BmCaspase-8-like regulates autophagy by suppressing BmDREDD-mediated cleavage of BmATG6

Autophagy plays an important role in tissue remodeling during insect development. The interplay between autophagy-related (ATG) proteins and caspases regulates the autophagic activity of ATGs, thereby modulating the process of autophagy. Our previous study characterized BmCaspase-8-like (BmCasp8L) as a caspase suppressor that inhibits apoptosis and immune signaling by suppressing the activation of death-related ced-3/Nedd2-like caspase (DREDD), a caspase-8 homolog in silkworm. In this study, we explored the regulatory role of BmCasp8L in autophagy. We found that the expression of Bmcasp8l increased from the late spinning stage to the pupa stage in the posterior silk gland (PSG), correlating with the expression patterns of Bmatg8 and Bmatg6. RNA interference-mediated downregulation of BmCasp8L expression significantly decreased starvation-induced autophagic influx as determined by the levels of BmATG8–phosphatidylethanolamine and the percentage of cells displaying punctate enhanced green fluorescent protein-BmATG8. Conversely, the overexpression of BmCasp8L significantly increased autophagic influx. We also found that BmCasp8L underwent autophagic degradation induced by starvation and that it was colocalized with BmATG8. Lastly, we demonstrated that BmDREDD attenuated autophagy and BmCasp8L suppressed BmDREDD-mediated cleavage of BmATG6. Taken together, our results demonstrated that BmCasp8L is a novel proautophagic molecule which suppresses BmDREDD-mediated cleavage of BmATG6 and is a target for autophagy.     

珍稀濒危植物细果秤锤树开花生物学特性和繁育系统

为了解珍稀濒危植物细果秤锤树（Sinojackia microcarpa）开花特征和有性繁殖,对其花部形态特征、开花动态、花粉胚珠比（P/O）、柱头可授性、花粉活力、套袋试验、访花昆虫及访花频率进行观测。结果表明：（1）细果秤锤树的杂交指数（OCI）为4,单花期5~7 d,种群花期可持续20 d左右。花粉与胚珠比为4 093.21±498.56。开花后第3天的花粉活力最高（76.21%）,而开花后第7天时花粉活力较低（18.37%）。细果秤锤树柱头最适可授期在开花后第2天。（2）套袋试验表明,细果秤锤树存在部分自交不亲和性,同时不存在无融合生殖,传粉昆虫是其完成生殖过程所必需的,且异株授粉能够提高其坐果率和结籽率。细果秤锤树的访花昆虫有3目5科7种,主要访花昆虫有黄胸木蜂（Xylocopa appendiculata）、熊蜂（Bombus sp.）、胡蜂（Vespa sp.）、中华蜜蜂（Apis cerana）、黑带食蚜蝇（Episyrphus balteatus）、其中熊蜂平均访花频率最高,达（8.67±0.21） 次·h^-1。对该物种开花生物学特征与繁育系统进行深入研究,有利于进一步探究其濒危机制,为后续珍稀濒危植物的研究提供理论依据和参考。     

Land use induced changes of organic carbon storage in soils of China

Using the data compiled from China's second national soil survey and an improved method of soil carbon bulk density, we have estimated the changes of soil organic carbon due to land use, and compared the spatial distribution and storage of soil organic carbon (SOC) in cultivated soils and noncultivated soils in China. The results reveal that ～ 57% of the cultivated soil subgroups ( ～ 31% of the total soil surface) have experienced a significant carbon loss, ranging from 40% to 10% relative to their noncultivated counterparts. The most significant carbon loss is observed for the non‐irrigated soils (dry farmland) within a semiarid/semihumid belt from northeastern to southwestern China, with the maximum loss occurring in northeast China. On the contrary, SOC has increased in the paddy and irrigated soils in northwest China. No significant change is observed for forest soils in southern China, grassland and desert soils in northwest China, as well as irrigated soils in eastern China. The SOC storage and density under noncultivated conditions in China are estimated to ～ 77.4 Pg (10¹⁵ g) and ～ 8.8 kg C m^?2, respectively, compared to a SOC storage of ～ 70.3 Pg and an average SOC density of ～ 8.0 kg C m^?2 under the present‐day conditions. This suggests a loss of ～ 7.1 Pg SOC and a decrease of ～ 0.8 kg C m^?2 SOC density due to increasing human activities, in which the loss in organic horizons has contributed to ～ 77%. This total loss of SOC in China induced by land use represents ～ 9.5% of the world's SOC decrease. This amount is equivalent to ～ 3.5 ppmv of the atmospheric CO₂ increase. Since ～ 78% of the currently cultivated soils in China have been degraded to a low/medium productivities and are responsible for most of the SOC loss, an improved land management, such as the development of irrigated and paddy land uses, would have a considerable potential in restoring the SOC storage. Assuming a restoration of ～ 50% of the lost SOC during the next 20–50 years, the soils in China would absorb ～ 3.5 Pg of carbon from the atmosphere.     

COMPLEMENTARY SEX DETERMINATION IN HYMENOPTERAN PARASITOIDS AND ITS IMPLICATIONS FOR BIOLOGICAL CONTROL

Abstract In haplodiploid Hymenoptera, unfertilized eggs produce haploid males while fertilized eggs lead to diploid females under most circumstances. Diploid males can also be produced from fertilization under a system of sex determination known as complementary sex determination (CSD). Under single-locus CSD, sex is determined by multiple alleles at a single sex locus. Individuals heterozygous at the sex locus are female while hemizygous and homozygous individuals develop as haploid and diploid males, respectively. In multiple-locus CSD, two or more loci, each with two or more alleles, determine sex. Diploid individuals are female if one or more sex loci are heterozygous, while a diploid is male only if homozygous at all sex loci. Diploid males are known to occur in 43 hymenopteran species and single-locus CSD has been demonstrated in 22 of these species. Diploid males are either developmentally inviable or sterile, so their production constitutes a genetic load. Because diploid male production is more likely under inbreeding, CSD is a form of inbreeding depression. It is crucial to preserve the diversity of sex alleles and reduce the loss of genetic variation in biological control. In the parasitoid species with single-locus CSD, certain precautionary procedures can prevent negative effects of single-locus CSD on biological control.     

puc启动子上游DNA二元对称序列突变对Rhodobacter sphaeroides氧调节的影响

为了鉴定ｐｕｃＢＡ基因表达受氧调控的顺式调节位点,通过ＰＣＲ和多聚核苷酸定点、突变的体外操作,在ｐｕｃ转录子５＇上游非编码区产生了７个不同突变和５个不同１０ｂＰ缺失序列。构建了含有各种顺式突变的ｐｕｃ上游区、ｐｕｃ启动子和报告基因ｌａｃＺ的转录融合子。通过融合子β－半乳糖苷酶活性分析,发现位于ｐｕｃ启动子上游二元对称结构的突变使得ｐｕｃ基因在有氧条件下去阻遏表达。ＩＨＦ束缚位点的突变可使β－半乳糖苷酶活性提高。     

含吸氢酶基因（hup）嵌合质粒的构建和吸氢酶活性在阴沟肠杆菌中的表达

以质粒ｐＲＫ４０４为载体亚克隆含大豆根瘤菌吸氢酶结构基因（ｈｕｐ）的片段,构建成嵌合质粒ｐＨＲ１１、ｐＨＲ４和ｐＨＲ１０。通过三亲本杂交将这些嵌合质粒导入无吸氢活性的Ｒｈｏｄｏｂａｃｔｅｒｓｐｈａｅｒｏｉｄｅｓ２４１菌株（Ｈｕｐ－）,均获得Ｈｕｐ＋的接合子。利用启动子检测质粒ｐＭＰ２２０证明,在ｈｕｐ对结构基因上游１．２ｋｂ内存在ｈｕｐ启动基因片段。以ｐＲＫ２０１３为助质粒可将ｐＨＲ１１导入Ｅｎｔｅｒｏｂａｃｔｅｒｃｌｏａｃａｅ和Ｋｌｅｂｓｉｅｌｌａｏｘｙｔｏｃａ等土壤固氮菌株。本文以接合子Ｅ．ｃｌｏａｃａｅＥＨ１１１３为例,通过对基因组ＤＮＡＳｏｕｔｈｅｒｎ杂交分析证明,嵌合质粒ｐＨＲ１１在ＥＨ１１１３中稳定贮存和复制。Ｈ２诱导接合子ＥＨ１１１３吸氢酶活性高表达,吸氢活性与放氢活性比值约为对照的两倍。当以延胡索酸为电子受体时,吸氢酶的吸氢作用支持菌株固氮酶活性的提高。     

蝮蛇毒碱性磷脂酶A_2基因的克隆

从蝮蛇毒腺中抽提总ＲＮＡ．利用人工合成寡核苷酸引物作逆转录,以ｃＤＮＡ为模板进行体外扩增,获得磷脂酶Ａ２（简称ＰＬＡ２）基因,克隆至ｐＢＳ－ｋｓ载体中。通过对３个碱性ＰＬＡ２（简称ＢＰＬＡ２）基因单独克隆分别作ＤＮＡ全序列分析,推导ｐｒｏ－ＢＰＬＡ２由１３８个氨基酸残基构成,与已测定的部分氨基酸序列比较,基本相符。该基因成功的克隆,不仅推导出ＢＰＬＡ２的蛋白质全序列,也为进一步开展蛇毒功能肽蛋白质工程的研究工作打下了良好的基础。     

广东滩涂经济鱼类寄生吸虫──Ⅳ．独睾科─新属─新种记述（复殖目）

本文对广东滩涂经济鱼类寄生复殖吸虫独睾科ＭｏｎｏｒｃｈｉｉｄａｅＯｄｈｎｅｒ,１９１１中一新属新种;椭囊吸虫属。Ｅｌｌｉｐｔｏｂｕｒｓａｇｅｎ．ｎｏｖ．、单睾椭囊吸虫Ｅｌｌｉｐｔｏｂｕｒｓａｓｉｎｇｌｏｒｃｈｉｓｓｐ．ｎｏｖ．进行了记述。