A genome-wide screen in Saccharomyces cerevisiae reveals pathways affected by arsenic toxicity

We have used Saccharomyces cerevisiae to identify toxicologically important proteins and pathways involved in arsenic-induced toxicity and carcinogenicity in humans. We performed a systemic screen of the complete set of 4733 haploid S. cerevisiae single-gene-deletion mutants to identify those that have decreased or increased growth, relative to wild type, after exposure to sodium arsenite (NaAsO₂). IC₅₀ values for all mutants were determined to further validate our results. Ultimately we identified 248 mutants sensitive to arsenite and 5 mutants resistant to arsenite exposure. We analyzed the proteins corresponding to arsenite-sensitive mutants and determined that they belonged to functional categories that include protein binding, phosphate metabolism, vacuolar/lysosomal transport, protein targeting, sorting, and translocation, cell growth/morphogenesis, cell polarity and filament formation. Furthermore, these data were mapped onto a protein interactome to identify arsenite-toxicity-modulating networks. These networks are associated with the cytoskeleton, ubiquitination, histone acetylation and the MAPK signaling pathway. Our studies have potential implications for understanding toxicity and carcinogenesis in arsenic-induced human conditions, such as cancer and aging.     

Infection intensity of gastrointestinal nematodosis and coccidiosis of sheep raised under three types of feeding and management regims in Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, China

By using faecal egg counting, larvae culturing, coccidian oocysts identifying, the present study was conducted to determine infection intensity of nematodosis and coccidosis of young sheep (6–12 months) raised under three types of feeding and management regims namely, confinement system (2 farms, n = 30), semiconfinement system (2 farms, n = 30) and grazing system (2 farms, n = 30) in Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region (NHAR) in China. The mean egg counts of gastrointestinal nematodes were zero in confinement system, 63 EPG in semiconfinement system and 263 EPG in grazing system, while the mean coccidian oocyst counts (oocysts per gram of faeces, OPG) of each regim were 3784, 1713 and 687, respectively. Gastrointestinal parasite loads of sheep were attributed to low EPG (zero EPG) in confinement, moderate EPG in semiconfinement and high EPG in grazing regim, respectively, which in turn resulted in high OPG in confinement, moderate OPG in semiconfinement and low OPG in grazing regim, respectively. The infection rate of nematodes of sheep was zero in confinement, 43.33% in semiconfinement and 96.67% in grazing regim, while the infection rate of coccidia was 100%, 96.67% and 86.67%, respectively. The nematodes of sheep in grazing regim were, in the order of prevalence: Ostertagia (Teladorsagia) (80.00%), Marshallagia (66.67%), Nematodirus (63.33%), Trichostrongylus (43.33%), Haemonchus contortus (43.33%), and Chabertia (16.67%), while in semiconfinement regim were, in the same order of prevalence: 43.33%, 10.00%, 40.00%, 20%, 20% and 0%, respectively. Seven species of Eimeria were recognized in the three management regims. Their prevalence rates were E. parva (85.56%), E. ahsata (70.00%), E. ovinoidalis (34.44%), E. intricata (21.11%), E. crandallis (20.00%), E. granulosa (18.89%), and E. faurei (5.56%). These results may provide a further understanding of the factors associated with parasite epizootiology under different feeding and management regims.     

Sponge-associated marine bacteria as indicators of heavy metal pollution

Sponges invariably filter a large volume of seawater and potentially accumulate heavy metals and other contaminants from the environment. Sponges, being sessile marine invertebrates and modular in body organization, can live many years in the same location and therefore have the capability to accumulate anthropogenic pollutants such as metals over a long period. Almost all marine sponges harbor large number of microorganisms within their tissues where they reside in the extra- and intra-cellular spaces. Bacteria in seawater have already been established as biological indicators of contamination. The present study was intended to find out the heavy metal resistance pattern of sponge-associated bacteria so as to develop suitable biological indicators. The bacteria associated with a marine sponge Fasciospongia cavernosa were evaluated as potential indicator organisms. The associated bacteria including Streptomyces sp. (MSI01), Salinobacter sp. (MSI06), Roseobacter sp. (MSI09), Pseudomonas sp. (MSI016), Vibrio sp. (MSI23), Micromonospora sp. (MSI28), Saccharomonospora sp. (MSI36) and Alteromonas sp. (MSI42) showed resistance against tested heavy metals. Based on the present findings, Cd and Hg emerged as the highly resistant heavy metal pollutants in the Gulf of Mannar biosphere reserve. Plasmids in varied numbers and molecular weights were found in all the isolates. Particularly the isolates MSI01 and MSI36 harbored as many as three plasmids each. The results envisaged that the plasmids might have carried the resistance factor. No correlation was observed in number of plasmids and level of resistance. The literature evidenced that the sponge-associated bacteria were seldom exploited for pollution monitoring though they have been extensively used for bioprospecting. In this background, the present findings come up with a new insight into the development of indicator models.     

Characterization and flocculating properties of a novel bioflocculant produced by <Emphasis Type="Italic">Bacillus circulans</Emphasis>

We studied a novel bioflocculant, PX, that is produced from Bacillus Bacillus circulans X3, and has excellent flocculating activity with regard to its characterization and flocculating properties. The bioflocculant was purified from supernatant by ethanol precipitation, dialysis and gel permeation chromatography (GPC). The major component of PX was an acid polysaccharide including uronic (19.8%), pyruvic (6.5%) and acetic acids (0.7%). It consisted of galactose, mannose, xylitol, rhamnose and galacturonic acid in an approximate molar ration of 5:4.1:3:2:1.2. The molecular weight of PX was about 4.85 × 10⁴ Da as determined by GPC. The infrared spectrum of the bioflocculant indicated the presence of carboxyl, hydroxyl, amino and methoxyl groups. Studies of the flocculating properties revealed that it was stable at 60–100°C and pH 4–10. Moreover, it could flocculate a kaolin suspension over a wide range of pH and temperature in the presence of CaCl₂.     

拟南芥TAG1基因对脂类合成调控作用的研究进展

三酰甘油（TAG）是真核生物中能量贮存的最主要形式。植物中贮存的三酰甘油是食用油类和工业用油的主要来源。TAG1基因的表达产物甘油二酯酰基转移酶（DGAT）能够调控三酰甘油的合成。as11是TAG1基因突变获得的脂类代谢相关突变体。该文概述了拟南芥（Arabidopsis thaliana）突变体as11的生物学特征及TAG1基因对脂类合成调控的最新进展。     

LCM联合快速免疫组化技术——一种获取肿瘤原位血管内皮细胞的可行途径

目的肿瘤血管内皮细胞对肿瘤发生发展极为重要,是目前肿瘤研究的热点。本研究为从肿瘤组织原位获取高纯度血管内皮细胞进行基因表达研究摸索可行方法。方法获取淋巴瘤组织标本后,置于锌固定液中固定,并通过进行激光捕获显微切割(lasercapture microdissection,LCM)前操作模拟LCM环境,确定锌固定法对RNA完整性的保护作用。将组织标本制作冰冻切片,采用快速免疫组化染色方法标记血管内皮细胞,利用LCM技术获取肿瘤组织原位血管内皮细胞,并用RT-PCR方法对所获细胞进行纯度检测。结果无论是固定后直接提取组织RNA,还是经模拟LCM环境再提取RNA,均显示锌固定法对RNA完整性提供了良好保护。快速免疫组化可以明确标记血管内皮细胞,后者能够被LCM准确捕获,并经RT-PCR验证为高纯度的血管内皮细胞。结论快速免疫组化联合LCM技术可以从肿瘤组织原位获取高纯度血管内皮细胞,并保证RNA的完整性,可能为肿瘤血管内皮细胞基因表达研究奠定基础。     

长白山阔叶红松林乔木树种幼苗组成及其年际动态

为了解阔叶红松(Pinus koraiensis)林乔木树种幼苗的组成及其年际动态, 以长白山阔叶红松林25 ha动态监测样地为平台, 在样地内150个种子收集器周围设置了600个5 m×5 m幼苗样方。基于2006–2008年连续3年的幼苗样方调查数据, 对乔木幼苗的树种组成、数量组成、空间分布特征、年际动态、新增和死亡幼苗组成等进行了分析。结果表明: (1)从树种组成来看, 该群落乔木树种的幼苗组成种类较为丰富, 共记录到21个树种, 这些树种也是样地内胸径1 cm以上乔木树种的主要组成成分。树种组成在年际间变化不大, 但各样方间表现出极大的空间变异。(2)从数量组成来看, 共记录到11,959株乔木幼苗, 以水曲柳(Fraxinus mandshurica)和紫椴(Tilia amurensis)幼苗数最多, 占总幼苗数的72.75%; 水曲柳、紫椴和红松的幼苗数量在年际间有明显波动, 其他树种年际间波动较小。(3)从新增和死亡幼苗的数量与组成来看, 共记录到15个乔木树种的新增幼苗, 其中紫椴、水曲柳、色木槭(Acer mono)、红松等10个树种在每次调查中都有新苗记录, 新苗数量在年际间随物种和样方位置表现出明显差异。(4)对各树种的幼苗、种子和大树的组成和空间分布的比较发现, 各树种的幼苗、种子和大树之间的数量组成和比例差异较大, 其中紫椴、水曲柳、色木槭和假色槭(A. pseudo-sieboldianum)的幼苗、种子在整个样地内都有分布, 春榆(Ulmus japonica)和怀槐(Maackia amurensis)幼苗的空间分布与种子和大树不一致, 糠椴(T. mandshurica)和山丁子(Malus baccata)等的幼苗、种子和大树的个体数相对都较少, 且它们的分布是一致的。     

石头口门水库流域土地利用／覆被变化对非点源污染负荷的影响

应用L-THIA (Long-Term Hydrologic Impact Assessment )模型,模拟吉林省石头口门水库流域1986 年至2000 年的非点源污染负荷,定量评价土地利用/覆被变化对非点源污染负荷的影响.研究结果表明:1 )1986 ～2000 年期间,研究区土地利用/覆被变化的主要特点为:水田和旱田增加,草地和裸地减少;土地利用/覆被变化对非点源污染负荷的影响非常显著;2 )1986年、1995 年、2000 年三个时段内研究区各非点源污染负荷呈现先增加后减少的趋势,泥沙和总氮的变化幅度较大,总磷的变化幅度相对较小;整个研究时段内表现为总磷的变化幅度大于泥沙和总氮;3 )农田、林地、居民地的变化对非点源污染负荷影响明显,属于非点源污染的敏感区,其面积的较小变化均可引起污染负荷的较大变动;4 )林地和草地转化为农田导致各非点源污染物负荷均增加,其中草地转化为农田的区域较小(5 km2 ),但导致总磷污染增加了255.52 kg ;农田变为居民地和林地导致污染负荷减少,林地转化为草地使得泥沙、总磷污染增加,总氮污染减少.