人工控制条件下9种园林植物叶功能性状对短期NO2污染的响应

叶功能性状能反映植物对环境变化的适应策略,利用开顶式熏气法,对9种常见园林植物进行为期20天的NO₂熏气实验,分析不同NO₂浓度熏气下叶片形态结构指标（单叶干重、单叶面积、比叶面积）、光合生理指标（光合速率、荧光参数）及化学性状指标（叶N含量、叶P含量、N：P比值）的差异,从而探讨以上植物叶性状对NO₂污染的短期响应。结果表明,不同植物叶性状对不同浓度NO₂污染的响应存在显著差异,即不同植物应对NO₂污染的适应策略不同,同种植物在不同浓度NO₂熏气下叶性状指标变化趋势相同,但变化幅度不同,可见同种植物对不同NO₂浓度的响应策略也存在差异;大部分叶性状指标间表现出显著的相关性,但叶N含量与比叶面积间未发现显著相关性,表明叶经济谱性状间权衡机制的稳定性在个体尺度上可能会发生改变。研究结果揭示了不同植物对NO₂污染的适应与响应差异,对预测城市NO₂污染可能带来的植物功能性状的协同进化以及植物生态策略的改变具有重要意义。     

城市小型景观水体溶存N2O浓度及排放通量特征

淡水生态系统是大气中N₂O的重要排放源,受到国内外广泛关注。城市小型景观水体作为区域淡水系统的重要组成,具有环境容量小,受人类活动干扰强烈,其N₂O排放特征及影响机制并不清楚。选择重庆大学城8个典型景观水体和2个城市外围的自然水体（对照）作为研究对象,利用顶空法和漂浮箱法对水体溶存N₂O浓度及排放通量进行季节性监测,并通过分析生境特征及水环境特征,探究城市小型景观水体N₂O排放特征及关键影响因素。结果表明：1）小型景观水体TN、NO₃^--N、NH₄⁺-N、NO₂^--N含量总体偏低但变异性极强（变化范围分别为0.31-1.47 mg/L、0.05-0.79 mg/L、0.03-0.14 mg/L、0.00-0.04 mg/L）,硝态氮是主要的氮形态;景观水体氮丰度远高于外围的自然水体;2）10个小型水体N₂O浓度范围为16.51-158.96 nmol/L,平均为（47.60±21.47） nmol/L,均处于过饱和状态;漂浮箱法实测8个景观水体N₂O排放通量均值为（0.13±0.05）mmol m^-2 d^-1,是对照水体的1.3-5.2倍,高于大部分已有研究结果,是大气N₂O的排放热源;3）景观水体N₂O排放通量与水体各形态氮含量呈显著的正相关关系,较高的N负荷和强烈的氮转化过程是导致景观水体成为N₂O排放热源的主要因子,水体N含量可以作为景观水体N₂O排放强度的有效指示因子;同时水生植物分布对水体N₂O排放影响显著,有植物分布的水域比开敞水域高1.4倍;4）漂浮箱法和边界层模型法对小型景观水体N₂O排放通量的监测结果呈较好的线性关系,但不同季节仍存在着一定差异,需要进一步优化模型估算方法;5）水体N₂O排放通量对温度的季节性变化较为敏感,呈夏季最高,春、秋季次之,冬季最低的季节模式。本研究强调,城市小型景观水体具有较高的N₂O排放速率,在区域氮循环及全球淡水系统温室气体排放清单中具有不可忽视的作用,在未来研究中应得到更多关注。     

城市小型景观水体CO2与CH4排放特征及影响因素

淡水生态系统被认为是大气温室气体排放的重要来源,尤其在人类活动影响下,其排放强度可能进一步增强。城市小型景观水体是城市生态系统的重要组成,具有面积小、数量大以及人类干扰强的特征,其温室气体排放特征及影响因素尚不清楚。选择重庆市大学城8个景观水体和周边2个自然水体为对象,于2019年1、4、7、10月,利用漂浮箱和顶空法分析了水体CO₂与CH₄的溶存浓度及排放通量,旨在揭示城市小型景观水体CO₂与CH₄排放强度、时空变异特征以及影响因素。结果表明,10个小型水体CO₂、CH₄的溶存浓度范围分别为10.75-116.25 μmol/L和0.09-3.61 μmol/L（均值分别为（47.6±29.3）μmol/L、（1.13±0.56）μmol/L）,均为过饱和状态;漂浮箱法实测的8个景观水体CO₂和CH₄排放通量均值分别为（72.7±65.9）mmol m^-2 d^-1和（2.31±3.48）mmol m^-2 d^-1（顶空法估算值为（69.7±82.0）mmol m^-2 d^-1和（3.69±2.92）mmol m^-2 d^-1）,是2个自然水体的3.5-6.1和2.0-4.5倍,呈较强的CO₂、CH₄排放源;居民区景观水体CO₂和CH₄排放略高于校园区,均显著高于对照的自然水体;CO₂排放夏季最高,秋季次之,冬、春季最低,CH₄呈夏季>秋季≈春季>冬季的季节模式,温度和水体初级生产共同影响CO₂和CH₄排放的季节模式;水生植物分布对景观水体CO₂、CH₄排放有显著影响,有植物分布的水域比无植物水域平均高1.97和2.94倍;漂浮箱法和顶空法测得气体通量线性关系较好,但顶空法测得CO₂通量在春季明显偏低,而CH₄则普遍偏高。相关分析表明,景观水体碳、氮浓度、pH值以及DO等对CO₂排放具有较好的指示性,CH₄排放通量主要与水体中碳、磷浓度有关。城市小型景观水体CO₂、CH₄排放通量远高于大部分已有自然水体的研究结果,呈一种较强的大气温室气体排放源,在区域淡水系统温室气体排放清单中具有重要贡献,未来研究中应给以更多关注。     

城市化地区典型水体的N2O排放通量特征——以南京市为例

内陆淡水水体是大气中N₂O的重要排放源,然而目前对于内陆典型城市水体N₂O排放通量的监测数据依然匮乏,典型城市水体的N₂O排放特征及驱动因素尚不清楚。本研究选取了南京市江北新区的典型水体,包括湖库、河流、养殖池塘和景观池塘,在2020年5月-2021年4月利用漂浮箱法连续监测了不同水体类型的水-气界面N₂O排放特征,并通过测定水环境特征,探究驱动水体N₂O排放通量的关键因素。研究结果表明,典型城市水体整体均表现为N₂O排放源,河流和养殖池塘的日平均排放通量最大,分别为（503±1236）μg m^-2 d^-1和（508±797）μg m^-2 d^-1,其次为景观池塘（（179±989）μg m^-2 d^-1）,而湖库的N₂O排放通量最小,仅表现为微弱的N₂O排放源（（54±212）μg m^-2 d^-1）。水体的N₂O排放呈现季节性差异,河流和养殖池塘夏季的N₂O排放通量显著高于其他季节（P<0.01）。水体全年N₂O排放数据与水体温度和溶解氧含量（DO）呈显著相关。而在温度较高的5月份-9月份（>20℃）,氮输入成为影响N₂O排放通量的关键因素（P<0.01）,因此控制城市水体的氮输入尤其是在水温较高的夏季是减少N₂O排放的有利措施。此外,由于水文化学条件差异等因素,小型封闭水体包括养殖池塘和景观池塘的N₂O排放通量差异较大,未来应加强监测不同水体的水文化学特征和N₂O的时空排放特征,探讨影响小型封闭水体水-气界面N₂O排放通量的具体驱动因素。此研究为城市区域N₂O排放的精准核算提供了数据支撑,为N₂O排放模型的修正提供了科学依据。     

2000-2015年中国PM2.5浓度时空分布特征及其城乡差异

近40年来,中国快速经济发展引发较为严重的大气污染,PM_2.5是一种重要的空气污染物,掌握其时空分布规律是对其进行防治的重要前提。基于遥感反演出的PM_2.5浓度数据集,研究了中国2000-2015年PM_2.5浓度的时空分布特征,并基于界定的1376个城镇城区及对应乡村的边界分析了每年PM_2.5浓度值的城乡差异,用线性趋势分析法计算城镇PM_2.5浓度的年际变化速率及显著性。结果表明,研究期内,PM_2.5浓度高于35 μg/m³的面积比例由18.58%增加至32.03%,低于15 μg/m³的面积从43.92%减少到25.12%。PM_2.5污染最严重的地区分布在塔里木盆地、河北南部、河南北部和山东西部。从2000年到2015年,中国绝大多数城镇PM_2.5浓度显著增加,尤其是在东北平原、太行山以东的河北省西南部、燕山以南的北京天津及河北唐山、鲁中南山地丘陵及周围平原地区、华北平原江苏省北部。PM_2.5城乡差异在河北省、山西省两条东北-西南向S形条带区域、浙江省-福建省条带及天山北部绿洲区域较大。研究对PM_2.5高浓度区域、PM_2.5浓度增长较快区域以及城区PM_2.5浓度对乡村影响较大区域进行图示,为中国进一步控制雾霾污染提供一定科学依据。     

广州大夫山雨季林内外空气TSP和PM2.5浓度及水溶性离子特征

采用平行同步采样法,于2012年雨季,对广州市大夫山森林公园林内外空气的总悬浮颗粒物(TSP)和细颗粒物(PM_2.5)样品进行了24 h收集,测定了TSP和PM_2.5的质量浓度并分析了样品中水溶性无机离子成分。结果表明:林内外PM_2.5的质量浓度平均值分别为(40.18±10.47)和(55.79±13.01) g/cm³;林内外TSP的质量浓度分别为(101.32 ± 33.19)和(116.61±35.36) g/cm³。林内与林外比,PM_2.5和TSP平均质量浓度都显著减少(P < 0.05),表明森林能显著改善空气环境质量。TSP和PM_2.5中SO₄^2-、Na⁺、NH₄⁺和NO₃^-为水溶性无机离子主要成分,占总离子质量的80%以上,林外这些离子的浓度高于林内(NH₄⁺除外)。这4种离子雨季在空气中的主要存在方式为NaCl、Na₂SO₄、NH₄HSO₄和NH₄NO₃。计算表明,采样期间海盐对大夫山空气TSP和PM_2.5的水溶性组分中Na⁺和Cl^-贡献最大,其它元素主要源自陆地源。林内外TSP和PM_2.5的c(NO₃^-)/c(SO₄^2-)比值在0.3以下,表明固定源是大夫山森林公园空气主要污染贡献者,TSP中c(NO₃^-)/c(SO₄^2-)的比值大于PM_2.5的比值,说明移动源对TSP的贡献大于PM_2.5。     

色季拉山急尖长苞冷杉林不同层次土壤CO2浓度对短时降雨的响应

为阐明不同层次土壤CO₂浓度日变化特征及对短时降雨的响应,以西藏东南部色季拉山急尖长苞冷杉（Abies georgei var. smithii）林为研究对象,在自然降雨条件下,分析短时降雨及水分再分布过程中各层次土壤CO₂浓度变化特征。结果表明：在0-60 cm层次内,土壤CO₂浓度随土壤层次的加深而显著增加（P < 0.01）,二者之间呈显著对数函数关系（R=0.9764,P < 0.01）;短时降雨脉冲使表层5 cm土壤CO₂浓度显著下降,而10 cm层次土壤CO₂浓度显著增加;在降雨和水分再分布阶段,5 cm与10 cm层次土壤CO₂浓度之间极显著负相关,10、20、40 cm和60 cm之间均呈极显著正相关（P < 0.01）;5 cm层次土壤含水量显著影响0-60 cm剖面CO₂浓度,降雨阶段,二者之间极显著线性正相关（P < 0.001）,而水分再分布阶段,二者之间符合极显著幂函数负相关（P < 0.001）。即降雨引起表层土壤含水量的快速增加,显著提高土壤剖面CO₂浓度,而降雨停止后,有利于土壤CO₂向土表的释放;土壤温度和含水量对CO₂浓度的影响效应在各层次之间表现不一致,除40 cm均为正效应外,其他各层均表现为相反的影响效应。这些结果表明,短时降雨使各层次土壤含水量增加,减少土壤表面CO₂释放量,使下层土壤体系中CO₂浓度升高,在分析土壤CO₂通量时间变化时,应考虑短时降雨对不同层次土壤CO₂的影响。     

NaHCO3胁迫对紫根水葫芦形态学指标和光合参数的影响

为研究NaHCO₃胁迫对紫根水葫芦的形态学指标及光合参数的影响,该文以紫根水葫芦为材料,采用不同浓度碱性盐NaHCO₃溶液处理成株紫根水葫芦,测定在NaHCO₃胁迫下紫根水葫芦的植株株高、根长、根冠比、生物量、含水量和光合参数[净光合速率(P_n)、胞间CO₂浓度(C_i)、蒸腾速率(T_r)、气孔导度(G_s)]。结果表明:紫根水葫芦在20 mmol·L^-1 NaHCO₃浓度下的水溶液pH值最为平缓; 在低浓度NaHCO₃溶液中(≤40 mmol·L^-1),相比CK,紫根水葫芦的形态学指标呈现增长或无显著影响情况,而在高浓度NaHCO₃溶液中(≥60 mmol·L^-1),随着NaHCO₃浓度的升高,紫根水葫芦形态学指标显著降低,且与NaHCO₃浓度呈负相关; NaHCO₃胁迫对紫根水葫芦的光合参数影响显著,随着NaHCO₃浓度的增加及试验处理时间的延长,紫根水葫芦的P_n呈持续下降的趋势,C_i、T_r和G_s整体呈上升趋势,其光合作用受到的主要是非气孔限制。综合分析显示,紫根水葫芦具有一定的耐NaHCO₃能力,能正常生存在不超过40 mmol·L^-1 NaHCO₃浓度的水体中,且能改善低NaHCO₃浓度下的水体pH值。     

国家重点生态功能区转移支付改善县域生态环境质量效应评估

国家重点生态功能区转移支付已成为中国乃至全球最大的政府生态保护补偿项目,其资金使用对地方生态环境保护的作用尤为值得关注。为解决既有研究在研究对象和数据采用上的不足,基于包含全国区县、省级和陕西县域等多尺度数据,采用分组平均值及其变化率、统计相关性检验等评估方法,通过不同批次享受政策的县域及不同生态功能区类型县域的对比,对国家重点生态功能区转移支付在自然生态、大气、水环境3个方面的生态环境效益进行了多维度评估。研究结果表明：（1）2011-2017年,转移支付县域在生态质量上趋于稳定,部分生态类型特征的指标有向好趋势,案例和省级分析表明,转移支付与湿地覆盖率存在显著的正相关,该政策对县域生态质量的稳定和提升起到了一定积极作用。（2）2015-2018年,转移支付政策县域PM_2.5、SO₂、NO₂平均浓度均呈下降趋势,大气环境改善较为显著,其中PM_2.5浓度下降尤为明显且在防风固沙型生态功能区县域降幅最大。NO₂浓度的下降幅度较小。（3）转移支付县域的水环境各项指标在2012-2018年波动较大,总体看水环境质量有轻微改善,不同时间享受政策县域的改善效果有所差异,2016年新增的政策县域水环境质量改善更为显著。评估结论表明,国家重点生态功能区转移支付对县域生态环境质量产生了一定积极影响,其中对大气环境质量改善最为明显,对生态和水质的改善存在较大提升空间。     

杉木人工林不同深度土壤CO2通量

土壤CO₂通量具有明显的时间和空间变异性。土壤温度和含水量是影响土壤CO₂通量的重要因素,同时,不同深度的土壤CO₂通量对温度和含水量变化的响应差异较大,因此,研究土壤CO₂通量和影响因素随土壤深度的变化,对于准确评估土壤碳排放具有重要意义。选择福建三明杉木人工林(Cunninghamia lanceolata)作为研究对象,利用非散射红外CO₂浓度探头和Li-8100开路式土壤碳通量系统,并使用Fick扩散法计算了0-60cm深度土壤CO₂的通量,结果表明:(1)5种扩散模型计算的表层(5cm)CO₂通量与Li-8100测量结果均具有显著相关性(P<0.01),Moldrup气体扩散模型计算结果较好。(2)土壤CO₂浓度随深度的增加而升高,但60cm深度以下土壤CO₂浓度开始降低;不同深度土壤CO₂浓度的日变化均呈现单峰型;0-60cm土壤CO₂通量日通量均值变化范围为0.54-2.17μmol m^-2 s^-1;(3)指数拟合分析显示,5、10cm和60cm深度处土壤CO₂通量与温度具有显著相关性,Q₁₀值分别为1.35、2.01和4.95。不同深度土壤含水量与CO₂通量的相关性不显著。     

Response of Vigna radiata L. (Mung Bean) to Ozone Phytotoxicity Using Ethylenediurea and Magnesium Nitrate

Journal of Plant Growth Regulation - The response of Vigna radiata L. (mung bean) to tropospheric ozone (O3) phytotoxicity using Ethylenediurea (EDU) and magnesium nitrate (Mg(NO3)2,...     

兰州市SO2时空动态分布特征及其与城市生态系统的关系

强化城市大气污染物多尺度监测手段,辨识污染物时空演变规律及其与城市生态系统各要素间的相互关系,可为城市大气环境质量综合管控提供科学依据。利用OMI、EOS/MODIS卫星影像及其他统计类数据,在分析了兰州市2006—2016年对流层SO_2柱浓度的时空分布特征基础上,进一步探讨了NDVI、工业总产值、汽车保有量等城市自然经济社会生态要素的结构变化与SO_2浓度变化的关系。结果表明:1)兰州市对流层SO_2空间分布不均,呈现出以河谷低海拔区域分布为中心,向西北、东南山地两侧递减的"倒U"形格局;2)近10年内,兰州市大气SO_2柱浓度值在0.033—0.25(多布森单位)之间,总体呈下降趋势,年均降幅为14%,降速为0.02(多布森单位)/a;3)兰州市大气SO_2柱浓度变化特征与城市工业生产和交通因素关系密切,又受地形、季节风向等气象气候条件制约;4)兰州市NDVI指数与大气SO_2柱浓度值相关性明显,兰州市植被覆盖度较低,植被指数为0.09—0.66,对SO_2净化能力有限。综合以上结果,本研究认为,通过调控城市社会、经济、自然生态系统结构,并适当采用基因工程等科学技术来增加地表植被覆盖量,是下一步兰州市大气环境质量管理的重要举措之一。     

Iron nitrosyl complexes as models for biological nitric oxide transfer reagents

Owing to the indiscriminate reactivity of the free NO radical, intricate control mechanisms are required for storage, transport and transfer of NO to its various biological targets. Among the proposed storage components are protein-bound thionitrosyls (R_protein–SNO) and protein-bound dinitrosyl iron complexes. Current knowledge suggests the latter are derived from iron–sulfur cluster degradation in the presence of excess NO. Mobilization of protein-bound NO could involve NO or Fe(NO)₂ unit transfer to small serum molecules such as glutathione, free cysteine, or iron-porphyrins. The study reported is of a reaction model which addresses the key steps in NO transfer from a prototypal iron dinitrosyl complex. While the N,N′-bis(2-mercaptoethyl)-N,N′-diazacyclooctane (bme-daco) ligand typically binds in square-planar N₂S₂ coordination, it also serves as a bidentate dithiolate donor for tetrahedral structures in the preparation of the (H⁺bme-daco)Fe(NO)₂ derivative (Chiang et al., J. Am. Chem. Soc. 126:10867–10874, 2004). The removal of one NO produces the mononitrosyl complex, (bme-daco)Fe(NO), and simplifies studies of NO release mechanisms. We have used heme-type model complexes, Fe or Co porphyrins as NO acceptors, yielding (porphyrin)M(NO), where M is Fe or Co, and monitored reactions by ν(NO) Fourier transform IR spectroscopy. Reaction products were verified by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry. Rudimentary mechanistic studies suggest a role for HNO in the NO release from the dinitrosyl; the mononitrosyl benefits as well from acid catalysis. Other NO uptake complexes such as [(N₂S₂)Fe]₂ [N₂S₂ is bme-daco or N,N’-bis(2-mercapto-2-methylpropyl)-daco] are shown to form Fe(NO) mononitrosyls with stability and spectroscopic signatures similar to those of the porphyrins.     

Nonlinear response of nitric oxide fluxes to fertilizer inputs and the impacts of agricultural intensification on tropospheric ozone pollution in Kenya

Crop yields in sub‐Saharan Africa remain stagnant at 1 ton ha^?1, and 260 million people lack access to adequate food resources. Order‐of‐magnitude increases in fertilizer use are seen as a critical step in attaining food security. This increase represents an unprecedented input of nitrogen (N) to African ecosystems and will likely be accompanied by increased soil emissions of nitric oxide (NO). NO is a precursor to tropospheric ozone, an air pollutant and greenhouse gas. Emissions of NO from soils occur primarily during denitrification and nitrification, and N input rates are a key determinant of emission rates. We established experimental maize plots in western Kenya to allow us to quantify the response function relating NO flux to N input rate during the main 2011 and 2012 growing seasons. NO emissions followed a sigmoid response to fertilizer inputs and have emission factors under 1% for the roughly two‐month measurement period in each year, although linear and step relationships could not be excluded in 2011. At fertilization rates above 100 kg N ha^?1, NO emissions increased without a concomitant increase in yields. We used the geos‐chem chemical transport model to evaluate local impacts of increased NO emissions on tropospheric ozone concentrations. Mean 4‐hour afternoon tropospheric ozone concentrations in Western Kenya increased by up to roughly 2.63 ppbv under fertilization rates of 150 kg N ha^?1 or higher. Using AOT40, a metric for assessing crop damage from ozone, we find that the increased ozone concentrations result in an increase in AOT40 exposure of approximately 110 ppbh for inputs of 150 kg N ha^?1 during the March–April–May crop growing season, compared with unfertilized simulations, with negligible impacts on crop productivity. Our results suggest that it may be possible to manage Kenyan agricultural systems for high yields while avoiding substantial impacts on air quality.     

Involvement of phospholipid, biomembrane integrity, and NO peroxidase activity in the NO catabolism by cytochrome c oxidase

The physiological regulation of mitochondrial respiration by NO has been reported to result from the reversible binding of NO to the two-electron reduced binuclear center (Fe(2+)(a3)-Cu(1+)(B)) of cytochrome c oxidase (CcO). Although the role of CcO and its derived catalytic intermediates in the catabolism of NO has been documented, little has been established for the enzyme in its fully oxidized state (Fe(3+)(a3)-Cu(2+)(B)). We report: (1) CcO, in its fully oxidized state, represents the major component of the mitochondrial electron transport chain for NO consumption as controlled by the binding of NO to its binuclear center. Phospholipid enhances NO consumption by fully oxidized CcO, whereas the consumption of NO is slowed down by membrane structure and membrane potential when CcO is embedded in the phospholipid bilayer. (2) In the presence of H(2)O(2), CcO was shown to serve as a mitochondria-derived NO peroxidase. A CcO-derived protein radical intermediate was induced and involved in the modulation of NO catabolism.     

Monitoring the denitrification of wastewater containing high concentrations of nitrate with methanol in a sulfur-packed reactor

Biological denitrification of high nitrate-containing wastewater was examined in a sulfur-packed column using a smaller amount of methanol than required stoichiometrically for heterotrophic denitrification. In the absence of methanol, the observed nitrate removal efficiency was only about 40%, and remained at 400 mg NO(3)(-)-N/l, which was due to an alkalinity deficiency of the pH buffer and of CO(2) as a carbon source. Complete denitrification was achieved by adding approximately 1.4 g methanol/g nitrate-nitrogen (NO(3)(-)-N) to a sulfur-packed reactor. As the methanol concentration increased, the overall nitrate removal efficiency increased. As influent methanol concentrations increased from 285 to 570, 855, and 1,140 mg/l, the value of Delta mg alkalinity as CaCO(3) consumed/Delta mg NO(3)(-)-N removed increased from -1.94 to -0.84, 0.24, and 0.96, and Delta mg SO(4)(2-) produced/Delta mg NO(3)(-)-N removed decreased from 4.42 to 3.57, 2.58, and 1.26, respectively. These results imply the co-occurrence of simultaneous autotrophic and heterotrophic denitrification. Sulfur-utilizing autotrophic denitrification in the presence of a small amount of methanol is very effective at decreasing both sulfate production and alkalinity consumption. Most of methanol added was removed completely in the effluent. A small amount of nitrite accumulated in the mixotrophic column, which was less than 20 mg NO(2)(-) -N/l, while under heterotrophic denitrification conditions, nitrite accumulated steadily and increased to 60 mg NO(2)(-) -N/l with increasing column height.     

Assay for characterization of human follicular oocyte maturation inhibitor using Xenopus oocytes

Human follicular fluid from healthy mature Graafian follicles and from pathologic ovarian cyst fluid was found to be inhibitory to progesterone-induced meiotic maturation of oocytes from the South African clawed toad, Xenopus laevis. Human follicular fluid but not human serum, collected from the same individuals, demonstrated a linear dose-response inhibition on the maturation of oocytes in the Xenopus assay system. These findings indicate that the human follicular and cyst fluids contain oocyte maturation inhibitor (OMI). This human OMI was inactivated when subjected to a boiling water bath for 2 min. The OMI action was shown to be reversible in its inhibitory action. The fact that OMI can act directly on the oocyte was demonstrated by its inhibitory action on maturation in defolliculated oocytes. The findings demonstrate that the inhibitory action of human OMI is not species-specific. Xenopus oocytes provide a simple, readily available, year-round bioassay material for testing follicular oocyte maturation inhibitor.     

The NG2 Proteoglycan Protects Oligodendrocyte Precursor Cells against Oxidative Stress via Interaction with OMI/HtrA2

The NG2 proteoglycan is characteristically expressed by oligodendrocyte progenitor cells (OPC) and also by aggressive brain tumours highly resistant to chemo- and radiation therapy. Oligodendrocyte-lineage cells are particularly sensitive to stress resulting in cell death in white matter after hypoxic or ischemic insults of premature infants and destruction of OPC in some types of Multiple Sclerosis lesions. Here we show that the NG2 proteoglycan binds OMI/HtrA2, a mitochondrial serine protease which is released from damaged mitochondria into the cytosol in response to stress. In the cytosol, OMI/HtrA2 initiates apoptosis by proteolytic degradation of anti-apoptotic factors. OPC in which NG2 has been downregulated by siRNA, or OPC from the NG2-knockout mouse show an increased sensitivity to oxidative stress evidenced by increased cell death. The proapoptotic protease activity of OMI/HtrA2 in the cytosol can be reduced by the interaction with NG2. Human glioma expressing high levels of NG2 are less sensitive to oxidative stress than those with lower NG2 expression and reducing NG2 expression by siRNA increases cell death in response to oxidative stress. Binding of NG2 to OMI/HtrA2 may thus help protect cells against oxidative stress-induced cell death. This interaction is likely to contribute to the high chemo- and radioresistance of glioma.     

The kinetic and isotopic competence of nitric oxide as an intermediate in denitrification

Rates of NO uptake by five denitrifying bacteria were estimated by NO-electrode and gas chromatography methods under conditions of rather low cell densities and [NOaq]. The rates so measured, VmaxNO, represent lower limits for the true value of that parameter, but nevertheless exceed Vmax for nitrite uptake, VmaxNi, by a factor of two typically. Previous estimates under suboptimal conditions had placed VmaxNO at 0.3-0.5 of VmaxNi (St. John, R. T., and Hollocher, T. C. (1977) J. Biol. Chem. 252, 212-218; Garber, E. A. E., and Hollocher, T.C. (1981) J. Biol. Chem. 256, 5459-5465). The steady-state [NOaq] during denitrification of nitrite by nitrate-grown cells was less than or equal to 1 microM. The above observations, taken with a recent direct estimate for the KmNO for NO uptake of 0.4 microM (Zafiriou, O. C., Hanley, Q. S., and Snyder, G. (1989) J. Biol. Chem. 264, 5694-5699), would allow NO to be a free intermediate between nitrite and N2O with steady-state concentrations of less than or equal to 0.4 microM. As the result of special conditions during cell growth or differential inhibition by azide, it was possible to establish systems that accumulated NO during denitrification of nitrite. In all such cases, VmaxNO less than VmaxNi, and the time required to reach the maximum [NOaq] corresponded closely to the time needed to exhaust the nitrite. A semiquantitative isotope experiment with Paracoccus denitrificans demonstrated the trapping of 15NO from 15NO2- in a pool of NOaq. A quantitative isotope method using low densities of the same bacterium showed that 15N from 15NO2- and 14N from NOg combine randomly to form N2O during the simultaneous denitrification of 15NO2- and NO. The result requires that the pathways from nitrite and NO share a common mononitrogen intermediate. Results to the contrary obtained at high cell densities (first two references cited above) are now believed to have been due to technical artifacts. The present results are consistent with the view that NO is under kinetic control as a free intermediate in denitrification and serve to remove previously imagined constraints on this view.     

Phenylpropanoid glycosides from Scrophularia scorodonia: in vitro anti-inflammatory activity

Five phenylpropanoid glycosides isolated from Scrophularia scorodonia L. (Scrophulariaceae), namely angoroside A (1), angoroside C (2), angoroside D (3), acteoside (4) and isoacteoside (5), had been evaluated as potential inhibitors of some macrophage functions involved in the inflammatory process. These compounds have been tested in two experimental systems: ionophore-stimulated mouse peritoneal macrophages and human platelets serve as source of COX-1 and 5-LOX, and mouse peritoneal macrophages stimulated with E. coli LPS are the means of testing for COX-2, NO and TNF-alpha activity. None of compounds assayed had a significant effect on LTC(4)-release from calcium ionophore-stimulated mouse peritoneal macrophages. However, the release of PGE(2) by mouse peritoneal macrophages stimulated with calcium ionophore was inhibited by most of these compounds. In the TXB(2)-release assay, acteoside (4), angoroside A (1) and angoroside C (2) showed a significant effect. These five compounds, except angoroside C (2) significantly inhibited LPS-induced PGE(2), NO and TNF-alpha in a concentration-dependent manner. In LPS-stimulated macrophages, the phenylpropanoid glycoside angoroside C (2) only had activity on NO. These results indicate that the pharmacology of these compounds may participate in the anti-inflammatory effect of Scrophularia scorodonia.