微生物物种多样性、群落构建与功能性状研究进展

微生物主要包括细菌、真菌、古菌、病毒等类群, 是地球上出现时间最早、分布最广泛、个体数量最多, 以及物种和基因多样性十分丰富的生物类群。为了适应各种生境, 微生物衍生出腐生、寄生、共生等多样的生存策略, 在生物地球化学循环、生态系统演替与稳定性、环境修复以及人类健康等方面发挥着重要作用。传统的微生物监测方法限制了我们对微生物多样性的认知; 但是, 近年来高通量测序技术和生物信息学的发展极大推动了微生物多样性的研究进展。本文概述了近年来在微生物多样性分布格局与维持、群落构建以及功能属性多样性的最新进展; 总结分析了细菌、古菌、真菌的多样性纬度分布格局及其驱动因子, 选择、扩散、成种、漂变等过程对细菌、古菌、真菌的群落构建的贡献, 以及细菌和真菌的形态、生理生化、生长繁殖、扩散、基因组等功能性状的多样性; 提出了未来微生物多样性研究的重要领域: 环境宏真菌组研究, 微生物多样性与生态系统多功能性的关系研究, 以及微生物互作网络的生态功能研究。     

科学家揭开细菌低温存活之谜

细菌具有强大的环境适应能力,能够在低温条件下存活.有研究表明一种名为"冷休克蛋白"的蛋白质与微生物对冷环境的适应及多种细胞功能有关,是细菌低温存活的关键,但它发挥作用的机制一直是个谜.小分子冷休克蛋白(cold shock protein.,Csps)是微生物在适应低温生长条件下,细胞诱导合成的一系列分子量为7ku左右的蛋白质.冷休克蛋白首先在大肠杆菌中被发现.     

多不饱和脂肪酸对微生物低温适应性的影响

地球生物圈75%以上的环境温度常年低于5℃,在这种低温环境中栖息着多种适应低温的微生物。在长期进化过程中低温微生物从细胞到分子水平形成一套独特的低温环境适应机制,而通过增加细胞膜膜脂中多不饱和脂肪酸含量来维持低温条件下最佳的细胞膜流动性是其中的一种。从多不饱和脂肪酸对微生物低温生长、细胞膜流动性细胞膜蛋白的组成和表达水平的影响来探讨多不饱和脂肪酸与微生物低温适应性的关系,总结多不饱和脂肪酸低温合成调节机制的研究进展,为相关的基础和应用开发研究提供参考。     

深海微生物多样性

海洋面积约占地球总面积的70％,平均深度3,800 m,海底平均压力38 MPa,海水以下更是包含有物理化学性质迥异的多种地质结构,例如海洋沉积物、洋壳、热液口以及冷泉等.这些性质迥异的地质结构环境造就了丰富的生物多样性,构成了地球上最大的微生物生态系统.深海海水中最主要的微生物类群是α-,γ-变形菌(Alpha-&Gammaproteobacteria),以及海洋古菌群I(Marine Group I).深海沉积物中微生物含量与有机物含量和距离大陆板块的距离相关,以异养微生物为主.深海冷泉区富集了厌氧甲烷氧化古菌ANME和硫酸盐还原菌(Deltaproteobacteria);深海热液区由于具有化学物质的多样性和快速的动态变化而导致形成微生物的高度多样性.洋壳主要由基性、超基性岩构成,含有丰富的矿物,其中不乏参与铁、锰、硫等关键代谢反应的化能自养微生物.同时,由于环境中99％以上的微生物没有已培养的亲缘种,因此对深海微生物的多样性、生理功能特性以及生物地球化学作用的理解和研究仍然存在巨大的挑战.本文将尝试从不同的深海环境分区来综述深海海水、沉积物、洋壳,以及冷泉区和热液口等特殊生态环境中微生物的分布和多样性.     

微生物对低温极端环境适应性的研究进展

嗜冷微生物是地球寒冷环境中最主要的生物类群,并且是驱动全球生物地球化学循环的关键环节。嗜冷微生物在适应策略上显示出应对多种极端环境因素的巨大潜力,研究其适应和进化机制有助于更好地理解微生物与环境之间相互作用过程,并有效利用极端环境微生物资源。近年来,随着分子生物学和基因组学技术的高速发展,对微生物适应寒冷环境的机制及嗜冷微生物在指示气候变化和工农业应用方面均有一系列的突破。在此,本文将从基因组的GC含量、蛋白质稳定性、转录翻译调控、细胞膜流动性、渗透压调节、抗氧化损失和基因组适应性进化等方面总结当前在微生物适应低温环境机制上所取得的进展,并展望低温环境微生物在指示气候变化和工农业应用中的前景。     

嗜冷酶及其工业应用

生物圈中超过 80 %的地方温度低于5℃ ,在生态学上低温环境的影响范围更广。生活在这些低温环境中的嗜冷菌对低温有特殊的适应性。相对于嗜温菌而言 ,嗜冷微生物在低温条件下调节其膜流动性和膜通透性的能力更强 ,含有更多的不饱和脂肪酸和短链脂肪酸 ,还可通过合成冷激蛋白来响应冷激作用。嗜冷菌也可通过基因调控和自身的抗生素作用来适应低温。近来有研究报道 ,南北极严寒地区的海洋鱼类依靠血液中的抗冻蛋白来适应低温。生物体内的大多数生化反应都是由酶催化而成的 ,所以考虑嗜冷微生物的适应机制时首先应研究嗜冷酶的适冷机制。1 .嗜…     

低温微生物的冷适应机理及其应用

低温微生物广泛分布于极地、冰川、永久冻土和深海等寒冷环境,其冷适应能力是多种机理共同作用的结果,包括酶的低温催化活性、低温下膜流动性的保持、冷休克蛋白、抗冻蛋白以及抗冻保护剂等.低温微生物主要应用于催化低温发酵、表达热不稳定蛋白质、生产抗冻保护剂和冬季治理污水等领域.     

适冷微生物及其适冷机制研究进展

地球上许多生境为永久低温或季节性低温环境,适冷微生物在自然界中广泛存在。适冷微生物在环境净化、饲料、食品、奶制品、化妆品、皮革加工、洗涤等行业中具有广泛的应用前景。对适冷微生物的多样性、适冷的分子基础和适冷代谢机制进行了综述。     

内陆土壤冷适应细菌的筛选分类与细胞膜脂肪酸的适冷机制

嗜冷菌及耐冷菌是冷适应酶及生物活性物质的重要资源。本研究从内陆土壤筛得33株冷适应细菌,包括6株革兰氏阳性菌与27株革兰氏阴性菌。通过细胞膜脂肪酸分析表明,革兰氏阳性菌的膜脂肪酸主要为分支脂肪酸,推测分支结构是阳性菌膜脂的主要适冷机制。革兰氏阴性菌呈现了不饱和、分支、短链等多样的膜脂适冷调节方式。根据脂肪酸组分的多样性,选择并鉴定了17株嗜冷及耐冷菌分布在11个属中,细胞膜脂肪酸组成的变化规律与细菌16SrRNA的进化分布高度一致。研究还表明同为不饱和脂肪酸为主的革兰氏阴性菌呈现了不同的适冷机理。相关研究不仅阐述了冷适应细菌的细胞膜脂肪酸的适应机制,而且为相关适冷酶源的开发利用提供了宝贵的资源。     

食品中低温微生物的适冷机制研究进展

低温贮藏是延长食品货架期、维持食品鲜度和质量安全的重要方法,然而仍有部分微生物能适应低温环境,使食品发生腐败变质。主要从细胞膜、适冷酶、冷休克蛋白、冷适应蛋白、代谢水平及低温防护剂等角度阐述国内外食品中低温微生物适冷机制的研究进展,为低温微生物在食品领域的应用与防护提供参考。     

Recent advances in the study of Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus replication and pathogenesis

It has now been over twenty years since a novel herpesviral genome was identified in Kaposi's sarcoma biopsies. Since then, the cumulative research effort by molecular biologists, virologists, clinicians, and epidemiologists alike has led to the extensive characterization of this tumor virus, Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus(KSHV; also known as human herpesvirus 8(HHV-8)), and its associated diseases. Here we review the current knowledge of KSHV biology and pathogenesis, with a particular emphasis on new and exciting advances in the field of epigenetics. We also discuss the development and practicality of various cell culture and animal model systems to study KSHV replication and pathogenesis.     

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.     

The structure, reproduction and taxonomy of Vidalia and Osmundaria (Rhodophyta, Rhodomelaceae)

Comprises species occurring mostly in subtidal habitats in tropical, subtropical and warm-temperate areas of the world. An analysis of the type species, V. spiralis (Sonder) Lamouroux ex J. Agardh, a species from Australia, establishes basic characters for distinguishing species in the genus. These characters are (1) branching patterns of thalli, (2) flat blades that may be spiralled on their axis, (3) width of the blade, (4) primary or secondary derivation of sterile and fertile branchlets and (5) position of sterile and fertile branchlets on the thalli. Application of the latter two characters provides an important basic method for separation of species into three major groups. Osmundaria , a genus known only in southern Australia, was studied in relation to Vidalia , and its separation from the Vidalia assemblage is not accepted. Species of Vidalia therefore are transferred to the older genus name, Osmundaria. Two new species, Osmundaria papenfussii and Osmundaria oliveae are described from Natal. Confusion in the usage of the epithet, Vidalia fimbriala Brown ex Turner has been clarified, and Vidalia gregaria Falkenberg, described as an epiphyte on Osmundaria pro/ifera Lamouroux, is revealed to be young branches of the host, Osmundaria prolifera.     

New or rare chromosome counts in Artemisia L. (Asteraceae, Anthemideae) and related genera from Kazakhstan

Fifteen chromosome counts of six Artemisia taxa and one species of each of the genera Brachanthemum, Hippolytia, Kaschgaria, Lepidolopsis and Turaniphytum are reported from Kazakhstan. Three of them are new reports, two are not consistent with previous counts and the remainder are confirmations of very scarce (one to four) earlier records. All the populations studied have the same basic chromosome number, x = 9, with ploidy levels ranging from 2x to 6x. Some correlations between ploidy level, morphological characters and distribution are noted.