Role of soil seed bank along a disturbance gradient in an alpine meadow on the Tibet plateau

We examined the role of the soil seed bank along a grazing disturbance gradient and its relationship with the vegetation of alpine meadows on the Tibet plateau, and discussed the implications for restoration. The seed bank had a high potential for restoration of species-rich vegetation; 62 species were identified in the vegetation and 87 in the seed bank, 39 species being common to both. Mean seed density was 3069–6105 viable seeds m⁻². The density of buried seeds increased significantly with increasing disturbance, indicating that restoration of disturbed areas is not seed limited. Seed density and species richness decreased with depth. The proportion of perennial species decreased with decrease in disturbance both in seed bank and in vegetation. A large portion of species with persistent seeds in the disturbed areas indicate that this seed type can be regarded a strategy of adaptation to current disturbances. Detrended correspondence analysis (DCA) showed significant differences of species composition between seed bank and vegetation, except for the seriously disturbed site. Our results suggest that the establishment of new species in severely disturbed areas is more dependent on the seed bank. By contrast, the restoration in less-disturbed and mature meadows does not rely on seed banks, and the establishment of the vegetation in these communities is more likely to rely on seed dispersal from the standing vegetation and on species with vegetative reproduction.     

Chem‐bioinformatics: QSTR studies on TIBO derivatives

In the present study, effort has been made to develop a mathematical model for the set of 19 (tetrahydromidazo [4,5,1‐jk][1,4] benzodizepin‐2(1H)‐one) (TIBO) derivatives. The biological activity modeled in the present investigation is cytotoxic concentration (log 1/C). To investigate the cytotoxic behavior of TIBO derivatives, classical and nonconventional physicochemical properties are tested separately. Out of the two categories, the classical physicochemical properties play a dominating role in the modeling of cytotoxicity. On the basis of the results obtained and with the help of molecular modeling parameters, we discovered that the molecular property is most responsible for the cytotoxicity of TIBO derivatives. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biochem Mol Toxicol 23:166–171, 2009; Published online in Wiley InterScience ( www.interscience.wiley.com ). DOI 10.1002/jbt.20270     

不同种植模式的茶园对溪流大型底栖无脊椎动物群落的影响

茶园对溪流水质和底栖动物群落的影响正日益受到关注。于2007年4月调查了浙江富阳、建德、武义和松阳县,受不同种植模式茶园（低山林地改植茶园、高山林地改植茶园和农田改植茶园）影响的溪流及无干扰参照溪流共17个样点的水质和大型底栖无脊椎动物。结果表明：受茶园影响溪流的铵态氮、总氮、总磷、COD_Mn和电导率都高于参照溪流,低山茶园影响溪流的总氮5.506 mg·L^-1和总磷0.053 mg·L^-1比高山茶园影响溪流的总氮2.069 mg·L^-1和总磷0.028 mg·L^-1高出约2倍;低山林地改植茶园影响溪流的底栖动物物种丰富度显著低于参照溪流(P<0.01),高山林地改植茶园影响溪流与参照溪流之间的差异不显著（P>0.05）;群落相似性的非度量多维尺度(nMDS)分析表明（stress value=0.09）,参照溪流和高山茶园干扰溪流的物种相似性最高,农田改植茶园与农田影响溪流之间也具有较高物种相似性。     

In depth analysis of the N-terminal bioactive domain of gastric inhibitory polypeptide

Gastric inhibitory polypeptide/glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) is an important gastrointestinal regulator of insulin release and glucose homeostasis following a meal. Strategies have been undertaken to delineate the bioactive domains of GIP with the intention of developing small molecular weight GIP mimetics. The molecular cloning of receptors for GIP and the related hormone GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide-1) has allowed examination of the characteristics of incretin analogs in transfected cell models. The current report examines the N-terminal bioactive domain of GIP residing in residues 1-14 by alanine scanning mutagenesis and N-terminal substitution/modification. Further studies examined peptide chimeras of GIP and GLP-1 designed to localize bioactive determinants of the two hormones. The alanine scan of the GIP(1-14) sequence established that the peptide was extremely sensitive to structural perturbations. Only replacement of amino acids 2 and 13 with those found in glucagon failed to dramatically reduce receptor binding and activation. Of four GIP(1-14) peptides modified by the introduction of DP IV-resistant groups, a peptide with a reduced bond between Ala2 and Glu3 demonstrated improved receptor potency compared to native GIP(1-14). The peptide chimera studies supported recent results on the importance of a mid-region helix for bioactivity of GIP, and confirmed existence of two separable regions with independent intrinsic receptor binding and activation properties. Furthermore, peptide chimeras showed that binding of GLP-1 also involves both N- and C-terminal domains, but that it apparently contains only a single bioactive domain in its N-terminus. Together, these results should facilitate development of incretin based therapies using rational drug design for potential treatment of diabetes.     

同工酶分析在柑桔研究中的应用

本文概述了同工酶分析在柑桔分类、亲缘关系鉴定、遗传育种、病理检测和离体培养等研究领域的应用,并对同工酶分析在柑桔上的应用前景提出了一些看法。     

柿属君迁子和湖南九个乡土柿品种过氧化物酶同工酶的研究

用聚丙烯酰胺凝胶垂直板电泳,分析了柿属君迁子(D.lotus)和湖南九个乡土柿品种的过氧化物酶同工酶。并根据柿苗茎部酶谱的相似值,进行了模糊聚类分析,划分了类群,探讨了各类群之间的亲缘关系,初步确定了冰糖柿、槟榔柿、君迁子是一个较为原生的类群,其它4类分化程度较大,进化历史较长,但都与冰糖柿有着密切的亲缘关系。     

Evidence for a cholecystokinin gut-brain axis with modulation by bombesin

The relationship between cerebrospinal fluid and plasma cholecystokinin (CCK) levels was investigated by simultaneous withdrawal of CSF and blood from anesthetized mongrel dogs and measurement of CCK immunoreactivity by radioimmunoassay. A significant correlation occurred between CSF and plasma levels of CCK. During a CCK IV infusion, a statistically significant inverse correlation was noted between CSF and plasma values, while no significant relationship was noted during a bombesin (BBS) IV infusion. When infusion data were analyzed together with the appropriate baseline data, polynomial analysis revealed significant biphasic relationships for both CCK and BBS infusion studies. Intraventricular infusion of CCK did not alter plasma levels. These data suggest the existence of a mechanism relating CSF to plasma CCK levels (a gut to brain axis) with possible modulation or suppression by BBS.     

The activities of hydrogenase and enoate reductase in two Clostridium species,their interrelationship and dependence on growth conditions

The enzyme activities of Clostridium La 1 and Clostridium kluyveri involved in the stereospecific hydrogenation of ,-unsaturated carbonyl compounds with hydrogen gas were measured. In C. La 1 the specific activities of hydrogenase and enoate reductase depended heavily on the growth phase and the composition of the medium. During growth in batch cultures on 70 mM crotonate the specific activity of hydrogenase increased and then dropped to about 10% of its maximum value, whereas the activity of enoate reductase reached its maximum in cells of the stationary phase. Under certain conditions during growth the activity ratio hydrogenase: enoate reductase changed from 120 to 1. Thus, the rate limiting enzyme for the hydrogenation can be either the hydrogenase or the enoate reductase, depending on the growth conditions of the cells.The specific activities of ferredoxin-NAD reductase and butyryl-CoA dehydrogenase increased 3-4-fold during growth on crotonate. By turbidostatic experiments it was shown that at constant input of high crotonate concentrations (200 mM) the enoate reductase activity was almost completely suppressed; it increased steadily with decreasing crotonate down to an input concentration of 35 mM.Glucose as carbon source led to high hydrogenase and negligible enoate reductase activities. The latter could be induced by changing the carbon source of the medium from glucose to crotonate. Tetracycline inhibited the formation of enoate reductase.A series of other carbon sources was tested. They can be divided into ones which result in high hydrogenase and rather low enoate reductase activities and others which cause the reverse effect.When the Fe²⁺ concentration in crotonate medium was growth limiting, cells with relatively high hydrogenase activity and very low enoate reductase activity in the stationary phase were obtained. At Fe²⁺ concentrations above 3·10^-7 M enoate reductase increased and hydrogenase activity reached its minimum. The ratio of activities changes by a factor of about 200. In a similar way the dependence of enzyme activities on the concentration of sulfate was studied.In batch cultures of Clostridium kluyveri a similar opposite time course of enoate reductase and hydrogenase was found.The possible physiological significance of this behavior is discussed.Non Standard Abbreviations O.D.₅₇₈ Optical density at 578 nm Dedicated to Professor Dr. O. Kandler on the occasion of his 60th birthday     

The discovery of VU0486846: steep SAR from a series of M1 PAMs based on a novel benzomorpholine core

This letter describes the chemical optimization of a new series of M₁ positive allosteric modulators (PAMs) based on a novel benzomorpholine core, developed via iterative parallel synthesis, and culminating in the highly utilized rodent in vivo tool compound, VU0486846 (7), devoid of adverse effect liability. This is the first report of the optimization campaign (SAR and DMPK profiling) that led to the discovery of VU0486846 and details all of the challenges faced in allosteric modulator programs (both steep and flat SAR, as well as subtle structural changes affecting CNS penetration and overall physiochemical and DMPK properties).     

应用非序列联配方法对哺乳动物系统发育关系的探讨

非序列联配的序列分析方法,将序列中特定寡聚核苷酸的kmer统计频率作为特征,在序列间按特征进行比较和分析。这种方法综合考虑了所有变异类型对序列整体特征的影响,因而在组学数据分析上有独特的优势。但是,这类方法在复杂多细胞生物基因组系统发育中的适用性仍然有待检验。在本文中,我们使用基于非序列联配方法的CVTree软件,以45种哺乳动物的蛋白质组数据建立了系统发育关系NJ树,并据此探讨了哺乳动物系统发育的若干问题。在广受关注的真兽下纲四个总目的关系问题上,CVTree支持形态学的普遍结论即上兽类(Epitheria)假说。这与基于序列联配方法支持的外非洲胎盘类(Exafro-placentalia )假说不同。在哺乳动物内部目的层次上,CVTree树的结论与分子和形态所普遍接受的系统发育关系基本一致。但是在目的内部,CVTree树会有较多的差异。研究结果初步显示非序列联配方法在使用复杂多细胞生物的组学数据进行系统发育关系分析中的可行性。对非序列联配方法自身的改进及其与传统基于取代的序列联配方法之间的比较仍有待深入研究。