Diversity in nucleotide acquisition by antigenically similar Chlamydia psittaci of avian origin

Abstract Two different nucleic acid precursor utilization patterns were obtained for five avian isolates of Chlamydia psittaci . Three of the isolates bahaved in a manner similar to that previously described, showing total dependency on the host cell for ribonucleoside triphosphates and being unable to utilize medium-supplied thymidine. In contrast, the other two isolates were incapable of taking pyrimidine ribonucleotides from the host cell and they could efficiently utilize medium-supplied thymidine. These unusual isolates were resistant to 5-fluorouridine while the other three isolates were sensitive. Of the five isolates only 6BC was sensitive to sulfonamides. The five isolates were divided into two groups by comparing the Alu I restriction endonuclease patterns obtained following digestion of the major outer membrane protein (OMP1) gene, amplified by the polymerase chain reaction. The OMP1 genotyping results were confirmed by serotyping.     

The complex genome and adaptive evolution of polyploid Chinese pepper (Zanthoxylum armatum and Zanthoxylum bungeanum)

Zanthoxylum armatum and Zanthoxylum bungeanum, known as ‘Chinese pepper’, are distinguished by their extraordinary complex genomes, phenotypic innovation of adaptive evolution and species-special metabolites. Here, we report reference-grade genomes of Z. armatum and Z. bungeanum. Using high coverage sequence data and comprehensive assembly strategies, we derived 66 pseudochromosomes comprising 33 homologous phased groups of two subgenomes, including autotetraploid Z. armatum. The genomic rearrangements and two whole-genome duplications created large (~4.5 Gb) complex genomes with a high ratio of repetitive sequences (>82%) and high chromosome number (2n = 4x = 132). Further analysis of the high-quality genomes shed lights on the genomic basis of involutional reproduction, allomones biosynthesis and adaptive evolution in Chinese pepper, revealing a high consistent relationship between genomic evolution, environmental factors and phenotypic innovation. Our study provides genomic resources and new insights for investigating diversification and phenotypic innovation in Chinese pepper, with broader implications for the protection of plants under severe environmental changes.     

GPD1L inhibits renal cell carcinoma progression by regulating PINK1/Parkin-mediated mitophagy

Few approaches have been conducted in the treatment of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) after nephrectomy, resulting in a high mortality rate in urological tumours. Mitophagy is a mechanism of mitochondrial quality control that enables selective degradation of damaged and unnecessary mitochondria. Previous studies have found that glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase 1-like (GPD1L) is associated with the progression of tumours such as lung cancer, colorectal cancer and oropharyngeal cancer, but the potential mechanism in RCC is still unclear. In this study, microarrays from tumour databases were analysed. The expression of GPD1L was confirmed by RT–qPCR and western blotting. The effect and mechanism of GPD1L were explored using cell counting kit 8, wound healing, invasion, flow cytometry and mitophagy-related experiments. The role of GPD1L was further confirmed in vivo. The results showed that GPD1L expression was downregulated and positively correlated with prognosis in RCC. Functional experiments revealed that GPD1L prevented proliferation, migration and invasion while promoting apoptosis and mitochondrial injury in vitro. The mechanistic results indicated that GPD1L interacted with PINK1, promoting PINK1/Parkin-mediated mitophagy. However, inhibition of PINK1 reversed GPD1L-mediated mitochondrial injury and mitophagy. Moreover, GPD1L prevented tumour growth and promoted mitophagy by activating the PINK1/Parkin pathway in vivo. Our study shows that GPD1L has a positive correlation with the prognosis of RCC. The potential mechanism involves interacting with PINK1 and regulating the PINK1/Parkin pathway. In conclusion, these results reveal that GPD1L can act as a biomarker and target for RCC diagnosis and therapy.     

珠三角城市群区域生态系统服务供需均衡关系

生态系统服务供需均衡关系分析为生态系统管理提供了详实的科学基础信息。基于土地利用、气象和社会经济等多源数据,采用遥感反演、水量平衡方程、修正的通用土壤流失方程和植被净生产力模型(CASA)等方法,分别评估了1990—2015年珠三角城市群粮食供给、产水服务、固碳释氧和土壤保持服务;采用相关社会经济指标核算了生态系统服务的需求量;进而揭示了栅格、县域和市域多尺度的生态系统服务供需均衡关系及其时空演变特征。研究发现：(1)除粮食供给外,产水服务、固碳释氧和土壤保持服务呈波动性增加的趋势,增幅分别为52.2%、21.8%和73.4%;在空间上表现为中部平原地区服务水平低,低山丘陵地带高的分布特征。(2)除土壤保持服务外,粮食供给、产水服务和固碳释氧服务需求量不断增加,增幅分别为10.1%、17.5%和769.4%;中部平原地区生态系统服务需求量大,低山丘陵地带小。(3)除土壤保持和产水服务外,粮食供给、固碳释氧及综合服务供需指数不断下降,其中,2015年粮食供给和固碳释氧供需指数分别为-0.47和-0.71。研究结果可为决策者了解区域的生态系统服务供需均衡匹配状况提供科学基础信息,直接服务并...     

隆德鱼的新材料及其系统关系的初步分析——辽宁西部晚中生代地层和鱼群研究之一

依据辽宁西部三个地点的新材料和宁夏、内蒙古的标本,对罗家峡隆德鱼(Longdeichthys luojiaxiaensis Liu,1982)的形态特征作了补充描述和修订,并初步分析讨论了“薄鳞鱼类”的研究现状以及隆德鱼的系统关系。认为隆德鱼可能已是鲱头鱼派(Clupeocephala)的成员,与德国和法国基末里期的Leptolepides sprattiformis(Blainville)最为相近。     

Antibacterial Activity and Mechanisms of Ethanol Extracts from <i>Scutellaria baicalensis</i> Georgi and <i>Magnolia officinalis</i> against <i>Phytophthora nicotianae</i>

Phytophthora nicotianae causes substantial economic losses in most countries where tobacco is produced. At present, the control of P. nicotianae mainly depends on chemical methods, with considerable environmental and health issues. We investigated the effects of ethanol extracts from Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi (SBG) and Magnolia officinalis (MO). On mycelial growth, sporangium formation, and zoospore release of P. nicotianae. Both extracts inhibited the growth of P. nicotianae, with mycelial growth inhibition rates of 88.92% and 93.92%, respectively, at 40 mg/mL, and EC50 values of 5.39 and 5.74 mg/mL, respectively. The underlying mechanisms were the inhibition of sporangium formation, the reduction of zoospore number, and the destruction of the mycelium structure. At an SBG extract concentration of 16.17 mg/mL, the inhibition rates for sporangia and zoospores were 98.66% and 99.39%, respectively. At an MO extract concentration of 2.87 mg/mL, the production of sporangia and zoospores was completely inhibited. The hyphae treated with the two plant extracts showed different degrees of deformation and damage. Hyphae treated with SBG extract showed adhesion and local swelling, whereas treatment with MO extract resulted in broken hyphae. Mixture of the extracts resulted in a good synergistic effect.     

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