Production of hyperthermostable GH10 xylanase Xyl10B from Thermotoga maritima in transplastomic plants enables complete hydrolysis of methylglucuronoxylan to fermentable sugars for biofuel production

Overcoming the recalcitrance in lignocellulosic biomass for efficient hydrolysis of the polysaccharides cellulose and hemicellulose to fermentable sugars is a research priority for the transition from a fossilfuel-based economy to a renewable carbohydrate economy. Methylglucuronoxylans (MeGXn) are the major components of hemicellulose in woody biofuel crops. Here, we describe efficient production of the GH10 xylanase Xyl10B from Thermotoga maritima in transplastomic plants and demonstrate exceptional stability and catalytic activities of the in planta produced enzyme. Fully expanded leaves from homotransplastomic plants contained enzymatically active Xyl10B at a level of 11-15% of their total soluble protein. Transplastomic plants and their seed progeny were morphologically indistinguishable from non-transgenic plants. Catalytic activity of in planta produced Xyl10B was detected with poplar, sweetgum and birchwood xylan substrates following incubation between 40 and 90 °C and was also stable in dry and stored leaves. Optimal yields of Xyl10B were obtained from dry leaves if crude protein extraction was performed at 85 °C. The transplastomic plant derived Xyl10B showed exceptional catalytic activity and enabled the complete hydrolysis of MeGXn to fermentable sugars with the help of a single accessory enzyme (α-glucuronidase) as revealed by the sugar release assay. Even without this accessory enzyme, the majority of MeGXn was hydrolyzed by the transplastomic plant-derived Xyl10B to fermentable xylose and xylobiose.     

鸡胚早期发育过程中细胞迁移的基因调控

鸡胚是发育生物学研究的经典动物模型,通过基因导入技术调节胚胎发育的基因功能,研究鸡胚早期发育过程中的细胞迁移,有助于更好地诠释相关先天性疾病的发生发展过程。在早期胚胎发育的过程中,原肠胚期三胚层的形成、心管的发生及神经嵴的发育都伴随着显著的细胞迁移过程。该文将结合近年来国内外对该过程的研究进展,介绍这三个不同时期细胞的迁移及相关基因调控。     

OVCA1 inhibits the proliferation of epithelial ovarian cancer cells by decreasing cyclin D1 and increasing p16

OVCA1, a tumor suppressor gene, is deleted or lower expressed in about 80% of ovarian cancer. Over expression of OVCA1 in human ovarian cancer A2780 cells inhibits cell proliferation and arrests cells in G1 stage. However, the fact that the molecular mechanism of OVCA1 inhibits cell growth is presently elusive. Here we investigated the potential signaling pathway induced by over-expression of OVCA1. Our results show that over-expression of human OVCA1 in ovarian cancer cells A2780 leads to down-regulation of cyclin D1, and up-regulation of p16, but no effect on the expression of NF-κB. It indicates that OVCA1 could inhibit the proliferation of ovarian cancer cell A2780 by p16/cyclin D1 pathway, but not by NF-κB.     

New universal matK primers for DNA barcoding angiosperms

The chloroplast maturase K gene (matK) is one of the most variable coding genes of angiosperms and has been suggested to be a "barcode" for land plants. However, matK exhibits low amplification and sequencing rates due to low universality of currently available primers and mononucleotide repeats. To resolve these technical problems, we evaluated the entire matK region to find a region of 600-800 bp that is highly variable, represents the best of all matK regions with priming sites conservative enough to design universal primers, and avoids the mononucleotide repeats. After careful evaluation, a region in the middle was chosen and a pair of primers named natK472F and matK1248R was designed to amplify and sequence the matK fragment of approximately 776 bp. This region encompasses the most variable sites, represents the entire matK region best, and also exhibits high amplification rates and quality of sequences. The universality of this primer pair was tested using 58 species from 47 families of angiosperm plants. The primers showed a strong amplification (93.1%) and sequencing (92.6%)successes in the species tested. We propose that the new primers will solve, in part, the problems encountered when using matK and promote the adoption of matK as a DNA barcode for angiosperms.     

前列腺素E2对免疫细胞及炎症相关疾病的调控作用

前列腺素E2(prostaglandin E2,PGE2)是一种极其重要的脂质代谢产物,在受到生理或病理的各种刺激,尤其是有害刺激时被释放,在发热、炎症和血压调节中均发挥着重要作用.PGE2通过4种功能相互拮抗的的受体(E-prostanoid receptors,EP1、EP2、EP3和EP4)而广泛参与机体及细胞代谢过程.一直以来,人们都认为前列腺素在免疫过程中发挥的作用相当有限,部分原因是因为抑制类前列腺素合成的非甾体类抗炎药在机体免疫过程中没有发挥明显作用.但近来的研究表明,PGE2很可能在免疫细胞的发育分化及免疫应答过程中也起重要作用.本文主要对前列腺素与免疫系统的关系进行分析和总结,并重点讨论相关研究的新近进展.     

温周期对不同地理种群棉铃虫幼虫发育及蛹滞育的影响

为了探明不同地理种群棉铃虫Helicoverpa armigera (Hiibner)对温周期的反应,本研究系统调查了棉铃虫广东广州种群(23.08°N,113.14°E)、江西水修种群(29.04°N,115.82°E)、山东泰安种群(36.15°N,116.59°E)和辽宁喀佐种群(41.34°N,120.27°E...     

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。     

高等植物中铁的代谢机制

铁在高等植物的生长发育中发挥着重要作用,但随着人类的耕作及土壤的盐碱化,缺铁已成为一个世界性植物营养问题。高等植物在长期的进化过程中,形成了完善的对环境铁信号响应的体系。本文围绕植物与环境的相互作用,综述了近年来植物铁营养的吸收、转运、分配和储存的研究进展,并总结了植物中铁营养代谢调控的相关机理。     

三倍体丹参杂交种的花粉形态研究

三倍体丹参是以二倍体丹参为父本、人工染色体加倍的四倍体白花丹参为母本杂交选育的杂交种。为深入了解三倍体丹参花粉的特性,以及为三倍体种质利用提供孢粉学依据,该文以二倍体丹参为对照,研究了三倍体丹参杂交种花粉的形态变异规律。利用光学显微镜和扫描电镜对二倍体和三倍体丹参的花粉萌发沟、外壁纹饰、花粉粒形状等特征进行了显微和超微形态观察,综合进行了花粉形态差异比较,并对花粉大小和形状数据进行了差异显著性分析和正态检验。结果表明:(1)二倍体丹参为6沟花粉,三倍体花粉萌发沟有6沟和8沟两种类型,沟内疣状颗粒分布不匀,出现畸形萌发沟。(2)二倍体和三倍体花粉外壁均为网状雕纹。二倍体花粉网眼内具多个多边形穿孔,穿孔大; 6沟和8沟两种类型的三倍体花粉网眼无穿孔或仅有几个小穿孔,6沟和8沟花粉的外壁雕纹相同。(3)三倍体花粉的极轴长(P)和赤道宽(E)均值显著小于二倍体花粉,花粉大小呈偏正态分布,P*E的差异系数大于二倍体花粉,且有极值存在。三倍体和二倍体丹参的萌发沟和雕纹存在差异,而花粉形状差异不显著。综上结果表明三倍体丹参花粉在倍性效应和杂合性的双重影响下发生了形态变异,且有多种形态变化。