Identification of novel Ssl0352 protein (NdhS), essential for efficient operation of cyclic electron transport around photosystem I, in NADPH:plastoquinone oxidoreductase (NDH-1) complexes of Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803

Cyanobacterial NADPH:plastoquinone oxidoreductase, or type I NAD(P)H dehydrogenase, or the NDH-1 complex is involved in plastoquinone reduction and cyclic electron transfer (CET) around photosystem I. CET, in turn, produces extra ATP for cell metabolism particularly under stressful conditions. Despite significant achievements in the study of cyanobacterial NDH-1 complexes during the past few years, the entire subunit composition still remains elusive. To identify missing subunits, we screened a transposon-tagged library of Synechocystis 6803 cells grown under high light. Two NDH-1-mediated CET (NDH-CET)-defective mutants were tagged in the same ssl0352 gene encoding a short unknown protein. To clarify the function of Ssl0352, the ssl0352 deletion mutant and another mutant with Ssl0352 fused to yellow fluorescent protein (YFP) and the His(6) tag were constructed. Immunoblotting, mass spectrometry, and confocal microscopy analyses revealed that the Ssl0352 protein resides in the thylakoid membrane and associates with the NDH-1L and NDH-1M complexes. We conclude that Ssl0352 is a novel subunit of cyanobacterial NDH-1 complexes and designate it NdhS. Deletion of the ssl0352 gene considerably impaired the NDH-CET activity and also retarded cell growth under high light conditions, indicating that NdhS is essential for efficient operation of NDH-CET. However, the assembly of the NDH-1L and NDH-1M complexes and their content in the cells were not affected in the mutant. NdhS contains a Src homology 3-like domain and might be involved in interaction of the NDH-1 complex with an electron donor.     

水稻褐飞虱综合治理研究与示范——农业公益性行业专项“水稻褐飞虱综合防控技术研究”进展

针对我国褐飞虱Nilaparvata lugens(Stl)近年来严重为害及其对当家农药品种抗性急剧上升的现状,本项目在华中、华南、华东地区等代表性地区开展褐飞虱灾变规律、抗虫品种培育、抗药性监测及复配农药新剂型开发、生态治理新技术研究、预测预报技术、可持续治理技术集成与示范研究。结果表明:越南、老挝等境外虫源地及我国华南、长江中下游等地田间褐飞虱种群仍以2型为主,3型次之。田间小气候是褐飞虱逃避高温的关键因素,褐飞虱在上午气温升高时大量向温度较低的水稻基部20cm范围内转移以逃避高温,将高温天气造成的不利影响降至最低。不同栽插方式对褐飞虱发生量有明显影响,手栽稻田褐飞虱发生最重,机插稻次之,直播稻最轻。不同水稻品种、N肥施用水平对褐飞虱的发生有明显的影响:超级杂交稻褐飞虱虫口密度明显高于常规杂交稻,高N肥施用量促进褐飞虱的发生,且水稻品种与N肥施用量对褐飞虱发生量的影响有明显交互作用。抗药性监测结果表明:我国褐飞虱对吡虫啉有极高水平抗性(168.1～561.5倍),对噻嗪酮为低到中等水平抗性(4.2～33.1倍),对氟虫腈为敏感性降低到高水平抗性(2.7～67.7倍),对烯啶虫胺与毒死蜱为低水平抗性。筛选出噻虫嗪、吡蚜酮、唏啶虫胺和仲丁威4种高效低毒的防治单剂。研制出3种农药复配新制剂,其中1种新制剂已获得农业部药检所正式登记,且规模化生产,2种新制剂已进入农药登记程序。精细定位水稻抗褐飞虱基因Bph6、Bph7、Bph9、Bph15、BG1222,并找到了它们的近距离共分离分子标记。培育出高产、优质、熟期适宜、含有抗稻飞虱基因Bph14的水稻新品种广两优476。储备了一批聚合多抗稻飞虱基因的水稻亲本材料。研发出在田埂种植芝麻、大豆等天敌诱集植物,增加褐飞虱卵期寄生蜂和捕食性天敌蜘蛛的种群数量的轻简化生态调控技术;研发出对褐飞虱成、若虫取食及雌成虫产卵均有驱避作用的植物提取物混配剂3种;研发出显著提高稻虱缨小蜂对田间褐飞虱卵寄生率的引诱剂1种。建立了褐飞虱环境友好防控技术集成体系,并在湖南、湖北、广东、广西、浙江、江西6省区示范应用,取得了良好的经济、生态、社会效益。     

白背飞虱的迁飞生物学:起飞与迁出

2001—2002年在苏州吴中区2个生长季节的田间观察和罩笼试验表明,白背飞虱Sogatella furcifera(Horváth)7月上旬以前迁入苏州,并在当地繁殖2代。从8月中下旬开始陆续有少量向外迁飞,9月份大田出现外迁高峰。田间白背飞虱起飞比率约为50%～65%,迁出峰期的每日迁出率约为80%。8月下旬白背飞虱一般已不构成危害。但20世纪90年代中期之后,白背飞虱8月份很少迁出而在迁入地大量滞留形成增殖代和主害代,危害时间大大延长,这与20世纪80年代的发生规律有了很大的不同。轨迹分析表明,8月中下旬从苏州迁出的个体中,40%可以到达江淮稻区,另有大约40%进入黄海和东海海域,若有强西南低空急流出现时则可跨海到达韩国和日本。9月份则主要是迁往我国的南方稻区,但很少可以直达岭南地区。     

白背飞虱的迁飞生物学:江苏苏州个例分析

对苏州市吴中区1984—2002年灯诱数据的分析表明,白背飞虱Sogatella furcifera(Horváth)的灯下始见期一般在6月上旬,而主迁峰日则一般出现在7月上旬。1996年后,始见期有提前的趋势。对18年灯诱虫量的时间序列分析表明,田间迁入代虫量与6月份的灯诱虫量相关,田间第1代虫量与迁入代虫量相关,第2代则只与田间第1代和8月份的诱虫量相关。对1986—2002年吴中区白背飞虱田间虫量的分析表明,白背飞虱在田间一般要完成2个世代,20世纪90年代中期之后会出现第3代,表现出低迁入率(平均百穴21头)、高增殖倍数(G1/G0在30～200倍左右)和高峰值密度(16年平均百穴3200头)的种群特征。此间白背飞虱长翅型成虫的比率不高,迁入后便像褐飞虱Nilaparvata lugens(Stl)那样形成了滞留本地的增殖代(7月20日到8月10日)和以本地滞留为害与部分迁出个体混合而成的主害代(8月15日到9月5日),直到8月下旬和9月上中旬,其长翅型比率才会有大幅回升开始回迁,呈现出翅型长-短-长的变化模式。     

Purification, characterization, and physiological response of a catalase-peroxidase in Mycobacterium sp. strain JC1 DSM 3803 grown on methanol

A novel catalase-peroxidase (CP) from methanol-grown cells of Mycobacterium sp. strain JC1 was purified. The CP exhibited properties of both typical mycobacterial CPs (i.e. strict pH optimum, labile to heat treatment, capable of oxidizing NADH, and resistant to inhibition by 3-amino-1,2,4-triazole) and true catalases (i.e. stable against ethanol-chloroform treatment). The enzyme oxidized methanol and shared common antigenic groups with other mycobacteria. Isoniazid had almost no effect on the growth and expression of CP but inhibited the enzyme activity to some extent. Sodium nitroprusside arrested the growth but strongly stimulated the expression of CP with a concomitant increase in activity after the mid-exponential growth phase.     

2-Arylindoles as gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH) antagonists: optimization of the tryptamine side chain

A series of 2-arylindoles containing novel heteroaromatic substituents on the tryptamine tether, based on compound 1, was prepared and evaluated for their ability to act as gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH) antagonists. Successful modifications of 1 included chain length variation (reduction) and replacement of the pyridine with heteroaromatic groups. These alterations culminated in the discovery of compound 27kk which had excellent in vitro potency and oral efficacy in rodents.     

Association of Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeat (CRISPR) Elements with Specific Serotypes and Virulence Potential of Shiga Toxin-Producing Escherichia coli

Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) strains (n = 194) representing 43 serotypes and E. coli K-12 were examined for clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat (CRISPR) arrays to study genetic relatedness among STEC serotypes. A subset of the strains (n = 81) was further analyzed for subtype I-E cas and virulence genes to determine a possible association of CRISPR elements with potential virulence. Four types of CRISPR arrays were identified. CRISPR1 and CRISPR2 were present in all strains tested; 1 strain also had both CRISPR3 and CRISPR4, whereas 193 strains displayed a short, combined array, CRISPR3-4. A total of 3,353 spacers were identified, representing 528 distinct spacers. The average length of a spacer was 32 bp. Approximately one-half of the spacers (54%) were unique and found mostly in strains of less common serotypes. Overall, CRISPR spacer contents correlated well with STEC serotypes, and identical arrays were shared between strains with the same H type (O26:H11, O103:H11, and O111:H11). There was no association identified between the presence of subtype I-E cas and virulence genes, but the total number of spacers had a negative correlation with potential pathogenicity (P < 0.05). Fewer spacers were found in strains that had a greater probability of causing outbreaks and disease than in those with lower virulence potential (P < 0.05). The relationship between the CRISPR-cas system and potential virulence needs to be determined on a broader scale, and the biological link will need to be established.