Mud-puddling in the yellow-spined bamboo locust, Ceracris kiangsu (Oedipodidae: Orthoptera): Does it detect and prefer salts or nitrogenous compounds from human urine?

C. kiangsu adults were observed visiting human urine, especially on hot summer days. The main chemicals in fresh human urine include inorganic salts and CO(NH₂)_2. When human urine was incubated, NH₄HCO₃ became the richest nitrogenous compound. The phagostimulants, repellents and attractants in urine were identified here. On the filter papers treated with fresh or incubated urine samples, the 5th instar nymphs and the adults started and continued gnawing around the edges, in contrast to the 3rd and the 4th instar nymphs. The consumed areas were dramatically greater on the filters treated with the urine samples incubated for 3-6 days. The feedings of both male and female adults were also stimulated by several urine-borne components such as NaCl, NaH₂PO₄, Na₂SO₄, KCl, NH₄Cl and NH₄HCO₃ but not by CO(NH₂)₂. Among them NaCl was the most powerful phagostimulant. The repelling, or attractive/arresting effects of CO(NH₂)₂ and NH₄HCO₃ were also evaluated by a two-choice test. When exposed to water- and CO(NH₂)₂ solution-immersed filters simultaneously, the adults prefer to stay on water-immersed filter. In contrast, when provided water- and NH₄HCO₃ solution-treated filters, the adults prefer to stay on NH₄HCO₃ solution-treated filter. This demonstrated that CO(NH₂)₂ acted as a repellent and NH₄HCO₃ as an attractant/arrestant. In the bamboo forest, similar feeding behavior was also elicited by NaCl, NH₄HCO₃ but not by CO(NH₂)₂. Comparing to NaCl solution, a mixed solution of NaCl and CO(NH₂)₂ (1:1) significantly decreased the consumed area of the treated filters whereas a mixed solution of NaCl and NH₄HCO₃ (1:1) dramatically increased the consumed area. These results demonstrated that the phagostimulatory effect by NaCl was reduced by CO(NH₂)₂ in fresh urine and was enhanced by NH₄HCO₃ in incubated urine.     

Immunoproteomic analysis of human serological antibody responses to vaccination with whole-cell pertussis vaccine (WCV)

Background

Pertussis (whooping cough) caused by Bordetella pertussis (B.p), continues to be a serious public health threat. Vaccination is the most economical and effective strategy for preventing and controlling pertussis. However, few systematic investigations of actual human immune responses to pertussis vaccines have been performed. Therefore, we utilized a combination of two-dimensional electrophoresis (2-DE), immunoblotting, and mass spectrometry to reveal the entire antigenic proteome of whole-cell pertussis vaccine (WCV) targeted by the human immune system as a first step toward evaluating the repertoire of human humoral immune responses against WCV.

Methodology/Principal Findings

Immunoproteomic profiling of total membrane enriched proteins and extracellular proteins of Chinese WCV strain 58003 identified a total of 30 immunoreactive proteins. Seven are known pertussis antigens including Pertactin, Serum resistance protein, chaperonin GroEL and two OMP porins. Sixteen have been documented to be immunogenic in other pathogens but not in B.p, and the immunogenicity of the last seven proteins was found for the first time. Furthermore, by comparison of the human and murine immunoproteomes of B.p, with the exception of four human immunoreactive proteins that were also reactive with mouse immune sera, a unique group of antigens including more than 20 novel immunoreactive proteins that uniquely reacted with human immune serum was confirmed.

Conclusions/Significance

This study is the first time that the repertoire of human serum antibody responses against WCV was comprehensively investigated, and a small number of previously unidentified antigens of WCV were also found by means of the classic immunoproteomic strategy. Further research on these newly identified predominant antigens of B.p exclusively against humans will not only remarkably accelerate the development of diagnostic biomarkers and subunit vaccines but also provide detailed insight into human immunity mechanisms against WCV. In particular, this work highlights the heterogeneity of the B.p immunoreactivity patterns of the mouse model and the human host.     

东莨菪内酯对朱砂叶螨实验种群的亚致死效应

为明确东莨菪内酯对朱砂叶螨Tetranychus cinnabarinus (Boisduval) 实验种群的亚致死效应, 为其作为植物源杀螨剂的进一步开发及应用提供理论依据, 在室内采用叶碟饲养的方法, 并利用生命表技术研究了东莨菪内酯亚致死剂量对朱砂叶螨F₀代和F₁代种群生长发育和繁殖的影响。结果表明： 东莨菪内酯LC₄₀, LC₃₀和LC₂₀剂量处理朱砂叶螨雌成螨后, 可刺激F₀代雌成螨产卵, 使产卵量分别增加了73.82%, 186.97%和70.18%, 而对成螨寿命、 产卵期和雌雄性比没有影响; F₁代的卵期、 幼螨期和若螨期与对照没有显著性差异 (P>0.05), 而成螨期和雌成螨寿命均低于对照; 对F₁代繁殖力的影响主要表现为产卵期缩短、 产卵量减少和雌性比下降; 子代种群的净生殖率(R₀)由50.5976最低降至33.9910, 世代平均历期(T)和种群倍增时间(Dt)均低于对照, 各处理后的朱砂叶螨种群均存在适合度缺陷。这些结果表明, 在亚致死剂量下, 东莨菪内酯能够降低朱砂叶螨种群的发育和繁殖速率, 这对东莨菪内酯在有害生物防治上的应用具有积极意义。     

盐胁迫对不同生境盐地碱蓬光合及离子积累的影响

为了探讨盐地碱蓬(Suaeda salsa)适应不同生境的生理机制, 研究了盐处理(1、200和600 mmol·L^-1 NaCl)对盐碱地和潮间带两种生境盐地碱蓬地上部分及根系有机干重、叶片叶绿素含量及光合放氧速率、叶片和根中离子积累的影响。结果表明: 200 mmol·L^-1 NaCl对两种生境盐地碱蓬地上部分及根系的有机干重无显著影响, 说明两种生境盐地碱蓬均具有较强的抗盐性; NaCl处理显著降低了两种生境盐地碱蓬叶片的光合放氧速率; 各浓度NaCl处理下, 盐碱地生境盐地碱蓬叶片的光合放氧速率均高于潮间带生境的, 潮间带生境盐地碱蓬叶片中叶绿素a与叶绿素b的比值均高于盐碱地生境的; 各浓度NaCl处理下, 潮间带生境盐地碱蓬叶片中的Cl^-含量均低于盐碱地生境的; 与叶片中情况相反, 高盐处理下, 潮间带生境盐地碱蓬根中的Cl^-含量均高于盐碱地生境的。说明与盐碱地生境盐地碱蓬相比, 潮间带生境盐地碱蓬的根系可能对Cl^-具有较强的积累或限制其向地上部分运输的能力, 这些特征可能是盐地碱蓬适应不同生境的结果。     

植物的抗螨机理

植食性螨类分布广泛,危害多种寄主植物.本文从3个方面介绍了植物的抗螨机理:植物形态如叶型、叶色主要影响螨类的取食产卵位点和营养物质的获取;植物组织结构如叶厚、蜡质、茸毛、气孔等决定螨能否顺利利用口针取食到植物的汁液,而虫菌穴则作用于捕食螨和植食性螨的相互关系,从而达到保护植物的目的;植物理化性质如叶鲜重、生长速度、生育...     

玉/豆和玉/薯模式下氮肥运筹对玉米氮素利用和土壤硝态氮残留的影响

过量施用氮肥造成的环境问题日益严重,氮肥合理使用已成为人们研究的热点.本文研究了西南玉米两种主要套作模式下氮肥运筹对玉米氮素利用和土壤硝态氮残留的影响.结果表明：连续分带轮作种植玉/豆模式后,玉米收获期植株中的氮素积累较玉/薯模式平均提高了6.1%,氮收获指数增加了5.4%,最终使氮肥利用效率提高4.3%,氮素同化量提高了15.1%,氮肥偏生产力提高了22.6%;玉米收获后硝态氮淋溶损失减少,60～120 cm土层中硝态氮残留玉/豆模式较玉/薯模式降低了10.3%,而0～60 cm土层中平均提高了12.9%,有利于培肥地力,两年产量平均较玉/薯模式高1249 kg·hm^-2,增产22%;增加施氮量提高了植株氮素积累,降低了氮肥利用率,显著提高了表层土壤中硝态氮的累积,60～100 cm土层中硝态氮的累积量在0～270 kg·hm^-2处理间差异不显著,继续增加施氮量会显著增加土壤硝态氮的淋溶;氮肥后移显著提高了土壤0～60 cm土层硝态氮的积累.两种模式下施氮量和底追比对玉米氮素吸收和硝态氮残留的影响结果不一致,玉/豆模式以施氮180～270 kg·hm^-2、按底肥∶拔节肥∶穗肥=3∶2∶5的施肥方式有利于提高玉米植株后期氮素积累、氮收获指数和氮肥利用效率,减少了氮肥损失,两年最高产量平均可达7757 kg·hm^-2;而玉/薯模式在180 kg·hm^-2、按底肥∶穗肥=5∶5的施肥方式下,氮素积累利用及产量均优于其他处理,两年平均产量为6572 kg·hm^-2,可实现两种模式下玉米高产、高效、安全的氮肥管理体系.
     

金鱼藤中ApNAP基因的克隆和表达模式分析

金鱼藤(Asarina procumbens)是玄参科金鱼藤属多年生藤本植物,在园林中常用于垂直绿化,是良好的观赏植物,但金鱼藤叶片衰老后很快干枯并脱落,仅留光秃的茎蔓,使其观赏价值大大降低。AtNAP是拟南芥NAC基因家族中与衰老相关的转录因子,在调控叶片衰老过程中有重要的作用。本研究以金鱼藤衰老叶片为材料,运用RT-PCR和RACE技术克隆金鱼藤中ApNAP基因cDNA序列。结果显示,该基因位于细胞核中,cDNA全长为1341 bp,开放阅读框为936 bp,编码311个氨基酸,相对分子量为35.21 kD,等电点为9.13;ApNAP基因组全长1526 bp,含有2个内含子和3个外显子。多重序列比对表明,ApNAP属于NAC转录因子家族。系统进化树分析显示,ApNAP属于NAP亚组,与AtNAM的同源关系最近。实时荧光定量PCR结果表明,受自然状态下衰老和黑暗处理的诱导,ApNAP基因表达量增加,这进一步说明ApNAP基因参与调控金鱼藤叶片衰老的过程。该基因的分离对利用转基因技术延缓金鱼藤叶片衰老,提高金鱼藤在园林绿化中的观赏价值具有实际意义。     

里氏木霉与米根霉混合固态发酵产纤维素酶

以里氏木霉及米根霉单菌固态发酵为对象,考察不同混合发酵形式对里氏木霉与米根霉混合固态发酵产纤维素酶的影响。结果表明:同时接种里氏木霉与米根霉,试验考察的两菌种接种量比1∶1(以孢子个数计)及5∶1条件下,两菌未产生明显协同产酶作用。米根霉延时(24 h)接种且菌种量比5∶1以及米根霉延时(48 h)接种且菌种量比1∶1,2种发酵形式产酶情况类似,滤纸酶活(FPA)及羧甲基纤维素酶(CMCase)酶活相对米根霉单菌发酵有所提高,而β-葡萄糖苷酶(β-GA)酶活相对里氏木霉单菌固态发酵结束时分别增加4.66及4.40倍,可以发现两菌产生一定协同作用。在米根霉延时(48 h)接种且菌种量比5∶1的发酵形式下,FPA及CMCase在发酵第7天酶活分别达到44.04 IU/g、627.14 U/g(以1 g干曲计),分别是里氏木霉固态单菌发酵产酶达到稳定期时酶活的1.36和1.63倍,两菌产生了有效的协同作用。