Solid cultures of thrips-pathogenic fungi Isaria javanica strains for enhanced conidial productivity and thermotolerance

Entomopathogenic fungi have great potential to control agricultural and horticultural insect pests, however optimizing conidial production systems to demonstrate high productivity and stability still needs additional efforts for successful field application and industrialization. Although many virulent entomopathogenic fungal isolates have been viewed as potential candidates in a laboratory environment, very few of the isolates are being used in practice for application in agricultural fields as commercial products. I. javanicus is an entomopathogenic fungus that is parasitic to various diverse coleopteran and lepidopteran insects and thought good candidate as biopesticdes. In this work, the basic characteristics of two entomopathogenic fungi, I. javanica FG340 and Pf04, were investigated in morphological examinations, genetic identification, and virulence against Thrips palmi, and then the feasibility of various grains substrates for conidial production was assessed, particularly focusing on conidial productivity and thermotolerance. Isaria javanica FG340 and Pf04 conidia were solid-cultured on 12 grains for 14?days in a Petri dish. Of the tested Italian millet, perilla seed, millet and barley-based cultures showed high conidial production. The four-grain media yielded >1?×?10⁹ conidia/g of I. javanica FG340 and Pf04. Pf04 strain had enhanced thermotolerance up to 45?°C when cultured on Italian millet. In application, it was easy to make a conidial suspension using the cultured grains, and several surfactants were tested to release the conidia. This work suggests several possible inexpensive grain substrates by which to promote conidial production combined with enhanced stability against exposure to high temperature.     

Mechanisms of mucosal and parenteral tuberculosis vaccinations: adenoviral-based mucosal immunization preferentially elicits sustained accumulation of immune protective CD4 and CD8 T cells within the airway lumen

The mechanisms underlying better immune protection by mucosal vaccination have remained poorly understood. In our current study we have investigated the mechanisms by which respiratory virus-mediated mucosal vaccination provides remarkably better immune protection against pulmonary tuberculosis than parenteral vaccination. A recombinant adenovirus-based tuberculosis (TB) vaccine expressing Mycobacterium tuberculosis Ag85A (AdAg85A) was administered either intranasally (i.n.) or i.m. to mice, and Ag-specific CD4 and CD8 T cell responses, including frequency, IFN-gamma production, and CTL, were examined in the spleen, lung interstitium, and airway lumen. Although i.m. immunization with AdAg85A led to activation of T cells, particularly CD8 T cells, in the spleen and, to a lesser extent, in the lung interstitium, it failed to elicit any T cell response in the airway lumen. In contrast, although i.n. immunization failed to effectively activate T cells in the spleen, it uniquely elicited higher numbers of Ag-specific CD4 and CD8 T cells in the airway lumen that were capable of IFN-gamma production and cytolytic activities, as assessed by an intratracheal in vivo CTL assay. These airway luminal T cells of i.n. immunized mice or splenic T cells of i.m. immunized mice, upon transfer locally to the lungs of naive SCID mice, conferred immune protection against M. tuberculosis challenge. Our study has demonstrated that the airway luminal T cell population plays an important role in immune protection against pulmonary TB, thus providing mechanistic insights into the superior immune protection conferred by respiratory mucosal TB vaccination.     

籼粳亚种间杂交稻米脂肪含量的遗传分析

用包括基因型×环境互作效应的种子性状遗传模型,研究了籼粳亚种间杂交稻米脂肪含量的遗传特性,结果表明：在籼粳杂种中,脂肪含量的遗传表达主要受控于种子直接加性效应和母体加性效应,以前者为主．基因型X环境互作主要表现为显性（包括直接显性和母体显性）X环境以及细胞质X环境工作．直接近传率和母体遗传率都极显著．此外,根据遗传效应预测值对供试条本的利用价值作了评价．     

Role of the Nuclease Activities Encoded by Herpes Simplex Virus 1 UL12 in Viral Replication and Neurovirulence

Enzyme-dead mutations in the herpes simplex virus 1 UL12 gene that abolished its endo- and exonuclease activities only slightly reduced viral replication in cell cultures. However, the UL12 null mutation significantly reduced viral replication, suggesting that a UL12 function(s) unrelated to its nuclease activities played a major role in viral replication. In contrast, the enzyme-dead mutations significantly reduced viral neurovirulence in mice, suggesting that UL12 nuclease activities were critical for viral pathogenesis in vivo.     

Aromatic amino acid transaminase in rat intestine

The transamination of aromatic l-amino acids (5-hydroxytryptophan, tryptophan, tyrosine, phenylalanine and kynurenine) was shown to be catalysed by enzyme preparations from rat small intestine. On the basis of the partial purification and characterization of these aromatic amino acid transaminases, it is suggested that rat small intestine contains several kinds of aromatic amino acid transaminases.     

Selenite and ebselen supplementation attenuates <Emphasis Type="SmallCaps">d</Emphasis>-galactose-induced oxidative stress and increases expression of SELR and SEP15 in rat lens

Selenite and ebselen supplementation has been shown to possess anti-cataract potential in some experimental animal models of cataract, however, the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. The present study was designed to evaluate the anti-cataract effects and the underlying mechanisms of selenite and ebselen supplementation on galactose induced cataract in rats, a common animal model of sugar cataract. Transmission electron microscopy images of lens fiber cells (LFC) and lens epithelial cells (LEC) were observed in d-galactose-induced experimental cataractous rats treated with or without selenite and ebselen, also redox homeostasis and expression of proteins such as selenoprotein R (SELR), 15kD selenoprotein (SEP15), superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1), catalase (CAT), β-crystallin protein, aldose reductase (AR) and glucose-regulated protein 78 (GRP78) were estimated in the lenses. The results showed that d-galactose injection injured rat lens and resulted in cataract formation; however, selenite and ebselen supplementation markedly alleviated ultrastructural injury of LFC and LEC. Moreover, selenite and ebselen supplementation could mitigate the oxidative damage in rat lens and increase the protein expressions of SELR, SEP15, SOD1, CAT and β-crystallin, as well as decrease the protein expressions of AR and GRP78. Taken together, these findings for the first time reveal the anti-cataract potential of selenite and ebselen in galactosemic cataract, and provide important new insights into the anti-cataract mechanisms of selenite and ebselen in sugar cataract.     

小口盘菌属一新种及该属分种检索表

本文报道了采自内蒙古地区的肉杯菌科一新种：根小口盘菌Microstoma radicatum。提供了新种的详细描述、生态照片、线条图和ITS序列GenBank登录号,编制了小口盘菌属世界已知种的分种检索表。研究标本保存在赤峰学院菌物标本室（CFSZ）和中国科学院菌物标本馆（HMAS）。     

THE UTILITY OF PROTEOMICS IN ALGAL TAXONOMY: BOSTRYCHIA RADICANS/B. MORITZIANA (RHODOMELACEAE,RHODOPHYTA) AS A MODEL STUDY1

A comparison of the proteome of eight genetically well‐characterized isolates of the Bostrychia radicans (Mont.) Mont./B. moritziana (Sond. ex Kütz.) J. Agardh species complex was undertaken to establish if genetic relationships among them can be determined using proteome data. Genetic distances were calculated on the basis of common and distinct spots in two‐dimensional gel electrophoresis (2‐DE). Proteomes of the male and female plants of each population were compared to analyze the range of genetic difference within an isolate. Haploid male and female plants of the same species had 3.7%–7.1% sex‐specific proteins. The degree of similarity of the proteome was consistent with previous DNA sequence data and sexual compatibility studies between the isolates. Two sexually compatible isolates from Venezuela showed a pair‐wise distance ranging from 0.14 to 0.21. The isolates from Mexico and Venezuela, which were partially compatible, showed a maximum pair‐wise distance of 0.26. A high level of genetic difference was found among isolates that were sexually incompatible. The isolate from Brazil was reproductively isolated from the Mexico and Venezuela isolates and showed a maximum pair‐wise distance of 0.65 and 0.58, respectively. Comparative proteomics may be helpful for studying genetic distances among algal samples, if intraisolate variation (gene expression) can be minimized or tested.     

Molecular anatomy of the DNA damage and replication checkpoints

Cell cycle checkpoints are signal transduction pathways that enforce the orderly execution of the cell division cycle and arrest the cell cycle upon the occurrence of undesirable events, such as DNA damage, replication stress, and spindle disruption. The primary function of the cell cycle checkpoint is to ensure that the integrity of chromosomal DNA is maintained. DNA lesions and disrupted replication forks are thought to be recognized by the DNA damage checkpoint and replication checkpoint, respectively. Both checkpoints initiate protein kinase-based signal transduction cascade to activate downstream effectors that elicit cell cycle arrest, DNA repair, or apoptosis that is often dependent on dose and cell type. These actions prevent the conversion of aberrant DNA structures into inheritable mutations and minimize the survival of cells with unrepairable damage. Genetic components of the damage and replication checkpoints have been identified in yeast and humans, and a working model is beginning to emerge. We summarize recent advances in the DNA damage and replication checkpoints and discuss the essential functions of the proteins involved in the checkpoint responses.     

长时程增强诱导和维持过程中海马CA1区神经细胞粘附分子蛋白水平与mRNA表达的变化

既往研究发现,神经细胞粘附分子(neural cell adhesion molecules,NCAM)对海马CA1区突触传递长时程增强(longterm potentiation,LTP)的诱导和维持极为关键。本文采用原位杂交法和Western blot法,观察了大鼠海马腑片LTP诱导和维持过程中NCAM mRNA和蛋白水平的动态变化过程。结果显示,强直刺激诱发fEPSP斜率升高10 min时,海马CA1区NCAM mRNA染色阳性神经元数量显著增加(76.6±11.5个),NCAM蛋白水平亦明显升高(7.190±0.64任意单位/50μg蛋白)。强直刺激诱发fEPSP斜率升高1 h时,NCAM mRNA染色阳性神经元数量为73.3±14.0个,NCAM蛋白量为9.031±0.71任意单位/50 μg蛋白;与强直刺激后10 min比较,NCAM mRNA表达无显著变化,而NCAM蛋白水平变化明显。NMDA受体特异阻断剂AP-5在损害LTP的同时,显著抑制NCAM mRNA和蛋白的增加。实验结果表明,在大鼠海马LTP诱导和维持过程中,NCAM mRNA增强的表达相对稳定,而NCAM蛋白水平呈现先低后高的变化。