白念珠菌铁通透酶基因CaFTH1的功能研究

[目的]白念珠菌CaFTH1是一种铁通透酶编码基因.为了研究CaFTH1对胞内铁代谢和液泡功能的影响,构建fth1△/△单基因缺失菌株和fth1△/△fet33△/△双基因缺失菌株.[方法]利用生物信息学软件对CaFTH1进行序列比对和分析;通过实时荧光定量PCR技术研究铁离子丰度对CaFTH1表达的影响;利用PCR介导的同源重组方法构建基因缺失菌株;利用原子吸收光谱方法测定基因缺失菌株胞内铁含量的变化,并对基因缺失菌株在缺铁条件和菌丝诱导条件下的生长状况进行研究;通过代谢转换实验,研究CaFTH1对细胞液泡功能的影响.[结果]序列比对结果表明白念珠菌CaFth1蛋白属于铁通透酶Ftr1超家族,与酿酒酵母液泡膜蛋白ScFth1具有最高的同源性.铁匮乏条件会诱导CaFTH1的表达,而富铁条件则会抑制其表达.白念珠菌CaFTH1的缺失会导致胞内铁含量的降低,fth1△/△突变菌株基础上CaFET33的缺失则会进一步降低胞内铁含量.在缺铁条件下,fth1△/△fet33△/△双基因缺失菌株在一定程度上表现出代谢转换能力的缺陷.另外,在某些固体菌丝诱导培养条件下,fth1△/△fet33△/△缺失菌株菌落表面形成褶皱能力显著增强;而在液体菌丝诱导条件下,则表现为增强的菌丝聚集能力.[结论]CaFTH1是一种低铁应答基因,在维持白念珠菌胞内铁离子稳态及液泡功能方面具有重要作用.CaFTH1和CaFET33基因的双缺失会对白念珠菌的菌落形态和菌丝聚集产生影响.     

生物工程实验教学改革的探索

为了满足社会对于生物工程创新型、工程型复合人才的需要, 本文针对专业实验课程进行了改革与探索, 通过优化实验教学体系、改革生产实习与毕业论文环节和构建课外实验等措施, 建立了以培养学生创新能力、工程意识和解决问题能力为目的的创新实验教学模式, 使学生对于生物工程理论知识和前沿科技有了更好地理解, 有效地改善了实验教学的效果。     

Arctigenin Exhibits Relaxation Effect on Bronchus by Affecting Transmembrane Flow of Calcium

Arctigenin, a lignan extract from Arctium lappa (L.), exhibits anti-inflammation, antioxidation, vasodilator effects, etc. However, the effects of arctigenin on bronchus relaxation are not well investigated. This study aimed to investigate how arctigenin regulates bronchus tone and calcium ion (Ca²⁺) flow. Trachea strips of guinea pigs were prepared for testing the relaxation effect of arctigenin to acetylcholine, histamine, KCl, and CaCl₂, respectively. Furthermore, l-type calcium channel currents were detected by patch–clamp, and intracellular Ca²⁺ concentration was detected by confocal microscopy. The results showed that arctigenin exhibited relaxation effect on tracheae to different constrictors, and this was related to decreasing cytoplasmic Ca²⁺ concentration by inhibiting Ca²⁺ influx partly through l-type calcium channel as well as promoting Ca²⁺ efflux. In summary, this study provides new insight into the mechanisms by which arctigenin exhibits relaxation effect on bronchus and suggests its potential use for airway disease therapy.     

Essential Role for Vacuolar Acidification in Candida albicans Virulence

Fungal infections are on the rise, with mortality above 30% in patients with septic Candida infections. Mutants lacking V-ATPase activity are avirulent and fail to acidify endomembrane compartments, exhibiting pleiotropic defects in secretory, endosomal, and vacuolar pathways. However, the individual contribution of organellar acidification to virulence and its associated traits is not known. To dissect their separate roles in Candida albicans pathogenicity we generated knock-out strains for the V₀ subunit a genes VPH1 and STV1, which target the vacuole and secretory pathway, respectively. While the two subunits were redundant in many vma phenotypes, such as alkaline pH sensitivity, calcium homeostasis, respiratory defects, and cell wall integrity, we observed a unique contribution of VPH1. Specifically, vph1Δ was defective in acidification of the vacuole and its dependent functions, such as metal ion sequestration as evidenced by hypersensitivity to Zn²⁺ toxicity, whereas stv1Δ resembled wild type. In growth conditions that elicit morphogenic switching, vph1Δ was defective in forming hyphae whereas stv1Δ was normal or only modestly impaired. Host cell interactions were evaluated in vitro using the Caco-2 model of intestinal epithelial cells, and murine macrophages. Like wild type, stv1Δ was able to inflict cellular damage in Caco-2 and macrophage cells, as assayed by LDH release, and escape by filamentation. In contrast, vph1Δ resembled a vma7Δ mutant, with significant attenuation in host cell damage. Finally, we show that VPH1 is required for fungal virulence in a murine model of systemic infection. Our results suggest that vacuolar acidification has an essential function in the ability of C. albicans to form hyphae and establish infection.     

菌根真菌对土壤呼吸以及凋落物分解的影响

土壤呼吸是植物固定的碳由陆地生态系统进入大气的主要途径之一; 凋落物分解是养分循环的重要环节。陆地植物的90%以上可同菌根真菌形成共生关系, 菌根真菌对于植物获取环境中的养分具有重要的作用。然而, 其对土壤呼吸和凋落物分解的影响却经常在生态系统对环境变化的响应研究中被忽视。本文系统地综述了国内外相关研究进展, 对菌根真菌如何影响土壤呼吸和凋落物分解这两个过程及这种影响如何受到环境变化的制约做了全面的分析, 并对以往研究中存在的问题以及未来的研究方向提出了展望。     

氢化物发生—原子荧光光谱法测定桉树叶、皮、躯干、根中硒含量

以铁氰化钾为掩蔽剂,1.5% KBH4为还原剂,10%的盐酸为载流液,微波消解处理样品,氢化物发生-原子荧光法(HG-AFS)分别测定桉树叶、皮、躯干和根中硒元素含量。加标回收验证了结果的准确性。考察了仪器测定硒的检出限。并对铁氰化钾,聚环氧琥珀酸(PESA),酒石酸,柠檬酸,乙二胺五种掩蔽剂对11种常见干扰元素的掩蔽效果进行了探究,为优良掩蔽剂的选择提供了参考性资料。     

早春低温开花植物花芽趋同进化特征研究

在开展泛喜马拉雅地区植物调查中发现,早春低温时期,大多数高海拔植物的花芽苞片具有浓密柔毛形态特征。该研究以柳属植物为实验材料,运用红外线测温仪与红外热成像仪,在太阳光照射与遮荫两种情况下,对温带地区自然环境生长的白玉兰花芽进行测温,观测花芽内外温度的变化过程和规律,并采用Li-6400光合仪测定不同光照强度下柳属花芽与木兰属花芽内外温度变化,分析花芽温度与光强的关系,探讨花芽苞片被毛与海拔之间的关系。结果表明:(1)柳属植物花芽苞片被毛与海拔、光照强度有关,花芽苞片上的柔毛能够吸收太阳光中的热量,海拔越高,苞片具有更浓密的柔毛。(2)柔毛能防止花芽内部热量散失,使幼嫩的花芽在冬季或早春低温环境下免受低温影响。因此将花芽或花序苞片上具有浓密柔毛的植物称为"花芽被毛植物",其被毛特征是植物对早春低温环境适应性趋同进化的结果。     

植物细胞工程技术生产紫杉醇研究进展

紫杉醇是一种二萜类生物碱,主要从红豆杉树皮中分离提取。目前采用植物细胞工程技术是提高紫杉醇产率、保护稀缺资源红豆杉、解决紫杉醇药源紧缺的一种最有效方法。该文对近十年来国内外有关采用植物细胞工程技术生产紫杉醇的研究进展,包括红豆杉细胞系的建立、悬浮培养条件的研究、生物反应器培养以及紫杉醇合成代谢调控方面的最新研究进展进行综述。并重点论述了前体、诱导子和代谢支路抑制剂对红豆杉细胞悬浮培养生产紫杉醇的影响,为植物细胞工程技术生产紫杉醇提供借鉴和参考。     

人工湿地中指示与病原微生物动态分布及相关性分析

选择总大肠菌群(total coliforms)、粪大肠菌群(fecal coliforms)、粪链球菌(fecal streptococci)、大肠杆菌(Escherichia coli)、产气荚膜梭菌(Clostridium perfringens)和沙门氏菌(Salmonella spp.)6种指示和病原微生物,采用多管发酵法和倾注平板法研究其在自由表面流人工湿地中的去除效果、相关性及动态分布特征.结果表明:人工湿地进水中沙门氏菌数量最多,其次为总大肠菌群、粪大肠菌群、产气荚膜梭菌和大肠杆菌,粪链球菌数量最低;人工湿地对不同指示和病原微生物去除效果存在差异,对总大肠菌群、粪大肠菌群和大肠杆菌去除效果最好,年平均去除率分别为94.1％、93.4％和84.0％;对沙门氏菌和产气荚膜梭菌去除效果较差,年平均去除率分别为55.8％和63.6％,并且存在较大波动;出水中粪链球菌数量高于进水;人工湿地对指示和病原微生物的去除效果在不同季节间无显著差异,但迸水中总大肠菌群数量、进出水中沙门氏菌数量及进水中产气英膜梭菌数量在不同季节间存在差异.相关性分析表明,总大肠菌群、粪大肠菌群以及大肠杆菌之间存在较强相关性,沙门氏菌和粪大肠菌群以及产气荚膜梭菌和总大肠菌群、粪大肠菌群间存在弱相关性.