may have produced the Mn profile.The alkali, alkaline earth elements and Cl were probably derived from relict seawater. Other elements were present in similar concentration ratios to those of South Polar aerosols. Residence time calculations indicate that fallout of aerosol particles, themselves derived from various sources, is capable of accounting for the measured concentrations of some trace elements in Shield Lake. This source of trace elements may be significant for other antarctic saline lakes.     

Adaboost算法研究土壤微量元素含量与白血病的关系

目的：本文使用数据挖掘方法研究土壤中微量元素和白血病的相关性。方法：使用CFS-Adaboost算法研究我国29个省、市、自治区白血病死亡率的统计数据和土壤中微量元素含量的对应关系。结果：从29种微量元素中发现了13种微量元素与白血病相关,其中砷（As）的相关性较为明显。基于该13种微量元素,建立了土壤中微量元素和白血病致死率的数学模型,该模型的预报准确率可达到89.7%。结论：土壤中微量元素的含量与白血病有一定关系,其中砷（As）元素含量与白血病死亡率较为密切,这与近年文献报导的少量氧化砷治疗白血病效果显著相符合。以上研究发现,可以为研究土壤中微量元素和白血病的关系提供参考,对白血病的防治工作具有一定意义。     

Trace Elements Characteristic Based on ICP-AES and the Correlation of Flavonoids from Sparganii rhizoma

The aim of the present work was to investigate the trace elements and the correlation with flavonoids from Sparganii rhizoma. The ICP-AES and ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy were employed to analyze trace elements and flavonoids. The concentrations of trace elements and flavonoids were calculated using standard curve. The content of flavonoids was expressed as rutin equivalents. The cluster analysis was applied to evaluate geographical features of S. rhizoma from different geographical regions. The correlation analysis was used to obtain the relationship between the trace elements and flavonoids. The results indicated that the 15 trace elements were measured and the K, Ca, Mg, Na, Mn, Al, Cu, and Zn are rich in Sparganii rhizome. The different producing regions samples were classified into four groups. There was a weak relationship between trace elements and flavonoids.

     

Trace elements in agroecosystems and impacts on the environment.

Trace elements mean elements present at low concentrations (mg kg-1 or less) in agroecosystems. Some trace elements, including copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), manganese (Mn), iron (Fe), molybdenum (Mo), and boron (B) are essential to plant growth and are called micronutrients. Except for B, these elements are also heavy metals, and are toxic to plants at high concentrations. Some trace elements, such as cobalt (Co) and selenium (Se), are not essential to plant growth but are required by animals and human beings. Other trace elements such as cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), chromium (Cr), nickel (Ni), mercury (Hg), and arsenic (As) have toxic effects on living organisms and are often considered as contaminants. Trace elements in an agroecosystem are either inherited from soil parent materials or inputs through human activities. Soil contamination with heavy metals and toxic elements due to parent materials or point sources often occurs in a limited area and is easy to identify. Repeated use of metal-enriched chemicals, fertilizers, and organic amendments such as sewage sludge as well as wastewater may cause contamination at a large scale. A good example is the increased concentration of Cu and Zn in soils under long-term production of citrus and other fruit crops. Many chemical processes are involved in the transformation of trace elements in soils, but precipitation-dissolution, adsorption-desorption, and complexation are the most important processes controlling bioavailability and mobility of trace elements in soils. Both deficiency and toxicity of trace elements occur in agroecosystems. Application of trace elements in fertilizers is effective in correcting micronutrient deficiencies for crop production, whereas remediation of soils contaminated with metals is still costly and difficult although phytoremediation appears promising as a cost-effective approach. Soil microorganisms are the first living organisms subjected to the impacts of metal contamination. Being responsive and sensitive, changes in microbial biomass, activity, and community structure as a result of increased metal concentration in soil may be used as indicators of soil contamination or soil environmental quality. Future research needs to focus on the balance of trace elements in an agroecosystem, elaboration of soil chemical and biochemical parameters that can be used to diagnose soil contamination with or deficiency in trace elements, and quantification of trace metal transport from an agroecosystem to the environment.     

微量元素在寻找新活性物质中的应用研究

通过对31种中草药的微量元素分析,应用现代生物学和现代医学的观点讨论了微量元素的种类、含量以及不同微量元素谱在生理生化、药理药效上的相关性,提出应用微量元素测定方法寻找新的活性物质和中草药深层开发的可能性。     

Numerical simulation of trace element transport on subsurface environment pollution in coal mine spoil

An understanding of the dynamic behavior of trace elements leaching from coal mine spoil is important in predicting the groundwater quality. The relationship between trace element concentrations and leaching times, pH values of the media is studied. Column leaching tests conducted in the laboratory showed that there was a close correlation between pH value and trace element concentrations. The longer the leaching time, the higher the trace element concentrations. Different trace elements are differently affected by pH values of leaching media. A numerical model for water flow and trace element transport has been developed based on analyzing the characteristics of migration and transformation of trace elements leached from coal mine spoil. Solutions to the coupled model are accomplished by Eulerian-Lagrangian localized adjoint method. Numerical simulation shows that rainfall intensity determined maximum leaching depth. As rainfall intensity is 3.6ml/s, the outflow concentrations indicate a breakthrough of trace elements beyond the column base, with peak concentration at 90cm depth. And the subsurface pollution range has a trend of increase with time. The model simulations are compared to experimental results of trace element concentrations, with reasonable agreement between them. The analysis and modeling of trace elements suggested that the infiltration of rainwater through the mine spoil might lead to potential groundwater pollution. It provides theoretical evidence for quantitative assessment soil-water quality of trace element transport on environment pollution.     

高原鼢鼠和高原鼠兔骨骼无机化学成分的研究Ⅱ.必需微量元素

本文报道了高原鼢鼠和高原鼠兔整体骨骼及头骨、脊柱骨和下肢骨中Ｃｕ、Ｚｎ、Ｆｅ、Ｍｎ、Ｃｏ、Ｎｉ、Ｍｏ、Ｃｒ、Ｔｉ、Ｆ、Ｓｅ和Ｇｅ１２种必需微量元素的含量,并进行了显著性差异和相关性分析。结果表明：只有Ｃｕ的含量在两种动物骨骼中没有显著性差异（Ｐ＞０．０５）,其余１１种元素均有显著性或极显著性差异（Ｐ＜０．０５或Ｐ＜０．０１）,其中Ｚｎ、Ｆｅ、Ｍｎ、Ｃｏ、Ｎｉ、Ｍｏ、Ｆ和Ｓｅ的含量,高原鼢鼠＞高原鼠兔,而Ｃｒ、Ｔｉ和Ｇｅ的含量,高原鼠兔＞高原鼢鼠。微量元素在头骨、脊柱骨和下肢骨中分布很不均衡,以头骨的微量元素最为丰富     

Trace elements in chemical evolution,I

Research on trace elements in chemical evolution is reviewed from three points of view. They are:(i) the origin of the essentiality of trace elements in present biological systems; (ii) the possible roles of trace elements in chemical evolution; and (iii) the origin of enzymatic activity with metal ions,i.e., the origin of metalloenzymes.     

The role of trace elements on hepatitis virus infections: a review

The significance of the nutritional roles of trace metals (includes some heavy metals) is widely recognized, since these elements are as constituent components of many metal proteins and metalloenzymes serum trace metals levels, and their ratios are frequently reported to be good marker for diagnosing various diseases. Trace metals play an important role in liver disease particularly liver degeneration. Influence of trace elements has been studied in a large number of viruses belonging to different groups. This review reported the role of some trace elements iron (Fe), copper (Cu), cobalt (Co), manganese (Mn) and zinc (Zn) as well as toxic elements Pb on hepatitis virus infections.     

山楂叶中微量元素的含量测定

本文采用高频等离子体发射光谱法(ICP-AES)测定了山楂叶中的17种微量元素,其中有8种是必需的微量元素,K、Ca、P、Mg 含量较高,Zn、Cu含量比值为2.7。这些微量元素的存在对维持人体健康极为重要.     

Uptake of macrominerals and trace elements by the cyanobacterium Spirulina platensis (Arthrospira platensis PCC 8005) under photoautotrophic conditions: culture medium optimization

Uptake rates of macrominerals and trace elements were characterized in batch and continuous cultures of Spirulina platensis under photoautotropic conditions. The values of yield coefficients were determined using inductively coupled plasma emission spectroscopy (ICP-ES). Further simplifications of culture medium proved possible, mainly in the trace element solutions; concentrations of some elements were lowered and trace elements B, Mo, V, Cr, Ni, Co, W, and Ti were removed.     

Human health risk assessment of trace elements in shallow groundwater of the Linhuan coal-mining district,Northern Anhui Province,China

Enrichment of trace elements in groundwater poses considerable risks to human health. The concentrations of seven trace elements (Cr, Mn, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd, and Pb) in 34 samples of shallow groundwater from the study area were estimated. We assessed the concentrations of the trace elements and health risks with statistical analysis and the US Environment Protection Agency (USEPA) model. The results showed that the mean concentrations of trace elements decreased as follows: Mn > Zn > Ni > Cr > Cu > Cd > Pb. Apart from Mn at one sampling point, the concentrations of all trace elements were below the guideline values of the World Health Organization for drinking water. Correlation and cluster analysis indicated that the trace elements fell into groups, with Ni and Cu in one group, and Mn, Zn, and Cd in another, which suggested that the trace elements grouped together had similar sources. The total non-carcinogenic risk values ranged from 8.52 × 10^?4 to 1.27 × 10^?1. The total carcinogenic risk caused by Cr and Cd averaged 1.62 × 10^?6, which exceeded the acceptable level of 1 × 10^?6 recommended by the USEPA. The carcinogenic risk of Cr accounted for 75.93% of R_total.     

树木年轮中的微量元素含量与克山病关系的初步分析

森林是陆地生态系统中的一个重要组成部分,在一定程度上可以说它是“历史的见证”,因为在森林中记录了过去生态环境的一些变化和特点。 树木年轮是过去环境记录的一个重要各面,大家知道,通过观察树木年轮,可分析研究近千年来地球上气候的变化。这一方法在国内外已得到广泛的应用。但是从生物地球化学观